The present invention relates to methods for increasing the yield of a compound produced by an organism. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods for increasing the total or soluble carbohydrate content or sweetness or increasing the content of an endogenous carbohydrate of a plant tissue by producing a sugar-metabolizing enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of an endogenous sugar (one that is normally produced in the plant) to an alien sugar (one that is not normally produced in the plant at the same developmental stage). The invention also relates to plants and plant parts that produce a sugar-metabolizing enzyme to yield an alien sugar, with the consequence of higher total fermentable carbohydrate content, and to fermentable carbohydrates and other products derived therefrom.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to methods for increasing the yield of a compound produced by an organism. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods for increasing the total or soluble carbohydrate content or sweetness or increasing the content of an endogenous carbohydrate of a plant tissue by producing a sugar-metabolizing enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of an endogenous sugar (one that is normally produced in the plant) to an alien sugar (one that is not normally produced in the plant at the same developmental stage). The invention also relates to plants and plant parts that produce a sugar-metabolizing enzyme to yield an alien sugar, with the consequence of higher total fermentable carbohydrate content, and to fermentable carbohydrates and other products derived therefrom.
Bibliographic details of the publications referred to in this specification are collected at the end of the description.
2. Description of the Related Art
Plants are the primary source of renewable bioenergy, biomaterials and feedstocks for industrial biotransformations. The yield and concentration of desired sugars in plants are key determinants of the technical and economic feasibility of downstream industrial processes. However, the metabolic networks of plants for biosynthesis of sugars show substantial internal buffering and redundancy, with the consequence that alteration to a key gene in metabolism of a sugar commonly results in no useful change to the harvestable yield of the sugar (Moore, 1995; Nguyen-Quoc and Foyer, 2001; Fernie et al., 2002). For example, Botha et al. (2001) have shown that 70% reduction in activity of a key enzyme in sucrose breakdown (acid invertase) results in no significant change in sucrose yield or purity in transgenic sugarcane.
Sucrose isomerases are enzymes produced by organisms including various microbes, with the capability to convert the disaccharide sucrose into isomers such as isomaltulose (palatinose) or trehalulose. Sucrose isomerases vary in their properties including the disaccharide reaction products, the proportion of monosaccharides such as glucose and fructose in the reaction products, the kinetic properties of the enzymes, the optimal reaction conditions, and the sensitivity of the enzyme to variations from the optimal conditions (Veronese and Perlot, 1999).
Sucrose is the major intermediary in carbon flux between source (photosynthetic) tissues and sink (growth and storage) tissues within plants, and it is the primary storage product in certain plants such as sugarcane and sugarbeet. Several reports indicate that expression of introduced sucrose isomerase genes in plants can result in the conversion of sucrose to an isomer such as isomaltulose, and it has been envisaged that this conversion could be beneficial for the industrial production of the isomer. The emphasis has been towards the high-level or complete conversion of sucrose to the isomer as a desired industrial product (Birch and Wu, 2002; Börnke et al., 2002b), or as a precursor for in planta conversion to derived industrial materials (Kunz et al., 2002).
It has also been envisaged that the conversion could be lethal to plant cells by conversion of an essential carbon and energy reserve to an unavailable form, with applications in cell ablation for purposes such as engineered male sterility (Bornke and Sonnewald, 2001). Indeed, several reports indicate that sucrose isomerase transgene expression is harmful to plant development and yield, causing severe growth abnormalities, reduced starch content, and reduced soluble carbohydrate content (Börnke et al., 2002a, b).
In tobacco, there were severe and damaging effects on plant development due to constitutive expression from the CaMV35S promoter of a sucrose isomerase gene fused to the potato proteinase inhibitor II signal peptide to direct the sucrose isomerase enzyme to the extracellular (apoplasmic) space. Low isomaltulose levels (0.3 to 0.6 mM m−2 of leaf tissue) were detected, equivalent to about 20% to 44% of the normal carbohydrate levels in leaf starch or 10 to 45 times the normal low transitory sucrose levels in this source tissue. Effects on stored carbohydrates in sink tissues were not reported. Growth of leaves and other organs was severely disrupted, and the plants were unable to reproduce (Börnke et al., 2002a).
In potato, expression of the same apoplasm-targeted sucrose isomerase from the tuber-specific patatin B33 promoter resulted in plants without apparent adverse effects on growth and development. Isomaltulose yields were again low (10-15 μmol g−1 fresh weight of tuber tissue, equivalent to about 4% to 5% of the normal stored carbohydrate levels in tuber starch), and slightly below the usual sucrose levels in this starch-storing sink tissue. Furthermore, because of accompanying decreases in contents of sucrose, hexoses and starch, yields of total soluble carbohydrate (excluding starch) and total fermentable carbohydrate (including starch) were decreased in the modified lines (Börnke et al., 2002b).
To overcome these problems, the present inventors conceived a novel approach based upon combining (i) a sucrose isomerase enzyme, especially a highly efficient sucrose isomerase such as UQ68J; (ii) use of a plant species such as sugarcane that accumulates sucrose as the stored carbohydrate; and (iii) targeting the introduced sucrose isomerase to the sucrose storage compartment, for example the large vacuole of sucrose storage parenchyma within the mature culm in the case of sugarcane. Because isomaltulose is not metabolized in plants, the present inventors hypothesized that, in contrast to sucrose, it might not be subject to 'futile cycles' of degradation and synthesis in the mature storage tissues, which have the potential to decrease storage efficiency and harvestable yield. Therefore, the inventors' approach was designed to achieve higher yields of soluble carbohydrates and fermentable carbohydrates in the modified plants, in contrast with the reduction of these yields reported from previous approaches. Consistent with this hypothesis, it was found that isomaltulose concentrations above 500 mM in juice can be achieved in sugarcane, by expressing a sucrose isomerase (e.g., the highly efficient sucrose isomerase UQ68J), targeted to the sucrose storage vacuoles in mature stem parenchyma. This exceeds the total stored carbohydrate content obtained from unmodified sugarcane, and it may be accomplished without commensurable reduction in the content of endogenous sugars, resulting in a much higher total soluble sugar content in the modified lines.
Plants have highly adapted sensors and transporters for sucrose, but it is generally considered that these sucrose sensors and transporters are not able to respond in the same way to isomers such as isomaltulose (Loreti et al., 2000; Sinha et al., 2002). In stark contrast with sucrose, plants are unable to metabolize some isomers such as isomaltulose as a source of carbon and energy (Sinha et al., 2002). Nevertheless, the isomers can elicit changes in the patterns of cellular gene expression and modify the activities of certain enzymes involved in sucrose metabolism or in signal-transduction cascades in plants (Fernie et al., 2001; Sinha et al., 2002).
Because exogenous supply of isomaltulose to tissue slices from potato tubers altered the metabolism of other exogenously supplied sugars, Fernie et al. (2001) suggested that supplying isomaltulose to potato tubers represents a novel way to increase starch synthesis. However, the exogenous supply of a substance like isomaltulose to plant organs such as potato tubers is unlikely to be practical for industrial use, and there is no report that this approach has been tested or applied to enhance starch yield. In studies by Börnke et al. (2002b), transgenic potato plants expressing an apoplasmic sucrose isomerase gene from a tuber-specific promoter accumulated isomaltulose to a level approaching the usual sucrose content in tubers, but showed decreased yield of starch and of total soluble sugars.
Based on consideration of the differential capacity of plants to sense sucrose versus related compounds such as isomaltulose, the present inventors conceived another approach to achieve increased yields of endogenous sugars in plants by appropriate expression of an introduced sucrose isomerase. This contrasts with the intent of previously explored strategies (to produce plants for the harvest of isomaltulose or derivatives of isomaltulose), and with their outcome (plants with reduced yields of endogenous carbohydrates). Because the signaling and control mechanisms that operate on plant metabolism are incompletely understood, the present inventors undertook substantial experimentation to determine a scope of conditions yielding their desired industrial outcome (plants with increased yields of endogenous carbohydrates). In this regard, it was found that total soluble sugar contents in the range of 700-900 mM sucrose equivalents in juice can be achieved in sugarcane lines engineered for low-level expression of a sucrose isomerase directed to the cytosolic compartment, or divided between compartments. This is approximately twice the total stored carbohydrate content typically obtained from unmodified sugarcane, and it may be accomplished with little change to the harvested sugar composition. The approach is not limited to the sucrose isomerase gene, the isomaltulose conversion product, or the sugarcane plant used by way of example. It encompasses more broadly the expression within an organism of an introduced gene resulting in the partial conversion of a substrate endogenous compound that is normally sensed by the organism into a product compound that is not perceived in an equivalent manner within the organism, with the effect that metabolic flows are altered, resulting in the accumulation of higher yields of desired endogenous compounds.


Controllers (360, 360′), lighting circuits and methods are disclosed, for a dimmable LED lighting circuit having a series arrangement of two types of LED, the controller comprising a control circuit (330), a bypass circuit (340) and optionally a further bypass circuit and being operable for controlling a current, the current (Idriver) being separable into first and second parts (IW, IB), and into further first and second parts, wherein the controller is configured to direct the (further) first part through the LED or LEDs of the second (first) type and direct the (further) second part through the (further) bypass circuit (respectively), and wherein the control circuit is configured to adjust the ratio between the first, or further first, part and the second, or further second respectively, part in dependence on a dimming level of the LED lighting circuit.

