High dietary fiber from sources that have had minimal use in food products, for example bakery goods, extruded items and pasta, for humans because of their green coloration and inherent flavors. The fibrous material is immersed in an aqueous dispersion of chlorine for a period of time with a concentration of chlorine that is effective for removing substantially all of the coloration from the material with a minimal effect on the fiber matrix, for example three to thirty minutes with one part fiber to five parts water and about 13,500 to 62,400 ppm chlorine. Advantageously the thus bleached material is then water rinsed and immersed in a 4-50% aqueous solution of peroxide at a temperature of about room temperature to boiling for up to about 15 minutes or until the fiber flavor and chlorine backnotes are rendered blander.. Alternately the fibrous material is treated in a peroxide solution of at least about 4% peroxide concentration at an elevated temperature for at least about 5 minutes to bleach and deflavor the fibrous material.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for treating plant materials to remove color and flavor for providing a lighter colored, blander tasting flour; and in particular to providing a flour of sufficient whiteness for use in food products. By treating fibrous material, a flour with a relatively high dietary and low crude fiber content is formed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A primary source of lightly colored fiber presently used in fiber flours for bakery goods is obtained by processing bark and other by-products of trees, the fiber thus obtained being mostly crude fiber. The fiber flour is produced from an acceptable "food source", however, there is growing concern about eating what is referred to as a "furniture fiber". Also, fiber from cottonseeds is being produced and marketed, however, the fiber obtained is mostly crude fiber and again there is concern about eating what is referred to as "clothes fiber".
For over a half century, technology for bleaching bread flours has been well researched and defined by the baking industry. "Bleaching as it relates to edible flour is defined as the removal of color by oxidation of the yellow flour pigment"; "coloring matter of bran is not effected by bleaching agents", (Pyler, Baking Science and Technology, Siebel Publishing Company, second printing 1979). A review of the prior art shows scientists exposing cereal grain flour to, for example, nitrogen peroxide, chlorine, nitrogen trichloride, benzoyl peroxide and enzyme active legume flours for the improvement of color (whitening the yellow pigment) and maturing and improving wheat flour. Through the years the industry has, for the most part, settled on the use of enzyme active legume flours (lipoxidase found in pea and soy flours) and benzoyl peroxide (such as "LA Novadelox"), for removing color from cereal grain flour used in making bread. Other methods have fallen by the wayside. Techniques applicable for the removal of yellow color (carotinoids) do not work for the removal of green color (chlorophyll) or darker brown colors.
Many techniques have been developed for bleaching a yellow fiber, a more neutral color than green or brown, however, green or brown are colors that are much more difficult to bleach in order to obtain a desirable light colored, and especially to near white or white, bran material. In developing a desire bleaching process one would have to consider the number of bleaching agents available such as nitrogen peroxide, hydrogen peroxide, organic peroxides, chlorine, chlorine dioxide, hypochlorites, nitrogen trichloride, sulfites, bisulfites, meta-bisulfites, lipoxidases, alcohol, etc. Further, there is the aspect of having to consider the possible number of combinations of such bleaching agents and process parameters, including acidity, alkalinity, temperature, dilutions, processing times, states of matter (solid, liquid and gas), additives, delivery systems, general procedures, etc.
One of the earliest patents that I am aware of relative to bleaching cereal grains is Cooper and Westgate (U.K. patent no. 8091, dated October 1903) which discloses conditioning or improving the quality and color of bran or fibrous tissue of wheat or other cereals by exposing them to chemical sulphur or chlorine in a gaseous form. Tests that I have made show that the application of chlorine gas does not satisfactorily whiten brown (yellow pea hull) or green (green pea hull) material for use in food products.
Australian patent 8,292 (1927) to Buhler, Canadian patent 502,162 to Houtgraaf and U.S. Pat. No. 2,478,043 to Evans teach the application of chlorine in the form of chlorine dioxide to bleach or mature cereal grain flours or bran. Buhler discloses chlorine in an acid form is undesirable for shortening the maturing or bleaching of wheat flour because of the increase in the acid content of the flour itself; and that chlorine dioxide, a more alkaline compound, is more desirable. Buhler applied chlorine in a gaseous or liquid state dissolved in an organic or an inorganic solvent, not in an aqueous dispersion such as in the present invention.
Houtgraaf acknowledges that chlorine dioxide has a favorable influence on bakery flour but was used to a small extent because of the difficulty in preparation and measuring correct quantities of chlorine dioxide. The Houtraaf invention is directed to a method for accurately metering gas to be applied in a dry system wherein an aqueous solution containing the chlorine dioxide is supplied in degassing apparatus and then the product to be treated is subjected to chlorine in a gas stream. Houtgraaf discloses using 5-15 grams of chlorine dioxide per liter.
Evans, U.S. Pat. No. 2,478,043, discloses that the amount of an agent such as chlorine, hydrogen peroxide and nitrogen trichloride for bleaching carotene and related bran pigments is so much greater than that required to bleach bread flour that the treatment deleteriously effects the flour. This patent suggest treating the whole wheat kernel topically with the oxidizing agent at 2 to 8 ozs. per 280 lbs. of wheat in the presence of water. The results of tests conducted under my direction of applying chlorine dioxide in the ranges recommended by Evans and Houtgraaf to yellow and green pea hulls and as outlined by Buhler, Houtgraaf and Evans showed that the application of chlorine dioxide did not effectively render fibrous materials white, or off-white or reduce flavor levels. In fact, during treatment with chlorine dioxide, fibrous material developed a deeper brown color and less desirable off taste.
Baker, U.S. Pat. No. 2,379,335, added chlorine dioxide to water used to temper cereal grain to prevent bacterial and mold growth as well as bleaching the exterior portions of wheat and water extractable materials. The method disclosed for bleaching water extractable coloring matter from cereal grains is by treating grain with either (1) a dilute mixture of chlorine dioxide and chloride in air in an aqueous solution with an added non-volatile inorganic water soluble alkaline substance or (2) a dilute mixture of chlorine dioxide, a peroxide and a water soluble alkali substance. Baker discloses using 30-500 ppm each of chlorine dioxide and chlorine for 1-5 minutes.
Thompson, patent U.S. Pat. No. 4,307,121, discloses a method for isolating cellulose by solubilizing and removing non-cellulosic components from such yellow pigmented fibers as yellow soybean hulls, yellow pea hulls, yellow corn bran, and etc. In particular, the method described is a series of heating, treating (3 separate applications of chlorine and one application of caustic) and extraction steps. The first treatment is in a saturated chlorine solution for a period of six to eighteen hours. A white powder to be added to bread formulations is the end results. However the process disclosed in this patent results in the loss of all but one of the desirable fiber components (an unbalanced fiber matrix). The results obtained in using the Thompson process, about 50% of the fiber was lost, bread made with cellulose added, as the source of edible fiber, requires the addition of vital wheat gluten and other crutches to obtain a reasonable bread volume.
As to using chlorine as a bleaching agent for flour, one of the early patents that describes a procedure for bleaching flour with chlorine is Hobbs (U.S. Pat. No. 1,131,698) which discloses the addition of one pound of hypochlorite to 2500 pounds of wheat flour (a dry blend) for 24 hours as being effective. This amounts to 4,000 ppm. Hobb's recommends the addition of an acid to neutralize the alkalinity to eliminate subsequent delay in the fermentation of bread.
