An image processing apparatus and method include providing a same label number to adjacent black pixels that form a group of black pixels, the label number provided to each group of black pixels being unique, the black pixels being included in binary read data, determining, when the number of black pixels in a group of black pixels counted on the basis of the unique label number is less than a predetermined number, that the black pixels with the unique label number are noise and removing the black pixels from targets to be processed, acquiring coordinate information on at least one of black pixels that remain after noise has been removed, and extracting a document area on the basis of the acquired coordinate information.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and a control method therefor, and more particularly, to an image processing apparatus for extracting a document area, reading the extracted document area, and storing or printing the read image.
2. Description of the Related Art
For use in known image processing apparatuses, many algorithms for detecting and cutting out a rectangular area from an original image (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 8-237537 (Page No. 15 and FIG. 10) and 2004-30430 (Page No. 17 and FIG. 9)) have been proposed. In addition, an image processing apparatus for performing binarization processing and labeling processing is also known (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-188587 (Page Nos. 5 and 6, and FIGS. 1 and 2)).
An image processing apparatus described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-237537 performs outline extraction processing and searches for a rectangular area by searching for a portion having a straight outline. However, in a noisy environment, it is difficult to detect the straight portion of a rectangular outline and to further detect a single rectangle by associating four straight lines that form the rectangular outline.
In order to increase detection accuracy in a noisy environment, an image processing apparatus described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-30430 creates histograms of the number of black pixels in horizontal and vertical directions, and uses the trapezoidal approximation to detect whether a rectangle is present and to detect the inclination direction thereof from the histograms. However, if a boundary between a document area and a background is blurred (if a color difference between a document and a pressure plate for a platen glass is small in a reader), it is difficult to detect a document area.
In a known technique described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-188587, a histogram of binary image data is generated. Only black pixels of a predetermined size or greater in the histogram remain. However, if there are a plurality of clusters of pixels which are provided with label numbers in a document of a single page, and if document areas are cut out on a label number-by-label number basis, a plurality of pages is cut out.

Image processing apparatus and method for extracting a document area


An adverse terrain vegetation cutting apparatus articulates to conform to adverse surface conditions. Upon detecting instability the apparatus may automatically rotate to a more stable position. The apparatus includes a spiral flail line storage head.

Regular yard maintenance is needed to keep weeds, grass, and vegetation within desired parameters. Existing methods of trimming, cutting, or mowing weeds, grass, and vegetation often require an operator to be in direct contact with a mower, trimmer, or cutting machine or apparatus. As a result, the terrain must be relatively flat and smooth to allow the operator to safely walk behind, push, or ride the mower. Unfortunately, the terrain of a yard does not always stay within prescribed operational limits so additional tools are often needed to safely complete the yard maintenance whenever the terrain becomes too steep in slope or if irregular surface conditions exist such as bumps, rocks, ditches, and the like. A variety of different yard maintenance tools and devices may be used to access these areas with adverse terrain, such as a boom type weed whacker, trimmer, or brush cutter type tool.
In these adverse conditions, the operator of these tools is physically subjected to any number of harsh conditions. For example, boom type trimmers often need to be carried by the operator, which will place additional stress on the neck, back, shoulders, hands, wrists, legs, and ankles of the operator. Some yard maintenance devices even subject an operator to unnatural vibrations and exhaust fumes. Moreover, the nature of these yard maintenance devices requires that the operator wear protective clothing to shield from flying debris. But even standard protective gear cannot always protect the operator from unexpected environmental dangers accidentally uncovered by the normal operation of the device. For example, a trimmer may inadvertently encounter a ground level bee's nest or accidentally cause the release of a concentrated pollen cloud. Both situations would immediately subject an operator holding the yard maintenance device to a potentially life threatening environment, which is even further complicated if the operator is working on adverse terrain where footing may be unreliable.

Cutting head with spiral flail line storage


A cabinet catch (10) consists of an integrally molded plastic clip (14) and bracket (12) for mounting to a portion of a cabinet structure. The clip (14) is manufactured from a first plastic material. The clip (14) is rotatable relative to the bracket (12) about an axis of rotation (20). The bracket (12) is formed from a second plastic material different from the first material. The first and second plastic materials are dissimilar to each other so they do not bond to each other. A method of manufacturing the cabinet catch (10) includes the steps of injection molding the clip (14) with a first plastic material and then injection molding the bracket (12) with a second plastic material different from the first plastic material so that the clip and the bracket (12) are integrally molded.

A cabinet is a cupboard-like compartment fitted with shelves or drawers for storing articles and is usually closed by a hinged door. It is desirable to prevent the cabinet door when closed from easily opening to prevent the contents of the cabinet from falling out, especially if the cabinet is located in a movable structure such as a camper or a boat. A closed cabinet door can be releasably secured to the cabinet by a cabinet latch assembly.
A known type of cabinet latch assembly consists of a catch and a latch for securing to the catch. The catch is a nine-component assembly. The time to assemble a nine-component cabinet catch is lengthy because of the large number of components. There is a need for a cabinet catch which consists of a minimum number of components to shorten manufacturing time, reduce assembly time, reduce assembly cost and improve reliability of operation.

Cabinet catch for use in a cabinet latch assembly and a method for making the catch


According to some embodiments, an application server may have a repository to facilitate a transfer of data between data storage elements. A datastore may be stored in the repository for a data storage element, the datastore including a password reference identifier. A password center table may be created in the repository to associate the password reference identifier with an actual encrypted password for the data storage element. At execution time, the password reference identifier in the datastore may be automatically replaced with the actual encrypted password for the data storage element.

An application server may facilitate transfers of data associated with data storage elements. For example, an Extract, Transform, Load ("ETL") tool may move data between data storage elements, including databases, web services, plain files, etc. The application server may store encrypted passwords for the data storage elements to allow access to the data sources at run time. In particular, the passwords may be stored at the application server in datastores associated with the data storage elements. Note, however, that different datastores may store the encrypted passwords in different ways. For example, one datastore might be associated with a database and save a password as a property of a datastore object while another datastore saves a password as an element of a property of the datastore object. Further note that, for security reasons, passwords and/or encryption keys may be changed (e.g., on a periodic basis or as a result of a customer request). It can be difficult, however, to automatically update the password information in the various datastores in an efficient and accurate manner. It may therefore be desirable to provide automated and efficient systems and methods to manage passwords and keys at an application server.

Centralized datastore password management


An advance arrangement for controlling timing of fuel delivery by a fuel pump in an engine comprises an advance piston which is movable in either an advance or a retard direction to advance or retard, respectively, the timing of fuel pump delivery, wherein a surface associated with the advance piston is exposed to fuel pressure within a main advance control chamber. The advance piston has a supply port to allow fuel to flow into the main advance control chamber and a drain port to allow fuel to flow out of the main advance control chamber. A servo piston is movable relative to the advance piston to control opening and closing of the supply port and the drain port. The advance arrangement is characterised by a restricted flow means for restricting the flow of fuel out of the main advance control chamber through the drain port when the advance piston moves in the retard direction beyond a predetermined amount.

In a conventional rotary fuel pump, the angular position of a cam ring is adjusted by means of a servo advance arrangement. One known type of servo advance arrangement is described in our co-pending European patent application EP 1356196. The servo advance arrangement includes a main piston (referred to as the advance piston) which cooperates with a cam arrangement of the fuel pump to adjust the timing of fuel pump delivery. The advance piston is responsive to fuel pressure changes within an advance piston control chamber (the main advance control chamber). If pressure in the main advance control chamber increases, the advance piston is caused to move in a first direction so as to advance the timing of fuel delivery. If pressure in the main advance control chamber is reduced, the advance piston is caused to move in an opposite direction to retard the timing of fuel delivery.
A servo piston is operable in response to a transfer pressure signal (a signal dependent upon engine speed) to determine the position of the main advance piston. For certain positions of the servo piston, the main advance control chamber receives fuel at transfer pressure by means of a supply port provided in the advance piston and a flat machined on the outer surface of the advance piston. In such circumstances increased fuel pressure within the main advance control chamber causes the advance piston to move to advance engine timing. For other positions of the servo piston, a drain port is uncovered causing pressure within the main advance control chamber to decrease and, hence, the advance piston is moved to retard engine timing. The supply port and the drain port are aligned on a common axis on the advance piston so that both communicate with the flat, either to provide a flow route into the main advance control chamber through the supply port or a flow route out of the main advance control chamber through the drain port. The servo advance arrangement is also provided with a light load mechanism to permit the timing of fuel delivery by the pump to be varied when the engine operates under light load conditions.
In use, on sudden opening and closing of the throttle, the advance piston is caused to move rapidly between a no-load position and a full-load position (timing retardation), and then in a reverse direction between the full-load and no-load positions (timing advance). During advance, movement between the full-load and the no-load positions is rapid. Advance piston movement is also rapid during retardation between the no-load and full-load positions, although slightly less so compared with advance movement.
It has been observed that for certain applications the rapid movement of the advance piston during retardation results in a transient emission of undesirable white smoke. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improvement to the advance arrangement which removes or alleviates this problem.


