A linear water meter system may include a metering system, a ball valve, a power generation system, a wireless communication system, or a combination thereof. The linear water meter system may provide a linear pathway through the meter that minimizes pressure loss in the system. Two pathways may be provided through the power generation system. One pathway may be utilized to generate power, and the other pathway may provide a bypass that can be utilized to maintain a desired water pressure level in the system.

Fluid meters are utilized to measure volume of fluid usage. For example, in some countries, water meters are used at each residential and commercial building in a public water supply system. To the extent that conventional water meters can transmit usage data, these meters are typically capable of transmitting data only relatively infrequently due to power issues and other constraints. For example, this transmission distance is generally limited, requiring field technicians to either read the meter directly or from a relatively short distance away. Water meters may utilize a limited power source, such as a battery, to power the meter. As a result, the batteries in a water meter may be replaced by an operator every 6 to 12 months. If the power source is rechargeable, it may not be easily be recharged because water meters are not typically connected to an external power source. Further, after 3-5 years of operation, wear and tear may require meters to be recalibrated. Worn meters may over or under read the amount of fluid passing through the meter and it may require significant effort and expense to systematically check and calibrate individual meters in a given service area. Additionally, the dimension of a typical water meter do not necessitate placement of water meters in the walls of a building or the like. Finally, many water meters redirect the flow of fluid through the meter, which may require the restoration of pressure in a water system.
Water meter systems and methods discussed herein that provide a linear design, wireless communication, self-generating energy, and/or rechargeable energy storage may provide significant improvements over currently available water meters. Additionally, the water meter systems and methods are operable in low flow conditions, and can achieve a high turndown ratio.

Water meter systems and methods with bypass-flow path and rechargeable energy storage


A ridged coaxial transmission line assembly including a plurality of parallel transmission paths is fabricated from an extrusion incorporating a plurality of slotted, longitudinal bores provided with centrally located conductors held in position by insulating stand-offs provides a structure performing the dual functions of electrically integral antenna mast and signal conductors for a linear array of antenna elements supported by the mast.

Historically vertical, linear array antennas have been unnecessarily bulky and require a relatively massive mast to support the plurality of transmission lines and power dividers. The devices are generally untidy and mechanical configuration due to the assemblage of bundled transmission lines leading to power leakages. Furthermore, such configurations increase the diameter of the overall assembly requiring larger radomes causing the devices to be more susceptible to high winds, resulting in a requirement for even more massive antenna masts.


Conventional pet robots have the ability to distinguish users and take a different behavior pattern per each different user, and conventional pet robots have the ability to phase their behavior patterns based on their own behavior history to stage a growth process. The present invention provides an improvement to the conventional pet robots by, when in contact with a user in possession of a memory card, acquiring various types of information from the memory card, such as identification information of the memory card, information regarding the user, and history information regarding contact between the user and the robot. This provides the user a high degree of satisfaction by performing behavior that reflects the acquired information.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a robot that performs behavior control which reflects information acquired from an external device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, pet robots that operate autonomously depending on the surrounding environment, instructions from a user, and the like have been developed and sold. Patent document 1 discloses technology for phasing behavior levels in order to make operations of these pet robots more closely resemble actual pets. According to this technology, these pet robots phase from child-like behavior to adult behavior based on their own behavior histories and external input histories.
Patent document 2 discloses technology for modifying behavior patterns according to different users. According to this technology, the pet robot pre-stores behavior scheme data that corresponds to each of a plurality of users, identifies users by feature quantities such as sounds and facial images, and behaves in accordance with behavior scheme data that corresponds to the identified user.
Patent document 1: International Publication No. WO 00/67961
Patent document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-277166
However, there is demand for a robot which can give the user a greater sense of satisfaction.

Robot, hint output device, robot control system, robot control method, robot control program, and integrated circuit


An optical information recording/reproducing device includes a liquid optical element containing a liquid crystal polymer layer in an optical head. A liquid crystal optical element drive unit drives a liquid crystal optical element having a first pattern electrode divided into a plurality of region at one side of the liquid crystal polymer layer in the optical axis direction. The first pattern electrode includes a first region arranged to surround the optical axis and second to ninth regions arranged outside the first regions in such a manner that the circumference is divided eight portions. The liquid crystal optical element drive unit applies a first effective voltage to the first region, a second effective voltage to the second and the sixth region, a third effective voltage to the third and the seventh region, a fourth effective voltage to the fourth and the eighth region, and a fifth effective voltage to the fifth and the ninth region. An average value of the second and the fourth effective voltage and an average value of the third and the fifth effective voltage are identical to the first effective voltage. The voltage applied to the respective regions of the pattern region of the liquid crystal optical element is decided in a short time so as to optimize the quality of the reproduction signal.

