Systems and methods for implementing recovery processes on failed nodes in a distributed computing environment are described. In accordance with this scheme, one or more migratory recovery modules are launched into the network. The recovery modules migrate from node to node, determine the status of each node, and initiate recovery processes on failed nodes. In this way, scalable recovery processes may be implemented in distributed systems, even with incomplete network topology and membership information. In addition, the complexity and cost associated with manual status monitoring and recovery operations may be avoided.

In modern computer systems, computers may communicate with each other and with other computing equipment over various types of data networks. Routable data networks are configured to route data packets (or frames) from a source network node to one or more destination network nodes. As used herein, the term "routable protocol" refers to a communications protocol that contains a network address as well as a device address, allowing data to be routed from one network to another. Examples of routable protocols are SNA, OSI, TCP/IP, XNS, IPX, AppleTalk, and DECnet. A "routable network" is a network in which communications are conducted in accordance with a routable protocol. One example of a routable network is the Internet, in which data packets are routed in accordance with the Internet Protocol (IP). In a routable data network, when a network routing device (or router) receives a data packet, the device examines the data packet in order to determine how the data packet should be forwarded. Similar forwarding decisions are made as necessary at one or more intermediate routing devices until the data packet reaches a desired destination node.
Network routers typically maintain routing tables that specify network node addresses for routing data packets from a source network node to a destination network node. When a data packet arrives at a router, an address contained within the packet is used to retrieve an entry from the routing table that indicates the next hop (or next node) along a desired route to the destination node. The router then forwards the data packet to the indicated next hop node. The process is repeated at successive router nodes until the packet arrives at the desired destination node. A data packet may take any available path to the destination network node. In accordance with IP, data packets are routed based upon a destination address contained in the data packet. The data packet may contain the address of the source of the data packet, but usually does not contain the address of the devices in the path from the source to the destination. These addresses typically are determined by each routing device in the path based upon the destination address and the available paths listed in the routing tables.
Distributed computer systems typically include a number of recovery functions that increase the reliability of process execution. For example, various checkpointing and restoration (or rollback) techniques have been developed for recovering from hardware and software failures. In accordance with these techniques, the information that is needed to re-execute a process in a given state is stored at a number of checkpoints during the operation of the process. If the execution of the process is interrupted (e.g., the process has failed or is hung), the state of the interrupted process is rolled back to the checkpoint state immediately preceding the interruption, and the process is re-executed from that checkpoint state.
Various heartbeat fault detection schemes also have been developed. In relatively small network environment in which the topology and membership information is known, such heartbeat-based fault detection schemes typically involve heartbeat monitors that are installed at each node of the distributed system to probe the health of each associated node. In general, heartbeat monitors require constant monitoring of all nodes of the system. A heartbeat monitor may probe the health of an associated node process by, for example, detecting if the node process has failed, monitoring the node log file for any indication of process failure, exchanging messages with the node process, or making calls to the node system manager to determine if the system is operating properly. If a heartbeat monitor detects that a particular node process has failed, it may attempt to restart the process or notify a network management system (or console) of the failure, or both.
Still other network recovery schemes have been proposed.

Migrating recovery modules in a distributed computing environment

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


This invention relates to a method of extruding pipes on horizontal presses, and in particular relates to a method of extruding pipes wherein a removable centering plug is provided to prevent displacement of the central guide rod during the initial stages of pipe extrusion. The centering plug is adapted to fit around the guide rod and within the extrusion orifice. The centering plug is concentrically fitted within the extrusion orifice and is capable of being extruded through the extrusion orifice.