Penn (U.S. Pat. No. 2,087,547) found that a dry free flowing finely powdered chlorine liberating compound, such as calcium hypochlorite, can be reacted with organic peroxides and other peroxidized products to form a gaseous agent to be used to bleach, mature and improve wheat flours and other grain flours, vegetable flour and milling products in general. U.S. Pat. No. 2,192,100 to Penn uses a mixture of an alkaline metal nitrate and active organic peroxide to bleach and mature wheat flour. Benzoyl peroxide used alone in sufficient quantities for complete bleaching of flour reduces volumes of the bakery products obtained and thereby necessitates the addition of the nitrate to overcome the reduction of volumes. Penn--U.S. Pat. No. 2,272,577, discloses that additives such as alkali metal salts can be added to active organic peroxides to prevent flamability of the peroxides.
Both of the Penn patents and Hobbs disclose using dry systems in applying hypochlorite, however, such dry processes do not remove green color from green colored fibers, for example, green pea hulls. U.S. Pat. No. 1,957,333 to Haas and Bohn and U.S. Pat. No. 1,957,335 to Haas disclose enzymatic bleaching or decolorization of carotene from wheat flour, however, on the basis of tests that I have conducted, enzymes such as lipoxidase, do not whiten fibrous materials and the peroxide process of Penn U.S. Pat. No. 2,192,100 does not bleach fibrous materials, for example green pea hulls and parsley.
Farag (U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,093) is directed to obtaining a bland flavored supplement by contacting vegetable or fruit pulp with a number of aqueous bleaching solutions, including sodium hypochlorite, chlorine, chlorine dioxide and hydrogen peroxide and combinations thereof at a 0.5 to 35% range (preferably at the 0.5 to 2% range). Farag, with reference to sugar beet pulp, indicates that his process can be carried out at room temperature but to reduce retention time the process can be carried out at about 60.degree. C. (140.degree. F.) to about 90.degree. C. (194.degree. F.). Farag states that using "temperatures between 60.degree. C. and 80.degree. C. with a bleaching agent concentration of about 1% by weight produces hood results with retention times of from 30 to 60 minutes." However tests that I have conducted and/or under my direction showed that 1% peroxide not effective and at least a 3% peroxide solution is required even when boiling the slurry. While Farag discloses using bleaching solutions at the 35% level, I have found that the addition of chlorine (Cl.sub.2) above about 6.24% starts degradation of the fiber matrix. Additionally my tests indicates the solution overheats and becomes acidic when calcium hypochlorite is added much over the 10% level, having a possible detrimental effect on the product being treated.
Further, my tests confirm the findings in the Beal patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,451,489, whereby hydrogen peroxide added at the 2% level to sugar beet pulp resulted in an off-flavored and off-colored ingredient contrary to what is disclosed in the Farag patent. Beal relates to the production of a non-caloric sugar beet bulking agent comprised by placing sugar beet pulp material into a stabilizing solution (water soluble bisulfides, sulfities and metabisulfites) to prevent darkening, water washing the product to remove a majority of soluble carbohydrates, contacting the product with an alcoholic solution to remove color and bitter constituents, removing the water and alcohol and milling the product to a flour like consistency. This is in contrast to the present invention wherein chlorine, peroxide or a combination first chlorine and then peroxide is utilized to achieve the desired results.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,649,113 to Gould found that upon adding about a 1% solution of peroxide to non-woody lignocelluloics and adjusting the pH to 11.2 to 11.8, the substrate became partially delignified. That is, Gould is directed to converting plant components to useful carbohydrates for ruminants and microbes which is in contrast to the present invention wherein peroxide is applied in a way not to disturb plant fiber components.
Gould, Penn and Farag do not teach a peroxide treatment at an elevated temperature and a concentration such as discovered by applicant for bleaching a fibrous material to an off-white or white coloration such as set forth hereinafter.
The British patent to Davies, patent no. 688,428, discloses chlorine "bleaching sago flour" (a starch product) while maintaining pH's of either 4-5 or 11-11.5 to prevent a decrease in viscosity during processing. Thereafter hydrogen peroxide is used to remove free chlorine and thence NaOH or HCl is added to the slurry to bring the pH to 6-7 to prevent the otherwise loss of viscosity of the flour. This is in contrast to not having to maintain a pH within a narrow pH range during a bleaching process.
It has been common practice in the food industry to whiten products (such as icings, panned confections, creme fillings, etc., by the addition of titanium dioxide. It has been found that while titanium dioxide can be added to whiten fibrous material, upon processing a product, such as bread, with titanium dioxide added as a whitening agent, an unappealing, unnatural, pastey colored product is the end result.
Patents covering the development of low calorie bakery products include the patents to Glade, Singer, Glickman, Titcomb, and Thompson '018 patents that are referred to below. All of these patents are based on the addition of additives to help carry the fiber.
The Glade U.S. Pat. No. 3,573,061 found that to make an acceptable low calorie bread, the seed coats (the fiber source), the seed coats had to be treated with an acid and an emulsifier selected from the group consisting of egg yolks, lecithin and a combination thereof.
Singer (U.S. Pat. No. 3,574,634) developed a formula whereby the addition of wheat gluten and gum were used to help carry cellulose in bakery, pasta and other foodstuffs to produce food products of lower calorie content. Hydrating the gluten, a protein in wheat, gives the dough rubber-like properties that allows the bread to rise. Without gluten, bread loses the ability to become aerated. Glicksman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,676,150, discovered a way to prepare a low calorie bread product without the addition of wheat gluten. Glicksman's formula requires the addition of cellulose, starch and gums to the product. Glicksman's formula has the advantage over Singer's in that it enables the baker to produce a gluten free bread. Titcomb (U.S. Pat. No. 3,979,523) produced a low calorie white bread eliminating the gum but adding wheat gluten to help carry the inert cellulose. Thompson (U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,018) developed a low calorie bread formulation, calling for the addition of a vital wheat gluten, a second protein source, purified alpha cellulose and a hydrophyllic gum.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,237,170 to Satin and my U.S. Pat. No. 4,711,786, disclose using yellow and green hull fibers for making a bakery product. However, such green or yellow hull fiber flours do not have a color similar to the color of unbleached wheat flour (which has the wheat bran and germ removed), nor a white or off-white color nor a relatively low flavor profile required to formulate a low calorie (1/3 calorie reduction) pleasant tasting white bread or other food product. In the process of '786, triticale was added to mask the undesirable color, odor and flavor.
Soy beans containing about 34% protein, 33% carbohydrate, 18% fat, 10% water and 5% fiber are a good source of protein, fat and fiber. The removal of oil, water and fiber (hulls) commercially results in a dry flour containing about 50% protein. While soy flour is presently being used by the food industry as a protein supplement (bakery items, health drinks, etc.) its usage would be greater if its inherent beany flavor were removed. Researchers have tried for decades to render soy flour bland.
In accordance with tests I have made, peroxide applied to fibrous material as set forth hereinafter remove all types of flavors absorbed and inherent in the product in contrast to adding peroxide to remove free chlorine as set forth in the above Davies patent. Also in accordance with my findings, treating green, yellow and brown fiber with chlorine in a gaseous, dry or liquid form as called for in the Cooper and Westgate, Buhler, Hobbs, Penn, Baker, Evans/Houtgraaf, Farag and Thompson patents does not produce the desired bleaching action such as that obtained by a peroxide application, following the chlorine treatment to produce the action such as set forth hereinafter.
The use of green pea hulls and other green colored vegetable items as a source of fiber that is incorporated as a component of a food product for human consumption, for example, in a bakery product, has been relatively limited due to green coloration and inherent flavors not compatible with consumer tastes, resulting in making the product objectionable to many customers.
In order to obtain a lighter colored (preferably at least off-white, if not white), blander flavor high fiber flour with a better balance of soluble and insoluble fiber from a highly colored fibrous source such as green vegetables and sugar beet pulp and from oat fiber and brown wheat fiber, this invention has been made.

