In one embodiment, a method includes acquiring a three-dimensional printed template created using an additive manufacturing technique, infilling the template with an aerogel precursor solution, allowing formation of a sol-gel, and converting the sol-gel to an aerogel. In another embodiment, a product includes an aerogel having inner channels corresponding to outer walls of a three-dimensional printed template around which the aerogel was formed.

Carbon aerogels play an important role in a variety of applications.
Traditional methods of working with carbon aerogels are limited by the uniformity of the structures to a single length scale, either millimeter or micrometer or nanometer scale, resulting in a material with uniform density. For some modern applications, there may be a desire to create aerogel materials that possess extreme and precise density gradients. For other applications, it may be desirable to control the morphology of carbon aerogels at a variety of size scales, for example, the millimeter, micrometer, and nanometer. This may be used to design a gradient of density, for example, by increasing the spacing between structural elements the density may be changed from high to low. However, no solution was previously found.

Tailoring of pores in aerogels using 3D printed structures

Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC


A portable, self-contained flood alarm which alleviates the shortcomings of the alarms of the prior art and offers an easy-to-use and reliable flood and water level alarm which will adequately warn users of potential flood conditions and possibly save their personal belongings, equipment and lives.

1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure is related to the field of water level alert and flood detector systems. Specifically, this disclosure is related to simple, lightweight, portable water level detectors that can be permanently or removeably attached to any surface or terrain, the system providing a warning should the water reach a predetermined and potentially dangerous level.
2. Description of Related Art
There are few places on Earth where people need not be concerned about flooding. Any place where rain falls is vulnerable, although rainfall is not the only cause of flooding. Floods and the water damage caused by flooding are among the most frequent and costly natural disasters and can develop in a myriad of different ways. One common way floods occur is when rivers or streams overflow their banks from excessive rain, a ruptured dam or levee, or rapid ice melt.
While some floods can develop over hours or days, giving individuals some time to prepare or evacuate, others, commonly known as "flash floods," can develop quickly and without warning. These flash floods can be extremely dangerous, and often are marked by a dangerous wall of roaring water carrying rocks, mud and other debris.
The moving water which results from floods has awesome destructive power. Usually structures are poorly equipped to withstand flood water's strength. In extreme cases, bridges, houses, trees and cars can be picked up and carried off, personal possessions and property can be destroyed, and even animals and individuals can be harmed. For example, in the United States floods do approximately about 6 billion dollars' worth of damage and kill about 140 people every year.
Because of the danger to lives and property posed by flooding, there is a need for a simple, lightweight, portable flood alert and alarm system that can activate a warning means to notify an individual prior to a potentially disastrous or dangerous flood. Such an alarm system would give individuals sufficient warning to vacate a potentially dangerous flood area and move their personal possessions and property to a safer and more secure area. Stated differently, there is a need for a portable device that can be moved and utilized in homes, on camping trips, or at any location where there is a possibility of flooding so that individuals in the area of the potential flood can be warned within a sufficient amount of time so as to protect and move themselves and their valuables.
While there are a number of devices available for warning of the onset of a flood in areas prone to flooding, many of these devices are problematic. First, many of these devices are not lightweight or easily portable. Accordingly, it can be cumbersome and unwieldy to transport and place the detectors in at-risk flood areas. In addition, many of these devices are expensive and/or have a complex structure that is difficult to understand, set-up, and program. Another problem with these devices currently utilized in the art is that they often malfunction. Many of these devices are float-based systems. Typically, these float systems detect a rising level of water, or some other liquid, and sound an alarm to alert others of the rising liquid condition. In some of these systems, the buoyant floats contain a sensor which, when raised or otherwise moved by the presence of flood water, closes an electrical circuit when it reaches a certain predefined point, thereby engaging the alarm. The problems with these sensor float activated systems can be numerous. First, water present in the flood situation can impair or short circuit the electrical circuit. In these situations, even if the float is raised and an alarm should be triggered, no alarm will sound because the circuit will not be completed. This damage generally renders the device useless. Second, in addition to water damage, debris or other detritus in the flood water can become stuck to the float or the circuit. This debris can catch the float, preventing it from moving with the rising flood waters, or it can become caught in the sensor or circuit, preventing a complete connection and sounding of the alarm. Finally, many of these systems are either constructed to alert for gradual flooding or flash flooding, they do not adequately monitor and alert a user to either type of flooding. Thus, these currently utilized systems are susceptible to damage and being put out of commission by excessive flooding.
Accordingly, there is a need for the development of a portable, self-contained flood alarm which alleviates the shortcomings of the alarms of the prior art and offers an easy-to-use and reliable flood and water level alarm which will adequately warn users of potential flood conditions and possibly save their personal belongings, equipment, and lives. The device and system disclosed herein achieves its intended purposes, objectives, and advantages over the prior art through a new, useful, and nonobvious combination of component elements, which is simple to use, contains a minimum number of functioning parts, is economical to manufacture and assemble, and is not as susceptible to the problems inherent to the structure and design of the flood warning systems of the prior art.

Alert system for detecting rising water levels


A method and apparatus for eliminating electric charges in a clean room is disclosed involving removing fine and superfine grains from air in the clean room, and generating ions in the thus purified air inside the room.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for eliminating static electricity in a clean room, using an ion generator. More particularly, the present invention relates to techniques of preventing the generation of fine grains which would deposit collectively on the surfaces of electrodes of an ion generator, and resplash to contaminate the clean room.
2. Related Art
Generally, factories which manufacture semiconductors are in low humidity environments with a relative humidity of about 40%. Plastic containers which are used to carry semiconductor elements and wafers enclosed therein have high electrical resistance and are likely to be electrically charged. Therefore, static electricity will be generated in the clean room. This static electricity causes dust to be deposited on the surface of wafers and hence the resulting products would be defective. Especially, the density of the semiconductor devices has recently being increased. Thus, if only a little dust deposits on the surface of a wafer, it would cause a pattern of the semiconductor device to be defective to thereby adversely affect the characteristic of the semiconductor device. Thus, semiconductor devices must be manufactured in a clean room with a degree of cleanliness close to a dust-free state.
The electromagnetic waves generated when static electricity can destroy ICs on wafers and semiconductor devices, thereby reducing product yield. Especially, as the degree of integration of semiconductor devices increases, their electrostatic resistance is decreased. Such a hindrance to manufacture due to static electricity is a big problem.
For the above reason, an ion generator is used to eliminate static electricity in the clean room. It applies high voltage across its electrodes to cause a discharge to thereby generate ions which are used to neutralize and eliminate the electric charges on the object.
One example of such ion generators is shown in FIG. 4. A clean room 1 has on its ceiling a high performance filter 5 through which clean air is fed into the room, and an ion generator 2 which eliminates static electricity. Ion generator 2 applies positive and negative high voltages to positive and negative needle electrodes 3, respectively, to generate a corona discharge. This changes the air around the needle electrodes 3 to positive and negative ions 4 which are carried by a flow of air from filter 5 to thereby neutralize opposite-polarity electric charges, respectively, on an object 6 with ions 4.
According to such ion generator 2, semiconductors which have high electrical resistance and which are difficult to leak electric charges by grounding can be neutralized electrically.
It is known that fine grains would be splashed from the electrodes 3 of the ion generator. These grains would contaminate the air in the clean room and hence be a hindrance to the manufacture of semiconductors.
The following causes of the splashing of the fine grains are known:
(a) Fine grains of the electrodes 3 produced by its wear are splashed; and
(b) The SiO.sub.2 fine grains in the air which are not eliminated by filter 5 deposit on the electrodes 3. If these grains are gathered to become particular larger ones, they would be resplashed.
Concerning the wear of the electrodes 3, electrodes the wear rate of which is decreased have been provided by improving the electrode materials.
However, no measures have been established against the resplashing of SiO.sub.2 fine grains. Even if fine grains with a size of 0.03 .mu.m or more (measurable at present) are removed by the filter 5 from the air which is fed into the clean room 1, fine grains with a size of 0.03 -0.1 .mu.m are splashed from the needle electrodes 3 in ion generator 2. It is clarified by analysis that these fine grains are of SiO.sub.2. In an uneven field such as that present around the ion generator electrodes, neutral (polarized) grains are drawn by a gradient force toward a higher field strength and deposit on the electrodes now under corona discharge. Therefore, the fine grains with a size of 0.005 .mu.m (hereinafter referred to as superfine grains) which have passed through the filter 5 are captured and collected by the needle electrodes 3 into fine grains with a size of 0.03-0.1 .mu.m, which would be resplashed in the clean room. The splashed grains would contaminate the surface of the wafers, etc. Therefore, it is very difficult to use the ion generator in a high purification degree clean room which is required to eliminate fine grains on the order of 0.1 .mu.m.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for eliminating electrical charges in the clean room where no SiO.sub.2 fine grains deposit on the ion generating electrodes and hence no dust due to resplashing of such SiO.sub.2 grains is produced when clean air which contains no SiO.sub.2 fine grains is fed to the vicinity of the ion generating electrodes and static electricity in the clean room is eliminated.
It is another object of the present invention to purify the air fed to the vicinity of the ion generating electrodes by causing superfine grains which cannot be captured by the filter to deposit on the discharging electrodes so as to be larger grains which are captured with the filter, and then capturing the larger grains with the filter.
It is a further object of the present invention to purify the air fed to the vicinity of ion generating electrodes by causing superfine grains which cannot be captured with the filter to pass through pure water to thereby cause the grains to be captured with the pure water.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus for removing electric charges in the clean room which is capable of maintaining a high degree of cleanliness, causing the ions generated by an ion generator in the clean room to neutralize the electric charges to thereby eliminate a possible obstacle to the manufacture due to static electricity and hence to ensure the manufacture of a high density semiconductor device.

