To reduce FIFO access cycles across a system bus in a multi-processor system in which two processors communicate across a system bus through a FIFO, two separate FIFO descriptors are provided. The first descriptor is maintained by the processor located on-board with the FIFO, and the second descriptor is maintained by an off-board processor which communicates with the FIFO across the bus. When one processor performs a FIFO operation, the processor updates the other processor""s descriptor via a memory access across the bus. Additionally, one module passes credits to the other to indicate that the latter has permission to perform a plurality of FIFO operations consecutively. In one embodiment a special non-valid data value is used to indicate an empty FIFO position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of computer memories. More particularly, the present invention relates to the field of First-In-First-Out memories for multi-processor computer systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
First-In-First-Out memories (FIFOs)are commonly used in electronic systems. FIFOs are used to transfer data between two electronic devices or modules where the data source (data writer) produces data asynchronously to a data sink""s (data reader""s) need for the data. The data is written into the FIFO by the writer as it is produced, and then read from the FIFO by the reader as the data is needed.
A FIFO is typically composed of a buffer where the data elements are stored, and descriptors which contain control information about the FIFO such as pointers to the storage locations where the next read or write operations should occur. An important consideration in the design of a FIFO is to prevent FIFO overflow and underflow conditions. A FIFO overflow occurs when the FIFO is full (all the buffer locations are used) and the writer attempts to insert a new data element. A FIFO underflow occurs when the FIFO is empty (there are no elements in the buffer) and the reader attempts to retrieve an element from the buffer. FIFO buffers may be implemented in many ways including arrays, linked lists and dedicated hardware memories. Similarly, FIFO descriptors may be software data structures or dedicated hardware circuits.
In many systems with multiple processors communicating among each other, each processor may have part or all of its memory accessible by other processors. Such memory will be referred to as shared memory, while processor memory that is not accessible for other processors will be called private memory. A subsystem, which includes a processor together with its private and shared memory, is typically interconnected with other subsystems by a bus. An example of such a bus is the industry standard Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus.
FIG. 1 shows a typical system having two electronic subsystem modules, each module including a processor and associated memory. A first module 10 which reads from a FIFO, and a second module 20 which writes to the FIFO, are connected via bus 30. Reader module 10 includes a processor 12, bus interface logic 14, private memory 16, and shared memory 18. Similarly, Writer module 20 includes a processor 22, bus interface logic 24, private memory 26, and shared memory 28. For each module, its shared memory is accessible by the other module. In such a system, only one subsystem may be the master of the bus at a given time. The master requests the bus, waits until the bus is granted, and then initiates a transaction resulting in data being transferred to one or more other subsystems. If another subsystem has data to transfer at the same time, that second subsystem has to wait until the current bus master terminates the transaction. The time elapsed between the bus request and the first element of data being transferred is called bus latency. The bus latency typically increases with the number of subsystems using the bus and the average length of a transaction.
The simplest implementation for a FIFO is to use dedicated hardware circuits. In this case, a write controller performs a write transaction to a fixed memory location. The hardware based FIFO manager stores the data in the order it was received and informs the writer when an overflow condition occurs via a discrete output from the FIFO. A read controller performs a read transaction from the FIFO mapped at a fixed memory location and the FIFO manager makes the data available at the FIFO output port from its internal storage, in the order it was put there by the writer. Examples of such FIFOs include fall-through FIFOs and RAM based FIFOs.
FIG. 2 illustrates a second way to implement a FIFO. In this implementation, both the FIFO buffer and the FIFO descriptor are implemented in shared memory. This implementation will be described further below.
In the discussion that follows the algorithms used to implement the FIFO will be described using the C programming language for illustration purposes. The actual implementation may employ a different language, assembly language, or a hardware FIFO manager. Similarly, the FIFO buffer will be described as a RAM-based array holding data elements, although other implementations are possible. In the example of FIG. 2, the FIFO is implemented in memory that is on-board to the writer electronic module. Alternatively, the FIFO could be implemented within shared memory on-board to the reader module, with appropriate changes to the read and write algorithms.
In a first conventional implementation A, the FIFO descriptor is composed of two pointers (a read pointer, RD, and a write pointer, WR) and two binary flags (a full flag and an empty flag). The corresponding C programming language type definition statement is:
In this implementation, an operation of retrieving an element from a FIFO may be implementing by the following GetFifo routine:
The read and write operations across the bus are indicated by the comments to the code.
The above routine is called to retrieve an element from the FIFO. If the FIFO is empty, the routine returns failure code 0. Otherwise, the data element is copied to the destination and the FIFO RD pointer is advanced. If the FIFO RD pointer comes to equal the FIFO WR pointer, the FIFO is empty. This FIFO read routine requires four read operations and two write operations across the bus.
To write an element into the FIFO, the routine PutFifo is called:
The above routine first checks FIFO status and returns failure code 0 if the FIFO is full. Otherwise, the data element is copied to the FIFO buffer and the WR pointer is incremented. If the WR pointer equals the RD pointer, the FIFO has become full. The PutFifo routine does not require any bus transactions because the FIFO is on-board to the Writer module in this example.
FIGS. 3A through 3G illustrate the writing of data to the FIFO and the reading of data from the FIFO, and the corresponding conditions of the Full and Empty flags. FIGS. 3E and 3F illustrate how the WR pointer, for example, wraps around from the end of the FIFO back to the beginning.
In a second implementation B of a shared memory FIFO, full and empty flags are not used. For this alternate implementation the type definition statement is:
In this implementation, an operation of retrieving an element from a FIFO may be implementing by the following GetFifo routine:
The above routine is called to retrieve an element from the FIFO. If the FIFO is empty (RD pointer equals WR pointer), the routine returns failure code 0. Otherwise, the data element is copied to the destination and the FIFO RD pointer is advanced. The routine uses 3 Read and 1 Write transaction across the bus.
Similarly, to insert an element into a FIFO, the following PutFifo routine is called:
The above routine first checks FIFO status and returns failure code 0 if the FIFO is full (an incremented WR pointer would equal the RD pointer). Otherwise, the data element is copied to the FIFO buffer and the WR pointer is incremented.
FIGS. 4A through 4F illustrate the use of the RD and WR pointers in this implementation. Note that with this implementation there is always one element of the FIFO that remains unused.
Each of the above two implementations is safe from race conditions due to asynchronous and overlapping execution of the GetFifo and PutFifo routines by different processors. They are also hazard free because only the Reader can modify the RD pointer and only the Writer can modify the WR pointer.
In FIG. 2 the FIFO buffer and descriptor are located in shared memory of the Writer. This is not optimal because write operations over a bus are typically much less expensive (time-consuming) than read operations both from a bus utilization perspective and in considering latency as experienced by the master device. The reason for this is that write operations are non-blocking while read operations are typically blocking. When a data element is written to a target device over a bus such as PCI, then the initiator device typically writes the data into the PCI master FIFO and then continues with other tasks. From that perspective, a write operations is a xe2x80x9cshoot-and-forgetxe2x80x9d type of operation. When the PCI controller acquires the bus, it has data available in the internal FIFO and may stream it over the bus immediately.
In contrast to write operations, read operations are typically blocking. When an initiator has to read a data element from a target device over the PCI bus, it has to request the bus, place the target address onto the bus, and wait until the data is retrieved by the target device and placed on the bus. This may cause a significant delay due to bus latencies. When the bus is acquired and the target is selected by address decoding logic, the PCI controller has to fetch data from the target location and place it on the bus. For example, a DRAM based memory may require as much as 120 ns (four cycles) to place the data on the bus, assuming the memory is not being accessed by a different device. These four cycles are then lost as far as bus utilization is concerned.
If read latency is sufficiently high then advantages may be realized by the target device immediately disconnecting after decoding its own address. The master device is required to retry the same operation. In the meantime the target has time to fetch data and place it in its slave read FIFO. In between the bus arbiter may decide to grant the bus to another target, effectively increasing the time for the target to fetch data without adversely affecting bus utilization. However, even this method increases bus utilization since the bus must be arbitrated twice for the same data. This method also does not resolve the master blocking issue. To the contrary, it may actually make things worse due to bus rearbitration.
There are several disadvantages of the implementations described above.
A hardware managed FIFO requires dedicated hardware resources which increases system costs. The size of the FIFO buffer is fixed and usually cannot be changed. The memory used to implement FIFO buffer is typically more expensive than bulk memory such as DRAM used to implement shared memories. Status information such as underflow and overflow has to be signaled by dedicated circuits which will often be incompatible with standard buses of defined width. If dedicated circuits for status signaling cannot be used, the hardware managed FIFOs must signal their status through the bus, which results in performance bottlenecks.
The shared memory implementations discussed above depend heavily on bus transfers to implement the FIFO access routines. This is a significant problem when the bus has a high latency, such as is common for a PCI bus. The cost (wait time) of accessing a shared memory location located in a different subsystem module is typically much higher than the cost of accessing a memory that is located on-board the module that is accessing the data.
Because the above-described FIFO access routines access the FIFO multiple times over the bus for a single FIFO access operation, and because many buses experience a high latency, accessing the FIFO results in a significant system performance bottleneck. FIFO accesses also can consume a high percentage of the available bus duty cycle.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a FIFO structure and a method of accessing a FIFO which results in much faster FIFO access times, and eliminates the performance bottlenecks typically associated with FIFO accesses across a bus.
In order to reduce the utilization of the bus, according to a first embodiment of the present invention the FIFO is provided with two separate descriptors, one per processor. Each FIFO descriptor includes a RD pointer (pointing to the next location within the FIFO to be read from), and a WR pointer (indicating the next location within the FIFO to be written into). In order to determine whether the FIFO is available for a FIFO operation, each processor need only check its own on-board descriptor. If the on-board descriptor indicates that the FIFO is available, then the first processor performs a FIFO operation. After the FIFO operation is complete the first processor updates both its own descriptor and the second processor""s descriptor to inform that processor that the FIFO is available to the second processor for a FIFO operation. Because a processor only has to access its own on-board descriptor to determine whether the FIFO is available, and because the FIFO performs an operation across the bus only after a FIFO operation, the number of accesses required to write a datum into the FIFO and retrieve the datum is reduced. In a system with a high latency bus, this reduction in bus transactions significantly increases FIFO throughput.
A second embodiment eliminates the WR pointer on-board to the FIFO reader module by predefining a special value to be non-valid data. When the Reader processor finds this non-valid data value in the FIFO, the processor knows that the FIFO is empty. Since the Reader knows when the FIFO is empty merely by examining the FIFO contents, the Reader does not need its own WR pointer to compare against its RD pointer. This eliminates the bus transactions that would otherwise be required for the Writer module to update the Reader""s WR pointer.
A third embodiment achieves still further reductions in bus accesses by passing credits from the first processor to the second. The credits represent the number of consecutive FIFO accesses that the second processor has permission to perform consecutively. For example, if the FIFO is full and the Reader reads five locations from the FIFO, there are now five locations newly freed up within the FIFO into which the Writer may write data. Accordingly, the Reader module passes five credits to the Writer module in a single bus transaction. The Writer module then has permission to write five consecutive elements into the FIFO. The passing of five credits with a single bus transaction reduces by four fifths the number of bus accesses required for the Reader module to update the Writer""s RD pointer. The consecutive FIFO accessing over the bus also allows page mode accessing to be used, providing that the particular bus and FIFO memory used support page mode accessing. Where supported, page mode accessing allows multiple data to be written in much less time than would be required to write each datum individually.
By reducing the number of bus transactions required per FIFO data element, and utilizing the faster transaction time for write operations than for read operations, the present invention achieves a throughput increase of five to ten times that possible with prior FIFO structures and access methods.
The above-described objects of the present invention and other features and benefits of the present invention will become clear to those skilled in the art when read in conjunction with the following detailed description of a preferred illustrative embodiment and viewed in conjunction with the attached drawings in which like reference designators refer to like parts, and appended claims.

