A relay system stores destination information of both end systems for which communications are relayed, the sequence number of the one of the end systems is connected with a high quality transmission path, an ACK response number, a re-transmission count, etc. in a connection management table. Upon receiving a re-transmitted packet from the one of end systems, the relay system searches for the connection management table containing a matching sequence number, and increments the re-transmission count in the table by 1. If the re-transmission count has not reached a certain number, the relay system relays the re-transmitted packet as it is to the other end system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a relay connection management program and relay connection management method. More particularly, the present invention relates to a relay connection management program and relay connection management method which can easily implement TCP/IP relay connection management without burdening a relay system which employs a high quality transmission path such as an internal bus connection, for example.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 11A shows an example of a relay system. As shown in FIG. 11A, when implementing a relay system which relays communications with end systems 92X and 29Y according to TCP (Transmission Control Protocol), a relay system 91 terminates with the end system (end node) 92X at a TCP connection a as well as with the end system (end node) 92Y at a TCP connection b.
Such a relay connection normally has protocol stacks such as those shown in FIG. 11B. The relay system 91 is equipped with a sort of symmetrical protocol stack of both end systems for relaying connections. Therefore, the relay system 91 must retain connection information for each of the end systems 92X and 92Y at both ends and associate them with each other, as shown in connection management information tables 94 in FIG. 11C.
For each of the TCP connections between the end systems 92X and 92Y, the relay system 91 must enter and manage connection management information in the connection management information tables 94X and 94Y, including the remote IP address, the local IP address, the remote port number, the local port number, a sequence number, an ACK response number, re-transmission count, timer information, and information about a pointer to the corresponding connection management table.
On the other hand, to implement relay connection management easily in the relay system 91, there is no way but to relay connections at the Internet Protocol Layer (IP Layer) located one layer down, as shown by a broken line in FIG. 11B.
When relaying communications connections between the end systems 92X and 92Y, if a relay system is implemented at the IP layer for the simplicity of processes, the communications quality assurance functions provided by TCP cannot be utilized. Thus, there is demand to alleviate the processing burden on relay systems by simplifying the management processes of TCP equipped with communications quality assurance functions.
Also, in the case of TCP connection relay, the relay system 91 must manage twice as much connection management information as managed by each of the end systems 92X and 92Y. In high-capacity communications, immense memory capacity is required to store connection management information. Thus, it is important to reduce memory usage and thereby cut down costs.
In an asymmetrical relay network configuration in which a transmission path 93Y on one side has extremely high quality, it is deemed unnecessary to manage the TCP connection on the high quality transmission path on an equal basis to the connection on the transmission path 93X of ordinary quality.

Relay connection management program, relay connection management method, relay connection management apparatus and recording medium which stores relay connection management program


This application relates to the field of digital watermark technologies and discloses a digital watermark embedding method and extraction method, a digital watermark embedding apparatus and extraction apparatus, and a digital watermark system. The method includes obtaining a digital watermark of a composite file, splitting the digital watermark into N sub-watermarks according to a carrier quantity N of the composite file, each sub-watermark being corresponding to partial content of the digital watermark, embedding an ith sub-watermark in an ith carrier of the composite file, to obtain an ith target carrier, and integrating N target carriers into a target file. This application resolves a problem in the related technology that a digital watermark technology cannot ensure integrity of an order file, and protects carriers of a composite file, thereby ensuring security and integrity of the composite file.

A digital watermark technology is a technology of embedding a digital watermark in a carrier without affecting normal use of the carrier. The carrier may be at least one of an image, a document, a video, and software. The digital watermark may be identification information such as a key or anti-counterfeiting information. The digital watermark is not easily detected and modified again but can be identified by an embedding part. It can be determined whether a carrier has been tampered with by identifying a digital watermark hidden in the carrier.
For a carrier in which a digital watermark has been embedded, it can be determined whether the carrier is stolen or forged by verifying validity of the digital watermark after extracting the digital watermark in the carrier. With the development of the digital watermark technology, more and more digital watermark embedding algorithms emerge. A typical digital watermark embedding algorithm includes: embedding a preset key in a watermark image (such as a bitmap file or a binary image), to obtain watermark information in an image format; then re-encoding and encrypting the watermark information in the image format, to obtain watermark information in a binary format; and finally embedding the watermark information in the binary format in a carrier.
An order file is a file transmitted between a sender and a receiver through a network platform. During transmission of the order file, a source file of an order may be maliciously tampered with, and a signature image of the order may be maliciously stolen. Because the source file and the signature image are in different formats, different digital watermark embedding algorithms are used. In the typical digital watermark embedding algorithm, a digital watermark is embedded in only one format of carrier. Therefore, one digital watermark can protect only one of the source file or the signature image. To protect both the source file and the signature image, two digital watermarks need to be used, one digital watermark is embedded in the source file, and the other digital watermark is embedded in the signature image. During verification of the digital watermarks, the digital watermarks in the source file and the signature image need to be separately verified. Consequently, the amount of computation and interactive operations in the digital watermark embedding process and verification process are multiplied.

Digital watermark embedding method and extraction method, digital watermark embedding apparatus and extraction apparatus, and digital watermark system

TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED


Methods, systems, and devices are described for merging two or more power save enabled independent basic service set (IBSS) networks. In one example, a method includes receiving, at a station of a first IBSS network, a first beacon from a second IBSS network, wherein the first beacon identifies a timing synchronization function (TSF) of the second IBSS network. The method may further include transmitting, by the station, a second beacon at a next target beacon transmission time (TBTT) of the first IBSS network based on a comparison of the TSF of the second IBSS network with a TSF stored by the station, wherein the second beacon identifies a TSF of the second IBSS network.

The following relates generally to wireless communication, and more specifically to wireless communication using an independent basic service set (IBSS). In particular, the following relates to merging IBSS power save enabled networks. Wireless communications systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and so on. These systems may be multiple-access systems capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing the available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of such multiple-access systems include code-division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time-division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency-division multiple access (FDMA) systems, and orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) systems.
Generally, a wireless multiple-access communications system may include a number of devices (or nodes or stations). An ad-hoc wireless network may include a number of stations that communicate over a wireless local area network (WLAN) or Wi-Fi spectrum in the absence of a controlling access point. Successful data transmission between different stations in an ad-hoc wireless network may be predicated on synchronizing the timing among the stations within the network. Timing synchronization among stations of an ad-hoc wireless network may be accomplished using beacons which carry timing information to the different stations of the ad-hoc wireless network.
In some cases, a first ad-hoc wireless network may merge with a second wireless ad-hoc wireless network. Prior to the merger, the stations of the first ad-hoc wireless network may not be synchronized with the stations of the second ad-hoc wireless network. Thus, merging the ad-hoc wireless networks may include synchronizing the timing of all stations in both ad-hoc wireless networks.

Merging of independent basic service set (IBSS) power save (PS) enabled networks


A process and system to extract essential oil from an essential oil-containing food material is described. The process includes subjecting the essential oil-containing food material to a pulsed electric field; extracting the essential oil into water to form a first fluid mixture that contains essential oil, an essential oil-water emulsion, and water; and separating the first fluid mixture into a waste mixture and a second fluid mixture, where the concentration of essential oil in the second fluid mixture is greater than the concentration of essential oil in the first fluid mixture.

Essential oil (also referred to as essential oils) is found in plants, algae, and animal matter and is extracted for use in food manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, animal feeds, cosmetics, spices, chemicals and other uses. The essential oil in citrus fruits is typically found in the outer peel or flavedo and is often a by-product of citrus juice production such as orange juice production. That being said, essential oil is a valuable product that may be further refined into many different compounds or, in some instances depending on the processing may be sold as cold-pressed essential oil. Accordingly, there is a need for a method to enhance the recovery of desired essential oil.

Process and system for enhancing recovery of essential oil


Some examples of the present disclosure relate to welding torches having a thermal insulating plate (400). The thermal insulating plate is comprised of a thermally insulating material, and is positioned between a front housing (302) and a drive gearbox (324) of the welding torch. The front housing (302) is connected to a gooseneck that conducts electrical energy to a torch tip (i.e. front end) of the welding torch. The drive gearbox (324) includes a gear assembly configured to drive a drive roll that moves a wire electrode through the welding torch (e.g. toward the torch tip of the torch). The thermal insulating plate (400) acts as a heat dam to decrease and/or reduce thermal energy transfer from the torch tip of the welding torch (e.g. via the front housing) towards the rear of the welding torch (e.g. through the drive gearbox), where the thermal energy may heat the welding torch handle and/or damage some of the more expensive and/or sensitive components in the handle (e.g. a motor of the drive gearbox).

Welding torches generate substantial amounts of thermal energy (i.e. heat). Much of the thermal energy is generated at a torch tip of the welding torch. The torch may conduct the thermal energy generated at the torch tip back into the welding torch handle. The thermal energy may result in a heating of welding components within the welding torch handle, which may damage the welding components. The thermal energy may also make the handle itself hot, which may be uncomfortable for an operator holding the handle.

