A support structure is provided for supporting a plurality of cylindrical objects. The support structure includes an elongated member having first and second sides and first and second edges. First and second rib sections extend from the first side of the elongated member. The rib sections are generally parallel to each other and are spaced from corresponding edges of the elongated member. Each rib section includes an alternating series of arches and depressions.

Web materials such as plastic film are used for a variety of purposes including the sealing of other materials. Web materials are typically fabricated in roll form and used in their particular applications in the same form. However, such cylindrical products are often difficult to transport because they can become displaced relatively easily when subject to the conditions of roadway travel. In addition, it is undesirable to stack heavy cylindrical objects directly on one another because their weight can cause deformation. For those reasons, cylindrical objects such as web rolls are ordinarily retained by supports that space adjacent ones apart and prevent rolling movement. Such supports must be fabricated so that product damage is minimized. Failure to minimize damage during transport can cause defects that prevent use of the product for its intended purpose. Further, since it is most efficient to stack multiple layers of product for a single transport effort, the support must be strong enough to enable multi-layered stacking that does not cause product deformation.
Some supports for cylindrical products have been fabricated of polystyrene. The polystyrene supports generally provide sufficient strength to adequately protect a plurality of web rolls, for example, stacked together for transport. However, it is well known that polystyrene and other polymeric-based products are generally perceived as environmentally undesirable in that they are stable and unlikely to degrade over a long period. For that reason, there has been increasing interest in fabricating such web supports, and other sorts of packaging for that matter, from more environmentally friendly materials, including recyclable materials, such as molded pulp. Examples of molded pulp supports are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,899,331 and 5,934,467. Those references describe molded roll supports having recesses and depressions that provide structural strength to the rolls and that also provide retention sites for cradling the rolls to be transported.
For the most part, present molded supports have only one side (the smooth side) configured to support products having cylindrical characteristics, while the other side (the rough side) is designed to provide suitable structural support. In order to enable multi-layer stacking, the support structures are formed of pairs of molded supports pivotably connected. The pair of molded supports pivot onto each other so that the smooth sides face outwardly, while the rough sides are placed back-to-back. In that way, the rolls to be supported come in contact only with the smooth sides of the double-hinged, support structure
Unfortunately, the support structures that presently exist are not completely effective in preventing roll damage during transport. Specifically, the materials from which the support structures are molded have some compressibility so that when a plurality of relatively heavy objects are placed on a support structure, there is some thickness reduction. In addition, it is ordinary practice for transporters to place banding straps around the perimeter of a stack of objects. The banding is tightened to prevent individual objects in the stack from slipping. However, that tightening causes additional compression of the support material, particularly the hinged support structures. During transport, that additional compression that occurs after banding can result in less than complete retention of individual objects. As a result, the banding loosens and the objects become prone to spinning and other forms of displacement that can result in damage.
Further, the folding of pairs of molded supports to form the support structures is labor intensive. As such, the labor cost associated with using these types of support structures can be significant for the end users thereof. In addition, since the support structures are formed from pairs of molded supports folded onto each other, material cost becomes a significant portion of the overall cost of each support structure thereby increasing the overall cost of utilizing support structures to the end user. As such, it is desirable to provide a support structure which is formed from less material, and which is less expensive to manufacture than prior support structure.
In addition to increasing the overall cost of the support structure, the folding of the molded supports formed to the support structure creates two additional problems. First, the folded support structures have a tendency to unfold during the stacking of the cylindrical objects thereon. As a result, the stacking of the cylindrical objects on the support structures may become a difficult and time consuming task. Second, it is a common problem when folding the molded supports to misalign the supports such that the backs of such supports do not properly overlap. The misalignment of the molded supports on the cylindrical objects allows the cylindrical objects to shift back and forth during transport. As a result, the cylindrical objects supported by the improperly folded molded supports may be damaged.
Therefore, it is a primary object and feature of the present invention to provide a support structure for supporting cylindrical objects during transport.
It is a further object and feature of the present invention to provide a support structure for supporting cylindrical objects during transport that may be manufactured from a plurality of different materials, including molded pulp.
It is still a further object and feature of the present invention to provide a support structure for supporting cylindrical objects during transport that is formed from less material than prior support structures and that does not need to be configured by the end user after manufacture.
In accordance with the present invention, a support structure is provided for supporting an object. The support structure includes an elongated member extending along a longitudinal axis and having first and second sides and first and second edges. A first set of ribs projects from the first side of an elongated member that corresponds to a first set of depressions in the second side of the elongated member. The first set of ribs includes first and second ribs axially spaced from each other and from corresponding edges of the elongated member along an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis. A second set of ribs projects from the first side of the elongated member at a location axially spaced from the first set of ribs so as to define an object receiving cradle between. The second set of ribs includes first and second ribs axially spaced from each other along a second axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the elongated member.
First and second ribs of the second set of ribs are axially spaced from corresponding edges of the elongated member along the second axis. It is contemplated that the support structure further include a first rib projecting from the second side of the elongated member which corresponds to a first depression on the first side of the elongated member between first and second ribs of the first set of ribs. A second rib projects from the second side of the elongated member at a location axially spaced from the first rib projecting from the second side of the elongated member so as to define a second side object receiving cradle therebetween. The second rib projecting from the second side elongated member corresponds to a second depression in the first side of the elongated member between the first and second ribs of the second set of ribs.
The first and second set of ribs of the first set of ribs and the second set of ribs have a predetermined height. In addition, the first and second ribs projecting from the second side of the elongated member have a predetermined height. The predetermined height of the first and second ribs of the first set of ribs and of the first and second ribs of the second set of ribs is generally equal to the predetermined height of the first and second set of ribs projecting from the second side of the elongated member.
The support structure may include a third set of ribs projecting from the first side of the elongated member at a location axially spaced from the second set of ribs so as to define a second object receiving cradle therebetween. The third set of ribs includes first and second ribs axially spaced from each other along a third axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the elongated member. The first set of ribs projecting from the first side of the elongated member may include a first depression formed therein between the first and second ribs of the first set of ribs. The first depression corresponds to a first rib projecting from the second side of the elongated member. Further, the first side of the elongated member may include a second depression formed therein between the first and second ribs of the second set of ribs. The second depression corresponds to a second rib projecting from the second side of the elongated member. The first and second set of ribs projecting from the second side of the elongated member define a second side object receiving cradle therebetween.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a support structure is provided for supporting an object. The support structure includes an elongated member extending along a longitudinal axis and having first and second sides, first and second edges, and first and second ends. The first side of the elongated member includes a first plurality of ribs projecting therefrom, a second plurality of ribs projecting therefrom and a plurality of depressions formed therein. The first plurality of ribs are spaced between first and second ends along a first axis. Each of the first plurality of ribs are laterally spaced from the first edge. The second plurality of ribs are also spaced between the first and second ends along a second axis. Each of the second plurality of ribs is laterally spaced from the second edge. The plurality of depressions are spaced between the first and second ends along the third axis deposed between the first and second axis. Each of the first plurality of ribs is aligned with a corresponding rib of the second plurality of ribs along a corresponding axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the corresponding elongated member. Each of the plurality of depressions is disposed between one of the first plurality of ribs and one of the second plurality of ribs. Each of the plurality of depressions forms a corresponding rib projecting from the second side of the elongated member. The ribs projecting from the second side of the elongated member are spaced between the first and second ends along the third axis. The ribs projecting from the second side of the elongated member include a first rib and a second rib. The first rib and the second rib define the second side object receiving cradle therebetween. The first plurality of ribs projecting from the first side of the elongated member includes a first rib and a second rib. The first rib and the second rib partially define a first object receiving cradle therebetween. The second plurality of ribs projecting from the first side of the elongated member also includes a first rib and a second rib. The first rib and the second rib of the second plurality of ribs partially define the first object receiving cradle therebetween.
In accordance with a still further object and feature of the present invention, a support structure is provided for supporting a plurality of objects. The support structure includes an elongated member having first and second sides and first and second edges. First and second rib sections extend from the first side of the elongated member and are generally parallel to each other. Each rib section is spaced from a corresponding edge of the elongated member and includes an alternating series of arches and depressions.
The arches and depressions of each of the rib sections are aligned with each other. It is further contemplated that a first rib section extend from the second side of the elongated member. The first rib section extending from the second side of the elongated member is spaced from the edges of the elongated member and includes an alternating series of arches and depressions. The elongated member is preferably formed of molded pulp.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Two-sided roll support with multiple ribs


Filament winding or another technique can be used to create composite parts having various layers of pigmented fibers. The composite parts can then be milled to form one or more flat surfaces on the composite part. Due to the layering of pigmented fibers, the flat surfaces can have a pattern that resembles wood grain or another pattern. These milled composite parts can then be used as components for furniture or other items.