Removing green color from and reducing flavor levels of fibrous and other granular material


A method of stabilizing a motor vehicle, preferably to prevent a vehicle from rolling over about a vehicle axis oriented in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle. To do so, a quantity describing the transverse dynamics of the vehicle is determined. This quantity is compared with at least one characteristic value, in particular a threshold value, for this quantity. For the case when the quantity describing the transverse dynamics of the vehicle is greater than or equal to the characteristic value, a speed of the vehicle is reduced to or maintained at a preselectable speed value at least by braking measures on at least one wheel and/or by engine measures and/or by retarder measures (SR).

The present invention relates to a method and a device for stabilizing a motor vehicle.
German Published Patent Application No. 19 02 944 describes a device for preventing vehicles from skidding. The device contains measurement instruments for determining the instantaneous vehicle condition, connected to a control unit that responds to certain limit values of the vehicle. The device also includes means that can be switched on for automatic control of at least one device for keeping the vehicle on track, triggered by the control unit on reaching a predetermined limit value for the transverse acceleration. If a maximum possible transverse acceleration for a vehicle design is detected, the program for the control unit is set at a lower value. This means that the brakes are activated regardless of the driver""s reaction even below the critical threshold value, i.e., before the vehicle is oversteered, and the power regulating element of the machine is reset at a lower driving power.
German Published Patent Application No. 35 45 715 describes a device for regulating the drive of motor vehicles in the sense of maintaining stable driving conditions. This device includes a computing unit for determining a setpoint and a tolerance range for the rpm difference of the front wheels or the transverse acceleration or the yaw rate and a comparison unit, when this setpoint or tolerance range is compared with the actual value measured. The difference between the actual value and the setpoint or tolerance range serves as a control signal for the brakes of the wheels and/or for a power controlling element of the vehicle""s engine.
With the devices described above, the brakes of the wheels and/or a power controlling element for the engine are driven as a function of a comparison between an actual value of a quantity describing the transverse dynamics of the vehicle and a respective limit value so that the vehicle is stabilized on the basis of the reduction in vehicle speed. The vehicle speed resulting from the interventions in the brakes and/or the engine is not preset here.
The object of the present invention is to improve upon existing devices and methods for stabilizing motor vehicles to the extent that on the basis of the vehicle speed a defined condition is established for the vehicle for the case when a quantity describing the transverse dynamics of the vehicle is greater than or equal to a characteristic value for the quantity describing the transverse dynamics of the vehicle.
The method according to the present invention for stabilizing a motor vehicle is used in particular to prevent a vehicle from rolling over about a vehicle axis oriented in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. To do so, a quantity describing the transverse dynamics of the vehicle is determined and is compared with at least one characteristic value, in particular a threshold value, for the quantity describing the transverse dynamics of the vehicle. For the case when the quantity describing the transverse dynamics of the vehicle is greater than or equal to the characteristic value, braking measures at least are implemented on at least one wheel and/or engine measures and/or retarder measures are implemented. These braking measures and/or engine measures and/or retarder measures are advantageously implemented in such a way that the speed of the vehicle is reduced to a preselectable speed value or is kept at a preselectable speed value.
Due to the fact that the speed of the vehicle is reduced to or kept at a preselectable speed value by the braking measures and/or by the engine measures and/or by the retarder measures, a defined condition is established for the vehicle in situations that are critical from the standpoint of transverse dynamics. For example, this defined condition may correspond to turning a curve at a maximum possible curve speed. In this case, the preselectable speed value corresponds to the maximum possible curve speed.
The speed of the vehicle is referred to below as the vehicle speed. At this point, the phrase xe2x80x9ca vehicle axis oriented in the longitudinal direction of the vehiclexe2x80x9d should be explained. First, the vehicle axis about which there is a tendency of the vehicle to roll may be the actual longitudinal axis of the vehicle. Second, it may be a vehicle axis which is twisted by a certain angle with respect to the actual longitudinal axis of the vehicle. It does not matter here whether or not the twisted vehicle axis passes through the center of gravity of the vehicle. The case of the twisted vehicle axis should also allow an orientation of the vehicle axis at which the vehicle axis corresponds to either a diagonal axis of the vehicle or to an axis parallel to the diagonal axis.
The value of the quantity describing the transverse dynamics of the vehicle, which is allowed for the vehicle without the vehicle becoming unstable on reaching this value, is used to advantage for the characteristic value. The term unstable is understood here to refer to the onset of skidding or rolling of the vehicle.
The characteristic value is either a fixedly predetermined value or a value determined for the respective driving condition of the vehicle. The fixedly predetermined value is determined in advance by driving trials, for example, and the resulting vehicle performance, and is supported by simulations. It is assumed that at this characteristic value the vehicle performance is stable in corresponding operating states where this value is reached. Or the characteristic value is determined for the respective vehicle condition. In other words, the characteristic value is determined during driving operation of the vehicle on the basis of the quantities determined for this driving operation.
The characteristic value is advantageously determined at least as a function of a quantity describing the wheel load of at least one wheel. A quantity describing the contact force of the respective wheel is used to advantage as the quantity describing the wheel load of the minimum of one wheel. This quantity is normally available in traction control systems.
Two alternative methods are available for determining the characteristic value. First, the characteristic value is determined as a function of the wheel load of at least one inside wheel in turning a corner and the quantity describing the transverse dynamics of the vehicle. If, as mentioned previously, the contact force of the respective wheel is used as the quantity describing the wheel load, a linear relationship between the quantity describing the transverse dynamics of the vehicle and the contact force is approximated to determine the characteristic value. The characteristic value is then obtained by interpolation, i.e., the characteristic-value corresponds to the value of the quantity describing the transverse dynamics of the vehicle at which the contact force is zero.
This procedure makes use of the fact that the instability of a motor vehicle is manifested first in wheel performance in situations that are critical from the standpoint of transverse dynamics. In other words, this type of determination yields a prompt and accurate measure of the maximum allowed transverse dynamics of a vehicle in the relevant situation. In situations that are critical from the standpoint of transverse dynamics, an imminent instability is manifested first on the inside wheels of the vehicle in turning a corner, so the characteristic value is advantageously determined as a function of a quantity describing the wheel load of an inside wheel in turning a corner.
In the second alternative, a quantity describing the mass of the vehicle is determined as a function of the quantities describing the wheel loads. Then the characteristic value is read out of an engine characteristics map with the help of the quantity describing the mass of the vehicle. The individual values of the engine characteristics map can also be determined in advance by driving tests supported by simulations. Therefore, the vehicle mass is used as a parameter because the vehicle mass influences the height of the center of gravity of the vehicle, which in turn influences the roll-over behavior of the vehicle and thus the maximum allowed transverse acceleration in turning a corner.
The two procedures mentioned have the advantage that in any situation that is critical for the transverse dynamics (in particular turning a corner at a high speed) the maximum allowed value prevails for the quantity describing the transverse dynamics of the vehicle, and thus the vehicle can be stabilized optimally by braking measures and/or engine measures and/or retarder measures corresponding to the respective driving situation.
As indicated by the preceding discussion, the characteristic value has the function of a limit value.
As part of the targeted reduction in vehicle speed mentioned above, the predetermined speed value is a fixedly preselected value, which was determined in advance by a method similar to that used to determine the characteristic value for the quantity describing the transverse dynamics of the vehicle on the basis of driving tests and with the help of simulations. Or the preselectable speed value is determined like the characteristic value with the help of an engine characteristics map. Or the preselectable speed value is determined during operation of the vehicle at least as a function of the characteristic value and/or a quantity describing the yaw rate of the vehicle. The two latter procedures have the advantage that in any situation that is critical from the standpoint of transverse dynamics, the maximum allowed value for the vehicle speed prevails, and thus the vehicle can be stabilized optimally by braking measures and/or engine measures and/or retarder measures corresponding to the given driving situation. In addition, in this way a speed value representing the maximum allowed driving speed in the corresponding driving situation, which is critical from the standpoint of transverse dynamics, is determined. This yields the additional advantage that the vehicle is not braked to an unnecessary extent. The vehicle can be driven at the maximum possible speed, and traffic flow is largely maintained.
At this point, the facts should be summarized again. The reduction in vehicle speed is initiated by observation of the transverse dynamics of the vehicle. The speed of the vehicle is reduced to a value that is determined by the transverse dynamics of the vehicle. Either this value is determined while the vehicle is being driven or it may be a predetermined value. In either case, it may be based on driving tests and/or simulations conducted in advance.
The braking measures and/or engine measures and/or retarder measures are preferably continued as long as the preselectable speed value is less than a quantity describing the vehicle speed.
A quantity describing the transverse acceleration of the vehicle is used as the quantity describing the transverse dynamics of the vehicle. However, in the method according to the present invention, the quantity describing the transverse dynamics of the vehicle is not measured directly with the help of a corresponding sensor means. Instead, it is determined at least as a function of a quantity describing the vehicle speed. Furthermore, the quantity describing the transverse dynamics of the vehicle is determined as a function of a quantity describing the yaw rate of the vehicle, with the quantity describing the yaw rate of the vehicle in turn being determined at least as a function of the quantity describing the vehicle speed and a quantity describing the steering angle of the vehicle. In other words, ultimately the quantity describing the transverse acceleration of the vehicle is determined as a function of the vehicle speed and the steering angle.
This procedure in determining the quantity describing the transverse acceleration is associated with a definite time advantage with regard to supplying the signal for this quantity. This can be explained as follows. Normally, turning a corner is initiated by setting a steering angle. A corresponding transverse acceleration results from this cornering. If this resulting transverse acceleration is detected with the help of a transverse acceleration sensor, a considerable amount of time elapses between the setting of the steering angle and supplying of the transverse acceleration signal by the transverse acceleration sensor. This is due, inter alia, to the time sequence between the setting of the steering angle and the resulting reduction in the transverse acceleration and also due to the inertia of the transverse acceleration sensor. This time lag is largely eliminated by the procedure described above in determination of the quantity describing the transverse acceleration, in other words, immediately after the steering angle has been set, the prevailing value of the transverse acceleration is the value established in the resulting steady state of the vehicle on the basis of the steering angle set. Since the device and the method according to the present invention prevent roll-over of the vehicle about a vehicle axis oriented in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the procedure described above is possible in determining the quantity describing the transverse dynamics of the vehicle, i.e., the quantity describing the transverse acceleration, because roll-over of a vehicle usually occurs when turning a corner, and cornering is performed on the basis of a steering angle selected by the driver of the vehicle.
In summary, it can be concluded that the quantity describing the transverse dynamics of the vehicle and/or the quantity describing the yaw rate of the vehicle is advantageously determined with the help of simple mathematical models describing a steady state of the vehicle. This yields the time characteristic described above.
Due to the braking measures described above, all the wheels of the vehicle are advantageously braked uniformly. Uniform braking should be understood to mean that different braking forces are not intentionally set from the beginning. As an alternative to or in support of these braking measures, the moment delivered by the engine is reduced through appropriate engine measures. The vehicle speed is reduced or kept at a preselectable speed value as a result of these two measures. It is also possible to implement such braking measures where at least the rear inside wheel in turning is braked less than the other wheels of the vehicle and/or not at all. With these types of braking measures, a temporary increase in yaw rate during the braking measure and thus a resulting unstable state are prevented.
If the latter types of braking measures are selected, then advantageously all steps between a normal braking measure and no braking measure are possible on the rear inside wheel in turning. The step at which the rear inside wheel in turning is to be braked can be determined as a function of a quantity describing the transverse dynamics of the vehicle, for example.
As an alternative to the procedure described previously, the characteristic value is reduced by a small value. The quantity describing the transverse dynamics of the vehicle is compared with the reduced characteristic value. For the case when the quantity describing the transverse dynamics of the vehicle is greater than the reduced characteristic value, the speed of the vehicle is reduced to a preselectable speed value at least by braking measures on at least one wheel and/or by engine measures and/or by retarder measures. As a result of this procedure, the vehicle speed is reduced not when the characteristic value has been reached but at a slightly earlier point in time, namely when the vehicle approaches a driving condition which is critical from the standpoint of transverse dynamics as described by the characteristic value.

Method and device for stabilizing a vehicle


A bipartite graph is generated which includes one or more source vertices and one or more destination vertices. For a given source vertex, a temporal behavioral matrix is generated using the bipartite graph where a first dimension of the temporal behavioral matrix is associated with time and a second dimension of the temporal behavioral matrix is associated with at least some of the one or more destination vertices. For the given source vertex, a model is generated using at least some portion of the temporal behavioral matrix. Anomaly detection is performed on at least part of the temporal behavioral matrix using the model.