A textile yarn processing machine has a plurality of spindle assemblies for processing of yarn. Each spindle assembly includes mechanisms for forming a balloon of yarn which rotates around a spindle assembly central axis as the yarn travels through the spindle assembly during processing and a balloon limiter device surrounding the rotating balloon of yarn and having a generally cylindrical inside surface for frictional contact with the rotating balloon of yarn to restrict the size thereof. Devices are provided which reduce frictional contact between the rotating balloon of yarn and the inside surface of the balloon limiter so as to avoid the necessity of the use of lubricators on the yarn. These devices (1) form an undulating pattern of travel for the yarn through the rotating balloon of yarn so as to create times of contact and times of no contact of predetermined segments of the yarn with the inside surface of the balloon limiter and (2) create relationships wherein the sum of the times of contact of a segment of yarn advancing through the yarn balloon with the inside surface of the balloon limiter is to the total time of advance of this yarn segment through the rotating balloon as is 1:5 to 1:200 and wherein each time of contact of the traveling yarn element with the inside surface of the balloon limiter is to each time of no contact as is 1:2 to 1:20.

Heretofore, yarns processed in yarn processing machines, including two-for-one twisters, cablers and the like, have been treated with lubricators for reducing wear resulting from frictional contact of the yarn and for other reasons well known to those with ordinary skill in the art. For environmental reasons, it is desirable to eliminate, if possible, the use of such lubrication on yarns. However, yarns processed in textile yarn processing machines having spindle assemblies which form a balloon of yarn rotating around the spindle assembly central axis as the yarn travels through such spindle assemblies during processing and a balloon limiter device surrounding the rotating balloon of yarn, create problems with excessive frictional engagement between the rotating balloon of yarn and the inside surface of the balloon limiter. Such frictional engagement will create extreme heat in the yarn and undesired wear without the presence of the usual yarn lubricators.

Textile yarn processing machine having devices for reducing frictional contact between a rotating yarn balloon and a balloon limiter


An adjustable neck brace worn at a human neck for fixing a cervical vertebra includes a cover panel and an adjusting device fixed onto a surface of the cover panel, and the adjusting device includes an adjusting rod, a limit member and an adjusting knob disposed on a surface corresponding to the adjusting rod, and an end of the limit member includes a bracket, and the adjusting knob links an adjusting gear installed at the adjusting rod, and an end of the adjusting rod includes a height adjusting plate having a supporting portion for supporting a chin. With the foregoing technical measures, the invention features a secured and stable structure to maximize the effects of medical treatment and physical therapy. The height of the supporting portion can be adjusted to provide users a feedback about a definite feel of the adjustment through the bracket.

Our neck provides a substantial support to our body and protects the upward and downward transmissions of our basic biological movement messages and nutrition. As our working pressure increases, the pace of our living becomes faster; as computer networks are well developed, neck diseases jeopardize our body and seriously affect our living and work. As indicated in researches, more than 70% of the people with an age of 60 or over has neck diseases or injuries to some extent, and the average age of these patients tends to be younger and younger.
For patients having a neck disease or patents still having a neck problem after performing surgical operations, a neck brace is usually worn on the patient's neck for neck tractions as disclosed in R.O.C. Pat. Publication No. 354254 entitled "Physical therapy device for herniated nucleus pulposus or sprain and injury" and U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,529. However, the foregoing traditional patented neck braces are fixed to a patient's neck and its height for supporting the neck cannot be adjusted flexibly. Since the diameter and length of each patient's neck vary, the neck brace must come with different sizes and specifications to meet the requirements of different patients, and thus causing tremendous inconvenience to manufactures for the production and inventory of the neck braces.
R.O.C. Pat. Publication No. M277433 entitled "Improved neck band" discloses a neck band to overcome the shortcomings of traditional neck bands that cannot flexibly adjust the supporting height. The improved neck band includes a height adjusting plate surrounded around a circular plate for adjusting the height of the neck band, and a lining pad is coupled separately on the internal sides of both circular plate and height adjusting plate, and the circular plate is worn around a patient's neck, characterized in that a half portion of the circular plate is provided for connecting the height adjusting plate, and the middle portion of the circular plate includes a groove and a plurality of limit protrusions and elastic latch points disposed evenly on both sides of the groove. Both sides of a propping portion at the middle of the height adjusting plate include a plurality of slide tracks corresponding to the limit protrusions and operating together with the elastic latch points of the circular plate, and a plurality of fixing holes disposed successively from top to bottom. With the foregoing structure, the height adjusting plate can be fixed onto the circular plate by connecting the slide tracks and the circular plate, and the height of the neck band can be adjusted by moving and changing the height of the slide track. However, such arrangement fixes the elastic latch points into the fixing holes, so that when a user wants to adjust the height of the height adjusting plate, the user has to remove the height adjusting plate from the circular plate and then latch the elastic latch points after a desired height is selected, so as to install the neck band onto the user's neck. Users have to repeat the operations for several times before the neck band is adjusted to an appropriate height, and thus making the use very inconvenient. Further, the design of the latch connection is not secured enough for the installation of the neck band onto a user's neck, and it is difficult to maximize the effects of the device of this sort.


A solar receiver heat transfer pressurized fluid system includes: a pressure relief valve; and a trapping device for separating liquid droplets from a pressurized gas released by the pressure relief valve and to capture the liquid droplets. The trapping device includes: a horizontal pipe; a liquid trap element extending from the horizontal pipe for catching separated liquid droplets; and a vertical exhaust pipe connected to the horizontal pipe substantially in a perpendicular manner and having an open end for discharging in atmosphere the pressurized gas released by the pressure relief valve. The horizontal pipe includes a first connection means for removably connecting at a first end to the pressure relief valve and a second connection means for removably connecting at a second end to the liquid trap element. The vertical exhaust pipe is connected to the horizontal pipe between the first end removably connectable to the pressure relief valve.