Data validity measure for efficient implementation of first-in-first-out memories for multi-processor systems


A system includes a first fluid inlet and a single reverse osmosis membrane module having a permeate outlet and a first inlet/outlet channel and a second fluid inlet/outlet channel in fluid communication with the first fluid inlet. An energy transfer system has a second fluid inlet, a brine outlet, a first energy exchanging module and a second energy exchanging module. The first and second energy exchanging modules are adapted to reversibly operate in opposite flow phases where a flow direction for the expulsion flow phase in each energy exchanging module is constant and where a flow direction for the energy recover flow phase in each energy exchanging module is constant. The single reverse osmosis membrane module is adapted to reversibly receive a feed flow through one of the first and second fluid inlet/outlet channels and produce a brine outflow through the other of the first and second inlet/outlet channels.

The listing or discussion of an apparently prior-published document in this specification should not necessarily be taken as an acknowledgement that the document is part of the state of the art or is common general knowledge.
In the coming decades, rapid urbanization is likely to remain a major trend in the world. This will be especially evident in Asia, where many megacities are growing in developing countries, such as China and India. This massive urban migration has and will continue to impose severe pressure on the existing water supply channels that rely on rainfall, catchments and reservoirs. Seawater desalination is becoming a viable alternative to providing a water supply to the growing number of large urbanized coastal cities.
Seawater desalination is currently heavily dependent on the seawater reserve osmosis (SWRO) processes that utilize membranes. SWRO is energy intensive because high pressures have to be applied for the membrane separation to work, and generating these high pressures requires a significant amount of energy. However since the 1980s, the cost of water production in large scale desalination plants has been significantly reduced due to the increase in the scale of production, advancement in membrane technology, efficiency improvements in high pressure pumps, and, most importantly, the incorporation of energy recovery systems (ERSs). Energy recovery systems, which recover the high pressure energy in the brine concentrate, have greatly reduced the cost of seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) and such energy recovery systems are widely used in large-scale SWRO plants nowadays. Among the energy recovery systems used today, the isobaric pressure exchanger is extensively used due to its remarkable efficiency.
The introduction of ERSs to desalination plants allows for the recovery of the high pressure brine energy to the feed stream and in doing so drastically reduces the energy consumption in the SWRO process. The most updated ERS is the isobaric pressure exchanger. This system transfers the pressure energy of the brine stream to the seawater directly based on the positive displacement principle. The efficiency of the isobaric pressure exchanger can reach up to 98% and thus can reduce the energy cost by 60% (see Stover, R. L, Desalination, 2007, 203(1-3): p 168-175). Currently, the major products in the market include PX™ from ERI, DWEER™ from Flowserve and SalTec™ from KSB (see: Bross, S. W., et al., Desalination, 2005. 184(1-3): p 223-232; Bross, S. W., et al., Desalination, 2007. 203(1-3): p 160-167; and Stover, R. L, Desalination, 2004, 165(1-3): p 313-321).
Despite the popularity of ERSs in large scale desalination plants, the use of ERSs in many small-scale decentralized SWRO applications that rely on isolated RO modules rather than RO module trains, remains uncommon (see Hauge, L. J., Desalination, 1995 102: p 219-223). The primary reason is the perceived complexities in the high pressure connections between the RO modules and ERSs, as well as the economics that may not justify the capital investment of a separate ERS. This is despite the fact that the inclusion of the ERS would certainly significantly lower the operating cost, as this has already been well demonstrated in large scale SWRO plants.
One other issue that occurs in SWRO installations is membrane scaling, which is always a big problem during the filtration process. Several methods have been developed to alleviate membrane scaling and prolong the operating time and life span of the membrane modules. Methods include backwash, removal of scaling ions by pre-treatment, and the application of antiscalants. However, these methods involve operation pauses or the addition of chemicals, which ultimately results in additional cost. In 2006, it was found that an oscillatory feed flow reversal where the direction of feedwater is switched periodically can efficiently reduce the scaling layer and increase the operating time of the membrane (see: Pomerantz, N., et al.,
Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 2006. 45(6): p 2008-2016; and Gilron, J., et al., Desalination, 2006, 199(1-3): p. 29-30). However, this has never been integrated with an ERS.
The reason why the reversal of feed flow can help alleviate the formation of the scaling layer on the membrane surface can be explained by the following. For a standard RO module, the solute concentration of the brine stream exiting the membrane pressure vessel is given by formula (1):
                              C          b                ≈                              C            f                                          1                          1              -              R                                                          (        1        )            where Cb is the bulk salt concentration in the brine stream, Cf the salt concentration in the feedwater and R the membrane recovery rate. Once Cb exceeds the solubility of the scalant, its precipitation on the membrane surface will occur which can cause serious flux losses and diminish the filtration performance.
However, if the supersaturated solution near the exit area is replaced by an undersaturated solution, crystallization will not form, and the collection of crystal nuclei can be swept away even after crystallization occurs. Thus, by rinsing the membrane periodically with an undersaturated solution, at a time less than the induction time, the completion of the nucleation process and occurrence of crystal growth can be reduced (see: Pomerantz, N., et al., Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 2006. 45(6): p 2008-2016; and Gilron, J., et al., Desalination, 2006, 199(1-3): p. 29-30).
There remains a need for an improved desalination apparatus, especially for use on small-scale sites (i.e. less than 200 m3 permeate per day).

Integrated reverse osmosis module with energy recovery for desalination


A radio frequency coil array (50) includes at least first (501) and second (502) receive coils. A flux pipe (52) includes electrically connected first (2521) and second (2522) loop coils. The first (2521) and second (2522) loop coils are coupled to the respective first and second receive coils. The flux pipe (52) reduces mutual inductance between the first (501) and second (502) receive coils.