Method and apparatus for eliminating electric charges in a clean room


The present invention comprises a metal brace consisting of a strip of sheet metal the side portions of which are doubled over or bent through about 180 degrees, so that the strip, or at least a nailing flange of the strip, is of double thickness sheet metal. In this way the raw edges of the strip are safely displaced from the sides of the brace. Moreover, it has been found that it is much easier to drive a nail through two superimposed thicknesses of sheet metal than to drive it through a single piece of sheet metal of double the thickness. Therefore the bracing strip according to the invention made of light gauge sheet metal may have high strength in compression, but be easier to nail, without preformed nail holes, than a conventional bracing strip. An alternative embodiment may have formed in it a plurality of access locations to use as nail holes. The portion of the strip which is of double thickness and the access locations (if present) are flattened such that they do not have an overall thickness which is substantially equal to twice the thickness of the sheet metal.

1. Field of the Invention
This Invention relates to bracing strips for timber-framed buildings.
2. Related Applications
The present application is a continuation in part of U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 479,198 filed Feb. 13, 1990, which application was a continuation of application Ser. No. 021,921, filed Mar. 5, 1987.
3. Background Art
A variety of steel bracing strips of different cross-sectional configurations are used for bracing timber wall and roof structures of buildings. The braces are, in most cases, required to have good strength in compression as well as in tension and so are commonly angled, saw cuts being made in the timber members crossed to receive closely a flange of an angled member; or where cyclonic conditions preclude the cutting of studs, the strips are curved, or bent along their center-lines through wide angles, the strips being flattened where nailed to a plate, stud or other member of the frame. One such bracing strip is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,157,002.
These bracing strips have been found generally satisfactory, but there is some danger of accident to workmen from the raw edges of the metal of which the braces are formed. Another difficulty has been found in nailing bracing strips made of metal of such gauge as will afford adequate strength in compression. To overcome this latter disadvantage many such bracing strips are formed with a series of nail holes.
Another disadvantage is that, as the bracing strips are required in a fairly wide range of lengths, the transport and storage of these presents problems.
The present invention has been devised with the general object of minimizing these disadvantages.


A strut supported framework for mounting directly to the back side of posters and other works of art which holds the paper skin of the poster taut. The framework is composed of elongated semi-ridged, strut members bonded to adjustable low tack adhesive tape. Strut members can be easily cut to fit the back side perimeter of most any standard sized posters. The strut members are stabilized by plastic like, adhesive bonded corner support braces positioned over the right angles formed by the framework. The framework parts include four frame members and four corner support braces. The frame members are slit from a simi-ridged foamboard like material. The corner support braces are die-cut shaped pieces of plastic like material. Both the frame struts and the corner support braces are bonded to one side of a double sided, pressure sensitive, adhesive tape with a release liner protecting the revere side of the adhesive tape. Each frame strut is measured, marked, cut, and affixed in position so as to be squared off to form a right angle on the outer perimeter of the back side of a poster. The steps to constructing the framework follows an established sequential order.

The present invention extends the concept of poster frames to include cut to size, adjustable, reposition adhesive lined frame struts which support posters or other art works of any standard size. Previous framing devices have taken numerous forms, each having functioned with measured success. The overriding consideration of existing frames has been to provide a degree of aesthetical and decorative frame support most often requiring ridged materials such as wood or metal, and/or, semi-ridged backing materials such as cardboard or foamboard. Because of framing costs however, most posters are still displayed on walls or doors using adhesive tapes, tacks, or staples as affixing agents. Past Framing devices have not addressed the need for a simple and easy cut to fit, adjustable sized poster frame. Furthermore, past frame devices have been viewed primarily as decorative additions rather than as a non-exposed support frameworks. While both cardboard and foamboard sheets do display posters or other works of art from the back side, both materials present problems of durability, convenience, and, flexibility.
There exists a need for an economical, compact, yet flexible direct mount poster frame which can be easily measured and cut to size; would utilize adhesive tape which would allow for the repositioning of frame members if misaligned; and is light weight, yet, self-supporting and easily hung.


The invention relates to multispecific antibody constructs comprising Fab fragments having a particular set of mutations at the interface of the CH1 and CL domains, the mutations preventing heavy chain/light chain mispairing.

Bispecific antibodies (bsAbs) combine specificities of two antibodies and simultaneously address different antigens or epitopes. BsAbs with 'two-targets' functionality can interfere with multiple surface receptors or ligands associated, for example with cancer, proliferation or inflammatory processes. BsAbs can also place targets into close proximity, either to support protein complex formation on one cell, or to trigger contacts between cells. Examples of 'forced-connection' functionalities are bsAbs that support protein complexation in the clotting cascade, or tumor-targeted immune cell recruiters and/or activators. Following years of research and development, the first bsAb was approved in 2009.
Initially, bispecific antibodies have been prepared by chemical conjugation, or by use of quadromas resulting from the fusion between two hybridoma cell lines producing two different mAbs. However, chemical conjugation may occasionally alter the antigen binding sites, resulting in an impairment of the biological properties of the antibody. The quadroma approach has the drawback that the random pairing of heavy and light chains from two different antibodies leads theoretically to ten equally possible combinations resulting in a mixture of immunoglobulin molecules, only one of which is the desired bispecific product, which has to be separated from the mispaired products.
Genetic engineering has now become the method of choice to produce bispecific antibodies and had led to the development of a wide variety of different recombinant bispecific antibody formats. Some of these bispecific antibodies are very simple and derive from single-chain Fv (scFv) fragments from two (or more) different antibodies, associated through an appropriate peptide linker. These antibodies are relatively easy to produce, and since they are formed by a single polypeptide chain and contain only the Fv regions of the parent antibodies, there is no problem of mispairing between chains. However, they are smaller than full-length immunoglobulins, and are devoid of constant regions, in particular of the Fc region. Although it may be advantageous in some applications, for instance when one wishes to avoid Fc-mediated effects, it is a disadvantage when Fc-mediated effector function is desired. Also, due to their small size and lack of Fc region, they have a very short half-life in vivo.
Therefore, other bispecific recombinant antibodies formats, mimicking more closely the naturally occurring immunoglobulin molecule, and in particular having a full Fc region, have been designed. They can be grouped into two main formats.
In the first one (IgG scFv), scFv fragments from an antibody A are fused to the ends (generally the C-terminal ends) of the heavy chains of an antibody B. The resulting antibody having only one type of heavy chain, which contains the VH, CH1, CH2 and CH3 domains of antibody B and the VH and VL domains of antibody A, and one type of light chain which contains the VL and CL domains of antibody B, mispairing between chains does not occur. Such a format is described for instance by Qu et al. (Blood, 111, 2211-2219, 2008).
In the second one, the heavy chain and the light chain from an antibody A are paired with the heavy chain and the light chain from an antibody B. This format reproduces the bispecific antibodies produced by the quadromas, and therefore raises similar problems of mispairing. To solve the problem of mispairing of the heavy chains, it has been proposed to mutate the CH3 domains of the antibodies in order to favor their heterodimerization (i.e. pairing of heavy chain A with heavy chain B) and to prevent their homodimerization. This was done by the so-called "knob into holes" approach (Ridgway et al, Protein Eng, 9, 617-21, 1996; U.S. Pat. No. 7,695,936). A "knob" mutation consisting in the replacement of a small amino-acid by a larger one is introduced at the CH3 dimer interface of the heavy chain of antibody A, resulting in a steric hindrance which prevents homodimerization. Concurrently in order to promote heterodimerization, a complementary "hole" mutation consisting in the replacement of a large amino acid by a smaller one is introduced into the CH3 domain of antibody B. To solve the problem of the heavy chain/light chain mispairing, it has been proposed to use antibodies of different specificities but sharing a common light chain, previously identified from an scFv phage library (Merchant et al., Nat Biotechnol, 16, 677-81, 1998; U.S. Pat. No. 7,183,076). The drawback of this approach is the difficulty in identifying antibodies having a common light chain. International patent application WO2013/005194 proposed that it was possible to prevent heavy chain/light chain mispairing and thus to ensure the desired matching of the chains by mutating some key residues at the interface of the CH1 and CL domains.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A method for producing a buried stop zone in a semiconductor body and a semiconductor component having a stop zone, has the method steps of:                providing a semiconductor body having a first and a second side and a basic doping of a first conduction type,        irradiating the semiconductor body via one of the sides with protons, as a result of which protons are introduced into a first region of the semiconductor body situated at a distance from the irradiation side,        carrying out a thermal process in which the semiconductor body is heated to a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time duration, the temperature and the duration being chosen such that hydrogen-induced donors are generated both in the first region and in a second region adjacent to the first region in the direction of the irradiation side.