Assets (such as money, products, or information) which are accessible via a network are vulnerable to thieves and other harmful users. In some cases, an identity thief steals the credentials of a legitimate user (e.g., login and password, credit card number, Medicare number, etc.) and makes purchases or accesses information without the knowledge of and/or authorization of the legitimate user. In some other cases, the owner of the credentials is the one doing the stealing. For example, an employee may be stealing intellectual property or trade secrets. Techniques which detect these unauthorized accesses would be desirable. Furthermore, it would be desirable if these techniques are able to sort through and process massive amounts of data (e.g., "big data").

Historical behavior baseline modeling and anomaly detection in machine generated end to end event log


Compositions comprise phase separated polyetherimide/polyphenylene ether sulfone blends. The dispersed phase has an average cross sectional size of 0.1 to 10 micrometers. The composition retains has good hydrolytic stability and is capable of withstanding steam autoclaving at temperatures of 130 to 138° C.

Disclosed herein are blends of polyetherimide and polyphenylene ether sulfone, methods for making the blends, and articles derived from such blends. The blends have a particularly advantageous combination of properties.
Blends of two or more polymers can have a single phase (miscible blends) or multiple phases (immiscible or phase separated blends). Phase separated blends are complex and unpredictable. These blends can demonstrate a host of behaviors from delamination to excellent impact strength, from opacity to transparency. The complexity and unpredictability of phase separated, multiphase polymer systems is such that small changes in composition or processing can have a dramatic effect on one or more physical properties. Overall, this makes it very difficult to achieve a desired combination of properties as modifications to the polymer system to address one physical property can cause significant changes in another property.
This is particularly true with regard to engineering thermoplastics, especially those with high glass transition temperatures such as polyetherimides. While polyetherimides have many valuable characteristics there is an increasing need for polymers or polymer blends with a combination of hydrolytic stability, high multiaxial impact energy, a high heat distortion temperature and a high modulus.
Concern about the spread of diseases, e.g., bovine spongiform encephalopathy, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and prions, has created heightened interest in high temperature sterilization. In the past, sterilization by use of devices such as an autoclave at 105° C. might have been acceptable. However, under new concerns, sterilization temperatures have been raised, in many instances to temperatures that can be as high as 130 to 138° C., or higher. These higher autoclaving and sterilization temperatures have placed added demands on plastic devices used in medical as well as food service and food preparation applications. Since many chemical reaction rates double for every 10° C. increase in temperature, the higher sterilization temperatures may cause chemical degradation, and ultimately, the breakage of plastic articles. Other plastics simply melt at the higher autoclave temperature. Thus, there is a need for plastic resins that will survive high temperature sterilization and autoclaving. In some applications, for example, in articles that will be used several times, retention of properties on exposure to repeated high temperature sterilization, as many as 100, 500 and even 1000 cycles of sterilization at 130 to 138° C., may be required. In some instances adjuvants, for example, morpholine or alkyl amines are added to the steam to prevent corrosion and protect the autoclave device and associated piping. Addition of these chemical bases to steam may further accelerate degradation of a thermoplastic resin placing even more performance demands on a suitable candidate resin.
In addition to resistance to autoclaving, such articles can also require other properties such as high impact to resist breakage in use. They also require heat resistance, in the form of a high heat distortion temperature to prevent melting or warping during sterilization. Additionally such articles will need high modulus and stiffness to give them the rigidly and strength for end use in devices such as trays, handles, bins, containers, animal cages, and connectors. In some instances having such devices that are transparent, so that the contents may be observed, is also useful.
For the foregoing reasons, there exists an unmet need for articles and compositions that have high impact strength, rigidity, resistance to deformation on exposure to heat, with the retention of properties upon repeated steam autoclaving at 130 to 138° C.

Polyetherimide/polyphenylene ether sulfone blends


A method and system to determine a match between a known and unknown signal is provided. The method and system first conditions an unknown signal by anti-aliasing and digitizing the unknown signal. The condition signal is then compared on a bit by bit basis to at least one known signal to determine a match. A threshold detector determines that the conditioned signal matches the at least one known signal when the number of bit matches exceeds a predetermined threshold.

The present application relates to a method and apparatus to determine the similarity or sufficient matching between two patterns or signal patterns, including the determination of the frequency and phase thereof.
Determining the degree of matching (similarity) between two signals is important in a number of applications. Typical examples include security systems, frequency analysis, image processing, and communications. Matching systems can be broadly divided into two categories—those that require two signals to be perfectly matched for some further action to take place, and those that are useable with only partial matching.
Security systems, for example, typically require perfect matching. In such systems, an input signal, such as a personal identification number (PIN) code punched into an automatic teller machine (ATM) by a user, requires that all digits are identical to a predetermined user code. If the two multi-digit numbers are not perfectly matched, the ATM will reject the user. In such systems, there is little use in permitting partial matching or similarity. If punching in only 3 out of 4 numbers were acceptable, multiple users could be charged with a transaction. Matchers of this type could easily be built as integrated circuits, where the output indicates which of a set of predetermined codes is identical, i.e., matched perfectly.
For other types of applications, the signals do not need to be identical, i.e., a perfect match. Rather, the application only requires a degree of similarity between the input signal and some other signal. For example, an image processing system could be used in conjunction with a camera to determine whether the camera is looking at a car or an airplane. Because "cars" and "airplanes" can include different types with dissimilar body shapes and colors, there is typically no such thing as a perfect match to a car or airplane, only a degree of similarity based upon comparisons of the input image against a set of test parameters, where each test parameter represents, for example, a specific car model viewed at a specific magnification and angle. If the degree of similarity for a particular test parameter exceeds some predetermined threshold level, a matcher may indicate a match. The match or similarity also may have a degree of confidence. With reference to the specific car above, the car may be identified as either model A or model B where model A has a higher degree of confidence because it resulted in more similarities than model B. Similarities may be a closer wheelbase, a closer chassis length or height, etc.
Other types of applications may compare a first signal (or unknown) with one or more test parameters. One particular type of application relates to frequency analysis, and in particular, measuring the frequency of an unknown signal. Depending upon the nature of the signal, this type of measurement can be approached in many ways. For simple periodic signals with little noise, i.e., if the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is large, such as >>0 dB, such as a sine wave, the solution can be as simple as measuring the time between zero-crossings of the signal to determine the frequency. If the SNR is low, which indicates high noise levels, this method fails because a signal can be driven across the zero point by the noise. For such cases, more complex detection techniques are required. These include conventional spectrum analysis tools, such as those available from numerous commercial vendors, including Hewlett-Packard, Tektronix, B&K Instruments, and others. Alternatively, an analog signal may be digitized so a computer can perform a fast Fourier transform (FFT) on the data. The squared magnitude of a complex FFT represents a histogram of frequency (or spectral power) content of the signal over an explicitly defined set of predetermined frequencies. For example, a 256 point FFT represents 128 unique frequency bins. Each frequency bin indicates the relative amount of power at the corresponding frequency.
Digital FFTs can be performed in hardware or in software and represents the most common method of analyzing the frequency content of a signal. Despite its popularity, the FFT also has certain significant drawbacks. FFT algorithms are relatively complex and are difficult to implement for "real-time" calculations. One potential problem is latency, i.e., a computational result may appear with a significant delay following input of the last data sample. A second problem is bottle-necking, i.e., data is read into the front end of the processor faster than it can be processed and read out. This may result in the need to discard potentially useful data while the processor is busy. A third issue relates to sampling speed and scalability to large data sets. With the high complexity of FFTs, it becomes expensive and difficult to design chips beyond, for example, N>1024. Similarly, it becomes difficult to implement processors in high speed semiconductor materials, such as GaAs. A further disadvantage of FFT approaches is that computation times increase very rapidly if the number of samples is not a power of 2. As a result, FFT processors typically use 128, 256, 512, etc., number of samples per transform.
An additional drawback with conventional FFT implementations is that dynamic updates of frequency spectra on a sample-to-sample basis cannot be done rapidly.
With the increased use of digital computers around 1970, researchers began considering binary correlators for implementation in integrated circuits to determine the similarity or degree of match between a first signal and one or more parameters. An example of such a correlator that uses serial and parallel shift registers to calculate correlations and convolutions is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,033. Researchers also focused attention on a set of mathematical functions known as Walsh functions for a number of applications. For reviews, see, e.g., N. M. Blachman, "Sinusoids versus Walsh Functions", IEEE Proc. 62, 346 (1974) and A. Deb et al., "Walsh Functions and their Applications: A Review", IETE Technical Review, 9, 238 (1992). Walsh functions are similar to sines and cosines in the sense that they are periodic. However, rather than take on a continuous set of values, they only take on the values of +1 and −1. The idea of using such functions as the basis for digital calculations resulted in a significant body of work, but there appears to be no reference to the application of Walsh functions and a related transform ("the Walsh-Hadamard transform" or WHT) to the particular problem of calculating spectral content until 1996, when Lu (U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,100) was issued a patent implementing a Walsh-Hadamard transformation for frequency determinations.
Lu's technique requires two steps. First, the zero crossings of an AC signal are calculated in order to ensure that the sampling rate is large enough to meet the so-called Nyquist criterion. Following that first step, the second step comprises setting a suitable sampling rate and comparing the signal to a set of Walsh functions, in order to determine the signal frequency from the Walsh function having the same zero-crossing content as the signal.
A problem with this technique is that it assumes a high SNR, i.e., the signal must be "clean" enough that the first zero-crossing calculation is meaningful. In other words, the zero crossing is the result of the signal and not the noise. However, if the signals are clean enough that the number of zero crossings per unit time can be reliably calculated, there appears to be no need for the second step, because the rate of zero-crossings is by definition twice the signal frequency. In a more common case, the signal has a low SNR, which may be from significant amounts of wideband noise. In this case, simple zero-crossing calculations are not meaningful as the crossings (or lack thereof) may be the result of noise.
A second potential problem is that the Walsh functions are defined in terms of functions having the values+1 and −1, while conventional logic easily implemented in digital logic hardware has logical states of +1 and 0 (zero) corresponding to a high voltage and a zero voltage (for example, +5V and 0V in TTL logic). As a result of these issues, Lu's technique is not suitable for frequency extraction in a general case.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a method to the similarity or degree of match between two signals using binary logic to perform spectral and generalized correlation calculations, where the degree of similarity is indicated through a predetermined means, and where the signal-to-noise ratio does not have to be very large.
It would be further advantageous to provide a method to use such a matcher to measure the spectral content of a signal without invoking the complexities and other noted drawbacks of FFTs.
It would be further advantageous to provide a simple method that can be implemented in hardware, such as a single integrated circuit chip.
It would be further advantageous to provide a method for such implementation that allows for direct use of binary+1/0 logic.
It would be further advantageous to provide a method that permits simpler scaling to higher frequency resolutions than conventional FFT algorithms.
It would be further advantageous to provide a method that permits implementations of the algorithm requiring a minimum number of logic gates.
It would be further advantageous to provide a method that permits simple implementation in high-speed semiconductor materials.
It would be further advantageous to provide a method that permits rapid calculation of spectral information from an arbitrary number of samples, not simply sequences containing a power of 2 samples.
It would be further advantageous to provide a method that permits a continuous update of spectra without recalculation of an entire spectral transform.
It would be further advantageous to provide a method that permits averaging over any number of N-length sequences without further computational hardware or software, in order to improve the confidence and accuracy of matches.
It would be further advantageous to provide a multiple channel implementation where the detection of similarities is not dependent on inter-cell timing considerations.
It would be further advantageous to provide a multiple channel implementation where the frequency relationship and bandwidth of the channels is independent and flexible
It would be further advantageous to provide a method that permits, independent patterns in each channel for rapid pattern detection not requiring post processing in the frequency domain.