The recording density of an optical recording medium is inversely proportional to the square of the diameter of the focused spot formed on the optical recording medium by an optical head incorporated within an optical information recording/reproducing apparatus that performs recording or reproduction on the optical recording medium. That is, a smaller focused spot diameter results in higher recording density. The focused spot diameter is proportional to the wavelength of the light source in the optical head and inversely proportional to the numeric aperture of the objective lens. That is, a shorter wavelength of the light source and higher numeric aperture of the objective lens result in a smaller focused spot diameter.
An optical system of an optical head suffers from various types of aberration, such as astigmatism, coma aberration, and spherical aberration, due to manufacturing error and adjustment error of optical components. For example, misalignment between the center of the incidence surface of the objective lens and the center of the exit surface thereof causes astigmatism and coma aberration, and deviation of the spacing between the incidence surface and exit surface of the objective lens from design causes spherical aberration. The occurrence of the various types of aberration in the optical system of the optical head results in a disturbed shape of the focused spot and deteriorated recording/reproducing characteristics. The astigmatism, coma aberration, and spherical aberration are inversely proportional to the wavelength of the light source, and proportional to the square, cube, and fourth-power, respectively, of the numeric aperture of the objective lens. Thus, a shorter wavelength of the light source and higher numeric aperture of the objective lens result in a narrower margin of the various types of aberrations for the recording/reproducing characteristics. Therefore, an optical information recording/reproducing apparatus provided with a light source of a shortened wavelength and an objective lens of an increased numeric aperture for improved recording density requires correction of the various types of aberration occurring in the optical system of the optical head in order to prevent deterioration in the recording/reproducing characteristics.
Known as conventional optical heads capable of correcting various types of aberration are optical heads provided with a liquid crystal optical element for correcting various types of aberration. Among them, an example of the conventional optical heads provided with a liquid crystal optical element for correcting astigmatism is described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. JP-A 2000-40249. FIG. 28 shows the configuration of the optical head disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. JP-A 2000-40249. This optical head includes: a semiconductor laser 26, a polarizing beam splitter 27, a liquid crystal optical element 28, a quarter-wave plate 29, an objective lens 30, a convex lens 32, and a photo-detector 33. Light emitted from the semiconductor laser 26 serving as a light source is made incident as P-polarized light on the polarizing beam splitter 27, and is transmitted therethrough almost completely, and then outputted to the liquid crystal optical element 28. The liquid crystal optical element 28 transmits the incident light and outputs it to the quarter-wave plate 29. The quarter-wave plate 29 converts the transmitted light from linear polarized light into circular polarized light. The light transmitted through the quarter-wave plate 29 is focused on a disk 31 serving as an optical recording medium by the objective lens 30. The light reflected on the disk 31 is transmitted backward through the objective lens 30, and made incident on the quarter-wave plate 29. The quarter-wave plate 29 converts the transmitted light from the circular polarized light into linear polarized light whose polarization direction is orthogonal to that on the forward path. The light converted into the linear polarized light is transmitted backward through the liquid crystal optical element 28, and is made incident as S-polarized light on the polarizing beam splitter 27. The polarizing beam splitter 27 reflects the incident light almost completely and outputs it to the convex lens 32. The light transmitted through the convex lens 32 is received by the photo-detector 33.
The liquid crystal optical element 28 is structured to have liquid crystal polymer sandwiched between two substrates. A pattern electrode 34 is formed on a surface of one of the substrates on the liquid crystal polymer side, and an entire surface electrode is formed on a surface of the other substrate on the liquid crystal polymer side. FIG. 29 is a plan view of the pattern electrode 34 of the liquid crystal optical element 28. The pattern electrode 34 is divided into nine regions. Specifically, the pattern electrode 34 is divided into: a circular region 35a with the optical axis as center; regions 35b to 35i which are located outside of the region 35a and divided by four straight lines passing through the optical axis in units of 45 degrees in accordance with the angle around the optical axis. A dotted line in the figure indicates the effective diameter of the objective lens 30.
FIG. 30 shows relationship between the regions of the pattern electrode 34 of the liquid crystal optical element 28 and voltages respectively applied to these regions. Nine drive patterns, drive pattern A to drive pattern I, are available for the liquid crystal optical element 28. As shown in FIG. 30, selected one of drive voltages Va, Vb, and Vc is applied to each of the regions 35a to 35i, in accordance with the respective drive pattern. Here, Va>Vc>Vb, and Va−Vc=Vc−Vb=V. The transmitted light through the region(s) fed with the drive voltage Va is advanced in phase with respect to the transmitted light through the region(s) fed with the drive voltage Vc. The transmitted light through the region(s) fed with the drive voltage Vb is delayed in phase with respect to the transmitted light through the region(s) fed with the drive voltage Vc.
The drive pattern A advances the phase of the light transmitted through the regions 35c, 35d, 35g, and 35h with respect to the light transmitted through the region 35a, and delays the phase the light transmitted through the regions 35b, 35e, 35f, and 35i with respect to the light transmitted through the region 35a. On the other hand, the drive pattern E delays the phase of the light transmitted through the regions 35c, 35d, 35g, and 35h with respect to the light transmitted through the region 35a, and advances the phase of the light transmitted through the regions 35b, 35e, 35f, and 35i with respect to the light transmitted through the region 35a. Therefore, the use of the drive patterns A or E successfully provides correction of the astigmatism between the 0° direction and the 90° direction. The sign of correctable astigmatism is opposite between the drive patterns A and E.
The drive pattern C advances the phase of the light transmitted through the regions 35d, 35e, 35h, and 35i with respect to the light transmitted through the region 35a, and delays the phase of the light transmitted through the regions 35b, 35c, 35f, and 35g with respect to the light transmitted through the region 35a. On the other hand, the drive pattern G advances the phase of the light transmitted through the regions 35d, 35e, 35h, and 35i with respect to the light transmitted through the region 35a, and delays the phase of the light transmitted through the regions 35b, 35c, 35f, and 35g with respect to the light transmitted through the region 35a. Therefore, the drive patterns C and G provide correction of the astigmatism between the 45° direction and the 135° direction. The sign of correctable astigmatism is opposite between the drive patterns C and G.
The drive pattern D advances the phase of the light transmitted through the regions 35e and 35i with respect to the light transmitted through the region 35a, and delays the phase of the light transmitted through the regions 35c and 35g with respect to the light transmitted through the region 35a. On the other hand, the drive pattern H delays the phase of the light transmitted through the regions 35e and 35i with respect to the light transmitted through the region 35a, and advances the phase of the light transmitted through the regions 35c and 35g with respect to the light transmitted through the region 35a. Therefore, the drive patterns D and H provide correction of the astigmatism between 22.5° direction and 112.5° direction. The sign of correctable astigmatism is opposite between the drive patterns D and H.
The drive pattern B advances the phase of the light transmitted through the regions 35d and 35h with respect to the light transmitted through the region 35a, and delays the phase of the light transmitted through the regions 35b and 35f with respect to the light transmitted through the region 35a. On the other hand, the drive pattern F delays the phase of the light transmitted through the regions 35d and 35h with respect to the light transmitted through the region 35a, and delays the phase of the light transmitted through the regions 35b and 35f with respect to the light transmitted through the region 35a. Therefore, the drive patterns D and H provide correction of the astigmatism between 67.5° direction and 157.5° direction. The sign of correctable astigmatism is opposite between the drive patterns B and F.
The absolute amount of astigmatism correctable with the drive patterns A to H increases with the increase in the value of the voltage V. It should be noted that the drive pattern I does not provide astigmatism correction.
The correction of astigmatism with the liquid crystal optical element 28 requires selecting any of the drive patterns A to I in accordance with the direction of astigmatism to be corrected, and determining the level of voltage V in accordance with the amount of astigmatism to be corrected, so that the quality evaluation index of the reproduced signal from the optical recording medium is best improved. Japanese Laid Open Patent Application No. JP-A 200-40249 discloses two methods as methods of determining which of the drive patterns A to I is to be used and determining the value of voltage V.
The first method involves measuring the jitter of the reproduced signal and selecting the combination of the drive pattern and the value of the voltage V so that the jitter is minimized. Eight drive patterns A to H are preliminary prepared for the drive pattern, and about 32 types of voltage values are previously prepared for the voltage V. For all the combinations, the jitter of the reproduced signal is measured, and the combination of the drive pattern and the voltage V is selected so as to minimize the jitter.
A second method involves measuring the amplitude of the reproduced signal and selecting the drive pattern so that the jitter is minimized. Eight drive patterns A to H are previously prepared for the drive pattern, about 16 types of voltage values are previously prepared for the voltage V. First, the voltage V is fixed at any one of about the 16 types of voltage values, and the amplitude of the reproduced signal, which is one of the quality evaluation indexes of the reproduced signal, is measured for all the eight drive patterns. The drive pattern is selected so that the measured amplitude of the reproduced signal is minimized. Next, the amplitude of the reproduced signal is measured for all the about 16 types of voltage V with the selected one of the eight types of drive patterns fixed. From among them, the voltage V is selected so that the amplitude of the reproduced signal is maximized.
The first method allows selecting the optimum combination of the drive pattern and voltage V which offers the best quality evaluation index of the reproduced signal. However, the first method requires long time to select the combination of the drive pattern and voltage V. On the other hand, the second method allows selecting the combination of the drive pattern and voltage V in short time. However, the second method does not necessary select the optimum combination of the drive pattern and voltage V which provides the best quality evaluation index of the reproduced signal.
In connection with the above, Japanese Laid Open Patent Application No. JP-A 2001-273663 discloses an aberration correction device. The conventional aberration correction device corrects aberration occurring on the optical path of an optical system that irradiates an optical beam to a recording medium and then guides the optical beam reflected by the recording medium. This aberration correction device includes: a liquid crystal unit provided with a first electrode layer including a plurality of divided electrodes electrically separated from each other in the same plane, a second electrode layer, and a liquid crystal element which is provided between the first and second electrode layers to cause a phase change in the light passing therethrough in accordance with the applied electric field; a detector which receives a reflected optical beam traveling through the liquid crystal unit to generate a detection signal; a voltage generator which generates voltages respectively applied to the plurality of divided electrodes; and a controller which controls aberration correction by, with the voltage applied to the predetermined divided electrode of the first electrode layer being defined as a reference voltage, changing the voltages applied to the other divided electrodes. The controller defines the reference voltage based on the change in the magnitude of the detection signal for the change of the voltages respectively applied to the plurality of divided electrodes.
Moreover, Japanese Laid Open Patent Application No. JP-A 2002-14314 discloses an optical recording/reproducing device. The conventional optical recording/reproducing device includes: a voltage application electrode having a segment electrode part composed of a plurality of segment electrodes, a voltage control part formed of a conductive material and generating voltages applied to the plurality of segment electrodes by dividing an externally applied voltage by resistors of conductive material, a conduction part connecting together the segment electrode part and the voltage control part, and an insulation part preventing short-circuit between the conduction part; an opposite electrode arranged in substantially parallel to the voltage application electrode and opposed to the voltage application electrode; and a phase change layer formed of a phase changing material arranged between the voltage application electrode and the opposite electrode. The phase of light incident on the phase change layer is changed by changing the difference in the voltage between the plurality of segment electrodes and the opposite electrode.
Moreover, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. JP-A 2003-338070 discloses an optical head device. In this conventional example, the optical head device includes: a light source; an objective lens for focusing the light emitted from the light source onto an optical recording medium; a phase correction element provided between the light source and the objective lens to change the wavefronts of the emitted light; and control voltage generating means outputting a wavefront-changing voltage to the phase correction element. The phase correction element includes: a pair of transparent substrates with transparent electrodes formed on the surfaces thereof; and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the transparent substrates. Formed on the surface of at least one of the transparent substrates are: a coma aberration correction electrode which is a transparent electrode for correcting coma aberration or a spherical aberration correction electrode which is a transparent electrode for correcting spherical aberration; and an astigmatism correction electrode which is a transparent electrode for correcting astigmatism. Each of the transparent electrodes is divided into several segments.

Optical information recording/ reproducing device and optical information recording/ reproducing method


A method and a system for identifying screen flows. An instance of an application utilized by a first entity locates a first key in a first table to identify a first procedure. The same instance of the application utilized by a second entity locates a second key in the first table to identify a second procedure. Using the first procedure, a method and a parameter set based on rules of the first entity are located in a second table. Using the second procedure, the method and a parameter set based on rules of the second entity are located in the second table. The method is executed with each of the parameter sets to identify a first screen flow for the first entity and a second screen flow for the second entity. The first screen flow includes data elements that are different from data elements included in the second screen flow.

A conventional system providing multi-corporation support for an accounting application requires every corporation using the system to have the same accounting business logic. Corporations using such a conventional system are required to perform expensive and time-consuming re-engineering of their business processes to match the capabilities of the accounting application. Furthermore, the conventional system is inflexible, as each corporation's set of accounting business logic requires a separate instance of the accounting application. Thus, there exists a need to overcome at least one of the preceding deficiencies and limitations of the related art.