In the CSP solar receiver tower technology, the heat transfer fluid is often used a molten salt typically entering at 290° C. into the solar receiver tubes and coming out thereof at 565° C.
A pressure relief valve (PRV) has to be used in order to avoid air overpressure in the molten salt inlet and outlet tanks. In case of overpressure, the PRV opens and the air goes out into the atmosphere. Moreover, some hot molten salt droplets can be carried away with the air flowing out to the atmosphere.
These hot molten salt droplets may cause problems and even danger for humans and equipment. Currently, it is challenging to provide a technology for avoiding these molten salt projections. No equipment is known or planned in the current art to overcome this particular and acute problem.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 6,701,711 B1 discloses an air separator provided on a receiver heat exchanger of a solar power plant. At the outlet of the heat exchanger, the air separator, being a typical T-shaped separator, removes air entrained in the flow of molten salt provided through the receiver. The air separator has an inlet downstream of the receiver heat exchanger and an outlet connected to a hot storage tank by way of downcomer, supplying the flow of molten salt to this hot storage tank. The air separator is also connected to another pipe belonging to a running vent system, in order to release the air entrained in the molten salt flow from the heat exchanger. The system also includes a pressure relief valve connected to a molten salt holding vessel.
Document US 2013/0056081 A1 relates to a pipeline system for conveying a salt melt comprising a relief valve able to remove inert gases from the solar melt. To this end, a phase separator is provided in addition to the relief valve. In the phase separator, the gas is separated from the salt melt and can be then removed through the relief valve.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 3,438,722 A relates to a process for the removal of sulfur compounds from hot combustion gases. A flue gas is admitted by way of a conduit to an absorber unit, ordinarily consists of five stainless steel cyclone spray towers in parallel arrangement, the towers being suitably insulated. The flue gas enters tangentially at the base of absorber and travels upwardly with a velocity of about 20 ft./sec. It is contacted countercurrently by a spray of molten carbonate which is discharged through a spray distributor located above the base of the absorber tower. After contacting the molten carbonate spray, the desulfurized flue gas flows past distributor into a wire demister, which is located in the upper section of the absorber tower. The demister serves to remove entrained salt-containing droplets from the flue gas.
Document WO 2014/039641 A2 discloses a molten salt nuclear reactor incorporating heat exchangers that are used to transfer heat from the primary loop, which contains the molten fuel salt, to a secondary loop. In a molten salt reactor, it is possible from tritium present in fuel salt to migrate across the heat exchanger leading to tritium contamination of the secondary loop. In this document, a cover gas system is included in the reactor vessel, used to adjust the system pressure and to act as a pressure relief valve in accident scenarios or other scenarios or applications. A demister separates the cover gas region from the molten salt, consisting of a pipe or set of pipes packed with a dense metal mesh, wire, or other configuration. The metal forming the mesh, wire, or other configuration may be a steel alloy with a high nickel content.
Document JP 2013-199926 A aims to provide a scale collector that can prevent trouble of a turbine or a drain line by separating a scale mixed in a steam line with a simple structure, and to provide a boiler with the scale collector. The scale collector provided in steam piping in which steam flows and collecting scale includes: a steam entrance part that guides the steam from a horizontal direction; a collecting part that is provided in an extended line in a flow direction of the steam guided from the steam entrance part and blocks the steam and collects the scale; and a steam outlet that is provided between the steam entrance part and the collecting part and flows out the steam in a direction where the steam is turned with respect to the extended line.
Document JP S56-144720 A aims at eliminating an influence of heat strain, to reduce pressure loss and to improve efficiency by utilizing a fact that the orbits of a gas and a dust is parted at a bent part of a pipe line from difference of a specific gravity there between. The dust removing apparatus is constituted from a pipe line having a bent part, a communicating pipe protruded on an extension line of a straight pipe part, a dust receiving device connected to a downward vertical part of the communicating pipe, a dust discharge pipe for taking out the dust accumulated in the dust receiving device and a normally opened valve. An inner diameter d1 of the aforementioned communicating pipe is set against an inner diameter d0 of the pipe line so as to satisfy a formula 0.35<=d1/d0<=0.8 and, further, a cross area of the dust receiving device is set to two times or more larger than a cross area of the communicating pipe. As a result, when a gas stream passing through the communicating pipe is entered into the dust receiving device, a flow speed thereof is reduced in an inversely proportional relation against a cross area of the communicating pipe and the dust receiving device, the accumulated dust is not returned to the pipe passage.

Solar receiver installation with pressurized heat transfer fluid system


A semantic query over an RDF database is received with RDF database statistics and access methods for evaluating triple patterns in the query. The semantic query is expressed as a parse tree containing triple patterns and logical relationships among the triple patterns. The parse tree and access methods create a data flow graph containing a plurality of triple pattern and access method pair nodes connected by a plurality of edges, and an optimal flow tree through the data flow graph is determined such that costs are minimized and all triple patterns in the semantic query are contained in the optimal flow tree. A structure independent execution tree defining a sequence of evaluation through the optimal flow tree is created and is transformed into a database structure dependent query plan. This is used to create an SQL query that is used to evaluate the semantic query over the RDF database.

Resource Description Framework (RDF) is the de-facto standard for graph representation and the primary vehicle for data exchange over the Internet or World Wide Web. RDF is flexible and uses simple primitives for data representation, e.g., nodes and edges. In addition, RDF facilitates the integration of heterogeneous sources on the Web. The query language of choice for RDF is SPARQL. SPARQL queries are complex and contain a large number of triples and several layers of nesting. Optimization of SPARQL queries involves defining the order and methods with which to access the triples and building a hierarchical plan tree for query evaluation based on cost. A number of works have already studied how to efficiently evaluate semantic web (SPARQL) queries. Typical existing approaches are performing bottom-up SPARQL query optimization, i.e., individual triples or conjunctive patterns in the SPARQL query are independently optimized and then each optimizer attempts to piece together and order these individual plans into one global plan. These approaches are similar to typical relational database optimizers in that they rely on statistics to assign costs to query plans and are in contrast to less effective approaches whose SPARQL query optimization heuristics ignore statistics.
Simple SPARQL queries resemble Structured Query Language (SQL) conjunctive queries, and, therefore, one expects that existing techniques to be sufficient. However, a simple overview of real and benchmark SPARQL queries shows that SPARQL queries encountered in practice are far from simple. To a large extent due to the nature of RDF, these SPARQL queries are often arbitrarily complex, e.g., with deep nestings, and often quite big, e.g. one exemplary SPARQL query involves a union of 100 queries. To make matters worse, typical operators in SPARQL often correspond to more exotic operators in the relational world that are less commonly considered by optimizers. For example, the common OPTIONAL operator in SPARQL corresponds to left-outer joins. All these observations lead to the conclusion that there is potential for novel optimization techniques in this space.
Although attempts have been made to provide query optimization both in SPARQL and beyond, important challenges remain for SPARQL query optimization translation of SPARQL queries to equivalent SQL queries over a relational database or store. Typical approaches perform bottom-up SPARQL query optimization, i.e., individual triples or conjunctive SPARQL patterns are independently optimized and then the optimizer orders and merges these individual plans into one global plan. These approaches are similar to typical relational optimizers in that they rely on statistics to assign costs to query plans. While these approaches are adequate for simple SPARQL queries, they are not as effective for more complicated, but still common, SPARQL queries. Such queries often have deep, nested sub-queries whose inter-relationships are lost when optimizations are limited by the scope of single triple or individual conjunctive patterns.

Method and apparatus for optimizing the evaluation of semantic web queries

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


An automated apparatus is provided for periodically transferring a pre-selected volume of treatment liquid to a collection pan in order to treat and prevent the clogging of the collection pan. The system includes a treatment liquid reservoir, at least one fluidic coupling, and a structure for enabling the periodic transfer of the volume of treatment liquid from the treatment liquid reservoir to the collection pan by way of the fluidic couplings, causing a treating of the collection pan.

The present invention relates most generally to moisture and water collection system cleaning and servicing apparatus. More particularly, the invention provides an electromechanical arrangement for periodically and automatically servicing a collection pan, and possibly other associated structures, of an apparatus such as air-conditioning system, which can become clogged by algae and other contaminants.
Ubiquitous air conditioning apparatus and sub-systems, along with related equipment, represent critical components in both commercial and residential environmental control systems. Long term operation of such systems, with a minimal need for servicing, is certainly desirable. During times of high heat and humidity, many individuals including customers, clients, patrons, and even friends and family, expect to find climate controlled and regulated interior environments. This is certainly the case when considering air conditioning and dehumidifier systems found, for example, in restaurants, retail outlets, and hotels.
In locations where air conditioning (AC) equipment is in constant or near constant use, the need for servicing increases. For example, a common problem known to skilled persons is associated with the need to drain off moisture collected during the operation of an AC unit. This moisture, which collects through a condensation process as air is cooled, is typically collected using a collection pan structure, which may also be termed a reservoir or drain pan. As the condensed fluid builds up, excess amounts are passed to a drain tube or line that is employed to guide this fluid from the collection pan to a remote discharge location. However, this moisture and fluid can, in time, lead to a build up of algae and other contaminants. For example, in locations where an AC unit is heavily used, a collection pan and or drain line will typically develop a significant build up of algae and associated contaminants that can clog the drain collection and discharge system. It may be noted that a clogging up of the collection pan and or drain line can result in costly water damage due to an excessive build up and overflow of condensed fluid. As such, an AC system that is otherwise capable of problem free operation for long intervals of time, may require costly and periodic servicing just to clean or clear items such as collection pans, drain lines, etc.
Therefore, skilled individuals will appreciate a need for efficient, simple, and effective means for periodically and automatically cleaning and or breaking up contaminants (e.g., algae) that have built up in the aforementioned structures of an AC unit. A full understanding of the present invention, including an understanding of a number of capabilities, characteristics, and associated novel features, will result from a careful review of the description and figures of several preferable embodiments provided herein. Attention is called to the fact, however, that the drawings and descriptions are illustrative only. Variations and alternate embodiments are contemplated as being part of the invention, limited only by the scope of the appended claims.
In accordance with the present invention, a treatment apparatus is structured for periodically transferring and delivering a pre-selected volume of treatment liquid from a treatment liquid reservoir to a fluid collection pan. At least one delivery tube is provided to support the delivering of the treatment liquid to the collection pan. A means is further included for enabling a controlled and periodic transfer, at pre-selected temporal intervals, of a pre-selected volume of treatment liquid from the treatment liquid reservoir to the collection pan by way of the delivery tube(s). It may be noted that the particular treatment liquid employed may vary, as determined by the apparatus associated with the collection pan being treated. For example, the treatment liquid may be provided as an algaecide when the collection pan is associated with the evaporator coil of an air conditioning system.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention may include a solenoid valve, which is responsive to a timer and control unit. The solenoid valve may be configured to be energized by the timing and control unit when a volume of treatment liquid is to be transferred. As such, the flowing of treatment liquid may be due to one or more of the following:
a) the treatment liquid reservoir being pressurized such that when the solenoid valve is actuated, fluid flows from the pressurized treatment liquid reservoir to the collection pan; and
b) elevating the treatment liquid reservoir with respect to the collection pan, thereby causing a gravity assisted feeding of the treatment liquid when the solenoid valve is actuated.
Other preferred embodiments of the present invention may be configured with a pump unit that is responsive to the timer and control unit such that periodically, at predetermined intervals, the timer and control unit energizes the pump unit, causing a pre-selected volume of treatment liquid to be transferred from the treatment liquid reservoir into the collection pan.
It may be further noted that embodiments of the invention may include a treatment liquid reservoir configured with a low liquid level detector that is preferably operatively coupled to the timer and control unit. When the low liquid level detector indicates to the timer and control unit that a volume of treatment liquid remaining in the treatment liquid reservoir has reached a pre-selected minimal level, actions may be taken for causing a remote location to be contacted to request a refilling of the treatment liquid reservoir.