Filament winding is a process in which fiber rovings (e.g. bundles of carbon fiber, fiberglass, aramids, etc.) are wound on a mandrel. In some systems, the fiber rovings are pulled from large spools through a resinous polymeric material, such as epoxy, and then wound upon the mandrel. In other systems, the fiber rovings are pre-impregnated with the resinous polymeric material rather than being pulled through the resinous polymeric material. Typically, the mandrel is held in a filament winding machine and, while the mandrel is spun, a carriage containing the fiber spools and resin matrix travels back and forth down the length of the mandrel to form layers of composite material along the mandrel. Various types of mandrels exist including collapsible, inflatable, dissolvable, meltable, flexible, and rigid mandrels. Once wound on the mandrel, the composite material is cured and ultimately removed from the mandrel as a wound composite part. The manner in which the wound composite part is removed from the mandrel will depend on the specific type of mandrel used. This wound composite part can then be further processed as desired to form the end product. Other processes for forming composite parts also exist.

Method for creating furniture components from composites


The invention includes a streptavidin mutein having at least one mutation chosen to cause one or more of steric hindrance, charge repulsion, or improvement of solubility by changing interfacial hydrophobic residues to less hydrophobic or hydrophilic residues. The mutein may exist in monomeric form even in the presence of biotin, and reversibly binds to biotin. The invention also includes polynucleotides encoding such muteins, expression systems and host cells for producing such muteins. The invention also includes a method of capturing biotinylated molecules using the muteins of the invention.

High throughput systems have been used to generate affinity tagged recombinant proteins to assist in their immobilization and purification, to study their function and structure. Although a number of tags have been developed, those that can be used efficiently for both purification and immobilization are limited; and biotinylation offers potential for both tasks. The tight binding of biotin to avidin and streptavidin results in capturing of biotinylated biomolecules. The availability of a form of streptavidin in appropriate quantities that binds reversibly, such that it can be used for capture and/or purification of biotinylated proteins in acceptable yield would significantly extend potential applications of biotin-streptavidin technology (Bayer, 1990; Bashir, 2001; Niemeyer, 1999; Schechter, 1999; Casalini, 1997).
Monomeric avidin may be obtained by immobilizing tetrameric avidin molecules on to a matrix followed by denaturation and renaturation (Henrikson, 1979; Kohanski, 1990). The process for denaturation and renaturation is fairly expensive with loss of non-immobilized avidin subunits and the consumption of a large quantity of expensive reagents in the denaturation step. Furthermore, the high stability of avidin and the strong interfacial interactions between avidin subunits make complete denaturation challenging. Any remaining tetrameric avidin molecules in the matrix can lead to reduced recovery of biotinylated molecules during elution (Kohanski, 1990).
Although streptavidin and avidin have similar three-dimensional structures and biotin binding properties, development of monomeric streptavidin is considered more challenging for at least two reasons. First, streptavidin has stronger subunit interfacial interactions than avidin (Bayer, 1996, Waner, 2004). It is more difficult to weaken this strong interface interaction. Second, monomerization of streptavidin may result in the surface exposure of hydrophobic residues, which normally would be buried at the interface in tetrameric streptavidin. This can potentially affect the solubility of the monomeric streptavidin and lead to re-association of the monomers. Solubility is less of an issue for avidin, which is a glycosylated protein with a carbohydrate chain in each of the avidin subunits.
However, engineered versions of monomeric avidin and streptavidin (Qureshi, 2001; Qureshi, 2002) have been developed. These mutations led to weak H-bonding interactions between streptavidin and biotin, and also affected subunit interactions at the interface. However, the low affinity of this mutein towards biotin (Kd=1.7×10−6M) makes it less than ideal.
Streptavidin is a homo-tetrameric molecule with a biotin binding site in each subunit (Green, 1990). The three dimensional structure of streptavidin (Hendrickson, 1989; Weber, 1989) suggests that a complete biotin binding pocket in each subunit requires the contribution of a tryptophan residue (Trp-120 for streptavidin and Trp-110 for avidin) from an adjacent subunit. Site-directed mutagenesis studies also demonstrate the importance of this residue for tight biotin binding and subunit communications (Freitag, 1998; Sano, 1995; Laitinen, 2001). In the case of avidin, the first generation of engineered monomeric avidin can exist in the monomeric state only in the absence of biotin (Laitinen, 2001). This problem has been solved by the development of a monomeric avidin (Laitinen, 2003), which carries two mutations (N54A, W110K). Structural alignment of avidin and streptavidin indicates that these two residues correspond to D61 and W120 in streptavidin (Livnah, 2003). However, a streptavidin mutein (AK mutein) which carries the corresponding double mutations (D61A, W120K) does not become monomeric (Wu, 2005). Although AK mutein shows reversible biotin binding property and monomeric behavior on the SDS-polyacrylamide gel, it clearly exists in the oligomeric state in solution.
The challenges in producing a monomeric streptavidin mutein, which has useful biotin binding properties, have not yet been completely addressed. There is a need in the art for a streptavidin mutein that may be produced in a soluble and functional form and that reversibly binds to biotinylated biomolecules, which can then be used for capture and/or purification of biotinylated biomolecules.


A de-noising method for remote images of ground buildings using spectrum constraints. The method includes: 1) obtaining a reference image of ground buildings from a remote image database of the ground buildings, performing a Fourier transformation on the reference image to obtain an amplitude spectrum, and performing a threshold segmentation, an erosion operation and a dilation operation successively on the amplitude spectrum to obtain a binary template of spectrum of the ground buildings; and 2) obtaining a real-time image of the ground buildings by a high-speed aircraft, performing a Fourier transformation on the real-time image to obtain a spectrum, filtering the spectrum of the real-time image in frequency domain by the binary template of spectrum of the ground buildings, and performing an inverse Fourier transformation thereon to generate a filtered real-time image of the ground buildings.

Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a de-noising system for remote images of ground buildings using spectrum constraints and a de-noising method thereof applicable for image preprocessing in remote sensing, detection, navigation and guidance of a high-speed aircraft.
Background of the Invention
Remote sensing, detection, navigation and guidance of a high-speed aircraft are adversely affected by strong sensor noise caused by high frame rate and short integration duration of imaging.
Conventional de-noising methods by filtering are effective for weak noise but are usually ineffective for strong sensor noise caused by short integration duration of imaging.
In addition, conventional filtering methods often cause loss of imaging details and largely blur the image, which makes subsequent processing more difficult. More importantly, the methods are time consuming and weak in real-time performance, and fail to adapt to high frame rate of movable imaging systems.

De-noising system for remote images of ground buildings using spectrum constraints and de-noising method thereof

HUAZHONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY


An audio circuit for a computer includes a bidirectional modem connection, a microphone input, first and second audio output channels, and an audio synthesizing circuit arranged to produce first and second synthesized audio channels. In a first mode of operation the first synthesized audio channel is applied to the first audio output channel and the second synthesized audio channel is applied to the second audio output channel. In a second mode of operation the first and second synthesized audio channels are combined into a monotonic signal and applied to the second audio output channel, and audio signals from the bidirectional modem connection are applied to the first audio output channel.