It is known, in the case of bipolar power components, such as, for example, power diodes, power thyristors or power IGBTs, which have a comparatively weakly doped base zone, to provide in the base zone a stop zone doped more highly than the base zone. The stop zone serves, when the component is in the off state, for limiting the electric field propagating in the base zone and prevents a punch-through of the electric field to a more heavily doped emitter zone adjacent to the base zone. A power component having such a stop zone is described for example in DE 100 48 165 A1.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,582 describes a vertical power component having a stop zone arranged in a base zone at a distance from an emitter zone. Arranged between the stop zone and the emitter zone is an intermediate zone, in which the doping concentration decreases proceeding from the stop zone in the direction of the emitter zone down to the level of the doping concentration of the base zone.
A method for producing an n-doped stop zone in a semiconductor body is described in DE 102 43 758 A1. This method involves radiating protons into the region of the semiconductor body in which the stop zone is intended to be produced. This irradiation step is followed by a thermal method in which the semiconductor body is heated to temperatures of between 250° C. and 550° C. for a time duration of between 1 minute and 250 minutes in order to generate hydrogen-induced donors.
When bipolar power components are turned off, it is advantageous, in principle, if the temporal gradient of the current flowing in the base zone is as small as possible toward the end of the turn-off phase, that is to say if the current flowing in the base zone decreases as gently as possible. Voltages which are induced during the turn-off operation in supply leads to the component at parasitic leakage inductances that are unavoidably present can thereby be minimized.

Method for producing a stop zone in a semiconductor body and semiconductor component having a stop zone


An imaging apparatus includes an image sensor configured to convert an optical image of a subject into an electric signal, an optical member provided on an imaging optical axis in front of the image sensor, a vibrating device configured to vibrate the optical member, a status acquiring unit configured to acquire a status inside the imaging apparatus, and a control unit configured to control the vibrating device to vibrate the optical member at each of frequency steps into which a predetermined frequency band is divided and to change at least one of the frequency band, a number of frequency steps into which the frequency band is divided, and a time per frequency step based on the status acquired by the status acquiring unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology for removing a foreign substance, such as dust, adhering to a surface of an optical member provided on an optical axis of an optical apparatus, such as an imaging apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In imaging apparatuses, such as digital cameras, which perform imaging of a subject by converting a subject image into an electrical signal, an imaging light-beam is received by an image sensor. Then, a photoelectric conversion signal output from the image sensor is converted into image data. The image data is recorded on a recording medium, such as a memory card. A charge-coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor can be used as the image sensor.
In such imaging apparatuses, an optical low-pass filter or an infrared cut filter is disposed on a subject side of the image sensor. When foreign substances, such as dust, adhere to the surfaces of the filter, the foreign substances produce black spots in a captured image. Consequently, visual quality of the image deteriorates.
In particular, in digital single-lens reflex cameras with interchangeable lenses, mechanical operating units, such as a shutter and a quick-return mirror, are disposed in vicinity of an image sensor. Sometimes, foreign substances, such as dust, are generated by the operating units and adhere to the surface of the image sensor or the filter. In addition, when the lens is changed, a foreign substance, such as dust, may enter the camera body from an opening of a lens mount and may adhere to the surface of the image sensor or the filter.
In order to avoid such phenomena, U.S. Pat. No. 7,324,148 discusses a technology for providing a dust-proof screen, which transmits an imaging light-beam, on a subject side of an image sensor, and for vibrating the dust-proof screen using a piezoelectric element to remove a foreign substance, such as dust, adhering to the surface of the dust-proof screen.
According to the technology discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,324,148, a voltage is applied to an electronic element joined to a dust-proof screen so as to remove a foreign substance adhering to the dust-proof screen. Then, the piezoelectric element is driven to displace the dust-proof screen in an optical-axis direction. Thus, screen vibrations are caused. In such a configuration, a space between the dust-proof screen and the image sensor is sealed with an elastic member, such as a rubber member. However, sometimes, attenuation of vibrations of the elastic member varies with the temperature of the vicinity of the dust-proof screen, so that an amplitude of the vibration of the dust-proof film changes.
When a user cleans directly the dust-proof screen using a cotton swab or lens cleaning paper, the dust-proof screen may be scratched. The failure probability of the dust-proof screen is increased according to the number of times of cleaning. Thus, unless the amplitude of vibration of the dust-proof screen during a foreign-substance removal operation is reduced with an increase in the number of times of cleaning thereof, there is a fear of breakage of the dust-proof screen.
A method of providing an electric circuit for applying a voltage to a piezoelectric element with a circuit capable of applying an appropriate voltage according to the temperature at driving thereof and the number of times of cleaning has been considered to solve such a problem. However, a plurality of step-up circuits and resistors are required to generate different voltages. This is a cause for increasing the cost and size of a digital single-lens reflex camera.

Imaging apparatus having unit for removing foreign substance


Method for the bidirectional transmission of data between one or more textile machines (1) producing cross-wound bobbins and/or one or more same-level and/or higher level control systems with a device (2) for transmitting data to a transport medium, which is used for the transporting of data located on the transport medium, the transport medium being in operative connection with the textile machine (1) producing cross-wound bobbins to transmit data via the device (2). According to the invention, a memory, a hard disc, a magnetic tape, a writable compact disc (CD), a writable digital versatile disc (DVD), a magneto-optical disc (MO disc), a minidisc (MD) or a digital memory card provided in a mobile telephone or a palm-top computer (personal digital assistant) are used as the transporting medium and the device (2) is integrated in an exchangeable manner in the textile machine (1).

The present invention relates to a method for the bidirectional transmission of data between one or more textile machines. More particularly, the present invention relates to such a method for the bidirectional transmission of data between one or more textile machines producing cross-wound bobbins and/or one or more same-level and/or higher level control systems with a device for transmitting data to a transport medium, which is used for the transporting of data located on the transport medium, the transport medium being in operative connection with the textile machine producing cross-wound bobbins to transmit data via the device.
It is known from German Patent Publication DE 100 55 026 A1, for the bidirectional transmission of data between textile machines, to connect them to one another and to a central control system by means of a network. For this purpose, corresponding cabling and apparatus equipment corresponding to the network architecture, for example Ethernet, Token Ring or Fibre Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) are required to be able to build up networks of this type. As an alternative to cabling, the network architecture may also be implemented in a wireless manner, in other words as a so-called wireless local area network (WLAN). The indispensable prerequisite for data exchange between the textile machines and/or the central control system is an existing network infrastructure, the structure, maintenance and upkeep of which do not give rise to unreasonable costs.
A further possibility for data transmission is to connect a notebook to the respective textile machine to be able to transfer data from the latter to the notebook and vice versa. As notebooks are relatively expensive, react extremely sensitively to unusual mechanical stresses, such as a fall, and the use of a notebook and its connection to the textile machine is a relatively complex process, the use of notebooks across the board for transporting data can only be implemented with a large financial outlay.


An in-mold label applying device for applying a label to an interior of a metal mold for blow molding includes an entering arm composed of a first link portion having a changeable configuration, an applying arm composed of a second link portion having a changeable configuration and also having a shaft in common with the entering arm on a distal end thereof, and a label fitting portion provided on a distal end of the applying arm. When the entering arm advances toward the metal mold while changing in configuration, the applying arm also changes in configuration and is operatively associated with the changing configuration of the entering arm. When the configuration of the applying arm changes, the applying arm causes the label fitting portion to move to a prescribed position within the metal mold.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an in-mold label applying device and more particularly to one capable of shortening a molding cycle time and improving accuracy of application of a label.
2. Description of the Related
The so-called in-mold labeling is practiced in which, when a blow molded container is manufactured by blow molding, mold halves are closed for blow molding after a label is applied (temporary deposition) to an inner surface of each container, so that the label is integrally attached to the surface of the hollow molded container.
The above-mentioned application of a label to an inner surface of each mold half is automatically carried out by an in-mold label applying device. Heretofore, the in-mold label applying device was actuated using two drive sources, namely, an air cylinder or motor for bringing the label into a space between mold halves which are in an open position, and an air cylinder or motor for transferring the label brought into the space between the mold halves to an inner surface of one of the mold halves.
However, this conventional device had problems such that, since there is a need of a provision of two drive sources corresponding to two axial directions perpendicular to each other, manufacturing costs are increased and the mechanism is complex, thus resulting in failure. Moreover, because the second operation must be performed after making sure that the first operation is finished, a time loss occurs for such sure performance. A further problem was also encountered in that, since the drive mechanism must be mounted on an arm portion for applying a label, the arm portion is increased in weight which makes it difficult for the arm portion to follow a high-speed operation.
As one for improving the above problems, U.S. Pat. No. 4,549,863 discloses an in-mold label applying device in which a label is brought into a space between mold halves which are in an open position and attached to the inner walls of the mold halves by a single drive mechanism. A representative one out of a plurality of in-mold label applying devices described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,549,863 is shown in FIG. 7.
In the prior art in-mold label applying device shown in FIG. 7, when main arm 1' for depositing a label L' comes into the space between an opened metal mold M' a prescribed distance, a case portion 2'contacts the metal mold M' and a stopper 5'. Then, a piston 4', a sub-arm 3'and the main arms 1'are cooperated to apply the label L' attached to the distal ends of the main arms 1'to the inner surface of the metal mold M' in a way as indicated by broken lines of FIG. 7.
With the use of the in-mold label applying device of FIG. 7, however, application accuracy of the label L' is degraded because the orbit of the label L' exhibits a circular arc when the label L' is deposited on the inner surface of the metal mold M'. In addition, it gives rise to another problem in that damage is liable to occur due to rubbing of the label L'. Moreover, there is a further problem in that, when the configuration of a hollow container to be molded is changed, the configurations of the arms 1'and 3'must also be changed taking into account among others, an angle of contact of the label L' with the inner surface of the metal mold M'.