A nonrectangular antenna aperture is provided comprising four quadrants for receiving electromagnetic signals. The aperture has the capability to form a predetermined sum beam, a predetermined first difference beam, a predetermined second difference beam, and a predetermined double difference beam so that the product of the first and second difference beams is substantially equal to the product of the sum and the double difference beams.

Phased Array Radar Antennas are described in chapter 7 and advanced ECCM for radars is described in chapter 9 of The Radar Handbook, edited by Merrill Skolnik, published by McGraw-Hill Publishing Co. (2d ed. 1990), and herein incorporated by reference. As described in Monopulse Principles and Techniques, written by S. M. Sherman, published by Artech House (1984), and in Monopulse Radar, written by A. I. Leonov and K. I. Fomichev, and published by Artech House, Inc. (1988), both of which are herein incorporated by reference, monopulse processing for a planar antenna array for radar typically involves the synthesis of sum and delta beams, as is well-known for a rectangular antenna aperture. For a rectangular aperture the beams may also be separable in azimuth and elevation, which is desirable for advanced electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM) while preserving the monopulse ratio, as described in "Combining Sidelobe Canceller and Mainlobe Canceller for Adaptive Monopulse Radar Processing," patent application Ser. No. 07/807,548, filed Dec. 16, 1991, by Yu et al., "Adaptive Digital Beamforming Architecture and Algorithm for Nulling Mainlobe and Multiple Sidelobe Radar Jammers While Preserving Monopulse Ratio Angle Estimation Accuracy," patent application Ser. No. 07/807,546, filed Dec. 16, 1991, by Yu et al., and "Simultaneous Sidelobe and Mainlobe Radar Jamming Canceller for Adaptive Monopulse Processing," patent application Ser. No. 07/912,398, filed Jul. 13, 1992, by Yu et al., all assigned to the assignee of the present invention and herein incorporated by reference. Presently, various antenna apertures other than rectangular apertures, such as circular antenna apertures, are available for use in radar systems and offer improved performance over rectangular apertures, although such apertures are susceptible to jamming. Examples of such nonrectangular apertures are described in The Antenna Handbook, edited by Y. T. Lo and S. W. Lee, and published by Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. (1988). A need exists for an antenna aperture that is less susceptible to advanced ECCM and also provides the improved performance available from nonrectangular apertures.

Antenna aperture with mainlobe jammer nulling capability


A system and method for reliably testing for toxic substances is described. Based on spectrographic means, the system embodies one or more types of spectrometers, designed for the detection of toxic elements such as lead, and alternatively designed for the detection of toxic compounds such as asbestos. By restricting the broad functionality common to a typical spectrometer, dramatic cost reductions can be made permitting the device to be cost-effectively manufactured and made available to the typical consumer. The device can be portable and incorporates safety systems to inhibit improper use.

The prevalence of toxic substances in the environment has resulted in increasing regulation and control of producers of toxic materials and their use. Upwards of 50,000 chemicals are routinely introduced into the environment, the majority of which have not been tested for safety. A much smaller number of known toxic chemicals are common in the environment and pose known real hazards for individuals. Testing technologies that permit individuals to determine the safety of their immediate environment are too expensive for consumer use or relatively unreliable or focused on the detection of single substances.


The bulb (1) of the lamp which defines a longitudinal axis (A) is closed at one end by a seal (3), contact elements being fitted to the one end which are each electrically conductively connected to a power supply line (2) leading to a luminous element, the contact element being accommodated in a tubular part (15) of the seal part, characterized in that the contact element (5) protrudes outwards and is equipped in the interior of the tubular part with at least two outwardly protruding centering parts (10, 11) which are in contact with the tubular extension (16).

U.S. Pat. No. 5,932,955 has already disclosed an electric lamp which is closed at two ends, two base parts having contact elements which rest in tubular extensions at the end of pinch seals having a sealing effect. The contact elements extend transversely with respect to the lamp axis and are surrounded by the tubular extensions in the form of sleeves. Fixing takes place along the circumference of the contact elements. One disadvantage of this is the fact that the contact elements can easily become skewed such that they are no longer precisely transverse with respect to the lamp axis and also such that the risk of breakage is relatively high.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,986,404 discloses a halogen incandescent lamp with a pinch seal at one end, in the case of which the contact pins are in the form of round sleeves.

Electric lamp which is closed at one end

Patent-Treuhand-Gesellshaft für elektrische Glühlampen mbH


A method and apparatus for improved flow control. A flow metering valve has an actuator formed of magnetic material which moves on response to an applied magnetic field to control fluid flow through the valve. A servo-control circuit receives a position command signal representative of a desired position of the actuator and produces an output command to produce a magnetic field in response thereto. The magnetic permeability of the actuator modifies the applied field and a magnetic field sensor measure the modified magnetic field to determine the position of the actuator. An actual position signal representative of the position of the actuator is negatively fed back to the servo-control circuit which produces an updated version of the output command.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for improved flow control, particularly by providing improved control of a metering valve. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for improving the accuracy, repeatability and speed of control in a flow control system.
It is often desired to control the flow of a fluid. An important area of application for flow control is in controlling mass-flow. For example, in semiconductor fabrication it is routinely important to introduce controlled quantities of liquids or gases for depositing precision films, or precise concentrations of dopant materials. Metering valves are provided for this purpose and typically employ an aperture and an actuating rod which translates toward or away from the aperture, the actuating rod having a plunger which blocks the aperture to a variable and controllable degree. The actuating rod, which is typically formed of a ferro-magnetic material, is typically spring-biased in one direction, e.g, wherein the valve is either open or closed, and controllably urged in the other direction by a magnetic field. The selected magnetic field is created by passing a corresponding selected electrical input current through a coil which is coaxially disposed around the rod. Thence, the selected electrical input current correlates with a desired linear position of the rod, or mass-flow "setting."
The setting of a typical metering valve is controlled by a control system which receives a set-point value of flow, measures the actual flow and, by providing an appropriate electrical input to the metering valve, instructs the metering valve to move the actuating rod to make the measured flow equal the set-point value. Especially in relatively inexpensive flow metering systems, the control system typically assumes that a given electrical input will produce the correct setting in the metering valve. However, all metering valves have mechanical and electrical tolerance errors that prevent achieving arbitrarily accurate or repeatable settings in response to given electrical inputs. This error typically includes a bias component and a random component, both of which may be expected to vary with the setting. Although it is the task of the control system to correct for this error, the demand placed upon the control system generally increases its response time and decreases its stability.
Goettling et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,508 ("Goettling") proposes a valve apparatus and method for controlling fluid flow that provides a closed-loop control circuit for the fluid valve itself, for eliminating the aforementioned error. Goettling measures the position of a permanent magnet affixed to a valve actuating rod with a field sensor, such as a Hall effect sensor, to produce a feed-back signal transmitted to a proportional solenoid for controlling the position of the rod.
A disadvantage of Goettling, however, is that it requires a separate permanent magnet to be installed on a valve rod, resulting in additional mechanical complexity and cost. Another disadvantage of the use of the permanent magnet of Goettling is that the valve employing it must be specially manufactured. The magnet cannot be added later, and the scheme will not work with a standard valve.
Still another disadvantage with employing the permanent magnet of Goettling is in electronic complexity. The magnetic field of the permanent magnet will bias the field sensor. For example, a Hall effect sensor has a transfer characteristic that proportionally relates input magnetic field and output voltage. A permanent magnet may bias the sensor into a region that is not linear, requiring a complex electronic compensation. And even if it does not, the simple, proportional relationship is lost and some additional complexity is required to un-bias the sensor.
It is sometimes particularly desirable to employ stainless steel, plastic or other materials having relatively great physio-chemical resistance in a metering valve because, often, the fluids passed through these valves are caustic. As it is sometimes not possible to seal the internal workings of the valve completely from these fluids, limitations in the choice of materials, such as any requirement to employ a permanent magnet, may be additionally undesirable.
Accordingly, there is a need for a method and apparatus for improved flow control that provides for responsive, accurate, repeatable and stable control of a fluid flow metering valve at a minimum cost.