The demands from computer users for multimedia capability are increasing rapidly. Today's computers must integrate numerous functionalities including, e.g., CD-ROM, computerized movies, high-fidelity sound, gaming functions, and speakerphone capability. The computer's audio circuit must be able to interface with each of these sources, perform the necessary conversions between formats and sample rates, and direct the audio to the desired output. Integrating these various functionalities creates complexity and increases the expense of the audio circuit. In addition, integrating communications such as speakerphone capability with computer audio (such as .WAV files developed by MicroSoft) requires multiple coder/decoders (codecs) and various discrete components. This results in added costs, and also generates problems with respect to audible noise coupling and high frequency radiation (EMI).
One computer that integrates audio information from various sources is the Compaq Presario.RTM.. A block diagram of the audio circuit of the Presario.RTM. is shown in prior art FIG. 1. The audio circuit is centered around audio codec 11. Audio codec 11 may be, for example, the ES1888 chip made by ESS Technology. Audio codec 11 receives audio from CD audio input 13, MPEG audio input 15, modem digital signal processor (DSP) connection 17 (i.e., audio from a modem connected to a phone line for the speakerphone), and microphone 19. Serial data from connection 17 are applied to audio codec 11 and audio from microphone 19 is sent to connection 17 via an external codec 21. External codec 21 may be, for example, an AT&T 7525 codec. The external codec 21 allows the audio circuit to function as a full-duplex speakerphone. Additional inputs to audio codec 11 include line in 35, which is typically a jack on the exterior of the computer or monitor housing (not shown) that allows the user to apply audio signals to the audio circuit. Joystick 37 (or other game control device) also interfaces with audio codec 11.
Audio codec 11 communicates with ISA bus 23 via bus 25. An I.sup.2 C bus 27 is derived from bus 25 and is applied to tone control circuit 29 via interface logic 31. Tone control circuit 29 selectively processes the audio produced by audio codec 11 and applies its output to 3D sound circuit 33, as explained in more detail below. I.sup.2 C is an industry standard communication link comprising a clock signal and a data signal. General purpose I/O output one (GP1) from audio codec 11 is used to selectively bypass 3D sound circuit 33. Addressable registers of the audio codec 11 are used to control and access the 1.sup.2 C bus 27, and audio codec 11 uses a general purpose I/O output zero (GP0) to indicate decoded reads from or writes to these registers. The GP0 output of the audio codec 11 is connected to the logic 31.
Audio codec 11 generates an audio output on line 39 which applied to tone control circuit 29. Tone control circuit 29 may be, for example, the TEA6330 chip available from Phillips. By way of the logic 31, tone control circuit 29 can be controlled remotely via ISA bus 23 and I.sup.2 C communication link 27. Tone control circuit 29 generates an output on line 41, which is in turn applied to 3D sound circuit 33. 3D sound circuit 33 may be, for example, the AN7395 chip available from Panasonic. The 3D sound circuit may be selectively bypassed by activating GP1 of audio codec 11. The output of 3D sound circuit 33 is applied to audio amp 43 and to line out 45. Line out 45 is typically a jack on the exterior of the computer or monitor housing. Audio amplifier 43 amplifies the audio signal and outputs it to speaker/headphone output 47.
To reduce EMI and noise coupling within the system, all analog inputs and outputs are isolated from audio codec 11 via an EMI filter 49. EMI filter 49 may be any of the filters known in the art, including for example a pi-filter having two capacitors and a ferrite bead. Power for the audio circuit is supplied by linear regulator 51, which produces the clean 5-volt DC output necessary for analog components. The linear regulator may be, for example, the LM317SX regulator available from National Semiconductor.
A block diagram of the internal structure of audio codec 11 is provided in prior art FIG. 2. Inputs from microphone 19, CD audio 13, line in 35, and MPEG audio 15 are applied to an input multiplexor 53. Input multiplexor 53 outputs left and right analog audio signals that are applied to the left and right channels of analog-to-digital (A/D) converter 55. A/D converter 55 comprises two 16-bit A/D converters (e.g., a delta/sigma converter); one for each channel. The resulting digital left and right audio signals are applied to bus interface logic 57, which is in communication with ISA bus 23 via link 25.
Digital audio output from bus interface logic 57 is applied to digital-to-analog (D/A) converter 58. Converter 57 comprises two 16-bit D/A; one for each channel. The analog outputs from D/A converter 57 are applied to mixer 59.
An FM or wave table audio synthesizer 61 is also provided in communication with ISA bus 23. Synthesized left (60) and right (62) audio from audio synthesizer 61 are applied to D/A converter 63, which has the same structure as that of D/A converter 57. The outputs of D/A converter 63 are also applied to mixer 59. Mixer 59 mixes the left and right channels of the outputs of converters 57 and 63, respectively, and produces audio out left and audio out right signals that are then applied to tone control circuit 29, as explained previously.