Identifying screen flows to support multiple entities and their diverse rules with a single application instance

International Business Machines Corporation


A penile prosthesis is provided, which includes a generally cylindrical body portion comprising a cavity with an inner wall, a proximal end, a distal end, and at least one volume-displacing member occupying at least a portion of the cavity, wherein the at least one volume-displacing member is smaller in at least one dimension than the dimensions of the cavity to provide an internal chamber at least partially surrounding the at least one volume-displacing member and adjacent to the inner wall of the cavity. The prosthesis further includes a fluid transfer tube extending from the body portion for transferring fluid to and from the internal chamber, wherein the device is convertible from a flaccid condition to a rigid condition when a sufficient volume of fluid is transferred into the internal chamber to substantially fill the internal chamber.

One common treatment for erectile dysfunction includes the use of a penile implant device. One type of penile implant device includes a pair of cylindrical prostheses that are implanted into the corpus cavernosae of the penis. In some instances, the prostheses are inflatable and are connected to a fluid-filled reservoir through a pump and valve assembly. Such a pump assembly is typically implanted into the scrotum of the patient, and the reservoir is implanted in the abdomen. To activate the penile implant device, the patient actuates the pump using one of a variety of methods that cause fluid to be transferred from the reservoir through the pump and into the prostheses. This results in the inflation of the prostheses and produces rigidity for a normal erection. Then, when the patient desires to deflate the prostheses, a valve assembly within the pump is actuated in a manner such that the fluid in the prostheses is released back into the reservoir. This deflation returns the penis to a flaccid state.
In many of these penile implant devices, the prostheses will be in a relatively collapsed state or condition when deflated and will not again regain significant rigidity until the penile implant device is reactivated, thereby causing at least partial reinflation of the cylinders. In many cases, when the prostheses are in their collapsed state (i.e., the flaccid state of the penis), they may not provide enough support to give the patient a natural feeling of fullness. In addition, these devices require the transfer of a sufficient volume of fluid to change the prostheses from their deflated state to their inflated state, where the amount of fluid to be transferred may directly correlate to the amount of manipulation or steps required to move such a volume of fluid. That is, a greater volume of fluid transfer may require a greater amount of manipulation to transfer such fluid volume to the prostheses. Thus, it is desirable to provide an inflatable prosthetic penile device or system that provides a more natural and full feel of the penis in its flaccid state while requiring a smaller volume of fluid transfer to inflate the prostheses.

Inflatable penile prosthesis with volume displacement materials and devices


A current picture partitioned into a plurality of partitions is received and encoded by determining a total target number of encoded bits for the current picture to avoid overflow or underflow of a video buffer verifier (VBV) maintained by an encoder. The encoder determines a local target number of encoded bits for each partition of the current picture, in accordance with the total target number. A plurality of partition encoders encode each partition, respectively, in accordance with the local target number for said each partition, wherein each partition encoder maintains a local VBV having a local VBV fullness, to monitor local underflow or overflow conditions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to bit rate control in video processing systems, and, in particular, to apparatuses and methods for controlling the bit rate for partitions or stripes of video pictures.
2. Description of the Related Art
Video processing systems employ bit rate control when encoding video signals, such as video pictures (also referred to as video frames or images). Such pictures are typically composed of an array of pixels, which are encoded (for example, by compression) to provide an encoded (or compressed) video signal or data stream. Each encoded picture has a given number of encoded bits, which corresponds to a particular bit rate. For example, for a series of pictures encoded 30 pictures per second, if each encoded picture has 20 kbits on average, then the average bit rate for the encoded bitstream is 30 pics/sec * 20 kbits/pic=600 kbits/sec.
In variable bit rate (VBR) encoders, the pictures encoded have more or less constant quality, but the number of bits generated per picture may have a large variance. In many applications, this is not acceptable, and thus constant bit rate (CBR) digital video encoders are frequently used. A CBR encoder attempts to maintain a specified constant bit rate on average, while maintaining a smoothly varying and uniform subjective picture quality. An optimal bit rate control technique will attempt to maintain the highest possible picture quality, given the constraints of a specified bit rate and decoder buffer size.
Bit rate control limits the average number of bits the CBR encoding system can produce, and the decoder buffer size limits the amount of variation in the instantaneous bit rate. In general, bit rate control calculates the target bit allocation, which involves estimating the number of bits available to encode the next picture.
Bit rate control is, therefore, employed to encode each subsequent picture in a series of pictures so that the encoded bitstream resulting from the encoding of a given current picture matches a target bit rate as closely as possible. In this manner, the quality of pictures is maximized by allocating as many bits per picture as possible, on average, while avoiding overflowing the transmission or processing bandwidth or the buffer of a decoder system receiving the encoded bits. A smaller number of encoded bits for a given picture corresponds to a lower average bit rate for the series of pictures being encoded, and vice-versa. Thus, if a target bit rate is lowered, it may be desirable to encode a given picture to produce a relatively smaller number of encoded bits. In accordance with a provided target bit rate, therefore, a given picture is allocated a target number of encoded bits into which it should be encoded, to achieve the target bit rate.
Various encoding-related parameters are typically adjusted in order to increase or decrease the number of encoded bits expected from encoding a given picture, in order to match the target bit rate provided for the picture. For example, during encoding of pictures, blocks of pixels which constitute the image are often transformed by a discrete cosine transform (DCT) to arrays of DCT coefficients. These coefficients may then be quantized, before being run-length encoded (RLE) and transmitted, for example. A higher quantization level provides, in general, a smaller number of encoded bits for a given block of DCT coefficients having a given complexity or energy level (and a correspondingly lower encoded bit rate), and vice-versa.
Thus, to match a given targeted bit rate as closely as possible, an estimate may be made of the picture's complexity. Using a known or estimated relation between an average complexity X, the quantization level Q, and resulting number of bits S for the resulting encoded bitstream, a Q level can be selected accordingly.
During processing, pictures are often broken up into a plurality of partitions, such as horizontal bands or stripes, for example to allow for parallel processing techniques to be utilized. Such systems are used, for example, in high-definition television (HDTV) systems. Each stripe is encoded and yields a certain number of encoded bits, which ideally add up to the target bits allocated to the picture as a whole. In such systems, there is a need to allocate the target bits among the stripes.


A compact thermal color printer enables the use of a thermal type printing medium having heat sublimation type inks for a multiple-print use and a heat melting type ink for a single-print use. In the process of printing characters or symbols, using the two types of inks, by pressing the printing medium against a print object through a thermal head, the transport distances for the thermal print medium and the print object are adjusted, depending on whether a heat sublimation type ink is being printed or a heat melting type ink is being printed. This arrangement for the transport distance adjustments enables to simplify the printer drives to make the apparatus more compact, and enables to reduce consumption of the sublimation type inks for color printing and increases the service life of the printing ribbon to reduce the operating cost.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to thermal color printers, and relates in particular to a printing technology using a thermal printing medium (ink ribbon) based on heat sublimation type inks.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a Japanese Patent Application, First Publication, H05-301471, a printing technology is disclosed, based on the use of a multiple-print ink ribbon (permitting repeated printing from one ribbon) based on heat sublimation type inks. The multiple-print ink ribbon has a thick coating of heat sublimation type inks to enable repeated printing from the same ribbon. On the other hand, the single-print ink ribbon based on heat melting wax ink is made by applying a mixture of face coloring or carbon in a wax binder on a ribbon base material. When heat is applied to the coated ribbon, the binder wax melts and transfers all of the heated coating to a print object. Because the heat melting ink transfers all of the face coloring or carbon (black) to the print object upon melting of the wax, the ribbon is not capable of providing multiple printing, even if a thick coating is applied on the ribbon as is the case for the heat sublimation type inks.
In the present state of development of the thermal transfer type color printers, single-print ribbon printers are predominant in the marketplace, and multiple-print ribbons have not yet become a commercial reality. However, in using the multiple-print ribbons, it has been recognized that by arranging the relative movement of the ribbon with respect to the print base to be 1/N, for example, (where N is the number of times the multiple-point ribbon can be repeatedly used), ink consumption can be significantly reduced that the service life of the thermal transfer ribbon can be improved. There has therefore been a serious need to develop a thermal transfer type color printers that permits the use of a multiple-print ribbon.