LED light sources differ significantly from incandescent light sources in that they typically produce light, the colour of which does not change significantly with their brightness. This is particularly apparent when an LED light source is used to replace a dimmable incandescent lamp. Depending on the brightness of the light, incandescent lamps produce light with a colour temperature between 1800K, when the lamp is deep dimmed, and 2700K when the lamp is at full brightness or even up to 3000K for an undimmed halogen lamp. During dimming the colour temperature of an incandescent follows the so-called black-body curve. In contrast to incandescent lamps, LEDs have an almost constant colour temperature of for example 3000K or 3500K independent of the dimming level.
To overcome this perceived problem, it is known to mimic an incandescent light by using a mixture of LED light sources which emit different spectral contents of light. For each brightness level, set by for example a wall-dimmer or remote control, the mixture is adjusted to mimic an incandescent light source. The solution is generally referred to as "Tunable White" or "Correlated Colour Tracking".
It is possible to use different combinations of LED light sources to achieve the same effect. Some examples of combinations of coloured light sources, known as primaries, which have been used are: warm white combined with amber; cold white combined with amber; red combined with green and blue; and warm white combined with red and green. A warm white LED may typically be one having a colour temperature of 3000±100 K; conversely, a cold white may typically have a colour temperature of 3500±100 K. Although their Colour Rendering Index (CRI) may be of different quality, in principle any combination can be used, as long as the colour coordinates of the primary light sources in the XY colour plane cover the relevant part of the black body curve.
Warm or cold white combined with amber are particularly convenient combinations since, firstly, only two primary types of LEDs are required and so only two drive currents need to be adjusted. And secondly, both primaries are already located on the black-body curve, and as a result inaccuracies in the mixing do not result into colour deviations that appear unnatural.
As will be described in more detail hereinbelow, more than one LED may be used in series, for one or both of the primaries. Such a series arrangement is generally referred to as a string. In order to keep the cost of the driver low, the two LED strings will typically be supplied by a single output switching LED driver.
In known arrangements, the two strings are arranged in parallel. An example is shown in FIG. 1. This arrangement 100 which has a first string 110—in this case a single LED which may be for instance an amber LED, and a second string 120, which may be for instance white LEDs. The current being supplied from an LED driver 150, which may be either a linear type or switching type, is directed into both strings, and the fraction which is directed towards the first string is controlled by a controller 130 which uses some sort of regulated analogue current source circuit 140. Due to a difference in total forward voltage between the strings, the power efficiency may be expected to be low whenever both strings are simultaneously conducting current. For this reason, at maximum light output at which the white LEDs conduct full current, the current through the amber LED will be reduced to, or almost to, zero. Thus the amber LEDs do not contribute to the maximum luminance output from the light source, and at maximum brightness, all the light to come from the white LEDs. It will be apparent, that this is not an ideal solution, from a cost point of view, since the cost-efficiency of such a system, in lumens-per-dollar, is lower than would be the case, were the amber LED also to be contributing.
In another known arrangement, an example 200 of which is shown in FIG. 2, the current is switched to either of the first string 210 or the second string 220 in a sequential manner, by means of switches 240 and 245 under the control of controller 230. The problem of reduced power efficiency may be avoided, because the switching LED driver may be arranged to sequentially adapt to the individual forward voltages. However, this results in a complicated switching LED driver which may also be specific to a particular arrangement of LED strings and thus incompatible with standard switching LED drivers. Further, since LED operating efficiencies (measured in lumens/watt) are generally highest at constant current, buffer capacitors may be required in parallel with the LEDs to achieve the highest efficiencies.

Dimmable LED lighting circuits, controllers therefor and a method of controlling a dimmable LED lighting circuit


A technique for transmitting an object to a mobile device is provided. In response to the mobile device moving from a first area serviced by a first cache to a second area serviced by a second cache, the first cache transmits the object stored in the first cache to the second cache. The first cache transmits instructions to the second cache that cause the second cache to forward the object to the mobile device in the second area.

Exemplary embodiments relate to communications, and more specifically, to communications in networks.
A cellular network is a radio network distributed over land areas called cells, each served by at least one fixed-location transceiver known as a cell site or base station. When joined together these cells provide radio coverage over a wide geographic area. This enables a large number of portable transceivers (e.g., mobile phones including smart phones and mobile computers) to communicate with each other and with fixed transceivers and telephones anywhere in the network, via base stations, even if some of the transceivers are moving through more than one cell during transmission.
Today, 3G networks (and 4G networks) offer high-speed data transfer. This allows for a variety of cell phone features, such as high-speed internet, audio and video streaming, and even video conferencing. 3G networks employ various wireless technologies, such as W-CDMA, Wi-MAX, CDMA (code division multiple access) 2000, EDGE (enhanced data rates for GSM (global system for mobile communications) evolution or enhanced data rates for global evolution), etc.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Continuous cache service in cellular networks

International Business Machines Corporation


A plunger for use in tubulars in wells which produce fluids and/or gases under variable pressure. The plunger has at least two separate jackets comprised of segments mounted about one body or bodies joined by a connector, which collectively have increased sealing, holding, and lifting capabilities. A inner turbulent or labyrinth-type seal is accomplished by circumferential grooves on the core and/or fingers which project inwardly from the underside of the segments. The plunger body may also have an internal passage to facilitate more rapid descent, and a simplified stopper housed inside a chamber which is actuated when the plunger reaches a well stop or well bottom and which is held in a closed position by the build up of pressure below the plunger. When the pressure inside the tubulars above the plunger is reduced, the plunger and fluids move upwardly to the surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvements in plungers used in a gas/fluid lift system in wells producing both fluids and gases, such as petroleum and natural gas, under variable pressure to facilitate the lifting of fluids from a subterranean reservoir to the surface through a well conduit or tubulars. Plungers of this type are designed to minimize the downward flow of fluids as well as the upward flow of gases beneath the plunger as the plunger travels upwardly to the surface. More specifically, the gas plunger invention concerns an improved plunger with at least two separate internal and external sealing apparatuses preferably being separate jacket assemblies which collectively have increased sealing, holding, and lifting capabilities in comparison to the single jacket assembly heretofore described. This is accomplished by joining at least plunger bodies together by means such as a double-ended connector, or providing an elongated core with at least two longitudinally divided, separate sealing apparatuses.
The plungers with dual jacket sealing assemblies may also include improvements in the internal and external sealing of the apparatus. The external sealing means or apparatus is typically comprised of a plurality of segments, which collectively forms a jacket assembly that sealingly and slidingly engages the well tubulars. A turbulent inner seal is accomplished by sealing means such as circumferential grooves on the inner core and/or fingers which project inwardly from the segments toward the inner core which may or may not be grooved. Alternatively, the inner surface of the segments may have furrows and there may be raised bands on the core which also effects a turbulent inner seal. The circumferential grooves and/or fingers, or the bands and/or furrows, provide a tortuous path of flow that deflects escaping gas streams and/or fluids, promotes turbulence in the manner of a labyrinth seal, and has gas sealing capabilities. These improved sealing elements are also the subject of separate, concurrently-filed applications invented by the same inventors.
Another further and alternative improvement of the multi-jacket plungers concerns a simplified sucker rod and stopper, valve-like assembly housed inside a plunger chamber which is used to regulate and restrict the flow of fluids and gases through the internal passage of the plunger. Such an internal passage allows plungers to descend to the well bottom more rapidly than plungers without internal passages so that flow occurs only during the downward cycle or descent of the gas plunger. The simplified stopper is also the subject of separate, concurrently-filed applications invented by the same inventors.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Differential gas pressure operated pistons, also known as plungers, have been used in producing subterranean wells where the natural well pressure is insufficient to produce a free flow of gas, and especially fluids, to the well surface. A plunger lift system typically includes tubulars placed inside the well conduit, which extend from the well reservoirs of the well to the surface. The tubulars have a well valve and lubricator at the top and a tubing stop and often a bumper spring or other type of spring assembly at the bottom. The cylindrical plunger typically travels between the bottom well stop and the top of the tubulars. The well is shut in for a selected time period which allows pressures to build up, then the well is opened for a selected period of time. When the well valve is opened, the plunger is able to move up the tubulars, pushing a liquid slug to the well surface. When the well valve is later closed, the plunger, aided by gravity, falls downwardly to the bottom of the tubulars. Typically, the open and closed times for the well valve are managed by a programmable electronic controller.
When the plunger is functioning properly, fluids accumulate and stay above the plunger and pressurized gases and/or fluids below the plunger are blocked from flowing up, around, and through the plunger. As a result, the plunger and accumulated fluids are pushed upwardly. The prior art devices use a variety of external, and sometimes internal, sealing elements which allow the plungers to block the upward flow of gases and slidingly and sealably engage the tubulars, which accomplishes the lifting of fluids to the surface depending upon the variable well pressures. Examples of prior art gas operated plungers include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,427,504 and 6,045,335 (the '504 and '335 patents respectively). The prior art plunger of the '504 patent features mechanical sealing which is accomplished by a single set of segments that are biased outwardly against the tubulars by springs. The build up of internal pressure is accomplished by a flexible, elastomeric seal placed beneath the segments. However, because such resilient compounds, like rubber, do not last for extended periods of time in the harsh well environment, problems with inner sealing develop and the plunger must be taken out of service for time-consuming seal replacements. Further, if the inner spring member which assists in biasing of the segments becomes detached or lost, sealing problems can result.
In contrast, the prior art plunger of the '335 patent has upper and lower sets of segments whose sides are juxtaposed with respect to each other and collectively work together. The segments are biased outwardly against the tubulars by springs and the build up of internal pressure. The sealing element therein consists of a rigid inner ring member surrounding the intermediate portion of the piston body, which is positioned between the piston body and between the inner surfaces of each set of cylindrical segments, which cooperate to slidingly engage the rigid ring member and create an inner seal. However, the segments of this design can be prone to leakage.
Other prior art plungers which have externally grooved surfaces, and which lack outer sealing elements or segments are, for example, disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,410,300 and 6,200,103. These external grooves deflect the escaping gas streams and promote turbulence in the manner of a labyrinth seal and have gas sealing capability. However, the grooves are prone to structural failure due to external wear and erosion due to contact with the tubulars, and these plungers can also become jammed within the tubulars because these types of plungers do not have the capability of contracting radially inward, as do the plungers with cooperating mechanical sealing segments. The improved plunger design incorporates the concept of a labyrinth seal in its internal sealing elements.
Other examples of prior art gas operated plungers include those with internal bores or passages to speed the descent of the plungers. These plungers have a variety of valve closure members which seal the internal bore, and the prior art valve closure members are often spring loaded and work in conjunction with long rods which typically extend downwardly through the bore to unseat the valve closure member, as disclosed in the '504 and '335 patents. The design of the piston disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,045,335 patent includes a complicated valve mechanism which requires a unit to capture the piston at the surface and requires a long rod which moves downwardly through the plunger bore to disengage and unseat the valve closure member, and to open the internal valve. However, this rod used to reopen the valve assembly is prone to damage and bending if the rod and plunger bore become even partially unaligned, requiring expensive and time-consuming repair or replacement. Additionally, this type of plunger also requires expensive and customized installation of equipment at the well surface such as spring loaded stops to accomplish disengagement of the valve closure member. In contrast, the plunger of the '504 patent has a bypass valve with a ball-shaped closure member and a spring loaded rod activator, or shock spring, which pushes the ball up into the valve seat to seal off the flow path. The spring loaded rod activator opens the valve after the plunger reaches the lubricator at the top of the well and the pressures above and below the plunger are equalized. Alternative embodiments of the improved plungers feature either a chamber and stopper in the lower plunger body, for example in a modified end cap, in the case of connected plungers. In plungers having a single, elongated body, the chamber is located near the lower end of the plunger, typically in a modified end cap. The improved stopper assembly, which is housed in the chamber, seals off the inner passage in a simplified manner. The stopper stem and stopper head is pushed up into the chamber when the plunger bottom contacts the well stop means, and the stopper is held up against the opening of the flow passage by the fluid and/or gas pressure below the plunger. This simplified and improved design dispenses with the need for complicated moving parts which actuate the closure means, and eliminates the need for expensive equipment at the well head which is used to unseat the closure means.
The improved plunger inventions seek to dispense with the problems of the prior art such as erosion, leakage, erratic or unsafe operation, malfunctions, and costly replacements or repairs. Many other objects and advantages of the inventions, besides substantially trouble free operation, will be apparent from reading the description which follows in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