Audio circuit for use with synthesized audio signals and signals from a modem


A receiving apparatus and a receiving method arranged to reduce the delay time of tuning to and reception of a digital TV broadcast actually and apparently. A coefficient memory for storing coefficient data to be supplied to a channel equalizer of a front end section is provided. A control section generates equalizer coefficients supplied to the channel equalizer by using the equalizer coefficients in the coefficient memory, and updates the equalizer coefficients stored in the coefficient memory by substituting the generated equalizer coefficients for them. The control section supplies a predetermined video signal to a display section instead of a video output from a decoding section before the video output from the decoding section is obtained.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for receiving a digital television broadcast such as a digital ground wave broadcast or a digital cable broadcast, to a receiving apparatus capable of receiving both digital television broadcasts and current analog broadcasts, and to a receiving apparatus for receiving both digital and analog broadcasts.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital broadcasting systems have been brought into use as television (TV) broadcasting systems following analog TV broadcasting systems.
A receiver for use in a digital broadcasting system such as a digital ground wave type broadcasting system or a digital cable type broadcasting system has a front end section, a transport section, an MPEG decoding section, a display processing section, and a control section. The front end section selects one of a plurality of carriers of electromagnetic waves received by an antenna, cancels ghost signals by using a digital filter (performs channel equalization), corrects errors, and outputs a transport stream. The transport section separates transport packets of the desired channel designated by a user from a plurality of channels multiplexed in the transport stream from the front end section, and descrambles the separated packets. The MPEG decoding section decodes MPEG-compressed video and audio signals in the desired channel transmitted through the medium of the transport packets output from the transport section to obtain video and audio outputs. The display processing section converts the MPEG-decoded images into a display format in accordance with the NTSC (National Television System Committee) system or the like. The control section is formed of a microcomputer or the like for controlling each section.
In the case of receiving an analog TV broadcast, a broadcast image can be immediately displayed on the screen of a display when a tuner selects the corresponding one of a plurality of carriers. Accordingly, in such receiving, the delay time between the moment at which a user inputs a command to change a channel and the moment at which an image and sound in a new channel are output depends only upon the time required for tuning in the tuner. In general, the time required for tuning in receivers for receiving analog TV broadcasts is about 200 to 300 msec. In analog TV broadcast receivers, no image is displayed for the time period corresponding to the delay time because only a distorted image can be displayed in the period corresponding to the delay time.
In the case of a receiving a digital TV broadcast, it is possible that about one second will be taken as a delay time between the moment at which a command to perform tuning for changing a channel is given and the moment at which an image appears on the screen of a display.
That is, for example, the time required for processing in the front end section, depending upon the number of taps of the digital filter for cancellation of ghost signals, is about 500 msec at the worst. A time of 100 msec is also required for MPEG decoding. Further, 30 msec is required for conversion of the MPEG-decoded output to a display format such as that in accordance with the NTSC system. The total delay time is the sum of these time periods and the tuner section processing time of about 200 to 300 msec.
To avoid display of a distorted image on the screen in the digital TV broadcast receiver, the method of displaying no image during the delay time may be used, as is in the conventional analog TV broadcast receiver. However, ordinary users, accustomed to the tuning speed of the existing analog TV broadcast receivers, are liable to feel that the above-mentioned delay in digital TV broadcast receivers is excessively long, and may be irritated when feeling a delay of display of a received image.
Moreover, many users expect the digital system to be higher in speed and quality than the analog system. For this reason, the above-described problem of a delay of receiving a digital TV broadcast is serious.
It is thought that analog broadcasting and digital TV broadcasting will coexist for a period of time, and that receivers capable of receiving both analog and digital TV broadcasts will be provided.
If so, and if it is impossible to immediately identify a channel designated by a channel selecting operation as an analog TV broadcasting channel or a digital TV broadcasting channel, a process is required in which tuning to the channel and reception of the channel are performed by each of analog and digital receiving sections to identify the channel. In such a case, however, the delay time before outputting an image and sound is further increased.
In view of the above-described circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a receiving apparatus and a receiving method arranged to reduce the delay time of tuning to and reception of a digital TV broadcast effectively and apparently.
To achieve the above-described object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a television broadcast receiving apparatus comprising a tuner section for selecting one carrier from an input signal, a front end section for demodulating the carrier selected by the tuner section, the front end section having a channel equalizer formed of a digital filter, a transport section for separating a desired channel from a stream from the front end section, and for descrambling in the separated channel, a decoding section for decoding a signal in the separated desired channel to obtain at least one of an output video signal and an output audio signal, a display section for displaying an image based on the output video signal from the decoding section, a coefficient memory for storing equalizer coefficients to be supplied to the digital filter forming the channel equalizer, and control means for generating equalizer coefficients to be supplied to the channel equalizer by using the equalizer coefficients in the coefficient memory.
In this receiving apparatus, computation of equalizer coefficients, with which a longest processing delay is caused in the total processing delay of the front end section, which is particularly long, can be performed by using equalizer coefficients stored in the coefficient memory to increase the processing speed. The time period between the moment at which a user inputs a channel change command and the moment at which an image is thereafter output is thereby reduced.
In the above-described receiving apparatus, control means may update the equalizer coefficients stored in the coefficient memory by using the equalizer coefficients newly generated.
The equalizer coefficients in the coefficient memory are thereby updated to values closer to ideal values, thereby further increasing the equalizer coefficient computation speed.
The receiving apparatus may also have means for supplying a predetermined wait-time video signal to the display section for a time period before an output video signal is obtained from the decoding section.
According to this arrangement, a wait-time image, e.g., an image containing letters xe2x80x9cTuning . . . xe2x80x9d or the like is displayed instead of blanking the display before the received image is displayed, thereby relieving user""s irritation during the waiting time.
In the above-described receiving apparatus, an image for identification of the selected desired channel is displayed by the display section for a time period before the desired video output is obtained from the decoding section.
For example, a logotype or the like of a broadcasting selected by a user is displayed on the screen during the waiting time, thereby further relieving user""s irritation.
The above-described receiving apparatus may further have storage means for storing program information previously provided in the same channel as the above-mentioned desired channel, and the program information previously provided in the desired channel and read output from the storage means is displayed by the display section for a time period before the desired video output is obtained from the decoding section.
For example, in a case where a plurality of programs are broadcast in one digital television broadcasting channel, program information previously provided is displayed as a wait-time image. Considering that the probability of each of such previously provided programs being changed is ordinarily considered to be low, previously provided program information can be conveniently used as advance data for selecting programs according to user""s need after tuning to the corresponding channel.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a television broadcast receiving apparatus comprising a first tuner section for receiving one of digital television broadcasts, the first tuner section selecting one carrier from an input signal, a digital demodulation processing section for obtaining an output video signal and an output audio signal by demodulating an output signal from the first tuner section, by separating a desired channel, and by performing decoding, a second tuner section for receiving one of analog television broadcasts, the second tuner section selecting one carrier from an input signal, an analog demodulation processing section for obtaining an output video signal and an output audio signal in a desired channel by demodulating an output signal from the second tuner section, changeover means for making a changeover between a state where an image display and an audio output are made as reception outputs from the output video signal and the output audio signal from the digital demodulation processing section, and a state where an image display and an audio output are made as reception outputs from the output video signal and the output audio signal from the analog demodulation processing section, a channel map memory for storing identification information for enabling each of channels selectable as a tuning target to be identified as a digital television broadcasting channel or an analog television broadcasting channel, and control means for making a determination as to whether a channel selected by a channel selecting operation performed by a user is a digital television broadcasting channel or an analog television broadcasting channel, for supplying a tuning control signal to the corresponding one of the first tuner section and the second tuner section, and for changing the changeover means, the control section making the determination by referring to the channel map memory when the user performs the channel selecting operation.
In the channel map memory of this receiving apparatus, information for enabling each channel to be identified as a digital television broadcasting channel or an analog television broadcasting channel is stored. When a user performs a channel selecting operation, a determination as to whether the selected channel is an analog television broadcasting channel or a digital television broadcasting channel is made by referring to the channel map memory. Then, a tuning control signal is supplied to the suitable one of the analog television broadcast tuner section and the digital television broadcast tuner section according to the result of the determination. Therefore, there is no need for temporarily performing tuning by each of the first and second tuner sections. The tuning speed can be increased by eliminating the time for this tuning.
The arrangement of the receiving apparatus according to the second aspect of the invention may be such that analog television broadcast signals and/or the digital television broadcast signals contain guide information for presenting to a viewer a present state of broadcasting of channel programs or a schedule of broadcasting of channel programs, the guide information including a marker bit for enabling each channel to be identified as an analog broadcasting channel or a digital broadcasting channel, and the apparatus further comprises means for extracting the guide information from the broadcast signal, and for storing, as the identification information in the channel map memory, the marker bit obtained from the extracted guide information.
According to this arrangement, marker bits contained in broadcast signals are stored in the channel map to enable each channel to be identified as a digital television broadcast signal or an analog television broadcast signal, thereby eliminating the need for a process in which each channel is previously received to be ascertained as a digital television broadcasting channel or an analog television broadcasting channel. Even if the channel assignment is changed, the identification information can be updated by using the guide information. Thus, correct information for enabling each channel to be identified as a digital television broadcasting channel or an analog television broadcasting channel can always be maintained.
The arrangement of the above-described receiving apparatus may also be such that, if a channel selected by a user is an analog television broadcasting channel, a control signal for selecting a carrier in the selected channel is supplied to the second tuner section, and a control signal for selecting a carrier of a digital television broadcast in a channel supposed by using the channel map memory to be next selected by the user in the vicinity of the presently received channel is supplied to the first tuner section.
If the presently received television broadcast is an analog television broadcast, preliminary reception of a channel supposed to be next selected by the first tuner for receiving digital television broadcasts is performed in the background. A digital television broadcasting channel to which one of the tuners other than that presently tuned to the analog television broadcast, i.e., the first tuner, is to be tuned can be easily found by using the identification information in the channel map memory.
Further, the arrangement of the above-described receiving apparatus may be such that, if a channel selected by a user is an analog television broadcasting channel, a control signal for selecting a carrier in the selected channel is supplied to the second tuner section, and a control signal for selecting a carrier of a digital television broadcast in a channel supposed by using the channel map memory to be next selected by the user is supplied to the first tuner section, and that, if a channel selected by a user is a digital television broadcasting channel, a control signal for selecting a carrier in the selected channel is supplied to the first tuner section, and a control signal for selecting a carrier of an analog television broadcast in a channel supposed by using the channel map memory to be next selected by the user in the vicinity of the presently received channel is supplied to the second tuner section.
If the presently received television broadcast is an analog television broadcast, preliminary reception of a channel supposed to be next selected by the first tuner for receiving digital television broadcasts is performed in the background. If the presently received television broadcast is a digital television broadcast, preliminary reception of a channel supposed to be next selected by the second tuner for receiving analog television broadcasts is performed in the background. If the channel preliminarily received in this manner is actually selected subsequently, the receiving apparatus is immediately set in the state of being tuned to the channel to obtain a video output and/or an audio output.
When this preliminary reception is performed in the background, a digital television broadcasting channel to which one of the tuners other than that presently tuned to the selected channel is to be tuned can be easily found by using the identification information in the channel map memory.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a television broadcast receiving apparatus comprising a first tuner section for receiving one of digital television broadcasts, the first tuner section selecting one carrier from an input signal, a digital demodulation processing section for obtaining an output video signal and an output audio signal by demodulating an output signal from the first tuner section, by separating a desired channel, and by performing decoding, a second tuner section for receiving one of analog television broadcasts, the second tuner section selecting one carrier from an input signal, an analog demodulation processing section for obtaining an output video signal and an output audio signal in a desired channel by demodulating an output signal from the second tuner section, changeover means for making a changeover between a state where an image display and an audio output are made as reception outputs from the output video signal and the output audio signal from the digital demodulation processing section, and a state where an image display and an audio output are made as reception outputs from the output video signal and the output audio signal from the analog demodulation processing section, control means for changing the changeover means according to whether a channel selected in accordance with a tuning operation performed by a user is a digital television broadcasting channel or an analog television broadcasting channel, and preliminary reception means for supplying a signal for receiving a broadcast signal in a channel supposed to be next selected by the user in the vicinity of the presently received channel to one of the first and second tuner sections not receiving the broadcast signal from which an image display and audio output are made as reception outputs through the changeover means.
In this receiving apparatus, one of the tuners other than that presently tuned to the selected channel is in a state for preliminarily receiving another channel supposed to be next selected by the user. Therefore, if the preliminarily received channel is actually selected by the user, the receiving apparatus can output an image and a sound in a markedly short time.
The arrangement of the receiving apparatus according to the second or third aspect of the invention may be such that the digital demodulation processing section has a channel equalizer formed of a digital filter, and the apparatus further comprises a coefficient memory for storing equalizer coefficients to be supplied to the digital filter forming the channel equalizer, and control means for generating equalizer coefficients to be supplied to the channel equalizer by using the equalizer coefficients in the coefficient memory.
According to this arrangement, coefficients to be supplied to the channel equalizer are computed by using the equalizer coefficients stored in the coefficient memory. By this simplification of computation, the time required for processing in the digital demodulation processing section can be reduced.
The apparatus according to the third aspect of the invention may also comprise a channel map memory for storing identification information for enabling each of channels selectable as a tuning target to be identified as a digital television broadcasting channel or an analog television broadcasting channel. When a user performs a channel selecting operation, a determination is made by referring to the channel map memory as to whether a channel selected by the channel selecting operation is a digital television broadcasting channel or an analog television broadcasting channel.
According to this arrangement, by referring to the identification information stored in the channel map memory and used for identifying each channel as an analog or digital television broadcasting channel, a tuning control signal can be immediately supplied to a suitable one of the tuner section for receiving analog television broadcasts and the tuner section for receiving digital television broadcasts. Therefore, there is no need for temporarily performing tuning by each of the first and second tuner sections. The tuning speed can be increased by eliminating the time for this tuning.
The arrangement may also be such that, if a channel selected by a user is an analog television broadcasting channel, a control signal for selecting a carrier in the selected channel is supplied to the second tuner section, and a control signal for selecting a carrier of a digital television broadcast in a channel supposed by using the channel map memory to be next selected by the user in the vicinity of the presently received channel is supplied to the first tuner section.
If the presently received television broadcast is an analog television broadcast, preliminary reception of a channel supposed to be next selected by the first tuner for receiving digital television broadcasts is performed in the background. A digital television broadcasting channel to which one of the tuners other than that presently tuned to the analog television broadcast, i.e., the first tuner, is to be tuned can be easily found by using the identification information in the channel map memory.
Further, the arrangement may be such that, if a channel selected by a user is an analog television broadcasting channel, a control signal for selecting a carrier in the selected channel is supplied to the second tuner section, and a control signal for selecting a carrier of a digital television broadcast in a channel supposed by using the channel map memory to be next selected by the user is supplied to the first tuner section, and that, if the channel selected by the user is a digital television broadcasting channel, a control signal for selecting a carrier in the selected channel is supplied to the first tuner section, and a control signal for selecting a carrier of an analog television broadcast in a channel supposed by using the channel map memory to be next selected by the user in the vicinity of the presently received channel is supplied to the second tuner section.
If the presently received television broadcast is an analog television broadcast, preliminary reception of a channel supposed to be next selected by the first tuner for receiving digital television broadcasts is performed in the background. If the presently received television broadcast is a digital television broadcast, preliminary reception of a channel supposed to be next selected by the second tuner for receiving analog television broadcasts is performed in the background. If the channel preliminarily received in this manner is actually selected subsequently, the receiving apparatus is immediately set in the state of being tuned to the channel to obtain a video output and/or an audio output.
When this preliminary reception is performed in the background, a digital television broadcasting channel to which one of the tuners other than that presently tuned to the selected channel is to be tuned can be easily found by using the identification information in the channel map memory.

