A hybrid energy railway vehicle system having a traction motor with a dynamic braking mode of operation for dynamically braking the traction motor and for generating dynamic braking electrical energy and an electrical energy storage system that is in electrical communication with the traction motor and that stores dynamic braking electrical energy generated by the traction motor. The system also has a hybrid energy railway vehicle with a plurality of wheels wherein the traction motor has a motoring mode of operation for driving one of the wheels in response to electrical input energy. A converter selectively provides stored electrical energy from the energy storage system to the traction motor as electrical input energy for driving one or more of wheels. The hybrid energy railway vehicle is optionally equipped computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for controlling the operation of the hybrid energy railway vehicle and a processor configured to control the operation of the railway vehicle as a function of at least one of a plurality of operating modes.

FIG. 1A is a block diagram of an exemplary prior art locomotive 100. In particular, FIG. 1A generally reflects a typical prior art diesel-electric locomotive such as, for example, the AC6000 or the AC4400, both or which are available from General Electric Transportation Systems. As illustrated in FIG. 1A, the locomotive 100 includes a diesel engine 102 driving an alternator/rectifier 104. As is generally understood in the art, the alternator/rectifier 104 provides DC electric power to an inverter 106 that converts the AC electric power to a form suitable for use by a traction motor 108 mounted on a truck below the main engine housing. One common locomotive configuration includes one inverter/traction motor pair per axle. Such a configuration results in three inverters per truck, and six inverters and traction motors per locomotive. FIG. 1A illustrates a single inverter 106 for convenience.
Strictly speaking, an inverter converts DC power to AC power. A rectifier converts AC power to DC power. The term converter is also sometimes used to refer to inverters and rectifiers. The electrical power supplied in this manner may be referred to as prime mover power (or primary electric power) and the alternator/rectifier 104 may be referred to as a source of prime mover power. In a typical AC diesel-electric locomotive application, the AC electric power from the alternator is first rectified (converted to DC). The rectified AC is thereafter inverted (e.g., using power electronics such as IGBTs or thyristors operating as pulse width modulators) to provide a suitable form of AC power for the respective traction motor 108.
As is understood in the art, traction motors 108 provide the tractive power to move locomotive 100 and any other vehicles, such as load vehicles, attached to locomotive 100. Such traction motors 108 may be AC or DC electric motors. When using DC traction motors, the output of the alternator is typically rectified to provide appropriate DC power. When using AC traction motors, the alternator output is typically rectified to DC and thereafter inverted to three-phase AC before being supplied to traction motors 108.
The traction motors 108 also provide a braking force for controlling speed or for slowing locomotive 100. This is commonly referred to as dynamic braking, and is generally understood in the art. Simply stated, when a traction motor is not needed to provide motivating force, it can be reconfigured (via power switching devices) so that the motor operates as a generator. So configured, the traction motor generates electric energy which has the effect of slowing the locomotive. In prior art locomotives, such as the locomotive illustrated in FIG. 1A, the energy generated in the dynamic braking mode is typically transferred to resistance grids 110 mounted on the locomotive housing. Thus, the dynamic braking energy is converted to heat and dissipated from the system. In other words, electric energy generated in the dynamic braking mode is typically wasted.
It should be noted that, in a typical prior art DC locomotive, the dynamic braking grids are connected to the traction motors. In a typical prior art AC locomotive, however, the dynamic braking grids are connected to the DC traction bus because each traction motor is normally connected to the bus by way of an associated inverter (see FIG. 1B). FIG. 1A generally illustrates an AC locomotive with a plurality of traction motors; a single inverter is depicted for convenience.
FIG. 1B is an electrical schematic of a typical prior art AC locomotive. It is generally known in the art to employ at least two power supply systems in such locomotives. A first system comprises the prime mover power system that provides power to the traction motors. A second system provides power for so-called auxiliary electrical systems (or simply auxiliaries). In FIG. 1B, the diesel engine (see FIG. 1A) drives the prime mover power source 104 (e.g., an alternator and rectifier), as well as any auxiliary alternators (not illustrated) used to power various auxiliary electrical subsystems such as, for example, lighting, air conditioning/heating, blower drives, radiator fan drives, control battery chargers, field exciters, and the like. The auxiliary power system may also receive power from a separate axle driven generator. Auxiliary power may also be derived from the traction alternator of prime mover power source 104.
The output of prime mover power source 104 is connected to a DC bus 122 that supplies DC power to the traction motor subsystems 124A–124F. The DC bus 122 may also be referred to as a traction bus because it carries the power used by the traction motor subsystems. As explained above, a typical prior art diesel-electric locomotive includes four or six traction motors. In FIG. 1B, each traction motor subsystem comprises an inverter (e.g., inverter 106A) and a corresponding traction motor (e.g., traction motor 108A).
During braking, the power generated by the traction motors is dissipated through a dynamic braking grid subsystem 110. As illustrated in FIG. 1A, a typical prior art dynamic braking grid includes a plurality of contactors (e.g., DB1–DB5) for switching a plurality of power resistive elements between the positive and negative rails of the DC bus 122. Each vertical grouping of resistors may be referred to as a string. One or more power grid cooling blowers (e.g., BL1 and BL2) are normally used to remove heat generated in a string due to dynamic braking.
As indicated above, prior art locomotives typically waste the energy generated from dynamic braking. Attempts to make productive use of such energy have been unsatisfactory. For example, systems that attempt to recover the heat energy for later use to drive steam turbines require the ability to heat and store large amounts of water. Such systems are not suited for recovering energy to propel the locomotive itself. Another system attempted to use energy generated by a traction motor in connection with an electrolysis cell to generate hydrogen gas for use as a supplemental fuel source. Among the disadvantages of such a system are the safe storage of the hydrogen gas and the need to carry water for the electrolysis process. Still other prior art systems fail to recapture the dynamic braking energy at all, but rather selectively engage a special generator that operates when the associated vehicle travels downhill. One of the reasons such a system is unsatisfactory is because it fails to recapture existing braking energy.
Prior art hybrid energy railway vehicles typically operate from stored electric energy that is generated by a turbine engine and generator. Such hybrid energy railway vehicles rely on a turbine engine and generator as the sole source of stored electric energy on which to drive the traction motor of the hybrid energy railway vehicle. Such prior art hybrid energy railway vehicles fail to recapture dynamic braking energy generated by the traction motor of the hybrid energy railway vehicle and is required to turn on and off the turbine engine and generator as required by the level of charge of the hybrid energy railway vehicle storage system.
Therefore, there is a need for a multipurpose hybrid energy railway vehicle that can be used to capture and store the electrical energy, including electrical energy generated in the dynamic braking mode. There is further a need for such a hybrid energy railway vehicle that selectively regenerates the stored energy for later use. There is a need for a hybrid energy railway vehicle that is equipped with a resistive grid for dissipating energy. There is also a need for a hybrid energy railway vehicle configured to enable the on-board electric energy storage system to be charged from an external electric energy system 220. There is another need for a railway vehicle that can operate a plurality of modes of operation. For example, the hybrid energy railway vehicle could operate in a standalone operation or in a consist in combination with one or more locomotives. The hybrid vehicle could operate in anyone of several modes of operating modes including operating as a railway switcher, roadmate, pusher or electrical energy tender.

Multimode hybrid energy railway vehicle system and method


Network connecting sections of an own station deliver routing information notified from a relay section on the same base to network connecting sections of other stations of own networks. If new routing information is present in routing information received from the network connecting sections of the other stations, the network connecting sections of the own station notify the relay section on the same base of the routing information. The relay section updates, based on the routing information notified from the network connecting sections on the same base, routing information held by the relay section.

When communication is performed between different networks in a network system including a plurality of networks, it is necessary to set in advance routing parameters indicating relay information in a relay apparatus that performs relay for the networks. In a relay apparatus in the past, the routing parameters are manually set. Therefore, knowledge concerning the networks is necessary in setting the routing parameters. It is likely that a communication error is caused by a setting mistake of the routing parameters.
Therefore, as a method of performing communication between different networks in a control network system including a plurality of control networks, there is proposed a method of performing communication not depending on routing parameters by providing a communication path database in which network numbers and station numbers that communication passes from a start point station to an end point station of the communication are described in the order of the passage and describing path information extracted from the communication path database in a communication message (Patent Literature 1).
There is also proposed a method of creating routing tables of stations on a network by issuing, after establishing a control network system, a routing table creation command for creating a routing table from a station that is in a state in which a routing table is settable (Patent Literature 2).

Routing information generating apparatus, routing information generating method and routing information generating program


A label side of a light-scribe optical disc includes a control feature zone recording therein reference information of the optical disc and a label zone to be marked based on the reference information. An optical head is moved in the label zone to determine a first FE gain and a first sub-beam addition (SBAD) signal by way of focusing servo technology. The optical head is further moved in the control feature zone to determine a second SBAD Signal. The first and second SBAD signals are operated to obtain a ratio. The ratio is used with the first FE gain to estimate a second FE gain for accessing to the control feature zone.