The present application relates to the decoupling of radio frequency coils. It finds particular application to the decoupling of receive coils used in magnetic resonance (MR) applications.
MR imaging has proven to be a valuable technique for providing information about the internal structure and function of an object under examination. In medical imaging, for example, MR imaging techniques are widely used to provide information on the physiology of human patients.
One limitation, however, on the utility of images and other information generated by MR scanners is the effect of electronic noise. Indeed, signal to noise ratio (SNR) is a key parameter used to evaluate the quality of the information generated by an MR system.
Various techniques have been used to improve MR system SNR. As increasing the strength of the main magnetic field increases the strength of the resultant MR signals, there has been an ongoing trend toward the use of scanners having ever higher field strengths. However, systems incorporating higher field strength magnets are generally more complex, larger, and more expensive than lower field strength systems. Physiological and other limitations, such as Specific Absorption Ratio (SAR) limits, also complicate the move to higher field strengths. Moreover, even for a system operating at a given field strength, it remains desirable to provide a relatively higher SNR.
Another technique for compensating for SNR performance and improving image quality has been the use of relatively longer scanning times. However, increasing the scanning time can lead to increased motion artifacts, have a deleterious impact on patient comfort, and results in the less efficient utilization of the scanner. Again, for a given imaging time, it also remains desirable to provide a relatively higher SNR.
Yet another technique has been the use of anatomy specific radio frequency (RF) coils which provide an improved SNR than the large body receive coil built into the MR scanner. One technique has seen the adoption of surface and other coils having a relatively small field of view (FOV). While reducing coil FOV tends to reduce the effects of sample generated noise (e.g., body or tissue noise in a human patient), the smaller FOV can be problematic when imaging relatively larger areas such as the brain, spine, or heart.
As a result, coils having multiple smaller coils have been developed. A particular advantage of such array coils is their ability to provide a relatively larger FOV while still providing higher sensitivity and lower noise performance. Unfortunately, however, inductive coupling between the individual coils in the array can have a deleterious effect on the performance of the overall coil array and the resultant image quality.
Various techniques have been used to address this receive-receive coupling issue. In one technique, the various coils in the array of coils are partially overlapped. While such a technique can be effective for reducing the mutual inductance between the coils, physical constraints can make it difficult to implement, especially when the array contains many small coils. However, to maintain the FOV, this approach requires that each element be slightly larger, typically in the range of 25% to 40%, so that the coils can be overlapped. Increasing the size of the individual loops effectively reduces the SNR benefit of using arrays of smaller coils. It can also be difficult to implement when the coils are implemented on a planar or otherwise non-conformable substrate, as may occur when, for example, the coils are fabricated from high temperature superconductors (HTS) or other superconducting materials which typically use a substrate such as sapphire or lanthanum aluminate.
In another technique associated with parallel imaging such as SENSE or SMASH, the array coils are designed such that there are gaps between the individual elements. In this design, decoupling the coils via overlapping is not possible and a capacitive or inductive technique is used to decouple the coils. However, the capacitors and inductors introduce impedance into the circuit. This impedance degrades noise performance, and can be especially significant as the number of coils and decoupling circuits in the array is increased.
Capacitive and low input impedance pre-amplifier decoupling techniques have also been implemented. Unfortunately, however, these techniques can degrade the SNR of the coil, especially where the coil includes a relatively large number of coil elements or where body noise is relatively small. Moreover, these techniques are relatively difficult to implement in an HTS coil array without degrading the quality factor of the HTS coil.

Coil decoupling in magnetic resonance imaging


A lighted panel system for a tub wall comprising a light diffusing panel, a light source that illuminates the light diffusing panel, and a mounting structure that couples the light diffusing panel to the tub wall. The light diffusing panel comprises a formed transparent or translucent sheet to which the light source is mounted. The light source comprises a plurality of light emitting diode lamps mounted on a circuit board protected by a circular rubber boot that attaches to a rear surface of the light diffusing panel such that light rays are dispersed in a principally lateral direction, parallel to the wall of the tub. A plurality of the lighted panel systems are preferably installed side by side along the length of a tub wall at the water line, an arrangement that allows for continuous lighting coverage and creates a new ambient effect.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates broadly to the field of lighting systems. More particularly, this invention relates to a lighting system for hot tubs, spas, and swimming pools where the lighting system includes a light source housed in a light diffusing panel that directs light in a direction principally parallel to the wall of the hot tub to which the lighting system is mounted.
2. State of the Art
Hot tubs, swim spas, and pools are used for personal enjoyment, exercise, and physical therapy. Hot tubs and swim spas are frequently used for treating sore muscles, relaxing after a long day, exercising, or following a rigorous workout. Pools are often used for these purposes, as well as for cooling off on a warm day, playing sports such as water polo, lounging with friends or family, or enjoying a festive event, such as a pool party.
These activities often occur outside after dark or inside in areas without sufficient overhead lighting. Lighting systems are often mounted in hot tubs, swim spas, above-ground pools, and in-ground pools in order to enable their use, enjoyment, and safety when used outside after dark, or indoors at insufficiently lit locations. Such lighting systems also provide a safety purpose, such as highlighting the hot tub's or pool's borders and swimming areas, both for the users and for onlookers, curious children, or people passing by the area. These lighting systems also help to create a positive atmosphere or ambience, which may change as a function of the brightness of the lights, the types and colors of the lights, the number of light sources, and the location of the light sources relative to the users.
Lighting systems in hot tubs or pools have historically involved placing point light sources below the water level in water tight fixtures that either slightly protrude from the walls of the hot tub or pool, or, more commonly, are recessed within a niche formed into the walls to which they are mounted. Light is typically supplied from an incandescent light bulb or a light emitting diode (LED) lamp placed in the fixture. Installations such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,244,037 connect one or more of such fixtures to a wall, thereby lighting the body of water contained therein.
The lighting systems in the art all involve one or more point light sources of varying brightness placed below the water line. These light sources propagate light into a body of water in a direction principally perpendicular to the wall on which the light source is mounted.

Lighted panel system for hot tub, spa, or pool installation


In a wound golf ball comprising a wound core and a cover, the wound core is formed by winding thread rubber on a center ball of multi-layer structure consisting of an inner sphere and an enclosure layer. The inner sphere has a diameter of 28-37 mm and a distortion of 3.5-10 mm under a load of 100 kg. The enclosure has a melting point higher than the cover molding temperature and a Shore D hardness of 40-75. The center ball has an outer diameter of 33-38 mm and a distortion of 2.5-6 mm under a load of 100 kg. Whether the head speed is high or low, an increased flight distance and improved feel are obtained.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a wound golf ball having a center ball consisting of an inner sphere and an enclosure layer.
2. Prior Art
Wound golf balls are generally prepared in the prior art by winding a high elongation thread rubber around a liquid or solid center to form a thread rubber layer, and molding a cover stock of balata rubber or ionomer resin on the thread rubber layer.
As compared with two- and multi-piece solid golf balls, wound golf balls are superior in hitting feel and controllability, but inferior in flight distance upon full driver shots because of an increased spin rate and lofting trajectory. Attempts to reduce the spin rate and increase the flight distance of wound golf balls were made in JP-A 129072/1984 and JP-B 4104/1994 disclosing a center ball with an increased diameter. This proposal, however, suffers from the contradictory problem that making the large diameter center ball harder (higher hardness) exacerbates the feel of the ball and prevents the ball from being deformed sufficiently to travel long, especially upon full shots by low head speed players whereas making the large diameter center ball softer (lower hardness) exacerbates the restitution and flight performance of the ball.
No wound golf balls have been optimized in spin rate and satisfied the requirements of an increased flight distance and good feel upon driver shots at any head speed covering from high to low ranges. There is a desire to have such a golf ball.
The manufacture of wound golf balls includes a thread rubber winding step. Typically the center ball is frozen in order to prevent the center ball from deforming upon winding of thread rubber. An oily substance is usually blended in the center ball for facilitating freezing. The oily substance added, however, can reduce restitution and undesirably increase the temperature dependency of restitution. Additionally, the freezing treatment is a cumbersome step adding to the cost.
Therefore, an object of the invention is to provide a wound golf ball which can eliminate a cumbersome expensive center ball freezing treatment from the winding step to achieve a cost reduction and which is improved in flight performance and hitting feel whether the head speed is high or low.


An image processing apparatus includes an image acquisition unit acquiring a plurality of images, a corresponding point acquisition unit, a first fundamental matrix estimation unit, an epipole coordinate deriving unit, an epipole coordinate determination unit, and a fundamental matrix determination unit. The corresponding point acquisition unit acquires first corresponding points. The first fundamental matrix estimation unit calculates first fundamental matrices based on the first corresponding points. The epipole coordinate deriving unit calculates first epipole coordinates that correspond to the first fundamental matrices. The epipole coordinate determination unit determines one of the first epipole coordinates as a second epipole coordinate. The fundamental matrix determination unit determines the first fundamental matrix corresponding to the second epipole coordinate as a second fundamental matrix.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and an image processing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, there has been known a technique for estimating, on the basis of two images, changes in the position and attitude of a camera which has taken those images. According to this technique, a plurality of points that are determined to be shown in both of the two images are extracted, the correspondence between these points is acquired, and the points are then specified as corresponding points. A fundamental matrix is calculated on the basis of the corresponding points, and changes in the position and attitude of the camera are estimated on the basis of the fundamental matrix. The use of a robust estimation technique such as random sample consensus (RANSAC) for the calculation of the fundamental matrix has been disclosed in, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2007-256029. In RANSAC, eight corresponding points are extracted at random from among a large number of corresponding points, and temporary fundamental matrices are calculated. For example, the distance from an epipolar line is used as an index to evaluate each of the temporary fundamental matrices, so that particular errors of the corresponding points and the influence of a dynamic subject included in images are excluded. Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2007-256029 has also disclosed a technique for repeating the process from the calculation of the fundamental matrix to the estimation of changes in the position and attitude of the camera and thereby determines most probable changes in the position and attitude.