A multiple supply gate array structure facilitated by the provision of a shared n-well and an isolated n-well is described. The gate array structure allows implementation of a single voltage circuit or a multiple voltage circuit. In addition, the gate array structure allows metal reprogram to provide standard logic functions, or special logic functions such as a buffer function for a signal crossing a voltage island boundary. Other special logic functions may include, for example, a level-shifter function or a fence-hold function.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to application specific integrated circuits, and more particularly, to a multiple supply gate-array backfill structure.
2. Related Art
Application specific integrated circuits (ASIC) are designed by preparing a schematic layout specification in which structures are interconnected to form particular logical functions. The actual preparation may include using automated design software that provides, for example, synthesis, placement and routing of circuitry. For standard logical functions, libraries of cell structures exist that provide the necessary cell structures, which can be selected to generate the particular functions desired. Examples of functions include inverters, ANDs, NORs, etc. The design software places the appropriate cell structures in the ideal positions on the layout and then routes the structures together. Despite advanced design software packages, however, it is often necessary to modify the original layout after manufacture to address logic design problems. Unfortunately, preparing a full mask set that accommodates design modifications is expensive and creates long turnaround times prior to getting the fixed parts.
In order to address the modification problem, a number of techniques exist that take advantage of spaces on the integrated circuit (IC) that are not used to implement functions. These unused spaces exist in practically all ICs. One technique to allow for modifications is to provide spare circuits in the original layout and mask set. The spare circuits are spread throughout the IC design in the unused spaces, and are selected to provide a representative mix of functions. This technique, however, does not guarantee that the appropriate circuit will be available in the correct location when a modification is required.
Another technique that addresses design changes is to provide partially defined structures referred to herein as 'gate array backfill structures' that are placed in the unused space within the original layout and mask set. A modification can then be made by reprogramming the gate array backfill structures to perform a logic function. In one example, the gate array backfill structures are modified by a metal only modification. Modifications made using this technique are less expensive because they require minimal additional mask levels, and are faster because a full wafer processing is not required because the diffused layers may be processed ahead of the change, which only impacts the metal layers. A library of circuits, all of which use the same backfill cell for the diffused layers, but implement different logical functions requiring only metal changes, can be used to implement these modifications. Some techniques for providing gate array backfill cell structures are discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,369,595, 5,051,917 and 4,786,613.
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional gate array backfill structure 14 is shown. Structure 14 includes a continuous n-well 18 that is shared by a number of transistors 16 and other adjacent circuitry (not shown). A voltage terminal 22 supplies the circuit voltage. The illustrative backfill structure 14 of FIG. 1 may be provided in an IC using a single voltage. In this case, the backfill structure 14 is limited to using the predetermined voltage of the IC and cannot be reprogrammed to accommodate a second, different voltage. Voltage islands are partitioned areas within an IC, each having a particular voltage supply. Voltage islands have found increasing usage because they allow for customization of power supply to different parts of an IC, which reduces power consumption.
Where voltage islands are used on an IC, backfill structure 14 may also be provided amongst the voltage islands. The use of voltage islands, however, presents a variety of problems relative to the conventional modification techniques discussed above. In particular, while typical gate array backfill cell structures 14 are usable to correct problems within voltage islands, they are unusable where an interconnection physically crosses over a voltage island or crosses a voltage island boundary because of the voltage differences involved. For example, if a voltage island is provided in the middle of an IC and a signal having nothing to do with the voltage island must physically cross the voltage island, the signal may need to be buffered. Unfortunately, it is impossible to place a buffer circuit into a voltage island in most cases because the buffer circuit up-level is referenced to the wrong voltage, i.e., the voltage of the voltage island. Accordingly, if a modification requires, for example, an interconnection of voltage islands or a signal inversion across a voltage island, current modification technology is incapable of implementation.
In view of the foregoing, a need exists for a gate array backfill cell structure that does not have the problems of the related art.

Multiple supply gate array backfill structure


A recombinant nucleic acid is provided having an avian promoter. One embodiment of the present invention contemplates the use of a gut-specific promoter, wherein a promoter can be the chicken intestinal fatty acid binding protein promoter region. A method for making a transgenic bird is also disclosed by transfecting a bird with a vector comprising a recombinant nucleic acid comprising a chicken intestinal fatty acid binding protein promoter region operably linked to a heterologous nucleic acid expressing a desired polypeptide to be expressed in the gut tissue of an avian.

Genetic engineering techniques that provide for transferring a foreign, or exogenous, gene into a host's genome resulting in the production of a transgenic animal are among the most powerful tools available for the study of genetics and the understanding of genetic mechanisms. Although the field of transgenics was initially developed to understand the action of a single gene in the context of the whole animal and the phenomena of gene activation, expression, and interaction, this technology has shown great promise from an economic perspective. The use of transgenic technology to convert animals into "protein factories" for the production of specific proteins or other substances of pharmaceutical interest (Gordon et al., 1987, Biotechnology 5: 1183–1187; Wilmut et al., 1990, Theriogenology 33: 113–123) offers significant advantages over more conventional methods of protein production by gene expression. Likewise, the incorporation of an exogenous gene to produce an improved production animal could have important implications as, for example, in the production of a disease resistant bird.
Regulation signals, such as promoters and terminators, that allow ordered transcription are required to express foreign genes efficiently. Terminator sequences, located on the 3′ end of the encoding DNA, can serve to end transcription and, if appropriate, as a signal for polyadenylation of the mRNA formed. Promoter sequences, responsible for the expression of the foreign gene, contain recognition sequences for RNA-polymerases and for transcriptional effectors.
A large number of promoters suitable for controlling the expression of foreign genes axe known. For example, one of the most frequently used promoters, the cytomegalovirus immediate-early promoter, is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,062 to Stinski. Because the CMV promoter provides for constitutive expression, a gene product under its regulation is expressed in most, if not all tissues.
Inducible or tissue-specific promoters may be employed to provide more selective gene expression. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,084,089 to Mine et al., discloses a promoter that induces gene expression at low temperatures in potato tubers, but which is scarcely induced at normal temperatures. Ryals et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,689,044, claim a chemically inducible promoter of a plant PR-1 gene, while a vector having a promoter that is inducible by methanol or glycerol is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,750,372 to Sakai et al.
Examples of cell- and tissue-specific promoters include, inter alia, the following: a muscle-specific promoter associated with a avian retroviral vector described by Petropoulos, et al. (1992); a defective DNA viral vector having a neural tissue-specific promoter useful for in vivo expression of a gene (U.S. Pat. No. 6,040,172 to Kaplitt); an LPT2 promoter having aleurone-tissue specific activity (U.S. Pat. No. 5,525,716 to Olsen et al.); and promoters causing leaf-specific expression in plants, as disclosed by Sonnewald et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,229,067.
The failure of traditional methods such as vaccination and chemoprophylaxis in preventing avian infections associated with significant enteric pathogens such as Salmonella spp. makes producing disease resistant birds through transgenic technology an attractive option. A gene coding for an antimicrobial peptide and incorporated into a bird's genome could be capable of inhibiting the proliferation of a pathogen via specific or non-specific means. Novel peptides having antimicrobial activity, and DNA sequences encoding such peptides, include inter alia: purified bovine granulocyte peptide A and murine granulocyte peptide A (U.S. Pat. No. 6,008,195 to Selsted); antimicrobial peptides derived from lentiviruses (U.S. Pat. No. 5,945,507 to Montelaro et al.); DNA encoding biocidal proteins isolated from seeds which exhibit antifungal and antibacterial activity (U.S. Pat. No. 5,691,199 to Broekaert et al.); and an antimicrobial composition from a prokaryotic DNA extract (U.S. Pat. No. 6,096,719 to Matsutani et al.).
By placing the gene coding for an antimicrobial peptide under the control of a gut-specific promoter undesired side-effects associated with expressing the antimicrobial protein in a ubiquitous fashion can be minimized. In addition, a promoter capable of gut-specific expression would be useful when operably linked to other genes, especially those encoding proteins optimally localized to the gastrointestinal tract.
One means of identifying promoters exhibiting gut-specificity is by examining protein production in avian intestinal tissue. One such suitable candidate is intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (iFABP). The product of the FABP2 gene, iFABP is a member of a family of intracellular lipid-binding proteins and probably involved in the absorption and intracellular transport of dietary long-chain (C16–C20) fatty acids in the small intestine (Sacchettini et al., 1990; Schroeder et al., 1998; Hegele, 1998).
Members of the homologous, low molecular weight (15 kD), cytosolic lipid-binding proteins likely arose from an ancestor gene by repeated gene duplication, and include lipid-binding proteins specific to the liver, intestinal tissue, heart, ileal and adipocyte tissue, epidermis, brain, retinal tissue, retinoic acid, or peripheral myelin (Gordon et al., 1983; Alpers et al., 1984; Hayasaka et al., 1993; Shimizu et al., 1997; Schroeder et al., 1998). The tissue distributions of these gene products differ and are strictly regulated. Expression of iFABP, for example, is limited to the small intestinal epithelium, especially enterocytes and goblet cells, and not found in Paneth cells in the crypts or enteroendocrine cells (Sweetser et al., 1988a), even though all four types of cells originated from an identical stem cell (Schmidt et al., 1985).
Gene expression largely depends on the combination of the gene promoter sequence and transcription factors, and FABP promoters have provided one of the best models for studying tissue-specific gene regulation and cell differentiation in vertebrates. A cis-acting promoter sequence for iFABP has been characterized in mammals (rat, mouse, and human) and amphibia (Xenopus) (Sweetser et al., 1987; Green et al., 1991; Gao et al. 1998). The sequences located between nucleotides −277 and +28 (or more concisely −103 and +28) from the transcription start site appear to be important for directing gut- and cell type-specific expression of the rat iFABP gene (Sweetser 1988a, b; Rottman and Gordon, 1993). That this region of the rat iFABP promoter can direct tissue-specific gene expression in a transgenic frog suggests conservation of the regulatory mechanism of iFABP expression among vertebrates (Beck and Slack, 1999). Several elements in the proximal 0.3 kb region have been nominated as regulatory sequences involved in tissue specific expression of iFABP, particularly in the rat. For example, a 14-bp element composed of two direct 7-bp repeats is conserved among the gene promoters of several small intestine-specific genes in mammals. Two members of the steroid hormone receptor superfamily, HNF-4 and ARP-1 are reported to bind to the iFABP promoter element (Issemann and Green, 1990; Rottman and Gordon, 1993).
The amphibian iFABP gene promoter lacks a peroxisome proliferator-responsive element (PPRE)-homologous element, and the importance of this element and transcriptional factors in the tissue-specific expression of iFABP, therefore, is obscure. It has been suggested that binding of GATA-4 and -5 to a proximal GATA-binding site is involved in tissue specific expression of the iFABP gene in vitro (Gao et al., 1998). However, gene activation by these transcription factors is modest, and additional cell-specific factors are probably required for in vivo regulation.
A 20-bp cis-acting element that regulates cell lineage-specific patterns of iFABP expression has been identified by promoter mapping studies in transgenic mice (Simon et al., 1995). This element, located from −263 to −244 in the rat FABP2 gene, binds small intestinal nuclear proteins and acts as a suppressor of gene expression in iFABP-negative intestinal epithelial cells such as colon epithelium, and cells located in the crypts of Lieberkuhn, and the Paneth cell lineage. The short (−277 to +28 bp) promoter of rat iiFABP showed rather weak promoter activity when compared to the long (1.2 kb) promoter in the small intestine and failed to direct expression of the gene in the ileum (Sweetser et al., 1988a). Thus, the proximal 0.3 kb promoter region is very important in the regulation of iFABP gene, but the more distal sequence also contributes to precise control of this gene.