Method and apparatus to determine a match between signals


A method and system for conducting an offline session simulating an online session between a client and server in a network environment. The client imports data and functional logic from the server prior to going offline. The imported functional logic is embedded into a format or document that is capable of being interpreted and performed by the local interface at the client that is used to interact with server during an online session. Whether offline or online, the user utilizes the same local interface at the client to transmit instructions to the functional logic in order to manipulate the data. In an offline session, such instructions cause the imported and embedded functional logic to execute, thereby manipulating the data that is imported at the client. Known synchronization methods may also be used In order to maintain consistency and coherency between the imported data at the client and the database at the server.

The Internet provides the capability to provide services to customers without requiring them to install additional software on their local computers. Specifically, by exploiting the customer's web browser, all functional logic and all data can reside at a remote server rather than at the customer's local computer (i.e., the client). As such, the customer, via instructions submitted through web pages that are displayed in the web browser, can remotely invoke the functional logic to view, create, update, delete or otherwise modify the data residing on the remote server.
In the field of customer relationship management ("CRM"), the foregoing use of the Internet is ideal for enabling sales, customer support, and marketing teams and individuals to organize and manage their customer information. For example, all leads, opportunities, contacts, accounts, forecasts, cases, and solutions can be stored at a secure data center but may be easily viewed by any authorized sales-person (e.g., with a proper username and password) through a web browser and Internet connection. One key benefit of such an online CRM solution is the ability to share data real-time and enable ail team members to leverage a common set of information from one accessible location. For example, sales managers can track forecast roll-ups without requiring each sales representative to submit individual reports, as well as instantly access aggregated sales data without requiring each sales representative to manually submit such data. Similarly, reseller sales representatives and other external partners can be granted secure access to a company's sales data by providing them a username and password for the web site.
Nevertheless, such an online CRM solution suffers from the requirement that a user must have access to an Internet connection in order to access and manipulate the data residing on the remote server. For example, when a sales representative or manager is working in the field, such an Internet connection may not be readily available. As such, what is needed is a method for simulating an online session white the user is offline (e.g., without a network connection). Furthermore, it would be advantageous if such a method minimized the amount of user training and client-side installation and customization by taking advantage of pre-existing interfaces and technologies on the client computer.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method, system, and computer program product for simulating an online session


The present invention provides methods and systems for scanning an illumination spot over a target area. The present invention removes stored energy from a scanning element to stop the scanning element from vibrating and to substantially return the scanning element to its starting position so as to enable high frame rates.

The present invention relates generally to methods and scanning beam systems that provide high frame rates. More particularly, the present invention provides methods and systems for removing energy that is stored in a resonant scanning element.
A scanning beam device that has been developed by the University of Washington uses a single optical fiber to scan an illumination spot over a target area in a one or two dimensional scan pattern. Light reflected from the target area is sequentially captured by a light detector, such as a photodetector. The photodetector response is then used to determine the brightness of the small portion of the image that corresponds to the small area illuminated by the illumination spot at that given point in time during the scanning pattern.
While the optical fiber can be driven at any number of frequencies and in any number of one or two dimensional scan patterns, the optical fiber and the illumination spot is typically driven in at resonant frequency of the optical fiber in a spiral shaped scan pattern. "Resonant" is used herein to mean that the optical fiber is driven within a Q-factor of its resonant frequency. When driven within the Q-factor of the resonant frequency (FIG. 3), the optical fiber can achieve its desired deflection while using a minimal amount of energy.
As shown in FIG. 1, in an idealized spiral scan pattern 11 the illumination spot typically starts at an initial, central position and spirals outward until a maximum desired diameter is reached. Once the illumination spot reaches its maximum diameter, it is desirable to return the illumination spot to the center. One proposed spiral scan pattern spirals the illumination spot outward to its maximum diameter, and then spirals the illumination sport inward by retracing the original spiral pattern. Of course, if desired, it may be possible to start the scan pattern at its maximum diameter and then spiral the illumination spot inward toward the middle.
To achieve the resonant spiral scan pattern 11 of FIG. 1, the optical fiber is driven along two drive axes (y and z or horizontal and vertical) with horizontal and vertical triangle amplitude modulated sine waves 13, 15 that are driven with a 90 degree phase shift between them (FIG. 2). If the optical fiber is circular, the horizontal and vertical resonant vibrations will have the same frequency and equal amplitude (but still 90 degrees out of phase). An increasing amplitude portion 17 of the drive signals 13, 15 cause the illumination spot to spiral outward from the initial, central position. The decreasing amplitude portion 19 of the drive signals 13, 15 cause the illumination spot to spiral inward, back toward the initial, central position. It was contemplated that images of the target area could be obtained by collecting back scattered light during the increasing amplitude portion 17, the decreasing amplitude portion 19, or both.
Applicants have found that there are two significant issues when driving a scanning element using the drive signals 13, 15 of FIG. 2.
First, because the scanning element is typically driven substantially in resonance, the scanning element tends to store a large amount of energy. The stored energy will cause the scanning element to continue to move at large amplitudes even after the amplitude of the drive signal is reduced (or removed). For example, in experiments Applicants have found that the illumination spot will follow the increasing amplitude portion 17 of the drive signal rather closely, but when the drive signal moves to the decreasing amplitude portion 19, the illumination spot does not follow as closely. Instead, the stored energy in the scanning element causes the illumination spot to decrease its scan diameter at a much lower rate than the drive signal.
While image and drive remapping methods (described in commonly owned and copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/956,241, filed Oct. 1, 2004, the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference) can correct for the distortions in the image caused by the differences between the theoretical position of the illumination spot defined by the drive signal and the slower, actual position of the illumination spot, the stored energy in the resonating fiber may also cause a "hole" to appear in the center of the image (FIG. 4). Remapping methods can not correct for the hole in the center of the image. The hole in the center of the image is caused when the drive signal repeats the increasing amplitude portion of the drive signal before the illumination spot can return back to the center of the image (e.g., its initial, center position). In some scenarios, a diameter of the hole may be equal to half of the image, or more.
The second issue also involves the fact that the scan pattern may vary during the increasing amplitude portions and decreasing amplitude portions 17, 19 of the scan pattern 11. Using image or drive remapping and other techniques, however, it is possible to generate images in both scan directions that appear identical. Unfortunately, the actual scan pattern of the illumination spot may change depending on the environmental factors at the site of its use. Typically, temperature has the biggest effect on the scan pattern. For example, on the increasing amplitude portion 17, the changes caused by the higher or lower temperatures may be small and can be ignored or otherwise compensated for with the remapping methods. But for the decreasing amplitude portion 19, the changes caused by the temperature may be harder to correct. The temperature factors may cause images in the two scan directions to change in opposite ways. For example, on the increasing amplitude portion, the image may rotate clockwise, while during the decreasing amplitude portion the image may rotate counter-clockwise. If images are captured during both the increasing and decreasing amplitude portions, this may result in a display in which two diverging images are toggled at the frame update rate, which will cause the resultant captured image to become useless.
Therefore, what are needed are methods and systems which can provide high frame rates while accurately generating an image of the target area. It would be desirable if such methods and system can compensate for the energy stored in the resonating scanning element.