In the age of multimedia, high volume and high quality video and audio data and even high quality game software have occupied a great part of the market. These data need to be stored in a fast-accessing, low cost and high capacity storage medium, and is preferably able to efficiently make spare copies. Various recordable/rewritable optical discs and corresponding recording apparatus having the feature of making a copy of large amount of data in an inexpensive way are thus developed. An optical disc is commonly used for storing large amount of video and audio data, software, or material and configuration data in professional applications. Therefore, not only has the optical disc recording apparatus become indispensable peripheral equipment for both personal computers and laptops in today's computer industry, in the mainstream digital consumer market, optical disc recording apparatus have begun playing an important role. Users who frequently use the optical disc recording apparatus to create a copy of data into a commercial recordable/rewritable optical disc that is pre-designed with monotonous and common label side might suffer from distinguishing these recorded discs.
Conventionally, permanent markers or special pens are used to mark the recorded disc, but human's handwritings are subject to inconvenience or misunderstanding. Printed labels stuck on the non-data side of the recorded disc are another option to specify the information of the disc. The requirements on weight distribution and adhesion of the labels are critical because the uneven weight distribution would adversely affect the rotation of the disc and the fallen-off label could jam the machine.
In light of these issues, a special dye layer that can be burned to form a desired configuration is provided on the label layer of the optical disc. In this way, the label side can be provided with desired marks such as patterns or letters. Marking the label side of an optical disc is generally performed after data is written into the data side of the optical disc. The disc is taken out of the optical disc recorder, flipped to the other side and placed back into the optical disc recorder, and the optical head of the optical disc recorder then projects laser light onto the label side of the optical disc where the special dye is applied to induce a chemical reaction, thereby changing the color of the dye layer and forming a desired pattern on the label side.
Please refer to FIG. 1A which schematically shows the label side of a recordable/rewritable optical disc. The optical disc 10 includes a concentric center hole 13, an annular information area 12 and an annular reference region 11 disposed between the center hole 13 and the information area 12, which is also referred to as a label zone. The annular reference region 11, which is also referred to as a control feature zone, is previously provided with certain patterns and includes an outer ring 14 and an inner ring 16, as shown in FIG. 1B. The outer ring 14 that is not uniformly patterned is recorded with a media ID, a saw tooth and an index mark. The inner ring 16, on the other hand, is provided with a uniform pattern, i.e. alternate "dark" and "bright" spokes, for rotation control while marking the label side. Meanwhile, the saw tooth on the outer ring 14 is used for shift calibration of the optical head, and the media ID and index mark provide other reference information relating to the optical disc 10. In general, the reference information of the outer ring 14 is accessed by the optical head, while the reference information of the inner ring 16 is realized by a spoke detector.
By detecting the patterns of the outer ring 14 and the inner ring 16, the reference information recorded in the control feature zone 11 can be realized. Typically, two ways are adopted for reading reference information recorded in the control feature zone 11, i.e. an open-loop focusing control mechanism and a closed-loop focusing control mechanism. Compared with the open-loop focusing control, the closed-loop focusing control may consume less reading time. In practice, before the optical head reads the reference information recorded in the control feature zone 11 via the closed-loop focusing control mechanism, a startup procedure is performed by way of a focus servo technology to realize a so-called "S-curve", which represents the relationship between voltages of focusing error signal FE and distances of the focusing positions on the optical disc from an object lens of the optical head. It is understood by those ordinary in the art that the voltage of the focusing error signal depends on the intensity of the laser light focused on certain spot in the control feature zone 11 of the optical disc via the object lens and then reflected by the optical disc. By modulating the S-curve, a proper focusing error gain (FE Gain) can be obtained by the optical head to execute accurate focusing control for the subsequent reading procedure.
As described above, the control feature zone 11 includes irregular saw-tooth or block patterns. Therefore, both highly reflective zones and low reflective zones are involved. Basically, the information indicated by the S-curve is relatively reliable when it is realized from the highly reflective zones. Unfortunately, it is practically probable that the S-curve is realized from the low reflective zones or the interfaces between the highly and low reflective zones due to its the short-period feature. Under this circumstance, the resulting S-curve would be defective and causes signal distortion.
FIG. 2A exemplifies a typical S-curve. As shown, the waveform of the S-curve is so intact and smooth that an accurate and reasonable FE gain can be obtained accordingly. On the other hand, if the entire or partial S-curve is undesirably realized from a low reflective zone, a destructed waveform would be rendered, as depicted in FIG. 2B. Then the resulting FE gain for subsequent focusing control could be improper.

Method for determining focusing error gain for accessing to optical disc


The invention describes an improved stable reagent composition and method for the determination of hemoglobin (Hb) using whole blood samples and automated hematology analyzers. The Hb reagent contains an inorganic cyanide salt, at least one surfactant and a base and has a final pH of about 10.0 to about 11.2, preferably about 10.4 to about 11.2 or less and more preferably about 10.8 to about 11.2 or less. This reagent is intended for use as a universal Hb determination reagent for all of the instruments in the aforementioned series and will provide accurate and precise results without accompanying interference from elevated numbers of white blood cells, especially as found in abnormal blood specimens, and without system-to-system variation in the results obtained.

The measurement of whole blood hemoglobin (Hb) is frequently performed using manual spectrophotometric methods and using semi-automated and automated hematology analyzers and methods and reagents used therein. Recent advances in high-throughput (e.g., up to about 100 samples per hour) hematology analyzers, e.g., the TECHNICON H.circle-solid..TM. series, including, but not limited to, the TECHNICON H.circle-solid.1.TM., H.circle-solid.2.TM. and H.circle-solid.3.TM. systems have led to the need for Hb methods that reach completion in about 30 seconds or less.
Cyanide-containing and cyanide-free Hb methods and reagents are used in automated Hb analyzers, such as the TECHNICON H.circle-solid..TM. series of instruments, to rapidly and quantitatively convert any carboxyhemoglobin (HbCO) in blood samples to a quantifiable reaction product, for example, in less than about 24 seconds. It has been found that Hb assays performed using either automated analyzers, for example, the TECHNICON H.circle-solid..TM. series of hematology analyzers, are not affected by the presence of up to 100% HbCO as a percentage of total blood hemoglobin. In addition, it has been found that both cyanide-containing and cyanide-free methods performed using automated TECHNICON H.circle-solid..TM. analyzers were comparable with respect to the performance parameters of linearity, precision and carryover. Further, these methods correlated well with the International Committee for Standardization of Hematology (ICSH) Manual Reference Hb Method on normal and abnormal blood samples, thus indicating acceptable accuracy (M. J. Malin et al., 1989, Am. J. Clin. Path., 92:286-294; M. J. Malin et al. 1992, Analyt. Chim. Acta, 262:67-77).
With regard to the analysis of abnormal blood samples which may contain aberrantly high levels of cells, particularly white blood cells, it may be difficult for current Hb determination methods and the reagents used therein to provide accurate and precise values. According to Wintrobe et al. (1981, Clinical Hematology, Lea and Febiger, Philadelphia, Pa., p. 208), a normal white blood cell count is on the order of about 3 to 10.times.10.sup.3 cells/.mu.l of blood. Thus, a moderately high normal count can be considered to be, for example, about 8.times.10.sup.3 cells/.mu.l, and an abnormally elevated white blood cell count can be considered to be about 10.times.10.sup.3 cells/.mu.l or greater.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,874,852 to T. E. Hammill discloses a reagent for the determination of leukocytes and hemoglobin in blood comprising a ferricyanide ion-free solution containing a quaternary ammonium ionic surfactant and an inorganic cyanide salt in which the pH of the reagent is approximately 9 and the pH of the final buffered solution used for analysis is 7.6 when employed with the commercial buffered blood diluent Isoton.RTM..
Cyanide-containing hemoglobin reagents having a reagent pH in the range of from 11.2 to 11.5 or 11.6 are commerically available from the assignee hereof. However, as described herein, unexpected problems in Hb determinations using the available Hb reagents having particular pH values were not solved until the present inventor's discovery of the causes of the problems and the development of reagent compositions and methods in accordance with the present invention.
Accordingly, needed in the art are methods and reagents which eliminate interference caused by moderate to high white blood cell counts and which yield acceptable imprecision in the determination of hemoglobin. Also needed are methods and reagents which do not suffer from system-to-system variation and which are capable of accurately quantifying Hb content in situations of both moderately to highly elevated white blood cell counts in normal or abnormal blood samples.
Another problem in the art arises when a blood sample remains mixed with a Hb reagent composition in a reaction mixture for some time prior to Hb analysis. Differences in reaction rates of Hb methods can depend on the mechanistic aspects of the blood in the reaction mixture with the Hb reagent. For example, a large increase in the reaction rate of an automated method compared with the ICSH method can depend on the disruption of the Hb molecule and the extraction of a ligated hemin derivative by surfactant micelles in the former method. By contrast, in the ICSH method, the integrity of the Hb molecular structure is maintained and the oxidation of heme iron and the subsequent ligation by cyanide occurs within the intact Hb structure (M. J. Malin et al., 1989, Am. J. Clin. Path., 92:286-294; M. J. Malin et al., 1992, Analyt. Chim. Acta, 262:67-77). For these reasons among others, current Hb determination reagents and methods used for particular automated instrumentation, such as the TECHNICON H.circle-solid..TM. series of analyzers, may not always perform optimally under conditions of high white blood cell counts. In such cases, new reagents need to be developed and used by those in the art to avoid measurement imprecision and variation in results among different instruments or different instruments in a series, such as the TECHNICON H.circle-solid..TM. analyzer series.
In view of the popular clinical utilization of whole blood Hb measurement and for the reasons presented hereinabove, those in the art are attuned both to maintaining the precision and accuracy of these spectrophotometric-based assays and to improving upon the analysis conditions and reagent compositions used in Hb determination methods. With respect to the reagent compositions for Hb analysis and measurement, ionic cyanide is still routinely used by those skilled in the art as a reagent component for Hb determination with effective, accurate and precise results. Needed in the art are methods and reagent compositions for Hb measurement and analysis that can be used with acceptable accuracy and precision in all types of hematology analyzers, for example, a cyanide-containing Hb method and reagent composition having superior performance capabilities in each of the TECHNICON H.circle-solid..TM. series of analyzers with little to no system-to-system variation. The reagent compositions should optimally be formulated so that all of the specified features and components of such reagents, including the specifications for pH, cyanide, total alkalinity, surfactant concentration, osmolality and surface tension, provide precise results for the analysis of both normal and abnormal blood samples, which may contain both normal and unusually high levels of white blood cells.