Image processing apparatus and image processing method


An article including a writing surface includes a surface, a recess on the surface of the article, and a writing surface formed of a waterproof material disposed in the recess. A method of making an article with a writing surface includes providing an article with a recess in a surface of the article, and attaching a writing surface formed of a waterproof material in the recess.

It is known to attach labels to articles to identify ownership or for other purposes. For example, labels may be provided on kitchenware such as cups, plates, and utensils to identify the user of the kitchenware articles. This can assist in preventing the spread of germs.
Typical labels are made of paper and attached to articles with adhesive. Paper deteriorates with time, particularly if exposed to the elements. For example, water will often disintegrate or wash off a paper label attached to an article by an adhesive. Paper labels are not well-suited for kitchenware articles that are typically and frequently cleaned in water.
Pen marks on paper labels are typically permanent, and pencil may not be able to clearly mark some labels that are typically marked with pen. In order to relabel an article marked with pen on paper, it is usually necessary to provide a new label to replace or cover the old label.
It is desirable to provide a label arrangement that can withstand exposure to the elements, particularly water. It is also desirable to provide a label arrangement that permits frequent relabeling.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, an article including a writing surface is provided. The article includes a surface, a recess on the surface of the article, and a writing surface formed of a waterproof material disposed in the recess.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method of making an article with a writing surface includes providing an article with a recess in a surface of the article, and attaching a writing surface formed of a waterproof material in the recess.

Article with a writing surface and method of making an article with a writing surface


The milling apparatus (10) is arranged in such a manner that the deep groove cutter (21) is attached to the milling cutter (20) and the rotational drive shaft (23a) is approximately orthogonal to a spine (16a) of a sheet bundle (16) by the mechanism for tilting the drive apparatus (24) when an EVA-based hot melt adhesive is used. The milling apparatus (10) is arranged in such a manner that the shallow cutter (22) is attached to the milling cutter (20) and the rotational drive shaft (23a) is tilted with respect to a conveying direction of the sheet bundle (16) by the mechanism for tilting the drive apparatus (24) when a PUR-based holt melt adhesive is used.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a milling apparatus incorporated in an adhesive book binding system executing a series of adhesive book binding process while conveying a sheet bundle.
2. Description of the Related Art
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a conventional adhesive book binding system 1 includes a sheet bundle receiving section 2, a milling section 3, a bonding section 4, and a book cover attaching section 5. The adhesive book binding system 1 is configured to sequentially convey a sheet bundle 16 received at the sheet bundle receiving section 2 to each of the sections while clamping it by a clamper 6, thereby executing respective adhesive book binding processes.
The sheet bundle receiving section 2 receives the sheet bundle 16 formed by stacking sheets 15 supplied from a printer or a copier, etc. according to page number. In the sheet bundle receiving section 2, the sheet bundle 16 is clamped between a movable unit 7 and a fixed unit 8 of the clamper 6 in such a manner that the spine 16a of the sheet bundle 16 faces to a level plate 9 positioned under the clamper 6.
A milling apparatus 30 is arranged in the milling section 3. The milling apparatus has a disc-shaped milling cutter 31, and a drive apparatus 32 rotationally driving the milling cutter 31. The milling cutter 31 is provided with a large number of trimming blades 31a upwardly protruding from an outer periphery thereof, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B. The milling cutter 31 has groove cutting blades 31b or 31c upwardly protruding from an inner side in a radial direction thereof. The sheet bundle 16 passes through an upper side of the rotating milling cutter 31 with its spine 16a directed downward, whereby the spine 16a is trimmed by the trimming blades 31a, and grooves for adhesive bonding 16b or 16c are formed by the grove cutting blades 31b or 31c.
In the bonding section 4, an adhesive bonding by a bonding unit 11 is executed for the spine 16a of the sheet bundle 16 in which the grooves for adhesive bonding 16b or 16c are formed by the milling section 3.
In the book cover attaching section 5, a book cover 17 is fed onto nip plates 12 and 13 from a book cover storage (not shown), and is positioned at a predetermined position. The bonded sheet bundle 16 is placed on the positioned book cover 17. The book cover 17 is adhered to the spine 16a of the sheet bundle 16 by an ascent of the nip plates 12 and 13 and a bottom plate 14. At the same time, the spine 16a of the sheet bundle 16 is pressed firmly on both sides by a movement of the nip plates 12 and 13 coming close to each other. Accordingly, the book cover 17 is bent along the sheet bundle 16.
As an adhesive for binding the spine 16a of the sheet bundle 16, an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA)-based hot melt adhesive is used generally. The EVA-based hot melt adhesive has an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer as a raw material. Since the EVA-based hot melt adhesive can be repeatedly melted and cured, the EVA-based hot melt adhesive is easily handled and is excellent in a workability. However, the EVA-based hot melt adhesive has week adherence. Therefore, when using the EVA-based hot melt adhesive, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 7A, deep grooves 16b formed at a relatively coarse pitch are required on the spine 16a of the sheet bundle 16.
On the other hand, it is possible to a polyurethane reactive (PUR)-based hot melt adhesive as an adhesive for binding the spine 16a of the sheet bundle 16. Since the PUR-based hot melt adhesive does not melt again once it has cured, it is not easy to deal with the PUR-based hot melt adhesive. However, the PUR-based hot melt adhesive achieves a strong adherence when the reaction is finished. Therefore, when using the PUR-based hot melt adhesive, unlike the EVA-based hot melt adhesive, it is not necessary to form the deep grooves. In other words, when using the PUR-based hot melt adhesive, shallow grooves 16c as shown in FIGS. 6B and 7B are formed at a relatively fine pitch on the spine 16a of the sheet bundle 16.
Therefore, when forming the shallow grooves 16c, it is required to provide a milling apparatus 30 having a rotating shaft 31d of the milling cutter 31 tilted with respect to a conveying direction of the sheet bundle 16, as shown in FIG. 7B. Otherwise, the shallow grooves 16c formed in an upstream side in the conveying direction are again cut in a downstream side and lost.
On the contrary, the deep grooves 16b for the EVA-based hot melt adhesive are not necessarily formed at a fine pitch. Therefore, when forming the deep grooves 16b for the EVA-based hot melt adhesive, it is required to provide a milling apparatus 30 having a rotating shaft 31d of the milling cutter 31 approximately orthogonal to the conveying direction of the sheet bundle 16, as shown in FIG. 7A.
In other words, in order to selectively use the EVA-based hot melt adhesive and the PUR-based hot melt adhesive in the same adhesive book binding system, both the milling apparatus for forming the deep grooves and the milling apparatus for forming the shallow grooves are required. As a result, there is a problem that a space occupied by the milling apparatus is increased, and the adhesive book binding system becomes large in size.


There is provided a CMOS imager system for providing a viewable image having increased dynamic range including an image sensor including a number of sets of pixels. Each set of pixels is configured to receive one of a number of exposures and to generate image data corresponding to the received exposure in the interleaved mode. The image sensor is configured to operate in either an interleaved mode or a non-interleaved mode and to output the image data generated by each set of pixels as a frame of interleaved image data in the interleaved mode. The imager system further includes an interleaved image pipeline in communication with the image sensor, where the interleaved image pipeline is configured to receive the interleaved image data from the image sensor, combine the image data generated by each set of pixels corresponding to one of the exposures to form the viewable image.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally in the field of digital image processing. More specifically, the present invention is in the field of CMOS imager systems for digital image capture and image processing.
2. Related Art
Mobile imaging devices, such as cell phone cameras, require very small size cameras to capture a target scene and output an image that corresponds to the target scene. As pixel resolution is increased and camera size is held constant or reduced in mobile imaging devices, the pixel size for imagers, such as complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) imagers, in the cameras is reduced. As a result of pixel size reduction, the dynamic range of the image provided by the CMOS imager is also reduced, which can cause degradation of outdoor image quality.
In one conventional approach, the dynamic range of the image provide by the CMOS imager can be increased by combining two or more independent frames together, where each frame is produced at a different exposure. For example, a first frame can be produced at a first exposure and stored in a frame buffer. A second frame, which is produced at a second exposure, can then be combined with the first frame in real time by utilizing a digital process. However, this approach requires the storage of one full frame of data in a frame buffer prior to processing the second frame, which significantly increases the cost of the camera system.
The dynamic range of the image provided by the CMOS imager could also be increased by utilizing larger pixels with increased capacity. However, increasing pixel size undesirably increases the manufacturing cost of the imager and, consequently, the cost of the cell phone camera or other mobile imaging device in which the imager resides. In addition, the physical size limits of portable electronic devices often do not allow an increase in the size of the camera which must accompany the use of a larger pixel element.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a small, cost-effective camera system, such as a CMOS imager with small pixel, that can provide an image having increased dynamic range.