Methods of driving a scanning beam device to achieve high frame rates


A valve device for an intake system of an internal combustion engine may include a housing and a flap arrangement. The housing may have one inlet duct per cylinder of the internal combustion engine. The flap arrangement may have a flap for each inlet duct for varying the cross-section of the respective inlet duct through which a flow can pass. The respective flap may be a trough-shaped flap having a curved stirrup region. The respective flap may be arranged between the stirrup ends eccentrically with respect to a flap pivot axis. The flap arrangement may have a common actuating shaft for the common pivoting of the flaps about the flap pivot axis. The actuating shaft may be coupled with an adjusting drive via a lever element having a metallic insert and a plastic body injected onto the insert.

A flap device of the type named in the introduction is known from DE 199 46 861 A1. The flap device has a housing which has precisely one inlet duct for each cylinder of the internal combustion engine. In addition, the flap device has a flap arrangement which has for each inlet duct a flap for varying the cross-section of the respective inlet duct through which a flow can pass.
In the known flap device, all the flaps together form an integral body in a single piece, which undertakes at the same time the function of the actuating shaft. The individual flaps in this flap device are configured as butterfly flaps, which are arranged centrally with respect to the flap pivot axis.
From EP 0 726 388 A1 another flap device is known, in which the housing for each cylinder of the internal combustion engine has two inlet ducts, wherein the flap arrangement has a flap for varying the cross-section through which a flow can pass only for every other inlet duct. For the actuation of the flaps, a common actuating shaft is provided, on which the individual flaps are arranged. For this, the actuating shaft has for each flap a projection on which the respective flap is arranged, whereby a favourable torque transmission is produced between the actuating shaft and the flap.
In the known flap device, the flaps can be configured as butterfly flaps arranged centrally with respect to the flap pivot axis or as flaps formed eccentrically with respect to the flap pivot axis, projecting from the integral actuating shaft.


A method for measuring the rotational speed of an EC motor having a primary part including a winding, and a secondary part having magnet segments offset with respect to one another in the circumferential direction and magnetized in alternatingly opposite directions, the magnet segments having tolerances regarding their positioning and/or their dimensions, the method including rotating the secondary part with respect to the primary part and detecting the position of the magnet segments with respect to the primary part. The position measuring signal is differentiated to form a rotational speed signal. At least one correction value is determined and saved to compensate the influence of at least one of the tolerances on the speed signal. The speed signal is corrected with the aid of the correction value.

A method for measuring the speed of an EC motor, which is provided for operating a hydraulic pressure medium transmitter, is described in DE 102 32 500 A1, where the pressure medium transmitter adjusts a clutch, via which a torque is transmissible from the internal combustion engine to the transmission of a motor vehicle. While the secondary part of the EC motor is moved with respect to the primary part by commutating the current supply to the winding, the position of the magnet segments of the secondary part with respect to the primary part is detected using Hall sensors. The position measuring signal changes its value after each segment, i.e., rotational angle, of 6°. The position measuring signal is differentiated to form the rotational speed signal. To improve the resolution of the speed signal over the periphery of the EC motor, the segment between two sensor signals is subdivided into a number of substeps. The system is synchronized at the position of a sensor signal in such a way that the instantaneous rotational speed is known. The rotational speed from substep to substep is computed starting from this point using the model until synchronization is performed again at the next sensor signal. The resolution of the rotational speed signal over the periphery can be improved using this method.
However, since the magnet segments have tolerances regarding their positioning on the periphery of the secondary part and regarding their dimensions in the circumferential direction, which are not individually known in detail, inaccuracies which are not, or at least not fully, compensated even by subdividing the segment between two sensor signals into substeps occur when the model is synchronized. If the angular position between two magnet segment-sensor combinations in the case of an EC motor having four pairs of poles and three Hall sensors, for example, differs from a setpoint value by ±20% and the speed of the EC motor is 1000 rpm, the position measuring signal changes value every 2.5 ms on the average, i.e., from 2 ms to 3 ms. The speed thus varies from 833 rpm to 1250 rpm, i.e., it may differ from the previous value by approximately 40%. These sudden changes in the measured speed, exhibiting differences of ±20% from the actual speed, considerably affect a speed governor, for example, or only allow low-dynamics regulation.
While the speed signal could be smoothed, for example, by forming the mean of the next-to-last, last, and present measured speed values, the averaged measured speed value would not reflect the speed at the present point in time, but at the time of the last change in the position measuring signal.

Method for measuring the rotational speed of an EC motor

Luk Lamellen und Kupplungsbau Beteiligungs KG


Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer readable media are provided for maintaining local virtual states pending server-side storage across multiple devices and users and intermittent network connections. In exemplary embodiments, content added by a user to his or her account locally on a user device may be displayed, and all interactivity therewith may be facilitated, as if the content had already been created on the content management system. In content management system applications that support shared virtual spaces, changes made by the user from his or her user device to the shared virtual space (including creation of a new shared virtual space) may be displayed locally as soon as the change has been made, not waiting for the information to be transmitted to the server or its state to be made consistent with that of the mobile device.

While photograph applications, video applications, and other content sharing applications have become increasingly popular, the services and features currently provided by these sorts of applications come with inherent limitations. Recognizing these limitations, online content management systems ("CMSs") offer a user a convenient portal for cloud storage and interactivity with his or her content. In such systems, as well as in corresponding applications running on user devices, users may upload and perform various operations to content, such as photographs and videos, for example. Some of these operations may be quite complex, and may involve large amounts of content. Such operations may, for example, include uploading photographs and/or videos to a user account, receiving shares of photographs and/or videos from other users, and copying photographs and/or videos to a user account, sharing photographs and/or videos with other users of the content management system, creating and sharing albums or collections of content items, and/or interacting with the content items, or any interaction with content, or any combination thereof.
Conventionally, there are various options available where such a local application may be implemented. For example, one option may be to implement the application locally as a standalone application. This option would rely on some sort of messaging feature to pass content received from other users to the user device. This option, however, limits the amount of content a user may store in their account to the capacity of their user device running the local application, and requires complex messaging and management of data creation to replicate the state of content items that are exchanged or shared across all relevant user devices.
Another option may be, for example, an application implemented on a server with every local action being supported by the server. In this scenario, the server controls the "existence" of content in any user account, and the server must record any operations (e.g., modifications, shares, messages, etc.) between the user device and the user, or the user device and other devices. This option may afford many opportunities for storing large amounts of data, as well as managing sharing and other interactions between users of the content management system. For example, shared virtual spaces where various users of the content management system are "members" may be provided to share content and post messages related to such content in a separate manner as opposed to simply in a user account.
However, this option has drawbacks because the server driven model limits local interaction to only when connectivity is high, or meets a certain threshold. If a user device is weakly, or intermittently connected to the content management system server across a data network (e.g., a smartphone connected to a cellular network), content created, and actions taken, on the user device that require the content management system server to store, acknowledge, organize, and/or manage the content cannot be processed until the appropriate connectivity is restored. For example, a user may upload a collection of photographs from his/her smartphone using a content management system application, but may not see the photographs appear in their user account for many hours. Because the photographs do not yet appear within the account, the user cannot share them with others, review them, modify them, or perform any other action to the photographs. This may cause the user experience to be extremely dissatisfying and frustrating.
Thus, it is highly desirable for a user to be able to experience a seamless response of a content management system application running on his or her user device, to (i) the creation of content, (ii) the addition of photos or messages to a user account or other user accessible data structure, (iii) the downloading of shared content to a personal account on the content management system, and to (iv) other responses to his or her interactions with the application. However, unless connectivity to the server is guaranteed to be sufficient, this may not always be possible. This may correspond to the fact that while the connectivity on a user device between the user interface and the underlying client software is permanent, the connection between the underlying client software and the server may often be intermittent.
Thus, it would be beneficial to provide users of content management systems with the experience of a seamless response of a content management system application running on their user device as if all backend operations were occurring locally.

Systems and methods for maintaining local virtual states pending server-side storage across multiple devices and users and intermittent network connections


A system is provided for suppressing flow-induced cavitation in a fluid f. At least one acoustic transducer is coupled to the fluid flow in a region that is susceptible to the formation of cavitation bubbles. The transducer (or transducers) applies an acoustic field to the fluid flow in order to raise the cavitation threshold pressure of the fluid flow above the total local pressure including the pressure drop induced by the fluid flow and the pressure due to the acoustic field.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to suppressing cavitation in a hydraulic component, and more particularly to a system using acoustic energy to suppress cavitation in a hydraulic component.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Cavitation in and near hydraulic components (e.g., valves, pumps, injectors, conduits with sharp bends, etc.) of a fluid flow system is undesirable for a variety of reasons. The formation of cavitation bubbles adversely affects the performance of the system. The large release of heat energy brought about by the contraction and collapse of a vapor bubble can cause pitting on the inside surfaces of the hydraulic component. Over time, the pitting can affect the fluid flow and/or lead to failure of the hydraulic component. In addition, the formation and subsequent collapse of cavitation bubbles generates acoustic noise within the system.
Prior art approaches to preventing cavitation involve particular mechanical designs of the hydraulic component. This generally requires complete replacement of parts in an already existing fluid flow system. However, such replacement is not always practical or cost effective. In addition, specific mechanical designs might not be able to prevent cavitation in the event of changing flow conditions (e.g., pressure changes in the fluid flow due to velocity changes).