Method and apparatus for improved flow control


A stack device is provided to obtain a stack effect. The stack device includes at least first and second active components. The first and second active components have first and second device widths, respectively. The first and second device widths are then selected to provide a desired leakage current and gate delay time for the stack device. The selection includes adjusting the first and second device widths while keeping a sum of the device widths constant.

This specification relates to a forced stack device, and more particularly to trading off gate delay versus leakage current by adjusting device widths of such a forced stack device.
Metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) device technologies may scale the MOS transistors to increasingly smaller dimensions. This may result in better device performance. The ability to improve performance while decreasing power consumption has made MOS architecture a dominant technology for integrated circuits.
The choice of power supply (VCC) and threshold voltage (VT) may be important in determining whether the performance of deep sub-micron (e.g. 0.1 xcexcm) transistors may continue to be scaled. However, lower transistor threshold voltages may lead to significant increases in leakage current due to the exponential nature of sub-threshold conductance. For example, about 80 to 90 mV reduction in the threshold voltage may result in about ten-fold increase in the leakage current. Higher leakage currents increase power dissipation that is undesirable for many semiconductor circuit applications. Higher leakage currents may be particularly problematic for mobile and handheld applications, for example.
One approach to addressing this issue has been to use a dual threshold voltage technique. In a dual threshold voltage approach, certain devices on an integrated circuit are configured to have a lower threshold voltage, while other devices on the same integrated circuit may be configured to have a higher threshold voltage. In this manner, devices that cannot tolerate the higher leakage current characteristic of lower threshold voltages may be selected to have higher threshold voltages. Typically only about 10 to 30% of the devices are performance critical and need this lower threshold voltage.
The leakage current reduction provided by this approach, however, is limited. This is because the lower threshold devices still exhibit the higher leakage current characteristic of such devices.

Trading off gate delay versus leakage current using device stack effect


Integrated circuit memory devices include precharge controller circuit, which generates a precharge control signal in response to completion of a write operation on a first input/output bus. A precharge circuit drives the first and a input/output buses to a predetermined voltage level in response to the precharge control signal. Multiple switches may be used to couple the first and second input/output buses to the memory cell array and these switches may also be coupled to a column select line. The switches may be responsive to a column select signal carried on the column select line such that one or more memory cells are coupled to the first input/output bus and one or more memory cells are coupled to the second input/output bus simultaneously. Because both of the input/output buses are coupled to the memory cell array in response to the column select signal, the memory cell array may be susceptible to bit line disturbance in which charges remaining on one input/output bus from a previous write operation corrupt memory cells during a write operation on a second input/output bus. By driving the first and second input/output buses to a predetermined voltage level after completing a write operation on one of the two input/output buses, bit line disturbance may be prevented.

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2000-04643, filed Jan. 31, 2000, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates generally to integrated circuit devices and, more particularly, to integrated circuit memory devices having multiple input/output buses.
Integrated circuit memory devices, particularly dynamic access memories (DRAMs), are widely used in electronic systems for storing large volumes of digital information. As electronic systems operate at more rapid processing speeds, however, the access times for reading data from or writing data to a DRAM may become an important parameter when designing a high-performance electronic system.
Various techniques for improving the access time of a DRAM have been developed. According to one method known as xe2x80x9cnibble mode,xe2x80x9d access time delay may be reduced by constructing a DRAM so that four sequential bits may be accessed rapidly and sequentially. According to another method known as xe2x80x9cburst mode,xe2x80x9d data bits belonging to a row (e.g., a word line) may be sequentially accessed after a first data bit is accessed. This method may also be referred to as xe2x80x9cpull page mode.xe2x80x9d After inputting an initial address in burst mode operation, sequential addresses are internally and sequentially generated without inputting new address information to the DRAM. According to the aforementioned methods, the access time of a DRAM may be improved by reducing and/or eliminating the delay time that is needed to fetch an address associated with the respective access of sequential bits.
FIG. 1 is a diagram that illustrates a relationship between a memory cell array and pairs of input/output lines in a conventional dynamic random access memory device. A memory cell array 1 includes a plurality of word lines WLi (i=0xe2x88x92m), a plurality of bit line pairs BLj and BLjB (=0xe2x88x92n), and a plurality of memory cells 10. A plurality of column select switches 20 are connected between sense amplifiers SA, which are each connected to a bit line pair, and input/output line pairs I/O0, I/O0B, I/O1, I/O1B, I/O2, I/O2B, I/O3, and I/O3B, as shown. The input/output line pairs I/O0, I/O0B, I/O1, and I/O1B are arranged on one side of the memory cell array 1 (i.e., the left side in FIG. 1), and the input/output line pairs I/O2, I/O2B, I/O3, and I/O3B are arranged on another side of the memory cell array 1 (i.e., the right side in FIG. 1). The input/output line pairs form input/output buses, which may be shared by adjacent memory cell arrays (not shown). That is, the input/output line pairs I/O0, I/O0B, I/O1, and I/O1B at the left side of the memory cell array 1 form a left input/output bus, and the input/output line pairs I/O2, I/O2B, I/O3, and I/O3B at the right side of the memory cell array 1 form a right input/output bus. The input/output lines comprising the respective data buses transfer 2-bits of data.
Column select lines CSL0 through CSLk are respectively connected to the column select switches 20 for accessing two bit line pairs via the left input bus and two bit line pairs via the right input bus. Therefore, when a column select line is chosen, 2-bits of data may be transferred through the left and right input/output buses, respectively (i.e., 4-bits of data may be input/output). Corresponding drivers 30 are connected to one end of each input/output line pair on the left side of the memory cell array 1. Each driver 30 may supply data to be written to the memory cell array 1 through associated input/output line pairs in response to a signal CA11B. Similarly, corresponding drivers 30 are connected to one end of each input/output line pair on the right side of the memory cell array 1. Each driver 30 may supply data to be written to the memory cell array 1 through associated input/output line pairs in response to a signal CA11.
In a DRAM having the foregoing input/output structure, the memory cell array may be accessed through the right and left input/output buses simultaneously, or, alternatively, through one of the input/output buses through control of the signals CA11 and CA11B. For example, when the signal CA11B is activated and the signal CA11 is deactivated, the drivers 30 connected to the left input/output bus are selected, while the drivers 30 connected to the right input/output bus are unselected. Conversely, when the signals CA11 and CA11B are activated simultaneously, the drivers 30 connected to the left and right input/output buses are selected at the same time.
The DRAM shown in FIG. 1 may be operated in a pull page mode as discussed hereinabove. In the pull page mode, all memory cells connected to a selected word line are sequentially accessed. A write operation of the DRAM in pull page mode may be carried out in multiple ways: In one approach, after data are written to memory cells coupled to a selected word line through an input/output bus at one side of the memory cell array 1, data are then written to memory cells coupled to a selected word line through an input/output bus at the other side of the memory cell array 1. In another approach, data are written simultaneously to all memory cells coupled to a selected word line through the input/output buses at both sides of the memory cell array 1. Unfortunately, when performing a pull page mode write operation according to the first approach described above, a problem may arise as follows.
To carry out a write operation through the left input/output bus, the signal CA11B is activated and the signal CA11 is deactivated. As a result, the drivers 30 connected to the left input/output bus are selected and the drivers 30 connected to the right input/output bus are unselected. The selected drivers 30 supply data to be written to the memory cell array 1 through the left input/output bus, which is connected to selected memory cells through column select switches 20 and sense amplifiers SA associated with a first column select line CSL0. Data are then sequentially written to the remaining memory cells by sequentially activating remaining column select lines in the same manner as described above.
When the signal CA11B is deactivated and the signal CA11 is activated, the drivers 30 connected to the right input/output bus are selected and the drivers 30 connected to the left input/output bus are unselected. The selected drivers 30 supply data to be written to the memory cell array 1 through the right input/output bus. At this time, the left input/output bus connected to the unselected drivers 30 is maintained in a floating state. Data on the right input/output bus is written to selected memory cells through column select switches 20 and sense amplifiers SA associated with the first column select line CSL0. When the first column select line CSL0 is selected to perform a write operation through the right input/output bus, charges on the left input/output bus, which remain after the write operation has been performed through the left input/output bus, are written to the memory cells identified by the dotted line through column select switches 20 and sense amplifiers SA arranged on the left side of the memory cell array 1. This unintended corruption of data stored in the memory cell array 1 may be referred to as a xe2x80x9cbit line disturbance phenomenon.xe2x80x9d As may be seen from FIG. 1, when a column select line is selected, the left input/output bus is connected to corresponding memory cells through associated column select switches 20 and sense amplifiers SA, and the right input/output bus is simultaneously connected to corresponding memory cells through associated column select switches 20 and sense amplifiers SA. As a result, data stored in the memory cell array may be corrupted when performing a write operation through one of the input/output buses following the completion of a write operation on the other one of the input/output buses.
Embodiments of the present invention include integrated circuit memory devices and methods of writing data thereto in which first and second input/output buses are coupled to a memory cell array. A precharge controller circuit generates a precharge control signal in response to completion of a write operation on the first input/output bus. A precharge circuit drives the first and second input/output buses to a predetermined voltage level in response to the precharge control signal.
Multiple switches may be used to couple the first and second input/output buses to the memory cell array and these switches may also be coupled to a column select line. The switches may be responsive to a column select signal carried on the column select line such that one or more memory cells are coupled to the first input/output bus and one or more memory cells are coupled to the second input/output bus simultaneously. Because both of the input/output buses are coupled to the memory cell array in response to the column select signal, the memory cell array may be susceptible to bit line disturbance in which charges remaining on one input/output bus from a previous write operation corrupt memory cells during a write operation on a second input/output bus. By driving the first and second input/output buses to a predetermined voltage level after completing a write operation on one of the two input/output buses, bit line disturbance may be prevented.
In particular embodiments, the first and second input/output buses are electrically coupled to first and second driver circuits, respectively, which are responsive to a driver control signal. The first and second driver circuits may supply data to be written into the memory cell array through the respective first and second input/output buses. A column select circuit that comprises, for example, a counter, may be used to generate the column select signal and the driver signal.
In further embodiments, the precharge controller circuit comprises a flag signal generator that generates a flag signal in response to completion of a write operation on the first input/output bus, and a precharge signal generator that generates the precharge control signal in response to the flag signal. The precharge circuit may comprise multiple precharge transistors.
Thus, the present invention may provide improved data integrity by preventing bit line disturbance in a memory cell array by driving first and second input/output buses to a predetermined voltage level between respective write operations on the first and second input/output buses.