Various types of pipe extrusion apparatuses are well known in the prior art. A typical prior art pipe extrusion apparatus is shown schematically in cross-section in FIG. 1. In that apparatus, the extrusion apparatus is a horizontal press shown generally at 10 that includes a horizontal press chamber 112 containing molding material in the form of fine granules or powdered materials 114 that are to be extruded through a target outlet or extrusion orifice 116 in an endplate 118 of the chamber 112. A guide rod 120 positioned coaxially with the longitudinal axis of the press chamber 112 and concentrically within the extrusion orifice 116 extends through the press chamber 112 and out the extrusion orifice 116. A piston member 122 having a piston endcap 124 thereon is positioned within the chamber 112 and surrounds the guide rod 120. When the piston member 122 moves through the press chamber 112 toward the endplate 118, the molding material 114 between the advancing piston endcap 124 and the endplate 118 is forced toward the endplate so that it fills the cavity 113 of the chamber 112 and extrudes through the extrusion orifice 116 around the guide rod 120 to form a pipe. The pipe formed by extruding the material through the orifice around the guide rod has an internal diameter essentially equal to the diameter of the guide rod 120.
While such an extrusion press is not very complex, there are significant drawbacks. In particular, such a press creates excessive variation in the thickness of the extruded pipe due to an upward displacement of the guide rod 120 in the extrusion orifice 116 during the initial stages of compacting the molding material. Early in the extrusion process, when the molding material 114 in the cavity 113 is pushed toward the endplate 118, as the piston member 122 moves toward the endplate 118, and before the molding material completely fills the cavity 113 within the chamber 112 between the piston and the endplate, the molding material initially located at the bottom of chamber is pushed upward against the guide rod 120, thereby causing the guide rod to dislocate from its concentric alignment within the extrusion orifice. When the guide rod 120 dislocates upward, the thickness of the wall of the pipe extruded therearound is no longer uniform. Upward displacement of the guide rod is shown by the arrow A in FIG. 1, and the dislocation of the guide rod causing the thickness of the pipe to vary is show by the different distances .delta..sub.1 and .delta..sub.2. In the cross-section of the pipe 127 shown in FIG. 2, the thickness of the pipe is not uniform, as again represented by the different wall thickness of .delta..sub.1 and .delta..sub.2. Once the guide rod is dislocated from its coaxially aligned position within the chamber 112 and its concentric position within the extrusion orifice 116, it is held in its new, non-concentric, non-aligned position due to the compaction of the molding material therearound at the endplate.
Dislocation of the position of the guide tube and the formation of a sidewall of non-uniform thickness is detrimental to the ultimate goal of producing a hollow pipe with a sidewall of uniform thickness.


To overcome problems concerning the sticking of the check plate in a combined check and control valve, a stop is provided on the valve rod or a guide element in the vicinity of the valve rod, whose distance to the limiting element is smaller than the maximum stroke and larger than the nominal stroke of the limiting element. Thus, it is achieved that the check plate is released from the valve seat by means of the stop, when the valve rod is displaced to the maximum.

DE 40 25 267 A1 describes a check valve for a gas line, wherein a check plate is biased against a valve seat by a plate spring element. A limiting element adjustable, by means of an actuator, abuts the check plate in the closed state of the valve with interposition of the spring, while, in the open state, this limiting element abuts a fixedly installed maximum stroke limit. This limiting element is displaceable between these two maximum positions. With such valves, the problem arises that the check plate tends to stick to the valve seat either due to excessive soot deposits or due to freezing.
DE 94 15 251 U1 proposes a check valve for a gas line, wherein the stroke limiting element is provided with one or more recesses in which individual helical springs are arranged that bias the check plate against a valve seat. In addition, the limiting element has an axial collar in the outer circumferential portion, which in the closed state of the valve also abuts a valve seat. In order to avoid a sticking of the check plate or the limiting element to the valve seats, these are provided with a PTFE layer intended to prevent baking. Further, this valve comprises a guide element on which the check plate slides and which is fixedly secured to the valve rod. This guide element has a collar at the end facing towards the actuator, wherein the check plate abuts this collar only upon assembly.
Forming the valve seats from PTFE, or with a PTFE coating, represents an additional manufacturing step and, thus, entails additional costs. Moreover, in long-term operation of the valve, coking or frozen water can settle in the area next to the valve and may grow beyond the same with time, which may also lead to a sticking of the check plate to the valve seat.
Therefore, it is the object of the present invention to provide a combined check and control valve, wherein an adhering check plate can be reliably released, while additional costs or additional manufacturing steps are to be avoided as far as possible.