Cyanide-containing hemoglobin reagent composition and method providing acceptable precision, accuracy and freedom from white cell interference on automated hematology analyzers


An isolating pulley comprising a hub comprising an inertia carrier, the inertia carrier having an inner surface, a spring carrier journalled to the hub, the spring carrier having a releasable driving engagement with the inertia carrier, a pulley journalled to the hub, a spring drivingly engaged between the spring carrier and the pulley, a clutch spring having a frictional engagement with the inner surface, and which frictional engagement is partially releasable upon a temporary, pressing contact of the pulley upon the clutch spring.

Diesel engine use for passenger car applications is increasing due to the benefit of better fuel economy. Further, gasoline engines are increasing compression ratios to improve the fuel efficiency. As a result, diesel and gasoline engine accessory drive systems have to overcome the vibrations of greater magnitude from crankshafts due to above mentioned changes in engines.
Due to increased crankshaft vibration plus high acceleration/deceleration rates and high alternator inertia the engine accessory drive system is often experiencing belt chirp noise due to belt slip. This will also reduce the belt operating life.
Crankshaft isolators/decouplers and alternator decouplers/isolators have been widely used for engines with high angular vibration to filter out vibration in engine operation speed range and to also control belt chirp.
Representative of the art is U.S. Ser. No. 13/541,216 which discloses an isolator decoupler having a pulley temporarily engagable with an end of the wrap spring one way clutch in an unwinding direction whereby a temporary contact between the wrap spring one way clutch end and the pulley will temporarily diminish the frictional engagement of the wrap spring one way clutch from the shaft.
What is needed is an isolating pulley having a clutch spring releasably engaged with an inertia carrier surface upon a pressing contact of the pulley with the clutch spring. The present invention meets this need.


An ink supply unit for a flexographic press that is convenient for exchange of an anilox roll and an order of colors to be printed is disclosed. A time for test printing can be shortened, thereby enhancing a working efficiency. A pivot frame can move between a printing position where an anilox roll is mounted on a stationary frame to engage a printing cylinder and an exchanging position where the anilox roll is spaced away from the stationary frame to disengage the printing cylinder. An ink level of a maximum amount of ink contained in an ink chamber is located near a contact position between an upper doctor blade and the anilox roll, when the pivot frame is located at the printing position. The ink level is located below a lower doctor blade, when the pivot frame is located at the exchanging position.

This invention relates to an ink supply unit for supplying ink to a printing cylinder in a flexographic press, and more particularly relates to an ink supply unit suitable for an open chamber type ink supply unit.
As well known in a flexographic press, increase or decrease of a supply amount of ink to a printing cylinder and roughness or denseness of printing essentially depend on an anilox roll to be used. Thus, it is necessary to exchange an anilox roll and carry out a test-printing for duration in time from a test-printing step to a regular printing step. In the case of exchanging the anilox roll, whether the ink supply unit is an open chamber type or a closed chamber type, it was necessary to remove ink in the chamber every time. This required a time and a troublesome work. In another case, it was necessary to change an order of colors to be printed. This required for washing the anilox roll and an interior of the chamber.
Patent Documents that will be related to the present invention are cited below:    Patent Document 1 Japanese Patent Public Disclosure No. 9-201952 (1997)    Patent Document 2 Japanese Patent Public Disclosure No. 10-296961 (1998)    Patent Document 3 Japanese Patent Public Disclosure No. 10-296962 (1998)
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an ink supply unit for a flexographic press that can readily exchange an anilox roll or an order of colors to be printed, thereby reducing a time for a test-printing process and enhancing a working efficiency.
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.

Ink supply unit for a flexographic press


A control system for use in a marine seismic survey is provided. The system may include one or more processors configured to receive a desired position for one or more seismic streamers during the marine seismic survey. The one or more processors may be further configured to determine a current position for the one or more seismic streamers and to adjust a position of a steering device on each streamer, based upon, at least in part, a comparison between the current position of the one or more seismic streamers and the desired position of the one or more seismic streamers.

Seismic data acquisition may be conducted by towing some number of streamer sections behind a vessel. The streamer sections may have varying types of construction and sensor mounting in the streamer. Data recorded on these streamers are stored in memory on the towing vessel.
Marine seismic acquisition systems typically include, among other parts, controlled sources generating seismic waves (e.g., pulses) and receivers, also known as "hydrophones," recording the waves reflected at each interface between sub-surface layers. These receivers are embedded in long cables called streamers which are towed in parallel by seismic vessels, together with other components, thereby making up a streamer spread. Ranging from 4 up to 12 kilometers, the streamers are separated from each other in the cross line direction by the use of deflectors located at each end of the spread generating a side force called lift.
It is desired to tow a seismic spread as quickly as safety and efficiency will allow. It is also desirable to tow the spread to cover as much lateral distance as safety and efficiency will allow. Some issues relating to safety are the maximum tension that the spread can withstand. As the spread is towed faster, drag increases. If tension at any portion of the spread becomes too large for the relevant component, such can break. Also, the distance between streamers (often towed in parallel, but also towed in other configurations such as "fan" configurations) relates to potential for entanglement. Since acts of nature and errors in calculation and control can make positioning of streamer imprecise and reduced at times, a shorter distance between the streamers can increase risk of entanglement. Similar issues are also faced by other components of the spread, including deflectors, tail buoys, etc.
While these issues have been addressed when towing a spread in a straight line, they have not been addressed when a vessel tows a spread along a nonlinear course such as a turn, or in a circular pattern (coil shooting). In those nonlinear towing cases, the outer portion of the spread (with respect to the arc of the turn) will experience an increased velocity through the water with respect to the interior portions of the spread. This increased velocity can result in increased drag and tension on components of the spread. As noted, the increased drag and tension can increase the potential for component failure. Also, the portions of the spread in the interior can move slowly and therefore become more susceptible to natural forces such as currents.
One way to mitigate the negative factors experienced by the increased velocity of the outer portions of the spread (fast moving) and the inner portions of the spread (slow moving) is by reducing the lateral outward distance of the spread, i.e., to narrow the spread. However, doing such introduces various issues that have not yet been addressed, such as efficient transition between linear towing into, through and out of a turn with respect to minimizing possibility of entanglement, maximizing speed and efficiency, and also reducing possibility of equipment failure.
Various embodiments herein address a number of these issues.