A protection system for overcurrent protection in a battery system. The protection system can have a protection element for interrupting an electric current path in the battery system. The protection system can have an acquisition unit for determining acquisition information which is specific for an electric current of the current path. The protection system can have an electronic processing unit for performing a comparison of the acquisition information with an adaptable protection specification to detect an overcurrent condition. The electronic processing unit can be operatively connected to the protection element to activate the protection element in response to the comparison such that the interruption occurs upon positive detection of the overcurrent condition in accordance with an adjustable activating characteristic.

This invention relates to a protection system for the protection, in particular overcurrent protection, of a battery system. Furthermore, the invention refers to a battery system, a battery management system, and a method of protecting the battery system.
Lithium batteries (i.e. lithium-ion accumulators) are powerful accumulators with a high energy density. However, lithium batteries usually have a low internal resistance, so that enormous short-circuits or overcurrents can occur without suitable measures.
One way of preventing short circuits known from the state of the art is to use an irreversible protection, such as a fuse, as protection against overcurrents. This can be integrated into the main current path to prevent the current flow of the battery system in the event of an overcurrent. However, such a protection is relatively costly in the power classes of lithium batteries, since high switch-off capacities have to be provided. It must also be ensured that there is a sufficient distance between the normal operating current (within an operating range of the battery system) and the activating current (which activated the protection). This is made possible by selecting a protection with a suitable activating characteristic.
However, this can lead to the problem that the protection characteristic curve of the protection is not suitable for many applications. The protection characteristic curve of a fuse can have a critical range in which very high currents are required to activate the protection. There is a risk that other components in the current path may be destroyed by the high currents. In addition, the protection characteristic curve can also have a further critical area in which there is a risk of false activating. Furthermore, many types of protection have the disadvantage that they have too slow of a response time.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to at least partially eliminate the disadvantages described above. In particular, it is the object of the present invention to provide a cost-effective and/or faster and/or more efficient protection for overcurrent protection for battery systems, in particular lithium battery systems.

Protection system for protecting a battery system


A disposable dish care and hard surface cleaning wipe is disclosed. In one embodiment, the wipe is comprised of a water insoluble substrate that includes a partially hydrophobic nonwoven first layer, and a low density nonwoven second layer that is adjacent to the said first layer and has melded onto the side facing away from the said first layer an abrasive coating of thermoplastic material nubs or hooks, and a cleaning paste containing a surfactant.

Dish care products, particularly hand dishwashing products, have traditionally been marketed in a variety of forms such as scouring powders, pasteous compositions, aqueous liquids and gels. Typically, these products have attempted to satisfy a number of criteria to be acceptable to consumers. These criteria include cleaning effectiveness, in particular effective grease removal and effective cooked-, baked- and burnt-on soils (such as dried-on food residues) removal ("cleaning benefit"). Furthermore, a number of additional benefits have to be satisfied for a hand dishcare product to appeal to consumers such as skin feel, mildness to skin, rinsability and sudsing volume ("additional had dishcare benefits"). Ideal hand dishwashing products should combine both cleaning benefits and benefits"). Ideal hand dishwashing products should combine both cleaning benefits and additional had dishcare benefits. Indeed, ideal hand dishwashing products should effectively remove from dishes soils, such as grease, cooked-, baked- and burnt-on soils and the like, cause little or no irritation to the hands of the user of the hand dishwashing products, should provide a significant amount of suds during the hand dishwashing operation and should be easily rinsable.
It is also highly desirable to deliver the above described cleaning and additional hand dishcare benefits from a disposable product. Disposable products are convenient because they obviate the need to store cumbersome bottles, jars, sprayers, sponges, reusable dishcare cloths, brushes and other forms of clutter including hand dishcare products capable of providing the cleaning, mildness, feel, rinsing and sudsing benefits. Disposable products are also a more sanitary alternative to the use of a sponge, reusable dishcare cloth, brush or other cleaning implement intended for extensive reuse, because such implements can develop bacterial growth, unpleasant odors, and other undesirable characteristics related to repeated use.
The wipes of the present invention surprisingly provide effective cleaning and additional had dishcare benefits in a convenient, inexpensive, and hygienic manner. The present invention provides the convenience of not needing to carry, store or use a separate implement (such as a dish cloth, brush, sponge and the like) and a liquid or powder hand dishwashing detergent. These wipes are convenient to use because they are in the form of either a single, disposable wipes or multiple disposable wipes, which after being wetted are ready for cleaning dishes in a hand dishwash operation as. In addition, the disposable articles of the present invention may be removeably attached to a handle or grip suitable for moving the article over the surface to be cleansed.
The wipes of the present invention are suitable for hand dishcare applications to clean "dishware" including dishes, cups, cutlery, glassware, food storage containers, cooking utensils (cookware) and the like. They may also be useful in cleaning household hard surfaces, in particular hard surfaces found in kitchens such as sinks, worktops, fixtures, appliances etc.
In a further object of the present invention the wipe comprises features which increase the general stiffness of the wipe. Traditional dishcloths are made from relatively flexible fabric making them useful for reaching into the corners of dishware, but are difficult to grip. On the other hand, a scourer or scrubbing sponge is comparatively less flexible and is consequently easier to grip, but is not sufficiently pliable to reach into the corners of dishware. Dishwashing wipes of the type discussed herein can tend to have flexibility of the same order as traditional dishcloths. It is therefore a further benefit of the present dishwashing wipes in that they can be manufactured so as to provide an appropriate level of stiffness in order to balance the needs for gripping the wipe and pliability to reach into corners.
In particular, it would be desirable to improve the stiffness of the wipe when wet. Traditional dishcloths tend to have relatively low stiffness both when dry and when wet. Dish care wipes can give relatively high stiffness when dry, but the stiffness tends to decrease significantly when the wipe is wet. The same applies to synthetic sponges, which exhibit very high dry stiffness, but significantly reduced wet stiffness. In a preferred aspect of the invention the wipe comprises features which increase the ratio of wet stiffness to dry stiffness.

Disposable dish care and hard surface cleaning wipe


Methods, apparatus, and systems for updating firmware for clustered computing platforms. Firmware provided on each platform is loaded for operating system runtime availability. The firmware update process begins by issuing an update directive that includes firmware update data to a first platform. That platform then interacts with firmware running on other platforms to update the firmware for those platforms, wherein communications between the platforms is enabled via an out-of-band (OOB) communication channel or network. In one embodiment, OOB communications are facilitated by a hidden execution mode known as the System Management Mode (SMM), which has the ability to receive and respond to periodic System Management Interrupts (SMI) and execute corresponding SMI handlers configured to support inter-platform communication in a manner that is transparent to operating systems running on the platforms. The method allows firmware to be updated across multiple platforms, such as server blades, using a single administrative action.