Avian iFABP gene expression controlling region


An enclosure device has a protective cage shaped to fit around a marine drive unit of a boat, and trailer mounting elements adapted to be mounted on a trailer carrying the boat. Pivotal elements pivotally mount the protective cage on the trailer mounting elements so that the protective cage pivots between a lowered position wherein the protective cage is beneath the marine drive unit and does not interfere with offloading the boat from the trailer, and a raised position wherein the protective cage at least partially encloses the marine drive unit. A locking element may be used to lock the protective cage in the raised position.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to enclosure devices, and more particularly to an enclosure device for enclosing and protecting a marine drive unit of a boat or similar vessel.
2. Description of Related Art
There are various prior art propeller protective assemblies that are adapted to be mounted directly on a motor to protect the propeller. Examples of such constructions include the following:
Miller, U.S. Pat. No. 6,736,686, teaches a boat propeller safety enclosure for the covering of the propeller of a boat during road transportation. The enclosure has a cinchable opening for ease of attachment and removal and for tightly fitting about a propeller. A reflective and/or brightly colored surface is provided.
Huffman, U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,200, teaches a safety light apparatus designed to be detachably mountable on a hub of the propellered motor. The apparatus preferably comprises a housing with a mounting recess, which is adapted to receive the hub, formed in a rear side thereof and a light assembly disposed on a front side of the housing.
Morton, U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,064, teaches a protective propeller cover that includes a flexible sleeve into which buoyant material is placed to provide a buoyant enclosure, and a distal end that is releasably secured about the propeller. The buoyant enclosure is positioned adjacent to the propeller and is sized to extend above the water line when the propeller is positioned beneath the water line. The buoyant enclosure serves to protect swimmers from direct contact with the propeller when swimming in proximity to the boat.
Other similar structures are disclosed in Rinck, U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,955; Steep et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,759,075; Pignatelli et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,136; Currey, U.S. Pat. No. 5,021,016; Kinsey et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,239; Altimus, U.S. Pat. No. 3,870,875; Driscoll, U.S. Pat. No. 3,693,576; and Martt, U.S. Pat. No. 2,795,432.
Other devices that are attached to a boat trailer are adapted for other purposes. Snodgrass, U.S. Pat. No. 3,717,268, for example, teaches a boat trailer that includes a rear end protrusion end members that extend from the rear of the trailer to form a V-shaped recess for guiding and centering a boat being loaded onto the trailer. Whipple, U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,073, teaches a boat trailer lighting system that includes an electrical light assembly having an electric lamp rotatably attached to a skeg mounting bracket which is removably attached to an outboard motor skeg.
The above-described references are hereby incorporated by reference in full.
The prior art teaches propeller protective devices that are mounted on the propeller or motor. However, the prior art does not teach an enclosure device mountable upon a trailer for enclosing a marine drive unit of a boat when the boat is on the trailer. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.

Enclosure device for a marine drive unit


Provided is a group management control device for elevator in which the occurrence of useless waiting time and lateness for boarding is reduced even when there is a difference in the distance from a hall call registration device to each car. For this purpose, the group management control device for elevator which manages a plurality of elevators as a bank includes a hall call registration device, a walking time prediction section which predicts the walking time of a user on the basis of the distance from the hall call registration device to each of the elevators, and a hall call assignment section which decides an elevator to be assigned to a hall call on the basis of an evaluation value calculated by using the predicted walking time. The plurality of elevators which are managed as a bank are divided into a plurality of groups according to the distance from the hall call registration device. The walking time prediction section predicts the walking time for each group by using the same value preset as the distance for the elevators belonging to the same group.

In conventional elevators, in some cases a hall call registration device is installed in a remote place which is a given distance away from an elevator hall where users get on/off an elevator. In an example in which such a hall call registration device is installed in a place remote from an elevator hall, a security gate is installed in a place leading to the elevator hall, personal authentication is performed during the passage through the security gate, a hall call registration is performed at the same time, and an elevator car is assigned to a user who has passed the security gate. In another example, in an automatically lockable main-entrance door provided in a main entrance to an apartment, such as a condominium, a hall call registration for a main-entrance floor is performed when the main-entrance door is unlocked using a card key and the like.
In the case where a hall call registration device is installed in a place remote from an elevator hall like this, it takes a given time for a user who performed a registration operation to move to the elevator hall (the hall) after performing the hall call registration. Therefore, there has hitherto been known a group management control device for elevator in which an elevator car to be assigned to a hall call is decided in consideration of the walking time of a user from a hail call registration device to an elevator hall.
As such a conventional group management control device for elevator there are known group management control device which are such that in the case where a hall call is registered from a hall call registration device installed in a place remote from a hall, the walking time required by a user to reach the hall is estimated, the arrival time required by an elevator car to arrive at the hall is predicted, an elevator car to be assigned to the hall call is decided on the basis of the estimated walking time and the predicted arrival, and when the assigned elevator car arrives at the hall and the door opens, this elevator car is caused to wait, with the door kept open, until the estimated walking time elapses (refer to Patent Literature 1, for example).
Also, there are known group management control device for elevator which are such that in the case where a hall call is registered from a hall call registration device installed in a place remote from a hall, if the arrival time required by an elevator car to arrive at the hall is shorter than the predicted walking time required by a user to reach the hall, the user who is already present in the car or the hall is provided with information to that effect (refer to Patent Literature 2, for example).
Furthermore, there are known group management control device for elevator which are such that in the case where a hall call is registered from a hall call registration device installed in a place remote from a hall, when an elevator car assigned to the hall call in question has already arrived at the hall and the door is open, the walking time required by a user to reach the hall is calculated, and the elevator car in question is caused to wait, with the door kept open, until this walking time elapses (refer to Patent Literature 3, for example).