System and method for seismic streamer control


A communications system for communication among plural stations in a network has stations (CH1, CM2, CM3, CH4, CH5, CM6, CM7) arranged in clusters (1a, 1b, 1c) of communication member stations, each communicating with each other. One of the member stations (CH1, CH4, CH5) is a head station of the cluster. The cluster head stations (CH1, CH4, CH5) communicate with other cluster head stations (CH1, CH4, CH5). A method for configuring the network of stations includes a step of operating at least a first (CH5) and a second (CH4) station of the plural stations as cluster head stations, the first (CH5) and second (CH4) stations forming a communications link. The method also includes a step to resign the first (CH5) station from operating as a cluster head station when a predetermined resignation condition is met. The method also includes a step of maintaining the communication link between the first (CH5) and second (CH4) station as the first station (CH5) transitions from operating as a cluster head station (CH5) to operating as a cluster member station (CM5) of a cluster headed by the second cluster head station (CH4).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus, program and method for network communications. More particularly, the present invention relates to a cluster head resignation procedure that minimizes data loss in a communications network having member stations arranged in clusters, with each cluster having a head station.
2. Related Art
Communications networks can be formed by arranging a plurality of mobile communications stations into a hierarchical configuration including groups (e.g., xe2x80x9cclustersxe2x80x9d), with each group having a group or cluster head (e.g., xe2x80x9ccluster gatewayxe2x80x9d). A cluster head represents affiliated cluster members to the network. Cluster head stations communicate with each other to form a network backbone, and cluster member stations relay messages to the network through affiliated cluster heads. In mobile systems, cluster members move into and out of clusters depending on their physical location and radio connectivity. Depending on mobility changes of stations in a mobile network, new clusters form and cluster heads emerge as stations move around.
Wireless communications in a mobile environment has a unique problem in that network topology is constantly changing. As will be appreciated, grouping member stations into clusters addresses this problem since communication nodes outside of a cluster do not need to know about changes of topology within a cluster. Thus, a large amount of changing topology information does not need to be flooded through the network.
An example of a mobile communications network is shown in FIG. 2a. Areas 1a, 1b and 1c represent individual clusters in FIG. 2a. In FIG. 2a, as in the other relevant figures, a double-circle indicates a Cluster Head (xe2x80x9cCHxe2x80x9d), whereas a single circle indicates a Cluster Member (xe2x80x9cCMxe2x80x9d). In the FIG. 2a example, CM2 and CM3 are affiliated with a cluster headed by CH1, and CM6 and CM7 are affiliated with a cluster headed by CH5.
Another example of a mobile communications network is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,850,592, issued to S. Ramanathan on Dec. 15, 1998, and assigned to the same assignee. The U.S. Pat. No. 5,850,592 discloses a method for a plurality of mobile stations to automatically organize themselves into a hierarchical network, in which some of the stations operate as message gateways (e.g., cluster heads) for a cluster of mobile stations. Initially, mobile stations search for available cluster heads and initiate an affiliation procedure to establish themselves as cluster members. If the affiliation procedure is successful, a mobile station operates as a cluster member. A mobile station monitors its communication link with a cluster head and seeks to reestablish a link when it is compromised or severed. During this reaffiliation, a mobile station may affiliate with a different cluster head if such cluster head is within range. Otherwise, a mobile station promotes itself to operate as a cluster head.
In the arrangement of the U.S. Pat. No. 5,850,592, a plurality of mobile stations is employed, with each station operating in at least two basic modes. In the first mode, the mobile station serves as a message gateway (e.g., a xe2x80x9ccluster headxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cnetwork access pointxe2x80x9d) for a cluster of other member stations (e.g., xe2x80x9cnon-gatewayxe2x80x9d stations). The second mode allows the mobile station to operate as a non-gateway (or xe2x80x9ccluster memberxe2x80x9d) station. Each mobile station determines which out of the two modes to operate in, as discussed above.
The mobile stations disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,850,592 patent can operate at two different power levels. When there are no other available cluster heads, the mobile station operates as a cluster head, and transmits at a relatively high power level. The cluster head transmits at the relatively high power level to communicate with other cluster head stations and to typically provide longer distance network links. Although the cluster head communicates at a higher power level with other cluster heads, the cluster head can still communicate with its cluster members using a relatively lower power level. A cluster head can also periodically broadcast a signal to establish the station""s presence and its availability to operate as a cluster head.
The cluster head stations disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,850,592 periodically test their proximity conditions to other cluster head stations, e.g., by signal strength measurements or using data available through the cluster head stations exchanging messages. If the tests indicate that the proximity conditions are exceeded, e.g., that the particular station""s operation as a gateway is possibly redundant and/or unnecessary, the station executes a resignation procedure. Before terminating operation as a cluster head, the cluster head broadcasts a termination request and waits for a predetermined time to see if all affiliated cluster members accept the request. Each linked or neighboring cluster head station also receives a resignation request from the resigning cluster head. The receiving cluster head neighbor checks to see if the resigning station is an articulation point. For example, as shown in FIG. 2b, CH5 is an articulation point since it is the only cluster head linking CH1 and CH4. If, on the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2a, CH1 and CH4 are linked independently of CH5, CH5 is not an articulation point for CH1 or CH4. If the resigning cluster head is an articulation point, the receiving cluster head neighbor does not send a confirmation message, essentially blocking the resignation of the cluster head.
This process may not be entirely satisfactory in all settings because the process requires communication between the resigning node and its neighbors as part of the process of attempting to resign. In many cases such communication is not necessary because the resigning cluster head may make this determination itself (e.g., that it is an n-connectivity point) and block its own resignation for that reason. In general, an n-connectivity point is a member of at least one set of xe2x80x98nxe2x80x99 nodes whichxe2x80x94if that set were deleted from the networkxe2x80x94would cause the network to fall into two or more distinct, unconnected portions (e.g., partitions). Thus an xe2x80x9carticulation pointxe2x80x9d is a 1-connectivity point. If a node is a 2-connectivity point, then removal of that node and some other node would partition the network, and so forth. As will be appreciated, it is desirable to have networks remain connected. Hence, in general, it is also desirable to have at least xe2x80x98nxe2x80x99 nodes to connect the various portions of the network, where n greater than 1 for redundancy.
Returning to the resignation procedure discussed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,850,592, if a resignation is successful, and after a random amount of time has expired, the resigning mobile station must reestablish itself as a cluster member. This resignation process is a xe2x80x9cbreak-before-makexe2x80x9d approach; that is, the resigning cluster head actually loses network connectivity (as a cluster head) before it attempts to regain network connectivity (as a cluster member). This type of approach is not always satisfactory as it is usually highly desirable or even essential for every node in a network to have network connectivity at all times.
Other implementations of clustering methods do not even employ resignation procedures. In these cases, a network eventually has so many cluster heads that routing overhead overwhelms the limited available bandwidth. This routing overhead may produce a communication scheme that functions as if there was no attempt to use clusters to reduce network topology traffic.
These types of problems are not adequately addressed in the art. Thus, there is a need for a flexible communications station in a communications network to reduce routing overhead by determining when and how a cluster and a cluster head are no longer needed in the network. There is also a need for a communications node that will not resign if it is a critical node. There is another need to provide an adaptive, wireless mobile communications station with the ability to minimize data loss as a communication node transitions from operating as a cluster head to operating as a cluster member.
The present invention relates generally to a cluster head resignation procedure to improve routing in mobile networking systems. The improved routing procedure prevents data loss while a cluster head resigns A resigning cluster head maintains a communication link (or maintains an ongoing affiliation) with a neighboring cluster head as the resigning cluster head transitions from operating as a cluster head to operating as a cluster member.
According to the invention, a mobile communications station is provided which communicates among a plurality of mobile stations in a network. Stations within the network are arranged in clusters of communication member stations, with one member station in each cluster being a head station for the cluster. Each member station communicates with the network through one or more cluster head stations. The cluster head stations communicate with other cluster head stations. The mobile station includes a transceiver that transmits signals to and receives signals from mobile stations in the network.
According to one aspect of the invention, the mobile communications station includes a memory and a processor. The memory has network information stored thereon. The processor (i) operates the mobile station as a cluster head station; (ii) resigns the mobile station from operating as a cluster head station; and (iii) maintains affiliation with a cluster head neighbor at least during a period in which the mobile station resigns from operating as a cluster head and commences operating as a cluster member of the cluster head neighbor.
According to another aspect, a mobile communications station includes a processor that controls a transceiver to transmit a signal representing an intention of the mobile station to resign as a cluster head station. The processor determines whether the mobile station is a network n-connectivity point, and prevents the mobile station from resigning as a cluster head station when the mobile station is an n-connectivity point. A determination is based on analyzing network topology information.
According to yet another aspect, a mobile communications station includes a processor that prevents the mobile station from resigning as a cluster head station based on at least one of a resignation command setting indicating that the mobile station should not resign; a predetermined plan for the mobile station and nearby stations that indicate that the mobile station will better serve the network if it does not resign; indications that other, nearby cluster heads are already in the process of resigning; and discovery that some or all of the cluster members affiliated with the mobile station have not reaffiliated with other clusters.
According to still another aspect, network information stored in a memory includes network topology information. The network topology information includes at least one of signal strength, organizational affiliation, number and type of affiliated stations, planned station movement over time, plans for entering radio silence, disruptions of communications caused by jammers, self-interference, or natural terrain, battery power remaining, and so forth.
According to another aspect, a mobile communications station includes a processor that selects a first neighboring cluster head station to maintain affiliation with while resigning as a cluster head station. A selection is made based on at least one of signal strength, organizational affiliation, number of cluster members affiliated with the cluster head station, highest percentage of transmissions received without disruption, fastest communication link speed, least power required for transmissions, a station that is most compatible with a planned movement of the station, an indicator for radio silence in the future, and direction for pointing a directional antenna so as to avoid jammers or natural interference.
According to still another aspect, a mobile communications station includes a processor that controls a transceiver to transmit a signal to a selected first cluster head station requesting a status change from a cluster head station to a cluster member station.
According to yet another aspect, a mobile communications station includes a processor that resigns the mobile station from operating as a cluster head station when the mobile communication station receives an acknowledgement from the first selected cluster head station, while the processor maintains a communication link with the selected first cluster head station.
Still another aspect of the present invention relates to a mobile station having a processor that selects a second neighboring cluster head station to maintain affiliation with when the mobile station does not receive an acknowledgement from the first neighboring cluster head.
According to yet another aspect, a mobile communications station includes a processor that controls the transceiver to send a signal to each affiliated cluster member station signaling the intended resignation of the mobile station as a cluster head station. The processor controls the mobile station to operate as a cluster member station of a cluster headed by the cluster head neighbor once the transceiver has transmitted the signal.
According to one embodiment, a network communications apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a memory, a processor and a transmitter. The memory stores network information. The processor (i) controls operation of the apparatus to operate as a cluster gateway; (ii) controls the apparatus to resign from operating as a cluster gateway; and (iii) maintains affiliation with a first cluster gateway at least during a period in which the apparatus ends operation as a cluster gateway and commences operation as a cluster member of the first cluster gateway. The transceiver transmits communication messages.
In another embodiment, a method of operating a communications station is provided. The communications station is in a communications system for communication among plural member stations in a network in which member stations are arranged in clusters of communication member stations. One of the member stations is a cluster head. Each member station communicates with the network through an affiliated cluster head station. The cluster head stations communicate with other cluster head stations. A method of operating a communications station includes steps of (i) operating the communications station as a cluster head station; (ii) resigning the communications station from operating as a cluster head station; and (iii) maintaining affiliation with a first neighbor cluster head station while the communications station transitions from operating as a cluster head station to operating as a member station of a cluster headed by the first neighbor cluster head station.
In another embodiment, computer executable code is stored on a computer readable medium. The code is to operate a communications station so as to communicate with a plurality of mobile stations in a network in which stations are arranged in clusters of communication member stations. One member station is a cluster head station for each cluster. Each member station communicates with the network through at least one affiliated cluster head station. The cluster head stations communicate with other cluster head stations. The computer executable code includes: (i) code to operate the communications station as a cluster head station; (ii) code to resign the communications station from operating as a cluster head station; and (iii) code to maintain affiliation with a first neighbor cluster head station at least during a period when the communication station resigns as a cluster head station and commences operation as a member station of a cluster headed by the first neighbor cluster head station.
In still another embodiment, a method that configures a network of stations is provided. The method is employed in a communications system for communication among plural stations in a network in which stations are arranged in clusters of communication member stations with one of the member stations being a head station of the cluster. The cluster head stations communicate with other cluster head stations. A method that configures the network of stations includes the steps of: (i) operating at least a first and a second station of the plural stations as cluster head stations, the first and second stations forming a communications link; (ii) resigning the first station from operating as a cluster head station when a predetermined resignation condition is met; and (iii) maintaining the communication link between the first and second station as the first station transitions from operating as a cluster head station to operating as a cluster member station of a cluster headed by the second cluster head station.
In still another embodiment, a network communications apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes storage means, first control means, second control means, maintaining means and transmitting means. The storage means stores network information. The first control means controls an operation of the apparatus in a cluster gateway mode. The second control means controls the apparatus to resign from operating in the cluster gateway mode. The maintaining means maintains a communication link with a first cluster gateway while the apparatus transitions from operating in the cluster gateway mode to operating in a cluster member mode as a cluster member of a cluster headed by the first cluster head station. The transmitting means transmits communication messages.
These and other objects, features and advantages will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention.

