A transmission apparatus comprises a signal generator that generates input signals of two or more bands of frequencies and outputs the generated input signals; a power amplifier that amplifies the input signals and outputs amplified signals; a branching filter that outputs branched signals for the respective frequencies from the amplified signals; a data transmitter that transmits data based on one of the branched signals of a first frequency; a power regenerator that converts one of the branched signals of a second frequency into regenerated power and output the regenerated power, and a power combiner that combines the regenerated power and power supply power output from a voltage source, as combined power and supplies the combined power to the power amplifier.

Among components of a radio communication apparatus, a power amplifier for transmission used in the radio communication apparatus, in particular, consumes power most. Thus, reduction of power consumption by the power amplifier (Power Amplifier, PA) is regarded as the most important challenge for development of the radio communication apparatus.
In a recent communication standard, a linear modulation method has become a mainstream for spectrum efficiency improvement. In the linear modulation method, signal amplitude indicates a temporal fluctuation. Being different from a frequency modulation method using a constant signal amplitude, the linear modulation method imposes a rigorous requirement against distortion of a transmission signal. As a measure against this distortion, average output power of the transmission signal is set such that instantaneous maximum output (peak) power of the transmission signal is not more than the saturation output of a power amplifier. The distortion of the transmission signal can be thereby reduced.
However, generally, power efficiency of the power amplifier is reduced as the average output power is reduced to be low with respect to the saturation output power (as a back-off amount is increased). The power efficiency of the power amplifier is determined by a ratio between transmission power output from the power amplifier and power (power consumption) supplied to the power amplifier from a power source. Reduction of the power efficiency unnecessarily increases the power consumption with respect to the transmission power of a desired level. Thus, a method of reducing power consumption of the power amplifier even if a back-off amount is set has been developed.
An example of a method of maintaining power efficiency of a power amplifier to be high and reducing power consumption of the power amplifier regardless of a temporal amplitude variation of a linearly modulated signal is disclosed in Patent Literature 1. FIG. 30 is a block configuration diagram illustrating a block configuration of a transmission apparatus described in Patent Literature 1. In the transmission apparatus in FIG. 30, a linearly modulated signal supplied to a terminal 11 is converted to two frequency-modulated signals V1 and V2 through a series-parallel converter 12, filters 13 and 14, and an operation circuit 15. The frequency-modulated signals V1 and V2 are respectively supplied to power amplifiers 16 and 17. Since amplitudes of the frequency-modulated signals V1 and V2 each have a constant value that does not temporarily vary, there is no need for setting back-off for each of the power amplifiers 16 and 17. High power efficiency is thereby maintained. Frequency-modulated signals S1 and S2 amplified and output by the power amplifiers 16 and 17 are supplied to a power combiner 18 through terminals 2 and 3. The power combiner 18 combines the signals S1 and S2 to regenerate an amplified signal of the linearly modulated signal supplied to the terminal 11 and outputs the regenerated signal to a terminal 4 and a load 9.
A differential signal between the frequency-modulated signals S1 and S2 is output to a terminal 5 from the power combiner 18. Usually, the terminal 5 is terminated by a resistor, so that power of the differential signal becomes a loss due to the termination by the resistor. Then, in the method illustrated in FIG. 30, a rectifier circuit 20 and filters 19 and 21 are installed after the terminal 5. The differential signal output to the terminal 5 is converted into direct-current power to be output to a terminal 22. The direct-current power output to the terminal 22 is reused as power to be supplied to the power amplifiers 16 and 17, thereby reducing wasteful power consumption. Power saving of the PAs is implemented by the above-mentioned method.
Another example of the method of maintaining power efficiency of a power amplifier to be high and reducing power consumption of the power amplifier regardless of a temporal amplitude variation of a linearly modulated signal is disclosed in Patent Literature 2. FIG. 31 is a block configuration diagram showing a block configuration of a transmission apparatus described in Patent Literature 2.
In the transmission apparatus in FIG. 31, a phase-modulated signal obtained by excluding an amplitude component from a transmission signal is generated by a signal generation unit 31 and an angle modulation unit 32. The phase-modulated signal is supplied to each of power amplifiers 551 and 552 through a directional coupler 61. Since the phase-modulated signal has a constant amplitude, there is no need for setting back-off for each of the power amplifiers 551 and 552. High power efficiency is thereby maintained. Further, an amplitude signal obtained by removing a phase component from the transmission signal is amplified by a variable gain amplifier 28 and a regulator 34. Then, the amplitude signal is supplied to power supply terminals of the power amplifiers 551 and 552. The phase-modulated signal is supplied to each of the power amplifiers 551 and 552, and the power supply terminals are modulated by the amplitude signal. Thus, the transmission signal including the amplitude component and the phase component is regenerated to be output to an output terminal 37 through a directional coupler 62. When power of the transmission signal is large, a switch 53 is turned on to supply the power to the power amplifier 551, and the power amplifiers 551 and 552 are both operated. When the power of the transmission signal is small, the switch 53 is turned off, thereby stopping supply of the power to the power amplifier 551, and the power amplifier 552 is operated. Power saving is thereby attempted.
In the transmission apparatus in FIG. 31, a differential signal between outputs of the power amplifiers 551 and 552 is output to a power reuse unit 63 from the directional coupler 62. Usually, power of the differential signal between the outputs of the power amplifiers 551 and 552 is consumed wastefully. Then, in the method in FIG. 31, the differential signal is converted into direct-current power by the power reuse unit 63 to be output to a terminal 33. The direct-current power supplied to the terminal 33 is reused as the power to be supplied to the power amplifier 551 and power to be supplied to the power amplifier 552 through the regulator 34. Wasteful power consumption is thereby reduced. Power saving of the PAs is implemented by the above-mentioned method.
Still another example of the method of maintaining power efficiency of a power amplifier to be high and reducing power consumption of the power amplifier regardless of a temporal amplitude variation of a linearly modulated signal is disclosed in Patent Literature 3. FIG. 32 is a block configuration diagram showing a block configuration of a transmission apparatus described in Patent Literature 3.
In the transmission apparatus in FIG. 32, a baseband is output from a data generator 101. The baseband signal is converted to a digital signal through a vector data converter 102 and a modulator 103 to be supplied to a power amplifier 104. Since the digital signal has a constant amplitude, there is no need for setting back-off for the power amplifier 104. High power efficiency is thereby maintained. The digital signal is amplified by the power amplifier 104 and is then output. Then, the digital signal is supplied to a filer 108 through an isolator 105. The filter 108 converts the digital signal to an RF signal obtained by removing a quantization error of the digital signal and superimposing the baseband signal thereon, and outputs the RF signal to a terminal 109.
The quantization error removed by the filer 108 is output to a terminal c of the isolator 105. Usually, the terminal c of the isolator 105 is terminated by a resistor, and power of the quantization error becomes a loss due to the termination by the resistor. Then, in the method in FIG. 32, a power reuse unit 106 is connected to the terminal c of the isolator 105, and the power of the quantization error is converted to direct-current power and is reused as a portion of direct-current power to be supplied from a power supply unit 107 to the power amplifier 104. Power loss reduction is thereby provided.
An example of a method of providing power saving of a transmission apparatus by reuse of loss power is disclosed in Patent Literature 4. FIG. 33 is a block configuration diagram showing a block configuration of the transmission apparatus described in Patent Literature 4.
In the transmission apparatus in FIG. 33, an RF signal output from a signal source 270 is amplified by a power amplifier 220. The RF signal is then output to an antenna 210 through an isolator 240. A portion of the RF signal supplied to the antenna 210 is reflected due to a matching deviation. Unless the isolator 240 is installed, reflected power of the RF signal becomes a loss at an output terminal of the power amplifier 220. Then, in the transmission apparatus in FIG. 33, the isolator 240 is installed, the reflected power of the RF signal is output to a recovery unit 230 through the isolator 240, so that the reflected power of the RF signal is converted to direct-current power by the recovery unit 230. A switching unit 260 selects the recovery unit 230 or a battery unit 250, and supplies the direct-current power output from the recovery unit 230 or direct-current power output from a battery unit 250 to the power amplifier 220, a signal source 270, and a configuration unit 280. The configuration unit 280 is a circuit in general necessary for configuring a radio apparatus. As mentioned above, the transmission apparatus in FIG. 33 reuses the power reflected from the antenna that may usually become the loss, as power to be supplied to the circuit. Power saving of the transmission apparatus is thereby implemented.
Another example of implementing power saving of a transmission apparatus by reuse of loss power is disclosed in Patent Literature 5. FIG. 34 is a block configuration diagram showing a block configuration of the transmission apparatus described in Patent Literature 5.
In the transmission apparatus in FIG. 34, a communication processing unit 324 operates upon receipt of supply of power from a power supply unit 320, and transmits a data signal received from a control unit 316. The communication processing unit 324 outputs an RF signal for transmission to a transmitting antenna 328. A portion of the RF signal emitted into the air from the transmitting antenna 328 is supplied to a power recovery antenna 304. The RF signal supplied to the power recovery antenna 304 is converted into direct-current power by a rectifier circuit 308, and the direct-current power is supplied to a power use unit 312. The power use unit 312 is a circuit in general configured to use power. As mentioned above, in the transmission apparatus in FIG. 34, a portion of the power of the RF signal emitted from the transmitting antenna 328 into the air is reused, thereby attempting power saving of the transmission apparatus.
In recent radio technologies, while power saving of a transmission apparatus is a major challenge, implementation of radio communication at a higher speed is also demanded. As shown in Non Patent Literature 1, a Carrier aggregation technology (hereinafter referred to as a CA technology) configured to aggregate and use a plurality of fragmented bands is employed for implementing such high-speed radio communication. In this CA technology, the plurality of bands are aggregated to secure a wide band. A transmission speed can be thereby increased.
In an Inter-band Non-contiguous CA mode in which respective carrier frequencies are greatly spaced apart to each other (a difference Δf between the respective carrier frequencies is sufficiently larger than a modulated bandwidth fBB of each carrier RF signal), by performing simultaneous communication using a plurality of the carrier frequencies having different propagation characteristics, stability of the communication can be improved. Further, by applying the CA technology, communication that accommodates a case where band allocation for a plurality of operators is non-contiguous, or a case where the plurality of operators share a band can be performed.
In a communication system using the CA technology, a transmission apparatus and a transmission method configured to transmit RF signals of a plurality of bands (bands) are needed. Improvement in power efficiency is demanded for such a transmission apparatus as well.
FIG. 35 is a functional configuration diagram of a transmitter according to the technique described in Patent Literature 6. The transmitter illustrated in FIG. 35 has a function of transmitting RF signals of a plurality of bands and also has a function of improving power efficiency by application of a polar modulation technique.
Specifically, in the transmitter illustrated in FIG. 35, a modulated signal generated by a modulated signal generator 461 is converted to a signal in a polar coordinate system from a signal in an orthogonal coordinate system to be separated into a PM signal including phase information and an AM signal including amplitude information. The PM signal obtained by the separation is used for phase modulation for a frequency generator 411 through a PM control unit 463. Similarly, the AM signal is used for power supply modulation for PAs 421 and 431 through a power supply modulator 464. That is, the polar modulation technique is applied which increases or decreases power to be supplied from the power supply modulator 464 to each of the PAs 421 and 431, as well, according to an increase or a decrease in power output from each of the Pas 421 and 431. Reduction in the power efficiency is suppressed even in a high back-off state where average output power is set to be low.
The transmitter illustrated in FIG. 35 includes path selection switches 414 and 441 configured to perform switching between a GSM (registered trademark) (Global System for Mobile Communications) signal path 420 in which the PA 421 is provided and a UMTS signal path 430 in which the PA 431 is provided. The PA 421 amplifies an RF signal in a (GSM) communication system for a carrier frequency fc1, while the PA 431 amplifies an RF signal in a (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System, UMTS) communication system for a carrier frequency fc2. When communication is performed in the communication system for the carrier frequency fc1, switching of the path selection switches 414 and 441 is performed by a control signal from a controller 415 such that the RF signal is supplied to and output from the PA 421. When communication is performed in the communication system for the carrier frequency fc2, switching of the path selection switches 414 and 441 is performed by the control signal from the controller 415 such that the RF signal is supplied to or output from the PA 431.
The transmitter illustrated in FIG. 35 does not accommodate the CA technology whereby two desired frequency components fc1 and fc2 are simultaneously output. However, the transmitter illustrated in FIG. 35 has a multi-band operation function configured to temporally perform switching between the frequency components fc1 and fc2 to operate one of the frequencies.
A technique where the polar modulation technique is applied to each PA to maintain power efficiency to be high even if average output power has been set to be low is also disclosed in each of Patent Literature 7, Patent Literature 8, Patent Literature 9, and Patent Literature 10. In this polar modulation technique, as in the transmitter illustrated in FIG. 35, the PAs, being equal in number to bands for use, are provided. Then, the PAs are respectively assigned for each band. A band selection switch is installed for an input or an output of each PA. The switch is switched such that an RF signal is supplied to and output from the PA corresponding to the band during use, thereby controlling power to be supplied from a power source.    PTL 1    JP Patent Kokai Publication No. JP2000-349575A    PTL 2    JP Patent Kohyo Publiciation No. JP2008-539601A    PTL 3    JP Patent Kokai Publication No. JP2005-287017A    PTL 4    JP Patent No. 4413244    PTL 5    JP Patent Kokai Publication No. JP2011-205793A    PTL 6    JP Patent Kokai Publication No. JP2006-324878A    PTL 7    JP Patent Kohyo Publication No. JP2011-512098A    PTL 8    JP Patent Kokai Publication No. JP2005-244826A    PTL 9    JP Patent Kokai Publication No. JP2006-270923A    PTL 10    JP Patent Kokai Publication No. JP2008-205821A    NON PATENT LITERATURE    NPL 1    Nobuhiko Miki, et. al., "Carrier Aggregation for Bandwidth Extension in LTE-Advanced," NTT DoCoMo technical Journal, Vol. 18, No. 2    NPL 2    S. Kousai, et. Al., "An Octave-Range Watt-Level, Fully-Integrated CMOS Switching Power Mixer Array for Linearization and Back-Off-Efficiency," IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, vol. 44, no. 12, pp. 3376-3392, 2009    NPL 3    P. Saad, et. al., "Design of a Highly Efficient 2-4 GHz Octave Bandwidth GaN-HEMT Power Amplifier," IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, vol. 58, no. 7, pp. 1677-1685, 2010