Apparatus and method increasing speed of receiving television broadcasts


Methods and systems are provided for calculating a fuel aging of fuel in a fuel tank. In one example, a method may include alerting a vehicle operator and/or adjusting engine operating parameters in response to a fuel aging being greater than a threshold aging.

Vehicle fuel economy, as well as performance, may be dependent on fuel quality. Several factors may determine fuel quality, including but not limited to one or more of vendor fuel quality, time fuel spends in a fuel tank, and conditions of the fuel tank. As an example, fuel aging (e.g., fuel sitting in the fuel tank) may decrease fuel quality, thereby decreasing vehicle fuel economy and performance, and impacting engine and component durability.
Other attempts to address fuel quality include consuming old fuel prior to consuming new fuel. One example approach is shown by Ballauf in U.S. Pat. No. 8,966,966. Therein, fuel currently in the fuel tank does not mix with fuel from a fuel refilling event. Upon a subsequent engine start, the two fuels are sequentially provided to the engine, wherein the quality of each of the fuels is estimated. If the fuels are determined to be of different quality, then the fuel in the fuel tank prior to the fill-up is consumed before the fuel from the fuel refilling event.
However, the inventors herein have recognized potential issues with such systems. As one example, the system of Ballauf demands an extra fuel tank and a fuel reservoir to hold and separate fuel. This may increase packaging restraints in a vehicle. Additionally, both the fuel tank and the fuel reservoir may demand their own network of pumps, valves, and passages fluidly coupling them to the engine and/or a fuel system. This may not only increase vehicle manufacturing costs, but may also introduces an increased number of components which may degrade over time. Lastly, it may be challenging to determine if fuel quality differences measured between the two fuels are a result of quality differences or degradation of one or more combustion chamber components. This may lead to improper fuel quality diagnosis.
In one example, the issues described above may be addressed by a method alerting a vehicle operator to adjust driving behavior and adjusting one or more engine operating parameters in response to an estimated fuel aging being greater than a threshold fuel aging. In this way, fuel comprising a fuel aging greater than the threshold fuel aging may be consumed more quickly.
As one example, adjusting one or more engine operating parameters includes decreasing an air/fuel ratio, increasing fuel injection volume, and increasing engine speed prior to a gear shift. Each of these adjustments may allow the engine to consume more fuel, which may decrease fuel economy. However, fuel aged over the threshold aging may present certain combustion difficulties, such as inaccurate air/fuel ratios, decreased combustion stability, reduced power output, and the like. As such, it may be desirable to decrease fuel economy in an effort to consume the fuel aged over the threshold fuel aging more rapidly. Additionally or alternatively, the vehicle operator may be alerted to adjust their driving behavior to assist in the consumption of fuel. The alerting includes one or more of displaying a message via an infotainment system, sending a text to a cellular device belonging to the vehicle operator, calling the cellular device belonging to the vehicle operator, and emailing the vehicle operator. The instructions to the vehicle operator may include directions to perform one or more of harder tip-ins, higher engine RPM prior to gear change, and driving farther. Harder tip-ins may include tip-ins where the accelerator pedal is more depressed.
Alerting the vehicle operator may further comprise instructing the vehicle operator to perform a fuel tank fill-up. This may further include providing a list of nearby fuel stations. The vehicle operator may select one of the displayed fuel stations via an infotainment system or their cellular device. In response to the selection, the vehicle may display directions to the selected fueling station.
The alerting may further comprise instructing the vehicle operator to dispense at least one of a plurality of fuel additives to a fuel tank. This may further include providing a list of nearby locations selling at least one of the plurality of fuel additives. The vehicle operator may select a location and in response, the vehicle may provide directions to the selected location.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.

Methods and systems for determining fuel quality


Cartons are disclosed for packaging articles, wherein the cartons have indicia printed thereon to facilitate adjustment of the dimensions of the blanks used to form the cartons, or of the forming machinery on which such cartons may be erected.

This invention relates generally to cartons for packaging articles such as cigarettes, and more particularly to a carton having indicia printed thereon to facilitate adjustment of the dimensions of the blanks used to form the cartons, or of the forming machinery on which such cartons may be erected.
Folded paperboard cartons for packaging articles such as cigarettes are well known in the art. An example of a "flip-top" style carton is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,478. Such cartons are typically manufactured in the form of a flat blank that is printed, cut and scored and then shipped in quantities in flat condition to the manufacturing point of the cigarettes. There, the carton blanks are loaded into high-speed carton forming machinery in which each carton blank is folded, loaded with contents and glued, resulting in filled, completed packages.
For both functional and aesthetic reasons it is important that the cartons be precisely formed. The cartons are typically printed with advertising, informational or aesthetic graphics that can be misaligned and unattractive on the completed package. Additionally, if the carton blanks are erected in a misaligned manner, they may create difficulty in moving the cartons through the machine, or in handling and stacking the completed packages. For these reasons, the blank must be carefully sized, and the packaging machinery is capable of fine adjustment that can make changes to the extent to which panels are folded or moved as they pass through the machine.
Achieving proper panel dimensions or machine adjustment can be a tedious procedure. To this end, it is known to use a test blank having lines or other marks located along the edges of the blank so that when the test blank is formed into a carton, the marks will be aligned if the carton is properly formed. If not, then the blank or machine can be adjusted. However, if determination of the extent of misalignment can be made more efficient and precise, then blank or machine adjustment can be made more quickly and with fewer iterations.


An apparatus and method for controlling a recording signal are provided. The apparatus may include a light generator generating light used to write information to an optical disk, a light amount compensator setting a voltage level of the recording signal as a second level when the write operation is performed or stopped, and a light amount controller supplying energy to the light generator based on the second level of the recording signal until the voltage level of the recording signal reaches a first level when a rewrite operation is started and controlling the light generated by the light generator to be constant after the voltage level of the recording signal reaches the first level. The apparatus and method for controlling the recording signal may reduce write quality deterioration due to a lack of initial power of the recording signal when an optical disk recording apparatus starts a rewrite operation after stopping a write operation due to buffer underrun, insecure servo signals, wobble quality, contamination of discs, changes in recording speeds, and/or external shocks.

1. Field
Example embodiments relate to an optical disc recording apparatus, for example, to an apparatus for controlling a recording signal that stabilizes a recording signal during an initial write operation, and a method of performing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
An optical disk recording apparatus records data onto discs such as compact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), blu-disc (BD), or high definition (HD)-DVD or reproduces data recorded on such a disc.
If an optical disk recording apparatus stops writing due to buffer underrun, insecure servo signals, wobble quality, contamination, changes in recording speeds, and/or external shocks, during a write operation, normal recording results may not be obtained.
Therefore, a technique of stopping a write operation when rewriting data to disc may be employed, although the optical disk recording apparatus stops writing the data.
FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C are timing diagrams for explaining a method of controlling a recording signal using a conventional apparatus for controlling a recording signal.
FIG. 1A is a waveform of a write mode control signal WC indicating that an optical disk recording apparatus performs a rewrite operation after stopping a write operation.
When the optical disk recording apparatus performs a rewrite operation after stopping a write operation, it may take some time until a voltage of the recording signal reaches a stable voltage level using an automatic laser power control (ALPC) circuit.
Referring to FIG. 1B, it may take time t0 until a voltage output from the ALPC circuit reaches a stable voltage level V1. Because the optical disk recording apparatus does not perform a write operation during a period of time t0 due to lack of a reference voltage required to write data, data loss may occur.
To solve this problem, referring to FIG. 1C, a method of adding a DC voltage V2 with a predetermined or desired ratio to the stable voltage level V1 output from the ALPC circuit and more quickly stabilizing the reference voltage required to write the data after the write mode is controlled has been suggested.
However, such a method may cause data loss during an initial predetermined or given period of time t1 after the conventional apparatus for controlling the recording signal controls the write mode. Also, because the optical disk recording apparatus may perform the write operation at a relatively high speed, the optical disk recording apparatus may write more data during the initial predetermined or given period of time t1 than before, and more data loss may occur.