Cluster head resignation to improve routing in mobile communication systems


A non-contact solids flow meter for measuring solid particulate flow is comprised of a flow tube, a sensor, and an indicator. The product enters the flow tube at one end and flows downward by gravity past the sensor and then exits the flow tube at the bottom. The sensor is placed in a sensor tube at an angle to the flow of particulate solids. As the product passes the sensor signal (low microwave energy), this energy upon contacting the particulates undergoes a Doppler shift which is detected by the sensor. The width of the sensor beam has to be at least the diameter of the flow tube so that it covers the entire cross-sectional area of the flow tube. In this manner, all particulate materials flowing through the flow tube come in contact with the beam and are thus reflected. The instrument is calibrated and algorithms determined from the calibration to cause the indicator to provide a best fit function over the output range of the indicator.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to flow measurement of particulate streams and in particular to a Dopplar flow meter and method for flow measurement of particulate streams.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Flow measurement of particulate streams such as wet cakes, grains, cereals, dry powders, minerals, pharmaceuticals, dairy powders, chemicals, spices, snack foods, cement, resins, plastics, fibrous materials, and others is critical to the operation and optimization of a given process. A non-contact flow meter is of great importance since measurements are obtained without interfering with the flow of product through the process transfer line. For flow measurement of some products through transfer lines, this is critical since any obstruction in the line can cause buildup and eventual pluggage. In addition, no degradation of the material occurs since the flow is unobstructed. Also, the integrity of the process is maintained with a non-contact flow meter. For example, with food and pharmaceutical manufacturing, a truly non-contact solids flow meter obtains measurements without any contamination of the process since, being a non-contact device, the integrity of the process is never compromised. This factor is important when considering food, pharmaceutical, mineral, and chemical manufacturing.
Some typical applications for flow/quantity measurements are: feed to dryers, discharge from dryers, feed to milling operations, flow to mixers, flow from dust collectors, flow from conveyors, loading/unloading of railcars, loading/unloading of trucks, loading/unloading of barges, flow of grains through ducts, cement loading/unloading, flow of plastic granules, flow from cyclones, flow in pneumatic transfer lines, loading/unloading of silos, and feed to reactors to mention a few applications.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,091,385, a Doppler radar flow meter is disclosed in which the flow meter comprises a radar transmitter and receiver that respectively radiates radio waves at a predetermined microwave frequency at least partially through a fluid and receive at least a portion of the radio waves backscattered by at least some of the particulate matter in the path of the radiated radio waves. A signal processor connected to the receiver produces a signal related to the Doppler's shift in frequency between the backscattered radio waves and the radiated radio waves and, thus, the frequency is related to the velocity of flow of the particulate matter being measured. In particular in this case, the flow meter is used for velocity of flow of fluids such as blood in conduits such as blood vessels.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,550,537 discloses an apparatus for measuring mass flow rate of a moving medium using Doppler radar. The patent discloses a non-intrusive mass flow rate meter that includes a transceiver that transmits an electromagnetic signal of known frequency and power to illuminate a portion of moving material. The transceiver detects the magnitude and the Doppler shift of the electromagnetic signal that is reflected by material moving along the process flow as it passes through the electromagnetic field established by the signal. The transceiver then combines the magnitude of the reflected electromagnetic signal along with the Doppler shift between the frequency of the transmitted and reflected electromagnetic signals to generate an output signal related to the mass flow rate of the material. The problem with the U.S. Pat. No. 5,550,537 patent is that only a portion of the moving material is illuminated. This creates errors in the mass flow rate and thus in the quantity of material that is passing through the conduit.

Flow meter that measures solid particulate flow


A system and method are provided for contrast-invariant registration of images, the system including a processor, an imaging adapter or a communications adapter for receiving an image data sequence, a user interface adapter for selecting a reference frame from the image sequence or cropping a region of interest (ROI) from the reference frame, a tracking unit for tracking the ROI across the image sequence, and an estimation unit for segmenting the ROI in the reference frame or performing an affine registration for the ROI; and the method including receiving an image sequence, selecting a reference frame from the image sequence, cropping a region of interest (ROI) from the reference frame, tracking the ROI across the image sequence, segmenting the ROI in the reference frame, and performing an affine registration for the ROI.