A nitride semiconductor light emitting device including: a first nitride semiconductor layer, an active layer formed on the first nitride semiconductor layer and including at least one barrier layer grown under hydrogen atmosphere of a high temperature; and a second nitride semi conductor layer formed on the active layer, and a method of fabricating the same are provided. According to the light emitting device and method of fabricating the same, the light power of the light emitting device is increased and the operation reliability is enhanced.

In general, nitride semiconductors are in the limelight as a material for blue light emitting diodes, blue laser diodes or the like.
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a general nitride semiconductor light emitting device.
Referring to FIG. 1, the general nitride semiconductor light emitting device includes a sapphire substrate 110, a buffer layer 120 formed on the sapphire substrate 110, an n-type nitride semiconductor layer 130 formed on the buffer layer 120, an active layer 140 formed on the n-type nitride semiconductor layer 130, and a p-type nitride semiconductor layer 150 formed on the active layer 140.
The n- and p-type nitride semiconductor layers 130 and 150 are formed by doping a variety of dopants into a gallium nitride (GaN). Representative example of n-type dopants includes silicon (Si), and representative example of p-type dopants includes magnesium (Mg).
The active layer is a layer through which light emits. As a representative growth method of the active layer, and is generally made in an InXGa1−XN (0≦x≦1) single well structure or multi-well structure in which Indium (In) and gallium (Ga) are contained in predetermined ratios. The active layer of InXGa1−XN (0≦x≦1) is generally grown under an environment of nitrogen atmosphere and at a temperature of less than 900° C.
In detail, a general growth method below 900° C. is performed in a nitrogen (N2) atmosphere for a proper composition ratio of In and Ga. However, in the thin film growth of InXGa1−XN (0≦x≦1), as the In introduction amount into GaN increases or the Ga introduction amount into InN increases, a serious phase dissociation phenomenon occurs, which is problematic. To solve such a phase dissociation phenomenon, if the growth temperature is increased, In phase dissociation phenomenon increases, which makes it difficult to obtain a good quality thin layer.
Meanwhile, when the active layer is grown in a relatively low temperature, In segregation occurs from thin InGaN layer, which deteriorates the layer quality, and many crystal defects also occur at an interface between InXGa1−XN (0≦x≦1) and GaN due to a lattice difference therebetween. Also, the In phase dissociation phenomenon increases, which makes it difficult to obtain a good quality layer, and also the occurring crystal defects are combined with crystal defects of a lower structure to decrease the light emitting efficiency and the device reliability.
Finally, in the related alt growth method, in the case of the materials, such as InGaN/GaN, a strong piezo electric field is generated inside the active layer because of a stress due to a large lattice mismatch, and electron-hole wave functions are separated, resulting in a deterioration in the light emitting efficiency.

Nitride semiconductor light emitting device and fabricating method thereof


The present technology relates to image signal processing. One aspect of the present technology involves analyzing reference imagery gathered by a camera system to determine which parts of an image frame offer high probabilities of—relative to other image parts—containing decodable watermark data. Another aspect of the present technology whittles-down such determined image frame parts based on detected content (e.g., a cereal box) vs expected background within such determined image frame parts.

The present technology helps reduce processing time and resource use to discover machine-readable indicia in imagery captured by camera-based systems.
Camera-based systems are widely used to monitor operation of industrial processes and/or facilitate checkout in retail settings (e.g., think grocery and big box stores). One example is in the food industry, where cameras are positioned at different locations along a production line that packages food, or that applies labels to food containers. Another example is a retail checkout station, where items are swiped in front of an often stationary point of sale (POS) scanner.
One of the functions performed by such camera systems is to sense and decode machine-readable markings. In the checkout example, machine-readable markings often carry product identifiers, e.g., GTIN, UPC and/or other codes. This is not a trivial task, given the often limited processing windows and computing resources in such camera systems.
While 1D (and sometimes 2D) barcodes have been used in such checkout and production environments, digital watermarking offers compelling improvements. In a product packaging context, digital watermarking may include a printed marking, e.g., included by modulating design artwork or sparsely peppered against a substrate or background color. The digital watermarking typically conveys a plural-bit data payload. In some, but not as a requirement for all embodiments, the presence of such marking is not generally apparent to an untrained consumer, who inspects a digitally watermarked package from a typical reading distance of 12-24 inches, in normal retail lighting (e.g., 75 to 100 foot-candles), and who has not previously been alerted to the watermarking's existence. Yet, when a camera captures imagery of such a watermarked package, and the imagery is analyzed by corresponding watermark decoding software, the markings can be discerned, and decoded to recover the plural-bit payload. In a retail setting, in addition to product packaging, product labels, hang tags, shelf labels, instructions, wrapping, and receipts can also be digitally watermarked.
Examples of digital watermarking and applications of such can be found, e.g., in assignee's U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,747,656, 9,635,378, 9,449,357, 9,401,001, 9,380,186, 6,614,914, and 6,345,104, which are each hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and US Published Application No. US 2017-0024840 A1, which is also hereby incorporated herein in its entirety.
One aspect of the present technology involves analyzing reference imagery gathered by a camera system to determine which parts of an image frame offer high probabilities—relative to other image frame parts—of containing decodable watermark data.
Another aspect of the present technology whittles-down such determined image frame parts based on detected content (e.g., cereal box) vs expected background within such determined image frame parts.
Still another aspect is a method for processing a set of image areas within an image frame. The method includes the acts: for each image area, establishing a plurality of subareas, each subarea comprising n×m pixels, where n and m are both integers, each of the pixels including a value; for each subarea: determining an image characteristic representing the n×m pixels; comparing the determined image characteristic to a baseline characteristic associated with the subarea; and classifying the subarea as background or content based on said comparing; and triggering image distortion correction or signal decoding based on a classification from said classifying.
The triggering could be based on a plurality of classifications from said classifying.
The image characteristic may comprise a pixel mean value representing the n×m pixels. Or the image characteristic may comprise a pixel greyscale mean value representing the n×m pixels. Yet still, the image characteristic may comprise a brightness or luminance value associated with the n×m pixels.
The method may further comprise maintaining an array or table of baseline values associated with baseline characteristic, and maintaining a histogram of pixel values associated with each subarea. The histogram may be updated with the image characteristic. And the updated histogram may be used to update the baseline characteristic
Another aspect of the present technology includes a method comprising: obtaining image data captured by one or more retail scanner cameras; analyzing a subset of the image data to determine whether it represents a content object or background imagery, said analyzing yielding a determination; and triggering signal decoding or fingerprint extraction based on the determination.
Yet another aspect is a camera-based scanner comprising: one or more cameras; more or more processors configured for: analyzing image data captured by said one or more cameras to determine whether it represents a content object or background imagery, said analyzing yielding a determination; and gating signal decoding or fingerprint extraction based on the determination; and an output for outputting data from a signal decoding or fingerprint extraction.
The foregoing and other aspects, features and advantages of the technology will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Methods and arrangements for configuring retail scanning systems


