A filament post used in plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition has an outer shell and an inner post. An electrical potential is applied only to the inner post to ensure that there is no impact on the plasma density and the carbon film properties. The inner post and the outer shell are electrically insulated by ceramic insulators, such that no electrical potential is applied to outer shell. The stress generated in the carbon film is directly related to the electrical potential of the surface to which the film is deposited. The carbon film deposited on the outer shell of the post is not highly stressed, which significantly reduces film delamination from the filament post surfaces.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition processes and, in particular, to an improved system, method, and apparatus for depositing a thin film carbon overcoat with a filament that reduces the occurrence of carbon voids on magnetic media disks in hard disk drives.
2. Description of the Related Art
The use of thin film carbon overcoats on magnetic media disks in hard disk drives have several advantages. The overcoats provide corrosion protection, scratch and wear resistance, and a surface to which lubricant film may bond. The rapid increase in magnetic recording areal densities in disk drives has required smaller magnetic spacing between the read/write heads and the disks. In turn, smaller magnetic spacing require an even thinner film overcoat. However, in order for a thin overcoat to maintain sufficient corrosion and mechanical robustness, the density of the carbon overcoat must be increased to compensate for the loss in thickness.
Dense overcoat films may be formed with plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The overcoat is deposited on workpieces from a sputter chamber and is accumulated to form the necessary film thickness after multiple deposition cycles. Unfortunately, PECVD thin film carbon is highly stressed after it is deposited and tends to delaminate from the manufacturing hardware surfaces. The delaminated film produces contamination in the form of undesirable carbon flakes and particles that are unintentionally deposited on the hard disk surfaces. Although the particles can be removed with post-processing manufacturing techniques (e.g., tape cleaning), such techniques indiscriminately also remove the overcoat itself, which leaves small areas on the disk surfaces without overcoat protection. These imperfections in the overcoat are also known as carbon voids. When disk drives are operated in corrosive conditions, such as high temperature, high humidity and repeated condensation cycles, the carbon voids can cause hard disk drive failure.
In the prior art, the filament posts used to support the filament for thin film deposition were observed to be a significant source for generating the unwanted carbon particles and carbon voids. For example, prior art designs for filaments used to deposit PECVD thin film overcoats are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,203,862 and 6,101,972, which are incorporated herein by reference.
In those designs, a tungsten filament 10 (FIG. 1) is used to generate thermal electrons that interact with a gas precursor (e.g., acetylene) to create a plasma. The tungsten filament 10 is mounted between a pair of electrodes 11 (one shown in FIG. 1). A negative potential or bias 17 is typically applied to the filament and filament post. The intent of the bias is to accelerate electrons away from the filament and enhance the ionization of the working gas. An incidental and undesirable effect is the deposition of highly stressed carbon films on the filament post surface.
Unfortunately, this technique has an inherent tendency to produce high intrinsic stress in the thin film deposited on the electrodes 11. After repeated deposition cycles, the highly-stressed carbon film tends to accumulate on the electrodes. When the film reaches a critical thickness on the electrodes, the film tends to delaminate from the surfaces of the electrodes, which produces the unwanted carbon particles and carbon voids described above. Although this prior art design is workable, an improved solution for forming thin film overcoats that addresses the limitations of the prior art would be desirable.

System, method and apparatus for filament and support used in plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition for reducing carbon voids on media disks in disk drives

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands, B.V.


A massage apparatus is provided which includes a housing, a motor disposed within the housing, and at least one massage center provided on the housing. The massage center includes an outer massage member and an inner massage member, where the outer massage member at least partially circumferentially surrounds the inner massage member. The outer and inner massage members are operably connected to the motor for providing rotation of the massage members.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a massage apparatus for massaging the feet and other parts of the body.
2. Background Art
Most people experience foot problems at some time in their lives. This is not surprising, considering that many people are employed in jobs that require them to be on their feet all day. In fact, even an average day of walking can exert force equal to several hundred tons of pressure on the feet.
Power operated foot massagers are often used to treat muscle tension and fatigue, where massage increasing circulation as well as relaxing and massaging the muscles. Conventionally, foot massaging devices for home use have included kneading ball-type massagers, roller type massagers, and vibrating massagers. However, a need exists for a foot massager which offers finer control of massage features, as well as provides the ability to provide heat and massage simultaneously to the feet specifically at those areas targeted by a user.


A process for the preparation of toner comprising. (i) blending (a) a colorant dispersion containing a first ionic surfactant with (b) a latex emulsion comprised of an aqueous dispersion of core-shell polymer particles with a crosslinked polymer core and a linear polymer shell, and optional nonionic surfactant and a second ionic surfactant with a charge polarity opposite to that of said first ionic surfactant in said colorant dispersion;. (ii) heating the resulting mixture at about below the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the linear latex shell polymer to form aggregates; and. (iii) subsequently heating said aggregates about above the Tg of the linear latex shell polymer to effect coalescence and fusion of said aggregates.

The present invention is generally directed to toner processes, and more specifically, to chemical processes wherein there is accomplished the aggregation of latex, colorant particles, and optional additives to enable toner compositions. More specifically, the present invention is related to the direct in-situ chemical preparation of toner compositions without the need for conventionally known toner pulverization and classification methods, and wherein in embodiments toner compositions with a volume average diameter of from about 1 to about 25, and preferably from 2 to about 10 microns, and narrow particle size distribution as conventionally characterized by GSD (geometric standard deviation) of, for example, less than 1.35, more specifically, less than about 1.25, and, for example, from about 1.15 to about 1.25, as measured on the Coulter Counter, and which toners possess tunable gloss characteristics, for example from low, about 10 to about 80 Gardner Gloss units (GGU), can be obtained. The resulting toners can be selected for known electrophotographic processes and printing processes, including digital processes, and particularly color xerographic imaging and printing processes. The invention toners are particularly useful for the development of colored images with excellent (1) image resolution, (2) high color fidelity, (3) gloss uniformity, and (4) acceptable projection efficiency.
The image gloss characteristics of the toner compositions of the present invention in embodiments can be controlled primarily by the amount of the crosslinked polymer core particles, crosslink density, and composition. Specifically, lower image gloss levels of for example less than about 30, for example about 5 to about 30 GGU are obtained from toners with higher contents for example about 20 weight percent of crosslinked polymer core particles. Accordingly, a wide range of image gloss level ranging from below about 20 to in excess of about 70 GGU as measured by the Gardner Gloss metering instrument can be designed to provide specific image appearance requirements. In general, the image gloss requirement of a document is dictated by its application; for example, for process color, glossy images are highly desirable. For text, highlight and graphic documents, a matte image finish is generally preferred.
More specifically toners prepared in accordance with the present invention enable in embodiments the generation of high quality images with specifically preselected image gloss levels, and lower toner fusing temperatures, such as from about 120.degree. C. to about 170.degree. C., thereby eliminating or minimizing paper curl while prolonging the life of fuser rolls.
In color xerographic systems, small sized toners of preferably from about 2 to about 7 microns are important to the achievement of high image quality for process color applications. It is also important to have a low image pile height to eliminate image feel and avoid, or minimize paper curling after fusing. Paper curling can be particularly pronounced in xerographic color processes in which relatively high toner coverage as a result of the application of three to four color toners. During the fusing step, moisture is driven off from the paper due to high fusing temperatures of from about 120.degree. C. to 200.degree. C. With only one layer of toner, such as in one-color black or highlight color xerographic applications, the amount of moisture driven off during fusing can usually be reabsorbed back by the paper and the resulting print remains relatively flat with minimal paper curl. In process color processes where toner coverage is high, the relatively thick toner plastic covering on the paper can inhibit the paper from reabsorbing the moisture, and lead to substantial paper curling. These and other imaging shortfalls and problems are avoided or minimized with the toners and processes of the present invention.
Also, it is preferable to use small toner particle sizes, such as from about 2 to 7 microns, and with higher pigment loading, such as from about 4 to about 15 percent by weight of toner, so that the mass of toner necessary for attaining the required optical density and color gamut can be significantly reduced to eliminate or minimize image feel and paper curl.