Dynamic perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has demonstrated great potential for diagnosing cardiovascular and renovascular diseases. In dynamic perfusion MRI, the organ under study is scanned rapidly and repeatedly following a bolus injection of a contrast agent. Changes in pixel intensity corresponding to the same tissue across the image sequence provide valuable functional information about the organ being imaged.
Unfortunately, perfusion magnetic resonance (MR) image sequences suffer from motion induced by patient breathing during acquisition. Therefore, registration must be performed on time-series images to ensure the correspondence of anatomical structures in different frames. Due to the vast amounts of data acquired in dynamic perfusion MRI studies, which, on average, include over 100 images per scan, automatic registration is strongly desirable.
Given a sequence of perfusion MR images for the heart or the kidney, it is desirable to solve the registration problem by establishing the appropriate correspondence between every pixel in the region of interest in each frame of the sequence.
Unfortunately, this is difficult and standard block matching techniques do not work because the intensity at the same physical location changes across the MR image sequence due to the wash-in and wash-out of the contrast agent. There has been limited work on image registration to address these difficulties. An image registration algorithm that utilizes the maximization of mutual information has been proposed for cardiac MR perfusion data, and a few methods have been proposed for registration of renal MR perfusion images. These methods all require manually drawn contours in one time frame to obtain a mask or a model. This model is then used to propagate the contours to other frames in the image sequence. Thus, what is needed is automatic registration of cardiac and renal MR perfusion images.

Contrast-invariant registration of cardiac and renal magnetic resonance perfusion images


A variable flow check valve (30) and method of manufacture thereof can include a housing (36) defining an inlet passage (38) communicating with a plurality of valve seats (32) and a ball-guiding passage (40) adjacent each valve seat (32). A plurality of balls (42) is provided; one ball (42) for each valve seat (32). Each ball (42) engages within a ball-guiding passage (40) for reciprocal movement with respect to a corresponding valve seat (32) and is normally biased toward the corresponding valve seat (32). At least two of the plurality of balls (42) have at least one different fluid flow characteristic selected from a group including a size of each ball, an allowable ball travel distance for each ball, and an amount of biasing force applied to each ball. The check valve (30) can be combined with a hydraulic tensioner (10) for an endless, flexible, power transmission member (12) for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle.

Chain tensioners in engines are used to control the power transmission chains as the chain travels around a plurality of sprockets. The slack of the chain varies as the temperature in an engine increases and as the chain wears. When a chain wears, the chain elongates and the slack in the chain increases. The increase in slack may cause noise, slippage, or tooth jumping between the chain and the sprocket teeth. If the increase of the slack of the chain is not taken up, by a tensioner for example, in an engine with a chain driven camshaft, the engine may be damaged because the camshaft timing is misaligned by several degrees due to slippage or tooth jumping.
The performance of a hydraulic tensioner is based on two primary functions of a check valve. First, oil must flow through a check valve and into a high pressure chamber of the tensioner as the piston extends to take up chain slack. If the flow restriction of the check valve is too great, the piston will not have enough oil volume to support its extended length. Secondly, as the chain begins to push the piston back into the tensioner the oil wants to flow back out of the check valve. At this point the check valve ball must move back to seal off the oil passage. If the response time is to slow it takes longer to build up the necessary pressure to support the piston and chain control becomes an issue.
Hydraulic tensioner check valves have been previously disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,404,776; U.S. Pat. No. 7,427,249; and U.S. Published Application No. 2008/0261737. Current singular check valve ball technology is limited in its ability to provide variable flow. This technology has two methods of increasing flow. The first option is to increase the diameter of the ball which increases the conical flow area between the seat and ball. The adverse effect of increasing the ball diameter is that the balls mass also increases. As the mass of the ball increases the response time to reverse the direction of the ball to seal off the inlet aperture also increases. The second method of increasing the flow is to increase the travel of the ball. Allowing the ball to move further away from the seat will increase the conical flow area, but it also means response time will increase. Neither of these methods provide variable flow.
Ball check valves have been previously disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,613,145; U.S. Pat. No. 2,308,876; U.S. Pat. No. 4,018,247; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,524. These non-analogous patents pertain to a casing string of an oil well, a high speed gas compressor, and high pressure reciprocating oil well pumps. While the earliest of these patents was issued in 1927, known hydraulic tensioners have not included a variable flow ball check valve for a timing chain or timing belt assembly. It is believed that this lack of adaptation is due to the difficulty in designing a cost effective package to contain and control a plurality of balls in a small, compact, lightweight configuration.

Variable flow check valve for hydraulic tensioner


An alarm management system includes a control arrangement, an alarm device, a blockchain, a blockchain application, and a plurality of nodal access sites. The arrangement includes a processor and a storage medium. The device is configured to output an event signal to the control arrangement. The blockchain is stored in the medium, and includes a plurality of transaction types. Each transaction type includes at least one linked transaction, and the at least one linked transaction is time stamped. The blockchain application is stored in the medium, and is executed by the processor, and is configured to time stamp each one of the transactions. The blockchain is applied by the application to determine a current associated transaction with any one of the transaction types, and output data associated with the current transaction. The plurality of nodal access sites are configured to receive and output the data associated with the current transaction.

The present disclosure relates to an alarm management system, and more particularly, to an alarm management system utilizing blockchain technology.
Typical fire management systems are configured to store historical information and event(s) data in digital format typically within a computer storage medium of, for example, a local fire panel. These records are often need by regulatory agencies, insurance companies, and maintenance service entities. Often, use of such records requires verification/authentication (i.e., to gain approval compliance) that can be difficult to achieve.

Alarm management system with blockchain technology


A system is provided for improving the performance of an access network for coupling user devices to an application server. The system includes a user device coupled to an intermediate server via the access network. The user device has a processor adapted to encode data using a network performance enhancing coding (NPEC), and to transmit the encoded data via the access network to the intermediate server. The intermediate server is adapted to receive the encoded data and has a processor adapted to decode the encoded data using the NPEC, and to transmit the decoded data to the application server.

To enable data communication from a source end-station or network to a destination end-station or network, packet-based networks break-up data streams into smaller packets of data. As these packets traverse a network, some of these packets can be lost due to congestion or other network limitations. This loss can have a tremendous impact on the applications leveraging the communication channel between the source and destination end-stations. Ideally, a network, from the point of view of many applications, must provide perfect performance with deterministic packet latency and no packet loss. However, the capital and operational cost to achieve perfect network performance is not practical for most service and enterprise network providers.
Accordingly, systems and methods are required which can be used with low cost networks to provide applications with a high network performance. One approach is to create new encoding protocol stacks which are installed at the end-stations to improve the response to loss and latency. However, this approach is non-trivial since all end-stations in the source and destination networks must be upgraded to use the new encoding protocol stacks.
Another approach uses network devices that intercept standard protocols, and an encoding protocol between the intercepting network devices, to recover from network loss. These devices are deployed in areas of the network where resident applications require better network performance than what is generally available in the network itself. Such devices are described in pending U.S. application Ser. No. 12/718,650, filed Mar. 5, 2010, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/193,345, filed Aug. 18, 2008, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/912,200, filed Aug. 6, 2004 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,742,501.
The encoding protocol is intended to reduce loss. To achieve this goal, the encoding protocol increases the overall bandwidth required within the network. The increase in bandwidth can actually result in increasing loss instead due to network constraints. The intercepting network device needs to detect this issue and react to ensure that the communicating end-stations achieve the desired application performance.
Existing access networks generally provide poor and unreliable quality. In general, the resulting performance is unreliable and quality is unpredictable. On the other hand, the backbone networks have been upgraded with high speed links and generally have sufficient capacity and the engineering is more reliable.
To avoid having to stay on the poor quality network to reach content, caching has been implemented pervasively. Caching is a solution to improve the performance by duplicating data at multiple locations such that the data is closer to the application, alleviating some of the network quality issues due to long hops.
However, not all content can be cached (e.g. real-time applications, user-generated content) and cost of caching may be prohibitive. Lastly the location of cache might still be too far away from the source therefore still resulting in poor performance.
There is a need to improve the performance of applications that cannot be cached or where caching is unaffordable or proximity is not achievable.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method of improving the performance of an access network for coupling user devices to an application server


A method and apparatus for measuring the three-dimensional surface shape of an object using color informations of light reflected by the object. The method and apparatus for measuring the three-dimensional surface shape of the object, in which a real-time measurement of the three-dimensional surface is performed by projecting a beam of light having color information onto the object and detecting color distribution information according to levels of the object, thereby obtaining level information of the object.