CMOS imager system with interleaved readout for providing an image with increased dynamic range


A method and apparatus for reclaiming component plastics from a mixture of plastics wherein differentials in specific gravity serves as the segregation mechanism. The method includes the steps of: (1) fragmenting the plastic articles such that the resulting plastic fragments are generally of a preferred dimension and contain primarily one such component plastic; (2) sizing the fragmented plastic so as to remove plastic fragments which do not comport to the preferred dimensions; (3) adding a fluid medium to the plastic fragments to produce a slurry; (4) loosening contamination from the plastic fragments; (5) segregating the heavy and light components within the slurry based on specific gravity; (6) isolating the segregated plastic fragments; and (7) cleaning the heavy and light components to produce high purity plastic. The step of segregating is accomplished via an improved segregation vessel which performs specific gravity segregation by reducing the gross linear vertical flow rate of fluid medium through the cooperative action of specifically designed baffle members and the vessel shape. An improved segregation chamber is provided having a pair of semi-permeable members which cooperate to define a separation zone and a segregation zone such that vapor and fluid medium is allowed to flow into the separation zone while the plastic fragments are generally restricted within the segregation zone and the segregation zone serves to reduce the gross linear vertical flow rate of fluid medium toward the outlets.

I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to reclaiming plastic during recycling operations. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for reclaiming component plastics from a mixture of plastics wherein differentials in specific gravity serves as the segregation mechanism.
II. Discussion of the Prior Art
Through time, plastics have enjoyed increasing popularity in forming articles of manufacture. This popularity, however, has given rise to a mounting environmental concern with regard to disposing the plastic articles after use. The resilient nature of plastic presents complications in that most plastics do not readily degrade in traditional waste disposal facilities, such as landfills, thereby creating the potential for future environmental hazards. The disenchantment with traditional waste disposal facilities has therefore prompted a host of activity in the area of plastic recycling and reclamation with the goal of providing reclaimed plastic for subsequent re-use so as to increase the effective lifespan of the plastics while decreasing the overall influx of plastics into traditional waste disposal sites.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,397,066 to Leitman et al. discloses one such attempt at reclaiming plastic for subsequent use. The process begins with a step of providing a mixture of two different plastics in the form of particles, inducing electrostatic charges on the particles of said mixture, and then introducing the mixture in the form of charged particles into a vertical fluidized bed column having an upwardly flowing gaseous stream therein. A fluidized bed column is provided designed so that a relatively low density fraction of the mixture consisting of a first plastic exits the upper end of the column, and a relatively high density fraction of the mixture consisting of a second plastic exists the lower end of the column. Another step involves charging the column with a polarity opposite that of the charge of the second plastic for attracting to the column the particles of the second plastic which are of relatively high density.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,119 to Stah et al. discloses yet another technique for plastic reclamation. The Stahl process utilizes density separation, a special surface treatment, and electrostatic separation to split up plastic mixtures into individual components. The plastics in the mixture are first ground into small plastic particles. The particles are then separated based upon their density. This is accomplished by placing the materials in a separation liquid which is selected so that the density of the liquid is between the greatest density and smallest density of the individual plastics. Once this separation is complete, each group of plastics separated in the density separation step are dried, injected into a fluidized bed and fed into an electrostatic freefall separator.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,227,758 to Brooks et al. sets forth a method for separating plastic coatings from paper labels or the like. The initial step involves introducing the plastic coated waste into a size reduction unit and reducing the plastic coated waste to particles having a maximum dimension range between about 1 inch and about 4 inches. Next, the plastic coated waste is mechanically hammered and rubbed in an effort to separate a portion of the paper from the plastic. The plastic is then floated in a slurry and agitated in an effort to separate still more of the paper from the plastic. The resulting plastic particles are further reduced in size to about 1/2 inch and then dried.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,115,987 to Mithal illustrates a technique for the separation of plastic beverage bottle components. The first step involves cutting the plastic bottle into two halves and then collecting the bisected bottle halves onto a moving take away conveyor. The bisected bottle halves are then subjected to a thermal treatment to soften the adhesives joining the beverage bottle components. The thermally softened bottle components are then set into a scrambler having an agitating means whereby the bottle components are mutually isolated and disjoined from each other. The disjoined components are then placed into a floatation tank whereupon the labels and high density polyethylene portions float while the polyethylene terephthalate components sink. The floating and sunken components are collected separately. Mechanical screening is then instituted to separate the plastic components from aluminum or other potential contaminants. The high density plastic components are subjected to air classification to separate the labels from the plastic.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,183,212 to Boo et al. discloses a method for separating a multi-layer plastic article into components. The method described in the patent in its most basic form is very simple, involving the steps of dividing the multi-layer plastic into small particles, agitating the particles and then separating one type of particles from the other type of plastic particles. This separation is achieved by flotation or through use of a centrifuge.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,104,047 to Simmons sets forth a waste treatment system which includes a waste receiving means, and a separating means for separating higher density material from lower density material. Each material can be subjected to a hammermill to produce an output of liquid slurry. The hammermill deposits the slurry in an elevator which dumps the slurry into a centrifuge to provide final separation of waste material from the slurry.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,188 to Hannigan et al. demonstrates yet another system for recycling plastic bottles. The first step in this process is to grind the bottles into mixed plastic flakes. The plastic flakes are then subjected to a wash liquid including a surfactant. The flakes are then placed in a liquid separator. High density flakes will sink to the bottom of the flotation liquid while the lower density flakes will tend to the float to the top. The role of the surfactant is to substantially reduce the surface tension of the liquid to assist in this separation based upon density.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,162,880 to Cobbs, Jr. et al. discloses a plastic scrap recovery apparatus which includes a hopper for receiving articles containing plastic material to be recovered, a cutter for breaking articles into chips, separating the chips into discrete component plastic materials, separating non-plastic components from the chips, conveying the chips and non-plastic components from the separator, melting a selected one of the discrete plastic component materials and pelletizing the discrete plastic component materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,854 to Tomaszek illustrates a system for reclaiming reusable resin materials from scrap articles. This system requires that scrap articles comprise at least one component formed of a first resin having a low density and a second component formed of a second resin having a higher density. The system described in Tomaszek includes a first flotation apparatus and a second floatation apparatus. The scrap particles are granulated and floatation separated in two successive stages.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,661 to Buzga et al. sets forth still another process for cleaning and preparing recycled plastics. First, foreign objects are removed from the plastic. The plastic is then fed into a washing solution having a greater specific weight than the plastic material. The washing solution and the plastic material therein are then subjected to a turbulent area and then advanced into a turbulent-free zone containing washing solution. The plastic is next removed from the turbulent free zone and dried.
The foregoing references address various problems associated with reclaiming plastics. However, notwithstanding this flurry of activity, the aforementioned references nonetheless suffer from a host of significant disadvantages. A need therefore exists for an improved method and apparatus for reclaiming component plastics.

Method and apparatus for reclaiming plastic


Disclosed is the anilide coupler 2,8-dihydroxy-3-naphthanilide; and the anilide coupler of the formula ##STR1## wherein Ar' is an aromatic group.