A circuit for tracking error signal detection on an optical storage medium, which has a plurality of digitizers, a plurality of logic comparators and a difference amplifier, is disclosed. The circuit involves summing the signals to be compared and obtaining a delay signal via a delayer. Therefore, the phase difference of the signals is detected via the delay signal to obtain the tracking error signal of the optical storage medium.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a method for signal detection and obtaining, and more particularly to a method to obtain a tracking error signal of an optical storage medium.
2. Related Art
The positions of tracks are determined by the phase difference of signals detected by photo detectors. Regarding the high-density optical record medium, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,137,755 (Deriving a tracking error signal from a time difference between detector signals) discloses a circuit for obtaining the tracking error signal in order to increase the reliability of the signal.
The circuitry is shown in FIG. 1. A first summing signal F1 is input into a slicer 12 via a capacitor 11, the input terminal of which couples a resistor 13 to a ground to generate a suitable slicing voltage level. The signal S1 from the slicer 32 is input to the first input of a logic comparator (EXOR) 14, which produces a comparing signal A. After a lowpass filer including a resistor 15 and a capacitor 16 deals with the comparing signal A, the signal A is then input to a negative terminal of a difference amplifier 18 via a resistor 17. The signal from the difference amplifier 18 is the tracking error signal TE. Similarly, a second summing signal F2 is input to the positive terminal of the difference amplifier 39 via a capacitor 21, a slicer 22, a resistor 23, a logic comparator 24, a lowpass filter including a resistor 25 and a capacitor 26, and a resistor 27. The positive terminal of the difference amplifier 18 couples a resistor 28 to the ground. The circuit further comprises a delayer 20 to obtain a delay signal S1d, which is input to the second input of the logic comparator 14 and the logic comparator 24 respectively.
Using the first summing D1 to obtain the delay signal S1d, which is used to acquire the phase error, creates a problem. The frequency at which the delay signal S1d is acquired is cause for concern. As shown in FIG. 2, when the delay signal S1d is too small or too large, the range of the delay signal S1d is between Tp and 3T-Tp.
The pulse width of the signal for detecting the phase difference becomes wider if the delay signal S1d is larger. The phase-comparing circuit is easily implemented in this situation. If the delay is 3T-Tp, the pulse width from the phase comparator is 3T-2Tp. If the increasing frequency is caused by high-density data or high accessing speed, handling the frequency of the signal becomes difficult.
The method employs only one signal to obtain the delay signal, which is used to detect the lead and the lag of the signals. Thus, the method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,137,755 needs improvement because the reliability of the delay range is lower.

Circuit for tracking error signal detection on an optical storage medium

Industrial Technology Research Institute


An endoscope system includes an endoscope having an insertion portion provided with an observation optical system that inspects a plurality of blades that are periodically disposed at a periphery of a rotary shaft of a rotor of an engine, and rotate around the rotary shaft, a guide tube that is introduced into a compressor section, and guides the insertion portion, a first fixing portion that is provided at the guide tube and fixes the guide tube in an inside of the engine, and a second fixing portion that is provided in a position separated by having a predetermined distance from the first fixing portion in the guide tube, and fixes the guide tube with an outer jacketing cover of the engine.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope system, and particularly relates to an endoscope system with which inspection of blades of an engine or the like is performed.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, at the time of inspection of the blades of jet engines or the like being performed, endoscope apparatuses have been widely used, in which defect inspection of the blades is performed from inspection images of the blades that are picked up by the insertion portions being inserted into the jet engines.
The art of the conventional endoscope apparatus as above is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2007-163723. The Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2007-163723 discloses the art of a fixing tool that is detachably installed in the vicinity of the access port provided in a jet engine when the insertion portion of the endoscope apparatus is inserted into the jet engine. The fixing tool is installed by two pressing plates being caused to abut on a wall surface of the jet engine, and is fixed to the access port with the insertion portion of the endoscope apparatus being inserted therein.


A wire harness having a shield structure that can exhibit a required shield effect and sufficiently meet demands for cost mitigation and weight reduction is provided. The wire harness is provided with an electrical line group that is held in a bundled manner, in which at least a portion of electrical lines that are positioned on the outer circumferential side of the electrical line group each have a metal thin-film for shielding as the outermost layer, the metal thin-film being formed so as to attach to an outer circumferential surface portion of a sheathing that surrounds a conductor of the electrical line, and a drain wire or another ground connection member that is grounded and comes into contact with the metal thin-films of the electrical lines.

Conventionally, in the case of shielding (electrostatic shielding and/or electromagnetic shielding) an electrical line group of a wire harness in a predetermined routing section, a shield structure has often implemented in which the electrical line group in the section to be shielded is enveloped with a shield material such as a braided shield material, a served shield material, or an aluminum foil shield material, and then enclosed with an exterior member sheathing that envelopes the same from the outside (e.g. see JP H10-125138A and JP 2009-93934A).
Also, as a shield structure integrated with electrical lines, there is known to be a shield-including cable structure provided with a shield layer on the outer circumferential surface of an insulating layer that surrounds a conductor, and an external sheathing layer that encloses the shield layer, for example. The shield layer is configured by a metal plating layer with a thickness of 0.5 μm to 6 μm, and the outer sheathing layer has an outer diameter of 0.5 mm or less (e.g., see JP 2002-203437A).
JP H10-125138A, JP 2009-93934A, and JP 2002-203437A are examples of related art.


A variable thickness sputtering target which increases the target material thickness at strategic locations to greatly improve the yield of usable wafers per target, and a method of manufacturing such target comprising forming a generally flat and circularly shaped target blank so that a thickness dimension between the top and bottom surfaces decreases as a function of radius of the target blank. The variable thickness target blank is then formed into a variable thickness dome shaped target member having a bottom portion and a sidewall portion, wherein a wall thickness of said variable thickness dome-shaped target member is thickest proximate a center portion of said bottom portion. In one embodiment of the invention, the variable thickness target blank is formed by clock rolling (or compression rolling) the target blank with crowned rolls to obtain a variable thickness target blank.

Cathodic sputtering is widely used for depositing thin layers or films of materials from sputter targets onto substrates. Basically, a cathode assembly including the sputter target is placed together with an anode in a chamber filled with an inert gas, preferably argon. A substrate is positioned in the chamber near the anode with a receiving surface oriented normal to a path between the cathode assembly and the anode. A high voltage electric field is applied across the cathode assembly and the anode causing electrons to eject from the cathode assembly and ionize the inert gas. The positively charged ions of the inert gas are then propelled against a sputtering surface of the sputter target due to the electric field. The ion bombardment against the sputtering surface of the target causes portions of the material of the sputtering surface to dislodge from the sputter target surface and deposit as a thin film or layer on the receiving surface of the substrate at an opposite end of the chamber.
Sputtering targets are typically formed as a generally circular disk of target material, such as aluminum, gold, silver, tantalum, copper, titanium, tungsten or platinum and alloys thereof. The disk of target material may be soldered or otherwise bonded to a supporting target backplate to form a replaceable sputtering target assembly. During the sputtering operation, material is sputtered from the top surface of the target and deposited on the wafer. The sputtering material typically erodes unevenly across the width or face of the target exposed to the wafer, with some areas of the target eroding more quickly than other areas.
Recently, non-planar sputter targets have been developed to provide improved sputtering and deposition uniformity. For example, open-ended cup-shaped hollow cathode magnetron (HCM) sputter targets have been developed, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,419,806 of common assignment herewith, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. These cup or dome shaped targets are generally comprised of a high purity metallic material as the target surface and they are typically formed from well-known metal-working operations such as hydroforming. The closed end of the cup-shaped target comprises a dome. Sidewalls extend from the dome to an open end of the target.
Typically, these cup or dome shaped targets experience the most target material consumption (i.e., erosion) in the dome area with the corner areas that connect the dome to the sidewalls also experiencing considerable erosion but less than that in the dome area. The sidewall areas of the cup shaped target usually experience the least amount of target erosion.

Variable thickness plate for forming variable wall thickness physical vapor deposition target


A light and air freshener in combination. The air freshener has one or more reservoirs which may be refilled or replaced. The light illuminates the reservoirs, to provide an aesthetically pleasing effect. The light may be specular and aimed towards a space between plural reservoirs. This arrangement provides the benefit that surface near the air freshener may be illuminated in an aesthetically pleasing manner while providing the functionality of a night light.