As well known to those skilled in the art, a remarkably wide range of fields, from an inspection of a semiconductor pattern of a few nm, to a human body of hundreds of mm requires a measurement of a three-dimensional shape, and various measurement methods are being developed.
Particularly, interest in three-dimensional shape measurement is mainly directed to measurements of objects in a size range of tens of μm to a few mm in manufacturing process management, wherein representative examples are a protrusion of a PDP in a flat display industry, the shape of a solder paste on a PCB substrate, the shape of a ball-shaped solder paste in a BGA (Ball Grid Array) in a surface mount technology, and so forth.
The manufacturing processes of the objects in the above size range are aimed to mass production. Thus, tests and measurements for the control of manufacturing processes have to be done on a real time basis. Now, almost every manufacturing process uses a measurement device or tester on a basis of a two-dimensional vision test.
As manufactured products become high in performance, a defect occurring in a manufacturing process, which a conventional two-dimensional tester cannot overcome, has abruptly increased. This enhances a need for a real time measuring device and tester on a basis of three-dimensions as a means to overcome the defect.
A most commonly used method for a real time three-dimensional measurement operates on the principle of optical triangulation. The optical triangulation calculates the level of a predetermined point on the object by analyzing varied positions of a beam of light projected onto the point. The calculation uses a geometric relationship of a triangular form consisting of a light source for irradiating a light beam onto the point, detection means for detecting the light beam and the point on the object.
In the three-dimensional shape measurement device using the optical triangulation, the light source and detection means must be set to predetermined angles with respect to an axis perpendicular to a plane on which the object is laid. The angles have to be included as factors in the calculation.
Various types of three-dimensional shape measurement systems have been developed using optical triangulation as a basic measuring principle. The three-dimensional shape measurement systems are classified into three application types as follows, according to a measurable quantity of data at one time.
The first application type is a system that measures the level of a point on the object at one time. In more detail, the first system projects a beam of point light such as a laser onto a point within a predetermined region on the object and then applies the above described optical triangulation to a detected position of a light spot varied with respect to the level of the point on the object, thereby achieving the level of the point on the object.
This system requires mechanical scanner means such as a galvanometer capable of scanning a light beam onto the region on the object, or optical means such as an acousto-optic modulator, in order to measure a level distribution in the region on the three-dimensional surface of the object. The system has a disadvantage in that a complex electronic device is required to synchronize the scanner means with measurement means so as to achieve a real time measurement by using scanner means. The system has another disadvantage in that the system requires a relatively long time to measure a region over tens of mm, as it can measure only one point at one time.
The second application type is a system that measures one line on the object at one time. The representative example of the second system may be a slit beam measurement system. The system transforms a point light beam such as a laser to a line-shaped light beam, thereby irradiating the line-shaped light beam onto the surface of the object. The line-shaped light beam projected onto the surface is deformed according to a level distribution along a line on the surface. The image of the deformed line-shaped light beam is obtained by detection means, and then optical triangulation is applied to each point on the line, whereby the level of each point on the line is calculated.
The third application type is a system that measures a predetermined two-dimensional region on the three-dimensional surface of the object at one time. The third system transforms a white light beam to a multi-colored light beam such as spectrum through a prism or filter, thereby irradiating the multi-colored light beam onto the region on the object. First, the multi-colored light beam is projected onto a reference flat surface, and then a color distribution or hue value distribution on the reference flat surface is stored, where the hue value is unique for each color.
Next, the multi-colored light beam is projected onto a region on the object having a certain level distribution. The hue values of points on the region of the object are distributed with respect to levels of the points on the object, whereby the hue value distribution of the region on the object is different from that of the reference flat surface. The above described optical triangulation is then applied to different positions of a point in the region on the object and of a point on the reference flat surface having the same hue value as that of the point in the region on the object, whereby the level of the point in the region on the object can be calculated.
Another example of the third application type is the system that projects a specific pattern made of various colored lights in the forms of bands, different from the multi-colored light beam such as spectrum, onto a predetermined region of the three-dimensional shape, thereby measuring the shape according to changes in the colored light bands. The system of this example uses the same principle as the slit beam measurement system. However, the system of the example projects a plurality of colored light bands, which are sorted by colors, onto the surface region of the object so as to measure the surface region, while the slit beam measurement system measures only one line on the object at one time.
The third application type has an advantage in that the system can measure a predetermined region on the three-dimensional surface of the object at a time, but this type has a disadvantage in that the system has to reduce the size of the region to implement repeated measurements on a micro meter scale. The measurements have to be repeated discontinuously, when the surface of the object is larger than the region on which a beam of light is projected. This problem makes the system not suitable for a real time tester in a practical manufacturing process of products being continuously produced.
In all of above described conventional systems for measuring a three-dimensional shape using optical triangulation, respective detection means must have a two-dimensional area on which a light beam is focused after being projected onto a point on the object. The coordinates of a position in the area, on which the light beam is focused, depend on the level of the point on the object, whether it is high or low. These coordinates are detected by the detection means, whereby a level information of the point on the object can be determined.
The detection means have disadvantages in that they must be set to have a predetermined angle with respect to an axis perpendicular to a plane on which the object is laid, and a shading effect occurs, thereby creating a region on the object wherein the detection means fails to focus. The detection means has further disadvantages in that an adjustment is necessary when the angle with which the detection means are set is changed, and so measurement factors are shifted. In short, the conventional system for measuring a three-dimensional surface of an object using optical triangulation has a disadvantage in that the adjustment is necessary whenever the angle with which the detection means are set is changed, thereby causing an inconvenience in usage and requiring a long time for measurement.

Method and apparatus for measuring the three-dimensional surface shape of an object using color informations of light reflected by the object


This invention relates to a facestock comprising a polymeric film, and a holographic layer on a surface of the facestock, wherein the film is conformable. The invention also relates to label stocks prepared from the facestocks, and labels made therefrom. The labels are useful on squeezable containers. An advantage of these labels is that there is little or no cracking or flaking of the holographic image.

Holograms and other types of diffraction gratings are commonly attached to documents or other articles. Holograms have been used as security means in documents as well as credit cards to authenticate their genuineness and increase the difficulty of counterfeiting those articles. Holograms have also been attached to printed documents and other articles for decorative and aesthetic reasons, as well. For consumer goods, hologram containing labels provide an eye-catching display for products.
One problem associated with the use of holograms in labels has been that holograms tend to be stiff. The hologram within the label tends to crack or flake. In labels, holograms may provide market appeal but have traditionally been avoided due to the problem with the image being destroyed during processing or during the use of the product containing the holographic label. It is desirable to have a holograms within a label where the image is conformable to a squeezable bottle or squeezable container.


An information processing device connected via a network to another information processing device that recognizes action of a user on a basis of an output of a sensor incorporated in the other information processing device and transmits action information indicating the recognized action of the user includes: a table DB configured to manage correspondence relation between each action recognizable in the other information processing device and communication tools; and a communication means selection processing unit configured to select a communication tool corresponding to the action of the user of the other information processing device, the action of the user being indicated by the action information, as a tool used for communication with the user of the other information processing device on a basis of the correspondence relation managed by the table DB, and execute an application that manages the selected communication tool.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device and a method for information processing, and a program, and particularly to a device and a method for information processing, and a program that make it possible to know the present state of a user with whom to communicate and perform processing according to the state of the user.
2. Description of Related Art
"What are you doing now?" This phrase is often used as an inquiry made to a person at another end of a telephone call immediately after the telephone call is started by portable telephone or the like. When there is a reply "I am getting on a train" in response to the inquiry, the caller for example says to the person at the other end of the telephone call, "I will call you later," and hangs up.
Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2005-57706 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1) discloses a technique that extracts a next time when a user terminal can perform communication from schedule information, and manages the schedule information on a server.

Information processing device and method, and program


A clipboard includes a backing board on which a clip member is mounted pivotally, a torsional spring unit arranged between the backing board and the clip member so as to bias one end of the clip member to abut against the backing board, and a whistle formed integrally with the clip member.

1. Field Of The Invention
This invention relates to a clipboard, more particularly to a clipboard that has a whistle formed thereon.
2. Description Of The Related Art
Some people, such as policemen, referees, etc., require a clipboard and a whistle while at work. For these people, forgetting to carry either the whistle or the clipboard can cause a great deal of inconvenience.

Clipboard having a whistle integrally formed therewith


Disclosed is a composition comprising a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer and a modifying component selected from the group consisting of plasticizing agents, antiplasticizing agents, small molecule liquid crystalline materials, and mixtures thereof. Also disclosed is a toner composition comprising a thermotropic liquid crystalline resin, a colorant, and a modifying component selected from the group consisting of plasticizing agents, antiplasticizing agents, small molecule liquid crystalline materials, and mixtures thereof.