Integrated circuit memory devices having multiple input/output buses and precharge circuitry for precharging the input/output buses between write operations


An optimum pathway to data stored on a data storage system having N storage devices and more than N pathways is determined in response to a read request for the data. A sorter separates the read request into an appropriate segment size for sending to the storage devices of the data storage system. An assigner generates the set of read permutations satisfying the read request. A read permutation is selected based on a metric. A collector receives the requested data from the N storage devices in response to the selected read permutation being sent to the storage devices.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of data storage systems. In particular, the present invention relates a system and a method for determining a best pathway to requested data based on a metric, thereby improving device failure protection of an array of storage devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional array of storage devices typically has sufficient redundancy so that when a storage device fails, information contained in the failed storage device can be reconstructed from the remaining storage devices. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,475 to M. M. Blaum et al., entitled "Method and Means for Encoding and Rebuilding the Data Contents of Up to Two Unavailable DASDs in a DASD Array Using Simple Non-Recursive Diagonal and Row-Parity," which discloses the operation of an array having distance D=3. See also, N. K. Ouchi, "Two-Level DASD Failure Recovery Method," IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin Vol. 36, 03 Mar. 1993, discloses the operation required for reconstructing data from an array with failures and having distance D=3.
Redundancy may also be used for improving performance. See, for example, E. J Schwabe et al., "Evaluating Approximately Balanced Parity-Declustered Data Layouts for Disk Arrays," ACM 0-89791-813-4/96/05 1996, which disclose data layouts for efficient positioning of redundant information for performance. See also G. A. Alvarez et al., who, in "Tolerating Multiple Failures in RAID Architectures," ACM 0-89791-901-7/97/0006 1997, disclose properties and construction of a general multiple-parity array using 8-bit finite fields, and L. Xu and J. Bruck, who, in "Improving the Performance of Data Servers Using Array Codes," Paradise ETR027 (CalTech) 1998, describe the use of a maximum distance separation (MDS) code for improving system response.
Existing RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) systems have multiple pathways, or routes, for reading requested data. Often, however, there are only a few available pathways, of which only one pathway is efficient. For example, a RAID 5 system provides two pathways for reading information. One pathway is by directly reading the sector containing the requested information. The second pathway is by reconstructing the data sector containing the requested information by reading the appropriate sector from each other storage unit in the RAID 5 array. As another example, an N storage unit array that is configured as a RAID 6 system can read a data sector directly or can read all other storage units, except one. Accordingly, there are N ways for RAID 6 to read a data sector. In both instances, there is one efficient pathway and one or more inefficient pathways.
Thus, when there are many pathways for obtaining requested data, for example, more pathways than the number of storage devices in the array, it is not trivially clear which pathway provides in the highest performance for a storage system. Consequently, what are needed are a system and a method for determining which pathway to select when a storage system uses a redundancy method having many pathways to requested data.

Multipath data retrieval from redundant array

International Business Machines Corporation


A method is provided for detecting irregularities of one or more application programmer interface (API) entities. The method includes receiving a request for data of one or more API entities. The method further includes monitoring said data from at least one server and detecting irregularities in the data. The method also includes displaying information pertaining to the irregularities to a user.

An Application Program Interface (API) is a programming language format used by an application program to communicate with an operating system or other control programs such as a database management system (DBMS) or communications protocol. An API typically includes a library of components such as routines, protocols and tools for building software applications. The components may be software functions and processes such as executable code or scripts. In the case of "Web APIs", the APIs may be exposed over a network such as in a web page or desktop application that access API over the Internet. Most operating environments such as Windows, Unix, Linux, or like systems provide API components so that developers can run and execute applications consistent with the operating environment.
APIs allow developers to create application software (i.e. an "app") which can communicate directly with a particular operating system or computer platform by integrating functions from the operation system's API library into the application software. The term app can refer to mobile applications that utilize APIs. Developers may implement apps in various programming languages using various platforms. Therefore, APIs enable app developers to easily access and reuse application logic built by other developers.
More recently, developers may use a software development kit (SDK or devkit) to build applications and APIs for operating systems and/or platforms. An API proxy may be a type of application that runs on a SDK acting as a means for communicating between servers and one more web APIs, generic HTTP services, or applications. Such a proxy can be implemented as a set of configuration files and software code which rely on resources provided by the SDK.
In addition, web based APIs may be provided to developers in order to integrate services between two or more HTTP enabled services. These combined services may be referred to as a "mashup." For example, Housingmaps.com is a mashup that applies real estate information, such as apartments for rent or homes for sale from craigslist.com to Google Maps. The mashup results in a system that allows the user to sort apartments and homes by price and location onto an interactive map, allowing for efficient browsing of housing options.
One issue with present approaches to gathering and analyzing API information is that there lacks a sufficient way to monitor and analyze API traffic for unexpected changes or irregularities, e.g. spikes or drops, that flow through APIs. Tracking such changes of when and how API traffic changes allows API developers and providers to react to unplanned changes in traffic and take corrective actions to improve APIs and make better decisions related to API programs. It is therefore desirable to offer a system for monitoring and regulating unexpected anomalies in API traffic in a manner that provides useful knowledge of API performance to developers and API providers.