Volatile material-containing compositions are used for various purposes. Such purposes include, but are not limited to, releasing volatile materials such as perfumes, other scented materials, insecticides, air fresheners, deodorants, aromachology materials, aromatherapy materials, disinfectants, insect repellants or any other volatile that acts to condition, modify, or otherwise charge the atmosphere or to modify the environment. All are referred to herein as air freshening compositions.
Such air freshening compositions may be dispensed from an air treatment device, such as an air freshener. The air freshener may have a reservoir containing the air freshening composition. The reservoir may be illuminated for aesthetic or functional purposes.
The reservoir may be clear, allowing the user to know when the contents are depleted. The air freshener may be energized, as occurs with electric resistance heaters which increase the rate of volatilization of the air freshening composition. Alternatively, the air freshener may be passive and allow evaporation or sublimation to naturally occur, based upon ambient conditions.
Several air fresheners also incorporate illumination. The illumination may be provided by an incandescent light bulb, light emitting diode (organic or otherwise) (LED), an electroluminescent panel, (cold cathode or otherwise), EL film, fluorescent bulb, or a combination of more than one such sources. If desired, the light source may be disposed remote from the ultimate point of illumination and the light channeled to the area to be illuminated using a light channeling element such as fiber optics or other light pipes.
However, in the prior art attempts, such illumination may be aimed away from the reservoir and not adequately illuminate it, so that one cannot easily tell the state of reservoir in low light conditions, particularly if the reservoir contained a gel, darker contents or contents which closely matched the color of the walls of the reservoir. Or the illumination may be so diffuse, it is not helpful to function as a night light, in lieu of turning on a room light. Turning on the room light can awaken others sleeping nearby, which may be undesirable. Each of these prior art approaches does not solve the problem of providing convenient viewing of the reservoir in darkness or helping to identify any trip hazards in the vicinity of the air freshener without turning on room lights.
Yet another problem may occur when the air freshener is placed at a normal viewing level. For example, if the air freshener may be plugged into a wall outlet above a countertop and provided with illumination. If so, the prior art attempts are not always satisfactory. For example, the commercially available Glade PlugIns® device has a light which projects horizontally when in the normal usage position. If this device is used above a countertop, the light can be directed towards the users' eyes and be unpleasant. This arrangement defeats the intent of having a light which can create a calming effect. These problems, and others, are addressed by the present invention.


Apparatus, systems, methods, and articles described generally herein may receive a first packet marked with a congestion indicator (CI). Upon receipt of the CI, a load-balancing operation may be performed among a plurality of physical links upstream from a point of congestion to alleviate the congestion. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

Existing Ethernet standards may define ways to aggregate multiple Ethernet communication links. The aggregated Ethernet links may behave as a single Ethernet link with a throughput greater than any one of the contributing links. That is, link aggregation may enable higher layer protocols to communicate between two points connected by several lower capacity links ("elementary links") as if the two points were connected by a higher capacity link. According to methods specified in an Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers 802.3ad standard, packets contributing to an aggregate bandwidth may be divided across the multiple links using a predetermined hashing procedure. These techniques may be employed in network switching architectures. Additional information regarding the 802.3ad standard may be found in "IEEE 802.3AD Standard for Information Technology—Local and Metropolitan Area Networks—Part 3: Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) Access Method and Physical Layer Specifications—Aggregation of Multiple Link Segments" (2000), and in "802.3™ IEEE Standard for Information technology—Telecommunications and information exchange between systems—Local and metropolitan area networks—Specific requirements—Part 3: Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) Access Method and Physical Layer Specifications" (published March 2002). See Chapter 43 of the latter publication, "Link Aggregation."
Methods detailed in standard 802.3ad may attempt to evenly distribute packets based upon destination and source addresses and based perhaps on other header fields within the packets. These methods may operate to prevent packets associated with a conversation from being received out of order at a destination. A "conversation" as used herein is defined as a sequence of packets with identical source and destination addresses. Packets contributing to a conversation may need to be processed in a particular order by an eventual receiver. Out-of-order reception may occur because of variable and unequal delays associated with the elementary links. These delays may be caused by differential trace lengths, by traversing buffers of different sizes, and by intermediate switching elements located between transmission points, among other possible causes.
The hashing procedure defined in 802.3ad may allocate all frames associated with a given conversation to a port associated with a particular elementary link. Existing load balancing methods may not consider other aspects of traffic load allocation, however. It may be possible to load an elementary link associated with a particular priority of traffic more heavily than another elementary link of equal priority. This may result in an underutilization of the total available bandwidth.
According to a link aggregation control protocol (LACP) in 802.3ad, a marker may be sent by a "distributor" to a "collector" following transmission of a final packet across a link from which traffic is to be re-directed (an "old" link). The collector may send a marker response to the distributor. Upon detecting the response, the distributor may be informed that the last of the packets has been received and that it is safe to transmit packets along the new link. This process may require buffering at an ingress transmission point.


To enable point-to-multipoint communication services in an existing cellular communication system infrastructure, each member subscriber station, i.e., a subscriber station participating in such a service, is receiving a forward link shared channel, and in certain embodiments additionally a forward link dedicated channel. Because transmission on the forward link channels from neighboring sectors presents interference to the transmission from the sector serving the subscriber station, it is desirable to control the forward link channel transmission power to the minimum acceptable power. Additionally, a transmission form each member subscriber station on a reverse link channel presents interference to other subscriber stations. Therefore, it is desirable to control the reverse link channel transmission to the minimum signal level. Consequently, a method and apparatus for a power control that enables point-to-multipoint services in an existing infrastructure of a wireless cellular telephone system is disclosed.