This invention is generally directed to novel anilide couplers, and processes for the preparation thereof. More specifically, the present invention is directed to anilide couplers which can be selected for the preparation of photogenerating pigments, especially photogenerating azo pigments which are sensitive to red and near infrared wavelengths, when these pigments are incorporated into imaging members such as xerographic imaging members comprised of a supporting substrate, the aforementioned photogenerating azo pigments, and a charge transport layer. In one embodiment, thus the present invention is directed to anilide coupler obtained from 2,8-dihydroxy-3-naphthoic acid, reference U.S. Pat. No. 5,130,443, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, for obtaining photogenerating azo pigments wherein these pigments absorb light beyond 400 to 650 nanometers of traditional azo pigments of the prior art, and more specifically, wherein the azo pigments prepared from the anilide couplers of the present invention absorb in the wavelength region of from 650 to 850 nanometers. Thus, in embodiments the present invention is directed to novel couplers and processes thereof, which couplers can be utilized to prepare photogenerating pigments in an economical manner. Also, with the present invention there can be prepared bisazo, trisazo and similar photogenerating pigments from the couplers illustrated herein.
The anilide couplers can be prepared from 2,8-dihydroxy-3-naphthoic acid. In one embodiment, the process comprises the reaction of 2,8-dihydroxy-3-naphthoic acid, an aromatic hydroxy compound, such as phenol, and a catalyst like phosphorous oxychloride, separating the resulting 2,8-dihydroxy-3-naphthoate, thereafter reacting the naphthoate with aniline in the presence of a solvent like N-methyl pyrrolidinone, and isolating the product 2,8-dihydroxy-3-naphthanilide. The resulting anilide can then be reacted as illustrated herein to provide azo, bisazo, trisazo, and the like photogenerating pigments which are sensitive to red and infrared light enabling their use in imaging members selected for electrophotographic imaging and printing systems, especially wherein light emitting diodes and diode lasers are utilized. More specifically, the couplers resulting with the processes of the present invention can be selected for the preparation of azo photogenerating pigments, reference for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,916,039 and 4,925,758, the disclosures of which are totally incorporated herein by reference. The aforementioned photogenerating pigments can be selected for layered photoresponsive imaging members comprised of a charge transport layer, a photogenerating layer and a supporting substrate. More specifically, the photogenerating pigments that can be obtained with the processes of the present invention can be selected for layered photoconductive imaging members with improved xerographic properties, inclusive of high charge acceptance, low dark decay, high photosensitivity, including photosensitivity in the wavelength regions of from about 650 to about 850 nanometers, enabling their selection for electrophotographic, especially xerographic imaging systems, LED printers, and diode laser printers. The imaging members can be comprised of photoconductive layers comprised of the photogenerating pigments and thereover charge or hole transport layers, especially those comprised of aryl amines, which members can be sensitive to light in the wavelength region of from about 750 to about 850 nanometers. The resulting members are responsive to red and near infrared illumination originating from laser printing apparatuses wherein, for example, gallium arsenide diode lasers are selected. The photoresponsive imaging members can also, for example, contain, situated between a photogenerating layer and a hole transporting layer, or situated between a photogenerating layer and a supporting substrate with a charge transport layer in contact with the photogenerating layer, a photoconductive composition comprised of the photogenerating azo pigments.
Examples of advantages associated with the processes of the present invention include the provision of couplers that enable infrared sensitive photogenerating pigments; obtaining couplers with high purity, for example from about 95 to about 99 percent or higher in embodiments; immediate utilization of the couplers obtained for the preparation of bisazo photogenerating pigments; scale up to manufacturing conditions is enabled in embodiments thereof; the products obtained can be, after synthesis, selected for the preparation of photogenerating azo pigments, and wherein the resulting xerographic properties of the photoconductive members such as dark decay, charge acceptance, and charge stability are acceptable; and the like. Two important advantages associated with the present invention are that the photogenerating pigments obtained absorb at longer wavelengths as compared to, for example, azo pigments obtained from couplers without the 8-position hydroxy; and that the processes are very econimical especially as compared to obtaining photogenerating pigments from the anilide couplers of 2-hydroxy-11H-benzo(a)carbazole-3-carboxylic acid.
The preparation by certain method of anilide couplers is known. More specifically, there is disclosed in Japanese Laid Open 59-137459, 1984, the preparation of 2-hydroxy-11H-benzo(a)carbazole-3-carbohydrozide by initially preparing a methyl ester (methyl 2-hydroxy-11H-benzo(a)carbazole-3-carboxylate) and condensing this ester with a hydrazine. Also, in the Color Index, Third Edition, Volume 4, published by the Society of Dyes and Colorants, there is illustrated the preparation of methoxy anilides, such as 2-hydroxy-11H-benzo(a)carbazole-3-carbox-2'-methyl-4'-methoxyanilide, by the condensation of an acid with an appropriate aniline. Other representative prior art disclosing the preparation of couplers include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,916,039 and 4,925,758 wherein there is illustrated the conversion of an appropriate acid to an acid halide such as acid chloride, and subsequently reacting the resulting acid halide with an aniline to obtain an anilide coupler.
In a patentability search report there were located U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,418,133; 4,480,019; 4,571,369 and 4,713,307.
Also, many processes are known for the preparation of azo photogenerating pigments, such as azotization and coupling, reference U.S. Pat. No. 3,898,084. Examples of aromatic amines selected for the preparation of azo pigments include 2,7-diaminofluorenone, reference for example, U.S. Pat Nos. 4,797,337; 4,830,924; 4,822,705; 4,596,754; 4,618,672; 4,481,271; 4,400,455; 4,390,608; 4,327,176; 4,314,015; 4,299,015; 4,299,896 and 4,551,404 possess in many instances high sensitivity and high electrical stability. Azo pigments synthesized from anilide couplers of 2-hydroxy-11H-benzo(a)carbazole-3-carboxylic acid enable imaging members with photoresponses at longer wavelengths, for example beyond 650 nanometers.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,916,039 there are disclosed photoconductors with charge generating pigments comprised of certain azo compounds, reference the formula illustrated in the Abstract of the Disclosure, and in column 3. The aforementioned azo pigments are prepared by the coupling reaction of 2-hydroxy-3-carbamoylbenzo-alpha-carbazole derivatives of Formula VI with diazonium salts, reference columns 6 and 7. The coupling reaction is accomplished by dissolving the diazonium salts and a coupler, such as those obtained with the processes of the present invention, in an organic solvent, such as DMF and DMSO, and adding dropwise thereto an alkaline aqueous solution at a temperature of from about -10 to about 40.degree. C., see column 7 for example. A similar teaching is present in U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,758.
Imaging members with certain bisazo pigments are known, reference for example U.S. Pat. No. 3,898,084, which discloses, for example, the azo pigment chlorodiane blue in a photoconductive imaging member. The aforementioned chlorodiane blue can be prepared by azotizing dichlorobenzidine in HCl, for example 18 percent of HCl, by the addition of a sodium nitrite, followed by the addition of HBF.sub.4, enabling the formation of the tetrazonium salt. This salt can then be coupled with 2-hydroxy-3-naphthanilide to permit the formation of the chlorodiane blue pigment, which formation is accomplished in the presence of sodium acetate.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,574,181 discloses disazo compounds useful as coloring agents. Composite electrophotographic photosensitive materials containing various azo compounds are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,618,672, wherein bisazo compounds particularly suitable for use in the charge generating layer of a layered electrophotographic photoconductor are illustrated. Similarly, an article by M. Hashimoto entitled "Electrophotographic Sensitivity of Fluorenone Bisazo Pigments", Electrophotography, Vol. 25, No. 3 (1986), discloses disazo compounds as charge generating materials in electrophotographic layered photoreceptors. Further, Japanese Patent Kokai No. 54-20736 discloses disazo pigments as constituents in electrophotographic processes. Japanese Patent 58-177955 also discloses many disazo compounds suitable for use in the photosensitive layer of an electrophotographic device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,307, the disclosure of which is hereby totally incorporated by reference, discloses photoconductive imaging members containing a supporting substrate, certain azo pigments as photogenerating materials, and a hole transport layer that preferably contains an aryl diamine compound dispersed in an inactive resinous binder. The aforementioned azo pigments can be obtained from the couplers generated with the processes of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,797,337, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses a photoconductive imaging member comprising a supporting substrate, a hole transport layer, and a photogenerating layer comprising specific disazo compounds, which disazo compounds are prepared as illustrated herein, that is by the azotization and coupling reactions illustrated in the aforementioned prior art.
Additional references illustrating layered organic electrophotographic photoconductor elements with azo, bisazo, related compounds, and processes thereof include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,390,611, 4,551,404, and 4,596,754, Japanese Patent 60-64354, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,400,455, 4,390,608, 4,327,168, 4,299,896, 4,314,015, 4,486,522, 4,486,519, 4,555,667, 4,440,845, 4,486,800, 4,309,611, 4,418,133, 4,293,628, 4,427,753, 4,495,264, 4,359,513, 3,898,084, 4,830,944, and, 4,820,602, and Japanese Patent Publication 60-111247.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,052, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, there are illustrated certain bisazo photoconductive imaging members. Examples of bisazo compounds disclosed in this patent include those of the formulas as illustrated in column 4, such as 4,4'-bis(1"-azo-2"-hydroxy-3"-naphthanilide)-1,1'-dianthraquinonylamine.
The following United States patents are also mentioned: U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,943 relating to a photoconductor with a disazo having couplers, such as anilides, carbazole, and the like; U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,052 which discloses a photoconductive imaging member comprising a disazo compound with an azoic coupler, such as an anilide and the like, note column 7, lines 44 to 58; U.S. Pat. No. 4,868,880 which discloses a photosensitive layer comprising an azo pigment having an organic residue, see column 2, lines 53 to 65; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,944 which discloses a charge generation material comprising a disazo pigment with couplers, such as those derived from carboxylic acids.

Anilide couplers for photogenerating pigments


A container blank includes a front panel, a first-end panel, a back panel, a second-end panel, a plurality of first-side flaps, a plurality of second-side flaps, and a door. Each of the plurality of first-side flaps and each of the plurality of second-side flaps extend from a respective one of the front panel, the first-end panel, the back panel, and the second-end panel. The door includes a door-front portion formed in the front panel, a first-door-side portion formed in the first-side flap extending from the front panel and a second-door-side portion formed in the second-side flap extending from the front panel. The first-door-side portion and the second-door-side portion include a first crushed zone on an interior surface of the blank. The first-side flap extending from the front panel and the second-side flap extending from the front panel each include a second crushed zone on an exterior surface of the blank.