System and method for investigating anomalies in API processing systems


A bone plate structure adapted to fix a bone in an affected part is provided. The bone plate structure includes first and second bone plates. The first bone plate has a first stacking portion and a first extending portion and is adapted to be moved onto the bone through a wound of the affected part. The second bone plate has a second stacking portion and a second extending portion and is adapted to be moved onto the bone through the wound. When the first and second bone plates are located on the bone, the second bone plate is adapted to be moved relatively to the first bone plate, such that the first and second stacking portions are stacked with each other and the first and second extending portions are expanded relatively. A surgery device and a method for bone plate implant suitable for the bone plate structure is also provided.

In the field of orthopaedic medical treatment, there are various kinds of medical treatment for bone injury, wherein fixing the injured bone by using a bone plate in order to heal over the injured bone is most commonly known. Taking a portion of a human arm as an example, the human arm has a plurality of bones with different shapes, such as a radius, a humerus, and the like, and the distal radius of human being is one of the portions easy to cause bone fracture.
At present, in the surgical operation of medical treatment for distal radius fracture, in order to actually fix the injured distal radius by using a bone plate structure, the bone plate structures are generally in a single structure with having a maximum outer diameter at its end, such as T-shaped structures, Y-shaped structures, or the like. Therefore, a large surgical wound operation is required such that the bone plate structure can be implanted and fixed onto the distal radius. However, the large surgical wound operation may seriously destroy the soft tissues around the wrist, and the activity of the wrist may also be adversely affected after surgery.

Bone plate structure, surgery device and method for bone plate implant

Industrial Technology Research Institute


To enable a person to effectively create a document based on image data or audio data of a recorded meeting or a recorded lecture and also a person who creates the minutes of a meeting or a participant to browse a summarized document with images or voices so that a plurality of persons can effectively perform documentation.

Scenes or audio of a meeting or a lecture may be recorded with apparatus such as a video recorder or a tape recorder so that documentation of minutes of the meeting or the lecture may be supported. In such a case, documentation is done based on the recorded image or audio. A person who creates the minutes of a meeting/a lecture needs to create the minutes by playing and watching the image or listening to the audio after the meeting or the lecture. That requires the person who creates the minutes of a meeting or a lecture to create the minutes of the meeting or the lecture by repeatedly referring to the image or the audio spending time as much as or longer than the time of the meeting or the lecture. Accordingly, that requires much workload of the person.
As a technique for creating or supporting to create the minutes of a meeting or the like, the Patent Document 1 describes an apparatus for supporting to create the minutes of a meeting which alleviates a burden of a person who creates the minutes of a meeting by specifying a range of audio to be played back for enabling playback when the person makes text memorandum from audio memorandum recording remarks of those at in the meeting. The apparatus for supporting to create the minutes of a meeting described in the Patent Document 1 includes playback means for playing back sounds or voices that participants in a predetermined range can hear. Documentation means of the apparatus for helping create the minutes of a meeting creates text memorandum based on the played back audio memorandum and structures the text memorandum according to specification. Displaying means of the apparatus for helping create the minutes of a meeting displays the structured text memorandum.
The Patent Document 2 describes an intelligent meeting support system for enabling automatic creation of the minutes of a meeting without requiring any burden to participants. In the intelligent meeting support system described in the Patent Document 2, an apparatus for creating the minutes of a meeting converts audio text data into sentences including Chinese characters by performing semantic analysis based on the basic audio data outputted from an audio collecting device. Then, the apparatus for creating the minutes of a meeting creates the minutes of a meeting based on the converted sentences.
The Patent Document 3 describes a system for automatically creating the minutes of a meeting which can automatically creates the minutes of the meeting in real time and automatically send the minutes of the meeting just after the meeting. In the system for automatically creating the minutes of a meeting described in the Patent Document 3, the apparatus for creating the minutes of a meeting automatically creates a document based on image information or audio information by using speech recognition technique. In order to create the minutes of a meeting, an operator such as an MC divides audio meeting information for appropriate sections and inputs a keyword for each section at the same time so that accuracy of speech recognition is improved and audio data for each section defined by the operator is converted into text data and the minute of the meeting is created.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 8-194492 (pp. 4-6, FIGS. 1-3)
Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-112931 (pp. 3-9, FIGS. 1-3)
Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-344636 (pp. 3-5, FIG. 1)

Documentation browsing method, documentation browsing apparatus, documentation browsing robot, and documentation browsing program

Abstract: The audio/image inputting means 10 generates image data by recording a meeting and audio data by recording the contents of the meeting. The document inputting means 20 generates document data including a drafted minutes of a meeting or the like inputted by a person who creates the minutes of a meeting. The relationship deriving means 50 generates correspondence table data by deriving relationship between voices or images and a document based on audio data or image data and document data. The relationship presenting means 60 displays voices or images and a document in association with each other based on the correspondence table data.


In a device for spooling and unspooling a power cable or the like on relative displacement of two areas connected to each other by the cable or the like, spooling and unspooling of the cable are powered by an asynchronous motor whose output shaft is permanently engaged without slip with the cable spooling and unspooling drum. The speed and rotation direction of the motor output shaft are controlled in relation to the measured tension in the cable by variable frequency control of the supply of power to the motor to maintain the tension at an approximately constant value. Provision is made for applying calibrated undirectional braking to the output shaft of the motor in the direction corresponding to the cable unspooling direction. This maintains motor control during unspooling of the cable.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a device for spooling and unspooling a power cable or the like upon relative displacement of two areas connected to each other by the cable or the like, said device comprising:
a support disposed in one of said areas,
a drum mounted to rotate about a first axis relative to the support and adapted to receive the cable or the like,
drive means for rotating the drum about the first axis in a direction to spool the cable or the like and in a direction to unspool the cable or the like by applying traction to the cable between said areas, said drive means comprising an electric drive motor carried by the support and having a rotary output shaft and a kinematic linkage between the drive motor output shaft and the drum so as to associate with the spooling and unspooling directions respective directions of rotation of the drive motor output shaft, and
control means for said drive means comprising means for supplying electrical power to the drive motor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices of this kind are often used, for example, to supply electrical power from a socket outlet with is fixed relative to the ground to a machine travelling over the ground such as a crane or a locomotive with a small operating radius or moving upwards and downwards relative to the ground such as a lift platform, this machine constituting said area carrying the support while the ground, or more precisely the socket outlet fixed relative to the ground, constitutes the other of said areas. Such devices are also used to supply electrical power from a lifting machine such as a crane constituting said area carrying the support to a handling device such as an electromagnet or an electrohydraulic scoop constituting said other area and carried by this machine at a variable relative height by means of a cable or other suspension means. Such devices may also be used to spool or unspool under similar conditions a flexible bundle of optical fibers or a flexible hose conveying pressurized fluid, although these examples are by no means limiting on the invention. Depending on individual circumstances, the cable is spooled on the drum in a spiral or in a helix or in a combination of these two spooling modes.
These devices must adapt, to suit the speed of relative displacement of the two areas, the speed at which the cable or the like is spooled or unspooled onto or from the drum expressed as a linear speed tangential to the drum at a distance from the axis of the latter or first axis which varies continuously during spiral spooling in order to avoid slack or excessive tension in the cable or the like.
To this end a synchronous motor is usually employed and this is coupled to the drum by a kinematic linkage comprising a coupling which allows slip. The motor is energized so that its output shaft rotates only in the direction corresponding to spooling onto the drum, at an angular speed which is always greater than the required angular speed of the drum which is essentially variable and allowing for the transmission ratio of the kinematic linkage; the coupling is calibrated so that whatever resisting torque the cable opposes to being spooled onto the drum, allowing for the permissible tension in the cable and the variable distance from the drum axis or first axis at which this tension is applied to the drum, the latter actually turns in the spooling direction and the cable is actually spooled onto it as the two areas that it connects to each other move closer together; the torque and speed of the motor output shaft and those of the drum are matched by slip occurring in the coupling, which absorbs energy that is usually converted to heat. During unspooling, the cable or the like is unspooled, entraining the drum in the corresponding direction, only because of the traction applied to it as the two areas that it connects to each other move further apart, and the combination of the coupling which allows slip and the motor opposes a resisting torque and absorbs energy which is also usually dissipated as heat.
In this known form devices for spooling and unspooling a power cable or the like are entirely satisfactory provided that the cable length is moderate, that is to say that the variation of the spooling radius on the drum remains limited, and provided that in cases where the cable is at a variable height and hangs freely from the drum (for example, if a spooling and unspooling device is used to supply power to a lift platform or to a load suspended from a lifting machine as mentioned above) the variation in this height is restricted to a limited range.
If the cable to be spooled or unspooled is long, however, and if a significantly varying free length of cable or the like is suspended directly from the drum the known devices are not satisfactory, in particular because it becomes difficult to calibrate the coupling which allows slip so that the tension in the cable or the like remains at all times below a safe threshold, so avoiding all risk of damage, and so that the device is capable of spooling the cable or the like over a large radius of the drum and/or is capable of spooling significantly varying free lengths of the cable or the like hanging directly from the drum.
In this known form the devices for spooling and unspooling a power cable or the like have the drawback that, because of inertia, the high accelerations on relative movement of the two areas that the cable or the like connects to each other and the high speeds of such displacement cause large variations in the tension in the cable or the like, including values that are not permissible.
An object of the invention is to remedy these drawbacks.