1. Field
The present invention relates to point-to-multipoint services, in a wireline or a wireless communication system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for a power control in such a point-to-multipoint services communications system.
2. Background
Communication systems have been developed to allow transmission of information signals from an origination station to a physically distinct destination station. In transmitting information signal from the origination station over a communication channel, the information signal is first converted into a form suitable for efficient transmission over the communication channel. Conversion, or modulation, of the information signal involves varying a parameter of a carrier wave in accordance with the information signal in such a way that the spectrum of the resulting modulated carrier is confined within the communication channel bandwidth. At the destination station the original information signal is replicated from the modulated carrier wave received over the communication channel. Such a replication is generally achieved by using an inverse of the modulation process employed by the origination station.
Modulation also facilitates multiple-access, i.e., simultaneous transmission and/or reception, of several signals over a common communication channel. Multiple-access communication systems often include a plurality of remote subscriber terminals requiring intermittent service of relatively short duration rather than continuous access to the common communication channel. Several multiple-access techniques are known in the art, such as time division multiple-access (TDMA), frequency division multiple-access (FDMA), and amplitude modulation multiple-access (AM). Another type of a multiple-access technique is a code division multiple-access (CDMA) spread spectrum system that conforms to the "TIA/EIA/IS-95 Mobile Station-Base Station Compatibility Standard for Dual-Mode Wide-Band Spread Spectrum Cellular System," hereinafter referred to as the IS-95 standard. The use of CDMA techniques in a multiple-access communication system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,307, entitled "SPREAD SPECTRUM MULTIPLE-ACCESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM USING SATELLITE OR TERRESTRIAL REPEATERS," and U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,459, entitled "SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GENERATING WAVEFORMS IN A CDMA CELLULAR TELEPHONE SYSTEM," both assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
A multiple-access communication system may be a wireless or wire-line and may carry voice and/or data. An example of a communication system carrying both voice and data is a system in accordance with the IS-95 standard, which specifies transmitting voice and data over the communication channel. A method for transmitting data in code channel frames of fixed size is described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,504,773, entitled "METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE FORMATTING OF DATA FOR TRANSMISSION", assigned to the assignee of the present invention. In accordance with the IS-95 standard, the data or voice is partitioned into code channel frames that are 20 milliseconds wide with data rates as high as 14.4 Kbps. Additional examples of a communication systems carrying both voice and data comprise communication systems conforming to the "3rd Generation Partnership Project" (3GPP), embodied in a set of documents including Document Nos. 3G TS 25.211, 3G TS 25.212, 3G TS 25.213, and 3G TS 25.214 (the W-CDMA standard), or "TR-45.5 Physical Layer Standard for cdma2000 Spread Spectrum Systems" (the IS-2000 standard).
In a multiple-access communication system, communications between users are conducted through one or more base stations. A first user on one subscriber station communicates to a second user on a second subscriber station by transmitting data on a reverse link to a base station. The base station receives the data and can route the data to another base station. The data is transmitted on a forward link of the same base station, or the other base station, to the second subscriber station. Likewise, the communication can be conducted between a first user on a mobile subscriber station and a second user on a landline station. A base station receives the data from the user on a reverse link, and routes the data through a public switched telephone network (PSTN) to the second user.
In a wireless communication system, maximizing a capacity of the communication system in terms of the number of simultaneous telephone calls that can be handled is extremely important. The capacity in a spread spectrum communication system can be maximized if the transmission power of each subscriber station is controlled such that each transmitted signal arrives at a base station receiver at the same signal level. However, if a signal transmitted by a subscriber station arrives at the base station receiver at a power level that is too low, quality communications cannot be achieved due to interference from the other subscriber stations. On the other hand, if the subscriber station transmitted signal is at a power level that is too high when received at the base station, communication with this particular subscriber station is acceptable but this high power signal acts as interference to other subscriber stations. This interference may adversely affect communications with other subscriber stations. Therefore, each subscriber station needs to transmit the minimum signal level expressed as e.g., a signal-to-noise ratio, that allows transmitted data recovery.
Consequently, the transmission power of each subscriber station within the coverage area of a base station is controlled by the base station to produce the same nominal received signal power at the base station. In an ideal case, the total signal power received at the base station is equal to the nominal power received from each subscriber station multiplied by the number of subscriber stations transmitting within the coverage area of the base station plus the power received at the base station from subscriber stations in the coverage area of neighboring base stations.
The received power is determined by an attenuation of the transmitted power by a path loss of the link. The path loss can be characterized by two separate phenomena: average path loss and fading. In many communication systems, e.g., IS-95, W-CDMA, IS-2000, the forward link and the reverse link are allocated separate frequencies, i.e., the forward link operates on a different frequency than the reverse link. However, because the forward link and reverse link frequencies are within the same general frequency band, a significant correlation between the average path losses of the two links exists. On the other hand, fading is an independent phenomenon for the forward link and reverse link and varies as a function of time.
In an exemplary CDMA system, each subscriber station estimates the path loss of the forward link based on the total power at the input to the subscriber station. The total power is the sum of the power from all base stations operating on the same frequency assignment as perceived by the subscriber station. From the estimate of the average forward link path loss, the subscriber station sets the transmit level of the reverse link signal. Should the reverse link channel for one subscriber station suddenly improve compared to the forward link channel for the same subscriber station due to independent fading of the two channels, the signal as received at the base station from this subscriber station would increase in power. This increase in power causes additional interference to all signals sharing the same frequency assignment. Thus a rapid response of the subscriber station transmit power to the sudden improvement in the channel would improve system performance. Therefore, it is necessary to have the base station continually contribute to the power control mechanism of the subscriber station.
Thus, the subscriber station's transmit power is controlled by one or more base stations. Each base station, with which the subscriber station is in communication, measures the received signal strength from the subscriber station. The measured signal strength is compared to a desired signal strength level for that particular subscriber station. A power adjustment command is generated by each base station and sent to the subscriber station on the forward link. In response to the base station power adjustment command, the subscriber station increases or decreases the subscriber station transmit power by a predetermined amount. By this method, a rapid response to a change in the channel is effected and the average system performance is improved. Note that in a typical cellular system, the base stations are not intimately connected and each base station in the system is unaware of the power level at which the other base stations receive the subscriber station's signal.
When a subscriber station is in communication with more than one base station, power adjustment commands are provided from each base station. The subscriber station acts upon these multiple base station power adjustment commands to avoid transmit power levels that may adversely interfere with other subscriber station communications, and yet provide sufficient power to support communication from the subscriber station to at least one of the base stations. This power control mechanism is accomplished by having the subscriber station increase its transmit signal level only if every base station, with which the subscriber station is in communication, requests an increase in power level. The subscriber station decreases the subscriber station's transmit signal level if any base station, with which the subscriber station is in communication, requests that the power be decreased. A system for base station and subscriber station power control is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,109 entitled "METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING TRANSMISSION POWER IN A CDMA CELLULAR MOBILE TELEPHONE SYSTEM," issued Oct. 8, 1991, assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
In addition to the above-described reverse link power control, it is also desirable to control the relative power used in each traffic channel transmitted on a forward link by the base station. To enable such a control, each remote station measures the power of traffic channels received form a base station, generates control information in response, and transmits the control information back to the base station. The primary reason for providing such control is to accommodate the fact that in certain locations the forward link may be unusually disadvantaged. Unless the power being transmitted to the disadvantaged subscriber station is increased, the signal quality may become unacceptable. An example of such a location is a point where the path loss to one or two neighboring base stations is nearly the same as the path loss to the active base station, i.e., a base station communicating with the subscriber station. In such a location, the total interference would be increased three times over the interference seen by a subscriber station at a point relatively close to the active base station. In addition, the interference coming from the neighboring base stations does not fade in unison with the signal from the active base station as would be the case for interference coming from the active base station. A subscriber station in such a situation may require 3 to 4 dB additional signal power from the active base station to achieve adequate performance. At other times, the subscriber station may be located where the signal-to-interference ratio is unusually good. In such a case, the base station could transmit the desired signal using a lower than normal transmitter power, reducing interference to other signals being transmitted by the system.
The above described wireless communication service is an example of a point-to-point communication service. In contrast, a point-to-multipoint service is a service where the information transmitted by a source of the information is intended for a plurality of mobile stations. The basic model of a point-to-multipoint system comprises a set of users, a group of which is served by one or more sources of information, which provide information with a certain contents, e.g., news, movies, sports events and the like, to be transmitted to the users. Each user's subscriber station participation in the point-to-multipoint service (a member subscriber station) monitors a forward link shared channel. Because the source of information fixedly determines the content, the users are generally not communicating back. Examples of common usage of such a point-to-multipoint services communication systems are TV broadcast, radio broadcast, and the like. Alternatively, the source of information is a user—a member of the group, which transmits information intended for the remaining members of the selected group. If the user wishes to talk, he presses a push to talk (PTT) button. Typically, the talking user's voice is routed from the subscriber station to a transceiver station on a dedicated reverse link. The transceiver station then transmits the talking user's voice over the forward link shared channel. As in case of the point-to-point communication system, such a communication system allows both landline and wireless subscriber station to access the system. Such a point-to-multipoint service is also referred to as a group service. Examples of the group service communication system use is in dispatch services, such as local police radio systems, taxicab dispatch systems, Federal Bureau of Intelligence and secret service operations, and general military communication systems.
The above-mentioned point-to-multipoint service communication systems are generally highly specialized purpose-build communication systems. With the recent, advancements in wireless cellular telephone systems there has been an interest of utilizing the existing infrastructure of the—mainly point-to-point cellular telephone systems—for point-to-multipoint services. As used herein, the term "cellular" system encompasses system operating on both cellular and personal communication system (PCS) frequencies.
The power control mechanism for subscriber stations acting as point-to-point units described above is not directly applicable to point-to-multipoint services. As discussed, the wireless cellular telephone systems assign a dedicated forward and reverse link between two or more communicating users. In contrast, the point-to-multipoint services typically rely on assigning a shared forward link to be monitored by all the users in the group. Furthermore, in a point-to-multipoint services, in general, majority of the subscriber stations are passive (i.e. just listening) at any one time. When a subscriber station is passive, it does not necessarily have an established reverse link on which to transmit information to the base station. Because the power control method in the existing infrastructure is based on a point-to-point communications model, there is a need in the art for a method and apparatus for a power control that enables group services in an existing infrastructure of a wireless cellular telephone system.

Power control for point-to-multipoint services provided in communication systems


Provided is an image processing apparatus adapted to inform the user of the time that is required to elapse before an image forming command can actually be executed, thereby eliminating any anxiety that the user might otherwise experience. Specifically, there is provided an image processing apparatus for forming an image by analyzing and decoding a received printing signal and then storing the signal in a page memory in the form of code data, and converting the the code data stored in the page memory into a bit image, including a processing-time calculating unit for calculating time, which is required for conversion to the bit image, based upon analysis of the inputted printing signal, and an informing unit for informing a user of the time calculated by the processing-time calculating unit, wherein the processing-time calculating unit further calculates preparation time required for forming the image from the bit image.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image processing apparatus, such as a laser printer, having an electrophotographic photosensitive element.
2. Description of the Related Art
Owing to their high printing speed, quiet printing operation and excellent printing quality, printers such as laser printers having an electrophotographic photosensitive element have tended to find wider use in recent years in comparison with the conventional impact printers. Though conventional laser printers originally were high in price, costs have been lowered along with a reduction in size and weight, and such printers are now finding much greater use in the office and home.
A problem encountered with laser printers in many cases is that the user, upon pressing a printing starting button on a personal computer or the like, is made to wait a fairly long period of time before printing actually begins. More specifically, even when the printing starting button on a personal computer has been pressed, the printer (the printer machinery) does not operate immediately but begins operating upon passage of a prescribed period of time. This can cause the user to experience some anxiety.
The aforementioned problem is a result of the processing time needed by the image controller within the laser printer and the preparation time of the engine which relies upon electrophotography.
The image controller performs processing for converting code data, which is sent from the personal computer or the like, into a bit image. The requisite processing time differs depending upon the quantity of data sent from the personal computer but presently is on the order of several seconds to several minutes. A conceivable method of curtailing processing time is to raise the processing speed of the CPU which controls the image controller. However, such high-speed CPUs are extremely expensive and therefore are difficult to use in laser printers of the popular type at the present time.
As for the preparation time of the electrophotographic engine, a laser printer employs a thermal fixing device. In cases where the printer is shut down in order to conserve electric power, in many instances the thermal fixing device is turned off or the fixing temperature is set to be lower than that which prevails during operation. Accordingly, even if a print command is transmitted to the engine upon the completion of processing performed by the image controller, the engine will not start until the thermal fixing device attains a prescribed temperature at which fixing is possible. In addition, laser printers employ a motor for the scanning of a polygon mirror, and the printing operation will not be carried out until the motor attains a prescribed rotational speed. Thus, the engine requires a prescribed preparation time and will not operate until this time elapses, even if a start signal is received from the image controller.