The invention relates to benzylindane phospholipase A.sub.2 inhibitors, pharmaceutical compositions containing them, and methods of treating phospholipase A.sub.2 -mediated conditions in mammals by administration of a therapeutically effective amount of such a benzylindane phospholipase A.sub.2 inhibitor including the representative example: ##STR1##

The important role of phospholipase A.sub.2 in the biosynthesis of prostaglandins and leukotrienes indicates that inhibitors of phospholipase A.sub.2 may be valuable therapeutic agents having wide applicability in inflammatory and/or allergic conditions in mammals. Although some currently available anti-inflammatory agents show activity against phospholipase A.sub.2 or other enzymes of the "arachidonic acid cascade", there is a continuing need for safer and more effective drugs capable of treating inflammatory and/or allergic diseases.
The rationale for, and reports of, production of effective inhibitors of phospholipase A.sub.2 as potential anti-inflammatory drugs have been outlined extensively in a recent review (see Wilkerson, Drugs of the Future, 15(2), 140 (1990).
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,371,543, issued Jun. 5, 1981 to G. C. Rovnyhak, there are disclosed bis-amide indene ketone compounds of the formula: ##STR2## where Q is a group of the formula: ##STR3## These compounds were claimed as anti-inflammatory agents.
German Patent 2,462,380, issued Dec. 20, 1973, discloses a process to produce an anti-inflammatory benzylidene indene acetic acid claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,654,349 of the formula: ##STR4## Also therein claimed as anti-inflammatory intermediates are compounds of the formula: ##STR5## wherein R.sup.1 is SCH.sub.3 or S(O)CH.sub.3.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,681,436, issued Aug. 1, 1972 to D. M. Lynch and J. W. Cole, discloses substituted 1-benzylindanes of the formula: ##STR6## wherein R is OH, methoxy or acetoxy, R.sup.1 is H or R and R.sup.2 is H, methyl or acetyl. These compounds have been found to inhibit the metabolic function of female reproductive organs in warm-blooded animals.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,013,682, issued Mar. 22, 1977 to H. J. Panneman, discloses compounds of the formula: ##STR7## These compounds possess vasodilatory and antihypertensive properties.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,508, issued Jul. 9, 1985 to E. Plummer, disclosed indanes of the formula: ##STR8##
W. C. Ripka, W. J. Sipio, and W. G. Galbraith, in Journal of Cellular Biochemistry, 40, 279-286 (1989), describe a compound of the formula: ##STR9## which is claimed to possess inhibitory activity against porcine pancreatic phospolipase A.sub.2.
Phospholipase A.sub.2 (PLA.sub.2) acts to release arachidonic acid from phospholipids. Once released, arachidonic acid is rapidly metabolized by a variety of enzymes of the "arachidonic acid cascade." The products of the arachidonic acid cascade include prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and related compounds. These compounds exhibit a remarkably broad spectrum of biological activity, and inhibition of their biosynthesis is recognized as a valuable mechanism for production of anti-inflammatory effects.
Both prostaglandins and leukotrienes are believed to have important functions as mediators of inflammation and currently available drugs which inhibit their production are of significant therapeutic value in man and other mammals. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents such as the salicylates act as inhibitors of prostaglandin synthesis from arachidonic acid by inhibiting the cyclooxygenases. This inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis is believed to be the basis for many of the therapeutic effects of the aspirin-like drugs. The anti-inflammatory activity of the glucocorticosteroids, on the other hand, is believed to be at least partly due to their ability to induce the biosynthesis of a PLA.sub.2 inhibitor protein, thereby diminishing the release of arachidonic acid from phospholipids. By decreasing concentrations of arachidonic acid, the substrate for the entire arachidonic acid cascade, production of leukotrienes as well as prostaglandins can be decreased.
Many diseases and conditions in man and other mammals have inflammatory and/or allergic components believed to be mediated by PLA.sub.2, e.g., rheumatoid arthritis and other rheumatic disorders, various collagen diseases, dermatoses, psoriasis, hypersensitivity and immune reactions, bronchospastic diseases such as asthma, and disorders of platelet aggregation. Because the compounds of this invention have shown activity as PLA.sub.2 inhibitors, valuable pharmacological activity in these and other diseases or conditions mediated by the various products of the arachidonic acid cascade is to be expected.

Substituted 1-benzylindanes and their use as inhibitors of phospholipase A.sub.2


A semiconductor storage device has semiconductor memories each divided into a plurality of logical volumes, wherein host units connected to the semiconductor storage device perform read/write accesses to the logical volumes via access means, the semiconductor storage device further including: data shifting means which performs data shifting required when the constitution of the logical volume is modified, by using a memory block table provided for data shifting process and data shifting buffers provided in a stand-by memory, the data shifting being done in units of memory blocks within the logical volume which is subject to modification; and access control means for managing an access instruction table provided for access from the host units to the target addresses, and for allowing accesses from the host units to be performed properly while the data is being shifted.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to semiconductor storage devices, and more particularly to a semiconductor storage device which, connected to a host computer, is operated such that a semiconductor memory is divided into a plurality of logical volumes.
One of the requirements for a semiconductor storage device is that the constitution of a logical volume can be modified without stopping the operation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a conventional semiconductor storage device operated such that a semiconductor memory is divided into a plurality of logical volumes, the operation of the semiconductor storage device must be stopped and data in the semiconductor memory is saved in a magnetic tape device or the like, before the constitution of the logical volume is modified. Thereafter, the data saved in the magnetic tape device or the like is restored in the semiconductor memory.
A problem with the conventional semiconductor storage device is that an exhaustive operation for modifying the constitution of the logical volumes is necessary when the existing logical volume is to be expanded by newly installing a semiconductor memory, and that each time the modifying operation is carried out, the operation of the semiconductor storage device has to be stopped, and data has to be saved. Another aspect of the problem is that the host computer has to be stopped when the data is to be saved, because the host computer is used in the saving operation.
One approach to solve the problem is that the expanded (newly installed) memory is used as an expanded logical volume, and the expanded logical volume is linked to the existing logical volumes. However, there is a limit to the number of links of logical volumes established. Hence, it is necessary to modify the entirety of the constitution of the logical volumes before the limit for the number of links is reached. Each time the modifying operation is carried out, the operation of the semiconductor storage device must be stopped, and data saving operation must be carried out.

Semiconductor storage device having on-the-fly adaptable storage capacity


There is disclosed a fuel cell assembly comprising at least one horizontally arranged fuel cell stack that has numerous fuel cells, each comprising an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte situated between the anode and the cathode; combustible gas supply means for supplying combustible gas to the anodes of the fuel cells; anode gas withdrawal means for withdrawing the anode exhaust gas from the anodes; cathode gas supply means for supplying cathode gas to the cathodes of the fuel cells; cathode gas withdrawal means for withdrawing the cathode exhaust gas from the fuel cells; and recirculation means for recirculating at least one part of the anode exhaust gas and/or the cathode exhaust gas to cathodes of the fuel cells. The fuel cell assembly according to the invention is characterized in that the recirculation means comprise at least one catalytic burner with catalyst material for burning the remaining combustible gas contained in the anode exhaust gas, said burner being situated at the side of the fuel cell stack.