Transmission apparatus and transmission method


An embodiment of the present disclosure, may provide an aerosol generating device which may include a first heater for heating a cigarette inserted into a first portion of the aerosol generating device; a second heater for heating a liquid composition stored in a cartridge detachably attached to a second portion of the aerosol generating device; and a controller for controlling power supplied to the first heater and the second heater, wherein the controller may control the power supplied to the second heater based on a heating pattern by which the first heater is heated.

Recently, there has been increasing demand for alternative ways of overcoming the disadvantages of traditional cigarettes. For example, there is growing demand for a method of generating aerosol by heating an aerosol generating material in cigarettes, rather than by combusting cigarettes. Accordingly, research into a heating-type cigarette or a heating-type aerosol generator has been actively conducted.
When a plurality of heaters are included in the aerosol generating device, the heater that is heated first influences the heater that is subsequently heated. For example, in the case where there are two heaters in the aerosol generating device, when the first heater is heated and then the second heater is heated, the temperature of the aerosol generating device rises as the first heater is heated. Therefore, the heating start temperature of the second heater becomes higher than room temperature by the temperature increase of the aerosol generating device. In this state, when the second heater is heated, sufficient heat energy is not applied to the aerosol generating substrate for generating an aerosol, and thus a sufficient amount of vapor may not be generated.

Aerosol generating device having a first heater and a second heater, and a method of controlling the power of the first and second heaters in the aerosol generating device


A strategy is described for identifying anomalies in time-series data. The strategy involves dividing the time-series data into a plurality of collected data segments and then using a modeling technique to fit local models to the collected data segments. Large deviations of the time-series data from the local models are indicative of anomalies. In one approach, the modeling technique can use an absolute value (L1) measure of error value for all of the collected data segments. In another approach, the modeling technique can use the L1 measure for only those portions of the time-series data that are projected to be anomalous. The modeling technique can use a squared-term (L2) measure of error value for normal portions of the time-series data. In another approach, the modeling technique can use an iterative expectation-maximization strategy in applying the L1 and L2 measures.

Many analysis tools monitor the behavior of an environment by analyzing time-series representations of the environment's key metrics. Consider a manufacturing process that employs one or more sensors. An analysis tool can assess the behavior of the manufacturing process by analyzing data generated by its sensors over a span of time (thus defining time-series data). Generally, an analysis tool can flag a dramatic change in the time-series data (e.g., a spike or a dip) as a potential malfunction within the environment.
In detecting spikes and dips, it is common to establish a model that defines the expected operation of the environment. For instance, an analysis tool may use various regression techniques to define a model that follows the general course of the measured time-series data. The analysis tool can then flag suspected anomalies by comparing each data point of the time-series data with the model. Large deviations are indicative of anomalies.
However, there are various challenges in properly detecting anomalies using the above-described approach. For instance, an environment may produce time-series data that is naturally noisy. This may make it difficult to define a model which accurately tracks the general course of the time-series data. Such difficulties may result in failing to identify actual anomalies, or in inaccurately labeling normal behavior as anomalous.
In addition to accuracy, in many monitoring environments, it is desirable to quickly identify anomalies soon after they occur. This may require an analysis tool to process a very large amount of data in a small amount of time, which, in turn, places certain constraints on the complexity of the algorithms used by the analysis tool. For instance, an algorithm may produce desirable accuracy with few false positives, yet may be too computationally complex to operate in a real-time manner. It is also desirable that the analysis tool scale well to evolving conditions within the environment being monitored.
In view of these illustrative factors, there is a need for effective strategies for detecting anomalies in time-series data.

Strategies for identifying anomalies in time-series data


A station to serve as a proxy for responding to a multicast message is selected using dynamically maintained information about other stations communicatively coupled to a shared communications network. The dynamically maintained information is used to select a station having a high probability of replying to the multicast message. Network performance may be further improved by re-selecting proxies when a multicast frame fails to acknowledged.