This invention relates to constructs for the conditional or regulated expression of transgenes in plants using site-specific recombinase systems. The constructs comprise a variety of constitutive, inducible, tissue specific or developmental stage-specific promoters operably linked to either a transgene or the elements of one or more site-specific recombinase system. By matching promoters, responsive to various inducers, plant tissues or plant developmental states with the recombinase systems, stop fragments and transgenes, virtually any trait may be expressed at any plant development stage or in any plant generation.

The advent of genetically modified crops holds the promise of improving crop yield and productivity as well as reducing the number of pesticides and other toxic compounds needed for crop success. These benefits are conferred via the transformation of crop plants with new genes beneficial to growth or conveying disease or pathogen resistance. However, transformation events often result in the presence of ancillary genetic material that is not useful for the expression of the desired trait. These ancillary sequences are necessary for the transformation processes, but they do not positively contribute to the final cultivar and in fact lessen its desirability to the consumer. The presence of these undesirable sequences may also complicate the regulatory procedures necessary to bring the cultivar to the market place. A reliable method for eliminating the unwanted ancillary sequences would thus improve commercial viability by increasing public acceptance and simplify the regulatory process. Additionally, it will be useful to have certain traits only present during intermediate generations and then removed in harvested generations. The prior art has not recognized the importance of these problems, nor has it worked to provide a solution.
Plants are increasingly being looked to as platforms for the production of materials, foreign to plant systems. As the art of genetic engineering advances it will be possible to engineer plants for the production of a multiplicity of monomers and polymers, currently only available by chemical synthetic means. The accumulation of these materials in various plant tissues will be toxic at some level and it will be useful to tightly regulate the relevant genes to prevent expression in inappropriate plant tissues.
Currently few methods exist that provide for tightly regulated transgene expression. Non-specific expression of transgenes in non-target cells, tissues, or generation hinders plant transgenic work. This is important where the goal is to produce such high levels of materials in transgenic plants that may be phytotoxic or adversely affects normal plant development. Conditional transgene expression would enable economic production of desired chemicals, monomers, and polymers at levels likely to be phytotoxic to growing plants by restricting their production to production tissue of transgenic plants either just prior to or after harvest of the crop biomass used for extracting the desired product. Therefore, lack of a commercially usable conditional expression system and the difficulty in attaining a reliable, high-level expression both limit development of transgene expression in plants.
Conditional or regulated expression has been reported in plants (see De Veylder, L. et al., Plant Cell Physiol. 38:568–577 (1997); Gatz, C., Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. Plant Mol. Biol. 48:89–108 (1997); Hansen, G. et al., Mol. Gen. Genet. 254:337–343 (1997); Jepson, I., PCT Int. Appl. WO 9706269 A1 (1997), Jepson, I, et al. PCT Int. Appl. WO 9711189 A2 (1997), and other references within this application). However, when tested stringently for basal non-specific expression, very few have been strictly specific (Odell J. T. et al., Plant Physiol. 106:447–458 (1994); van der Geest et al., Plant Physiol., 109(4), 1151–58 (1995); Ma et al., Aust. J. Plant Physiol., 25(1), 53–59 (1998); Czako et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 235(1), 33–40 (1992)). Such promoters are not suitable for some applications, such as the use of transgenes for expressing novel phytotoxic proteins, enzymes that lead to the biosynthesis of phytotoxic products, and/or gene silencing. Site-specific recombination in plants (Odell et al., Plant Physiol. 106:447–458 (1994); Odell et al., PCT Int. Appl. WO 9109957 (1991); Surin et al., PCT Int. Appl WO 9737012 (1997)) and the reduction in the proficiency of Cre-mediated recombination by mutant lox P sites and their use in increasing the frequency of Cre-lox based integration have been reported (Albert et al., Plant J. 7:649–59 (1995); Araki et al., Nucleic Acids Res. 25:868–872 (1997′)). However, the use of the mutant sites to enhance the specificity Cre-mediated recombination in conjunction with chimeric Cre genes under the control of available regulated promoters has not been demonstrated. Thus, there is a need for an appropriately stringent, site-specific recombination system for a commercially-attractive, conditional site-specific recombination.
Directed excision of a transgene from the plant genome has been reported using recombinase specific-sites and a recombinase. In Russel et al. (Mol. Gen. Genet. 234:49–59 (1992)), utility of these techniques is evaluated to remove a selectable marker for transformation from the plant, while leaving a preferred non-selectable trait. Variation in efficiency of excision of transgenes in different plants was also examined and comparison was made between introduction of the cre gene by re-transformation or by cross pollination. However, incorporation of promoters for conditional or regulated expression was not attempted.
Ow et al. (PCT Int. Appl. WO 9301283 A1 (1992)) also examine directed excision of selectable markers for transformation from plants, while leaving a preferred non-selectable trait that could be operably linked to control sequences capable of effecting the timing of said expression in higher plants. Their disclosed technique is limited by the requirement that the recombinase for excision must be introduced via a second round of transformation either directly to the initially transformed plants or by cross pollination of the independently regenerated plants from first and second round transformants.
In one disclosure, Oliver et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,977,441) demonstrate limited expression of a desired introduced gene in a transgenic plant, according to a particular stage of plant development, a particular plant tissue, particular environmental conditions, or a particular time or location. This is achieved via: 1) the insertion of a transiently-active promoter in functional relation with a structural gene whose expression results in an altered plant phenotype, but separated by a blocking sequence that is flanked by specific excision sequences; and 2) a second DNA sequence that comprises an inducible promoter operably linked to a gene encoding a site-specific recombinase. These methods ultimately permit the expression of certain plant traits to be under external control by application of an external stimulus, through hybridization, or by direct introduction of a recombinase into a plant. However, Oliver et al. did not consider the need for eliminating unwanted ancillary sequences, such as selection markers.
Surin et al. (PCT Int. Appl. WO 9737012 A1 (1997)) disclose a method whereby single-step excision of transgenes is achieved, such as selectable marker genes or reporter genes, from genetically-transformed organisms. This is possible by the incorporation of both a recombinase genetic unit (comprising a promoter, recombinase gene, and terminator) and a transgene unit (comprising a promoter, transgene, and terminator) within a single expression cassette, all flanked by recombinase sites. This genetic unit facilitates multiple sequential genetic transformation events using the same selectable marker gene and provides means for tightly regulating transgene expression in genetically-manipulated plants. Additionally, the need for multiple transformation events or sexual crossing to produce a single cell comprising both the loci for DNA recombination and the site-specific recombinase is alleviated, since their method facilitates precise excision of genetic material in a single generation using promoters that are differentially activated. Although Surin et al. allow for the incorporation of a second separate expression cassette, their techniques are limited in that a maximum of two transgenic units may be expressed within the plant at different time periods, the first of which must be removed prior to the expression of the second. At no point may the second transgene be removed from the genome if desired.
Hodges et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,110,736) describe a method based on homologous recombination which enables the targeting of a length of DNA to a specific non-lethal site in the host's genome, and provides for the removal of any randomly inserted DNA sequences, using site-specific recombinase sites and the corresponding recombinase protein. The need met through the application of the site-specific recombinase system for gene excision is specifically to maintain control over the copy number and the location of the inserted DNA. A further embodiment of the invention combines use of cre/lox and FLP/FRT to ultimately leave only the desired DNA sequences integrated into the chromosome while the selectable marker is removed from the chromosome. However, this work relies is confined to instances where precise homologous recombination can be executed, which necessarily requires precise engineering of the vector sequences to match sequences within the chromosome.
Finally, Perez and Flament (PCT Int. Appl. WO 9838323 (1998)) discuss the insertion of a of a male sterility gene (AMS) to create a cytoplasmic or nuclear male sterile plant. This plant avoids the dissemination of pollen, and therefore necessarily prevents dissemination of any transgenes that are linked to the male sterility genes. In further embodiments of their invention, the AMS gene can serve as a positive marker for the screening of plants having integrated a transgene of interest; or, the gene, when genetically linked to a transgene, can be excised using a system of transposition (e.g. systems of recombination such as Cre/lox or FLP/FRT). Limitations of these techniques focus on the requirement that a transgene must be directly linked to a transgene, thereby requiring linked expression. No allowance is made for conditional expression, whereby expression of one gene may activate, or excise, another later in the life cycle.
The methods described above are useful for removal of transgenes and ancillary genetic material from plants but are limited in their ability to regulate transgene expression at various times in a plant life cycle or in hybrid progeny. The problem to be solved therefore is to develop a method for the tightly regulated conditional expression and removal of genetic traits in plants, both in initial transformants and in hybrid.
Applicant has solved the stated problem by providing developmentally regulated germ-like promoters that allow using at least two different recombinases for the selective expression and/or removal of genetic traits.