A lens system for collecting and focusing light emanating from an object has a cuvette housing the object and having a wall of thickness not greater than 1.5 millimeters; a plano-convex lens having a planar surface affixed to the wall; a sequence of at least three meniscus lenses, each meniscus lens having a concave surface toward the object and a convex surface, each successive meniscus lens receiving the light from the immediately preceding meniscus lens and having radii of curvature of its concave and convex surfaces greater than corresponding radii of the preceding meniscus lens; and at least one compound lens that may be a doublet lens or a triplet lens, the compound lens receiving the light from a last meniscus lens, wherein an image of a geometrical point on the object has a root-mean square spot size equal to or less than 63 μm.

In a flow cytometer, particles of interest (i.e. cells, beads, or other microscopic objects) are transported in a carrier fluid though a cuvette or flow cell. As is well known in the art, some of these particles may be non-fluorescent whereas others may be marked with fluorescent labels that can be used to identify specific particle characteristics or may hold an inherent autofluorescence characteristic which, when excited, can cause emission of electromagnetic radiation (such as photon irradiation or emission).
Lasers are used to excite said labels or particles and signal detection by sensing devices allows parameters such as size, shape, DNA content, surface receptors, enzyme activity, membrane permeability and calcium flux, to name a few applications, to be measured. The present invention is used for signal (where the term "signal" can be considered to pertain to radiation contained within one or more of the UV, visible, or IR regions of the electromagnetic spectrum) collection. The objective lens is typically designed to gather light (scattered, fluorescent, or other) from particles flowing through the interrogation/observation region of the flow cytometer and produce an image that is magnified with respect to the original object. This magnified image may be spatially separated and carried on to be detected by one or more suitable sensing devices such as photomultiplier tubes as those familiar with this technology would appreciate.
Historically, flow cytometers have utilized microscope grade objectives because of the common availability of stock lens parts and designs. Since microscopes are vision systems the optical aberrations are designed to be very low. This insures good quality so that the image can be viewed clearly by the human eye. However, flow cytometers are typically not vision systems and the same amount of image quality has not previously been required to achieve adequate results on a cytometer. The focused image created by the cytometer objective is often formed for simple optical path separation since there may be multiple lasers acting on the stream of particles at one time. It is necessary to maintain a level of quality in the image in order to proceed down the correct respective path and maintain the signal/photons to be detected by the sensing devices. However, this is a lesser level of image quality than what is required when the sensing device is the human eye as is the case in many microscopes.
Specialized optical collection lens systems for flow cytometry that do not rely on commercial microscope objectives have been described. One such prior-art lens system 100 for use in flow cytometry is illustrated in FIG. 1. The lens system 100 (FIG. 1) comprises a transparent plate 108, a plano-convex lens 110 optically coupled to the plate 108, a first meniscus lens 112 optically coupled to the plano-convex lens 110 at a side opposite to the plate 108 and a second meniscus lens 114 optically coupled to the first meniscus lens 112 opposite to the plano-convex lens 110. The prior-art system 100 further comprises a first doublet lens 116 optically coupled to the second meniscus lens 114 at a side opposite to the first meniscus lens 112 and a second doublet lens 122 optically coupled to the first doublet lens 116 as a side opposite to the second meniscus lens 114.
The lens system 100 (FIG. 1) is adapted to magnify the image of and collect light emitted or scattered from an object (OBJ) 102 (typically, biological cellular material) situated within a solution (typically saline water) passing through or housed within a cuvette comprising cuvette walls 104. An optical gel layer 106 provides an interface between the cytometry flow cell and the lens proper and improves lens mounting tolerances.
The plano-convex lens 110 of the prior-art system 100 (FIG. 1) is of a single material of less than 1.55 refractive index and has a planar surface defining an object side of the system and a convex surface having a radius of curvature in a range from 3.5 to 5.5 mm. The two meniscus lenses have concave surfaces facing the object side of the system, the surfaces of the second meniscus lens 114 being less sharply curved than corresponding surfaces of the first meniscus lens 112 and the convex surface of the first meniscus lens 112 being less sharply curved than the convex surface of the plano-convex lens 110.
Although the prior-art flow cytometry lens system 100 is adequate for its intended purposes, it has an overall track length (object to image distance) of over 176 mm and produces a geometrical spot size of 85.04 μm at full field and 71.86 μm on-axis, thereby putting a minimum of 80% of the optical energy of the image of an infinitely small point source within a circle of less than 200 μm diameter. Although a loss in image quality is acceptable for a flow cytometer, it is desirable to have an improved level of resolution for improved signal delivery, optical path separation and spectral resolution. Also, it is desirable to maintain the track length and the lens length (total thickness of all lenses along an optical axis) as small as possible, since space conservation and weight minimization are important considerations in the construction modern flow cytometers. Therefore, the present invention is aimed at improving the resolution and track length relative to the prior art while maintaining a suitable level of chromatic performance. This will allow for greater photon collection and ensure proper delivery of signal to a photo-detection block (comprising a plurality of sensing devices). In particular, a 25% reduction in on-axis and full field RMS spot size is desired with an 80% energy containment radius of 100 μm or less. Numerical aperture should be maximized considering a square cuvette channel to be no less than 0.94. Primary and secondary axial color aberrations should have absolute values less than 0.2 mm.
In addition, the present invention is aimed at reducing the size of the flow cytometer by reducing the overall collection optic track length (as compared to the prior art) by 33%, reducing the lens barrel diameter by over 50% and slightly reducing the lens length. It is desirable to keep the collection optic track length and lens length at less than or equal to 118 mm and 35 mm, respectively, since space and weight conservation are important considerations in the design and construction of today's flow cytometers. In short, the present invention should be physically small with improved resolution and greater chromatic performance as compared to the prior art but should utilize the fact that a cytometer does not need vision quality optics.