Thermal insulating plates for welding torches


A lamp system includes a laser source and a reflecting plate for reflecting light generated from the laser source. The laser source includes a laser diode, a light splitter for splitting light generated from the laser diode into a plurality of beams, a phosphor layer for changing color of the beams transmitted from the light splitter, and a diffusing layer for diffusing the beams transmitted from the light splitter, to thereby form a surface light source. The lamp system is configured to be used in a vehicle.

1. Technical Field
The disclosure relates to an illumination system, and particularly to a vehicle lamp system with a high light utilizing efficiency.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional vehicle lamp apparatus used in a vehicle provides illumination to by a halogen bulb cooperating with a parabolic reflecting mirror. However, the vehicle lamp apparatus using the halogen bulb as the light source has many shortcomings, such as poor light distributions, low light utilizing efficiency, etc.
What is needed, therefore, is a vehicle lamp system which can overcome the limitations described above.


A scooter holding device and method of manufacturing a scooter holding device is disclosed. The scooter holding device has a top end having a first end and a second end, a wheel holding recess positioned at the first end a second wheel holding recess that is transverse to the first wheel holding recess at a second end. The scooter holding device is used to hold and store a scooter when the scooter is not in use.

This disclosure relates to a consumer product for storing a scooter and a method of making the consumer product.
While this disclosure is particularly directed towards a consumer product used to store a RAZOR® scooter and will thus be described with specific reference thereto, it will be appreciated that the disclosure may have usefulness in other fields and applications. For example, this disclosure may be used with the storage of other two-wheeled vehicles, such as electric scooters, XOOTR® brand scooters and other kick scooters.
By way of background, recently there has been an increase in the use of two-wheeled scooter type vehicles. One of the more common forms of these vehicles are the kick scooter, which is a non-motorized foot powered scooter. Riders, usually children, are able to use these scooters in order to cover short distances. Users also may use this type of scooter for recreation or exercise purposes.
When the scooter is not in use there are a few problems with storage. Many of these types of scooters may be folded in half where the handle bar is on a hinge as to where it collapses onto the body portion of the scooter. However, oftentimes, users do not want to take the time to properly place the scooter in this position. Therefore, scooters are often left on the ground or left leaning against automobiles, doors, and/or walls. When scooters are left in this position they are, at times, vulnerable to damage. Also, when scooters are not left sitting upright they may damage the surfaces they are leaning on, such as doors and automobiles. Furthermore, when the scooters are lying down, not folded or not otherwise put away properly, there are instances where a driver of an automobile may not see them. When this happens, the scooter may be run over. This may cause damage to the scooter and/or the automobile.
Attempts in the industry to solve this problem include providing the scooters with kickstands. Moreover, when kickstands get a lot of use the holders commonly wear causing the kickstand to fall out of place when riding. This causes kickstands to often interfere with the riding of the scooter. Furthermore, kickstands can be difficult or expensive to install onto a scooter.
So there is a need in the industry for a scooter stand that is inexpensive to purchase and easy to use. Furthermore, there is a need in the industry for a scooter stand that is inexpensive to manufacture. The present disclosure contemplates a new method and apparatus that resolves the above-reference difficulties and others.


An on-chip balun comprising a primary side, a secondary side, and an integrated notch filter.

Baluns are frequently used in radio transceivers to convert single-ended (unbalanced) signals to differential (balanced) signals, or vice versa. Parameters important for balun performance include balance, insertion loss (S21) and filtering.
In any circuit, the wanted signals depend on balun loss, which should be as low as possible. Unwanted signals are desired to be attenuated as much as possible. This can be achieved by, for example, filtering, or common-mode rejection of a balanced signal as would be understood.
Specific unwanted signals for a receiver chain are the signals close to odd-order harmonics (3rd, 5th, 7th etc) of the LO, since they will fall directly into the wanted band after mixing as would be understood. The 3rd harmonic is closest to the wanted signal and therefore has the lowest natural filtering by matching network tuning or low noise amplifier LNA) tuning, and usually requires some extra filtering as would be understood.
External baluns are often used to achieve good performance, and typically comprise large and expensive transformers. On-chip baluns may also be used, however, in both cases, external SAW-filters or similar are required to attenuate unwanted blockers, such as odd-order LO harmonics as mentioned previously. Such external filter components are usually large and expensive which increase PCB real-estate requirements and manufacturing cost.
On-chip filters in combination with on-chip baluns may also used, however good performance, such as better blocker attenuation and insertion loss, is difficult to attain. Further, such on-chip balun/filter combination would occupy a huge chip area in order to obtain close to the expected filter performance of external components. This increases cost.
Other attempts to filter unwanted signals both on-chip and off-chip use a combination of baluns and filters. These include an additional transformer being inserted between the LNA and the mixer. This solution requires an extra on-chip transformer which occupies a large area. The transformer will decrease the high impedance at the LNA output and thus degrade the LNA gain noise figure. Also, blockers at the LNA inputs are not filtered, and will instead be amplified.
Alternatively, a balun may be used before the LNA. In a first system, the balun center-tap may be connected through a [low-ohmic] LC path at the notch frequency. Hence, the unwanted signals see a different inductor at the primary side and are thus attenuated. This solution relies on a low-ohmic path which is difficult to achieve, and the attenuation is limited to 10-20 dB attenuation. In a second system, the balun primary and secondary center-taps may be shorted, thus generating a filtering-effect.
Other methods use a quadrature coupler in combination with SAW filters to achieve heavy filtering. This increases PCB real-estate requirements.
Accordingly there is a need for a balun to overcome these challenges.


There is provided an electromagnetic field intensity calculator for calculating the intensity of electromagnetic field radiated from an electric circuit device based on a moment method. A conductor pattern obtained from CAD data is divided into a square mesh pattern. In the mesh pattern of the outline part, the entire region in the mesh pattern is filled with the conductor pattern according to the ratio of area between the conductor pattern region and the blank region, or subjected to correction for blanking, so that a mesh data model is automatically configured by mesh pattern group consisting of only squares conforming to the moment method and reflecting the outline of the conductor pattern.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electromagnetic field intensity calculating method, an electromagnetic field intensity calculation apparatus, and a computer readable medium storing a control program, and more specifically to an effective technique applied to an electromagnetic wave analysis technique etc. for calculating the intensity of the electromagnetic field radiated from an electric circuit device such as electronic equipment, a circuit board, etc. on the basis of a moment method.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, it is known that the moment method disclosed by the patent documents 1, 2, 3, etc. is used as a method for simulating and analyzing an electromagnetic wave radiated from electronic equipment. The moment method includes the steps of: dividing the conductor configuring the electronic equipment into planar elements called patches; calculating the electric current flowing through an adjacent element; and calculating the distribution of the electric field and the magnetic field generated on the basis of the current. The moment method is also referred to as a boundary element method.
In the electromagnetic field intensity calculation apparatus which calculates the intensity of the electric field and the magnetic field radiated from electronic equipment etc. on the basis of the moment method, it is important to realize high-accuracy and high-speed simulation to appropriately dividing and modeling a flat conductor pattern of a power supply layer, a ground layer, etc. of a printed circuit board of the electronic equipment to be analyzed.
In generating a model for an electromagnetic wave analysis, the arrangement/wiring data of a circuit element on the printed circuit board can be generated with ease relatively by fetching the CAD data from a computer-aided design (CAD) apparatus for designing a printed circuit board. However, it is necessary to first fetch the pattern form data of the flat conductor pattern of the power supply layer and the ground layer from the CAD, and then divide it into a mesh model appropriate for the moment method. Accordingly, a need still exists in the art to provide a method for correctly and quickly generating the mesh model.
Conventionally, as disclosed by the patent document 2, the form of the flat conductor pattern of a power supply layer, a ground layer, etc. obtained from the CAD data in the circuit board designing step is divided into a mesh model containing squares and triangles in a mixed manner.
Furthermore, where a plurality of flat conductor pattern layers exist in, for example, a multilayer wiring structure, it is necessary to select each flat conductor pattern for each layer, and input a division number each time for each layer, thereby dividing a mesh.
Although the above-mentioned conventional technique has the function of automatically dividing the flat conductor pattern of the power supply layer and the ground layer obtained from the CAD data into mesh form, the flat conductor pattern is divided as is into mesh form, and therefore squares and triangles are mixed in an obtained mesh pattern, which is not appropriate for the moment method.
That is, in the triangular mesh pattern shown in FIG. 1A, the electric current passing from each vertex to the opposite side is calculated. In the square mesh pattern shown in FIG. 1B, the electric current passing in the direction of the opposite side is calculated.
Therefore, for example, in a mesh pattern formed by a plurality of triangles and a mesh pattern formed by triangles and squares in a mixed manner as shown in FIG. 1C, the current passes unevenly, and delayed propagation occurs, thereby causing the degradation in precision of analysis.
On the other hand, in the case of a mesh pattern formed by a combination of squares as shown in FIG. 1D, the current smoothly passes, and therefore there is no delayed propagation etc. and high precision of analysis can be expected.
Therefore, as described above, in the conventional technique of dividing a flat conductor pattern into mesh form, it is necessary to simplify the form of the flat conductor pattern in advance by an upper CAD apparatus to configure the is mesh pattern by squares only in order to improve the precision of analysis. However, in this case, it is necessary in the step of the CAD apparatus to separately regenerate the CAD data for an electromagnetic wave analysis in addition to the original CAD data, thereby causing another problem of increasing the number of steps required for the entire designing steps.
When the power supply layer and the ground layer are formed by a plurality of layers, mesh data is generated for each layer as described above. Therefore, a boundary mismatch may occur between the layers as shown in FIG. 2.
In the electromagnetic wave analysis of a printed circuit board etc. of multilayer structure, a simulation is performed with the electromagnetic interaction between the layers taken into account. Therefore, the boundary mismatch of mesh data between the layers can be a factor of the degradation of precision of analysis.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Published Patent Application No. H5-95931
Patent Document 2: Japanese Published Patent Application No. H9-5375
Patent Document 3: Japanese Published Patent Application No.