Information Technology (IT) managers and Chief Information Officers (CIOs) are under tremendous pressure to reduce capital and operating expenses without decreasing capacity. The pressure is driving IT management to provide computing resources that more efficiently utilize all infrastructure resources. To meet this objective, aspects of the following questions are often addressed: How to better manage server utilization; how to cope with smaller IT staff levels; how to better utilize floor space; and how to handle power issues.
Typically, a company's IT infrastructure is centered around computer servers that are linked together via various types of networks, such as private local area networks (LANs) and private and public wide area networks (WANs). The servers are used to deploy various applications and to manage data storage and transactional processes. Generally, these servers will include stand-alone servers and/or higher density rack-mounted servers, such as 2U and 1U servers.
Recently, a new server configuration has been introduced that provides unprecedented server density and economic scalability. This server configuration is known as a "blade server." A blade server employs a plurality of closely-spaced "server blades" (blades) disposed in a common chassis to deliver high-density computing functionality. Each blade provides a complete computing platform, including one or more processors, memory, network connection, and disk storage integrated on a single system board. Meanwhile, other components, such as power supplies and fans, are shared among the blades in a given chassis and/or rack. This provides a significant reduction in capital equipment costs when compared to conventional rack-mounted servers.
Generally, blade servers are targeted towards two markets: high density server environments under which individual blades handle independent tasks, such as web hosting; and scaled computer cluster environments. A scalable compute cluster (SCC) is a group of two or more computer systems, also known as compute nodes, configured to work together to perform computational-intensive tasks. By configuring multiple nodes to work together to perform a computational task, the task can be completed much more quickly than if a single system performed the tasks. In theory, the more nodes that are applied to a task, the quicker the task can be completed. In reality, the number of nodes that can effectively be used to complete the task is dependent on the application used.
A typical SCC is built using Intel®-based servers running the Linux operating system and cluster infrastructure software. These servers are often referred to as commodity off the shelf (COTS) servers. They are connected through a network to form the cluster. An SCC normally needs anywhere from tens to hundreds of servers to be effective at performing computational-intensive tasks. Fulfilling this need to group a large number of servers in one location to form a cluster is a perfect fit for a blade server. The blade server chassis design and architecture provides the ability to place a massive amount of computer horsepower in a single location. Furthermore, the built-in networking and switching capabilities of the blade server architecture enables individual blades to be added or removed, enabling optimal scaling for a given task. With such flexibility, blade server-based SCC's provides a cost-effective alternative to other infrastructures for performing computational tasks, such as supercomputers.
Under current architectures, there is no scheme that enables efficient firmware updates for clustered computer infrastructures, such as blade server environments. As discussed above, each blade in a blade server is enabled to provide full platform functionality, thus being able to operate independent of other blades in the server. Within this context, each server blade employs its own firmware for performing initialization operations and providing operating system (OS) run-time support for accessing various platform hardware and peripheral devices. Accordingly, in order to update firmware for multiple blade servers, it is necessary to perform an update process on each individual blade. When considering that a single rack may hold upwards of 300 server blades, it is readily apparent that updating firmware for blade servers is very time consuming and expensive.
Firmware can be updated in one of two manners. If the firmware is stored on a read-only (i.e., non-writable) device, such as a conventional ROM (read-only memory), the only way to update the firmware is to replace the firmware storage device. This technique is highly disfavored for most end users, as well as vendors, since it requires someone to replace one or more ROM chips on a motherboard or option ROM chips on an add-in card. System firmware may also be updated during operating system "runtime" operations, that is, while the computer is running subsequent to an OS boot. Traditionally, runtime firmware updating has required direct hardware access and special OS-specific device/component/platform support. This typically requires that the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) or IHV (independent hardware vendor) write an update driver for every operating system target for use by the corresponding system device, component, or platform. Furthermore, the update driver usually must be included as part of the set of drivers that may be used under a given operation system, creating a headache for both the OEM/IHV and the OS vendor.

Method for distributed update of firmware across a clustered platform infrastructure


Systems and methods for optimizing raster image process (RIP) pipeline data throughput are described. The RIP pipeline includes multiple RIP engines. In one aspect, a print job is divided into multiple partitions. The multiple partitions are at least as numerous as the number of RIP engines in the pipeline. A respective partition is distributed to each of the multiple print engines for processing into raster data. The raster data is printable by a printing device.

Raster image processing (RIP'ing) translates digital image data into bit-mapped device-ready data or raster bits for rendering. A RIP pipeline can be configured with multiple RIP engines to RIP respective portions of a print job to generate raster bits for printing. The pipeline can be implemented across any number of computing devices. A RIP engine can be implemented in hardware or software. Existing techniques to manage a pipeline's RIP'ing resources are substantially limited because such existing techniques often result in underutilization of the pipeline's processing capabilities. In light of this, systems and methods to improve RIP pipeline resource management are desired.

Optimizing raster image processing pipeline data throughput

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A combination meter for vehicle comprises counter device, for displaying a distance traveled by the vehicle, having a plurality of numeral wheels rotatably juxtaposed to a flame provided with the counter device; drive device for driving a pointer provided with the drive device to display a measured vehicle source by obtaining a scale of a dial secured to the frame of the counter device; coupling device, provided with the counter device and the drive device, for integrally coupling the flame of the counter device with the drive device.

The present invention generally relates to an integrating distance meter for a vehicle, and more particularly to an integrating distance meter for a vehicle including an odometer counter having a plurality of numeral wheels rotatably juxtaposed to a frame and adapted to integrate and display the distance traveled by the vehicle in an unresettable manner, and a trip counter having a plurality of numeral wheels rotatably juxtaposed to a frame and adapted to integrate and display the distance traveled by the vehicle in a resettable manner. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a combination instrument for a vehicle, and more particularly to a combination instrument for a vehicle which combines an integrating distance meter having a plurality of numeral wheels rotatably juxtaposed to a frame and adapted to display the distance travel by the vehicle, and the analog counter for indicating a measured vehicle speed or the like by means of a pointer driven by an electrically-operated movement such as a cross-coil-type movement and the scale of a dial secured to a frame of the integrating distance meter.
In general, a vehicle instrument such as the one illustrated in a front elevational view in FIG. 6 is mounted in a vehicle. In the drawing, window holes 2a and 2b are respectively formed in a dial 2 of a speedometer for displaying vehicle speed in cooperation with a pointer 1, one above and the other below the pointer 1 as viewed in FIG. 6, and the distance traveled by the vehicle is integrated by an odometer counter in an unresettable manner and is displayed through the window hole 2a, while the distance traveled by the vehicle is integrated by a trip counter in a resettable manner and is displayed through the window hole 2b. The reference numeral 3 denotes a reset button for resetting the display of the distance on the trip counter.
As an integrating distance meter disposed in the rear of the dial, shown in FIG. 6, for displaying an integrated distance, one having an arrangement illustrated in a top view in FIG. 7, a side elevational view in FIG. 8, and a cross-sectional view in FIG. 9 has been used.
As shown in the drawings, the integrating distance meter for a vehicle is arranged such that two support shafts 21a and 22a are supported on a single frame 10 parallel with each other at a predetermined interval corresponding to the distance between the window holes 2a and 2b of the dial 2, and numeral wheels 21b of an odometer counter 21 are rotatably juxtaposed to one support shaft 21a, while numeral wheels 22b of a trip counter 22 are rotatably juxtaposed to the other support shaft 22a. In addition, a stepping motor 23 for driving both the numeral wheels 21b and 22a is assembled and secured to the same frame 10.
In the integrating distance meter arranged as described above, the stepping motor 23 is electrically connected to a hard printed circuit board (HPC) 24 having thereon various electronic components constituting an electrical circuit for generating a drive signal for driving the stepping motor 23. As the stepping motor 23 is driven in correspondence with the travelling of the vehicle, the odometer counter 21 and the trip counter 22 are operated so as to integrate and display the distance traveled by the vehicle.
The reference numeral 25 denotes a cross-coil-type movement having a rotating shaft 25a at a distal end of which the pointer 1 is fixed, the movement 25 being adapted to drive the pointer 1 and display the speed. This movement 25 is accommodated and fixed in a space formed in the frame 10 below the numeral wheels 21b and 22b.
FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional view of such a combination indication instrument. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A--A in FIG. 6.
In the drawing, the cross-coil-type movement 25 for driving the pointer of the speedometer in correspondence with a measured amount, as well as the odometer counter 21 and the trip counter 22 which constitute an integrating distance meter 20, are disposed below the dial 1.
The cross-coil-type movement 25 has a coil bobbin 101, a pair of coils 102 wound around the outer periphery of the coil bobbin 101 perpendicularly to each other, and a magnet rotor 104 accommodated rotatably in a cavity 103 formed in the coil bobbin 101, and the rotating shaft 105 of the magnet rotor 104 has one end projecting out of the coil bobbin 101. By virtue of this arrangement, electric current corresponding to the measured amount is allowed to flow across the pair of coils 102 so as to respectively generate magnetic fields perpendicular to each other. As a result, the magnet rotor 104 and its rotating shaft 25a are rotated in such a manner that the direction of a synthetic magnetic field obtained by synthesizing the perpendicular magnetic fields and the direction of the N, S poles of the magnet rotor 104 will agree with each other.
Meanwhile, the odometer counter 21 and the trip counter 22 are arranged such that the numeral wheels 21b and 22b are respectively fitted rotatably on the support shafts 21a and 22a supported on the common frame 10, and an upper-digit numeral wheel is driven a one-tenth revolution by one revolution of a lower-digit numeral wheel to effect carrying. The dial 1 is secured to the coon frame 10 by means of screws or the like with the dial 1 superposed on a light-transmitting plate 30.
The movement 25 arranged as described above is secured, by means of set screws serving as terminals, to the HPC 24 on which are mounted electrical components such as ICs and resistors constituting a circuit for generating a signal for causing electric current corresponding to a measured amount to flow across the pair of coils 102. As the HPC 24 to which the movement 10 is thus fixed is secured to the frame 10 by means of screws 32 or the like, the movement 25 is accommodated and fixed in a cavity 202 formed between the odometer counter 21 and the trip counter 22, thereby forming the movement 25 and the integrating distance meter 20 integrally with each other.
The rotating shaft 25a of the movement 25 fixed to the common frame 10 via the HPC 24 as described above projects through the obverse surface of the dial 2 vie holes 201a, 30a, and 2d which are respectively formed in the frame 10, the light-transmitting plate 30, and the dial 2. The pointer 1 is secured to this projecting end by pressure fitting. In addition, the numeral wheels 21b of the odometer counter 21 and the numeral wheels 22b of the trip counter 22 face the window holes 2a and 2b of the dial 2.
With the above-described conventional integrating distance meter, various problems have been encountered since the odometer counter 21 and the trip counter 22 are assembled to the single frame 10.
For instance, there are numerous kinds of trip counter 22 whose number of digits and design differ depending on the type of vehicle and the grade. For this reason, integrating distance meters for vehicles in which various trip counters 22 are selectively combined with one kind of odometer counter 21 are required.
In such a case, with the above-described conventional 111, before the specifications of the trip counter 22 are determined, it is possible to fabricate in advance a multiplicity of odometer counters 21 without the trip counter 22 assembled thereto; however, it is necessary to store unfinished integrating distance meters each having a large frame 10, which is disadvantageous in terms of space in the light of management. In addition, there is a drawback in that, at the time when components constituting a trip counter 22 which meets required specifications are fitted to the frame 10, a large unfinished product must be handled, so that the efficiency in assembling operation is aggravated.
In addition, integrating distance meters each provided with the odometer counter 21 alone are required in some cases. In such cases, however, it is necessary to newly design and manufacture special integrating distance meters, and the number of kinds of products manufactured increases, which is disadvantageous in terms of cost and management.
As described above, the movement 25 and the integrating distance meter 20 are conventionally formed integrally by fixing the HPC 24, to which the cross-coil-type movement 25 is secured, to the frame 10 common to the odometer counter 21 and the trip counter 22 which constitute the integrating distance meter.
For this reason, if variations occur both in the fixing of the movement 25 to the HPC 25 and in the fixing of the HPC 25 to the common frame 10, and if the variations overlap in such a manner as to be added together, the positioning of the movement 25 with respect to the common frame 10 becomes substantially inaccurate, so that the rotating shaft 25a of the movement 25 fails to be located at the center of a hole 1d bored in the dial 2.
If this occurs, there is problem in that the pointer 1 secured to the tip of the rotating shaft 25a becomes offset from its predetermined position on the dial, with the result that the relationship between the pointer 1 and the window holes 2a and 2b and the relationship between the pointer 1 and a scale 1a become inaccurate.
In addition, with the above-described conventional combination instrument, since an assembling method is adopted in which the HPC 24 formed integrally with the movement 25 is assembled to the already assembled integrating distance meter 20, it is necessary to handle the HPC 24 formed integrally with the movement 25. Hence, such an arrangement has not been favorable in effecting automatic assembly.