System for suppressing cavitation in a hydraulic component

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


An image sensor having a pixel architecture for capturing a depth image and a color image. The image sensor may be configured in a pixel architecture in which a floating diffusion (FD) node is shared, and may operate in different pixel architectures in a depth mode and a color mode, respectively.

1. Field
Example embodiments of the following disclosure relate to an image sensor having a pixel architecture for capturing a depth image and a color image, and more particularly, to an image sensor having a pixel architecture including pixels sharing a floating diffusion (FD) node.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to capture a three-dimensional (3D) image of an object, a color image and a depth image of the object may be extracted simultaneously. Capturing a 3D image using a conventional image photographing apparatus may be difficult because the image photographing apparatus extracts only a color image of an object. As such, it may be difficult to obtain depth information from the color image alone.
To resolve such difficulties, as a method of extracting a depth image of an object, a time of flight (TOF) process by which a light may be radiated, and a TOF of the light may be verified by sensing a light reflected by the object, may be employed.
Further, a size of a pixel used in a depth camera extracting a depth image may be in a range of about 30 to 40 micrometers (μm). In addition, a size of a pixel used in a color camera extracting a color image may be in a range of about 1.4 to 3.6 μm.
In order to generate a 3D image, both the depth image and the color image may be obtained. Accordingly, in order to extract both the depth image and the color image using a pixel, it may be necessary to reduce a size of the pixel. However, when the size of the pixel is reduced, a size of a photodiode included in the pixel may be reduced, and a sensitivity of the photodiode may decrease. As the sensitivity of the photodiode decreases, a degree of precision for measuring the depth may also decrease. Accordingly, securing a maximum size of the photodiode may be necessary.

Image sensor having pixel architecture for capturing depth image and color image


A precision clamp blade sharpening system includes a fittably adjustable clamping device attached by means of a support bar to a spring-loaded pin level and an adjustable bar to a sliding bar on top of a housing unit wherein is situated a means for regulating the velocity of the rotation of a circular sharpening disc which performs the function of sharpening scissor and/or other blade edges held in the clamp device by means of adjustable pieces which set the blade edge at a degree setting desired by the user and which clamp device may be extended for use with large circular sharpening discs or replaced with one designed for the sharpening of cuticle nippers and/or the inside parts of other blades.

The present invention relates to a precision clamp blade sharpening system. It is designed to provide a sophisticated means of sharpening the edges of scissor blades, manicure nipper blades and dental curette instruments by means of a clamping device which is fittably adjusted onto the surface of a circular sharpening disc mounted on a unit, which regulates the velocity of its rotation for purposes of sharpening said scissor edge.
Devices which relate to the sharpening of knives, scissors and other cutting instruments are generally known in the art. However, none of the existing art provides a means for the exclusive sharpening of scissors by means of a rotational system with a fittably adjustable clamp.

Nipper clamp for precison clamp scissors sharpening system


A system is disclosed for locally introducing fluid, such as a gas, at a predetermined location into molten resin downstream from a resin injection aperture to form a hollow part. The gas is utilized at the localized area to distribute the molten resin, to eliminated molded in stress and to prevent formation of sink marks in the part during resin solidification. An overflow reservoir outside of the mold cavity is filled with the resin during resin injection and then the gas is introduced into the reservoir through a fluid aperture and into the part. The reservoir creates a cocoon of solidified material to act as a seal to prevent gas leakage. One hollow body formed by the method and system includes a substantially endless hollow body portion with a fluid opening for communicating the interior of the hollow body portion with the locally introduced fluid. The hollow body provides an internal gas manifold and means for greater structural integrity.

It is well known in the plastic molding art to use pressurized fluid in conjunction with the injection molding of articles. The pressurized fluid is typically nitrogen gas which is introduced into the molten plastic.
Pressurized fluid serves many purposes. First, it allows the article so formed to have hollow interior portions which result in weight and material savings. Secondly, it minimizes the molded in stresses by eliminating high second stage injection pressure. This also reduces part weight in that the gas is used to fill out the part. Thirdly, the pressurized fluid applies outward pressure to force the plastic against the surfaces of the mold cavity while the article is setting up. This enhances surface quality by eliminating sink marks, especially in areas of the article having thicker plastic sections, such as structural ribs or bosses.
One problem associated with fluid-assisted injection molding is that some parts are of such a size and shape so as to reduce the benefits normally obtained from the use of fluid-assisted injection molding. For example, for some items it is near impossible for the gas introduced at the injection aperture to move to the farthest reaches of the mold cavity. Very complex channel configurations throughout the part would be required to put the gas in a local area where it is needed and to the farthest reaches of the mold.
U.K. Patent Application 2,139,548 discloses an injection molding process wherein pressurized fluid is injected into a stream of plastic material at one or more selected positions in the mold space.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,717 discloses a localized fluid-assisted injection molding method and system including a probe having a head with one or more fluid orifices. In one embodiment the probe is retractable.
West German Patent Document 2,106,546 discloses a method and apparatus for forming plastic shoe heels with compressed gas blown into the center of the plastic mass. The resulting hollow cavity is then filled with a synthetic foam.
Part requirements and tooling considerations (i.e. thin steel sections), however, may prevent the introduction of gas directly into the part.

System for localized fluid-assisted injection molding


A toy linkage comprises a posable metal wire within a covering, the posable metal wire and covering forming a cross-section for the toy linkage that is no more than 50% comprised of the posable metal wire.

Linkages for toy building blocks, such as those made by LEGO®, Duplo®, Mega Bloks, Built to Rule, K'nex, Kre-O, and others, provide limited degrees of movement and positioning in the three dimensional plane for the blocks they connect.
Flexible plastic cables, string, plastic rods, and plastic tubes have been used to connect building blocks, as illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,433,549, 5,733,168, 6,000,984, 6,213,839, 6,461,215, 6,676,474, 6,843,700, and PCT/DK1991/000373. Other prior art systems are Lego® Technic Sets 5118, 7471, 8002, 8074, 8412, 8437, 8440, 8444, 8445, 8457, 8479, 8482, 8483, 8485, 8828, 8836, 8839, 8856, and 9748.
As shown in FIG. 1A, an end P1 is connected to a bendable plastic rod P2 via neck P3. Front end P1, rod P2, and neck P3 are shaped to be received in a complementary slot P11-P13 of the receiver block P10. Thus, a plastic rod P2 with necks P3 and ends P1 disposed on either terminus of the rod P2 is used to tether blocks to which receiver block P10 may couple, provided the necks P3 and ends P1 are capable of receipt in the receiver block slots P11-P13. In an alternative arrangement shown by FIG. 1B, a receiver block P10 is comprised of a jaw P5, a mouth P6, and a tooth P7 that engages a recess/neck P3 in a plastic rod P2 received within block P10. In this arrangement, the prior art receiver block P10 relies on plastic-on-plastic coupling between tooth P7 and recess P3 to maintain rod P2 in the block P10, e.g., a crimping connection.
All of these linkage systems suffer disadvantages in terms of the reduction in strength from repeated use and/or exposure to heat, weakness when loaded in a direction perpendicular to their cross-section, and/or lack of ability to be bent in any number of conformations while also substantially maintaining a conformation in three-dimensional space, e.g., wilting or buckling in response to loads.


A nanostructured electrode for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, a manufacturing method thereof, and a fuel cell including the nanostructured electrode are provided. The nanostructured electrode includes: a three-dimensional nanostructure including a nanoporous aerogel and an ionomer surrounding the surface of the aerogel; and a catalyst dispersed in the three-dimensional nanostructure. The electrode can obtain excellent current density and power density even with a relatively small amount of catalyst by having improved catalyst performance due to nanostructuring of an ionomer, uniform catalyst dispersion and increased catalyst utilization ratio, can also obtain a price reduction effect through a decrease in the amount of catalyst used, and is excellent in the mass transfer efficiency and low humidification performance.