In shipping and displaying products, particularly in a retail setting, it is desirable to have a container which is easy to pack, sturdy and fully enclosed for protection of contents during storage and shipping, and also suitable for display at a retail site. For example, it is beneficial to have a container which allows a customer at a retail site to easily reach into the container and remove products for purchase. Of course, the access opening through which a consumer can access the products must also be closed during shipment and storage to prevent spilling of the product out of the container. This has resulted in the development of a variety of containers which are configured to be convertible from a shipping configuration to a display configuration, which permits the converted container to be placed directly upon a shelf, or floor display, without having to remove the individual product items from the container. One approach is to provide the container with removable portions that, when removed, create apertures through which customers may then help themselves to the products within the converted container. An alternative approach is to provide the container with a door that can be opened to provide access to the products within the container.
Such convertible containers represent a challenge in that they must be readily convertible into a form presentable to customers, while at the same time maintaining certain shipping performance characteristics, suitable for the shipment of non-self-supporting or even fragile products. Prior attempts at providing a displayable shipping container may suffer from a number of disadvantages. For example, prior displayable shipping containers often are lacking in the necessary shipping performance characteristics. Other displayable shipping containers are labor intensive to assemble or require expensive customization of automated equipment for assembly. And still other containers require excessive materials (e.g., doors formed from two panels such that the door has the thickness of two panels) or, in some cases, extraneous components (e.g., a tie or a wrap) to secure the container.


A hexagonal boron nitride powder having an average longer diameter (L) of primary particles in the hexagonal boron nitride powder of more than 10.0 μm and 30.0 μm or less, an average thickness (D) of the primary particles in the hexagonal boron nitride powder of 1.0 μm or more, a ratio of the average longer diameter (L) to the average thickness (D), [L/D], of 3.0 or more and 5.0 or less, and a content of primary particles having a ratio of a longer diameter (1) to a thickness (d), [l/d], of 3.0 or more and 5.0 or less of 25% or more, a method for producing the hexagonal boron nitride powder, and a resin composition and a resin sheet each containing the hexagonal boron nitride powder.

An hBN particle has a layered structure similar to that of graphite, has excellent properties such as thermal conductive properties, electric insulation, chemical stability, lubricating properties as a solid, and thermal shock resistance, and therefore is used as an insulation/heat dissipation material, a solid lubricant, solid mold release agent, a raw material for producing an hBN sintered body, and the like taking advantage of these properties.
Conventionally, the hBN powder has generally been obtained by mixing a boron compound such as boric acid or borax and a nitrogen compound such as melamine or urea, then firing the resultant mixture at a relatively low temperature under an ammonia atmosphere or a non-oxidizing gas atmosphere to produce a crude hBN powder having a low crystallinity, and subsequently firing the obtained crude hBN powder at a high temperature under a non-oxidizing gas atmosphere to allow the crystals to grow (PTLs 1 to 3).
A sheet, tape, grease, or the like in which such an hBN powder is contained as a filler in a resin material such as an epoxy resin, silicone rubber, or the like is used as a thermally conductive member, such as, for example, a thermally conductive sheet or thermally conductive grease having electric insulation, for effectively dissipating heat generated from an electronic component. To further improve the thermal conductive properties of these thermally conductive members, attempts to increase the filling ability of the hBN powder in the thermally conductive members are being made.
However, the primary particle of hBN generally has a scale-like particle shape, and the ratio of the average longer diameter to the average thickness (hereinafter, also simply referred to as "aspect ratio") of the primary particles is high, and therefore when the filling ability is enhanced, the primary particles easily face in a constant direction and the orientation anisotropy easily occurs in a molded article, such as a thermally conductive sheet, obtained by molding a resin composition comprising the hBN powder. When such orientation anisotropy occurs, the properties such as the thermal conductive properties, the electric insulation, and the thermal heat resistance are lowered.
Therefore, in recent years, a method for mixing the hBN powder comprising secondary particles (hereinafter, also simply referred to as "aggregate") in which primary particles of hBN aggregate with a resin has been used for the purpose of improving the filling ability of the hBN powder and suppressing orientation anisotropy in a thermally conductive sheet (PTLs 4, 5).
However, in the case where the aspect ratio of the primary particles that constitute the aggregate is high, when the strength of the aggregate is not sufficient, the aggregate may disintegrate in a process of forming a composite with the resin, so that the orientation anisotropy occurs in the thermally conductive sheet, which is attributable to the high aspect ratio of the primary particles. In addition, when the disintegration of the aggregate is avoided, there is a problem that the filling ability of the hBN powder in the thermally conductive sheet cannot be enhanced sufficiently and the thermal conductivity is lowered.
Thus, attempts to obtain the hBN powder comprising primary particles having a low aspect ratio by subjecting boron carbide to nitriding treatment under a condition of 1800° C. or more in a nitrogen atmosphere, then mixing a resultant product with diboron trioxide or a precursor thereof, thereafter firing the resultant mixture, and removing a carbon component after that have been made for the purpose of improving the filling ability of the hBN powder in a thermally conductive sheet and improving the thermal conductive properties (PTLs 6, 7).
In addition, as another attempt to allow primary particles having a low aspect ratio to be contained in the hBN powder, a mixture obtained by adding an oxygen-containing calcium compound as a crystallization catalyst to a boron compound and a carbon source is heated under a nitrogen atmosphere (PTL 8).                PTL1: JP 61-286207 A        PTL2: JP 3461651 B        PTL3: JP 5-85482 B        PTL4: JP 2011-098882 A        PTL5: JP 2005-343728 A        PTL6: JP 4750220 B        PTL7: JP 5081488 B        PTL8: JP 2015-212217 A

Hexagonal boron nitride powder, method for producing same, resin composition and resin sheet


A method for parsing point-cloud data is provided. The method includes the steps of: (a) receiving a point-cloud file from a database; (b) determining whether the point-cloud file is in a first format or a second format; (c) opening the point-cloud file in a binary data mode and transforming the binary data to predetermined readable data to be stored as a temporary file, and setting the temporary file as a target point-cloud file if the point-cloud file is in the second format, otherwise, if the point-cloud file is in the first format, setting the first format point-cloud file as the target point-cloud file; and (d) parsing point-cloud data in the target point-cloud file into a predetermined data structure. A related system is also provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to measuring systems and methods, and more particularly, to a system and method for parsing point-cloud data.
2. Description of Related Art
A point-cloud, often created by scanning a surface of a workpiece utilizing a three-dimensional (3D) scanner, is a set of 3D points describing the outlines or surface features of the object. In most situations, multiple scans, or even hundreds of scans, from different directions are usually required to obtain information about all surfaces of the object. If color information is scanned at each point, the colors on the surface of the workpiece can also be obtained. Then, the point-clouds of the workpiece are transferred to a computer for further processing by a point-cloud measuring software, such as computer aided design (CAD) or computer aided manufacture (CAM), so as to create a complete digital, 3D model of the workpiece that can be used in a wide variety of applications.
At present, various formats of the point-cloud file exists due to different kinds of 3D scanners available. However, a point-cloud measuring software can only read point-clouds files in a defined file format, for example, most of the point-cloud measuring software can not read Metris basic file (MBF) format point-cloud data produced by a particular type of scanner that is produced by the Metris Corporation, Belgium.
What is needed, therefore, is a system and method for parsing point-cloud data in a predetermined format, creating an integrated model for point-clouds of an object, thus facilitating engineers to detect the features of the object.

System and method for parsing point-cloud data

Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd.


Pellets for removing hydrogen sulfide from a coal gasification stream at an elevated temperature are prepared in durable form, usable over repeated cycles of absorption and regeneration. The pellets include a material reactive with hydrogen sulfide, in particular zinc oxide, a binder, and an inert material, in particular calcium sulfate (drierite), having a particle size substantially larger than other components of the pellets. A second inert material and a promoter may also be included. Preparation of the pellets may be carried out by dry, solid-state mixing of components, moistening the mixture, and agglomerating it into pellets, followed by drying and calcining. Pellet size is selected, depending on the type of reaction bed for which the pellets are intended. The use of inert material with a large particle size provides a stable pellet structure with increased porosity, enabling effective gas contact and prolonged mechanical durability.