A method and apparatus for producing the image elements of a lenticular image. The lenticular image includes a plurality of composite images of the same scene where each composite image includes image lines. The image lines of one composite view are interleaved with the image lines forming the other composite images to create image line sets. The sets include one image line from each composite image. The sets of image lines are aligned with the lenticules of a lenticular overlay by adjusting the spacing between the image line sets, so that the sets are in optimum alignment or phase relationship with each lenticule of the lenticular overlay. The spacing between image lines and/or between scan lines and/or image line sets can be adjusted to correct phase errors. The scan lines are printed in a fast scan direction of a printer in alignment with the lenticules.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to creating depth images which provide a visual impression of three-dimensional images using lenticular image forming techniques and, more particularly, to using electronic printing techniques where image forming scan lines are oriented in a printer fast scan direction, aligned with lenticules of a lenticular overlay and optimized for viewing distance and view point by adjusting distances between the scan lines, the image lines which comprise the scan lines and the sets of image lines formed under each lenticule, thereby producing improved quality lenticular depth images.
2. Description of the Related Art
Lenticular arrays or overlays are a known means to give images the appearance of depth. A lenticular image is created using a transparent upper layer having narrow parallel lenticules (half cylindrical lenses) on the outer surface and an image containing substrate or lower layer which projects images through the lenticules. The two layers form a lenticular system wherein each image is selectively visible as a function of the angle from which the system is viewed. If the depth image is a composite picture made by bringing together into a single composition a number of different parts of a scene viewed from different angles, each eye of a viewer will see different elements and the viewer will interpret the net result as depth of field. The viewer may also move his head with respect to the image thereby observing other views with each eye and enhancing the sense of depth. Each lenticule is associated with a plurality of image lines or an image line set and the viewer is supposed to see only one image line (or view slice) of each set with each eye for each lenticule. It is imperative that the line image sets be registered accurately with the lenticules, so that the proper picture is formed when the assembly is viewed. The precision required to create the registration necessary for a clear depth image using this technology has been a major obstacle in bringing this concept to market at a reasonable cost. A second major impediment to consumer acceptance is the inability of these systems to provide the desired depth effect when the viewer is positioned outside of a very narrow distance envelope from the image combined with the prior art systems inability to accurately regulate the location of the viewing envelope.

Method and apparatus for optimizing depth images by adjusting print spacing


An arrangement for reading photo-stimulable storage luminescent substances comprises an excitation glass fiber into which light which excites the storage luminescent substance can be fed by means of a light source. Light emitted by the excited storage luminescent substance can be fed into a receiving glass fiber, an end of the excitation glass fiber which is positioned close to the storage luminescent substance being arranged next to an end of the receiving glass fiber which can be positioned close to the storage luminescent substance. The excitation glass fiber (12) has a first numerical aperture and the receiving glass fiber has a second numerical aperture which is large compared with the first numerical aperture, as a result of which the light fed out from the excitation glass fiber is directed straight onto the storage luminescent substance without an optical arrangement and the stimulated light can be captured by the receiving glass fiber without an optical arrangement. A glass fiber drum scanner uses the arrangement for reading photo-stimulable storage luminescent substances to achieve a two-dimensional readout of the storage luminescent substance by means of an advancing device which moves the one ends of the excitation glass fiber and the receiving glass fiber in one direction and by means of a rotary drum to which the storage luminescent substance is attached.