Electromagnetic field intensity calculating method and apparatus


A fully integrated, transportable cabinet stand is provided, particularly adopted for machining metal parts, with a cabinet box enclosing the motor to be used. A vacuum pump causes air to flow out of the rear of the cabinet box through a filtering system which remove the particulant matter produce by the machining operation. A moveable slide plate formed with adjustable arm holes increases the operator's range of motion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for finishing or machining metal, particularly buffers and grinders, which are contained within a cabinet and are operated from outside the cabinet.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A dust containment system is desirable, which will contain the by-products from the operation of devices which machine or finish metal parts, such as in the buffing or grinding process. A dust containment system is needed to protect the worker from inhaling noxious particles, particularly in an industrial environment where workers are constantly exposed. The machines also suffer from exposure to particles or dust, particularly metal, which are the by-products of various material removal operations.
The standard prevention method for humans is to wear dust masks and goggles. The standard prevention method for the machines, and humans who do not have to operate the material removal devices, is for the grinding and buffing operations to be performed in a separate room from the rest of the factory operations. Masks and goggles are not sufficient to protect workers or machinery, even in a separate room, against the small particles or dust which is the by-product of grinding, debarring, and buffing.
Prior Art devices, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,318, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,911 are particularly adapted to the abrasive blasting process, not metal finishing, and have different objectives than the present invention. U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,911 discloses a cabinet with arm holes enclosing a blasting gun but the vacuum pump is outside and separate from the cabinet. Both U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,300,318 and 5,177,911 provide gloves which are affixed to the cabinet around access holes for use by the operator performing the blasting process. The gloves are fixed in one position in the cabinet thereby severely limiting the operator's range of motion. When the operation is abrasive blasting rather than machining metal parts, having substantial range of motion is not as necessary. However, for machining metal parts, a cabinet is required which will permit the user to move his arms longitudinally, back-and-forth across the front of the cabinet. There also exists a need for a cabinet where the access holes are designed for the comfort of the worker which increases productivity.


Apparatus and method are disclosed for introducing ion exchange or other particulates into compartments of an already-assembled electrodeionization or comparable stack by modulating a flow of slurry into the compartments with slugs of gas such as air. The air propels liquid through the cells, scavenging ponded liquid so that the particulates (which are retained, e.g., by a strainer or obstruction, in compartment of the apparatus) are deposited as well-packed beds to fill the compartments. Pressurized air filling protocols may deliver discrete slugs of slurry between bursts of air, and the direction of filling may be periodically reversed to diminish particle bed non-homogeneities or settling gradients that arise during transport. The slugs of air may be applied in the direction of slurry flow, in the reverse direction, or both. Different slurries may be transported in a sequence to form layered and packed beds of enhanced utility. An apparatus of the invention has filled compartments of enhanced packing, and is ported or has its passages arranged so that ion exchange material may be filled, or may be replenished by a fluidized flow according to a method of this invention.

Electrodeionization (EDI, Filled Cell Electrodialysis, including Electrodiaresis) is a process for transferring electrolytes (including weakly dissociated electrolytes) from a first fluid to a second fluid under influence of a substantially direct electric potential applied across compartments through which the first and second fluids pass. Generally, the first fluid passes through "dilute" or "diluting" compartments, where ions are removed from the fluid and migrate into adjacent "concentrate" or "concentrating" compartments containing the second fluid. At least some of the compartments, typically including at least some of the diluting compartments, are substantially filled or packed at least in part with ion exchange or other material, such as ion exchange resin beads, fibers, rods, felt or the like.
EDI is particularly attractive to deionize a first fluid such as water which has a low total dissolved solids content, and which exhibits low electrical conductivity that would yield a very high electrical resistance in a conventional electrodialysis arrangement. The use of conductive ion exchange packing in an EDI apparatus provides pathways for conduction of ions through fluid-filled cells and between ion exchange membranes defining walls of the various compartments. Packing also increases surface area available for removal of ions or ionizable matter carried in the first fluid, and constitutes a percolation medium that lengthens residence time of fluid in diluting compartments.
The concept of electrodialysis apparatus containing mixed bed ion exchange material in deionization compartments was apparently first disclosed by Kunin, et.al. ("Ion Exchange Resins", Wiley, N.Y. 1950, p 109) but no data were given. Chessmore (Master's Thesis, Chem. Eng. Dept., M.I.T., Cambridge, Mass. (1952)), and Walters, et.al. (Ind. Eng. Chem., 47, 61–67 (1955) and "Ion Exchange Technology", eds. Nachod and Schubert (Academic Press, New York, 1956) were apparently the first to disclose operating data. Other early disclosures were made by Glueckauf, et.al. (e.g., Second United Nations Conference on Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy, Paper 308 (1958) and Brit. Chem. Eng., 4, 646–651(1959)). Kedem, et al., disclosed filled cell electrodialysis in which dilute compartments were filled with various knit ion exchange fibers (Desalination, 16, 105–118 (1975)), such cells being in the form of a tank having sealed concentrate compartments, open dilute compartments being filled with granular anion exchange resin "which can be poured in and pumped out" (Desalination 24, 313–319 (1978)). In the latter publication, it was suggested that the open dilute compartments may also contain knit cation exchange fibers against cation selective membranes. Flow of fluid through dilute compartments was by gravity, which limited the rate and compartment size to uneconomic values. Such apparatus had the advantage that it could be easily filled with particulate anion exchanger and such exchanger could be easily removed for cleaning or replacement. Concentrate compartments depended solely on electrical transfer of water through surrounding membranes. As a result concentrate was in fact very concentrated and was subject to scaling and precipitation of poorly soluble electrolytes. The same author(s) reported on similar electrodialysis stacks in which dilute chambers were filled solely with a net of multifilament anion exchange material (Desalination 46, 291–299 (1983)). Numerous papers since that time have addressed problems encountered in operation or improvements in construction or filling of EDI and related stacks.
There have been many patent publications concerning packed cell electrodialysis and related processes and apparatus including the following U.S. patents: U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,689,826; 2,815,320; 3,149,061; 3,291,713; 3,330,750; 3,515,664; 3,562,139; 3,686,089; 3,705,846; 3,993,517; 4,284,492; 4,632,745; 4,747,929; and 4,804,451, each of which is incorporated herein by reference. Nevertheless, although electrodialysis with packed cells (e.g., electrodeionization including electrodiaresis) has been known and studied for about 50 years, it has begun to receive widespread commercial use only in the last few years. Reasons for this slow development of commercially competitive EDI devices appear to involve many factors, such as:
a) The need to fill individual compartments in an EDI stack with ion exchange resin material, e.g. particulates such as resin beads, poses the need to keep such resin in place while assembling the stack, and there are practical difficulties in doing this, especially for relatively large stacks. This has typically required very careful hand assembly, or use of sealed layers or modular envelopes of ion exchange particulates, or other relatively costly steps during assembly process of the stack. These constructions, in turn, dictate complete disassembly or rebuilding when it is necessary to change ion exchange packing. Until recently practical external filling and removal of resin particulates has not been done because of lack of any EDI stack designed to be filled with resin particulates after the stack has been assembled; and lack of a process to fill and empty such an assembled stack (e.g., an effective way to move resin particulates into or out of a stack.)
b) Particulate ion-exchange packing is a very good filter medium. Resistance to flow of fluid through packing is increased by material filtered out during operation. In the case of conventional (chemically regenerated) ion exchange deionization, ion exchangers are periodically backwashed at flow rates which expand the volume of particulates, i.e. separating particulates slightly from each other allowing filtered material to escape. However, EDI apparatus typically employs relatively narrow flow passages for diluting and concentrating compartments, constraining flow and particle movement. Until recently such bed expansion capability has not been a feature of EDI apparatus. Instead EDI has been simply preceded by fine filtration to delay or prevent congestion of resin packing. The latter is nevertheless seldom completely effective.
c) Anion exchange particulates tend to sorb negatively charged colloids and medium molecular weight anions which occur naturally in water. Such sorbed materials (generally termed foulants) interfere with satisfactory operation of EDI apparatus, e.g. by increasing electrical resistance and decreasing rate of transport of ions into the interior of particulates. In an EDI process, electric current tends to drive such foulants into anion exchange particulates and thereby accelerate fouling. Until recently EDI stacks have in practice been preceded by scavenging type anion exchange resin and/or activated carbon columns to attempt to remove foulants before they can enter stacks. Such pretreatment is costly and seldom completely effective, especially in view of often unpredictable breakthroughs of foulants upon exhaustion of the resin and/or carbon pretreatment column.
d) Precipitates of sparingly soluble inorganic compounds (e.g., calcium carbonate, magnesium hydroxide, calcium sulfate) tend to form within particulate packing, in anion exchange membranes, or in concentrate compartments of EDI apparatus, when precursors of such compounds are present in fluid processed, because water splitting that continuously regenerates the resin also causes pH conditions that precipitate scale. Such problem does not exist in conventional ion exchange deionization in which anion- and cation-exchange particulates are separately regenerated with alkali and acid respectively. In conventional electrodialysis, build-up of such precipitates may be simply addressed largely by frequent, regular reversal of direct electric current, e.g., a few times per hour.
e) At water dissociating junctions between commercially available anion exchange bodies (e. g. membranes and particulates) and cation exchange bodies, quaternary ammonium moieties (the usual bound positively charged group in commercially available anion exchange bodies) are rapidly converted to tertiary amines and/or non-ionized groups, resulting in increased electrical resistance at such junctions and degradation of stack performance. Such conversion may be due to some combination of high alkalinity, high temperature, and high electric field in the junctions. There is not an equivalent phenomenon in conventional ion exchange deionization under normal process conditions. Thus, in the case of EDI until now it has been necessary after some months to a year or so to disassemble a packed stack and replace at least anion selective membranes and preferably also anion exchange particulates. Some EDI stacks are sealed (i.e. membranes and filled inter-membrane spacers are glued together) in which case it may be necessary to replace an entire stack, possibly with exception of screen-filled concentrate spacers.
f) Electrical resistance of packing depends also on area of contact of beads, hence on deformability of beads, on forces causing such deformation, on distribution of bead sizes and any time dependent relaxation of force, e.g., from cracking of beads. The overall effect is usually a time dependent increase in electrical resistance that may eventually require repair or replacement of a stack. A similar problem does not exist in conventional ion exchange deionization as there is no electric field.
g) Owing to the short distance between membranes in packed electrodialysis apparatus (e.g. about 0.3 centimeters) substantial channeling of processed fluids can occur resulting in less than expected performance.
Methods are taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,066,375, No. 5,120,416, and No. 5,203,976 to fill stacks after they have been assembled, using a slurry of liquid (e.g., water) and ion exchange particles. These methods have to some extent mitigated one or more of the above deficiencies. Those patents are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Nonetheless, there remains a need for methods and procedures for depositing an effective filling of particulates in cells of an assembled electrodeionization or related apparatus.
There is also a need for an electrodeionization apparatus that can be effectively filled with, or replenished with, ion exchange packing.