Apparatus and method for controlling recording signals


A hydraulic braking system is provided as well as a method, relating to a master brake cylinder, a first brake pressure generator, as well as a wheel brake cylinder. The braking system includes a second brake pressure generator which is connected to the at least one wheel brake cylinder. The master brake cylinder is hydraulically connectable to the at least one wheel brake cylinder via the second brake pressure generator. This has the advantage that a secure braking system may be provided including one additional fallback level, hydraulically via the driver as well as by providing a second, additional brake pressure generator.

German Unexamined Patent Application No. DE 102 33 196 describes a braking system which includes a hydraulically actuatable brake cylinder for actuating a brake. The system furthermore includes a pressure control cylinder which may be used to set a pressure in the wheel brakes. The pressure control cylinder may be acted on with the aid of an electronic displacement device. If the pressure control cylinder fails, no assisting force may be provided by an assisting system. Such a failure may, for example, be a failure of the motor, which makes it no longer possible to increase pressure using an assistance force but only by the driver using only physical strength.

Braking system including first and second brake pressure generator as well as a method for operating such a braking system


Siliceous materials produced by thermally treating Bayer process liquors are obtained in modified form when produced in the presence of ammonium, aromatic amine, and amine compounds, or compounds bearing ammonium, aromatic amine or amine moieties, such as N-propylamine, pyridine and tetramethylammonium hydroxide. These modified siliceous materials possess morphologies which confer upon them a reduced tendency to deposit on surfaces throughout the process.

Alumina trihydrate (also known as aluminum hydroxide, alumina, and gibbsite) is produced on an industrial scale in the Bayer process. In this process, a raw ore commonly known as bauxite is contacted with hot caustic soda solution. This results in the dissolution (digestion) of a considerable portion of the aluminum-bearing minerals, affording a supersaturated solution of sodium aluminate (pregnant liquor). After the physical separation of undigested mineral residues (red mud), the sodium aluminate solution is decomposed to afford alumina trihydrate, which is recovered by filtration. This precipitation step is promoted by the addition of fine alumina trihydrate seed crystals. The depleted or spent liquor from this precipitation is then reconstituted and recycled extensively, accumulating a variety of inorganic and organic species over time.
The bauxite ores used in this process are found in many parts of the world, and the composition of the ore varies from one location to the next. Generally, bauxites are composed of mixtures of inorganic minerals including oxides and hydroxides of the elements aluminum, iron, titanium and silicon, silicates and aluminosilicates (clays), and organic matter.
During the digestion of bauxite ore, the attack of caustic soda on certain silica-bearing components in the ore results in the release of soluble silicate species into the liquor. These soluble silicates then react with alumina and soda to form insoluble sodium aluminosilicates which are also known as desilication products, or DSP.
Silica present in bauxite as clays is particularly susceptible to dissolution by caustic attack. Silica in this form can constitute as much as 5% of the total mass of the bauxite. Silica present as quartz is more resistant to caustic attack and dissolution, and can constitute as much as 10% of the total mass of the bauxite.
The chemical composition of desilication products can vary from one plant to the next owing to differences in plant operating conditions and liquor chemistry. Furthermore, desilication product compositions can vary within a particular plant, depending on the processing temperature and chemical composition at any given point. Nevertheless, many of the desilication products described in the literature conform approximately to the general formula for the sodalite family of minerals: EQU Na.sub.2 O.Al.sub.2 O.sub.3.2SiO.sub.2 1/3(Na.sub.2, Ca)(2Cl, SO.sub.4, CO.sub.3, S, 2OH, 2AlO.sub.2, etc.)
Sodalite itself is the chloride mineral, whereas the sulfate and carbonate forms are known as noselite and cancrinite, respectively. Quite often, desilication product samples are found to be physical mixtures of several of these compounds. Deviations from the stoichiometry of the general sodalite formula are commonly observed. For example, deficiencies in the amount of soda compared with that expected for a true sodalite have been attributed to the replacement of sodium by hydrogen from wash water.
Much of the desilication product exits the plant in the red mud, but a significant portion of soluble silica remains in the pregnant liquor. A small but significant amount of this silica appears as a contaminant in the alumina trihydrate. Furthermore, desilication product is deposited as scale on the walls of pipes and vessels throughout the plant. Scaling by DSP is particularly severe on heated equipment surfaces, such as heat exchanger tubes.
The presence of large quantities of soluble siliceous species in Bayer liquors and their subsequent transformation into insoluble desilication products is detrimental to the operation of the Bayer process, and therefore, undesirable for several reasons. From the general sodalite formula, it is evident that potentially saleable alumina and costly soda are diverted into desilication products. As the recovery of the alumina and soda is not economically viable, these diversions constitute substantial process losses which are economically significant on an industrial scale. Furthermore, the deposition of desilication products on process equipment surfaces such as on the walls of heat exchanger tubes and pipes reduce their operating efficiencies. For example, the flow of fluids through pipes can be impeded by the accumulation of desilication products as scale on the pipe walls. In heat exchangers, scaling of the tubing walls by desilication products can seriously impede the transfer of heat from the steam side which furnishes heat, to the process liquor which is being heated. The removal of such scales is accomplished by manual and/or chemical means, both of which constitute additional costs to the plant.
The negative impact of desilication products on alumina quality and on Bayer Process efficiency and economics has prompted alumina producers to devise methods for mitigating these detrimental effects.
Much effort has been directed at developing processing methods, which are practiced in conjunction with the digestion of bauxite and which promote the dissolution of the siliceous constituents of bauxite and the subsequent precipitation of desilication products to the greatest extent possible. By depleting the liquor of silica at this stage, the potential for scaling downstream is thereby reduced. For example, the temperature or time of digestion may be increased to promote the desilication reactions. In addition, low-silica bauxites may be subjected to a predigestion desilication step in which a concentrated spent liquor slurry of ground bauxite is held at close to atmospheric boiling temperature for periods of 8-24 hours. By this method, fine, high-surface area desilication product seed is formed. When combined with the main digestion slurry, this seed is very effective in promoting the crystallization of desilication product. To raise the concentration of silica above the supersaturation level beyond which desilication products will form, it may also be necessary to add a clay or other siliceous materials in the digestion or predigestion desilication steps. These methods have been summarized in articles such as "Control of Silica in the Bayer Process Used For Alumina Production," S. Ostap, Canadian Metallurgical Quarterly, Vol. 25, No. 2, pp. 101-106.
In addition, a wide variety of inorganic salts and compounds, such as oxides, hydroxides, silicates, aluminates, and other forms of calcium, magnesium, and barium have been employed to control desilication of Bayer liquors.
The use of organic treatments to control deposition of desilication products on equipment surfaces is a relatively unexplored area. A hydrophobic organosilicon liquid polymer has been reported to inhibit the formation of scales during heating and evaporation of aluminate liquors (Kazakov, V. G., Potapov; N. G.; Bobrov, A. E., Tsvetn. Met., 1979, (1), 45-48). The same treatment method is reported in Wang, Yajun; Ke, Jiajun, Huagong Yejin, 9(4), 66-72, 1988.
The use of additives to render equipment surfaces resistant to scale adhesion in slurry heat exchangers conveying bauxite ore slurries is mentioned in Liu, Zigao; Huagong Yejin, 11(4), 326-32, 1990.
None of the art with which the applicant is familiar discloses the use of specific classes of organic nitrogenous compounds to modify the morphology of desilication products and thereby reduce their tendency to adhere to equipment surfaces. Nor is there art that indicates the stabilization of siliceous species in Bayer liquor by tetramethylammonium hydroxide, or any other treatment type.

Method for the alteration of siliceous materials from Bayer process liquids


A package structure includes a first chip, a first redistribution layer, a second chip, a second redistribution layer, a third redistribution layer, a carrier, and a first molding compound layer. The first redistribution layer is arranged on a surface of the first chip. The second redistribution layer is arranged on a surface of the second chip. The third redistribution layer interconnects the first redistribution layer and the second redistribution layer. The carrier is arranged on a side of the third redistribution layer away from the first redistribution layer and the second redistribution layer. The first molding compound layer covers the first chip, the first redistribution layer, the second chip, and the second redistribution layer. A manufacturing method is also disclosed.