Methods for regulated expression of triats in plants using multiple site-specific recombination systems


A system for transmitting coded digital video signals in a packet form through a signal line and a method of controlling the system. A transmission portion converts the digital video signals to a signal stream as a sequence of a plurality of packets each containing a predetermined sync code and a payload, and transmitting the signal stream. In case a fail of periodicity of the video signals is detected, a signal stream containing a packet into which a predetermined dummy signal not being the sync code is inserted into a position of sync code in a packet to be transmitted at that time and is transmitted. When receiving no sync code at a predetermined portion in the received packet, a reception portion executes an image reproduction process on the basis of the video signal data not depending on the packet containing the dummy signal and is so received.

This invention relates to a system for transmitting video signals and its control method. When coded digital video signals are transmitted, this system ensures images devoid of image distortion on the reception side even when consecutiveness of the signals is lost.
MPEG2 compression system of the global standard has gained a wide application at present for compressing and transmitting video signals.
The MPEG2 compression system or an equivalent system is based on the premise that input video signals that are compressed are consecutive signals keeping periodicity.
For, compressed image data of one frame are generated in the compression process by using data of a plurality of frames having mutually different time. Unless these frames keep mutual periodicity (both vertical and horizontal periodicities), normal compressed data cannot be acquired.
FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawings shows schematically the outline of input analog video signals. As shown in the drawing, the video signal keeps a predetermined condition as to the relationship between the horizontal sync signal and the vertical sync signal of the video signals in accordance with the standard of the video signals.
The inventor of the present invention has found out that the problem yet to be solved is left when the video signals obtained by outputs of a plurality of surveillance cameras are alternately switched and selected by a switch and the selected video signals from one of the cameras are transmitted after compression and coding to a remote monitor room through a communication line. The video signals from the plurality of surveillance cameras do not always keep a coincident phase and their synchronization is not ensured. Therefore, if a plurality of different video signals are switched and one of the video signals is selectively outputted at the timing that is irrelevant to the vertical and horizontal sync signals of the respective video signals, the vertical sync signal or the horizontal sync signal between different video signals so outputted does not keep predetermined periodicity. Consequently, periodicity of the video signals is distorted.
Consecutiveness of the input video signals is not always ensured when the video signals coded by the MPEG2 compression system are utilized in the surveillance camera system, as will be explained next.
FIG. 3 shows a schematic construction of a multi-camera surveillance system that the inventor of the present invention has examined. Reference numerals 1 and 2 denote video cameras for taking the images under observation. Though ten or more video cameras are employed depending on a system, the example shown in FIG. 3 uses two video cameras.
The output signals 3 and 4 of these cameras are inputted to a video switcher 5 and are switched. One of the outputs is periodically and automatically outputted. The selected signals are inputted as video signals 6 to a transmitter 7. The video signal 6 is converted to a digital composite signal 9 by an A/D converter 8 in the transmitter 7.
The composite signal 9 is inputted to a component conversion portion 10, and is outputted as the video signal that is separated into a luminance component signal and a chromatic component signal, and its sync signal 12. Here, the term "sync signal" represents HR (a signal representing a horizontal effective pixel range), VR (a signal presenting a vertical effective line), ODD (a signal representing a first field), and so forth.
These signals are inputted to a compression portion 13 such as an MPEG2 encoder. The video signal 11 of an effective signal area is compressed on the basis of the sync signal 12 to give a stream 14 as compressed data, that is then transmitted.
This stream 14 is inputted to a receiver 15. After inputted to the receiver 15, the stream 14 is then inputted to a decoder 16. The decoder 16 decodes the stream and outputs a video signal 17 and a sync signal 18.
The video signal 17 and the sync signal 18 are inputted to a composite conversion portion 19 and are outputted as a composite signal 20. The composite signal 20 is converted to an analog video signal 22 by a D/A converter 21. The video signal 22 is inputted to a video monitor 23.
In this way, the image based on the output signals 3 and 4 of the video cameras 1 and 2 switched by the video switcher 5 can be monitored on a video monitor 23.
In such a monitor system, the output signals 3 and 4 of the cameras 1 and 2 are generally asynchronous with each other in most cases.
For this reason, the signal 6 switched by the video switcher 5 becomes an discontinuous signal, that is, a signal having distorted periodicity, at the point of switching.
However, the compressed input video signal in the MPEG2 compression system is based on the premise that the signal keeps periodicity, as described above. Therefore, when the discontinuous signal is inputted to the component conversion portion 10, violation occurs in its internal processing portion with the result that the video signal and the sync signal 12 lose periodicity, too.
A time of dozens of milliseconds is necessary before the component conversion portion 10, to which the discontinuous signal 6 is inputted, recovers to be normal operation and outputs a regular sync signal 12.
On the other hand, the operation of the compression portion 13, to which the discontinuous video signal and the sync signal 12 are inputted, gets distorted, too, and generates error data in the resulting stream 14.
Therefore, the decoder 16 of the receiver 15 generates the noise due to the compression-coded data error, and the image collapses or gets distorted on the video monitor 23.
FIG. 4 shows schematically the mode of this trouble. The drawing shows the case where the signals 3 and 4 are inputted asynchronously with their phases dephasing from each other, and the output of the video switcher 5 is changed over from the signal 3 to the signal 4 at a certain point of time.
In the video signal 6 so switched and selected, a discontinuous portion develops at the switching point of the signal as shown in FIG. 4.
This discontinuous point triggers and invites distortion of periodicity in the sync signal 12 as the output of the component conversion portion 10 for a period of dozens of milliseconds. The consecutive video signal 11 based on the signal 4 and the sync signal 12 are thereafter outputted.
As a result, collapse and distortion of the image occur eventually in the video monitor 23.
To solve this problem, it has been necessary to use a video switcher having a frame synchronization function for the video switcher 5.
This frame synchronization function can synchronize a plurality of asynchronous input signals by signal processing and can output one of them selectively. When this synchronization switcher is used, the occurrence of the collapse and distortion of the image can be prevented. The synchronization function once writes a plurality of input video signals into frame memories and reads any one of them out from the frame memories by a common read signal.
However, because the video switcher equipped with the frame synchronization function is very expensive, the increase of the cost becomes a serious problem particularly in a surveillance system that handle the signals of a large number of cameras.

Transmission control method of coded video signals and transmission system


In one aspect of the invention there is described a method of detecting the presence of toxins, which may traverse bacterial membranes in some manner, in environmental samples using an indicator bacteria such as E. coli K-12 and a fluorescent signal. The method includes:. (a) obtaining a positive control signal by placing an indicator bacteria strain such as E. coli K-12 and a bactericidal peptide such as a cecropin in a suitable buffer containing a fluorescent marker for bacterial DNA such as SYTOX; PA1 (b) obtaining a negative control signal by placing only the indicator bacteria strain in the buffer containing the fluorescent marker for bacterial DNA; PA1 (c) obtaining a test signal by combining an environmental test sample with the indicator bacteria strain and the fluorescent marker for bacterial DNA in the buffer; and PA1 (d) comparing the signal generated by the test sample to that obtained for the negative control. The presence of a toxin in the test sample is indicated when the test signal is greater than the signal provided by the negative control.. Also described herein is a method of detecting the presence of bacteria in environmental samples using fluorescent markers and bactericidal peptides which penetrate or allow penetration of substances into bacteria, and kits for carrying out the above methods.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods of rapidly detecting the presence of toxins in a given environment. In particular, the invention relates to toxin detection methods using bacteria stained with a fluorescent indicator. The invention also relates to methods of detecting bacteria using fluorescent indicators.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, governments have become increasingly interested in identifying and controlling the biological warfare agents (BWA's) which have been developed and stockpiled by several nations. These agents are highly dangerous and extreme caution mIst be used in the handling of these agents. In the event that these agents are deployed, part of the initial defense includes the rapid and accurate detection of the agents. Currently available military systems for detecting and identifying bacteria and/or toxins are laboratory based, requiring sophisticated and expensive equipment. Once such system is essentially a mobile sheltered laboratory designed to collect and analyze biological samples in the field. However, such systems are expensive, limited in number, and require significant laboratory time and trained personnel in order to positively identify biological warfare agents including toxins. The ability to rapidly and inexpensively detect the presence of toxins in field samples on-site remains an unmet need. Moreover, the demand for methods and kits capable of rapidly detecting toxins has applications beyond those of the military such as pharmaceutical, medical, and food industries.
In view of the advantages of rapidly and accurately identifying the presence of BWA's, toxins and associated by-products, and further in view of the need to address the shortcomings associated with currently available detection methods, there is still a need for new and improved detection methods and kits. In particular, there remains a need for rapidly and accurately detecting sub-microgram quantities of toxins, BWA's and their precursors and related degradation byproducts. The present invention addresses these need.