To generate electrical power by means of fuel cells a larger number of fuel cells are ordinarily arranged in the form of a stack, each fuel cell having an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte arranged in between. The individual fuel cells are each separated by bipolar plates and electrically contacted. Current collectors are provided on the anodes and cathodes, which serve for electrical contact of the anodes and cathodes, on the one hand, and to supply reaction gases to them, on the other. Sealing elements are provided in the edge area of the anode, cathode and electrolyte matrix, which form lateral sealing of the fuel cells and therefore the fuel cell stack from emergence of anode and cathode gas.
The electrolyte material in a molten carbonate fuel cell typically consists of binary or ternary alkali carbonate melts (for example, mixed melts of lithium and potassium carbonate), which are fixed in a porous matrix. Molten carbonate fuel cells typically reach working temperatures of about 650° C. during operation. A reaction of hydrogen with carbonate anions to water and carbon dioxide with release of electrons then occurs on the anode side. Oxygen reacts with carbon dioxide to carbonate ions on the cathode side with absorption of electrons. Heat is then released. The alkali carbonate melts used as electrolyte, on the one hand, supply the carbonate ions necessary for the anode half-reaction and, on the other hand absorb carbonate ions that form in the cathode half-reaction. A hydrocarbon-containing energy carrier, like methane, for example, which can come from natural gas or biogas, as well as water, are generally supplied in practice to the anode side of the fuel cell, from which hydrogen required for the anode half-reaction is produced by internal reforming. The anode waste gas is mixed with additionally supplied air and then oxidized catalytically to eliminate any residual components of the fuel gas. The formed gas mixture now contains carbon dioxide and oxygen, i.e., precisely the gases required for the cathode half-reaction so that anode waste gas can be introduced directly to the cathode half-cell after fresh air supply and catalytic oxidation.
The hot exhaust emerging at the cathode output is pollutant-free and can be further used for heat. The electrical efficiency of the molten carbonate fuel cell is already 45 to 50% and when the heat released in the overall process is used, an overall efficiency of about 90% can be achieved.
The known fuel cell arranged by the applicant is described in detail, for example, in the international patent applications WO 96/02951 A1 and WO 96/20506 A1 and in German patent application DE 195 48 297 A1, incorporated herein in their entirety.
The essential components of the known fuel cell arrangement are schematically depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 in a frontal and lateral cross-sectional view. The fuel cell arrangement designated overall with reference number 10 has a horizontally lying fuel cell stack 11, i.e., consisting of vertically arranged, plate-like elements, which is arranged in a heat-insulated, gas-tight protective housing 12. Fuel gas is supplied via a fuel gas line 13 into the interior of the gas-tight protective housing 12 and introduced into the anode chambers of the fuel cell stack 11 in a fuel gas distributor 16 arranged on the anode input 15 on the bottom of the fuel cell stack 11 via a heat exchanger 14. The fuel gas flows through the anode chambers in essentially a vertical direction and emerges again on the anode output side 17 situated on the top of the fuel cell stack. The heat exchanger 14 is a gas/gas heat exchanger, which is traversed, on the one hand, by the fuel gas and, on the other hand, by a stream of cathode gas circulated within the gas-tight protective housing 12.
The cathode gas enters the fuel cell stack 11 at the cathode input 18 arranged laterally and leaves it at the cathode output 19 on the opposite side of the fuel cell stack. As can be deduced from FIG. 1, the flow directions of the cathode gas and fuel gas are perpendicular to each other. Maintenance of the gas streams in the protective housing 12 is accomplished by means of two fans 20, 21 arranged above the fuel cell stack 11, each of which are driven by electric motors 22, 23. A diffuser 24 and a static mixer 25 following it are arranged directly above the anode output 17 of the fuel cell stack 11. The anode waste gas leaving the anode output 17 is mixed with the cathode gas stream circulating in the housing 12 in the static mixer 25. Fresh air is also introduced to static mixer 24 via a line 26. Under the action of fans 20, 21 the gas mixture of anode waste gas, circulated cathode gas and fresh air is fed into a catalytic burner 27 arranged above the static mixer 25, in which combustible residual components of the anode waste gas are catalytically burned and converted to useful heat. The gas mixture leaving the catalytic burner, which now contains the main components of the cathode reaction with oxygen and carbon dioxide, is directed via fans 20, 21 to the cathode input 18, where it then flows through horizontally to the fuel cell stack 11. As mentioned above, after emergence at the cathode output 19, a partial stream of the cathode gas is fed back to the static mixer 24. A start heater 28 is preferably arranged in front of the cathode input 18, which brings the process gases to the operating temperature of about 600° C. during startup of the fuel cell arrangement 10. A diffuser 29 can also be arranged in front of the cathode input 18, which is supposed to permit homogeneous flow against the cell stack together with additional internals provided between fans 20, 21 and the cathode input 18. However, if, as in the depicted example, the heat exchanger 14 is also arranged in front of the cathode input 18, homogeneous flow against the cell stack can also be guaranteed by an appropriate configuration of the heat exchanger so that the additional diffuser 29 can optionally be dispensed with. Excess cathode exhaust leaves the fuel cell stack 11 via a cathode exhaust line 30 shown only schematically here.
The fuel cell arrangement described here is marketed by the applicant under the name HM 300 in a circular cylindrical protective housing.
In this known design principle the static mixer, the catalytic burner and the fans connected to them are directly arranged above the anode output of the fuel cell stack, which imposes high flow requirements on the circulation fan, namely both with respect to suction behavior of the fan in order to guarantee uniform mixing of fresh air, anode waste gas and cathode exhaust in the static mixer, and with respect to outflow behavior of the fan in order to guarantee uniform flow against the cell stack by the gas mixture. These requirements can be guaranteed in the previous design only by rectifiers and internals in the flow path, which, however, lead to pressure losses, which again requires higher fan power. In cell stacks with several hundred individual cells several fans arranged along the cell stack are also required in order to achieve homogeneous flow behavior.
A further drawback of the previous design is that the catalytic burner is arranged above the cell stack between the static mixer and fan. The catalyst during the operating time, however, is exposed to soiling, which can lead to a deterioration in flow and additional pressure losses so that the catalyst must regularly be cleaned. In the previous arrangement, however, the complete cell stack must be disassembled for this purpose, which is connected with a very high work cost and can only be conducted by the manufacturer.
Another drawback of the known design is that the mixer must be designed very compact directly above the anode output because of the limited space available so that satisfactory mixing can only be achieved by numerous internals with correspondingly high pressure loss. The manufacturing costs of the previously used mixer are therefore high.
Finally, the previous fuel cell arrangement permits only a few design degrees of freedom. The ratio of height and width of the fuel cell stack and the additional components arranged in the protective housing is essentially stipulated by the use of a circular cylinder protective housing and the degrees of freedom with respect to arrangement and dimensioning of the components arranged in the protective housing are limited. The layout of individual components specifically adapted to each other also means that numerous components must be newly designed, depending on the power layout of the system. The assembly cost of the previously used fuel cell arrangement is also high.

Fuel cell assembly comprising an improved catalytic burner


This invention relates generally to the field of baby bottles having disks for sealing the apertures of the baby bottles when the bottles are not in use. More specifically, this invention relates to a particular baby bottle that provides a slot at the base of the baby bottle for temporarily storing a sealing disk.

Baby bottles are containers for holding liquids, such as infant formula, milk, juice and the like, that allow liquid to flow out of the bottle and into an infant's mouth without spillage of the bottle contents. Such prevention of spillage is accomplished through the use of a rubberized nipple that is placed over the mouth of the bottle, and sealed to the mouth of the bottle by a retaining ring. The rubberized nipple contains a hole, or a plurality of holes, that allows liquid contained in the bottle to pass through the nipple and into a baby's mouth. An internally threaded retaining ring engages an externally threaded mouth portion of the bottle to seal the nipple over the mouth of the bottle. Thus, liquids contained in the bottle flow through the nipple in a restricted fashion, rather than flowing freely through the mouth of the bottle. When in use, the nipple is placed into an infant's mouth, and the contents of the bottle flow through the nipple. When not in use, a threaded cap or stopper can be placed over the mouth of the bottle to protect the contents from spills, evaporation, or contamination from foreign substances.
In most baby bottles sold today, rather than including a stopper or cap along with the retaining ring and nipple, a manufacturer provides a sealing disk that allows a user to seal the contents of the baby bottle with the retaining ring. A sealing disk is a radial disk that is placed between the nipple and the retaining ring to prevent spillage of the bottle's contents. When a baby bottle is not being used to feed an infant, the nipple is inverted, i.e., rotated to face the baby bottle and placed on the mouth of the baby bottle after which the sealing disk is placed on top of the nipple and the retaining ring is secured to the mouth of the bottle thereby securing the nipple and the sealing disk to the mouth of the bottle. When used in this fashion, the sealing disk prevents any liquids contained in the bottle that would otherwise flow through the nipple from escaping from the bottle. The sealing disk has thus provided an inexpensive way to seal a baby bottle without requiring the manufacture to provide both a retaining ring and a stopper or cap.
A problem occurs however when the sealing disk is removed from the bottle so that the bottle can be used to feed an infant. When the sealing disk is removed from the bottle, the nipple is inverted so as to face the infant and the retaining ring is placed over the mouth of the bottle to seal the nipple to the mouth of the bottle. This allows the liquid contained in the bottle to pass through the nipple and to the infant. However, as is often the case, when the bottle is in use, the sealing disk is misplaced, lost or thrown away. With no mechanism remaining to re-seal the bottle, the contents of the bottle spill out through the holes in the nipple when the bottle is not is use.


An electronic-component container is provided in which a metal lid is bonded with an insulating package. The container comprises the insulating package having a housing portion for housing an electronic component element having an electrical function, a metallized sealing portion formed around the housing portion and hermetically bonded with the metal lid, and a castellation having a terminal electrode formed at a side end portion thereof, and the metal lid formed in a shape as viewed from the top which is substantially equal to a shape as viewed from the top of the insulating package, wherein a brazing material is formed on a lower surface of the metal lid, and the brazing material is provided with a welding portion which is bonded with the metallized sealing portion inside the castellation when the metal lid is bonded with the insulating package.

Examples of an electronic component which requires hermetic enclosure include piezoelectric resonator devices, such as a crystal vibrator, a crystal filter, a crystal oscillator, and the like. In all of these piezoelectric resonator devices, a metal thin-film electrode is formed on a surface of a crystal resonator plate, and the crystal resonator plate is hermetically sealed to protect the metal thin-film electrode from the outside air. In these piezoelectric resonator devices, generally, due to requirement for surface mounting of components, a piezoelectric element (crystal resonator plate) is housed in a ceramic package (insulating package) and is covered with a metal lid on which a brazing material is formed, and the ceramic package and the metal lid are welded together to hermetically seal the piezoelectric vibrating element. As described in Patent Document 1, as there is a trend toward low-height and low-cost electronic-component containers, a type of electronic-component container in which the brazing material of the metal lid is directly welded to a metallized sealing portion formed on the ceramic package without via a metal sealing ring on the ceramic package (so-called direct seam sealing type, beam sealing type, etc.) is currently increasingly used.
Patent Document 1: JP 2003-168949 A

Electronic-component container and piezoelectric resonator device


A descending ball game apparatus includes a gate deflect channel member and a pivoting ramp channel member. The gate deflect channel member includes two gates which are positioned adjacent to opposing sidewalls of a channel portion thereof and are operative for deflecting a ball back-and-forth from one sidewall of the channel portion to the other sidewall thereof as the ball descends along the channel portion. The pivoting ramp channel member includes upper and lower level channel segments and a pivoting ramp positioned therebetween. The ramp is operative for receiving a ball descending along the upper level of the channel segment and delivering the ball into the lower level channel segment.