Multicasting data is an important and efficient communications technique that is widely used in many communications environments. Multicasting permits numerous (n) network elements or communicatively coupled stations to receive a data unit without requiring establishment of n separate connections between a sender and the n stations. As is well understood by those skilled in the art, powerline networks are one example of a communications environment in which multicasting is used.
FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a typical powerline network including a part of a power distribution network 8 to which a plurality of stations 10 are connected. The stations 10 provide two interfaces: a physical layer interface to the power distribution network 8, and a link layer interface (as will be further explained below with reference to FIG. 2). The link layer interface provides a home networked device 12 with media access control (MAC) layer functionality. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the home networked device 12 may also include network, transport, session, presentation and application layers.
Each station 10 is connected to the power distribution network 8, and uses the power distribution network 8 as a physical layer shared medium for transporting data. It has been established that orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) is a suitable method for modulating a data signal for transmission over the shared medium, such as the power distribution network 8.
FIG. 2 schematically illustrates principal functional blocks of the station 10 shown in FIG. 1. The station 10 includes a powerline modulator and demodulator 16 (modem) that provides the physical layer interface, a device input/output 18 (I/O) that enables the link layer interface, a frame and medium access control service 20, and a link management service 22.
The powerline modem 16 typically uses OFDM and a concatenated forward error correction scheme during the transmission of data. The device I/O 18 provides MAC level primitives to the home networked device 12, and is therefore adapted to exchange data transported by the physical layer with the home networked device 12.
The frame and medium access control service 20 receives data from the home networked device 12 through the device I/O 18. If the data does not fit in a single MAC protocol data unit (MPDU), the data is segmented and reassembled by the frame and medium access control service 20. The data is framed in one or more MPDU payloads in accordance with a suitable MAC layer protocol, and is transported by the physical layer, accordingly. In order for the station 10 to transmit a frame, the station 10 must first acquire access to the medium. In accordance with the powerline networking implementations, access to the medium is enabled by monitoring a state of the medium using a carrier sense to determine when access may be requested in accordance with a predefined, distributed procedure. Stations contend for the access using an exponential back-off algorithm, when permitted to contend by rules of the predefined distributed procedure. The frame and medium access control service 20 also performs delivery control to ensure that each message for which a response is expected, is acknowledged, and that retry procedures are effected when required.
Well known delivery control techniques provide more reliable multicast message delivery. In order for multicast messages to be reliably delivered, acknowledgements (ACKs) need to be returned to a sender from receivers. If multiple stations respond to a multicast message, collision occurs. It is therefore known in powerline networking environments, to select a station as a proxy for all of the receivers of the multicast message so that only one response is received at the transmitting station.
Link management service 22 performs physical (PHY) and MAC management functions, exchanges necessary messaging with the other stations, and evaluates link level operations in a known manner. For example, the link management service 22 formulates and issues, under predefined conditions, physical layer feedback relating to a condition of the medium as it pertains to a quality of signaling between the station 10 and the other stations communicatively coupled to the network. The physical layer feedback in an OFDM modulation scheme is typically a tone map. The tone map indicates which of a plurality of orthogonal frequency channels (tones) defined by the OFDM standard, are currently to be used for communicating with an identified one of the other stations. On average, a tone map is likely to become obsolete in a matter of seconds. Consequently, the tone maps are typically renewed in accordance with a predefined algorithm. A more detailed description of tone map renewal is provided in Applicant's co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/932,945, filed on Aug. 21, 2001 entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONSTRUCTING A SUB-CARRIER MAP, which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a multicast transmission format in accordance with a Homeplug® standard. The data is transported in a frame that is bounded by a start of frame delimiter, and an end of frame delimiter. A third delimiter (a response delimiter) is issued by a station selected as a proxy by the sender, after the frame is transmitted. Separating the frame and the end of frame delimiter is an end of frame gap; and separating the end of frame delimiter and the response delimiter, is a response interframe space. The interval required to transmit a multicast frame and receive a response is hereinafter referred to as a transmission interval. Each transmission interval is preceded by a contention resolution period during which the sending station obtains access to the medium, in a manner well known in the art.
The delimiters (start of frame, end of frame and response) all have substantially the same format. They include a preamble 52,56,62, and a frame control section 50,58,60. The preamble is used by physical layer transmission equipment for such purposes as automatic gain control, etc. The content of the frame control 50,58,60 and frame body 54 is passed up to the medium access control (MAC) layer to provide an indication of the data/response. The content of the frame control 50,58,60 includes medium control information 50b,58b,60b, including contention control bits 50a,58a,60a that indicate whether the frame conveys a segment defined in accordance with a segment bursting feature of the Homeplug® protocol. Each delimiter further indicates whether it is a start of frame, end of frame, or response delimiter. The start of frame delimiter indicates a length of the frame.
The frame consists of a frame body 54 having a header portion 54a, followed by a content portion, and ending with a checksum 54c. The frame body 54 consists of a segment control (SC) section, and addressing fields; including a destination address field 54a2. The segment control section contains a multicast flag 54a1. The multicast flag 54a1 is set when the address in the DA field points to the proxy rather than the multicast address. During multicast transmissions these fields are universally inspectable, i.e. any station that detects the start of frame delimiter also inspects these fields to determine if the frame is addressed to the station
The content portion is the only part of this frame that is of variable length (up to a predetermined maximum number of symbols), and is the only part that may be encrypted. Information relating to a length the frame body 54 and an indication of whether a response is expected are specified in the medium control information 50b in the frame control 50, so that, upon receipt of a start of frame delimiter, any station can determine when the current transmission interval ends, and a next contention resolution period begins. The content is not universally inspectable, and is generally longer than the universally inspectable portion of the frame. It contains a payload with pad bits, in any frame, but, given that the frame illustrated is a multicast frame, the multicast flag 54a1 is set, the address in the destination address field 54a2 is the address of a chosen proxy, and the payload is prefixed by a multicast frame extension 54b containing a 6 byte multicast destination address. The multicast frame extension 54b may be a MAC management entry of a multicast with response type. The multicast destination address 54b is the destination address that is to be associated with the data. However, since the MAC layer is designed to ensure that only frames addressed to the receiving station are responded to, the address of the proxy is inserted into the destination address (DA) field 54a2.
FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a prior art procedure for transmitting multicast messages. The procedure begins, in step 100 when a frame and medium access control algorithm 20 receives data from either the device I/O 18, or the link management service 22 (FIG. 2) to be multicast. The multicast frame extension 52 is created for the frame (step 102).
An address of a proxy selected randomly, or as a station least likely to receive the frame is inserted into an address field of the frame (step 104). As explained above, the destination address field 54a2 in a header part of the frame body 54 used for specifying the proxy address when the multicast flag 54a1 is set. If the data does not fit in a single frame payload, it is divided into a plurality of segments, each sized to fit in a payload portion of a frame (step 105).
The data is then framed, and signaling and control bits well known in the art, are inserted into the fields of the frame overhead, the frame delimiters, etc. (step 106A).
The frame and medium access control services 20 then obtain access to the medium (step 107), and transmit the frame (step 108). If the frame carries one of a plurality of segments, it is identified as such using the segment control field (last segment flag), and contention control bits in the start and end of frame delimiters (unless the frame carries the last segment), are used to assert privileged access to the medium in a subsequent transmission interval, using a well known technique called segment bursting. Once the frame is sent, a response timer is set (step 110) by the frame and medium access control algorithm 20. If a response to the multicast message is received (as determined in step 112) before the response timer expires (in step 113), the multicast frame is deemed successfully sent, and the retry count is reset to zero (step 114). If the multicast frame is deemed successfully sent, it is determined in step 115 if another segment exists. If another segment is awaiting delivery, the procedure returns to step 107, and the frame containing the next segment is transmitted (after access to the medium is obtained). Otherwise, the procedure ends successfully.
If the timer expires before a response is received by the frame and medium access control algorithm 20 (as determined in step 113), a collision is inferred (step 116), and a retry procedure is applied. The retry procedure involves incrementing a retry counter (step 118), and determining if the retry count exceeds a predefined number of retries. If the retry count is greater than the predefined number (as determined in step 120), the multicast message has not been acknowledged in spite of repeated retries, and a delivery failure is declared (step 122). Accordingly, the source of the data may be sent a delivery failure notice. Even if only one of a plurality of segments is not deliverable, the entire packet is deemed undelivered. On the other hand, if the retry count is less than the predetermined number (step 120), the procedure backs off (step 124), and returns to step 107. As is well known in the art, back-off entails setting a timer (for an extended interframe space+a random back-off time) and waiting for the timer to expire before sending a frame. If any transmission is sensed in the meantime and a next contention resolution period is determined, the timer is annulled.
The method described above with reference to FIG. 4 is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,522,650, entitled MULTICAST AND BROADCAST TRANSMISSION WITH PARTIAL ARQ, which issued to Yonge et al. on Feb. 18, 2003. Yonge et al. teach the procedure for selecting a multicast proxy. The multicast proxy is selected from a set of the stations from which transmission feedback is received. Preferably, the selection is narrowed to the members of the multicast group. The selection is either random, or a station is chosen that appears to be least likely to correctly receive and respond to the message.
However, extensive experimentation has shown that implementation of Yonge et al's partial-ARQ (automatic repeat request) can result in network performance degradation. In accordance with Yonge's teachings the same proxy is used each time a multicast frame is sent, unless a random proxy selection is forced for each multicast packet, or a valid channel map has been received that indicates a station having a lower transmission bandwidth than a currently selected multicast proxy when a multicast packet is to be sent. Thus, if the selected proxy becomes unavailable or fails to respond for any reason, delivery failure ensues. Furthermore, if the proxy station becomes disconnected from the network, or enters an energy saving or 'sleep' mode, the station may not be able to respond to multicast messages, resulting in unproductive retransmission of the multicast frame, and eventually, a delivery failure.
There therefore remains a need for a method for selecting a proxy for responding to a multicast message that ensures reliable network performance and reduces transmission delivery failures.