System and method for a composite lens for a flow cytometer


A sensor unit for measuring a response characteristic of a polarization rotation liquid crystal cell, includes a measurement light source which emits measurement light, a first polarization plate which has a first polarization direction and receives the measurement light from the measurement light source to output measurement light having the first polarization direction to a polarization rotation liquid crystal cell, a second polarization plate which has a second polarization direction and receives measurement light passed through the polarization rotation liquid crystal cell, a light receiving unit which receives measurement light passed through the second polarization plate, and a measurement unit which determines a response characteristic of the polarization rotation liquid crystal cell on the basis of a drive signal of the polarization rotation liquid crystal cell and the amount of measurement light received by the light receiving unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sensor unit and an image display apparatus having the sensor unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a technique to provide a high-resolution image projection apparatus using a display device, such as an LCD, having a limited number of pixels, a wobbling technique is known which uses a polarization rotation liquid crystal cell and a birefringent plate in combination to perform pixel shifts.
With the wobbling technique, the timing of shifting light is dependent upon on and off of the polarization rotation liquid crystal cell. For this reason, to provide good display, it is important to drive control the polarization rotation liquid crystal cell taking its response into consideration. For example, JP-A No. 11-296135 (KOKAI) discloses a technique to determine an ideal drive signal of the polarization rotation liquid crystal cell. The response characteristic of the polarization rotation liquid crystal cell is temperature dependent. Thus, in order to apply an ideal drive signal to the liquid crystal cell even with temperature changed, a method has also been proposed by which the drive signal is changed on the basis of temperature information from a temperature sensor (see JP-A No. 11-326877 (KOKAI)).
With the proposal described in JP-A No. 11-326877, however, the temperature of the polarization rotation liquid crystal cell is measured; therefore, its response characteristic cannot be obtained. For this reason, it is required to determine the temperature versus response characteristic relationship of the polarization rotation liquid crystal cell in advance. However, it is not practical in terms of time and cost to determine in advance the temperature versus response characteristic relationship for all the polarization rotation liquid crystal cells actually manufactured. One might suggest a method to determine the temperature versus response characteristic relationship of a reference polarization rotation liquid crystal cell in advance. However, an ideal drive signal could not be obtained because the characteristic of the reference polarization rotation liquid crystal cell is not identical to those of polarization rotation liquid crystal cells actually manufactured.
JP-A No. 2000-284255 (KOKAI) discloses a method to calculate the temperature of a display liquid crystal panel from its response speed. However, this proposal does not relate to a polarization rotation liquid crystal cell for wobbling but relates to only a liquid crystal cell for display. In addition, to measure the temperature of the liquid crystal panel, its response speed is merely measured.
As described above, the wobbling technique is known as a technique to obtain a high-resolution image projector. Heretofore, it has been difficult to provide ideal driving of a polarization rotation liquid crystal cell taking its response characteristic into consideration.
The object of the present invention is to provide a sensor unit and an image display apparatus which allow the response characteristic of a polarization rotation liquid crystal cell to be obtained exactly.