The instant invention relates to toy games and more particularly to a descending ball game apparatus of the type including a ball and a plurality of downwardly sloped channel members which are interconnected by a plurality of columns.
Descending ball game apparatus in which balls gravitate downwardly along continuous paths are well known in the art. For example, the Cook U.S. Pats. No. 2,729,914; Morse No. 2,838,870; Wichman et al No. 4,713,038; Klitsner No. 4,932,917 and the British Patent to Karen No. 1,405,105 disclose various types and configurations of unitary and modular descending ball game apparatus.
It has been found that modular descending ball game apparatus have a particularly high play value because they are enjoyable to assemble in various configurations, and further because they are enjoyable to watch as the balls thereof descend through the columns and channels thereof. However, it has been found that one shortcoming in many of the prior art game devices resides in the fact the balls thereof travel along paths at a very rapid pace, and that the balls must be continually restarted for observers gain further enjoyment. In order to increase the play value of the heretofore available descending ball game apparatus various channel configurations have been developed which either lengthen the paths of balls, or provide increased action movements of balls thereby lengthening the time it takes for balls to descend through the game apparatus. In this regard, the Karen U.S. Pat. Nos. Des.230,291; and Wichman Nos. Des.290,026; Des.290,028; Des.290,143; Des.290,145; Des.293,696; Des.294,044; and Des.294,959 disclose several designs of representative channel sections which, in addition to the other hereinabove cited patent documents, represent the closest prior art to the subject invention of which the applicant is aware. Thus, it has been found that by slowing down the speed of a descending ball of a game apparatus of this type and by providing increased action movements of the ball the ability of a device of this type to provide significant visual amusement for a prolonged period of time is substantially increased.


An electronic control apparatus includes a vehicle state storing processing part, which stores a vehicle state data when a predetermined trigger is generated, and a trigger setting processing part, which sets the trigger in correspondence to a designation from an external side. The electronic control apparatus further includes a data type setting part for setting, based on the designation from the external side, a stored vehicle state data type. The vehicle data storing part stores the vehicle state data in different addresses. The trigger setting part sets the trigger based on the address designated from the external side and a data length of the vehicle state data stored in the address. The data type setting part sets the stored vehicle state data type based on the address designated from the external side and the data length of the vehicle state data stored in the address.

It is conventional to store, when an abnormality is detected or an unintended behavior is detected for example, vehicle state data indicating vehicle states for retrieving data required for analyzing cause of failure of a vehicle. The vehicle state data is stored only when the abnormality arises or the unintended behavior arises. According to JP-A-H09-126954, a trigger generation device formed of a push button, for example, is provided so that vehicle state data may be stored in response to a trigger signal, which is generated when the trigger generation device is manually operated. The vehicle state data can be stored at an arbitrary time point that the trigger generation device is manually operated.
According to this technology, since the vehicle state data is stored in response to the manual operation on the trigger generation device, the time point of storing the vehicle state data sometimes becomes inappropriate. It is thus not possible in such a case to retrieve accurate vehicle state data required for later analysis.


A mandrel 1 includes a top support 10, a first edge support 20, a bottom support 30, and a second edge support 40. The top support and first edge support make-up a first support section. The bottom support and second edge support make-up a second support section. The first support section and the second support section are disposed relative to one another so as to form an outer circumference. A jack 50 is coupled to the first and second support sections and is configured to move the first and second support sections relative to one another so as to adjust the outer circumference of the mandrel. A locking element 60 removably is coupled to the first and second support sections to selectively prevent relative movement between the first and second support sections.

Platinum delivery systems have been used in the process of making glass and, in particular, in the process of making glass for LCD devices. Because the glass for LCD devices needs to be of very high quality, the interior of the platinum system coming into contact with the glass should not be contaminated or scratched. Any contamination or scratching of the interior of the platinum system may create unwanted defects in the glass produced using that platinum system, thereby leading to losses on the part of the glass manufacturer. A typical platinum system includes various tubes that extend between and convey glass among various process and/or apparatuses. For example, there may be a platinum tube between: portions of a pre-melt apparatus; a pre-melt apparatus and a fining chamber; a fining chamber and a stir chamber; a stir chamber and a holding tank. The platinum tube may be scratched, deformed, or otherwise damaged, during removal of a mandrel used to form the tube. Alternatively, or in addition thereto, the interior of the platinum tube may be contaminated, scratched, or otherwise damaged, by the material from which the mandrel is made.
Further, because the cost of platinum is high and ever increasing, there is an effort to reduce the amount of platinum necessary for the delivery system in the glass-making process. One measure for reducing the amount of platinum necessary is to reduce the thickness of the platinum tubes in the delivery system. However, as platinum sheet thickness decreases, the inherent rigidity of the sheet material also decreases, thereby making manufacture difficult. In particular, for example, the reduced thickness of the platinum tubes makes it difficult for the tube to support itself during processes including high mechanical forces and high heat.
In the past, mandrels for manufacturing platinum tubes have been made of solid bodies of nylon. Because this type of mandrel is a solid body, it is often difficult to remove the mandrel from the tube without deformation of the metal. Further, because this type of mandrel is made of nylon, it cannot remain in the tube during processes that include high heat otherwise the nylon may melt and contaminate the interior of the tube.

Mandrel to facilitate thin sheet fabrication


The present invention provides a method to prepare a fatty acid lower alkyl esters from a feedstock, such as a vegetable or an animal oil, comprising one or more fatty acid glycerol esters such as mono-, di- or tri-glycerides, and free fatty acids, comprising combining the feedstock, a lower alcohol and an acidic mesoporous silicate under conditions wherein the mesoporous silicate catalyzes the formation of the corresponding fatty acid lower alkyl ester of the free fatty acids an optionally glycerol.

Recently, advances have been made which strike a more desirable balance between maintaining fuel efficiency and reducing the percentage of particulate emissions in fuels through the use of blends of petroleum based fuel with alkyl esters of the fatty acids contained in vegetable oils or animal fats. These alkyl esters are commonly referenced to as "biodiesel". Substantially pure alkyl esters, such as methyl or ethyl esters of fatty acids, are generally preferred in biodiesel over the use of the vegetable oils and animal fats themselves because the alkyl esters have a viscosity that is more appropriate to diesel fuel. Through the use of these fuel blends, researchers have attained reductions in particulate emissions from diesel engines. See, e.g., M. Bender, Bioresource Technol., 70, 81 (1999); M. Diasakou et al., Fuel, 77, 1297 (1998); T. Ogoshi et al., J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc., 62, 331 (1985).
The production of biodiesel has received also extensive interest as a result of this fuel's desirable renewable, biodegradable, and nontoxic properties. See, e.g., G. J. Suppes et al., J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc., 78, 839 (2001); G. Kildrian et al., op. cit., 73, 225 (1996); J. Encinar et al., Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 38, 2927 (1999). These fatty acid alkyl esters can be prepared by the transesterification of triglycerides in vegetable oils with short-chain alcohols (e.g., methanol and ethanol) using homogeneous alkali catalysts such as alkoxides. For example, soy diesel (methyl soyate) is made commercially by an energy and labor-intensive process wherein soybean oil is reacted with methanol at 140–150° F. (sometimes under pressure) in the presence of sodium methoxide. Isolation of the desired methyl soyate from the highly caustic (toxic) catalyst and other products such as glycerol, involves a precise neutralization process with strong acids, such as hydrochloric acid (HCl), and extensive washes with water to remove the resulting sodium chloride (NaCl) salt. Also, because of glycerol's high boiling point, it must be separated from the sodium chloride salt by vacuum distillation in an energy intensive operation. As more alkyl soyates with different alkyl functional groups, such as ethyl and isopropyl soyates, are being rapidly developed to meet the growing needs of various applications, the level of difficulty in separating the corresponding catalysts, e.g., sodium ethoxide and sodium isoproxide catalysts, respectively, will unavoidably escalate due to the increasing solubility of these basic catalysts in the reaction mixture. Therefore, biodiesel is currently not cost competitive with conventional diesel fuel.
To improve the economic outlook of biodiesel and alkyl esters in general, the feedstock selection becomes critical. In particular, oil feeds containing high free fatty acid content, such as found in beef tallow or yellow grease, are significantly less expensive than vegetable oils, such as soybean or rapeseed oil (F. Ma et al., op. cit., 37, 3768 (1998). These high free fatty acid feedstocks present significant processing problems in standard biodiesel manufacture since the free fatty acid is saponified by the homogeneous alkali catalyst that is used to transesterify triglycerides leading to a loss of catalyst as well as increased purification costs (D. G. B. Boocock et al., J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc., 75, 1167 (1998).
One approach for improving the processing of high free fatty acid oils is to first esterify the free fatty acids to alkyl esters in the presence of an acidic catalyst such as a mineral acid. The pretreated oils in which the free fatty acid content is lowered to no more than 0.5 wt % can then be processed under standard transesterification reaction conditions (H. N. Basu et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,525,126)). This pretreatment step has been successfully demonstrated using sulfuric acid (S. Koona et al., European Pat. No. 566047 (1993)). Unfortunately, use of the homogeneous sulfuric acid catalyst adds neutralization and separation steps as well as the esterification reaction to the overall process.
Surfactant-templated mesostructured materials have received a great deal of attention as potential catalysts, sensors and adsorption agents owing to their combination of extremely high surface areas and ordered, flexible pore sizes. For example, mesoporous sieves of the type MCM-41 are prepared by thermal treatment of silaceous gels formed by the polymerization of alkoxysilanes around surfactant micelle templates in aqueous base, followed by removal of the surfactant to yield a matrix comprising fine pores in a cylindrical array. The physical and chemical properties of these mesoporous materials can be modified by incorporating functionalized organic groups, either by grafting on the preformed mesopore surface or by co-condensation using functionalized substituted trialkoxy silanes during synthesis. See, e.g., D. Zhao et al., Science, 279, 548 (1998); A. Stein et al., Adv. Materials, 12, 1403 (2000); and W. M. Van Rhijn et al., Chem. Commun., 317 (1995). Organic-inorganic hybrid mesoporous silicas formed by co-condensation with thio-containing silanes, followed by oxidation of the SH groups yield pores functionalized with sulfonic acid groups. The direct co-condensation synthesis technique in which the mesostructure and functional group are simultaneously introduced, appears to be a desirable route for incorporating functional groups because it has been shown that it increases the concentration of the sulfonic groups in the mesoporous silica relative to post-formation grafting (I. Diaz et al., Stud. Surf. Sci. Catal., 135, 1248 (2001). One approach demonstrated previously involves one-step synthesis based on the simultaneous hydrolysis and condensation of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) with 3-(mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane (MPTMS) in the presence of template surfactant using in situ oxidation of the thiol groups with H2O2. Melero et al. has shown that the acid strength of the sulfonic groups in the mesoporous materials can be adjusted by choice of the organosulfonic precursor (J. A. Melero et al., J. Mater. Chem., 12, 1664 (2002).
For example, mesoporous catalysts containing sulfonic acid groups and, optionally internal methyl groups have been reported to be efficient catalysts in the esterification of glycerol with fatty acids, where high yields of mono-esters are obtained. See, e.g., W. D. Bossaert et al., J. Catal., 182, 156 (1999); I. Diaz et al., Appl. Catal. A., 242, 161 (2003); I. Diaz et al., J. Catal., 193, 295 (2000); D. Magolese et al., Chem. Mater., 12, 2448 (2000). Similar SO3H silicates have been used to tetrahydropyranylate ethanol. M. H. Lin et al., Chem. Mater., 10, 467 (1998). Mesoporous silica functionalized with arenesulfonic acid groups has been used to catalyze the Fries rearrangement of phenyl acetate to 2- and 4-hydroxyacetophenones. J. A. Melero et al., J. Mater. Chem., 12, 1664 (2002).
However, a continuing need exists for a simple method to form (lower)alkyl esters of fatty acids in the environment of triglyceride-containing feedstocks.