Method and apparatus for selecting a responder to enable reliable multicast


Sort plus operations such as "group by" and "distinct" generally require sorting of the retrieved data before performing the sort plus operation. A method and apparatus is disclosed for executing a query specifying a sort plus operation without performing the sorting operation. To perform the sort plus operation, it is determined whether a sorted source exists that can be used to obtain the data specified in the query. If the sorted source does exist, it is then used to perform the sort plus operation.

Relational database management systems store information in tables, where each piece of data is stored at a particular row and column. Information in a given row generally is associated with a particular object, and information in a given column generally relates to a particular category of information. For example, each row of a table may correspond to a particular employee, and the various columns of the table may correspond to employee names, employee social security numbers, and employee salaries.
A user retrieves information from and updates a database by interacting with a database application. The user's actions are converted to a query by the database application. The database application submits the query to a database server. The database server responds to the query by accessing the tables specified in the query to determine which information stored in the tables satisfies the queries. The information that satisfies the queries is retrieved by the database server and transmitted to the database application.
Various access methods may be used to retrieve data from a database. For example, the database server may perform a table scan, where the database server reads every row of the table and evaluates column values against the selection criterion specified by a query to determine which rows satisfy the selection criterion. Alternatively, the database server may use one or more indexes to improve the speed of the data retrieval process. Indexes are data structures that provide relatively fast access to a set of data based on key values.
The key values of the entries within some types of indexes have a specified ordering. For example, within the leaf nodes of a B-tree index, index entries are typically stored in the alphabetical order of the key values contained within the index entries. Further, the leaf nodes themselves may be linked to form a chain such that the key values of the index entries are ascending from left to right in the leaf node chain.
Queries submitted to the database server must conform to the rules of a particular query language. One popular query language, known as the Structured Query Language (SQL), provides users a variety of ways to specify information to be retrieved. One function available in SQL is "ordered by". When a query has an order by clause, the database server sorts the data specified in the query based on the key specified in the order by clause.
In some instances, the ordering of keys within an index may be used to avoid the need to perform the sorting operations that would otherwise be required by "order by" clauses. Specifically, if a B-tree index is built on the key that is specified in an "order by" clause of a query, then key values may be retrieved, in order, from the index entries of the B-tree index. Since the index entries within the B-tree index are alphabetically ordered, the retrieved key values will be in alphabetical order and no additional sorting will be required.
Another SQL function is "group by". The group by clause causes the data specified in a query to be divided into different groups such that all rows in a given group have the same value for the key specified in the "group by" clause. Hence, the SQL query "select state, avg(sales) from customer group by state" causes the database server to arrange the average sales into groups, where all rows in any given group have the same value for the key "state."
Another SQL function is "distinct". The distinct clause causes the elimination of redundant values in the specified set of data. For example, the SQL query "select distinct deptno from emp" returns the set of unique departments "deptno" from the table "emp." Even if a particular department number appears in fifty rows of the table "emp", it will only appear once in the result set of the query.
In conventional database systems, SQL operations such as "group by" and "distinct" are executed without regard to whether the data specified in the query will be read from a sorted source, such as a B-tree index, or an unsorted source, such as a table. However, it has been discovered that efficiency of "group by" and "distinct" operations may often be significantly improved if key values are available from a sorted source. Based on the foregoing, it is clearly desirable to provide a mechanism for improving the efficiency of "group by" and "distinct" sort operations by taking into account the existence of sorted sources when determining how to best execute a query that contains a "group by" or "distinct" clause.

Method and apparatus for executing a query that specifies a sort plus operation


The present disclosure is directed towards a method and system for synching content on a second screen with content being displayed on a first or primary screen. The method and system of the present disclosure supports multiple synching mechanisms as well as prioritization between the different multiple synching mechanism.

Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to providing additional content related to displayed content.
Description of Related Art
Traditionally additional content related to a displayed movie or program (such as supplemental materials on a DVD or Blue Ray disc) has to be viewed separately from the main movie or program. That is, the user has to stop or otherwise interrupt the playback of the main movie or program to access the supplemental materials. In many such cases, there is no correlation between the supplemental materials and the main movie or program. In other instances, a picture in picture format is employed to display supplemental materials, but this still interferes with the display and viewing of the main movie or program.
Second screen applications solve many of these problems but introduce some new ones. One such problem is how to synch the content on the second screen to the content on the first screen. Traditionally, the synching is performed by using one of a number of possible methods. One such common method is audio fingerprint detection. With audio fingerprint detect, the audio of the content of the first screen is separately indexed into a database for later look-up. The second screen application samples the audio of the content on the first screen, sends the sample to a service (typically a backend server) and the service returns an identification of the media. One problem with this technique is that is subject to environmental considerations, such as the volume of the audio, ambient noise, and the distance from the speakers of the first screen device to the microphone of the second screen device. Another problem is that not all potential second screen devices may have a microphone, which would prevent using such audio fingerprint detection.

Method and system for synchronising content on a second screen


An increased efficiency, more durable pool leafing tool, and method, for gathering leaves and other pool debris from a pool bottom wall has a handle, a handle-controlled basket of a water-pervious and leaf and debris-impervious plastic mesh pocket having a closed end and an open end and a leaf and debris receiving volume therebetween formed by longitudinally extended sidewalls. The sidewalls provide an open end edge margin that is attached to a supporting frame. A pocket stay structure has one or more spring elements bent on themselves about the pocket closed end. The stay structure extends attached to the sidewalls for substantially the sidewall longitudinal extent length for biasing the mesh pocket volume against collapse onto itself in its empty or leaf and debris-filled condition to facilitate both gathering and disposal of leaves and debris from swimming pools.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an increased efficiency, more durably performing pool leafing tool, and method, for gathering leaves and other pool debris from a pool bottom wall. More particularly, the invention relates to a pool leafing tool that stays open in the pool, and when emptying into a trash receptacle. The invention further relates to manufacturing and operating benefits afforded by the present leafing tool design, including easy assembly of components in manufacturing, repair and replacement, active protection of costly abradable components with low-cost sacrificial components, and integration of durability in design through use of such components with designed-in manufacturing ease in these components for an optimized pool leafing product in manufacture and use.
2. Description of the Related Art
Pool leafing tools are commonly used to remove leaves and other debris that collect in recreational pools over time. Typically, a pool owner or service technician will remove large debris including leaves, flowers and twigs with the pool leafing tool. A problem with many pool leafing products is that the basket used to collect the debris is merely a bag or pocket supported by a frame at the mouth, and the bag collapses across the mouth when one seeks to empty it into a receptacle. In FIG. 1 (PRIOR ART) technician 7 holds tool 9 comprising a handle 11 attached to the bag 13a containing debris 13b over receptacle 15, but the bag, being loaded and unsupported except by itself, sags down past the bag mouth 17, effectively blocking expulsion of the accumulated debris; only a little debris 19 exits. The technician has to hold the bag closed end 23 up and shake the tool 9, necessarily up close to the bag 13a, losing the leverage otherwise provided by the handle 9. For a professional who does as many as 60 pools a day, this extra effort can be quite fatiguing, leading to spillage, errors and an unhappy customer.

Pool leafing tool with stay-open basket feature


A node for an optical time division multiplexed communication system, and a method of operating such a node, are disclosed. In embodiments of the invention, the node comprises a multiplexer for receiving a plurality of optical signals, and a source of optical radiation, which may be a continuous wave source, or a source of optical pulses. The node is arranged so that the outgoing optical time division multiplexed signal consists only of optical pulses from the source of optical radiation.

The present invention relates to optical time division multiplexed communication systems, and in particular, to a node for use in such systems, and to a method of operating a node for such systems.
Telecommunications operators, in order to meet the demand from their customers for increasingly sophisticated and bandwidth intensive services, require networks which are reconfigurable, and which operate at higher data rates than those installed to date. Optical transmission links have been utilised in telecommunications networks to increase the data carrying capacity of the network from one point to another point. It is known to employ OTDM (optical time division multiplexing) to share the bandwidth available on the optical transmission link between several channels by interleaving the channels in time. To increase the flexibility of the communications network, provision is often made, at nodes of the network, to extract, or "drop", a channel or channels at a node, or to add, or "insert", a channel or channels at a node. Both for point to point OTDM systems, and for OTDM networks, if the processing (ie. multiplexing, de-multiplexing, drop, and insert) is carried out electronically, the data carrying capacity of the communications system will be limited by the operating speed of the electronic components. Thus, rather than converting optical signals to electronic signals at each node of the network, carrying out any necessary processing on the signals electronically, and reconverting the resultant electronic signals to optical signals for onward transmission, it is desirable to perform the processing functions optically so as not to restrict the bandwidth of the OTDM system.
Many of the experimental OTDM systems employing optical processing that have been reported, for example by D M Spirit and L C Blank in "Optical Time Division Multiplexing For Future High Capacity Network Applications", BT Technology Journal Vol. 11 No. 2, April 1993, interleave optical channels which have originated from the same single optical source. However, when practical OTDM systems are considered, there is a high likelihood that each optical channel will originate from a different optical source, so that the optical signal leaving a node of the network contains interleaved pulses from a number of distinct optical sources. If these numerous optical sources do not produce substantially identical, high quality optical pulses the error rate of the OTDM system may become unacceptable upon subsequent transmission. Furthermore these experimental OTDM systems often comprise single point to point optical links.
For an OTDM network, as opposed to a point to point link, a further problem arises because each optical channel received at a particular node of the network may have travelled a different distance. Thus in an OTDM network, even if all the optical sources produce identical optical pulses, or a single optical source is employed for the whole network (as suggested in Spirit and Blank), the outgoing optical pulses from a particular node will have different optical properties. The outgoing optical pulses may, for example, be of differing widths due to dispersion suffered during transmission over previous links of different lengths. The pulses are attenuated during transmission and the changes in pulse width make it difficult to match the local launch power to that of the received pulses, since the ratio of mean to peak power varies with pulse width. These differing optical properties of the pulses may cause difficulties both within the node (eg. affecting the receiver sensitivity and switching efficiency), and in their subsequent propagation in the OTDM network where the differing optical properties of the pulses may cause them to evolve in a different manner leading, for example, to time slot errors. These effects would be cumulative as further nodes of the OTDM network are encountered, and would be exacerbated in a practical system where numerous, non-identical, optical sources are likely to be employed.