The invention relates to a method for rendering an image sequence. wherein an individual image is rendered by rendering monochromatic subimages in temporal succession. A subimage sequence obtained by temporal sequencing of the subimages is generated in motion-compensated fashion.

The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for image rendition using sequential color rendition.
In image rendition with sequential color rendition, distinct color components of the image are rendered not simultaneously but in temporal succession, the rate at which the individual color components succeed one another being so high that the human eye "integrates" the individual color components into a color image.
Apparatuses that utilize such sequential color rendition are for example digital light processing projectors (DLP). Such projectors have a DLP integrated circuit that exhibits a matrix having a multiplicity of individually drivable mirrors. The DLP integrated circuit reflects a beam of light projected from the chip via optics onto a projection surface. The individual mirrors, in dependence on their position, each reflect a part of the incident beam toward the projection surface or away from the projection surface. The DLP integrated circuit is driven by a video signal, a light/dark pattern corresponding to the light/dark pattern of the image to be rendered being mapped onto the light beam reflected by the integrated circuit as a result of the separate driving of the individual mirrors. Lightness gradations can be achieved by virtue of the fact that the individual mirrors oscillate between the positions in which the light beam is reflected toward the projection surface or away from the projection surface.
For the optimal rendition of a color image, three DLP integrated circuits are required to reflect light in each of the three primary colors red, green and blue. The integrated circuits are each driven by a video signal that represents image components each having one of these colors. The monochromatic images generated by the individual integrated circuits are then superimposed by a prism into a polychromatic image.
Due to cost, a single DLP chip is often employed in DLP projectors. The rendition of a color image in this case can be generated by sequential color rendition as follows:
A color wheel, which is transparent by parts for red, green and blue components of a light source, is placed between the light source and the DLP integrated circuit and moved in such that red, green and blue light is cyclically reflected by the DLP integrated circuit. In synchronization with the motion of the color wheel, the DLP integrated circuit is driven by video signals that represent in each case the red, blue and green component of the image to be rendered. As a result, a succession of red, a green and a blue image are generated, and these images are integrated into one image through the physiology of human vision. The basic procedure for image rendition using sequential rendition of individual color components will be explained with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.
FIG. 1 illustrates two temporally successive images B(k), B(k+1) of an image sequence to be rendered. The images rendered in the example depict an object 10 that is in different positions in the successive images, that is, at a first image position in the first image B(k) and a second position, deviating from the first image position, in the second image B(k+1). If the image frequency is sufficiently high, the impression of a moving object arises as a result.
Suppose that the moving object 10 is a colored object that comprehends color components of all three primary colors, the individual color components possibly differing in intensity. A rendition of this object with the use of sequential color rendition is schematically illustrated in FIG. 2. Suppose the image frequency of the image sequence with images B(k), B(k+1) is f=1/T, T being the temporal interval between the beginning of the rendition of an image and the beginning of the rendition of a subsequent image. Within this duration T, in order to render one of the images B(k), B(k+1) of the image sequence, at least three subimages B1(k), B2(k), B3(k) or respectively B1(k+1), B2(k+1), B3(k+1) are rendered, of which a first subimage depicts the object in only a first color (e.g., in red), a second subimage depicts the object in only a second color (e.g., in green), and a third depicts the object in only a third color, (e.g., in blue). The color intensity of the monochromatic images here corresponds to the color intensity with which the respective color component is present in the color of the object.
The human eye then "blends" these three sequentially rendered subimages into an image that exhibits the colored object at the respective image position.
In the rendition of motion processes, (i.e., in the rendition of objects whose image position changes from image to image of the image sequence) the viewer can receive the impression—even in the case of monochromatic objects—that there are "color fringes" at the edges of the moving objects. The color fringes are especially distinct at the edges of the object that lie perpendicular to the direction of motion; in this connection one speaks of false-color rendition. This impression arises for the user even though the object is rendered at the same location in the image in the successive monochromatic subimages generated in order to render an image.
Therefore, there is a need for a system that renders an image sequence using sequential color rendition, in which the viewer's impression of false-color rendition is reduced.

Image rendition using sequential color rendition


The present invention is a method and system for investing with a no or low-loss assurance the aid of an agent. The invention provides a plurality of risk levels having a gain apportionment value and a lost apportionment value. The gain apportionment value dictates the apportionment of a gain between the investor and the agent, while the lost apportionment value dictates the apportionment of a loss between the investor and the agent. Each risk level also has a gain sale threshold and a loss sale threshold. The investor selects one of the risk levels. When one of the sale thresholds is reached, the equity is sold to complete a cycle or transaction of a combo, or combination of transactions. The investor's apportioned gain is added to an investor's money packet thereby increasing its value. A loss sale threshold ends the combo. The loss is apportioned between the investor and the agent according to the loss apportionment value of the selected risk level and the investors apportioned loss is subtracted from the money packet.

The present invention relates generally to investing, and, more particularly, to a method and system of investing which provides the investor with a no-loss or a low-loss assurance.
Traditionally, investing has been difficult for the typical investor, particularly when the investor wishes to invest in a number of different investments for purposes of diversification but has a limited amount of funds to invest. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that most investors have neither the understanding nor the resources to properly measure the risk and return of investments.
Considering investment in stocks as illustrative of the general problem posed above, the advent of stock mutual funds in recent years has made it substantially easier for the investor to achieve the goal of diversification on a limited budget. The fact that a fund manager assumes the responsibility, which would otherwise be the investor's, of researching and trading the stocks of individual companies has made investing in the stock market more convenient.
Nonetheless, individual investors, as well as institutional investors, still face the inherent risk relating to the possibility of a loss in invested capital.

Method and system for investing with a no-loss or low-loss assurance


A container inspection apparatus inspects sealing performance of a closure of a container such as a bottle filled with effervescent beverage. The apparatus include a plurality of support members for placing a container thereon and movable along a certain path, a plurality of ultrasonic transducers fixed to one of the support members for generating ultrasonic vibration, and a supply device for supplying liquid to an upper surface of the support member. The ultrasonic vibration of the support member caused by the ultrasonic transducer is transmitted to a bottom of the container through liquid interposed between the bottom of the container and the upper surface of the support member. After vibrating the bottom of the container, beverage in the container is imaged by an imaging unit to detect a defective container which is not sealed properly.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a container inspection apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus for optically inspecting sealing performance of a closure of a container such as a bottle filled with an effervescent beverage. The effervescent beverage includes beer, carbonated drinks, and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As an apparatus for inspecting sealing performance of a closure of a container, there has been known an apparatus which comprises means for causing a beverage to effervesce by applying ultrasonic vibration to the bottom of the container, and means for imaging liquid surface in the container and judging the container as a defective container which is not properly sealed when a large effervescent portion is detected at the liquid surface in the container. The conventional means for causing a beverage to effervesce comprises a net conveyor provided in a water tank and conveying containers while they are submerged in water in the water tank, and ultrasonic transducers provided at the bottom of the water tank. The ultrasonic transducers apply ultrasonic vibration to the bottoms of the containers on the net conveyor through water in the water tank. The containers are densely placed on the net conveyor in a staggered arrangement. The ultrasonic transducers are arranged at intervals to prevent mutual interference and in a plurality of rows which extend in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the containers.
However, in the conventional means for causing a beverage to effervesce, the intensities of ultrasonic vibrations are not uniform in an entire area where the ultrasonic transducers are arranged, and hence some defective containers cannot be detected because of their small degrees of effervescence. Further, since the energy of ultrasonic vibration which is applied to the container per unit time is small, considerable time is required to allow a beverage to effervesce, thus requiring a large installation area for the container inspection apparatus.