Method and kit for rapid detection of toxins and bacteria

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army


An audio contents recognition method includes receiving an audio signal; obtaining audio fingerprints (AFPs) based on a spectral shape of the received audio signal; generating hash codes for the obtained audio fingerprints; transmitting a matching query between the generated hash codes and hash codes stored in a database; and receiving a contents recognition result of the audio signal in response to the transmitting, wherein the generating of the hash codes includes: determining a frame interval delta_F of an audio fingerprint to generate the hash codes among the obtained audio fingerprints.

Various types of multimedia contents may be reproduced in a terminal. When information about the multimedia contents is known, information related to the contents being reproduced may be provided to a user or an additional service related to the contents being reproduced may be provided to the user.
However, in a situation where there is no information about the contents, it is impossible to provide such an extended service.
Each of multimedia contents being reproduced in a terminal may have a unique feature. Although a technology for recognizing contents that are currently being reproduced is being developed using such a feature, there is a need for a contents recognition technology that is robust with respect to the influence of a high noise environment or an asynchronous environment such as when there is a delay of a signal.

Audio content recognition method and device


The present invention covers a novel method for creating an adsorbent and the resulting novel adsorbent. The method may be used to remove pollutants/unwanted chemicals from water, air, other gases, biological fluids (such as blood, urine, lipids, protein fluids), and other fluids (such as fuel). The adsorbent may be used to remove heavy metals (for example, lead), organic pollutants, inorganic non-meal pollutants (for example, nitrates and bromates). Accordingly, the current invention has many applications including but not limited to water treatment, wastewater treatment, biomedical fluid treatments, gas cleanup, and fuel (oil, gas) cleanup.

With rapid urbanization and industrialization coupled with increased population growth, the demand for potable water is ever increasing. Heavy metal contamination attributable to industrial and domestic practices contaminates ground and surface water and has been identified as a major environmental threat. Lead is a heavy metal often discharged into waterbodies from various industries such as metal plating, painting, mining operations, and battery manufacturing. The solders of distribution systems are the primary source of dissolved lead in drinking water in US. Significantly, buildings from built between the 1930s and early 1980s often used copper pipes. The solders used to connect these copper pipes contain elevated levels of lead.
The non-biodegradable nature of Pb(II) causes accumulation of the metal in living organisms and can cause detrimental health effects. Long term exposure to Pb(II) beyond the acceptable limits has been identified to cause health problems such as abortion, stillbirths, sterility, mental disturbance, and liver and kidney damage. For example, the Flint water crisis began in 2014 when the drinking water source for the city of Flint in Michigan was changed to the Flint River. Due to insufficient water treatment, over 100,000 residents were potentially exposed to high levels of lead in the drinking water. The permissible amount of Pb(II) is less than 0.01 mg L−1 in drinking water as recommended by World Health Organization (WHO). The permissible level of Pb(II) in drinking water set by United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) being 0.015 mg L−1.
Several available techniques extensively used for the treatment of Pb(II) in water include: chemical precipitation, ion-exchange, membrane separation, reverse osmosis, and adsorption. There are some disadvantages associated with these treatment methods such as treatment time requirements, sludge disposal problems, sensitive operating conditions, and the high treatment costs needed to meet the current environmental requirements. Among these technologies, adsorption techniques have gained a lot of attention due to its effectiveness in removing Pb(II) ions from effluents, coupled with its low cost and simple operations. Currently, various adsorbents have been reported for Pb(II) ion removal from aqueous solutions such as chitosan—tripolyphosphate, modified lignin, phosphorylated bacterial cellulose, carbon aerogel, carbon nanotubes, and chitosan.
Ordered Mesoporous Carbon (OMC), a new adsorbent, has gained considerable attention due to its unique features, such as a high BET surface area, large pore volume, and high mechanical strength. All of these special features make OMC a suitable adsorbent to remove pollutants. However, OMC has had limited success for metal ion removal and some organic pollutants. Therefore, chemical modifications of OMC are gaining considerable interests for improving sorption performance. In general, the OMC modified by chemical compounds have been shown to yield higher adsorption capacities and removal efficiencies for various aquatic pollutants. For example, a modified OMC with varying chemicals for mercury, orange(II), BTEX and resorcinol removal.
In one embodiment, phosphate function groups are incorporated onto the OMC surface for improving Pb(II) ion removal. The function groups on the surface of OMC have a good affinity to Pb(II) ion in aqueous solutions. It is well-known that phosphate groups have shown excellent chelating properties with Pb(II) ions in aqueous solutions. Also, there are many applications of phosphate groups for heavy metal removal from the waste stream via banding and settling. For example, phosphorylated bacterial cellulose has been used as an absorbent to remove various lanthanide ions and transition metal ions. Metal cations are typical Lewis Acids and phosphate groups with a low Acid-Base ionization equilibrium constant show a typical Lewis Base properties in a wide range of pH. According to Lewis Acid-Base theory, phosphate groups have a significant performance on connecting with metal cations through electrostatic interaction or chelation. Various phosphorylating agents have been studied on cellulosic materials for decades, such as phosphorus oxychloride (POCl3), phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5), phosphoric acid (H3PO4), and diammonium hydrogen phosphate (NH4)2HPO4. These approaches were built on the assumptions of different forms of phosphorylation, such as phosphorylation of R—OH, phosphorylation on double bonds, and phosphorylation of amine functions.
Using nitric acid as an intermediate chemical introduces more —OH groups on the surface of OMC so that more phosphate groups can be incorporated on the surface of OMC after the phosphoric acid treatment. The presence of abundant phosphate groups on the surface of OMC is theorized to provide more active sites for the Pb(II) ion complexation, making this a better adsorbent for Pb(II) ion removal. Compared with the previous absorbents modified by phosphoric acid, OMC, with a large BET surface area and large pore size, may provide more active sites to combine with phosphate groups and the resulting bonding.
The present invention covers a novel method for creating an adsorbent and the resulting novel adsorbent. The method may be used to remove pollutants/unwanted chemicals from water, air, other gases, biological fluids (such as blood, urine, lipids, protein fluids), and other fluids (such as fuel). The adsorbent may be used to remove heavy metals (for example, lead), organic pollutants, inorganic non-meal pollutants (for example, nitrates and bromates). Accordingly, the current invention has many applications including but not limited to water treatment, wastewater treatment, biomedical fluid treatments, gas cleanup, and fuel (oil, gas) cleanup.

Method of manufacturing an adsorbent and resulting composition of matter


A subframe for a motor vehicle has two side plates which extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, are connected with one another by cross members and have bearings for control arms of wheel suspension links, this subframe unit being connected with the vehicle body. The side plates are each formed of a torsion-proof and rigid lattice frame which extends in a vertical longitudinal plane of the vehicle. Between the side plates, torsion-proof cross members are held which can each be screwed on separately in a detachable manner. Together with the side plates, these cross members form a rigid assembly unit which comprises integrated bearings for control arms of wheel suspension links in the side plates. By way of one bearing respectively, which is arranged in spaced horizontal planes in a top and bottom chord of the side plate, the subframe unit is detachably fastened on the vehicle body.