Fuel cells, as cells including a power generation system of directly converting chemical reaction energy such as an oxidation/reduction reaction of hydrogen and oxygen contained in a hydrocarbon based fuel substance such as methanol, ethanol or a natural gas into electric energy, have been in the limelight as a next generation clean energy source which is capable of replacing fossil energy due to high energy efficiency and environmentally friendly characteristics of reducing the emission of pollutants.
The fuel cells have an advantage that the fuel cells can generate various output ranges by a stack configuration due to stacking of unit cells, and exhibit 4 to 10 times of an energy density compared to small lithium batteries. Therefore, the fuel cells have been receiving attention as a small and mobile portable power supply.
A stack substantially generating electricity in the fuel cells has a structure in which several to tens of unit cells including a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) and a separator (or bipolar plate) are stacked, and the membrane-electrode assembly generally has a structure in which an oxidization electrode (anode or fuel electrode) and a reduction electrode (cathode or air electrode) are each formed on both sides of an electrolyte membrane.
The fuel cells can be divided into an alkali electrolyte fuel cell, a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) and others according to conditions and types of the electrolyte. The polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell among the fuel cells has been in the limelight as a portable, vehicle or household power supply device due to its advantages such as a low operating temperature of less than 100° C., fast starting and response characteristics, excellent durability and the like.
Typical examples of the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell may include a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) using hydrogen gas as a fuel, a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) using a liquid methanol as a fuel, and others.
Summarizing a reaction occurring in the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell, when the fuel such as the hydrogen gas is first supplied to the oxidization electrode, hydrogen ions (H+) and electrons (e−) are generated by an oxidation reaction of hydrogen in the oxidization electrode. The generated hydrogen ions are transferred to the reduction electrode through a polymer electrolyte membrane, and the generated electrons are transferred to the reduction electrode through an external circuit. Oxygen is supplied to the reduction electrode, and oxygen is combined with the hydrogen ions and electrons to generate water by a reduction reaction of oxygen.
Electrodes of a fuel cell can be manufactured through an electrode forming composition including an ionomer and a solvent, and combination and dispersion degree between the ionomer and the solvent have a great effect on performance and durability of the cell.
On the other hand, since a nanoporous aerogel, as an ultra-porous high specific surface area material having a porosity of about 80 to 99% by volume and a pore size range of 1 to 100 nm, has the most excellent properties such as ultra-light weight, super heat-insulation and ultra-low dielectric properties which are the lightest and the most excellent among materials that have been developed to date by mankind, a research on the aerogel materials as a super capacitor, an electrode material for seawater desalination, a ultralow-dielectric material and optical and acoustic materials as well as a development research on aerogel materials have been actively performed.
Particularly required are new application products and technology development of the silica aerogel in addition to new market expansion of a silica aerogel as a promising material having infinite applicability in energy/environmental/electric and electronic fields such as an energy saving material, a sound absorption material, a fireproof material or the like for building, industries, space aviation, shipbuilding and others.
However, there have been no cases of using the silica aerogel as an electrode material up to now.

Nanostructured electrode for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell, and manufacturing method therefor


Stretch-formable metal-plastic composite laminate, for example for the production of containers, the laminate having a metal layer and a plastic layer on both sides of the metal layer, the metal layer having a thickness x and the plastic layers each having a thickness of 0.7 x to 1.4 x, and x being a thickness of 30 to 70 .mu.m, and the plastic layers containing thermoplastics based on olefin, for example polypropylene, or consisting of them.

The invention relates to a stretch-formable metal-plastic composite laminate, the use of the laminate and container therefrom.
It is known to use stretch-formed aluminum molded packs for pharmaceutical products and foodstuffs, for example as press-through packs, containers, under-seal trays, double molds and the like. They are able to meet to maximum effect the high requirements for the protection of the goods against diffusion of oxygen, steam and light, or escape of, for example fragrances, and to improve the user-friendliness of the pack.
In addition, sterilizability, pasteurizability or suitability for hot-filling often belong to the stated requirements.
The state of the art is to produce stretch-formed containers from laminates which have a central aluminum layer, an outer layer of oriented polyamide and an inner layer of polyvinyl chloride. Today the use of polyvinyl chloride should be limited due to reasons relating to environmental protection. Polyvinyl chloride-free layers or those low in polyvinyl chloride have the advantage that if they are energy-recycled as opposed to material-recycled, they produce no pollutants or only few pollutants on combustion. It is also advantageous for disposal and recycling of laminates of this type if there are as few as possible different types of material.
Composite laminates for packs containing no polyvinyl chloride are known per se.
European Application 0 317 818 describes a packaging laminate for tobacco products which has barrier properties. However, the material is only envisaged. for packing, for example cigarettes and is therefore very thin, that is having a maximum thickness limit of 2.5 mils, corresponding to 63.5 .mu.m. A material of this type is not suitable for stretch-forming.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,085,244 and 4,216,268 describe a laminated packaging film comprising an outer biaxially oriented polyamide film, a flexible metal foil, a biaxially oriented polypropylene and an inner sealing layer for the manufacture of pouches.
This film is less suitable as a stretch-form laminate because of its asymmetric construction with a relatively strong inner sealing layer. Furthermore, recycling is made more difficult by the use of two types of plastic.
German Patentschrift 3 436 412 describes a metal sheet laminated on one side or both sides with a biaxially oriented polyester film which ought to be suitable for drawing tins. To achieve secure bonding of metal to the polyester film, the metal sheet must have a double layer of hydrated chromium oxide. A metal sheet of this type is complex to manufacture and chromium oxide layers are undesirable, for example in foodstuffs packaging, or may be prohibited.
None of these film composites or laminates described hitherto can be combined to give optimum properties required for stretch-forming. This also applies to the properties required for reasons relating to environmental protection, which promote, for example recyclability of laminates or the objects prepared therefrom, such as packages.
A suitable composite laminate must support the stretching of the metal layer during the stretch-forming process, so that surface extensions of 80% and higher may be achieved without damage, such as perforation of the metal layer. Protection of the metal layer with regard to damage by cracks or perforation has greater significance since the metal layer serves primarily as a barrier layer against the diffusion of gases, such as oxygen, steam and light, and against the escape of fragrances and aromatic substances.


A tin-silver alloy plating solution having a tin compound, a silver compound, and a complexing agent including a pyrophosphoric compound and an iodic compound. The tin-silver alloy layer composition can achieve a high electric current efficiency without using harmful compounds such as cyanides. The plating solution is very stable, possesses adhesivability, and the solder-wettability of the tin-silver alloy layer is satisfactory. Also, the alloy is an advantageous alloy for solder plating.

A technology of forming metals into metallic complexies are an essential technology in fields of plating, analyzing, etc. Conventionally, cyanides, ammonia, organic acids, etc. are used as complexing agents. But, there is no complexing agent which is effective for all metals; and it is difficult to treat waste water with cyanides, which are relatively effective among said agents, due to the harmful effect to human bodies. Thus, a complexing agent, which is capable of effectively complexing many metals without damaging human health, is required.
On the other hand, pollution of underground water by lead is a type of environmental pollution, and thus products containing lead are severely restricted, such that tin-lead solder is replaced by lead-free solder. Thus, plating layers coated with tin-lead solder should be replaced by lead-free solder.
Thus, tin-silver alloy is to be employed instead of tin-lead solder alloy, and Matsushita Electric Company has disclosed the use of tin-silver solder paste (see Nikken Sangyo Press, Feb. 1, 1996). A method of forming a tin-silver solder layer by plating is now required. The tin-silver alloy has anti-sulphurizability, so it is employed instead of silver.
The difference of electrodeposition potential between silver and tin is 900 mV or more as standard oxidation-reduction potential. Cyanide, e.g., potassium cyanide, is included in the plating solution so as to codeposite tin and silver when forming the tin-silver alloy layer. With the cyanide, there are many problems, including polluting waste water, safe work, etc., so that a tin-silver plating solution including no cyanides is required.
An object of the present invention is to provide an aqueous solution for forming metallic complexes which do not contain cyanides; a tin-silver alloy plating solution, wherein, the composition can be optionally changed; and a method of plating in said plating solution.

Aqueous solution for forming metal complexes, tin-silver alloy plating bath, and process for producing plated object using the plating bath

Naganoken and Shinko Electric Industries Co., Ltd.


An equestrian saddle having flaps, and a block mounted to each flap for engagement by the leg of the rider, the block being mounted to the flap by a mounting system which permits the position of the block on the flap to be adjusted and which retains the block in its selected position on the flap by a clamping action between the block and the flap.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a saddle for equestrian use and more particularly it relates to a design of saddle flap which allows the contours of the flap easily to be adjusted.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an equestrian saddle comprises a saddle flap extending downwardly from each side of the seat and overlying a saddle panel at that side. The outer surface of the flap may be profiled with padding in its forward part to overlie a block fixed to the panel beneath the flap and which contours the forward end portion of the flap for engagement by the leg of the rider. Ideally, a different contouring is needed for different uses of the saddle to provide grip by the part of the rider's leg appropriate to that usage. Accordingly, for example, the size and/or position and/or shape of a block of a saddle primarily intended for use in dressage will be different to that in a saddle primarily intended for use in jumping and both will be different to the block, if provided, in a general purpose saddle. Conventionally, this means that a different saddle may be produced for different primary uses.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,740,665 proposes a design of saddle flap in which the contour at its forward end portion can be modified in order to change the saddle to suit a different primary use. In this previously proposed saddle, the flap is provided with a removable forward part which is contoured by means of a block to suit a specific usage, a range of different forward parts being provided each with a different contour with the user selecting whichever forward part best suits the intended use at that time and mounting that to the remainder of the flap panel. While this proposal provides a saddle which can be adjusted by the user to suit a number of different primary uses nevertheless it is quite an expensive solution as a range of different replaceable flap parts must be acquired and, moreover, it is not really practical for a saddle manufacturer to provide more than a small number of different configurations of contouring.