EDI and related stacks and method and apparatus for preparing such


A flowpath component for a gas turbine engine includes a body having a leading edge and a trailing edge. A first exterior wall connects the leading edge to the trailing edge and a second exterior wall connects the leading edge to the trailing edge. At least one first internal cooling passage has a first inlet at a first end of the body. At least one second internal cooling passage has a second inlet at a second end of the body. The at least one first internal cooling passage is isolated from the at least one second internal cooling passage.

Gas turbine engines, such as those utilized in commercial and military aircraft, include a compressor section that compresses air, a combustor section in which the compressed air is mixed with a fuel and ignited, and a turbine section through which the resultant combustion products are expanded. The expansion of the combustion products drives the turbine section to rotate. As the turbine section is connected to the compressor section via a shaft, the rotation of the turbine section further drives the compressor section to rotate. In some examples, a fan is also connected to the shaft and is driven to rotate via rotation of the turbine as well.
Some gas turbine engines include multiple compressor and turbine stages, each of which is defined by a pairing of flow directing rotors and vanes. In certain examples, one or more of the flowpath components within the stage can include cooling passages that expel air along the surface of the flowpath component to create a film cooling effect. Cooling air in such examples is typically provided from a flow inlet at a single end of the flowpath component.

Multi-flow cooling circuit for gas turbine engine flowpath component


A method for analysis of algae, comprising: receiving a microscopic image of algae by a cloud server (2501), the microscopic image including a scaling pattern for determining a magnification; determining the magnification by the cloud server based on the scaling pattern (2502); and analyzing the microscopic image by the cloud server based on the magnification to obtain an analysis result (2503).

The government and monitoring of algal blooms is a key issue in the government of water environment. How to effectively carry out algae monitoring in order to enhance early warning of algal blooms, and find the potential danger of cyanobacteria water pollution in time and take measures to ensure the water ecological environment and water security become more and more important.


A scanning electron microscopy system that includes a primary electron beam radiation unit configured to irradiate a first pattern of a substrate having a second pattern formed in a peripheral region of the first pattern, a detection unit configured to detect back scattered electrons emitted from the substrate, an image generation unit configured to generate an electron beam image corresponding to a strength of the back scattered electrons, a designating unit configured to designate a depth measurement region in which the first pattern exists on the electron beam image, and a processing unit configured to obtain an image signal of the depth measurement region and a pattern density in the peripheral region where the second pattern exists, and to estimate a depth of the first pattern based on the obtained image signal of the depth measurement region and the pattern density in the peripheral region.

A scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is widely used to measure a dimension of a pattern (for example, a concave pattern of a side wall of a hole) in a semiconductor manufacturing process. For example, PTL 1 discloses a technique for measuring the dimension of such a concave pattern. In PTL 1, by irradiating a hole bottom with a primary electron beam, high energy back scattered electrons (BSE) capable of passing through the side wall of the hole are generated, information on the hole bottom is acquired by detecting the back scattered electrons, and the dimension of the concave pattern is measured.

Scanning electron microscopy system and pattern depth measurement method


A computer-implemented method for transparently restoring data using streaming may comprise identifying an attempt to access backed-up data that is not present on a computing device, transmitting a request to a server to restore the backed-up data, receiving the backed-up data from the server via streaming, and restoring the backed-up data to the computing device. A corresponding method for streaming backed-up data to a target computing device is also disclosed. In addition, corresponding systems and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Conventional methods for restoring data to a target computing system typically involve copying large amounts of data to the target computing system. Unfortunately, this data may be restored to the target computing system without regard to the actual needs of the target computing system. For example, a target computing system may rarely, if ever, use or access a majority of the data restored to the target computing system during a restore operation. This may result in an inefficient use of computing and/or network resources during the restore operation.
Moreover, a user of a target computing device may be unable to use or access any portion of the restored data until the entire restore operation is complete (i.e., until the entire amount of data has been restored to the target computing system). Accordingly, there exists a need for systems and methods for more quickly and efficiently restoring data to target computing systems.

Systems and methods for transparently restoring data using file streaming


In a belt tensioner, a cylinder is mounted to a side of a stationary member positioned in an upper side. A plunger is mounted to a side of a pulley positioned in a lower side. An outer tube sectioning an oil reservoir forming a gas chamber in an upper portion is provided in an outer periphery of the plunger and the cylinder. A first oil passage communicating the gas chamber with a high pressure oil chamber is provided in an upper portion of the cylinder. A second oil passage communicating the high pressure oil chamber with the oil reservoir is provided in the plunger. An orifice hole is provided in the first oil passage. A first check valve closing at an expansion time is provided in the first oil passage, and a second check valve closing at a compression time is provided in the second oil passage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a belt tensioner applying a tension to a belt or a chain which is provided in a tensioned state between a drive wheel and a driven wheel.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to apply tension to the belt or the chain (hereinafter, referred to as the belt), when the tension of the belt is suddenly increased and a plunger is to be compressed, the belt tensioner generates a damping force against the compression. When the tension of the belt is suddenly reduced and the plunger is to be expanded, the belt tensioner tends to expedite the expansion.
The belt tensioner is normally used in a so-called erect state in which a side of a cylinder is mounted to a side of a stationary member such as an engine block or the like. The cylinder is positioned at a lower side in a vertical direction and the plunger pivoting an idle pulley is positioned at an upper side. However, in accordance with a layout of a vehicle, there is sometimes a requirement that the belt tensioner is used in a so-called inverted state in which the cylinder is positioned at the upper side and the plunger is positioned at the lower side.
However, in the conventional belt tensioner (specification of Japanese Patent No. 2537547 (patent publication 1)), when it is intended to use the belt tensioner by positioning the cylinder at the upper side, a gas chamber within a casing is positioned at a side of a suction check valve for a high pressure oil chamber within the cylinder. Accordingly, the gas makes an intrusion into the high pressure oil chamber when the plunger is expanded. Thus the belt tensioner cannot be used.
Further, there is a hybrid vehicle structured such that two drive sources comprising an engine and an electric motor are wound by one belt and the drive sources are appropriately switched. In the hybrid vehicle mentioned above, there is a structure in which a belt tensioner adjusting tension of a belt is arranged at a position corresponding to a downstream side of an engine and an upstream side of an electric motor. However, when starting an engine by the electric motor in a state in which the engine is stopped, an automatic tensioner carries out a compressing operation and slip is generated in the belt. Accordingly, in order to hold the belt so as to prevent the belt from slipping, it is necessary to lock a compression stroke of the belt tensioner.
However, in the conventional belt tensioner (the patent publication 1), the damping force in a pressure side is obtained by supplying the working fluid in the high pressure oil chamber to an annular gap between an inner periphery of the cylinder and the plunger. It is impossible to close the annular gap. Therefore, it is hard to provide the lock mechanism of the compression stroke.
The applicant of the present invention has proposed a belt tensioner which can be used in the inverted state, in Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-259393. This belt tensioner is structured such that an inner tube is provided within an outer tube. A piston rod is inserted to a rod guide and an oil seal is provided in an opening portion of the outer tube. A piston rod side oil chamber and a piston side oil chamber, which is a high pressure oil chamber, are sectioned in an inner portion of the inner tube by a piston provided in a tip portion of the piston rod. An oil reservoir is provided between the outer tube and the inner tube. A discharge check valve inhibiting the oil from flowing from the oil reservoir to the high pressure oil chamber is provided in an orifice flow passage of a partition wall member provided in the inner tube, and urging means for urging the discharge check valve in a valve closing direction is provided. The urging means is placed so that the outer tube is positioned at the upper side and the piston rod is positioned at the lower side.
However, according to the belt tensioner proposed by the applicant of the present invention, since it is necessary that the rod guide, along which the piston rod slides, and the oil seal are provided in the opening portion of the outer tube, the number of the constituting parts is increased and cost becomes high. Further, since the piston is provided in the tip portion of the piston rod and a diameter of the inner tube is increased, the outer diameter of the belt tensioner increases.