Group management control device for elevator


A developing device including a containing unit configured to be arranged below a supply member and contain a developer and a developer bearing member configured to bear the developer and develop an electrostatic latent image, further includes a supply member which is configured to supply the developer to the developer bearing member, to be arranged to form a nip portion between the supply member and the developer bearing member, and to rotate in a direction in which its surface moves from an upper end to a lower end of the nip portion, and a conveyance member which is configured to convey the developer contained in the containing unit onto the supply member.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a recording material using an electrophotographic method, and more particularly, to a developing device and a process cartridge that are applied to the image forming apparatus.
Description of the Related Art
In an image forming apparatus such as a printer using an electrophotographic image forming method (an electrophotographic process), an electrophotographic photosensitive member (hereinafter referred to as a "photosensitive member") serving as an image bearing member is uniformly charged, and the charged photosensitive member is selectively exposed to form an electrostatic image on the photosensitive member. The electrostatic image formed on the photosensitive member is visualized as a toner image using toner in a developer. The toner image formed on the photosensitive member is transferred onto a recording material such as a recording sheet or a plastic sheet, and the toner image transferred onto the recording material is fixed on the recording material by further applying heat and pressure thereto, thus image recording is performed.
Such an image forming apparatus generally requires supply of a developer and maintenance of various types of process units. To make the supply of the developer and the maintenance of the various types of process units easy, a photosensitive member, a charging unit, a developing unit, a cleaning unit, and others are collected in a frame as a cartridge. Thus formed process cartridge which is detachably attached to a main body of the image forming apparatus has been put into practical use. A process cartridge type enables an image forming apparatus superior in usability to be provided.
In recent years, a color image forming apparatus configured to form a color image using developers in a plurality of colors has widely used. As the color image forming apparatus, an inline type image forming apparatus has been known in which photosensitive members respectively corresponding to image forming operations using developers in a plurality of colors are arranged in line in a surface movement direction of an object to be transferred onto which a toner image is be transferred. The inline type color image forming apparatus includes one in which a plurality of photosensitive members is arranged in line in a direction (e.g., a horizontal direction) intersecting with a vertical direction (gravity direction). An inline type is an image forming type desirable in terms of easily coping with requests to increase an image forming speed and expand into a multifunction printer.
An inline type image forming apparatus in which a plurality of photosensitive members is arranged in line in a direction intersecting with a vertical direction includes one in which a plurality of photosensitive members is arranged below an intermediate transfer member serving as a member to be transferred or a recording material bearing member for conveying a recording material serving as a member to be transferred (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-173083).
In a case where the photosensitive member is arranged below the intermediate transfer member or the recording material bearing member, a fixing device and a developing device (or an exposure device) can be arranged at a distant, for example, in such a manner that the intermediate transfer member or the recording material bearing member is sandwiched therebetween within an image forming apparatus main body. Therefore, the developing device (or the exposure device) is not easily affected by heat from the fixing device.
On the other hand, if the photosensitive member is arranged below the intermediate transfer member or the recording material bearing member, as described above, a developer may be required to be supplied to a developing roller (developer bearing member) and a supply roller (supply member) against gravity. More specifically, a developing device configured to convey a developer from a developer containing unit arranged below the supply roller to the supply roller needs to be used. For the developing device thus configured, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-173083 discusses a configuration for supplying sufficient toner against gravity from a developer containing unit to a supply roller. As illustrated in FIG. 7, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-173083, a supply roller (supply member) 50 rotates upward from below in a toner nip portion between a developing roller (developer bearing member) 40 and the supply member 50. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-173083 discusses a method for bringing a receiving sheet 400 into contact with the lower side of the supply member 50 as a unit for supplying a developer to the supply member 50. According to this method, the receiving sheet 400 prevents the developer, which has adhered to the supply member 50, from dropping by gravity, to prevent a solid image from decreasing in density in such a manner that the developer, which can be supplied to the developer bearing member, does not decrease.
According to a configuration discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-173083, an additional member such as a receiving sheet needs to be provided on the lower side of the supply member 50 to sufficiently supply the developer from the developer containing unit arranged below the supply member 50 to the supply member 50, so that the configuration of the image forming apparatus becomes complicated.
Therefore, the present invention is directed to preventing a solid image from decreasing in density in a simple configuration in a developing device configured to convey a developer from a developer containing unit arranged below a supply member to the supply member.

Developing device, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium using an electrophotographic method


A first storage system comprises a first RAID group comprising multiple first storage devices, which constitute the basis of a first logical volume. A second storage system comprises a second RAID group comprising multiple second storage devices, which constitute the basis of a second logical volume. The RAID configuration of the first RAID group and the RAID configuration of the second RAID group are the same, and the type of a compression/decompression function of the respective first storage devices and the type of a compression/decompression function of the respective second storage devices are the same. Compressed data is read from a first storage device without being decompressed with respect to the data inside a first logical volume, and the read compressed data is written to a second storage device, which is in the same location in RAID in the second RAID group as the location in RAID of this first storage device.

In a remote copy operation, a line (for example, a line of a WAN (Wide Area Network) managed by a telecommunications vendor may be leased, and remote copying may be performed between storage systems by way of this leased line. For this reason, when the amount of data being sent and received between the storage systems increases, communications charges rise proportionally. These communications charges account for a large percentage of the costs involved in operating a remote copy system. Therefore, the smaller the amount of data sent and received between storage systems the better.
One method for reducing communications charges is to compress the data sent from the one storage system to the other storage system. However, the problem is that for a storage system, which does not comprise a data compression function, an appliance (a dedicated device) for compressing and sending data must be purchased and installed separately from the storage system, which is both costly and time consuming.
Another problem is that even though an appliance is purchased and installed, it is not possible to compress the data to be sent beyond expectations (that is, the data amount cannot be reduced very much). This is because the extent to which the data amount can be compressed depends on the type of data being sent, and until the appliance is actually operated, there is no way of identifying the type of data being handled. For example, in a case where the data to be sent is JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) data, the JPEG data cannot be compressed much because it is already compressed.
Alternatively, there are storage systems, which use a storage device comprising a data compression function (for example, a SSD (Solid State Drive)). The SSD compresses write-target data, partitions the compressed data on the basis of the size of a page, which is the read/write unit, and writes the partitioned data to a page together with a guarantee code (for example, an ECC (Error Correcting Code)) for each write-destination page (Patent Literature 1).

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Remote copy system and remote copy control method


An airbag system includes an inflator and an airbag in communication with the inflator. The airbag system includes a tether actuator and tethers extending from the tether actuator to the airbag. A controller is programmed to receive signals from an impact sensing system and a steering wheel angle sensor. The controller is programmed to instruct the tether actuator to release at least one of the tethers based at least on the signals from the steering wheel angle sensor and the impact sensing system.

Vehicles may include a variety of airbags deployable during vehicle impacts to absorb energy from occupants of the vehicles during the impact. The airbag may be a component of an airbag assembly including a base supporting the airbag, and an inflation device in communication with the airbag for inflating the airbag from an uninflated position to an inflated position. The airbag assemblies may be supported on a steering wheel of the vehicle, an instrument panel of the vehicle, a headliner of the vehicle, etc.
The vehicle may include an impact sensing system in communication with the airbag assembly for sensing a vehicle impact and instructing the inflation device to inflate the airbag when a vehicle impact is sensed. The impact sensing system may sense the direction of the impact and may selectively inflate, or not inflate, certain airbags of the vehicle when an impact is sensed based on the type and magnitude of impact that is sensed, e.g., based on direction, magnitude, etc.
Vehicles are subject to a variety of impact tests. These impact tests may include those standardized by the National Highway Traffic and Safety Agency (NHTSA). These impact tests may include, for example, oblique impact tests. One such test is the small overlap rigid barrier (SORB) test in which the vehicle is impacted in the front left corner of the vehicle at an oblique angle with a rigid barrier. In this test, the test dummy in the driver seat is urged forwardly and toward the driver side door of the vehicle. Another type of impact test is the angular impact test, in which the test dummy in the driver seat is urged in a cross-vehicle direction toward the driver side door of the vehicle.


Techniques for image processing and transformation are provided. A plurality of images and a plurality of maps are received, and a system of neural networks is trained based on the plurality of images and the plurality of maps. A first image is received, and a first map is generated by processing the first image using the system of neural networks.

The present disclosure relates to deep learning, and more specifically, to utilizing deep learning to generate and correct maps and images.
Aerial and satellite imagery have been used to capture images of Earth from platforms that are airborne or located in space. For example, planes, helicopters, blimps, and balloons have been used to capture aerial images, while satellites in orbit can be used to capture satellite images. Increasingly, these images are used to aid navigation, such as by supplementing maps. However, maps often have inaccuracies that are not reflected in the imagery, and images can often have distortions that are not reflected in the maps.

Deep learning to correct map and image features


A dropout for a bicycle receiving tube includes an integral consumable ring which is melted upon the application of heat thereto to form a weld joint between the tube and the dropout. A one-piece dropout for a front axle includes a cylindrical mounting portion, a slotted front portion, and a tapered transition portion. The dropout can be cast or machined from a single piece of barstock such that the slotted front portion is offset radially inwardly relative to a largest outer diameter of the dropout. A three-piece dropout for receiving a rear axle includes two transition elements and a slotted plate welded to the transition elements.