The present invention relates generally to optical scanners and in particular to a device for reading photo-stimulable storage luminescent substances.
The present invention uses the effect of photo-stimulated luminescence. Phosphorus is one example of the substances which display photoluminescence. A storage luminescent substance, e.g. one which contains phosphorus, absorbs radiation energy, which excites electrons into higher energy states. These higher energy states are unstable, so that the phosphor electrons fall back into a state with lower energy, the energy difference being emitted as light. The emitted light energy typically has a different wavelength than the radiation energy which has induced the photoluminescence.
In the field of dental medicine in particular, in which a plurality of X-ray pictures is created, there is a great need to replace the traditional X-ray pictures with new imaging techniques. It is time consuming and expensive to first expose and then develop X-ray films, the time needed for exposure and development being in general considerably greater than the time spent in actually looking at the X-ray picture in order to make a diagnostic decision. For this reason X-ray storage luminescent substance foils have recently been used instead of the traditional X-ray films, which have to be exposed and then developed, e.g. in the field of dental medicine. As has already been mentioned, such storage luminescent substance foils comprise an storage photoluminescent substance, e.g. phosphorus, which is capable of retaining a pattern over several days after it has been exposed. Multiple exposure and a higher dynamic range are also advantageous attributes. Image data obtained e.g. by exposure to radioactive substances can be recalled using light of the appropriate wavelength. In particular, light of the appropriate wavelength stimulates or excites photoluminescence in the storage luminescent substance, the light emitted by the excited storage luminescent substance typically having a different wavelength than that of the exciting light.
A glass fibre scanner for scanning an storage phosphor imaging plate is known from EP 0559118 A1. The glass fibre scanner comprises a forklike glass fibre bundle with emitter fibres and collecting fibres. In addition a device for focusing light into the near end of the emitter fibres is provided, while furthermore a device for focusing light from the far end of the emitter fibres onto the phosphor imaging plate and a device for collecting light at the far end of the collecting fibres are used to increase the sensitivity and wavelength resolution of the arrangement. Such a glass fibre cable is used in the x-y scanner to scan an storage phosphor imaging plate so as to transport light from a light source to the phosphors in the storage phosphor imaging plate and to collect phosphorescence induced by the light.
The glass fibre scanner for scanning an storage phosphor imaging plate according to EP 0559118 A1 requires a focusing/imaging lens, which is connected to the far ends of the at least one emitter fibre and the at least one collecting fibre. This focusing/imaging lens, which has to serve both to focus the exciting light and to collect the light created by photoluminescence, makes the whole arrangement more expensive, since it must not only be fabricated but it must also be positioned and adjusted.
JP-1-185503 discloses a photodetector with a light receiving surface which is contacted directly by a receiving glass fibre with a core and a sheath. The materials of the core and the sheath of the glass fibre are so chosen that the refractive indices of the same decrease at different rates as the wavelength increases, whereby the numerical aperture of the receiving glass fibre is wavelength dependent and decreases in the direction of increasing wavelength. As a result the receiving glass fibre provides relatively good transmission conditions for the light emitted by a phosphor layer whereas it provides relatively poor transmission conditions for the light for exciting the phosphor, this light having a longer wavelength than the phosphorescent light emitted by the phosphor layer, whereby the glass fibre acts roughly like a high-pass filter. Direct connection of the glass fibre with the light receiving surface of the photodetector is thus possible.
DE 2363995 C2 discloses a method for creating a radiographic picture and a device for performing this method. Through the agency of a radiation source light is here projected through an interference filter onto a region of an excitable medium, whereupon the excitable medium emits light radiation which is reflected at the interference filter and is projected through a lens onto an input area of an image intensifier tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,557,452 discloses a confocal microscope. Light radiated from one end of a glass fibre is here focused by a microscope objective and radiated through a window onto a sample to be investigated, the result being that the sample fluoresces. Part of the fluorescent light radiated by the sample passes through the window again and is fed into a glass fibre by the microscope objective to be processed further.
It is the object of the present invention to provide an arrangement for reading photo-stimulable storage luminescent substances and a glass fibre drum scanner which can be manufactured less expensively.
In accordance with a first object of the invention, this object is achieved by an arrangement for reading photo-stimulable storage luminscent substances comprising: an excitation glass fibre into which light which excites the storage luminscent substance can be fed by means of a light source; and a receiving glass fibre into which the light produced by an excited storage luminescent substance can be fed, wherin that end of the excitation glass fibre which is positionable so as to be close to the storage luminescent substance is arranged next to that end of the receiving glass fibre which is positionable so as to be close to the storage luminscent substance, wherein the excitation glass fibre has a first numerical aperture, and wherein the receiving glass fibre has a second numerical aperture which is large compared with the first numerical aperture, whereby the light which is fed out of the excitation glass fibre is directed straight onto the storage luminscent substance without an optical arrangement.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, this object is achieved by a glass fibre drum scanner comprising: a glass fibre arrangement for reading photo-stimulable storage luminescent substances comprising an excitation glass fibre into which light which excites the storage luminescent substance can be fed by means of a light source; and a receiving glass fibre into which the light produced by an excited storage luminescent substance can be fed, wherein that end of the excitation glass fibre which is positionable so as to be close to the storage luminescent substance is arranged next to that end of the receiving glass fibre which is positionable so as to be close to the storage luminescent substance, wherein the excitation glass fibre has a first numerical aperture, and wherein the receiving glass fibre has a second numerical aperture which is large compared with the first numerical aperture, whereby the light which is fed out of the excitation glass fibre is directed straight onto the storage luminescent substance without an optical arrangement; and excitation light source whose light can be fed into another end of the excitation glass fibre; a receiver unit for receiving light transmitted in the receiving glass fibre; a drum unit rotatable about a first axis and to the curved surface of which the storage luminescent substance can be affixed; an advancing device for moving the closely arranged ends along the first axis; and a control unit for synchronizing operation of the excitation light source, the receiver unit, the drum unit and the advancing device.
The present invention is based on the finding that it is possible to achieve a more robust and more economical glass fibre drum scanner by dispensing with the optics for focusing the excitation light and for receiving the excited light so as to achieve a readout with high resolution and high contrast. The optics for focusing and for receiving the excited light can the more readily be dispensed with if a glass fibre with a small numerical aperture is used for the excitation glass fibre, whereas, by contrast, the receiving glass fibre must be a glass fibre with a large numerical aperture. The numerical aperture is known to specialists and is equal to the sine of half the solid angle of a maximum radiation cone which can be supplied by a glass fibre or which can be fed into a glass fibre. For a graded-index fibre e.g. the numerical aperture is calculated from the square root of the difference between the mean refractive indices of the glass fibre sheath and the glass fibre core. In accordance with the present invention the excitation fibre therefore consists of a glass fibre with a small numerical aperture, whereby the excitation light cone which it produces has a small solid angle, which means that, for a still moderate separation of the end of the excitation glass fibre which is positioned near the storage luminescent substance, a sufficient spot size is attainable, which in the final analysis defines the resolution with which the previously exposed storage luminescent substance foil can be read. By contrast, the receiving glass fibre, i.e. the glass fibre which collects the light emitted due to photoluminescence, must have a large numerical aperture, greater at least than the numerical aperture of the excitation glass fibre, in order that as much as possible of the light released due to photoluminescence can be collected. To increase the amount of photoluminescent light which is detected, and thus increase the sensitivity of a scanner, a multiplicity of receiving glass fibres may for preference be arranged around the excitation glass fibre, it being obvious to persons skilled in the art that the numerical aperture of a receiving glass fibre of the multiplicity of receiving glass fibres may then be smaller than the numerical aperture of a single receiving glass fibre while still achieving sufficient sensitivity of the storage luminescent substance scanner.

System for reading photo-stimulated accumulative luminescent substances

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Fxc3x6rderung der Angewandten Forschung, E.V.


According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided with a device control system including: an acquiring unit which acquires a BML document which can be delivered in digital broadcasting; a BML interpreting unit which interprets a description described in the BML document, for controlling an external device; and a communication unit which communicates with the external device on the basis of a result of interpretation by the BML interpreting unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device control system, a device control method, and a control program which controls a device connected to a network on the basis of information constituting broadcast contents.
2. Related Art
With digital broadcasting of television, a television for digital broadcasting (to be referred to as a digital television hereinafter) has been popularized. In the digital broadcasting, not only ordinary video contents but also various multimedia data such as a still image, audio information, and character information can be included in contents. For example, contents which reflect an interaction such as a remote control input by a user on a screen and a service which controls a device on the basis of the interaction are provided from a broadcasting station.
For example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open (JP-A) No. 2001-333030, an operation control signal to operate an in-house device depending on program contents is delivered together with program data of a broadcast program to transmit the control signal to the in-house device at a broadcast timing of a certain scene of the program. In this manner, a system which realizes such an additional service that the temperature of an air-conditioner is increased at a shot at which a hot scene is broadcasted is provided.
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-open (JP-A) No. 2002-208899, as a means of controlling a device externally connected to a digital broadcasting receiver, a method by transmitting and receiving an XML document in which a control parameter is set is proposed.
According to digital broadcasting, a cooperation between a program and an in-house device can be realized at a limited area. However, in a form that program data and a control signal are independent as in JP-A 2001-333030, a service which issues a control instruction at an arbitrary timing in a user operation or which changes a display depending on an execution result of a control instruction or a notification content cannot be realized. In addition, in relation to JP-A 2002-208899, according to a specification on which the invention is based, a describing means used to control a device disclosed in JP-A 2002-208899 is not practically operated because a manner of interpreting a description content and a control means for controlling the in-house device are not defined. More specifically, in a case of realizing control of these in-house devices and an operation of detecting interruption from a device, control except for control in an extent depending on an implementation and a specification unique to each device to be controlled cannot be performed. For example, it is virtually impossible to realize such an operation that a list of devices which can communicate with a digital television is acquired.

Device control system, device control method, and control program


A bathtub for the disabled or elderly includes a tub (10) having an enclosure defined by at least one sidewall (10a), where the sidewall (10a) has a doorway therein providing access from an external side of the sidewall (10a), external to the enclosure, into the enclosure. A generally horizontal and vertically spaced apart pair of elongate guides (74, 82) are provided in the sidewall (10a). A door is slidably mounted to the guides (74, 82) on at least one pivotable linkage arm (70, 78). The pivotable linkage arm (70, 78) is pivotally mounted to both the door and at least one of the guides, and is adapted for generally horizontal translation along the sidewall (10a), in cooperation with the guides (74, 82), between a closed position wherein the door is releasably lockably mounted in watertight sealed engagement within the doorway, and an open position wherein the door is clear of the aperture and substantially parallel to the sidewall (10a). A releasable latch (40, 48) and cooperating latch actuator (22) is provided for releasably latching engagement of the door in the watertight scaled engagement in the doorway and for releasing the door from such engagement upon actuation of the latch actuator (22) into a release position by a user in the enclosure. A latch release disabling means (52, 54, 56, 85, 60) is provided for disabling the latch actuator (22) when a fluid level in the enclosure is higher than a threshold level below a lowermost sill of the doorway.

It is well known that people with limited mobility such as disabled and elderly often require assistance to use a conventional bathtub in order to properly bathe because their limited mobility inhibits them from safely lowering themselves or lifting themselves out of a conventional bathtub.
To address such a need, applicant is aware of attempts in the prior art to provide bath enclosures with access doors. For example, applicant is aware of U.S. Pat. No. 3,423,769 which issued to Cowley for a Bath on Jan. 28, 1969, wherein Cowley discloses the use of a guillotine style door to provide access for infirm persons to a bathtub.
Applicant is also aware of United Kingdom Patent Specification Number 1,213,358 published Nov. 25, 1970 for The Improvements In Or Relating To Baths of Preston which discloses use of a sliding door to close an aperture in a bath, where the door slides horizontally on a guide upon the operation of a double-acting hydraulic cylinder and piston.
Applicant is also aware of European Patent Application Number 0 913 115 which was published May 6, 1999 for The Bath With A Side Access Opening Equipped With A Watertight Flap of Landi et al. which discloses a bath equipped with either a door hinged horizontally or vertically or a horizontally or vertically sliding door.
Applicant is further aware of United Kingdom Patent Application No. 2 334 438 published Aug. 25, 1999 for The Circular Sliding Door For A Bathtub of Nailer which discloses the use of a bathtub having a circular sliding door. The door slides sideways in both directions and moves forward and backward on rollers mounted to top and bottom of the door. The rollers run on runners which are fixed to panels above and below the rollers, the roller wheels interlocking with the runners. Hydraulic actuators hold the door when closed against a door seal.