The present invention relates to a subframe for a motor vehicle having two side plates which extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and have bearings for control arms of wheel suspension links. The side plates each are torsion-proof and rigid lattice frames which extend in a vertical longitudinal plane of the vehicle. The side plates have integrated bearings in the side plates for control arms of wheel suspension links, and top and bottom chords. Torsion-proof cross members are each separately connectable to the side plates in a detachable manner. The cross members are held between the side plates to connect the side plates and form a rigid assembly subframe unit with the side plates.
A subframe for a front axle of a motor vehicle for the coupling of suspension links is known from the German Patent Document DE-A 12 78 855, in which side plates are connected with cross members, and a fixedly connected structural unit is formed. The use of such a subframe is contemplated for one vehicle type only and cannot be used for vehicle types of different constructions and driving conceptions.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a subframe which, with respect to the construction, can be adapted in a simple manner to differently constructed vehicle types as well as driving and operating systems and ensures an economical assembly during manufacturing as well as for repair purposes.
This and other objects are achieved by the present invention which provides a subframe for a motor vehicle having two side plates which extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and having bearings for control arms of wheel suspension links. The side plates each are torsion-proof and rigid lattice frames which extend in a vertical longitudinal plane of the vehicle. The side plates have integrated bearings in the side plates for control arms of wheel suspension links, and top and bottom chords. Torsion-proof cross members are each separately connectable to the side plates in a detachable manner. The cross members are held between the side plates to connect the side plates and form a rigid assembly subframe unit with the side plates. The assembly subframe unit is detachably fastened on a body of the vehicle via one bearing respectively in the top and bottom chords of the side plate. The bearings are arranged in spaced horizontal planes.
Advantageously, the subframe comprises detachably assembled structural elements, such as side plates and cross members. In comparison to undetachably connected elements according to the state of the art, this makes it possible for the subframe to be used in vehicles of different conceptions in that only the cross members are exchanged and in that the subframe can be adapted to the local situations of the vehicle body or of the drive unit or to a vehicle with rear wheel steering. For this purpose, the side plates are provided with corresponding fastening capability for cross members that can connected locally in various manners.
Together with the cross members, the side plates of the subframe form a rigid assembly unit. They have integrated bearing receiving devices for the wheel suspension. Together with the connected wheel suspension links, these side plates form a so-called preassembly unit which, after the connection with the cross members, is a final assembly unit which, for example, in series production on the assembly line, can be connected with the vehicle body. With this type of assembly, it is also advantageous that the corresponding adjustments of the axle can be carried out before the mounting into the vehicle.
In a preferred embodiment, the side plates are made from cast aluminum in a light-weight construction and each have connecting upright struts between a bottom chord and a top chord, an opening forming between these struts and the chords which, in the case of driven rear wheels, is used for the guiding-through of a drive shaft and which is situated centrically with respect to the wheel spin axis.
On the forward free end of the bottom chord and at the rearward free end of the top chord, bearings for the fixing on the vehicle body can be inserted. These are provided approximately at the same longitudinal distance to the wheel spin axis so that the same transversal or lateral forces are introduced into the subframe bearings. On the connecting line of the two bearings, the wheel spin axis is also situated which has the advantage of a low introduction of moments into the subframe.
The bearings have a defined elastic characteristic in the longitudinal, transverse and vertical direction.
The cross members of the subframe are designed corresponding to the vehicle type, for example, with a rearward drive assembly or with a forward drive assembly and a rearward differential gear, the side plates being usable for each of these vehicle types in an unchanged state. The linking of the cross members takes place in junction points of the side plates. As a function of the vehicle with a rearward drive assembly or the vehicle with the forward drive assembly and the rear axle differential gear, the cross member will then be constructed correspondingly either as a bridge member or as a cross member with a center bearing for the differential gear which is preferably situated in a neutral zone where the slightest movements occur. The differential gear is supported on the subframe only in this one bearing. The additional bearing may be provided directly on the vehicle body or on a support of the vehicle with a relatively large base so that only moderate forces are introduced into the subframe in the vertical direction and mainly no overturning moment is introduced into the subframe, as would be the case if the two bearings for the holding of the rear axle differential gear according to the state of the art were arranged on the subframe.
Also, for a vehicle with additional rear wheel steering and independently of the position of the drive assembly, a different rearward cross member is used than for a vehicle having only front wheel steering. With additional rear wheel steering, a cross member is used in which a corresponding operating cylinder for the steering is arranged, or the operating cylinder is integrated into the cross member, in which case, the operating cylinder will then be connected on each end with an oblong console which is screwed to the side plate. Without any deflection, the tie rod applied to the wheel carrier is guided through the console and is connected with the piston rod by way of a joint. The cross member has a partially cornered cross section and is designed corresponding to the loads to be absorbed.
In certain preferred embodiments, the consoles are constructed to be non-resistant to bending and twisting which permits the predominant keeping-away of forces acting on the operating cylinders. For achieving a compact construction of the cross member unit comprising the integrated operating cylinder with the rear wheel control element, the latter is connected directly with the housing of the operating cylinder or with the cross member, either in front or behind the cross member as viewed in the driving direction.
As described above, the cross members are constructed to be adapted to the respective vehicle type. Thus, it is necessary, in the case of a rear drive unit that a relatively large space is created in the vertical direction that is free from the cross member. This is advantageously achieved by a bridge member which spans the drive unit and which, by means of its downwardly directed legs, is fastened to the side plate by screws which extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. A compensating of tolerances will become possible as a result.
For the economical manufacturing of the bridge member, the bridge member comprises two identical parts which are connected with one another in an articulated manner in the center in the area of the transversely extending supporting webs by a pin. The bridge member has a light-weight construction and, for this purpose, has webs which connect the upper and the lower chord, are arranged in the manner of a lattice construction and form openings between one another.
The cross members either have a round cross section or comprise a ribbed casting in the form of a U-profile or a double-T-profile, or have a polygonal construction and are made of a light metal or another light material. The linking to the side plates takes place by connecting flanges on the ends of the cross members. These are welded on or are connected with the cross member in another manner. The construction of the subframe as an assembly unit comprising detachable side plates and cross members has the advantage of an exchangeability of all parts in the case of repair. Furthermore, in a simple manner, a power unit or assembly may be demounted by the removal of a lower cross member, in which case the wheel suspension remains unchanged so that there will be no suspension alignment.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


A plate-link chain for a belt-driven conical-pulley transmission. The chain has a large number of link plates that are articulatingly connected with each other by rocker members, which link plates are positioned one behind the other and are offset from each other transversely relative to the longitudinal direction of the plate-link chain, and also partially overlap each other. The chain has a plurality of link plates of two different lengths in the longitudinal direction of the chain, with openings to receive the rocker members. The arrangement of the link plates in the longitudinal direction of the chain is such that a long link plate is followed by a short link plate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plate-link chain for a belt-driven conical-pulley transmission. The chain has a large number of link plates that are articulatingly connected with each other by rocker members. The link plates are positioned one behind the other transversely to the longitudinal direction of the plate-link chain, and are offset from each other in the longitudinal direction of the chain and partially overlap each other. The chain has a plurality of link plates of two different lengths in the longitudinal direction of the chain, with openings to receive the rocker members.
2. Description of the Related Art
A plate-link chain of the type described herein is made up of a large number of link plates and rocker members, the rocker members also being referred to as pegs or pins, and also being known as rocker hinges.
The link plates for forming such a plate-link chain are selected from two types of plate links, namely one known as a short plate link and one known as a long plate link.
The plate-link chain thus formed is used to transmit pulling force between two conical disk pairs of a belt-driven conical-pulley transmission. The transmission of force between the conical disk pairs and the plate-link chain is friction-based. That means, in other words, that ends of the rocker members between the conical disk pairs are subjected to high normal forces, in order to be able to build up the necessary frictional force, allowing for the coefficient of friction between the rocker member ends and the surfaces of the conical disk pairs.
As the rocker members enter the space between the conical disk pairs, the entry of the rocker members produces an entry impact, which is perceptible externally as noise level. To attenuate that phenomenon, plate-link chains with so-called random pitch have already become known, in which the pitch between the individual links of the plate-link chain is not constant over the length of the plate-link chain, but varies. That makes it possible to achieve a smoothing of the entry noise, so that the entry noise is no longer acoustically dominant in the foreground.
FIG. 1 of the drawings shows a known plate-link chain according to the so-called three-plate structure. Reference numeral 10 designates short link plates, viewed in the longitudinal direction of the plate-link chain, while reference numeral 22 designates long link plates, viewed in the longitudinal direction of the plate-link chain. In the schematic representation shown in FIG. 1, reference numeral 12 designates a pin; in reality it is the center of a pair of rocker members made up of two rocker members 14, 16, as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings.
TK designates a short pitch, while TL designates a long pitch. The pitch T is the distance between the centers of two adjacent pins 12 or of two rocker member pairs 14, 16.
The plate-link chain shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings has become known on the basis of DE 10 2004 007 100. That known plate-link chain has already proven itself very well in use. Analyses of used plate-link chains of that type to determine their wear performance have shown that they are subject to width wear or edge wear in the region of the rocker members, which wear is higher the greater the effective pitch of the plate-link chain. The reason for that is that the greater the pitch, the greater is the normal force impressed on the ends of the rocker members. A higher normal force, in turn, causes greater deformation, and hence greater slippage between the rocker members and the conical disks. The wear performance described above as a function of the pitch length must therefore be seen as a consequence of the frictional power that is dissipated in the pin-disk contact.
The wear performance of the rocker members has an influence on the service life of the belt-driven conical-pulley transmission, so that reducing the end wear of the rocker members contributes to prolonging the service life of the transmission.
Starting from that point, an object of the present invention is to provide a plate-link chain that exhibits improved wear performance.

Plate-link chain for a continuously variable transmission

LuK Lamellen und Kupplungsbau Beteiligungs KG