This invention comprises of construction of a recombinant CHO cell line that produces functional mannose binding lectin (MBL) and of special uses of MBL. Specially, use of MBL for development of a therapeutic agent for patients having systemic infection with viruses, bacteria, or fungus is described. More specifically, MBL as a trigger for complement activation and MBL so formulated to activate complement system for the purpose of treating patients with microbial infection.

MBL is a serum protein involved in innate immunity. The molecular weight is 32 KD, consisting of carboxy-terminal carbohydrate binding domain (CRD), collagen domain, and amino-terminal cysteine-rich region. The collagen domains of three MBL molecules form a triple helix resulting in a formation of a trimer, and then up to six units of the trimers form a giant molecule by inter molecular disulfide bonding using amino-terminal cysteines.
The MBL is associated with other proteins such as MBL associated serine proteases (MASP 1, MASP 2, or MASP 3) or MBL associated protein (Map19). Therefore, the overall molecular shape of MBL is similar to the first component of complement system (C1q). The function of activated MBL is also similar to C1q, but unlike C1q it activates complement system by cleaving C4 and C2. Activation of MBL requires binding of microorganisms with unique glycosylation pattern on their surface proteins. In this process the MBL associated serine protease is activated, and C4 and C2 are cleaved in a similar way that C1q associated serine proteases (C1r and C1s) triggers activation of complement system by cleaving C3. MBL binding to microorganism also prepares the microorganism for efficient phagocytosis, as if it is an opsonins.
Previously MBL gene has been expressed in various cell lines, including CHO cell (Katsuki Ohtani et al, J. of Inmunol. Methods 222, 135–144, 1999) or HLF hepatoma cell line or HEK 293 EBNA cell (T. Vorup-Jensen et al, International Immunopharmacology 1, 677–687, 2001).
High yield expression was possible in a CHO cell, but the MBL recovered was mainly monomers and dimers without significant amount of oligomers. Expression of MBL gene in transformed human cell lines produced significantly more oligomers, but the over all production yield was less than 1 ug/mL culture media.
It is well known that only high molecular weight form of MBL complex is capable of activating complement system. Activation of complement system is very important in defense against microbial infection. It not only prepares for invading microorganism for efficient phagocytosis and direct lysis, but also it helps efficient induction of adaptive immunity.
Serum level of MBL varies widely in different individuals, ranging from 50 ng/mL or lower to over 3 ug/mL serum mainly due to genetic variation. Genetic variation includes point mutations on exons and mutations on promoter regions. Generally individuals with low level of MBL are susceptible from microbial infection. Specially, those newborn children with low level of MBL are dangerously susceptible from infections. According to one survey (Y. Hakozaki et al, Liver, 22, 29–34, 2002), the mortality of patients going through hepatic failure due to Hepatitis B virus infection depended on the serum level of MBL. Patients with high level of MBL (3 ug/mL) did not die, whereas 80% of the patients with low MBL level died. Therefore those individuals with low MBL level might benefit from MBL supplement.
Therapeutic use of recombinant MBL requires not only high level expression of MBL for industrial quantity production but also high molecular oligomeric form of MBL.

Methods for overexpression of high molecular weight form of mannose binding lectin (MBL) and a specific formulation for active treatment for systemic infection with microorganism


This invention relates to epoxy resins containing indole as structural unit, indole resins and resin compositions containing said epoxy resins and indole resins useful for applications such as laminating, molding, casting and adhesion on account of their excellent fire retardance, adhesiveness, moisture resistance and heat resistance.

Epoxy resins are used industrially in a wide variety of applications and their performance requirements are becoming increasingly more exacting in recent years. For example, resin compositions containing epoxy resins as main ingredients have been used typically as materials for encapsulating semiconductors and there is currently a demand for materials of improved solder heat resistance as an increase in the scale of integration of semiconductor devices has caused the packages to become larger in area and smaller in thickness and the packaging technology to shift to surface mounting. In consequence, there is a strong demand for encapsulating materials of reduced moisture absorption and improved adhesiveness at the interface of materials of different kind such as lead frames and chips. The same holds for materials for circuit boards and there is a demand for materials with properties of not only reduced moisture absorption, higher heat resistance and improved adhesiveness from the viewpoint of improving solder heat resistance but also reduced dielectric properties from the viewpoint of reducing dielectric loss. Moreover, in recent years, there is a trend toward elimination of halogen-based fire retardants from the viewpoint of reducing environmental load and this has created a demand for curing agents of improved fire retardance.
To meet these requirements, various novel structures have been investigated for epoxy resins which constitute the main ingredients on the side of epoxy resin suppliers and, concurrently, curing agents are receiving investigation.
As for base resins, there is a strong demand for improvements in moisture resistance, heat resistance and adhesiveness to metallic base materials.
However, none of the epoxy resins known thus far has satisfied the aforementioned requirements. For example, as is generally known, bisphenol type epoxy rest have found wide use as they are liquid at normal temperature, easy to work with and readily miscible with curing agents, additives and the like, but they face problems with resect to heat resistance and moisture resistance. Novolac type epoxy resins are known for their improved heat resistance, but they still have problems with respect to moisture resistance, adhesiveness and the like. Moreover, the conventional epoxy resins whose main skeleton is made up of hydrocarbons alone are completely devoid of fire retardance.
One of the measures known to improve fire retardance without the use of halogen-based fire retardants is to acid phosphate ester-based fire retardants. However, the addition of phosphate ester-based fire retardants fails to achieve sufficient moisture resistance. Furthermore, phosphate esters undergo hydrolysis in an environment of high temperature and moisture and lower the reliability of epoxy resins as insulating materials.
Studies are underway on the curing agents of epoxy resins. A candidate is naphthalene reins and an application of naphthol-aralkyl resins as encapsulants of semiconductors is disclosed in JP5-109934-A. Naphthol-aralkyl resins have excellent properties of low moisture absorption, low thermal expansion and the like, but show poor curability. Curing agents having a biphenyl structure are proposed in JP11-140166-A and described to be effective for improving fire retardance, but they are defective in curability. Moreover, since naphthalene-based resins and biphenyl-based resins have backbones made up of hydrocarbons alone, they were unable to manifest sufficient fire retardance.

Indole resins epoxy resins and resin compositions containing the same

Abstract: The indole resins of this invention and the epoxy resins obtained therefrom are represented by the following general formulas I and II

Abstract: wherein R1 is H, alkyl or the like, X is a crosslinking group represented by —C(R2R3)— or C(R4R5)—Ar—C(R4R5)— (wherein R2-R5 are H, alkyl or the like and Ar is a benzene or biphenyl ring), G is glycidyl group and n is an integer of 1-20.


An anti-choke attachment for a horse for preventing internal blockage of the horse's nasopharynx or other blockage of the horse's breathing when the horse is running or vigorously exercising. The attachment temporarily locks the horse's head against tilting downwardly or swinging sidewise. The attachment comprises a rigid plate having a lower part shaped to fit against a horse's neck and an upper part shaped to fit beneath the rear portion of the horse's jaw. An elongated, relatively thick, resilient pad arranged on the upper part is arranged to fit closely within the intermandibulary space region along the rear of the horse's head so as to prevent downward tilting and sidewise swinging of the head relative to the neck which both prevents partial blockage of the nasopharynx and helps maintain driver control of the horse.