British Telecommunications public limited company


A sun visor for vehicles has a sun visor body produced as a blow-molded body, which has a seating housing for a sun visor shaft as well as a counter-seating pin and a tub-shaped depression for receiving a complementary component. This sun visor has sidewalls in the tub-shaped depression with a circumferential seating flange formed by a step-shaped shoulder. Stiffening beads are exclusively disposed at the bottom of the tub-shaped depression and are supported on the interior wall of the adjoining broad side of the sun visor body. Holes for receiving fastening elements of a complementary component are provided in the bottom of the tub-shaped depression.

A sun visor for motor vehicles is represented in European Patent Publication EP 0 562 085 B1, which has a hollow sun visor body embodied as a blow-molded body. A securing spring for receiving a portion of the sun visor shaft is located in one corner area of the sun visor body. A tub-shaped depression for receiving a mirror is located in one broad side of the sun visor body. The sun visor body is surrounded by a sheath-like exterior cover. So that the sun visor body of the known sun visor is given a great mechanical sturdiness, the interior, oppositely located sides of the sun visor body are provided with a plurality of stiffening ribs which face the interior of the sun visor body and which have been produced by stamping from the direction of the exterior of the sun visor body, wherein every rib is hollow and fixes a small bore on the exterior surface of the corresponding side of the sun visor body. The visible openings in the sun visor body formed by the ribs are covered by the sheath-like cover.


A system and method of maintaining the integrity of freshly harvested, or freshly cut fruits and vegetables. Specifically, the invention focuses on a distinct series of processes which confer a lower total microbial count, delay browning, improve general organoleptic properties, and decrease the amount of chemical contaminants on the exposed surfaces without the use of preservatives. Examples of such process may be applying a first produce integrity maintenance process, a second produce integrity maintenance process, application of an antibrowning agent to the produce by a produce antibrown agent applicator, exposing the produce to ultraviolet light by an ultraviolet light system, and applying an ozone treatment by an ozone treatment system.