As an integrated electronic technology develops, requirements on chip performance continuously increase, such as function enhancement, size reduction, and reduction of energy consumption and costs. Therefore, a 3D IC (three-dimensional integrated circuit) technology and a 2.5D IC packaging technology have emerged. A silicon interposer (Silicon Interposer) technology is a technical solution for implementing interconnection between dies, and interconnection between a die and a substrate in the 3D IC technology and the 2.5D IC packaging technology.
2.5D IC packaging is used as an example. In the 2.5D IC packaging in the prior art, at least two dies are integrated into a fan-out unit (Fan out Unit) by using a fan-out wafer level package technology, and the fan-out unit is packaged on a substrate by using a silicon interposer. Both interconnection between the at least two dies and interconnection between a die and a substrate are implemented by using the silicon interposer. In a solution based on the silicon interposer technology, an interconnection line whose line width and node spacing are much less than those of a resin substrate is fabricated on a silicon chip by a semiconductor process. Therefore, chips with different functions, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) and a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) may be connected to one silicon interposer, and massive operations and data exchange can be completed by using the silicon interposer. The silicon interposer implements wiring by a through silicon via (TSV) technology. However, a TSV fabrication process is a deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) technology. In a TSV filling process, a seed layer is first generated on a surface of a TSV by a physical vapor deposition (PVD) technology, and then the process is completed by electroplating. A 2.5D IC packaging implementation solution in the prior art has disadvantages of a high-difficulty process and high production costs.

Package structure and manufacturing method thereof


A scene change method and system combining instance segmentation and cycle generative adversarial networks are provided. The method includes: processing a video of a target scene and then inputting the video into an instance segmentation network to obtain segmented scene components, that is, obtain mask cut images of the target scene; and processing targets in the mask cut images of the target scene by using cycle generative adversarial networks according to the requirements of temporal attributes to generate data in a style-migrated state, and generating style-migrated targets with unfixed spatial attributes into a style-migrated static scene according to a specific spatial trajectory to achieve a scene change effect.

The statement of this section merely provides background art information related to the present disclosure, and does not necessarily constitute the prior art.
Deep learning is an algorithm edged tool in the era of big data, and it is also a key technology for this round of artificial intelligence outbreak. Compared with traditional machine learning algorithms, deep learning technology can continuously improve its performance as the scale of data increases, while the traditional machine learning algorithms can hardly use mass data to continuously improve their performance. The convolutional neural network is a deep neural network model that has been widely used in academia and industry. It has been widely used in the field of computer vision, and its performance in tasks such as image classification, target detection, and semantic segmentation greatly exceeds traditional methods.
However, the deep learning technology still has limitations. First, the success of deep learning relies on a large amount of manually annotated training data. If the amount of training data is not large enough or the data quality is not high, it will affect the effect of a deep learning network, which limits the development of deep learning to a certain extent. Second, training data and test data for deep learning should be similar in structure and content. The stronger the consistency between the training environment and the test environment is, the better the application effect is.
Therefore, in actual applications of deep learning, such as video surveillance, target detection and other fields, it is not easy to obtain a large amount of high-quality data in these scenes due to the limitations of human and material resources, and it is also difficult to provide a consistent environment in the training process as in the test process. As such, scene data may be missing or inconsistent, for example, the training scene and the test scene are inconsistent, the same scene lacks data of a certain season, or, the same scene has data of only day or night. The incompleteness of the training and testing scenes will result in missing of scene data in a specific state in a database, which will affect subsequent data processing and analysis.

Scene change method and system combining instance segmentation and cycle generative adversarial networks


Benzothiazole derivatives, pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, and therapeutic agents containing said compounds as an effective component possess a lipid lowering activity and are useful pharmaceuticals for the treatment of hyperlipemia. The lipid lowering agents are of the formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 is halogen, trifluoromethyl, acetamido or --OX.sub.1 ; X.sub.1 is hydrogen, alkyl or acyl; R.sub.2 is hydrogen, halogen, alkyl, hydroxyalkyl, trifluoromethyl, nitro, amino which may be substituted with alkyl or acyl, carboxy which may be esterified with alkyl, or --OX.sub.2 ; X.sub.2 is hydrogen, alkyl, acyl, carboxyalkyl which may be esterified with alkyl; n is an integer from 1 to 3 denoting the number of substituents R.sub.2 ; and plural R.sub.2 may be the same or different when n is 2 or 3; with the proviso that R.sub.1 is a group other than halogen when R.sub.2 is hydrogen. The benzothiazole derivatives and their pharmaceutically acceptable salts significantly decrease cholesterol, triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein in blood.

Lipids such as cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids and free fatty acids are present in blood. Many kinds of diseases are caused by the abnormal increase or unbalance of such lipids. For instance, hyperlipemia is not only the direct cause of arteriosclerosis but also causes various symptoms such as abnormal glucometabolism, ischemic heart diseases, and the like.
Thus, the present inventors have conducted a study concerning novel compounds having a beneficial lipid lowering activity. As a result, they have found that the novel benzothiazole derivatives of the present invention have an excellent pharmacological activity whereby the present invention has been achieved.


In a plasma air dust collector, the plasma air dust collector includes a first electrode fixing unit and a second electrode fixing unit respectively having a power terminal; at least two dust collecting electrodes; a discharge electrode arranged between the dust collecting electrodes; a terminal protrusion formed at the bottom end of each dust collecting electrode in the length direction; a terminal protrusion insertion hole formed at a side of the first electrode fixing unit; a combining protrusion formed at a side of the first electrode fixing unit and the second electrode fixing unit; and a combining groove formed at the both ends of each dust collecting electrode.

In general, an air conditioner is divided into an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, the indoor unit is installed indoors, the outdoor unit is installed outdoors, and the indoor unit and the outdoor unit are connected with each other through pipes and wiring.
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal-sectional view illustrating an indoor unit of a general panel type air conditioner.
As depicted in FIG. 1, the indoor unit of the general panel type air conditioner includes a casing 3 having a suction hole 1 at the top and a discharge hole 2 at the bottom; a heat exchanger 4 installed in the casing 3; a fan 5 installed at the rear of the heat exchanger 4; and a plasma air dust collector 10 installed at the front of the heat exchanger 4.
In the indoor unit of the general panel type air conditioner, warm air in a room is sucked into the casing 3 through the suction hole 1 by the operation of the fan 5, the sucked warm air is heat-exchanged into cool air and is discharged to the outside of the casing 3.
Herein, before the sucked warm air reaches to the heat exchanger 4, the air dust collector 10 purifies air by collecting dust in the sucked warm air in order to provide fresh air into the room.
FIG. 2 is an exploded-perspective view illustrating the conventional plasma air dust collector, and FIG. 3 is a combined-perspective view illustrating the conventional plasma air dust collector.
As depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3, the conventional air dust collector 10 includes a front casing 12 having plural paths 11 for passing air; a rear casing 14 having a certain internal space by being combined with the front casing 11 and having plural paths 13; each discharge electrode 15 arranged in the rear casing 14 in the length direction at regular intervals to generate discharge when a high voltage is applied; and each dust collecting electrode 16 arranged between the discharge electrodes 15 to collect dust when a high voltage is applied.
The operation of the conventional plasma air dust collector will be described.
As depicted in FIG. 5, when a high voltage is applied to the discharge electrode 15 and the dust collecting electrode 16, discharge plasma occurs between the discharge electrode 15 and the dust collecting electrode 16, dust particles passing between the dust collecting electrodes 16 are electrified by storing electric field and discharge plasma, and the electrified dust particles are collected on the dust collecting electrode 16 by the Coulomb's law.
However, in the compact structure or high performance aspect, the conventional plasma air dust collector has following problems.
First, because the discharge electrode 15 and the dust collecting electrode 16 are installed in the front and rear casings 12, 14, it is difficult to achieve a compact body.
Second, because the dust collecting electrode 16 is formed as a plate shape and dust collecting is performed on only the internal surface thereof dust collecting efficiency can not be improved.


The present invention provides methods for analysis of genomic DNA and/or RNA from small samples or even single cells. Methods for analyzing genomic DNA can entail whole genome amplification (WGA), followed by preamplification and amplification of selected target nucleic acids. Methods for analyzing RNA can entail reverse transcription of the desired RNA, followed by preamplification and amplification of selected target nucleic acids.

An obstacle to the rapid and reliable analysis of genomic DNA or RNA (e.g., non-coding RNA or mRNA) from small samples or single cells has been that the reproducibility of conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been inadequate to ensure that all target nucleic acids of interest are amplified sufficiently to be detected.


In an image output device a test chart 18 including tests charts 6 of each color is used, and a tone correction table is calculated. The test charts 6 are patterned in a checkered pattern, each including continuous areas 10 in which the tones increase in steps and reference areas 11 for comparison with the continuous areas 10. The reference areas 11 are formed of white ground of paper in a highlight proof part 7, a solid pattern with a maximum density in a shadow proof part 8, and halftone dot-concentrated or line screens with a lower resolution than in the continuous areas in a middle proof part 9. Tone correction values are calculated from characteristic values of the highlight, shadow and middle parts, obtained from visual data of the test chart 18.