The present invention is directed to plasticized thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers and to toner compositions for developing electrostatic latent images. More specifically, the present invention is directed to thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers containing plasticizer or antiplasticizer additives and to toner compositions containing liquid crystalline polymers modified with plasticizers or antiplasticizers. One embodiment of the present invention is directed to a composition comprising a thermotropic liquid crystalline resin and a modifying component selected from the group consisting of plasticizing agents, antiplasticizing agents, small nonpolymeric liquid crystalline molecules, and mixtures thereof. Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a toner composition comprising a thermotropic liquid crystalline resin, a colorant, and a modifying component selected from the group consisting of plasticizing agents, antiplasticizing agents, small molecule liquid crystalline materials, and mixtures thereof.
Toner compositions containing liquid crystalline materials are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,543,313 (Mahabadi et al.), the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses toner compositions comprising resin particles selected from the group consisting of thermotropic liquid crystalline polycarbonates, copolycarbonates, polyurethanes, polyesters, and copolyesters, and pigment particles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,891,293 (Sacripante et al.), the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers of specific formulae, and toner and developer compositions containing these polymers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,973,539 (Sacripante et al.), the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses a toner composition comprising a crosslinked thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer, a branched liquid crystalline polymer, or mixtures thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,030,533 (Bluhm et al.), the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses a photoresponsive imaging member comprising a photogenerating layer and a charge transport layer comprising hole transport molecules dispersed in a resin binder mixture wherein at least one of the resins is a liquid crystalline thermotropic polymer.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,655,256 (Claytor et al.) discloses methods and apparatus for reproducing optical information in thermochromic materials. Exemplary materials are the ternary halides, ternary chalcogenides, and certain transition metal oxides. Methods and apparatus are also disclosed for recording holographic images with infrared radiation and reconstruction infrared holograms in the visible portion of the spectrum.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,655,270 (Creagh) discloses a display device wherein a layer of a novel nematic mesomorphic composition that is normally transparent to light scatters light in response to a voltage applied across the composition. The composition consists essentially of a ternary mixture of 4-ethoxybenzylidene-4'-n-butylaniline, 4-methoxybenzylidene-4'-amino-phenyl butyrate, and bis-(4'-n-octyloxybenzal)-2-chloro-1,4-phenylene-diamine, and exhibits the nematic mesophase over a broad temperature range that includes room temperature.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,873,181 (Chivian et al.) discloses methods and apparatus for recording and reproducing optical information in thermochromic materials. Exemplary materials are the ternary halides, ternary chalcogenides, and certain transition metal oxides. Also disclosed are optical data processing apparatus using long wavelength radiation, and devices utilizing techniques for quality control or semiconductor device fabrication. Relatively compact optical correlators using infrared radiation and adapted to sort mail are also disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,962 (Garito) discloses dialkenyl diacetylenes, especially divinyl diacetylenes having liquid crystalline phases. The diacetylenes having liquid crystalline phases may be polymerized while in the liquid crystalline state to yield onjugated polymers. The processes for the polymerization of the liquid crystalline diacetylenes and for the elaboration of useful optical, electro-optical, electro-acoustic, mechanical, thermal, structural, waveguiding, and other articles are also disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,780,383 (Garrett et al.) discloses a process for optical storage which utilizes a photopolymerizable liquid crystalline material having cholesteric optical properties. By selectively adjusting the reflectance or transmittance properties of the recording medium such that specific wavelength bands of light are reflected or transmitted, and then substantially permanently fixing the reflectance or transmittance characteristics of the film by photopolymerization, multiple wavelength-dependent information can be stored in each dot. Accordingly, the capacity of the recording medium is substantially expanded when compared to conventional optical storage media.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,818,070 (Gunjima et al.) discloses a liquid crystal optical device comprising a pair of substrates provided with electrodes and a layer containing a liquid crystal material sandwiched between the pair of substrates, wherein the layer is formed by irradiating light to a mixture of a liquid crystal material and a photocurable compound selected so that the refractive index of the resulting cured product agrees to either the ordinary refractive index or the extraordinary refractive index of the liquid crystal material used, or the refractive index of the liquid material when it is randomly oriented, held between the pair of substrates provided with electrodes, to cure the photocurable compound and fix the resulting phase separation of the liquid crystal material and the cured product, wherein the layer has at least a portion optically oriented by applying a voltage to the portion across the substrates during the irradiation of light to cure the photocurable compound.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,929,658 (Kotoh et al.) discloses a composition to be used as an agent for aligning liquid crystals in a liquid crystal cell, wherein liquid crystal molecules are aligned with an increased pretilt angle with respect to the substrate, the composition consisting essentially of a polyimide resin precursor and a precursor of a diimide compound.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,959,252 (Bonnebat et al.) discloses rigid, dimensionally stable, essentially circular and planar, axially injection molded disc members, well adapted as support substrates for radiation sensitive layers for optical discs such as laser discs which comprise radially molecularly oriented thermotropic polymers. The disc members have a radiation sensitive microrelief pattern on at least one of the face surfaces thereof.
"Structural Studies of Liquid-Crystalline Poly(ester amides)," N. S. Murthy et al., Macromolecules, vol. 25, pages 1177 to 1183 (1992), is directed to a study of the structure of a series of poly(ester amides) by small- and wide-angle X-ray diffraction. Diffuse and weak small-angle X-ray reflections with spacings longer than the chain-axis repeat are reported to be present when the polymer is in the quenched smectic phase, and they become sharp and intense as the crystalline order increases in the presence of a DMF solvent.
Although known compositions and processes are suitable for their intended purposes, a need remains for means for adjusting the glass transition temperatures of thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers. A need also remains for improved toner compositions. In addition, a need remains for improved toner compositions containing liquid crystalline resins and having all the advantages provided thereby. Further, a need remains for toner compositions containing liquid crystalline resins for which the glass transition temperature can be adjusted. Additionally, there is a need for toner compositions containing liquid crystalline resins for which the glass transition temperature is optimized so that the energy required to fuse the toner is minimized. There is also a need for toner compositions containing liquid crystalline resins for which the glass transition temperature is optimized so that blocking (i.e., agglomeration of toner partices under machine dormant conditions) and offset (i.e., transfer of toner from the original receiver sheet, such as paper or transparency material, to other surfaces, such as notebook covers, adjacent receiver sheets in a stack, or the like) is minimized or eliminated.

Modified thermotropic liquid crystalline compositions


A self-trimming in-wall receptacle and method therefor, comprising a receptacle having a storage area, a trim and a coupling mechanism that allows a person to insert the receptacle into an opening in a wall. The receptacle is self-trimming and easy to couple to a wall, eliminating the need for complicated installation. The self-trimming in-wall receptacle can substantially flush-mount wall-mounted electrical objects such as smoke detectors, air conditioning control units, alarm keypads, doorbell chime boxes and the like, as well as store other objects.

Virtually all residential and commercial construction includes smoke detectors and air conditioning control units. These devices are almost always mounted externally on an interior wall, protruding several inches from the surface of the wall. In addition, residential construction typically includes doorbell chime boxes, which also protrude from the wall. External, wall-mounted devices are not only unaesthetic, they can cause injury to a passerby. They are also against the trend of modern construction, which is toward smooth interior wall surfaces with as few protrusions as possible.
It is commonplace to flush-mount electrical outlets inside both commercial and residential buildings. Typically, the outlet is coupled to a stud, and it is exposed through an opening in the drywall. A plate is then secured over the electrical box to hide its contents; i.e., these receptacles are not flush-mounted with trim. Light switches are similarly mounted.
A need exists for a self-trimming in-wall receptacle having a storage area and being capable of being inserted into an opening in a wall and coupled to the wall, while at the same time the receptacle has a trim that is dimensioned to cover the edge of the opening.
The present invention satisfies these needs and provides other, related advantages.

Self-trimming interior in-wall receptacle and method therefor


A method and system for analyzing gases is described. An exemplary embodiment measures flue gas in a stationary industrial process heater or boiler installation in which fuel is burned. Another exemplary embodiment provides an equivalent oxygen concentration analyzer.

An exemplary application for the systems and methods described herein is as a gas analyzer for determining combustion flue gas oxygen concentrations in stationary sources such as large process heaters and industrial boilers.
In the past, combustion flue gas has been measured directly with a Zirconium Oxide or other type analyzer for determining excess air remaining in the flue gas, to ensure that enough air is present for stoichiometric combustion.


A task of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a formed article comprised of a fiber without using a frame having a fixed form. A method for producing a formed article having a layer comprising a fiber, wherein the method comprises the steps of: (1) forming a linear framework; and (2) allowing the fiber to adhere onto the linear framework to form the layer.

A filament winding method (hereinafter, frequently referred to simply as "FW method") is a method in which a filament having an adhesive resin applied thereto is wound round a tubular mold to form a tubular article. The tubular article obtained by an FW method is lightweight and has excellent mechanical properties and physical and chemical properties, which are derived from the physical properties of the filament, and hence has been used in various fields (for example, patent document 1).
Further, a three-dimensionally shaping apparatus for automatically forming a three-dimensional object based on the coordinates data about the three-dimensional object digitally designed by a computer, such as CAD, is disclosed (patent document 2).

Method for producing a formed article comprised of a fiber