Generally this invention relates to a system and method of maintaining the integrity of freshly harvested, or freshly cut fruits and vegetables. Specifically, the invention focuses on a distinct series of treatments which confer a lower total microbial count, delay browning, improve general organoleptic properties, and decrease the amount of chemical contaminants on the exposed surfaces without the use of preservatives.
The desire to retain the freshly harvested attributes of produce has been known by the produce, food safety, grocery and canning industries for several decades. Many types of produce, especially that having white flesh, begin to brown shortly after the fruit or vegetable is cut. In mushrooms in particular, the flesh browns as the produce ages, regardless of its having been cut. There are other distinct signs of aging including tissue breakdown (which induces more browning), microbial decay and the like. The desire to maintain freshly picked attributes is important both in the industries where the produce is consumed fresh (within weeks of harvest) and within industries where the produce is to be further processed.
Mushrooms are grown under conditions such that picked mushrooms contain much surface dirt. Moreover, growing conditions and hand-harvesting of mushrooms provides many opportunities for inoculation with spoilage organisms and human pathogens. Mushroom processors are prohibited from mechanically handling and processing mushrooms because of the propensity of mushroom tissue to bruise and subsequently brown. This attribute lowers the commercial appeal and nutritional value of the mushrooms.
Retention of fresh attributes desire has been an acute need within the mushroom industry where rapid browning, and product deterioration severely limits commercial potential and affects production. Browning and product deterioration are biological phenomena governed by enzymatic processes and cellular degradation. The rate of degradation is influenced by several factors including variety, innate levels of browning enzyme, storage temperature, growing conditions, harvesting conditions, bacterial levels, handling protocols and water exposure.
A primary concept for delaying enzymatic browning is the use of chemical compounds to quell effects of the browning enzyme either by inhibiting the enzyme, preventing formation of crucial intermediates, or by excluding or removing substrates of browning enzyme. In the past, many in the produce industry, and mushroom industry, used a solution of chemical preservatives including sodium metabisulfite. Mushrooms were washed with sodium metabisulfite until such treatment was deemed inappropriate for use by the FDA on products to be consumed fresh, as described in a book edited by Lee and Whitaker (1995). A second popular chemical for delaying or slowing browning of produce include treatment with various concentrations of sodium erythorbate and its stereoisomer ascorbic acid Under 21 C.F.R. §§ 170.3 and 182.3041, this ingredient is approved for use on foods by the FDA as a chemical preservative and is GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe). If a non-detectable amount of chemical remains on the produce after processing then the chemical preservative is reclassified as a processing aid, and does not require inclusion on the ingredients list. The use of sodium erythorbate, alone or in combination with a few other chemicals, was discussed in a U.S. Pat. No. 4,814,192 by Sapers, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,919,507 by Beelman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,011,348 by Farrier, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,925,395 by Chen, U.S. Pat. No. 5,055,313 by Warren, U.S. Pat. No. 4,818,549 by Steiner, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,139,890 by Simpukas, as well as various publications including Sapers, et al. (1990) in a book edited by Wiley (1994), a book edited by Lee and Whitaker (1994) and PMP Fermentation Products, Inc. brochure entitled "Fruit & Vegetables". Sodium erythorbate functions to control enzymatic browning by acting as a free radical scavenger and chelator, altering the redox potential of the system and/or acting as a reducing agent. There are many other chemicals, or combination of chemicals that can function in a similar capacity as found in 21 C.F.R. §§ 182-184.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,919,507 by Beelman et al. may employ the concept of chemical compounds, especially sodium erythorbate, on mushrooms in combination with a highly basic solution (as an antimicrobial). Treatment with this combination may be too expensive for commercial implementation and the use of a highly basic solution may be quite dangerous if workers are not sufficiently skilled. If mushroom tissue is not sufficiently neutralized browning can be induced by this treatment due either to cellular damage, or subsequent susceptibility to microbial attack. U.S. Pat. No. 6,287,617 by Bender, et al. may also describe a method utilizing pH shock (a highly basic treatment) followed by a known bactericidal treatment. U.S. Pat. No. 6,262,038 by Pierce et al. may use surfactant and biocompatible fruit acids (acidic pH). These technologies may suffer from the same faults as Beelman et al. coupled with the possible issues surrounding use of non-GRAS, non-process-aid bactericides.
A second method, similar to U.S. Pat. No. 5,919,507 by Beelman is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,500,476 by Martin, et al. The Martin technology may employ a neutralizing step (acidic pH solution) after treating with basic pH, and prior to sodium erythorbate treatment. This technology requires storage and handling of dangerous chemicals, and may be fraught with disposal and environmental issues associated with acidic and basic solutions including as death of beneficial bacterial in leech field and/or settling ponds. In addition, there is potential for microorganisms on mushrooms to become tolerant to such chemical technology.
Another method which employs sodium erythorbate in combination with hydrogen peroxide as an antimicrobial for treatment on mushrooms is outlined in "Enzymatic Browning Control in Minimally Processed Mushrooms", Sapers, et al. 1994, Journal of Food Science, V. 59, No. 5, 1994 p. 1042-1047 and "Shelf-Life Extension of Fresh Mushrooms (Agaricus bisporous) By Application of Hydrogen Peroxide and Browning Inhibitors", Sapers, et al. 2001, J F S: Sesory and Nutritive Qualities of Food, Vol. 66, No. 2, p. 362-366, 2001. This technique may also be expensive in commercial implementation and extremely dangerous for unskilled workers. In addition, hydrogen peroxide at concentrations sufficient to suppress spoilage can induce browning. Hydrogen peroxide is not currently approved by the FDA for use on produce.
An additional method which employs the use of kojic acid is described in "Effect of Kojic Acid on the Oxidation of N-Acetyldopamine by Mushroom Tyrosinase", Kahn, et al. 1999. Kojic acid is an inhibitor of browning not approved for use by FDA. There are a host of other such chemicals which may inhibit browning but are not approved for use on foods according to sections in 21 CFR.
Another method, described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,926 issued to Wrolstad et al. may use antibrowning/antioxidant compounds, specifically an L-cysteine and glutathione derivative, as isolated from pineapple juice, and pineapple processing plants. L-cysteine is commonly used in the produce industry as an antibrowning compound. This treatment alone could not wash mushrooms, or dirty produce.
Another concept for delaying enzymatic browning may be heat inactivation of the browning enzymes. It may not be desirable to heat produce that is to be consumed fresh as heat induces organoleptic changes making it less valuable commercially.
Food safety is an important consideration in all food industries including the produce industry where various spoilage pathogens are detrimental not only to the commercial appeal (organoleptic properties) of the product, but also to the health of the consumer. One example of a pathogen that negatively affects human consumers and is found on mushrooms and other produce is Clostridium botulinum. It is important to reduce the indigenous populations of bacteria and other pathogens to both decrease the risk of illness to the consumer and to increase the useful shelf life of the product.
Mushrooms are subject to visible degradation by various plant pathogens and spoilage organisms. At times, degradation by this cause does not manifest itself until after said mushroom has been harvested and packaged. In addition to affecting the solitary mushroom initially infected, all surrounding mushrooms can be affected and may render the entire package commercially useless. Moreover, excessive moisture on the surface or interstitial spaces of the mushroom can create a micro-environment that increases the susceptibility of the mushroom to microbial or pathogen decomposition.
One concept for reducing the microbial load of produce may be to treat with a highly basic or highly acidic solution. A highly basic treatment is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,919,507 by Beelman and U.S. Pat. No. 6,500,476 by Martin. These treatments do reduce the level of bacteria, and perhaps other pathogens, but may not treat as well as some known antimicrobial treatments that do not work well on mushrooms. Further without proper neutralization, residual acidity can result in damaged tissue that is more susceptible to pathogenic degradation. Moreover, it is possible, and probable that microbes will become resistant to such treatment.
An additional concept for reducing the pathogens on mushrooms may be to treat with ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet light has been utilized for sterilization for over 60 years (see U.S. Pat. No. 2,248,618 by Fisher) and continues to provide a reliable source of surface sterilization. Ultraviolet light causes death to cells and microorganisms via photochemical changes in DNA and cellular proteins, as discussed in the 1998 Jay reference. UV light is commonly used to treat fruitcakes and related products prior to packaging. With limited exposure the ultraviolet light could not penetrate the surface of the produce and could not negatively affect its organoleptic properties, nor induce browning, but it would help to surface sterilize. Ultraviolet radiation may be used in the food industry to create aseptic packaging as described by U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,107 by Bachmann. U.S. Pat. No. 6,171,458 by Rose, et al. may describe use of UV plus ultrasound to sterilize food products, and inorganic products. U.S. Pat. No. 6,165,526 by Newman may describe the use to UV irradiation to decontaminate food in combination with heat and microwaves. This may not appropriate for fresh-cut foods. Ultraviolet radiation use on foodstuffs is also described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,645 by Lagunas-Solar, et al.
A further concept for decreasing the microbal load of produce may be to subject produce to ozone. Ozone, triatomic oxygen dissociates into a highly reactive monatomic oxygen. Monatomic oxygen readily oxidizes cellular components. Ozone disinfects through direct oxidation as well as through formation of hydroperoxide intermediates, also bactericidal. Ozone is the fourth most powerful oxidizing agent known with an oxidation potential of 2.07 millivolts (chlorine is 1.35 millivolts) and disinfects approximately 3,000 times faster than chlorine. Ozone delivered in an aqueous solution is 5000 times more toxic than in gas phase.
In addition to disinfections, ozone may be used to deodorize, and remove color. In addition to affecting biota, ozone is also reported to breakdown pesticides, herbicides, and other chemicals as used in the food industry as discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,200,618 by Smith et al. There are no known toxic residues or byproducts of ozone therefore disposal may be a mute issue. Moreover, because ozone may be generated on-site and at the time of use, there may be no storage of chemicals, or other potentially dangerous issues.
Ozone is approved as a food additive as found in 21 C.F.R. § 173 and is starting to be used as a technology in the fruit and vegetable industry. Art specific to food may be described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,485,769 by Audy, et al. where utilizing ozone in water may be coupled with mechanical tumbling. This may not appropriate to mushrooms and bruise-prone produce due to the mechanical damage that would be induced. U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,822 by Denvir, et al. may describe the use of an ozone gas in a humid, pressurized environment. Similarly, in PCT Pub. No. WO 90/02572 to Cammiss may describe a technology to disinfect storage rooms and packed produce using ozone gas. U.S. Pat. No. 5,783,242 to Teague may describe a technique for treating food with UV gaseous ozone, or ozone in liquid. Ozone gas alone could not remove the large particulates from the mushroom surface and does not address other organoleptic issues associated with aging mushrooms. U.S. Pat. No. 6,200,616 to Smith et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,403,602 to Endico may describe contacting food with an ozone containing wash liquor followed by addition of a surfactant. These technologies may not address physiological browning, nor is the period of immersion (minimum 2 minutes) suitable for mushrooms. Moreover, because this process may occur in one tank, all ozone could be reduced by gross contaminants present in the water after the first batch of mushrooms was washed, and may render ozone treatment ineffective. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,631 to Rosenthal and U.S. Pat. No. 6,132,784 to Brandt et al. utilize UV irradiation and ozone generation (by UV light) to treat fruit. U.S. Pat. No. 6,514,459 to Crisinel, et al. may have introduced a technology to utilize ozone in combination with dirt-removal via tank agitation. Mushrooms generally float however too much agitation can cause them to sink, and could result in water-logged mushrooms. Mushrooms with too much water may lose fresh-cut, organoleptic properties more quickly than unwashed mushrooms.
In addition to delaying browning, and microbial load reduction, there is a desire to rid the mushrooms of growing media for both aesthetic and cleanliness reasons. Mechanical means for reducing macro surface contaminants include, but are not limited to the use of an air knife or similar forced air treatment. As the surface of the mushroom appears to be slightly sticky, this method may not work well.
Mushrooms, and other fruits and vegetables may be treated with various chemicals (herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers, and the like) during growth. The popularity of organic produce underscores the public's perception of residual chemicals on food products. Removal of such could be beneficial to the sale of fruits and vegetables. Ozone may be the only food safe technology which has addressed this issue in an economic manner, as discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,200,616 to Smith.
Produce may be washed in either chlorinated water, also a widely used bactericide, or non-chlorinated (organic produce) water flume to remove external contaminants such as dirt. Generally such treatment may not serve to reduce the indigenous population of microbes, rather it may increase said population; however it can remove loose surface impurities. Extended treatment of this type may not be appropriate for mushrooms as excessive water is taken up by the mushroom and causes a surface imperfection called "window paneing". Window paneing may be commercially detrimental. At chlorine levels sufficient to reduce spoilage organism on mushroom surfaces, browning is induced due to non-enzymatic oxidation of indigenous substrates to form chemicals that serve as browning intermediates. This is noted in the book edited by Lee and Whitaker (1995).
Another concept for sanitizing the surface of fruits, and vegetables as well as other food products may be through the combined used of two or more of the aforementioned technologies. For example, UV and ozone are reported to work synergistically to sanitize exposed surface, and to whiten a product. U.S. Pat. No. 4,156,652 to Wiest may utilize the synergy of ozone and ultraviolet light to sterilize fluids. U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,759 to Castberg may describe the use of UV radiation in an atmosphere of ozone followed by hydrogen peroxide for sterilization of food packaging. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,162,477 to Crisinel, et al. may describe a process utilizing an aqueous chemical treatment followed by pressurized ozone injection into a tank of aqueous liquid. This process may be designed to be used primarily on fish and therefore may not address cleaning of macro debris, and residual sugars, that will decrease, or nullify the effectiveness of the first solution and/or ozone. This could be overcome by frequent refreshing of the tank; however, this would create inordinate expenses to the processor. The patent may not address removal of excess liquid on the surface of the food product which will affect the quality of the end product. Further, this technology may not exploit the synergy of other antimicrobial technologies with ozone treatment.
U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 20020094363 to Traeder, et al. may describe spraying a food product with ozone plus a surfactant followed by a preserving agent. Because the ozone may be used directly on a dirty, or freshly cut product, the ozone could not oxidize microbial products, but could instead be used to oxidize cellular materials and gross contaminants, thus minimizing, or eliminating its antimicrobial action. Further, a spray system alone likely could be insufficient to remove macro debris, especially on mushroom surface. Sufficient force to remove the dirt could likely result in surface bruising and subsequent browning. Moreover, because this art may suggest collecting, filtering and re-ozonating the wash solution, it is unlikely that ozone levels could be maintained at a sufficiently high levels. Filtration of liquid could not remove all contaminates such as cellular sugars, and organic load could build up in the water, and the ozone could be used to oxidize organic contaminants rather than microbes on the surface of produce.
As in the produce industry and the mushroom industry, the general public clamor for produce that maintains its integrity, its "freshly-picked" organoleptic properties over its shelf life, is treated in a manner safe for workers and consumers alike, and is economically feasible. The present invention discloses a system which overcomes virtually everyone of the aforementioned problems in a practical fashion. It provides a method to rid the produce and mushrooms of growing media, decrease the indigenous level of pathogens, decreases the amount of residual chemical on the surface, and inhibit or slow browning of the surface without inducing negative attributes, nor requiring disclosing of wash ingredients on the finished package.