The present invention relates to drop-outs for attaching bicycle axles to bicycle frames and front forks.
The front and rear axles of a typical bicycle are attached to the front fork and frame, respectively, of the bicycle. In particular, the axles are retained in slotted elements called "drop-outs" which are welded to receiving tubes of the front fork and frame, respectively. Depicted in FIG. 22 is a rear axle drop-out 1 which includes a slot 2 for receiving a bicycle rear axle. The drop-out 1 also includes a pair of legs 3, 4 secured in receiving tubes 5, 6 of a bicycle frame. In FIG. 23 there is depicted a front axle drop-out 7 which includes a slot 8 for receiving a bicycle front axle, and a leg 9 securable in a receiving tube 10 of a front fork of the bicycle.
Various techniques have been proposed for incorporating dropouts in bicycle frames. For example, in a "slotted tube" technique, as depicted in FIG. 24, a flat front axle dropout 7 has been inserted into the center of the end of the receiving tube 10. That end of the receiving tube is then worked to form dome-like transitions 16 between the cylindrical shape of the receiving tube and the flat sides of the dropout 7.
A variation of the slotted tube technique commonly called the cover plate method, involves locating the drop-out leg to one side of the tube rather than being centered therein. A cover plate is positioned over the opening between the opposite side of the tube and the drop-out leg. The cover plate and drop-out leg are welded to the tube and to each other.
Yet another drop-out securing technique, called the plug method is depicted in FIG. 25. That technique involves inserting a plug 18 into the receiving tube 5 and then welding it to the tube such that the plug projects beyond the end of the tube. A slotted element 1 is then welded to the exposed end of the plug.
Another technique, depicted in FIGS. 20, 21 and 26, and described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,977 involves bending a rear end 20 of a flat strip and machining that bent rear end to form a generally cylindrical portion 22. That portion 22 is inserted to a beveled end 24 of the receiving tube 5 and is attached thereto by a weld 26, or alternatively by brazing or gluing. The dropout can be provided with shoulders 26 to limit the insertion of the cylindrical portion 22 into the tube 5. In FIG. 26 there are depicted two dropouts 20 mounted in the thin-walled receiving tubes 29 of a front fork 28 of a bicycle frame.
An axle (not shown) will be clamped between two opposing inner surfaces 30 of the dropouts 20. Therefore, it is desirable that the area of each surface 30 be of a certain minimum amount to enable a proper clamping to occur. Also, since the slotted part of the dropout is usually of a thin, plate-like shape, whereas the ends of the fork tubes are of cylindrical shape, it is necessary to provide a transition between each tube and its dropout for atheistic reasons and also to avoid the presence of sharp corners which could risk injury to a rider or his clothes. It will be appreciated that the above criteria can be fulfilled by the earlier described dropout-forming techniques. However, each of those techniques involves either an appreciable amount of custom shaping of the tubes or an appreciable amount of fit-up and welding time. For example, the FIG. 24 technique requires that the tubes be specially shaped to form the dome-like transitions 16. The FIG. 23 technique eliminates a custom shaping of the tubes, but requires that two welding operations be performed to form a dropout.
The FIG. 20-21 technique requires a custom shaping of the tube, an that bending and machining operations be performed in order to make the dropout.
Similar considerations exist with respect to rear dropouts. Moreover, in the case of a one-piece rear axle dropout, it is necessary to provide that dropout with two mounting portions which attach to the seat stay tube and chain stay tube, respectively, of the frame. It is thus necessary that the angular relationship between the two mounting portions of the dropout correspond to the angular relationship between the seat stay tube and chain stay tube to which those mounting portions are to be attached. That means that for different bicycle sizes (having different angularly related seat and chain stay tubes), dropouts of corresponding sizes must be provided. That requirement significantly increases the overall manufacturing costs and difficulty.
It would be desirable to provide novel front and rear axle dropouts and methods of making same which alleviates the above shortcomings.
Another aspect of dropout-installation relates to the manner of adhering the dropout in its receiving tube. In some cases the dropout is adhered by an adhesive, whereas in other cases the dropout is adhered by a weld. When welding is performed, it is necessary to manipulate a filler wire, which contributes to the overall complexity of the manufacturing process. Also, the application of too much heat during the welding process can damage the thin-walled receiving tubes.
Therefore, it would be desirable to enable dropouts to be more easily welded to thin-walled tubes, especially titanium tubes, without damaging the tubes.

Bicycle drop-out and method of attachment


A method and system for the remote determination of an animal weight, and other animal variables, using a piezoelectric sensor.

Livestock production today is no longer limited to obtaining economic goals. Modern society is concerned about food safety and quality, efficient and sustainable animal farming, healthy animals, guaranteed animal wellbeing and acceptable environmental impact of livestock production. As a consequence, there is a growing need to monitor many variables during the entire production process in order to satisfy these targets. In the past, livestock management decisions have been based almost entirely on the observation, judgment and experience of the farmer. Frost, et al. (1997) Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 17: 139-159. However, the combination of the increasing scale of the farms and the corresponding high number of animals, has resulted in an increasing administrative, technical, organizational and logistic workload for the farmer and increased the difficulty in monitoring the animals. Berckermans (2004) "Automatic On-Line Monitoring of Animals by Precision Livestock Farming." International Society for Animal Hygiene, pages 27-30.
Modern, intensive farms make the farmer totally responsible for all livestock under the farmer's control. Over the last three decades farming practice has moved away from self-sustaining mixed livestock enterprises with relatively small numbers of several species, towards large, single species units. Animals now are produced intensively, and maintained under near ideal conditions for growth and production within current technological limits. The majority of animals are constrained within a building or stockyard for most or all of their lives. As they are prevented from foraging for their own food, the farmer takes complete responsibility for all aspects of their husbandry. Monitoring of feeding, environment, reproduction, health, growth, marketing, transport and quality becomes the responsibility of the farmer. This responsibility is not only moral; it is also in the farmer's commercial interest to satisfy these basic needs of their livestock. Frost, et al. (1997) Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 17: 139-159.
The main purpose of most livestock production enterprises is to satisfy the demands of a customer by providing a product which meets the customer's requirements at a price which enables the producer to make a profit. The customer's requirements are becoming increasingly well defined. An example is the meat industry which pays producers more for animals of a particular weight, conformation and composition. Another example is the dairy industry which pays dairy farmers according to milk quality and composition.
Sensors can be used to gather an increasingly wide range of information. However with the development of these sensors it becomes more important to develop systems which can collect, process, and utilise the information. Raw data, on its own, is of limited value. The farmer can maximise the efficiency of a production system only by monitoring all its critical stages and targets and ensuring that they are kept close to the optimum. For example, it may be necessary to assimilate data on the climate within and without a building, the breed, number, age, feed level and weight of animals, their growth rate, activity and health records and market requirements.
Animal Weight
The weight of an animal is an important indicator of the wellbeing and value of an animal. However very few livestock producers weigh their animals frequently. This is often due to the lack of convenient weighing equipment. Hog farmers, cattle farmers, and poultry farmers need to pay close attention to the weight of the animal in order to be profitable. Growing hogs or cattle beyond their slaughter weight or market weight dramatically reduces their market value, causing the farmers to lose significant revenue. Most farms have a single weighing scale that is used when it is decided that animals are ready for market, by which time quite a few could be over the weight threshold.
For poultry, an automatic broiler weighing system is described by Turner, et al. (1984) J. Agric. Eng. Res. 29: 17-24. This consists of a perch for individual birds, suspended on a strain gauge link. The perch is monitored by a computer which tares the weight between each record, stores and processes each reading to eliminate false data, and provides the farmer with a weight distribution for the flock. An abnormal change in the weight of the birds can provide an early warning of health problems, or of problems with feeding or ventilation equipment. A further enhancement allows the birds in the flock to be split into separate groups according to weight, by automatically directing them to a 'heavy' or a 'light' pen as they leave the weigher. A difficulty with any system that operates on a sample of the population is ensuring that the sample is representative of the population.
Knowledge of the growth rate of pigs provides valuable information on health, productivity and yield. A growth rate curve for example shows up deviations from the ideal, indicating checks in growth which require investigation, or delays in starting growing following weaning. In order to gain enough readings to be able to follow the growth rate of individual pigs, it is necessary to weigh them at least weekly. This is impractical if done conventionally, due to the large labour input it requires, and the stress it causes to man and animal. If pigs were weighed automatically and frequently, each time they attended a feeder for instance, then it would be possible to produce a growth curve, provided that each animal was identified using electronic tags, for example. Load platforms are available for weighing pigs attending feed stations, but have been found to be unreliable due to mechanical interference by the pigs and dirt building up under the platform. Turner, et al. (1985) Automatic weight monitoring pigs—Part 1: Trials of prototype weight platforms. Silsoe Research Institute Divisional Note DN/1266, Silsoe Research Institute, Silsoe, Bedford, UK.
It has been found that there is a strong correlation between the weight of a pig and its plan view area. Schofield (1990) J. Agric. Eng. Res. 47: 287-296. This has led to the development of systems in which images from a video camera, suspended over a pig, are analysed to extract the plan view area and estimate the weight of the animal. Schofield & Marchant (1991) Proc. Int. Soc. Optical Eng. 1379: 209-219. Pig weights have been determined to within 5% accuracy by this method. Schofield (1993) In: Proceedings of the 4th livestock environment symposium, Warwick, England, ASAE, pages 503-510; Minagawa, et al. (1993) Proc. 4th Livestock Environment Symp., Warwick, England, ASAE, pages 528-535. This type of system has the advantages of not interfering with the animal or requiring equipment to be installed at pig level where it is vulnerable to attack. It also has no moving parts which should benefit reliability. Disadvantages are that the performance of the system depends on the quality of the images, which can be affected by lighting conditions, and that the relationship between weight and plan view area has to be established for each different breed of pig; it is not yet known how many relationships will be required to cover all breeds of pig that are currently being grown.
An automatic weighing machine for cows has been reported. Filby, et al. (1979) J. Agric. Eng. Res. 24: 67-78; Laycock & Street (1984) J. Agric. Eng. Res. 30: 265-273. The automatic weighting machine for cows consists of a load cell connected to a platform across which cows walked as they left the milking parlour. One of the main difficulties was that of filtering the highly variable signal that was produced as the cow walked across the platform. It was also necessary to ensure that weights were recorded only when a single cow had all of its weight on the platform, and that spurious readings due to more than one cow at a time being on the platform, or a cow not having all of its feet on the platform, were rejected. In practice it was found that about 80% of a herd of 270 cows could be weighed on exit from a conventional 16 place herringbone parlour, which meant that weekly mean weights for about 90% of the herd could be obtained. The error associated with each weight was found to be greater than that from a manual weighing but it was estimated that the accuracy of a mean weekly weight of an animal measured by such a system was equal to that which would result from three manual weighings per week. This type of device has not been widely adopted, probably because of the technical problems mentioned above, and because the economic justification for weighing dairy cows frequently has not been established to the satisfaction of the farmer. Frost, et al. (1997) Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 17: 139-159.
Further, systems for estimating animal weight are described in the art. Mulder describes monitoring the condition of animals which utilizes current height and weight measurements taken from an animal in order to automatically derive a height-to-weight ratio. WO 2010/012433 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0125062. Also an automatic animal feed consumption monitoring system comprising an enclosing having a quantity of feed therein is described by Travis were the sensor detects an animal's entry into a stall and records the entry time, the food weight at the beginning of the feeding and the animal's exit time and food weight at the end of the feeding. U.S. Patent Application No. 2007/0137584. The disadvantage of these systems is that they only approximate the weight and health of the animal but are limited to a single location and may require that the animal be corralled or trained to use the device.
Thus a need exists in the art for an efficient remote method and system for monitoring farm animal weight.