This invention relates to a temporary attachment for securing upon a horse in order to prevent the horse from choking while breathing heavily during the time that the horse is running or otherwise vigorously exercising. The attachment is particularly useful for race horses engaged in trotting or pacing or the like races during which the horse pulls a cart or similar vehicle upon which a driver is seated for directing the horse.
During a race or other similar running activities, during which the horse is breathing heavily, there is a tendency for the dorsal region of the horse's tongue to partially block the nasopharynx opening in the breathing passageway of the horse. That reduces the horse's intake of air and consequently causes a horse to choke or to reduce the horse's ability to run at maximum speed. Similarly, it is believed that internal tissues in the nasopharynx region of the horse also may partially block the flow of air. Such blockage particularly occurs when the horse tilts its head downwardly against or towards its neck, and, sometimes, when the horse swings its head from side-to-side. The partial or substantial blockage of the horse's airflow during heavy breathing is reduced or completely avoided when the horse keeps its head upright and straight.
The term "running" as used here, is intended generally to include the various forms of running such as trotting, pacing, or other such rapid movements common in racing or in exercising that cause heavy breathing.
In addition, during "running" as generically used here, there is a tendency for the driver of the horse, who may be seated upon a cart or sulky pulled by the horse, to steer or direct the horse by pulling rearwardly on the reins. The reins are attached to the bit in the horse's mouth so that this causes the horse to lower its head in order to reduce the pressure against its mouth, or to turn its head in a sidewise direction in response to the tug of one rein. That action causes blockage of the airflow, and consequently exacerbates the choking.
Previously, attempts have been made to provide devices for keeping the horse's head up during exercising or running and devices, such as conventional "poles" attached to the horse's head to keep the horse running with its head straightforward. Also, an attempt had been made to deal with the problem of dysfunction of a horse's air passageway including blockage of the passageway during running. An example of this is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,036,460-B2, issued May 2, 2006 to Norm G. Ducharme, Richard P. Hackett and J. Brett Woodie for a "Throat Support Device and Methods of Using Same."
That patent appears to be descriptive of the known "Cornell Collar" which is a device that is commercially available. In essence, the device is positioned against the lower portion of the horse's throat and is forced upwardly against the horse's throat so as to apply pressure upwardly against a particular point, or possibly several discrete points, in the structure around the air passageway at the rear of the horse's head. Its purpose, as indicated in the patent description, is to prevent blockage of a horse's air passageway which may be caused by problems due to the locations or mislocations of certain portions of the area surrounding the passageway in the throat. That could include blockage by the horse's tongue during running or exercise and even when the horse is still. The device apparently requires careful application upon the horse in order to locate specific locations against which the pressure is to be applied and to maintain that pressure while the device is on the horse.
Hence, it would be desirable to provide a simple device which eliminates the choking or air passageway blockage and can be easily attached and held, temporarily, on the horse, while the horse is running.
Further, during a running-type activity, when the horse tilts its head downwardly relative to its neck, the bit may become looser in its mouth instead of snuggly contacting against the corners of its mouth. Consequently, the horse may be able to grip the loose bit between its teeth. If that occurs the driver can lose control of the horse.
Consequently, it is desirable during activities which involve heavy breathing, to lock or fix the horse's head in an upper forwardly extending position, and preventing swinging side-to-side, without causing discomfort to the horse. The present invention is concerned with a temporary attachment which may be quickly and easily fastened upon, or removed from, the horse, without disturbing or removing its usual, conventional, bridle or reins, or the connection between the cart and the horse, and which painlessly prevents the horse from tilting its head downwardly or pivoting its head sideways during heavy breathing activities.

Choke prevention attachment for a running horse


Systems and methods for scheduling appointments are provided. This scheduling process includes generating an introductory message proposing an appointment with the target with a request for timing. The target responds, and this response is processed for a positive interest and the presence of a proposed time. If there is an absence of positive interest then the messaging may be discontinued. However, in the presence of a positive interest, and a proposed time from the target, the system may access an external scheduling system when a proposed time is present. This includes determining availability of at least one resource at the proposed time. The system then iteratively provides suggested times close to the proposed time when the resource is not available for the proposed time. The system then confirms the appointment when the resource is available for either the proposed time or any of the suggested times.

The present invention relates to systems and methods for natural language processing and generation of more "human" sounding artificially generated conversations with attendant actions resulting from therefrom. Such natural language processing techniques may be employed in the context of machine learned conversation systems. These conversational AIs include, but are not limited to, message response generation, AI assistant performance, and other language processing, primarily in the context of the generation and management of a dynamic conversations. Such systems and methods provide a wide range of business people more efficient tools for outreach, knowledge delivery, automated task completion, and also improve computer functioning as it relates to processing documents for meaning. In turn, such system and methods enable more productive business conversations and other activities with a majority of tasks performed previously by human workers delegated to artificial intelligence assistants.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming ubiquitous across many technology platforms. AI enables enhanced productivity and enhanced functionality through "smarter" tools. Examples of AI tools include stock managers, chatbots, and voice activated search-based assistants such as Siri and Alexa. With the proliferation of these AI systems, however, come challenges for user engagement, quality assurance and oversight.
When it comes to user engagement, many people do not feel comfortable communicating with a machine outside of certain discrete situations. A computer system intended to converse with a human is typically considered limiting and frustrating. This has manifested in a deep anger many feel when dealing with automated phone systems, or spammed, non-personal emails.
These attitudes persist even when the computer system being conversed with is remarkably capable. For example, many personal assistants such as Siri and Alexa include very powerful natural language processing capabilities; however, the frustration when dealing with such systems, especially when they do not "get it" persists. Ideally an automated conversational system provides more organic sounding messages in order to reduce this natural frustration on behalf of the user. Indeed, in the perfect scenario, the user interfacing with the AI conversation system would be unaware that they are speaking with a machine rather than another human.
In order for a machine to sound more human or organic includes not only improvements in natural language processing, but additionally the ability to take additional actions in response to the conversation outcomes.
It is therefore apparent that an urgent need exists for advancements in the natural language processing techniques used by AI conversation systems, and the ability to take actions based upon these conversations. Such systems and methods allow for improved conversations and for added functionalities.

Systems and methods for improved automated conversations with attendant actions


A method for controlling transmission of sets of data comprises receiving information relating to at least a part of a first data set. This information may comprise the at least part of the first set of data or an indication of receipt of the at least part of the first set of data. The number of times that at least a part of the first set of data has been transmitted is determined. At least one threshold for a quantity indicative of transmission conditions is updated based on the determined number of times, said at least one threshold being for determining a transmission rate for at least a part of a set of data. Determining a transmission rate for at least a part of a second set of data is also discussed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to controlling transmission of sets of data and to transmitting sets of data. In particular the present invention relates to controlling transmission when at least a part of a set of data may be transmitted for a number of times.
2. Description of the Related Art
A communication system can be seen as a facility that enables communication between two or more entities such as user equipment and/or other nodes associated with the system. The communication may comprise, for example, communication of voice, data, multimedia and so on. The communication system may be circuit switched or packet switched. The communication system may be configured to provide wireless communication.
In a communication system, there is typically need to adjust transmission parameters to changing channel conditions. Link adaptation refers to changing transmission parameters of a communication channel to compensate for the variations in the channel conditions. Transmission parameters refer here to, for example, transmission power and transmission rate. In the following, transmission rate control is discussed in more detail.
In a communication system, data transmission may be defined as combinations of channel coding methods, modulation techniques, and, in a spread spectrum system, spreading spectrum techniques. Such a combination defines a specific transmission rate for user data. A combination of a channel coding method and a modulation technique is often referred to as a modulation and coding scheme (MCS).
One example of a known link adaptation technique is Adaptive Modulation and Coding Scheme (AMCS). In AMCS, a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) is selected for transmission based on estimated receiver signal quality. The basic principle is to use higher modulation levels and higher channel coding rates, when the channel condition is good, and lower modulation levels and lower channel coding rates, when the channel condition is not so good.
Typically the modulation and coding schemes are arranged to an order in accordance with the respective transmission rates, and the modulation and coding schemes are called MCS levels. The selection from a set of modulation and coding schemes is made using thresholds. Thresholds are defined in terms of channel quality, for example, as signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) values. Given an estimated channel quality, the MCS having a threshold value smaller than the given estimated channel quality and providing the largest transmission rate is typically selected in AMCS.
It has been noted that correct switching points between adjacent MCS schemes are dependent, for example, on the channel Doppler experienced by the receiver and on the multipath propagation. Fixed threshold values are therefore not sufficient for efficient link adaptation using AMCS. There have been a number of proposals for adjusting the thresholds.
In "Selection of MCS levels in HSDPA", a TSG-RAN working group document TSG R1-01-0579 by NEC and Telecom Domus, link adaptation in a High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) in a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system is discussed. It is proposed to adjust the threshold values for the MCS levels according to cyclic redundancy check (CRC) results of a data received at the mobile station. The mobile station sends acknowledgement messages accordingly to the CRC results to a base station. The threshold values are updated based on ACK and NAK messages received at the base station. In "Adaptive Control of Link Adaptation for High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) in W-CDMA", by M. Nakamura, Y. Awad and S. Vadgama, in Proceedings WPMD, pp. 382-386, September 2002, the above mentioned algorithm is developed further. The threshold values are adjusted only, if the estimated channel quality at the mobile station is within a certain band of the current threshold value.
Dynamical adjustment of the thresholds is discussed in "A Method for Outer Loop Rate Control in High Data Rate Wireless Networks", by D. Paranchych and M. Yavuz, in IEEE VTC'2002 Spring, Vol. 3, pp. 1701-1705. This method is presented in connection with an IS-865 system, which is a CDMA cellular air interface. In IS-865, a data rate control mechanism is employed in the downlink (forward link) direction to adapt the transmitted data rate to changing channel conditions. An access terminal (a mobile station) measures the channel conditions, for example the received pilot Ec/Nt, for determining the maximum achievable data rate for the downlink transmission. Data transmission must meet a certain maximum average packet error rate (PER) requirement, which is defined for standard access terminals. The proposed method is to select the data rate using thresholds for the received pilot Ec/Nt, and to adjust the thresholds for received pilot Ec/Nt so that the desired PER is achieved. The method is thus a rate control method, where the received pilot Ec/Nt is used in an inner loop in the access terminal. The outer loop control, implemented also in the access terminal, monitors the received PER and adjusts the thresholds used in the inner loop so that a transmission rate achieving the desired PER is used. The following procedure is carried out for adjusting the thresholds. If a downlink packet is received in error, the thresholds are increased. If a downlink packet is received successfully, the thresholds are decreased. The threshold for the current transmission rate in increased/decreased with one step size, and the thresholds for all transmission rates are increased/decreased with a second step size.
Another technique is Hydrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ). The HARQ scheme combines forward error correction (FEC) and Automatic Repeat reQuest (ARQ). In HARQ, a receiver acknowledges a successfully received frame with an ACK message. Upon receipt of ACK, the transmitter knows that retransmissions are unnecessary. If a frame is received in error, the receiver sends a negative acknowledgement NAK to the transmitter and saves the received symbols. The transmitter consequently retransmits the frame. The receiver receives second symbols relating to the retransmitted frame, and soft-combines the stored first symbols and the received second symbols. This soft-combining reduces the error rate of the retransmitted frames, as previously received information relating to the same frame is employed.
Adaptive HARQ is a version of HARQ, where the data rate for each transmission and each retransmission may be adapted. In non-adaptive HARQ, the method for selecting the data rates in each retransmission is the same as that for selecting the data rates in each initial transmission.
It is proposed to use both fast closed loop rate control and adaptive HARQ in some communication systems for providing high-speed packet data transmission. The problem is that, for example, the outer loop rate control method proposed by D. Paranchych and M. Yavuz does not consider the effect of adaptive HARQ and cannot maintain the performance of each HARQ (re)transmission to a predetermined level. This means, for example, that too much transmission power is used in the retransmissions so that the power is wasted and the HARQ gain is not well utilized. Alternatively, too little transmission power may be used in the retransmission so that the residual FER is high and the HARQ gain is again not well utilized.
Dynamic thresholds for transmission rate selection are advantageous over the fixed thresholds. Adjusting the thresholds is crucial to the system throughput and residual Packet Error Rate (PER). Proper thresholds reduce the transmit power and keep the communication channel quality in a given level under different channel conditions. Adjusting the thresholds properly may thus increase the throughput of interference-limited wireless communications systems.
There is thus need for controlling transmission rate in combination with possible retransmissions.