System for maintaining fresh quality and safe food attributes of minimally processed produce


An optical acoustoelectric transducer having a directivity pattern like a better 8 by receiving by a light-receiving element a reflected fraction of the light from a light-emitting device disposed at the center of a bottom plate that is parallel to a diaphragm, has an opening through which an acoustic wave enters, and is connected to supporting side plates. An optical acoustoelectric transducer having uniform amplitude characteristics in a wide frequency range by mixing by a mixer circuit the outputs of a plurality of optical microphones having diaphragms of mutually different thicknesses so as to make the receiving sensitivity uniform in different frequency ranges. A directional optical acoustoelectric transducer having a small size and wide band characteristics by arranging a plurality of light-emitting devices (LD) and a plurality of light-receiving elements (PD) corresponding to a plurality of diaphragms arranged parallel.

There is a microphone as an acoustoelectric transducer. In general, in order to provide sharp directivity for sensitivity in an incident direction of a sound wave vertical to a vibrating board of the microphone, it is necessary to configure a microphone apparatus so as to have the sound wave incident not only on a front portion but also on a back portion of the vibrating board.
As for a dynamic microphone broadly used in the past, it has a configuration wherein a coil is mounted on the vibrating board in order to detect the sound wave from the vibrating board, and so the coil and so on resist sound pressure entering from the back so that the vibrating board cannot always be vibrated as on the front. It was difficult, however, to provide the configuration wherein the front portion and the back portion of the vibrating board are completely opened so as to render the sound wave incident from both the front portion and the back portion.
In addition, as for a condenser microphone, it has the configuration wherein, as it detects the sound wave by detecting change of capacity due to vibration of the vibrating board, the back cannot be structurally opened to render the sound wave incident from the backside. Accordingly, it is ideal that the acoustoelectric transducer such as the microphone has nothing on its back as on its front.
Moreover, an optical microphone apparatus using an optical device is known as one of the microphones.
For instance, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-297011 discloses an optical fiber sensor using a pair of optical fibers and having a configuration wherein light is irradiated to a vibration medium from one optical fiber connected to a light source and the light is detected by the other optical fiber, indicating that it is applicable to a microphone.
An optical microphone device used for the optical microphone apparatus is comprised of the vibrating board for vibrating due to sound pressure, the light-emitting device for irradiating a light beam on this vibrating board, and the light-receiving element for receiving reflected light from the vibrating board and outputting a signal corresponding to vibration displacement of the vibrating board.
Thereby it is possible to detect the vibration displacement of the vibrating board caused by the fact that the sound wave hits the vibrating board without touching this vibrating board and to convert the detected vibration displacement to an electric signal, so that it is no longer necessary to place a vibration detecting system on the vibrating board, weight of the vibrating portion can be rendered lighter, and feeble variation of the sound wave can be sufficiently followed.
A first objective of the present invention is, for the purpose of solving the above-mentioned first problem, to provide the acoustoelectric transducer having the directivity, as its directional characteristic, only in the vertical direction to the vibrating board.
In addition, as for the microphone in the past, the apparatus is configured by using a single optical microphone device so that one vibrating board covers frequency characteristics ranging from low to high frequencies.
Such a microphone characteristic is generally called a monotone characteristic, where frequency coverage is actually almost limited to 50 Hz to 20 KHz as shown in FIG. 11.
Thus, as the optical microphone apparatus in the past used a single optical microphone device using a single vibrating board, it is difficult to control the low to high frequencies with the single vibrating board so as to render the sensitivity (amplitude) thereof flat. In general, the sensitivity in a low frequency band is relatively enhanced by increasing thickness of the vibrating board, and the sensitivity in a high frequency band is enhanced by decreasing the thickness thereof.
Accordingly, it is difficult, due to such a physical property of the vibrating board, to implement the optical microphone apparatus of which frequency characteristic of the sensitivity (amplitude) is flat over a wide frequency band.
A second objective of the present invention is, for the purpose of solving such a second problem in the past, to provide the acoustoelectric transducer like the optical microphone apparatus of which sensitivity (amplitude) characteristic is flat over a wide frequency band.
Furthermore, in case of configuring the optical microphone apparatus of the wide frequency band by arranging a plurality of the past optical microphone devices, there is a fault that the vibrating board cannot be rendered close or the shape thereof becomes larger. For that reason, it is difficult to implement a small and wide-band directional microphone apparatus.
Moreover, as the size of the vibrating board of the microphone apparatus is fixed, it is difficult to have settings with featured frequency characteristics and to implement the microphone apparatus which is efficient in the wide frequency band.
A third objective of the present invention is, for the purpose of solving the above-mentioned third problem, to provide the directional acoustoelectric transducer which is small and has the wide-band frequency characteristic.


An ECU determines whether the orientation of the vehicle is deflecting at the time of braking. In addition, in a case where it is determined that the orientation of the vehicle is deflecting, the ECU controls operation of an EPS actuator in order to reduce the assist force provided to the steering system.

The present invention relates to an electric power steering apparatus.
In recent years, electric power steering apparatuses (EPS) using a motor as a drive source have been widely adopted as power steering apparatuses for vehicles. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-104219 discloses an EPS having a torque sensor 23 which detects steering torque on the basis of the torsion angle of a torsion bar 22 provided in the middle of the steering transmission system (a steering shaft 21) connecting the steering wheel and the steered wheels, as shown in FIG. 9. This EPS controls the assist force provided in the steering system on the basis of the steering torque detected by the torque sensor 23. FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a sensor which is widely adopted as a torque sensor for EPS's, that is to say, a twin resolver type torque sensor for detecting the torsion angle of the torsion bar 22 by means of a pair of angle sensors 24a and 24b (resolvers) provided at both ends of the torsion bar 22.
At the time of braking of a vehicle, particularly at the time of sudden braking, and in cases where the road on which the vehicle is running is a low μ road sloping downward, the orientation of the vehicle sometimes deflects due to a lack of, for example, weight balance or braking force balance, despite the fact that the steering angle is constant, for example when the brakes are applied during straight driving. In such cases, self aligning torque (SAT) for turning the steered wheels in the direction opposite to the direction in which the vehicle deflects acts on the steered wheels. In the case where the vehicle 25 deflects to the right, as shown in FIG. 10, for example, the self aligning torque acts on the steered wheels 26 in such a direction that the steered wheels 26 turn to the left, that is to say, in such a direction that the orientation of the vehicle is stabilized.
In the cases described above, however, the steering torque in the direction in which the vehicle deflects is detected by the torque sensor on the basis of the torsion of the torsion bar which is caused when the driver maintains the steering angle, that is to say, torsion of the torsion bar which is caused when the rotation of the steering wheel generated on the basis of the self aligning torque is restricted. Therefore, in vehicles having EPS, the EPS operates on the basis of the steering torque detected by the torque sensor, and thus, assist force is provided in such a direction that the self aligning torque which acts in such a direction as to stabilize the vehicle is canceled. As a result, a problem arises, such that the vehicle drifts in the direction in which the vehicle deflects.


A method and system for establishing an Internet Protocol (IP) connection between mobile terminals and a mobile terminal for establishing an IP connection are disclosed. The method includes: a request terminal sending a request short message to a called terminal; the called terminal getting the program name by parse, searching out a corresponding end-to-end program in an end-to-end program list and displays it to a user after the request short message is detected and the user chooses to receive the short message; the end-to-end program of the called terminal sending a network connection request after the user starts the end-to-end program and inputs the IP address of the short message text; the end-to-end program of the request terminal performing an IP-based data interaction with the called terminal when the network connection request is monitored. This technical solution can establish an end-to-end IP connection between two mobile terminals rapidly and conveniently.

In recent years, the mobile terminal data service application is more and more extensive. Since the mobile terminal does not have a fixed Internet Protocol (IP) address, when a user needs to access the Internet, the mobile terminal can obtain a dynamic IP address from the operator through dial-up Internet access. If the mobile terminal keeps accessing the Internet via the dial-up Internet access, it will occupy an IP address and occupy the network resource all the time, and consumes its own central processing unit (CPU) resources and its own electricity, resulting in reduced standby time. Therefore, when the user does not need to access the Internet, he/she disconnects the dial-up accessed network, and the IP address will be retrieved by the operator.
At present, online chat and online game via the mobile terminals are achieved mainly by the server forwarding the data, that is, the mobile terminal A sends the data to the server C, and then the server C sends the data to the mobile terminal B. Thus, it can be seen that the data transportation between the mobile terminals A and B depends on the server C, this method increases the network transportation time on the one hand; on the other hand, the server C might also charge; moreover, the data transported between the mobile terminals A and B might be intercepted by the server C, which pose a threat to the security of the data content.
Then, if the way of forwarding by the server is not used, in accordance with the related art, assuming that the users A and B want to play end-to-end networking game via the mobile terminals, as shown in FIG. 1, it is generally achieved by the following steps:
step 101: the user A notifies the user B of the networking game name by telephone, telecommunications, and so on;
step 102: the respective mobile terminals of the users A and B start the game program by dial-up Internet access;
step 103: the user A notifies the user B of the user A's own IP address again by telephone, telecommunications, and so on;
step 104: the user B inputs the IP address of the user A's mobile terminal in the mobile terminal's game program, and connects with the user A's mobile terminal through the game program;
step 105: start the networking game;
It is evident that the above method requires many times of manual operations, including: searching for IP address and making a notification, searching for the game name and making a notification, and so on; it is very cumbersome, time consuming and power consuming.