One of the most promising advanced systems for producing electrical energy from coal is the integrated gasification combined cycle since it can provide economically and environmentally sound systems which operate with improved thermal efficiency. When coal is gasified, however, sulfur that is present in most coals is converted to sulfur-bearing pollutant gases, in particular, hydrogen sulfide. In addition to environmental problems caused by these gases, protection of turbines and related equipment from corrosive action of sulfur-bearing gases also necessitates their removal.
Development of a sorbent in a form suitable for removal of hydrogen sulfide has been a challenging problem owing to requirements imposed for a successful operating system. The sorbent should be operational at high temperatures of 370.degree. to 760.degree. C. (700.degree. to 1,400.degree. F.) in the presence of reducing gases such as hydrogen and carbon monoxide. For obtaining effective contact with a gas stream, the sorbent should be incorporated in pellets suitable for use in a fixed, moving bed, or fluidized bed reactor. For successful operation of such a system, the pellets would of necessity be required to undergo repeated, alternating cycles of sulfidation and regeneration. In each cycle, a reactive oxide in the pellet is converted to a solid metal sulfide upon undergoing absorption of and reaction with hydrogen sulfide. After obtaining complete sulfidation, the spent pellet bed is then regenerated by being contacted with an oxidizing gas stream at a high temperature.
Various sorbents, mostly metal oxides, have been tested in the past for removal of hydrogen sulfide from a coal gasification stream. While these sorbents have shown a high initial reactivity, they have demonstrated deficiencies in their performance in pellet beds. Upon undergoing repeated cycles of sulfidation and regeneration, sorbent pellets have experienced either rapid and continuous decrease in reactivity or physical deterioration due to spalling during multi-cycle testing, making them undesirable. These deficiencies are believed to result from a decrease in surface area of a high-surface-area material in which the reactive oxide is incorporated, this decrease occurring as a consequence of prolonged exposure to high temperatures. Internal porosity is also decreased, the reactive oxide as a result becoming less available for further reaction. Paths in the pellets for passage of reactant gas tend to become closed off and ineffective. The pellets also may have insufficient porosity to provide internal space for the presence of metal sulfide or sulfate reaction products, resulting in cracking and spalling. Durable sorbent pellets that show a prolonged period of high reactivity with hydrogen sulfide along with resistance to spalling during repeated operating cycles of sulfidation and regeneration are therefore needed.

Durable regenerable sorbent pellets for removal of hydrogen sulfide coal gas

The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy


A system for centrally managing a set of network-connected laboratory instruments is disclosed. For example, the system includes a centralized database that includes information about the instruments in the system and about the authorized users of the system. In particular, the centralized database indicates which users are authorized to use each of the instruments in the system. The database may also include information about the operations that each user is authorized to perform using the instruments and information indicating whether tests performed by each instrument must be signed using one or more electronic signatures. The system may recognize a number of “roles,” each of which is associated with a particular set of rights, and may assign one or more roles to each user. Instruments and other elements of the system may access the centralized database over a network to enforce the user rights represented by the information in the database.

Access to laboratory instruments must be closely controlled to ensure that the tests performed using such instruments satisfy strict quality standards and comply with legal and organizational requirements. For example, Title 21, Part 11 of the Code of Federal Regulations (referred to hereinafter as 21 CFR Part 11) allows certain electronic records and electronic signatures to be submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in lieu of paper records, provided that such electronic records and signatures comply with certain specified requirements.
In particular, 21 CFR Part 11 requires that the methods by which such electronic records and signatures are produced ensure that persons who develop, maintain, or use electronic records and signature systems have the education, training, and experience to perform their assigned tasks. Furthermore, access to laboratory instruments must be limited to authorized individuals, operational system checks must be used to enforce permitted sequencing of steps and events as appropriate, and authority checks must be used to ensure that only authorized individuals can use the system, electronically sign a record, access the operation or computer system input or output device, alter a record, or perform operations. Electronic signatures not based on biometrics must employ at least two distinct identification components such as an identification code and password. The requirements of 21 CFR Part 11 are being enforced with increasing strictness.
It is desirable to automate enforcement of at least some of the requirements of 21 CFR Part 11 by requiring user authentication prior to using a particular laboratory instrument. In existing authentication systems, each laboratory instrument is typically connected directly to a distinct personal computer or other authentication device. The authentication device connected to a particular laboratory instrument is configured with access control information related to the laboratory instrument, such as the usernames and passwords of users who are authorized to use the instrument. To gain access to the instrument, a user must provide his username and password or other identifying information. The authentication device only grants the user access to the instrument if the authentication succeeds.
One problem with such a system is that a distinct-authentication device must be programmed with access control information for each laboratory instrument in the system. Performing such programming can be tedious and time-consuming because the same access control information for some or all users of the system must be redundantly programmed into some or all of the authentication devices. If the access rights of a particular user change, the access control information at each access control device must be updated. Similarly, to remove a user from the system or add a new user to the system, it is necessary to reprogram some or all of the access control devices. This can be a tedious, time-consuming, and error-prone process.
In some systems, the instruments and/or the authentication devices to which they are connected are further connected to a communications network, such as a Local Area Network (LAN). An example of such a system is the Cerity Networked Data System (NDS), available from Agilent Technologies of Palo Alto, Calif. The Cerity NDS reuses the user authentication scheme of the Microsoft Windows® operating system to authenticate users, thereby eliminating the need to replicate user authentication information at each access control device. The Windows® user authentication scheme, however, is designed for authenticating users of a generic networked operating system rather than users of a networked system having the unique and stringent requirements associated with research, development, and production laboratories. As a result, the user authentication features provided by the Windows® user authentication scheme are sub-optimal for use in such a system.
What is needed, therefore, is an automated user authentication system suitable for authenticating users of laboratory instruments.


A method of forming a hybrid SOI substrate comprising an upper Si-containing layer and a lower Si-containing layer, wherein the upper Si-containing layer and the lower Si-containing layer have different crystallographic orientations. In accordance with the present invention, the buried insulating region may be located within one of the Si-containing layers or through an interface located between the two Si-containing layers.

In present semiconductor technology, CMOS devices such as nFETs or pFETs are typically fabricated on semiconductor wafers, such as Si, that have a single crystal orientation. In particular, most of today's semiconductor devices are built upon Si having a (100) crystal orientation.
Electrons are known to have a high mobility for a (100) Si surface orientation, but holes are known to have a higher mobility for a (110) Si surface orientation. That is, hole mobility values on (100) Si are roughly 2×–4×lower than the corresponding electron mobility for this crystallographic orientation. To compensate for this discrepancy, pFETs are typically designed with larger widths in order to balance pull-up currents against the nFET pull-down currents and achieve uniform circuit switching. pFETS having larger widths are undesirable since they take up a significant amount of chip area.
In contrast to the foregoing, hole mobilities on (110) Si are 2× higher than on (100) Si; therefore, pFETS formed on a (110) Si surface will exhibit significantly higher drive currents than pFETs formed on a (100) Si surface. Unfortunately, electron mobilities on (110) Si surfaces are significantly degraded compared to (100) Si surfaces.
As can be deduced from the above discussion, the (110) Si surface is optimal for pFET devices because of the excellent hole mobility, yet such a crystal orientation is completely inappropriate for nFET devices. Instead, the (100) Si surface is optimal for nFET devices since that crystal orientation favors electron mobility.
Methods have been described to form planar hybrid substrates with different surface orientations through wafer bonding. In such endeavors, the planar hybrid substrate is obtained mainly through semiconductor-to-insulator, or insulator-to-insulator wafer bonding to achieve pFETs and nFETs on their own optimized crystal orientation for high performance device manufacture. However, at least one type of MOSFET (either pFETs or nFETs) is on an SOI material, while the other type of MOSFET is either on a bulk semiconductor or an SOI with a thicker SOI film.
Recently, hybrid crystal oriented substrates have been prepared using a method that includes providing a bonded substrate comprising at least a top semiconductor layer of a first crystallographic orientation and a bottom semiconductor layer of a second crystallographic orientation that differs from the first crystallographic orientation; protecting a portion of the bonded substrate providing a first region, while leaving another portion of the bonded substrate unprotected providing a second region; etching the unprotected portion of the bonded substrate to expose the bottom semiconductor layer; regrowing a semiconductor material on the bottom semiconductor layer such that the semiconductor material has the second crystallographic orientation; and planarizing. Such a technique is described, for example, in U.S. application Ser. No. 10/250,241, Jun. 17, 2003. The '241 application discloses that one of the semiconductor layers may be from a prefabricated SOI substrate. In such a case, the prefabricated SOI wafer is bonded to another wafer that can also include a prefabricated SOI wafer.
Although the above technique is feasible, there is no freedom as to where the buried insulating layer will be present in such instances.
In view of the above, there is a need for providing a method of fabricating a SOI substrate material in which the SOI layer of the SOI material has a different crystal orientation than the underlying Si-containing layer and wherein the buried insulating region is formed after bonding. By forming the buried insulating region after bonding, it is possible to provide a hybrid SOI substrate in which the buried insulating region can exist within different regions of the hybrid SOI substrate. The term "hybrid SOI substrate" denotes a substrate material that includes an upper Si-containing layer and a lower Si-containing layer of different crystallographic orientations, wherein a buried insulating region is located in at least one of the Si-containing layers or through an interface located therebetween.

Method to form Si-containing SOI and underlying substrate with different orientations

International Business Machines Corporation