The present invention relates to an image output device, such as a laser printer and to a test chart for calibration of tone reproduction characteristics in the image output device, and also concerns a method and a device of calibration using the test chart.
The electrophotographic type printer forms an electrostatic latent image by radiating a laser beam to a photosensitive body, and neutralizes the latent image by a toner oppositely charged with respect to the polarity of the latent image.
As disclosed in JP-A-07-128974, because the quantity of electric charge on the toner particles varies with environmental conditions, such as temperature and humidity, the density of a reproduced image changes with environmental conditions. For example, when temperature and humidity are high, electric charge per unit toner particle decreases, and on the other hand, when temperature and humidity are low, electric charge per unit toner increases.
It is a general tendency of electrophotographic printers that under high temperature and humidity, compared with low temperature and humidity, a problem rises that a larger amount of toner is required for the above-mentioned neutralization and therefore reproduced images have high density.
Further, with electrophotographic printers, it is widely known that there are instrument errors, in other words, variation occurs in the development characteristics among different machines due to assembly tolerances related to laser spot diameter and laser intensity-sensitive material characteristics, and that the development characteristics change with time.
The above-mentioned variation and changes with time are corrected by high-level feedback and also by calibration by service persons using a calorimeter or the like, but those methods contribute to increases in production and running costs.
As countermeasures against changes mentioned above, there have been proposed a method disclosed in JP-A-07-128974 mentioned above, in which the developing machine is controlled by a toner densitometer and temperature and humidity sensors, and another method disclosed in JP-A-10-6562, in which a color printer is calibrated by comparison with a test chart, with which a halftone patch previously printed to a reference density.
There is growing demand for color printers from general users with widespread use of personal computers. To meet this demand, it is required that the color printers be made available at lowest possible prices.
If color laser printers are equipped with a toner densitometer or temperature and humidity sensors as suggested in JP-A-07-128974, this will lead to higher prices. In the method of calibrating a color printer by comparison with a test chart using a halftone patch printed in advance to a reference density as disclosed in JP-A-10-6562, know-how or experience is required to achieve desired precision and this method is difficult for general users to use.
When the prior art in JP-A-07-128974 is used, in which the relation between specified tone values and photographic printing density (or lightness or saturation) is not necessarily linear, in methods of controlling toner density or maximum laser intensity, even though being effective in stabilizing the density (or lightness or saturation) of the solid (shadow) areas of reproduced images, these methods have a problem that the density (or lightness or saturation) of halftones cannot be made stable.
In the prior art in JP-A-10-6562, because discoloring occurs in the colors in reference charts, calibration references change with time, it has been difficult to maintain desired precision in calibration. The user must carefully manage those charts, a fact which, as well as the discoloring problem, has been a burden on the user while he or she is using related equipment.

Image output device and test chart for the same


The present invention discloses compounds of the formula any mixture thereof, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof;. wherein R, R.sup.3, and R.sup.4 each have the meanings set forth in the specification.. The compounds possess valuable pharmaceutical properties as dopamine reuptake inhibitors.

Several publications describe conversions of cocaine to anhydroecgonine where the conversion is effected by heating cocaine in aqueous acid (hydrochloric or sulphuric acid) or with benzoic acid for several hours (de Jong, Recl. Trav. Chim. Pays-Bas, 56 (1937), pages 187-201 and Chem. Ber., 21 (1888), pages 3029-3045). At the time of the references cited above, the analytical methods available for the qualitative and quantitative determination of chemical compounds were limited, which makes the results obtained highly uncertain. Furthermore there is a lack of precise descriptions of how the reactions were carried out.
Several attempts to convert ecgonine or cocaine to anhydroecgonine in alkaline solutions or by heating in water, giving poor results, have also been described. In fact it seems that alkaline solutions favour isomerisation (de Jong, Recl. Trav. Chim. Pays-Bas, 56 (1937), pages 192-194.
In later references Anhydroecgonine and esters thereof have been prepared by hydrolysis of cocaine in aqueous hydrochloric acid followed by dehydration with phosphorus oxychloride (J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 82 (1960), page 4643 and EP-A1-604 355 ). Although both the hydrolysis of cocaine and the dehydration of ecgonine produces high yields, it is a serious drawback to this method that the reaction mixture becomes syrupy during the dehydration step which makes stirring almost impossible. Using SOCl.sub.2 as dehydrating agent causes similar problems.
Neither of these methods are thus suitable for large-scale production.
It has now surprisingly been found that esters of anhydroecgonine can be prepared in large-scale from cocaine or derivatives thereof using a convenient, high-yielding, one-pot synthesis.
The esters prepared according to the invention are useful intermediates in the preparation of pharmaceutically active tropane derivatives, see EP-A1-604 355).

Method for the preparation of esters of anhydroecgonine


An electrical sleeve heater for an element having a generally cylindrical outer surface. The heater has a generally helical coil centered on an axis and having a pair of opposite coil ends, a pair of generally coaxial, axially aligned, and similar tubes each fixed to a respective one of the coil ends and surrounding the coil so that relative rotation of the coil can radially increase or decrease an inside diameter of the coil. The tubes having axially adjacent inner ends and outer ends, and means for releasably fixing together the coil inner ends.

It is standard to heat a machine part, such as an injection-molding nozzle, by fitting it with an electric sleeve heater that is engaged snugly around the part and energized so as to keep the part at a predetermined temperature.
Such a sleeve heater comprises a resistance-type heater coil whose inside diameter is slightly greater than that of the part over which it is to be fitted. Frequently heat-distributing material is provided inside the coil. In order to tighten the coil, it is provided with an external clamping arrangement that urges its inner surface into good heat-transmitting contact with the part to be heated. Such a clamping arrangement can include an outer sleeve provided with a wedge-type screw-operated tightening system that reduces the coil's diameter. Such an arrangement makes the heater fairly bulky so it is difficult to fit in a restricted space, and substantially complicates the installation and use of the sleeve heater. The ends of the coil are attached to the sleeve, further complicating tightening of the coil on the element being heated.
Such heaters may also be installed by externally mounting them on a cylindrical part, for example a nozzle for an injection-molding machine, so that the melt flowing through is heated by the heating cartridge. However, it is also possible to heat a tube around which a melt flows, by inserting the helical electric heating cartridge into the tube and pressing against the tube surface in order to heat the melt or the like externally flowing past the tube.
It is furthermore known to provide a screw-type tangential tightener which is somewhat more compact, but which nonetheless still is difficult to use with closely spaced nozzles. When the part being heated is of an exactly determined size, it is known to slip over the coil an outer sleeve that is dimensioned to compress it to the exact inner diameter desired, and then solder it in place before fitting the coil over the part. This latter arrangement is problematic in that any variation in size makes the heater impossible to install or so loose when installed as to be ineffective.
In another known arrangement described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,049,555 the sleeve heater has an electrical and generally cylindrical heater coil centered on an axis and shaped to fit over a part to be heated, a radially compressible and generally cylindrical inner sleeve snugly coaxially externally surrounding the heater coil, radially inwardly bearing on the coil, and having an axially outwardly projecting tab, and a radially generally inextensible and generally cylindrical outer sleeve fitted coaxially over the inner sleeve and having an inner surface bearing tightly radially inward on the inner sleeve and radially compressing the inner sleeve and the coil inward. Once again, the ends of the coil are fixed to the sleeve so that the coil itself must be radially compressed, which can damage the coil.


The present invention relates to indicator granular material, especially for a cat lavatory, in which at least one first granular material is substantially completely coated with a first polymer layer, which is solid at a first pH and is dissolved at a second pH; and also to a cat lavatory and the use of the indicator granular material in a cat lavatory.

A wide variety of indicators for measuring the pH of a cat's urine are known from the state of the art. As a rule, such indicators take the form of granules or small scraps of various kinds, such as small strips of paper, which are impregnated with a wide variety of pH indicators. These indicators react to a change in pH by changing colour.
EP 0 569 232 A1, for example, discloses a pH indicator material in which a coating made from an aqueous solution of a water-soluble polymer is applied to an inert core substrate, which coating likewise contains a sufficient quantity of a water-soluble pH indicator dye. Depending on the change in the pH of the urine, the pH indicator dye can alter its colour and thus indicate the change in the pH of a cat's urine.
Other indicator dyes for determining the pH of a cat's urine are known, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 6,162,646, U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,062, U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,023, U.S. Pat. No. 5,371,054 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,376,252.
A major disadvantage of the indicator materials known from the state of the art is that the change in the colour of the indicator depending on the pH takes place continuously over a particular colour spectrum. In the case of the indicator dye bromine xylenol blue, for example, colour changes from an acidic pH to a basic pH are known over the colour spectrum yellow/greenish-yellow/yellowish-green/green/bluish-green/greenish-blue/blue.
The result of such a change in colour is as a rule susceptible of subjective interpretation, which means that each user might assess the colour change subjectively differently, such as whether the colour is still yellowish-green or already greenish-yellow. This makes it difficult to determine a change in the pH of the urine precisely.
The object the present invention is to provide an indicator material which overcomes the disadvantages of the state of the art, i.e. in particular which makes it possible to determine unambiguously whether the pH of the urine has changed beyond a threshold level. In addition, it is intended that such an indicator material should be capable of being used in a simple manner in a conventional cat lavatory.