Method and device for controlling transmission of sets of data


A seat assembly is provided for supporting an occupant above a floor in an automotive vehicle. The seat assembly includes a seat cushion that is adapted to be pivotally coupled to the floor for movement between a raised position spaced above the floor and a lowered position adjacent the floor. The seat assembly also includes a seat back that is adapted to be pivotally coupled to the floor for movement between an upright position and a folded position overlying the seat cushion. At least one drive link extends between a first end pivotally coupled to the seat back and a second end pivotally and slidably coupled to the seat cushion for automatically moving the seat cushion between the raised and lowered positions in response to pivoting the seat back between the upright and folded positions thereby defining a seating position and a stowed position of the seat assembly.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a seat assembly for an automotive vehicle. More particularly, the invention relates to a seat assembly having a drive link for moving a seat cushion forward and downward along a floor of the vehicle in response to forwardly folding a seat back.
2. Description of Related Art
Automotive vehicles include one or more seat assemblies for supporting seat occupants within a passenger compartment of the vehicle. Typically, seat assemblies include a generally horizontal seat cushion spaced above a floor of the vehicle and a generally vertical seat back. It is well known in the seating art to provide a stowable seat assembly movable between a seating position for supporting the seat occupant above the floor and a stowed position lying flat against the floor, or nested within a recess formed in the floor.
Typically, in such seat assemblies, the seat back is pivotally coupled to the seat cushion for movement between a generally upright position and a folded position overlying the seat cushion. The seat cushion often includes a four bar linkage or front and rear legs extending between the seat cushion and the floor of the vehicle for moving the seat cushion between a raised position spaced above the floor and a lowered position resting along the floor. Typically, the pivotal movement of the seat back is actuated and controlled independently of the movement of the seat cushion, thus requiring separate operation of the seat back and seat cushion to move the seat assembly from the seating position to the stowed position.
It is therefore desirable to provide a mechanism or drive link assembly coupled between a seat back and a seat cushion for moving a seat assembly between a seating position and a stowed position in response to pivotal movement of the seat back between a generally upright position and a folded position overlying the seat cushion.


A gaming device having a controller allows a user of the device to play a multiplayer on-line game as a member of a team. The controller identifies the team members, and generates strategic data for distribution to the team members. The strategic data may be tactical data used by the team to achieve a predetermined objective of the on-line game. The controller also detects the occurrence of a predetermined event. Whenever a predetermined event occurs, the controller distributes the strategic data to one or more of the other team members.

Multi-player on-line games are becoming increasingly popular with the public. One such type of game is called an on-line role-playing game (RPG). Generally, a player in an RPG will assume the role of a fictional character called an avatar that lives in an imaginary world. During the game, the player controls the avatar to fight battles, search for treasure or weapons, or gain knowledge or experience. These actions or "quests" are usually governed by a system of formal rules and guidelines; however, players are typically free to improvise their actions within the rules. As a player successfully completes a quest, the player may be rewarded with points and is also permitted to progress through increasingly higher levels of the game.
One especially popular type of RPG is called a massively multi-player on-line role-playing game (MMORPG). MMORPGs, such as WORLD OF WARCRAFT, SECOND LIFE, and FINAL FANTASY, utilize the Internet to enable thousands of players to assume their own avatar in a constantly evolving virtual world. MMORPGs differ from other RPGs in several respects. For example, with some MMORPGs, the imaginary world in which the avatar exists is "persistent." That is, the world continues to evolve regardless of whether anyone is logged in and actively playing the game. Additionally, while players may progress through the world as independent entities, MMORPGs usually require the players to form teams and cooperate to successfully complete quests or other actions.
Role-playing games, however, are not the only types of on-line games enjoying an increase in popularity. Other on-line games, such as WORLD IN CONFLICT, COUNTER STRIKE TEAM FORTRESS, and any of a variety of sports-related games are also popular with users. Such games offer players a chance to "own" or "manage" a sports team, join forces with other players to accomplish predetermined tasks, and/or to match their skills against other players to defeat other players and teams.
Although most players engage in on-line gaming activities from their own desktop or laptop computers, or from specialized gaming consoles such as the XBOX or the PLAYSTATION, the widespread availability of mobile communication devices, such as cellular telephones, personal digital assistants, and laptop computers, has lead to an increasing demand to place on-line gaming applications on mobile devices. Playing multiplayer on-line games on mobile devices, however, introduces issues that are not present when playing games on desktop computers. For example, the user interfaces on most mobile devices have limited capabilities. This makes the task of inputting large amounts of data tedious. In addition, players using mobile devices move from location to location, and thus, typically join and leave a game more often than they would if they were seated at a desktop computer.
Players on a team can benefit from data and information gathered by other team members while playing the multi-player on-line game. By way of example, most MMORPGs require team members to communicate with each other so that each will know the other's skills, abilities, and strategies for completing a quest. This permits team members to continue a quest in the absence of other team members. The limited abilities of mobile devices make sharing such information difficult.

System and method for dynamically distributing game data


A new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant named ‘Surf Ikuyoko’, characterized by its upright to spreading and mounding plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; long flowering period; large flowers that are bright reddish purple in color; and good garden performance.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant, botanically known as Petunia x hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name 'Surf Ikuyoko'.
The new Petunia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to create new upright to spreading and freely-branching habit Petunia plants with numerous large attractive flowers.
The new Petunia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in June, 2016 in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan of a proprietary selection of Petunia x hybrida identified as code designation Px8284-4, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Petunia x hybrida identified as code designation PP1, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Petunia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan in June, 2017.
Asexual reproduction of the new Petunia plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan since April, 2018 has shown that the unique features of this new Petunia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.


A method for identifying anomalous mud flow includes determining an operating rate of a mud pump discharging to a pipe string in a wellbore. Mud returned from the wellbore is moved to a first metering tank. Mud is moved from the first transfer tank to a mud storage tank using a first pump having a flow rate directly related to an operating rate thereof. A first parameter related to volume of mud in the first metering tank is measured. Anomalous mud flow is identified by detecting changes in the operating rate of the first pump wherein the operating rate is adjusted to maintain the first parameter substantially constant.