Mobile terminal and method and system for establishing IP connection between mobile terminals


A rehabilitated pipe system and a method for rehabilitating a pipe system. A lines a host pipe and a coupling member configured for being operatively coupled to a mechanical coupler is positioned adjacent the host pipe so that a connecting section of the liner extends into the coupling member. The connecting section of the liner is adhesively bonded to the coupling member, and the mechanical coupler is installed to fluidly couple the liner to another fluid conducting structure. The connecting section of the liner can be formed in a portion of the host pipe that is removed after lining. The coupling member can be flanged or include a lateral coupling tube. The mechanical coupler can, e.g., be a ductile iron coupler or a bolt.

The present disclosure relates to a cured in place liner system and methods for internally lining an existing pipe with a cured in place liner system. Conventional pipe lining operations that use more than one liner to line different lengths of an existing pipe system and also typically use components of the existing pipe system to form the rehabilitated flow path. For example, to form a rehabilitated fluid-tight flow path, adjacent ends of separate liners may seal with the existing host pipe rather than with components of the rehabilitation system. When some or all of an existing pipe is compromised, it may be desirable to form a rehabilitation system that does not rely on the host pipe to form a fluid tight flow path.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A self-drilling anchor for use in a friable material or a semi-rigid material comprises a body having an axis, an axial bore adapted to receive a fastener, a proximal end, a drilling end, a proximal portion adjacent the proximal end having high threading having a crest diameter for engaging the friable or semi-rigid material, and a drilling portion adjacent the drilling end, an additional thread proximate the proximal end, the additional thread continuing between turns of the high threading, and a head at the proximal end having an outer diameter that is smaller than the crest diameter. The anchor additional thread is configured to engage either the friable material or, additionally, to firmly engage the semi-rigid material.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an anchor for use in either a friable material, particularly to a self-drilling anchor to be used in drywall mounted to a member or in a relatively thin semi-rigid material such as a hollow door.
2. Description of the Related Art
Because drywall is a friable material, mounting articles thereto can be difficult. In the past, at least three methods have been used. For light weight articles, small plastic expansion anchors have been used. These expansion anchors have typically required three steps to install: first, a hole is drilled into the drywall; second, the anchor insert is driven into the drilled hole; and finally, a threaded fastener is advanced into the anchor, spreading the anchor into engagement with the drywall. However, expansion anchors can typically hold light loads only.
For heavy duty applications, toggle bolts have been used. While toggle bolts have been effective, they are also generally expensive because they involve parts which must move relative to one another. Toggle bolts also have been known to be difficult to install.
Self-drilling anchors for mounting heavier loads also have been used. These self-drilling anchors typically are installed by drilling into the drywall with the anchor itself. The anchor also includes threading having a high thread height to provide a high pullout in the drywall. Examples of self-drilling anchors include the anchor sold under the trademark E-Z ANCOR manufactured by ITW Buildex, and those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,601,625, 5,190,425, and 5,558,479, all of which are assigned to the assignee of this application.
Self-drilling anchors have proved effective for holding higher loads when installed in drywall alone. However, in most cases the drywall is mounted to wood support members, or studs, that are unseen by the user, and typically the location of these support members are unknown and unchecked by the user. When a user of a typical self-drilling fastener attempts to install the anchor in drywall at a location of a support member, the anchor is unable to drill into the support member, causing the anchor to spin in place so that the anchor's high threading strips out the drywall, resulting in failure of the anchor and creating an unsightly scar on the wall. Even if the anchor is able to drill into the support member slightly, the anchors have been known to tightly engage the support member and break due to torsion on the anchor.
Drywall anchors typically have a head or flange that is larger than the outer diameter of the drywall threading to prevent the anchor from being driven through the drywall as the anchor is installed. However, large anchor heads have been known to displace drywall as the anchors are driven, causing drywall at the surface to bulge up around the anchor, conventionally referred to as blistering of the drywall. The large outer diameter of the drywall threading may also cause displacement of drywall leading to blistering. Blistering creates puffing at the drywall surface which is unsightly and unappealing and may make it difficult to mount some articles to drywall so that the article is flush with the drywall surface.
Mounting self-drilling anchors to relatively thin semi-rigid materials such as a veneered panel of a hollow door can also be difficult. The small thickness of the material and the splintering caused during driving may significantly reduce the holding strength of the anchor.
What is needed is a self-drilling anchor for use in a variety of substrates such as drywall or hollow doors that reduces drywall blistering or securely fastens to the hollow door without reducing holding strength.


A dual-channel fluid temperature control apparatus controls temperature of cardiac fluids during surgery using power from an electrical convenience outlet having a power limit. A first pump receives a first heat exchange fluid to selectively pump the first heat exchange fluid within a first circulation channel. A second pump receives a second heat exchange fluid to selectively pump the second heat exchange fluid within a second circulation channel. A first heater unit comprises a first plurality of independently actuatable heating elements each having a respective power consumption. A second heater unit comprises a second plurality of independently actuatable heating elements each having a respective power consumption. A controller selectably actuates the first and second pumps and the first and second pluralities of heating elements to selectably heat or cool the first and second heat exchange fluids such that power draw of all activated pumps and heating elements is maintained within the power limit.

The present invention relates in general to cardiac surgery, and, more specifically, to the heating and cooling of blood or other fluids delivered to a patient during cardiac bypass surgery.
Heating and cooling devices are an important part of blood perfusion systems used during cardiac surgery. During surgery, blood is cooled in a bypass circuit to induce hypothermia to protect the organs. A separate cardioplegia circuit typically provides a dedicated flow of cooled solution directly to the heart, at least periodically. When the surgery has been completed, the blood and/or other fluids flowing in the two circuits are heated prior to the patient waking from anesthesia. During various circumstances that may arise during operation of the blood perfusion system, it becomes desirable not only to heat both circuits or cool both circuits simultaneously, but also to cool one circuit while the other is heating or to deactivate one circuit while the other is either heating or cooling.
Conduits carrying the blood and/or cardioplegia in each circuit pass through respective heat exchangers. Water (or other heat exchange fluid) in the two respective heater/cooler circuits is pumped through passages in the heat exchangers for adding heat to or removing heat from the blood/cardioplegia as necessary. An integrated heater/cooler unit having an integrated controller and an integrated power supply usually includes a single ice-bath compartment for selectably cooling the water in both water circuits and a pair of heating devices for selectably heating the water in the two circuits independently.
In view of electrical safety standards and the desire to power a dual heater/cooler unit from a single conventional outlet in an operating room, it is necessary to ensure that the current drawn from the outlet stays safely within a maximum limit. The significant power-consuming elements of the unit are the controller electronics (e.g., microcontroller, display, and other related circuitry), two water-circulating pumps, and two heaters. The cooling function does not consume power other than that to operate the controls and pumps since ice is used as a source of cooling. The maximum current draw occurs when both heaters operate simultaneously (i.e., both the arterial and the cardioplegia patient circuits are being heated and both pumps are operating).
U.S. Pat. No. 6,423,268, issued to King et al., discloses a dual heater wherein circuitry is provided to prevent the first and second heaters from being activated simultaneously. Furthermore, a heater is not activated until after a delay from the time when the other heater is deactivated. Thus, when heating is needed in both fluid circuits, King et al. alternately activates each of the two heaters with a suitable delay time between activations so that instantaneous switching is avoided. By driving the two heaters in a complementary fashion (separated by an off time), both circuits are heated without exceeding the available current. However, a relatively complicated and expensive heater control system including multiple relays is required to obtain the necessary delays. It would be desirable to limit the maximum current draw without such complications or expense.
The relay switching system as implemented in King et al has additional disadvantages. A significant in-rush current may flow when a heater is activated. The in-rush current may lead to the tripping of a circuit breaker and/or excessive generation of heat in the switching device. Due to inherent variations in the timing provided by different relay devices (even of the same manufacturer and part number), significant timing errors may occur when activating the heaters. The errors can become large enough to inadvertently cause the heaters to be activated simultaneously, resulting in an excessive current draw. It would be desirable to eliminate in-rush current and to provide a more precise and robust control of heater currents in order to gain performance benefits and to avoid simultaneous activation errors.

Terumo Cardiovascular Systems Corporation


A device with several points of closure securement, particularly for a sectional closure, of the type comprising a central bolting member (1) for example a lock, and at least one blade (2) for actuating a closure securement block (3). Each actuating blade (2) is in at least two portions (4a, 4b) connected successively by a connecting member (5) with double articulation (6a, 6b), so as to permit the articulation of the sections (A, B) of the closure at least in the open and closed positions of the closure.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device with several points for securing a closure, particularly for a sectional closure.
The invention is particularly useful for bolting a sectional garage door, a wide doorway flap, or any other sectional closure adapted to be articulated during its opening.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are known devices with several points as closure securement for metallic constructions. This type of device has a bolting block for each point of closure securement. This bolting block can be inserted and raised into a cutout in the metallic construction by means of a headpiece. The bolting blocks are generally interconnected by at least one actuating blade sliding in the plane of the headpiece. The headpiece can preferably be cut out or recessed to permit the sliding of the actuating blade, whose ends are thus slidably mounted relative to the interior of U shaped configurations provided in the headpiece. This device of known type is satisfactory, but cannot be used for bolting a sectional closure.

Device having several points of closure securement for a sectional closure