Bathtub having sliding access door for the disabled and elderly


A cartridge for high performance capillary electrophoresis is constructed to accommodate a capillary with a flexible length of tubing surrounding it for the passage of a liquid coolant. Connections and fittings in the cartridge permit quick insertion and removal of the capillary and coolant tube so that capillaries of different lengths can be used with the same cartridge. Apertures in the cartridge body permit the capillary and tubing to be looped outside the cartridge so that different lengths can be connected without the need to coil the capillary inside the cartridge body. A removable capillary aligning device is also disclosed, which fits in the cartridge in a fixed orientation and holds the capillary in alignment with lenses if used and a light beam passing through the cartridge.

Capillary electrophoresis has proved to be a highly effective means of analyzing extremely small biological samples. The long separation path in a capillary permits the separation of a multitude of components in a single sample, including components which are closely related. In addition, the thin diameter of a capillary permits the use of high voltages, which produce separations in a relatively short period of time. Furthermore, capillaries are particularly well suited for on-line detection of the separated species by passing a light beam through the capillary itself directly into a detector.
The unusually high resolution obtained in capillary electrophoresis is attributable to the small internal radius of the capillary which facilitates the efficient removal of the joule heat generated by the high-voltage electric current. As the separations attempted in capillaries become increasingly sensitive, the need for efficient heat transfer from the capillary becomes more significant. In coolant systems in general, liquid cooling is far more efficient than air cooling, and it is reasonable to expect that this would apply to capillaries as well.
Capillary cartridges designed for circulating liquid coolant have indeed been developed, but they suffer from a number of disadvantages. Due to the geometries involved, it is far more difficult to devise a liquid-cooled capillary cartridge than an air-cooled cartridge. The reasons include the fact that the ends of the capillary must be electrically isolated so that electrical potential differences of up to 30,000 V can be applied. Furthermore, the tips of the capillaries must extend into reservoirs containing buffer solutions which serve as liquid junctions to communicate the capillary tips with electrodes. Still further, to be adaptable for use with a variety of sample mixtures of different compositions, the capillary must be exchangeable with capillaries of different lengths and diameters. Capillary lengths in common use, for example, range from 20 cm to 100 cm.
In its most widely used configurations, the capillary is arranged with its tips directed vertically downward and terminating at the same elevation, for purposes of hydrostasis. The capillary in these configurations thus forms an arch terminating at the downward-directed tips. In water-cooled systems presently known, the capillary is coiled within a cartridge housing of relatively compact volume through which the liquid coolant circulates. Coiling permits a single cartridge housing to accommodate different capillary lengths, while facilitating efficient cooling and reducing the overall dimensions of the cartridge. This however limits the selection of different capillary lengths to multiples of the coiling circumference, and the circumference itself is generally dictated by the size and structure of the cartridge. Furthermore, the coiling prevents the achievement of uniform heat transfer, despite the construction of coolant flow conduits in the capillary which are shaped to direct and confine the coolant to the vicinity of the capillary coils.
A further problem with the coiling of capillaries is what might be termed the "race-track" effect, i.e., the difference in path length along the capillary as a function of cross-sectional position, ranging from a relatively short path closest to the center of the coil to a relatively long path furthest from the center. The degree of difference and hence the severity of the effect are proportional to the number of turns in the coil. This can be significant, since coils of several turns are commonly used to achieve optimal resolution and separation of the solute peaks. Recent studies have confirmed that coiled capillaries suffer a loss of resolution relative to straight capillaries run under otherwise identical conditions. As more sensitive separations are attempted and performance expectations increase, the race-track effect will take on greater significance and its avcoidance will become more important.
The need to immerse the capillary tips in the buffer reservoirs raises a further consideration in liquid-cooled systems. To permit the immersion, the tips protrude from the cooled volume through ports which are sealed around the outer diameter of the capillary with wax or glue. Any areas which are left uncooled introduce errors and variations in the detection results. Since the protruding tips are uncooled, cartridges of this type must be designed so that the ratio of the combined lengths of the protruding tips to the total capillary length is as small as possible.
Another major consideration in capillary electrophoresis is the accurate alignment of an optical detection system with the capillary wall for on-line detection. At least one window along the capillary must be provided for optical detection, and it must be properly aligned with the lenses in the cartridge housing which form the light path through the cartridge. In systems designed for capillary exchangeability, the ease of alignment is even more critical since proper alignment must be achieved each time the capillary is changed. In liquid-cooled cartridges currently known, the segment of the capillary which is designated as the window is aligned in a precise manner with a fixed external window in the cartridge envelope or housing, then sealed with wax or adhesive to isolate the external surface of the segment from the coolant. Accurate alignment assures reproducible results but requires significant time and detailed effort.
What does not presently exist, and is strongly needed, is the means to rapidly and conveniently exchange capillaries in a cartridge while maintaining efficient cooling without coiling or tedious optical alignment procedures. A system which can meet these requirements will significantly help capillary electrophoresis to achieve its full potential.

Capillary aligning device for on-line optical detection


A variable capacitor includes a plurality of variable capacitor elements connected in parallel with one another, the variable capacitor elements each including a fixed electrode and a movable electrode facing each other, a beam supporting the movable electrode displaceably, and a drive electrode supplied with a drive voltage to change spacing between the fixed electrode and the movable electrode. The variable capacitor further includes a drive control unit configured to sequentially apply an AC drive voltage to the drive electrodes of the variable capacitor elements with a predetermined phase difference for each element. The sum of capacitances of the variable capacitor elements is an output capacitance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a variable capacitor in which spacing between a fixed electrode and a movable electrode facing each other varies depending on voltage applied.
2. Description of the Related Art
A variable capacitor included in an oscillator circuit or a modulator circuit of, for example, a mobile phone, can change a capacitance so that the circuit yields a desired output. Such a capacitor has recently been achieved using microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology. Specifically, the MEMS variable capacitor includes a fixed electrode, a movable electrode facing the fixed electrode with a predetermined spacing therebetween, a beam supporting the movable electrode displaceably relative to the fixed electrode, and a drive electrode for applying a drive voltage between the fixed electrode and the movable electrode. The MEMS variable capacitor is configured such that a force (e.g., electrostatic force, magnetic force, or piezoelectric force) generated between the fixed electrode and the movable electrode upon application of the drive voltage causes the movable electrode to be displaced, the spacing between the fixed electrode and the movable electrode facing each other accordingly varies, and the capacitance therefore changes.
Related-art variable capacitors are of DC-drive type in which a DC drive voltage is applied between the fixed electrode and the movable electrode, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 9-55337, for example. Accordingly, a high drive voltage is necessary to achieve a large change in capacitance of the variable capacitor. Disadvantageously, this leads to increased power consumption. Additionally, a step-up circuit for generating such a high voltage is also required. Unfortunately, an apparatus is inevitably increased in size. Since portable apparatuses are, however, always required to have small size and low profile, including such a variable capacitor is a disadvantage in terms of achieving small size and low profile. Furthermore, if a variable capacitor element is configured to include a dielectric layer deposited on an upper surface or lower surface of the fixed electrode or the movable electrode, continuous application of a high voltage between the fixed electrode and the movable electrode may cause the dielectric layer to be charged such that the fixed electrode will be attached to the movable electrode. Disadvantageously, the variable capacitor element may fail to function.
To overcome the above-described disadvantages caused by DC driving, an AC drive voltage may be used instead of a DC drive voltage. In the use of the AC drive voltage, since the drive voltage to be applied between the fixed electrode and the movable electrode fluctuates, the movable electrode vibrates in directions close to and away from the fixed electrode. This causes ripple in the capacitance of the variable capacitor. Unfortunately, such a capacitor is difficult to use as a circuit element.


In an automobile of the invention, a cornering drag estimator 61 estimates a cornering drag from measurements of steering angle θ and vehicle speed V. A gain multiplier 62 multiplies the estimated cornering drag by a preset gain K to reduce the estimated cornering drag. A phase adjuster 63 adjusts the phase of the rest of the estimated and reduced cornering drag. An implementation system 70 receives the sum of the output of the gain multiplier 62 and the output of the phase adjuster 63 and regulates the throttle opening of an engine according to the received sum. This adjusts the phase and the degree of reduction of the estimated cornering drag. This arrangement of the invention attains the adequate levels of pitching and rolling, which may be caused in the vehicle in the turning state.

Some automobiles have been proposed to set a target driving torque based on a cornering drag, which varies with a variation in lateral acceleration in a turning state (see, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2518445). This proposed automobile specifies a target acceleration in a vehicle longitudinal direction according to the magnitude of the lateral acceleration in the turning state and sets a target driving torque by adding the specified target acceleration to a road load torque based on the cornering drag, which depends upon the lateral acceleration. The engine of the automobile is controlled to attain the preset level of the target driving torque. This technique aims to attain a quick turn of the vehicle without setting an excessively small value to the target driving torque even in a high level range of the lateral acceleration.

Automobile and control method of automobile