This disclosure relates to the field of detecting flow anomalies in a well drilling fluid supply and circulation system. More particularly, the disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for detecting fluid influx into a wellbore from an exposed subsurface formation, or fluid loss from a wellbore into an exposed subsurface formation, as well as detecting changes in efficiency of pumps used to circulate drilling fluid through a wellbore during construction and/or remediation of the wellbore.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,820,702 issued to Niedermayr et al. discloses a method and system for detecting well control events. "Well control events" in the present context means entry of fluid into a wellbore drilled through subsurface formations from one or more of such formations, or loss of drilling fluid ("mud") into one or more such formations. Methods and systems such as those disclosed in the '702 patent, as well as other such systems and methods known in the art make use of differences between flow rate and/or flow volume of mud being pumped into the wellbore and the flow rate and/or flow volume of drilling fluid ("mud") returned to the surface from the wellbore. Such differences between "flow in" and "flow out" are made during times when a drilling unit is "circulating", that is, operating its drilling fluid pumps to move drilling fluid through a pipe string disposed at least part way into the wellbore. The determined differences may be used to infer fluid influx from an exposed formation and/or fluid loss into an exposed formation.
Methods and systems such as those described in the '702 patent are effective, but may require using precisely calibrated, accurate devices to measure flow rates and/or volumes into and out of the wellbore. Further, systems such as those described in the '702 patent may be used only during circulating operations, such as drilling, reaming, washing and wellbore debris removal ("hole cleaning").
Other operations performed on a wellbore, including partial or total removal of the pipe string from the wellbore and/or partial or complete insertion of the pipe string into the wellbore, collectively called "tripping" do not use the drilling unit mud pumps. However, drilling fluid is displaced from the wellbore during pipe string insertion, requiring means for collecting, processing and storing the displaced mud; at the same time, moving the pipe string into the wellbore may increase the pressure exerted on exposed formations by the column of mud in the wellbore above hydrostatic pressure (called "surge" pressure). Differences between the displacement volume of the pipe string and the actual volume of drilling fluid moved into the collecting, processing and storing means may indicate fluid loss to an exposed formation and/or fluid influx from a formation. Conversely, as the pipe string is withdrawn from the wellbore, the withdrawn pipe volume must be replaced by an equal volume of drilling fluid to maintain the column of mud at a desired elevation (e.g., at the top of the wellbore as defined by the drilling unit). Withdrawing the pipe string may reduce the pressure exerted by the column of mud (called "swab" pressure) with accompanying risk of causing a fluid influx from an exposed formation or fluid loss to an exposed formation.
Flow rate of drilling fluid into the wellbore during circulating operations as described above is preferably maintained at a predetermined value according to established wellbore construction practices. Mud pumps on many drilling units are positive displacement pumps, and more specifically may be reciprocating piston pumps. A flow rate of drilling fluid into the pipe string, and thus into the wellbore, may be inferred by the operating rate of such mud pumps. In the case of reciprocating piston pumps, a well known measure of mud pump operating rate is referred to as "strokes per minute" (SPM). When such mud pumps are new or recently reconditioned, the efficiency of the mud pumps (actual moved mud volume with respect to piston displacement volume) is generally close to unity and is substantially constant. Over time and with wear, such mud pumps may lose efficiency, thereby making correspondence between SPM and actual pumped mud volume less accurate a measure of actual pumped fluid volume.
Current drilling rig designs rely on gravity flow to transport the drilling fluid discharged from the wellbore, through a diverter, via a flowline, to mud processing equipment such as shakers. For the drilling fluid to flow with a satisfactory speed the flow line needs to have a minimum elevation angle, also taking into account the roll and pitching of floating vessels if the drilling rig is disposed on such a vessel. This limits the flexibility of the designer to locate the mud treatment equipment and consequently mud storage tanks. The drilling rig drill floor must be placed at an elevated height above the ground surface or the deck of a marine drilling platform in most cases to ensure that the mud treatment equipment does not interfere with other drilling equipment. By having greater flexibility in the placement of mud treatment equipment and mud tanks, more space-efficient drilling vessels can be built, such as vessels with the drill floor at the same height as the main deck of the platform or vessel, or with the mud treatment equipment and mud tanks in separate vessel sections.
Drilling rig components known in the art rely on mechanical and/or pneumatic means to separate drilling cuttings from the drilling fluid. In addition, known cuttings and contaminant separation devices are open to the atmosphere, thus creating a safety hazard due to combustible and toxic fumes being allowed to escape into the ambient atmosphere. By actively pumping the mud after its discharge from a wellbore, the excess pressure provided by such pumping can be used in separation equipment. This allows more types of separation principles to be used, and possibly allows the use of fully enclosed separation devices.
There is a need for methods and apparatus to detect fluid influx, fluid loss and changes in mud pump efficiency that may use as much as possible existing mud circulation system devices already disposed at the drilling unit and requiring as little as possible extra equipment.
There is a need for methods and apparatus that do not rely solely on gravity flow of returning mud, that may use as much as possible existing mud circulation system devices already disposed at the drilling unit and requiring as little as possible extra equipment.
There is a need for methods and apparatus that do not rely solely on gravity flow of mud and mechanical and/or pneumatic separation principles that may use as much as possible existing mud circulation system devices already disposed at the drilling unit and requiring as little as possible extra equipment.

Method for detecting fluid influx or fluid loss in a well and detecting changes in fluid pump efficiency


A portable computer includes a first housing having a first wall defining a first opening and a surface surrounding the opening and having an inside periphery. A first component is removably received within the opening and defines a body with an outer periphery that is inset with respect to the inner periphery of the opening. A first locking member is removably attached within the opening. The first locking member defines an outer periphery extending along the inner periphery of the first opening of the housing. The first locking member also defines a second opening having an inner periphery that is inset with respect to the outer periphery of the first component body such that a portion of the first locking member overlies a first portion of the first component body. A second portion of the first component is exposed within the opening of the first locking member.

Housings for portable notebook or clamshell-style computers are often made from a number of plastic panels or sections that are assembled onto a metal frame. The metal frame is structured to retain and attach together the computer's internal components. Such internal components can include a printed circuit board that carries the computer's central processor and any additional processors such as for graphics or the like as well as the computer's random-access memory (RAM). Additional components include batteries, input devices such as a keyboard and trackpad or the like, storage memory (such as a hard drive, solid-state drive, or the like, communications devices (such as for WiFi connection and networking), removable memory devices (such as CD- or DVD-R/W drives), and structures for external peripheral connections.
In such frame-based housing structures, all components can be affixed to the frame, which itself can be made up of several different parts. The components of the housing are in turn attached to the frame to provide a somewhat uniform external appearance and to provide protection for the internal components. In a notebook (or clamshell) configuration, the arrangement just described can make up a base unit that is configured to rest on a surface. Another assembly in the form of a lid, or display, housing can be attached to the base housing by a hinge. The lid housing can include a video display, which can be in the form of a LCD panel with various forms of backlighting associated therewith. Similar to the base housing, the display (and any other components also included within the lid housing) can be affixed to another frame to which other housing sections or panels are affixed to enclose the lid assembly. The hinge can be attached to both the frame of the lid and the frame of the base with portions thereof extending through openings between or within the housing sections or panels.
The hinged attachment between the base and lid housings can allow the computer to be moved between open and closed configurations. The closed configuration being such that the lid is positioned against the base with the display and input devices positioned internally of the housing units for protection thereof during transportation. In the open configuration, the display is viewable and the input devices are accessible to the user. The lid can be rotated through a range of positions to provide for comfortable viewing of the display.
Such housing configurations can be complicated to assemble and to disassemble for repair or maintenance reasons due to the complicated nature of attaching multiple housing components to the frame. Further, they can be bulky due to the number of components and the complex assembly patterns required. Further, the number of joints or connections between components can provide a number of potential failure areas that can reduce the overall strength and protection provided by such housings. Additionally, because of the various ways in which the multiple panels are assembled together, repair or replacement of one component, such as the keyboard for example, can require removal of a number of panes, some of which may also be attached to the lid, requiring removal thereof or removal of other additional components or sub-assemblies. These configurations can also be visually unappealing, due to the number of separate components used and due to the gaps therebetween, which can expose fasteners, tabs or the like. This can be particularly noticeable, for example, around the keyboards used in such computer assemblies.
Other structures have been developed that seek to combine the utility of the frame into a part of the housing units and to reduce the overall number of exterior pieces that make up the housing. Such structures can be made from metal and can, for example include in one unit the top wall of a base housing (that surrounds the keyboard) along with the front and side walls thereof. This unit can also have internal reinforcement and can include attachment structures (such as threaded holes) for attachment of the internal components). A separate unit can define the bottom wall of the base and can attach to the upper housing unit. Such structures can provide for easier assembly of components, initially, but can be even more difficult to repair. For example, to replace the keyboard of such a computer, the entire base housing must be disassembled and, in some instances the main circuit board may have to be removed. Further, because the keyboard must be assembled early on in the assembly process of such computers, customization of the keyboard or custom-selection among various keyboards by a purchaser can be difficult or can require long lead times, as the computer assembly cannot begin until an order is taken.

Portable computer housing and assembly methods