Use of functionalized mesoporous silicates to esterify fatty acids and transesterify oils

Iowa State University Research Foundation


An apparatus for packet-priority control for controlling a priority for packets input includes packet-priority setting means for setting hierarchically the priority for the packet input based on predetermined elements, and to adjust, taking into account other elements according to which the priority for the packet varies over time, the set priority, and wireless-resource allocating means for determining a packet for which a wireless resource is to be allocated in accordance with the adjusted priority.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a wireless packet communication apparatus and method, and particularly relates to a packet priority control apparatus and a method thereof in a wireless communications system.
2. Description of the Related Art
The W-CDMA method, one of the wireless interfaces of the IMT-2000, enables multimedia access of not only voice but also video images, electronic mail, and the Internet, etc., at a maximum rate of 2 Mbps stationary (at a maximum rate of 384 kbps for moving outdoors at high speed).
A standardization effort is being carried out on detailed technical specifications of the W-CDMA in the 3GPP (the Third Generation Partnership Project), and also a standardization of the HSDPA (the High Speed Downlink Packet Access) for implementing high-speed downlink packet transmission at an even higher rate of 10 Mbps is being carried out.
Moreover, for the purpose of transmitting packet data in a high-speed packet transmission downlink, the cdma 2000 1×EV HDR (High Data Rate) is being studied by the 3GPP2, enabling an implementing of high-speed packet transmission at a maximum rate of information transmission of 2.4 Mbps (refer to Non-Patent Document 1, for example) according to the HDR.
In the high-speed packet transmission as described above, applying of technologies such as Adaptive Modulation and Coding (AMC) based on adaptive wireless-link control (a link adaptation) and Automatic Repeat Request error-control schemes (refer to Non-Patent Document 2, for example) is being studied. The Adaptive Modulation and Coding based on the link adaptation is a method of switching the number of levels in multilevel data modulation, the Spreading Factor (SF), the number of code channels multiplexed, as well as the error-correction code rate depending on the propagation environment of each user, in order to efficiently conduct high-speed data transmission. For the data modulation, increasing the maximum throughput of the system is enabled by switching to a more efficient multi-level modulation, for example, 8PSK, 16QAM, or 64QAM modulation, from QPSK modulation used in the current W-CDMA, as the propagation environment gets better. As an example, ultra-high speed data transmission at 10.8 Mbps is enabled by using a W-CDMA wireless interface at a chip rate of 3.84 Mcps when using 64QAM for the data modulation, assuming SF=16, the number of code channels multiplexed being 10, and the error-correction code rate of ¾.
In order to efficiently implement these transmissions as described above, high-speed packet scheduling is required such that a base station monitors by time slot the state of the propagation path of a mobile station connected to the base station as described above and transmits packets at high speed based on the outcome of the monitoring. In the Non-Patent Document 1 concerning the HDR as described above, a method of maximizing the throughput within a sector by transmitting packets to a mobile station with the best reception characteristics is proposed. However, with this method, unfairness is caused such that packets are not transmitted depending on the mobile station. Therefore, in order to correct for this unfairness, a method is required of taking a ratio of the average of previous transmission rates and an instantaneous transmission rate (the instantaneous transmission rate determined depending on the state of the propagation path at that time), and transmitting packets to a mobile station with a large value of the ratio (refer to Non-Patent Document 3, for example). According to this method, both improving the sector throughput and maintaining fairness among the mobile stations are enabled.
Now, in order to provide full-fledged multimedia services such as a bi-directional video telephone service and a video streaming service, it is necessary to contain the packet transmission delay to within a tolerance demanded by the services for realizing a required transmission rate. However, in the two methods as described above, the probability of not being able to fulfill the quality requirement demanded by the services increases as transmission control taking into account the transmission delay and the required transmission rate is not performed. In general, when scheduling is performed taking into account only the delay tolerance and the required transmission rate, the throughput of the overall system is reduced in comparison with a case wherein the scheduling is performed taking only the reception state into account. To the contrary, a method is proposed such that, for communications not meeting the required quality, by taking into account the reception state of the destination mobile station, the throughput of the overall system is improved while fulfilling the required quality of each communication (refer to Non-Patent Document 4, for example).
Non-Patent Document 1
CDMA/HDR: A Bandwidth-Efficient High-Speed Wireless Data Service for Nomadic Users, Paul Bender, Peter Black, Matthew Grob, Roberto Padovani, Nagabhushana Sindhushayana, and Andrew Viterbi-IEEE Communications Magazine, July 2000
Non-Patent Document 2
Symbol Rate and Modulation Level Controlled Adaptive Modulation/TDMA/TDD for High-Bit-Rate Wireless Data Transmission, T. Ue, S. Sampei, and N. Morinaga: IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, pp. 1134-1147, vol. 47, no. 4, November 1998
Non-Patent Document 3
Data Throughput of CDMA-HDR High Efficiency-High Data Rate Personal Communications Wireless System, A. Jalali, R. Padovani and R. Pankaj, IEEE 51st Vehicular Technology Conference, May 2000
Non-Patent Document 4
Ono et al., "Proposal of ALL IP Mobile Network Architecture (Part 3)—Study of QoS-guaranteed Packet Scheduler in Base Station", Technical Report of IEICE, MoMaC 2002-3
However, in the related-art method as described in the Non-Patent Document 4, as the reception state of the destination mobile station for communication with a packet-transmission priority is not taken into account, the overall system throughput may end up decreasing when communications not fulfilling the required quality increase due to an increase in traffic, etc. Therefore, there is a problem such that the probability of packet loss increases, especially in a service with a strict requirement for the delay since the quality at one time falls below the required quality level in order for a packet of a given communication to be transmitted with a priority.

Packet-priority control apparatus and method thereof


A gas detection system capable of suppressing the power consumption of the system using gas sensors required for heating for measurement at high accuracy, comprising a server and a plurality of gas sensors connected by way of wireless communication with the server, in which each of the gas sensors is provided with a heater, a controller for controlling the ON-OFF for the power supply to the heater and a comparator for comparing the detected gas concentration with a predetermined threshold value. In the gas detection system, electric power is not usually supplied to the heater in each of the gas sensors and the gas sensor measures the gas concentration at a low accuracy and always compares it with the threshold value. In a case where the gas concentration exceeds the threshold value in one of the gas sensors, it turns the heater of its own to ON thereby switching the measurement to that at high accuracy and turns the heater to OFF upon completing the measurement. At the same time, it informs the detection for the excess of threshold value to the server and the server lowers the threshold value of the gas sensors in the vicinity of the gas sensor that has informed the detection for the excess of threshold value to make the monitoring level severer.