An integrated circuit package may be formed having at least one heat dissipation structure within the integrated circuit package itself. In one embodiment, the integrated circuit package may include a substrate; at least one integrated circuit device, wherein the at least one integrated circuit device is electrically attached to the substrate; a mold material on the substrate and adjacent to the at least one integrated circuit device; and at least one heat dissipation structure contacting the at least one integrated circuit, wherein the at least one heat dissipation structure is embedded either within the mold material or between the mold material and the substrate.

Higher performance, lower cost, increased miniaturization, and greater packaging density of integrated circuits within integrated circuit devices are ongoing goals of the electronics industry. As these goals are achieved, the density of power consumption of components within the integrated circuit devices has increased, which, in turn, increases the average junction temperature of the integrated circuit device. If the temperature of the integrated circuit device becomes too high, circuits within the integrated circuit device may be damaged or destroyed. This is particularly problematical when the integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit package has a specific area or areas that generate greater heat than other areas of the integrated circuit device during operation. These areas are known as hot spots and are particularly susceptible to thermal damage. Thus, heat spreaders may be attached to the integrated circuit package to remove heat. However, the use of heat spreaders may be impractical in some applications for technical and/or cost reasons. For example, where an integrated circuit package has an interposer or other integrated circuit device(s) stacked on the integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit package that would prevent at use of known heat spreaders.

Thermal management solutions for integrated circuit packages


A method for preparing a negative electrode active material, a negative electrode active material prepared using the same, and a lithium secondary battery, and in particular, to a method for preparing a negative electrode active material including the steps of (a) preparing a coating composition including a precursor of metal-phosphorus-oxynitride; (b) forming a precursor layer on a negative electrode active material with the coating composition of (a) using a solution process; and (c) forming a metal-phosphorus-oxynitride protective layer on the negative electrode active material by heat treating the negative electrode active material having the precursor layer formed thereon. The method for preparing a negative electrode active material uses a solution process, which is advantageous in terms of simplifying the whole process and reducing costs, and high capacity, high stabilization and long lifetime are obtained as well by the formed protective layer having excellent properties.

As portable electronic devices, electric vehicles and large capacity energy storage system and the like have been recently developed, demands for large capacity batteries as an energy source have increased, and in response to such demands, extensive studies on batteries have been performed. Among many secondary batteries, lithium secondary batteries having advantages of high energy density, discharge voltage and output stability have received attention.
A lithium secondary battery has a structure of laminating or winding an electrode assembly including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and is formed by embedding this electrode assembly in a battery case, and injecting a non-aqueous electrolyte thereinto. Herein, capacity of the lithium secondary battery varies depending on the electrode active material type, and since capacity sufficient as theoretical capacity is not secured during an actual operation, commercialization has not been successful.
As a negative electrode active material of a lithium secondary battery, carbon-based materials such as crystalline carbon including natural graphite or artificial graphite, or amorphous (low crystalline) carbon having a pseudo-graphite structure or a turbostratic structure obtained by carbonizing hydrocarbon, a polymer or the like at a temperature of 1000° C. to 1500° C. are generally used. Such carbon-based materials have advantages of having low standard redox potential of approximately −3 V with respect to standard hydrogen electrode (SHE) potential, and having excellent charge and discharge reversibility with a layer structure very useful for lithium ion intercalation and deintercalation. However, there is a limit in obtaining high capacity since graphite has low theoretical capacity of 372 mAh/g.
In order to obtain a high capacity lithium secondary battery, metal-based materials having high theoretical capacity such as lithium (3,860 mAh/g), silicon (4,200 mAh/g) or tin (990 mAh/g) have been used as a negative electrode active material. However, when using metals such as lithium, silicon or tin as a negative electrode active material, the volume greatly expands by 4 times or so during a charging process of alloying with lithium, and shrinks during discharge. Due to such large variations in the electrode volume repeatedly occurring during charge and discharge, the active material is slowly micronized and detached from the electrode causing a rapid capacity decrease, an as a result, commercialization has not been successful since stability and reliability are difficult to secure.
Meanwhile, the negative electrode active material and an electrolyte react to form a passivation layer (solid electrolyte interphase; SEI) on the surface, and this may cause an irreversible capacity decrease. In addition, the formed passivation layer causes local differences in the current density forming a dendritic lithium dendrite on the negative electrode active material surface. The lithium dendrite causes a battery internal short circuit and inactive lithium (dead lithium) as well as shortening a lifetime of a lithium secondary battery, and by adding physical and chemical instability of the lithium secondary battery, adversely affects battery capacity, cycle property and lifetime. In addition thereto, the passivation layer is thermally unstable, and may be slowly destroyed by increased electrochemical energy and thermal energy during a battery charging and discharging process, particularly, during high temperature storage in a completely charged state. Due to such passivation layer destruction, a reaction decomposing an electrolyte by the exposed negative electrode active material surface directly reacting with the electrolyte consistently occurs, and as a result, negative electrode resistance increases, and battery charge and discharge efficiency decreases.
In view of the above, various methods have been studied in order to improve lifetime properties and electrochemical properties of a negative electrode active material.
As one example, Korean Patent Application Publication No. 2015-0077053 discloses that lifetime and performance of a negative electrode active material and a secondary battery including the same may be enhanced by forming a ceramic coating layer including aluminum oxide, zirconium oxide and the like on a surface of a negative electrode active material core including a silicon single phase and a silicon alloy phase.
In addition, Korean Patent Application Publication No. 2016-0034183 discloses that electrolyte liquid loss and dendrite formation may be prevented by forming a protective layer with a polymer matrix capable of accumulating an electrolyte liquid while protecting a negative electrode on a negative electrode active layer including lithium metal or a lithium alloy.
The prior art documents have somewhat improved reaction stability of a negative electrode active material for an electrolyte through a separate layer, however, the effect has not been sufficient. In addition, a separate process is required for layer formation, or degeneration such as a protective layer being hardened or swollen occurs when driving a battery, which limits the application. Accordingly, development of a negative electrode active material minimizing initial irreversible capacity and having excellent stability has been more required for enhancing performance and lifetime of a lithium secondary battery.

Method for manufacturing negative active material, and negative active material and lithium secondary battery using same

CHUNG ANG UNIVERSITY INDUSTRY ACADEMIC COOPERATION FOUNDATION