Gas sensors include various types. For flammable gas sensors, for example, contact combustion type, semiconductor type, heat conduction type, infrared absorption, etc. have been known as described in JIS M 7626 "Stational Type Combustible Gas Detection Alarm". Further, as a system of using thin films or thick films, an FET system (system of depositing gas sensing membrane on a gate electrode of FET and reading the change of the gate potential caused by a target gas) by using the FET as described in the Journal of Sensors and Actuators, Vol. B1, pp 15 to 20, or a thermoelectric system (system of reading the temperature rise of a thermoelectric conversion membrane by a target gas as a voltage) as described in Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 40, pp L1232 to 1234 has been proposed.
While the examples described above concern the single sensor elements per se, a method of detecting a hydrogen gas in a wide range of concentration by using plural sensors of different output linear regions relative to the concentrations (JP-A No. 2002-357576) has been laid-open as an example of using plural sensors.
It has been expected that detection systems of measuring not only the gas concentration at specified positions but also measuring the distribution of the gas concentration over entire facilities and consequence monitoring f or the leakage diffusion and determining the leaked position will be popularized in the feature. Since hydrogen filling stations for supplying hydrogen gas to fuel cell vehicles are built in city areas and required high safety, they are typical example of facilities requiring such detection systems.
A technique of connecting plural gas sensors by way of wireless communication and monitoring the concentration distribution of a gas has been described, for example, in the 10th International Meeting on Chemical Sensors, Technical Digest, pp 94 to 95. This example proposes to hybridize several kinds of sensors such as electrochemical sensors or optical ionization sensors and construct a VOC monitoring system for odors in waste water treating plants, dust disposing plants, livestock barns, clean rooms, etc.
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-357576
[Non-Patent Document 1]
Journal of Sensors and Actuators, vol. B1, pp 15 to 20
[Non-Patent Document 2]
Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 40, pp L1232 to L1234.
[Non-Patent Document 3]
The 10th International Meeting on Chemical Sensors, Technical Digest, PP 94 to 95


To guarantee the contents of an update by a transaction in a parallel database management system, the database management system includes a replica database management unit that manages the replica database, records synchronous information at a timing at which one of the transaction generated is valid in every database management unit and other transactions are invalid in every database management unit, extracts update information and the synchronous information for creating the replica database from the update logs, and causes the replica database management unit to import the update information of each transaction that has become valid before the synchronous information was recorded.

This invention relates to a replication method for a replica database in a parallel database management system.
In a database replication system, in order to avoid suspension of business due to occurrence of a failure or the like, a computer that performs distribution of data processing tasks and storage of data creates a replica database that is a replica of a master database.
It is necessary that the replica database provides data, whose contents logically match those of the master database, at the time of reference. Therefore, when the master database is updated, it is necessary that the contents of the update are reflected in the replica database. In order to reflect the contents of the update made to the master database in the replica database, a database management system retrieves update information from an update log file, in which the contents of the update made to the master database are recorded, and reflects the contents of the update in the replica database based on the retrieved update information (see JP 2001-175681 A, for instance).
In a parallel database management system based on a Shared-Nothing system in which plural DB access servers are provided and the DB access servers access data areas respectively allocated thereto, the contents of updates made to the data areas respectively allocated to the servers are recorded in update log files that are respectively managed by the servers. Therefore, in order to create a replica of a master database that is managed by the parallel database management system, processing for exporting the updates in a replica database is executed in units of the update log files respectively managed by the DB access servers. In other words, the contents of the updates are imported in the replica database in units of the DB access servers. Through the import processing, the contents of the updates are imported in the replica database in an asynchronous manner.

Method and system for data processing with data replication for the same


An award rack includes a strip of material. The strip of material includes an offset portion formed on each end. A fastener opening is formed through each offset portion. A substantial middle portion is created between the two offset portions. The award rack is attached to a flat surface with fasteners. A second embodiment of the award rack includes a strip of material, a pair of strap holders and a pair of straps. The pair of strap holders are attached to the strip of material and a pair of strap holders retain the pair of straps. A third embodiment of the award rack preferably includes a shelf, a first rack, a second and at least one figurine. The third embodiment of the award rack is preferably formed from a single plate. A fourth embodiment of the award rack includes at least two bar hangers and at least one notched bar.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to displaying awards and more specifically to award racks, which provide a convenient way of displaying ribbons, metals and trophies.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
There are numerous devices for displaying trophies. However, it appears there are far fewer devices for displaying metals and ribbons. U.S. Pat. No. 3,361,266 to Williams discloses a tie rack. The Williams patent includes a strip of metal that is bent to receive a plurality of clip ties.
Accordingly, there is a clearly felt need in the art for award racks, which are capable of displaying ribbons, metals and trophies with a minimum of complexity.


A transponder in a wavelength division multiplexing apparatus detects a wavelength of a leak light (received light) having one of plural wavelengths multiplexed or divided by a WDM unit, the leak light having been received from the WDM unit when the transponder is connected to the WDM unit; determines a transmission wavelength which is a wavelength of a light to be transmitted to the WDM unit on the basis of the wavelength of the received light; and sets to convert the wavelength of the light to be transmitted to the WDM unit into the transmission wavelength, and transmit the converted light.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wavelength division multiplexing apparatus (WDM transmission apparatus) that multiplexes and divides plural signals in wavelength and then transmits the divided signals to thereby attain high-capacity transmission.
2. Description of the Related Art
As shown in FIG. 1, the WDM transmission apparatus includes a transponder unit that converts plural different signals into a specific wavelength, and a WDM unit (wavelength division multiplexing unit) that conducts wavelength multiplexing/division on the converted signal and optically amplifies the wavelength-multiplexed signal.
A wavelength that is subjected to wavelength multiplexing/division in the WDM unit is regulated by ITU-T G.694. The WDM unit generally multiplexes wavelengths that conform to wavelength grids which are regulated by ITU-T G.694. The WDM transmission apparatus of a high-capacity conducts wavelength multiplexing of 40 waves, 80 waves, or more. The transponder unit requires transponders as many as the multiplexed wavelengths. Accordingly, the more the number of multiplexed wavelengths increases, the more the scale of the WDM transmission apparatus is enlarged.
Upon starting (startup of) the WDM transmission apparatus, the transponders as many as the multiplexed wavelengths are connected to the WDM unit through optical fibers, respectively. At this time, wavelengths each corresponding to each wavelength received from a destination of the WDM selection need to be set to the transponders. In the existing circumstances, the connecting work is all conducted manually. The wavelengths of the transponders are also manually set by operator through, for example, a remote control from a central control station. Accordingly, in the start-up operation of the high-capacity WDM transmission apparatus, setting work related to a large number of wavelengths is required. Therefore, the wavelength setting work is very complicated, which leads to a high possibility of a setting error.
Also, in additionally providing (adding) a new wavelength for the WDM transmission apparatus that has already started the operation, the connection and setting work related to the new wavelength are required. In this case, the operator must give consideration to the wavelengths that have already been used to select unused wavelengths or to set the wavelength. In this situation, the operator must conduct the operation while checking a large number of items, which lead to a possibility of a setting error.
In order to eliminate the complication of the above-mentioned wavelength setting work, there has been already proposed a method of automatically setting the transmission wavelengths to the transponders. For example, Patent document 1 discloses "a wavelength-multiplexed light transmission system and an optical signal transmission control method". In the technique disclosed in Patent document 1, in consideration of the fact that a wavelength multiplexing portion of the WDM unit has a filter and allows a light of only a specific wavelength band to pass therethrough, photodetectors for detection of light intensity are disposed in front and back of the filter to sweep the transmission wavelengths of the transponders in sequence. With this structure, the light intensity can be detected when a wavelength that coincides with that of the destination is set to the transmission wavelength. In addition, a control unit in the WDM unit notifies a control unit in the transponder unit of light detection information to determine the transmission wavelength of the transponders as a set wavelength. In the technique disclosed in Patent document 1, there is required a structure in which information is transferred between the control unit in the WDM unit and the control unit in the transponder unit. Therefore, in a case where the WDM transmission device is structured by the WDM unit and the transponder unit which are different in vender, there is a fear that it is difficult to control the transfer between the WDM unit and the transponder unit. Also, in the technique disclosed in Patent document 1, the transmission wavelength of the transponder is swept to determine the set wavelength. Therefore, a long period of time may be required for the determination.
Also, Patent document 2 discloses "a wavelength-division multiplex system and a method of automatically setting conversion wavelengths in the system". The technique disclosed in Patent document 2 has not only a function of automatically setting the wavelength but also a function of preventing the misconnection of an optical fiber. The technique disclosed in Patent document 2 has a function of adding the wavelength information of itself by modulation of a main signal between the WDM unit and the transponder unit, with which the level monitor of a light that has passed through a specific filter of the WDM unit, and the demodulation and detection of the wavelength information which has been modulated after passing of the light are executed. As a result, it is possible to determine whether or not the wavelength to be set is accurately connected. The technique disclosed in Patent document 2 is required to provide each the transponder unit and the WDM unit with a modulation function for adding the wavelength information to the main signal.
As described above, in the techniques disclosed in Patent documents 1 and 2, both of the WDM unit and the transponder unit are improved (the function of automatically setting the wavelength is added) to realize the automatic wavelength setting.
[Patent document 1] JP 2004-274113 A
[Patent document 2] JP 2004-015328 A

Wavelength division multiplexing apparatus