A processing device executing a wide area network (WAN) accessible service receive an encrypted digital image comprising a firmware update for an embedded system of a device having a specific device serial number (DSN). The processing device additionally receives device related information from a computing device, wherein the device related information comprises the DSN of the device comprising the embedded system and a version number of a current firmware component installed on the embedded system. The processing device determines, using the device related information, that the encrypted digital image for the device is available. The processing device then provides the encrypted digital image to the computing device for use by the computing device to update a firmware version of the embedded system.

Many modern appliances, consumer devices, and other devices include embedded systems that are configured to perform one or more dedicated functions. Embedded systems of such devices that provide networking capabilities may periodically benefit from updates to the software or firmware that control such capabilities to fix bugs and/or add new functionality.
Updates to computer software and firmware can be delivered to some embedded systems with networking capabilities "over the air" (OTA) from a cloud-based wide area network (WAN) accessible service or other service provider that may deliver a digital image of the software to the embedded system. Typically, a device with an embedded system that can receive updates in this fashion is capable of communicating with the image provider and downloads the image using a secure communication link with the provider. Once a device has been deployed to an end user, future software/firmware updates rely on secure communication with the image provider. When a device cannot communicate with the image provider, a software update cannot typically be provided without returning the device to the manufacturer or performing onsite servicing of the device. This can be especially problematic when one software update causes an unforeseen problem with establishing a secure connection that, as a result, prevents using a subsequent OTA update to correct the problem. Similarly, a device with preloaded software that has been packaged, but not deployed, for an extended period of time may no longer be able to establish a secure connection with an image provider due to an expiration of connection credentials embedded in the software.

Local over the air update of an embedded system


A heat shield according to the invention on a support structure comprises a number of heat shield elements, which are configured and arranged on the support structure such that they abut each other leaving gaps. The support structure of the heat shield according to the invention has a peripheral direction and an axial direction, the heat shield elements abutting each other in the peripheral direction of the support structure leaving a gap, hereafter referred to as a peripheral gap, and in the axial direction of the support structure leaving a gap, hereafter referred to as an axial gap. Both the peripheral gaps and the axial gaps are also sealed by sealing elements, the sealing elements sealing the axial gaps being at a different distance from the support structure from the sealing elements sealing the peripheral gaps.

Heat shields are used for example in combustion chambers or flame tubes, which may be part of a kiln, a hot gas duct or a gas turbine and in which a hot medium is generated or conveyed. For example a combustion chamber that is subject to a high level of thermal loading can be lined with a heat shield to protect it from excessive thermal strain. The heat shield typically has a number of heat shield elements arranged to provide a high level of coverage, which screen the walls of the combustion chamber from the hot medium, e.g. a hot combustion gas, and thereby counteract any excessive thermal loading of the combustion chamber wall.
Such a ceramic heat shield is for example disclosed in EP 0 558 540 B1. It comprises a number of square ceramic heat shield elements, which are attached to an axially symmetrical support structure of the flame tube. Each heat shield element has a hot side facing the hot medium, a cold side facing the supporting wall and four peripheral surfaces connecting the hot side to the cold side, the two peripheral surfaces of a heat shield element opposite each other in the peripheral direction of the support structure being provided with grooves. Spring-type clamps engaging in the grooves serve to fix the heat shield elements in the peripheral direction of the support structure, leaving a gap in between. To keep the thermal loading of the support structure as low as possible, a cooling fluid is fed to the gaps between the heat shield elements, flowing from the cold side towards the hot side through the gap, therefore blocking the gap to prevent penetration of the hot medium.
A ceramic heat shield that is particularly suitable for lining a flame tube for a gas turbine is disclosed for example in DE 41 14 768 A1. It comprises a number of square or trapezoidal ceramic heat shield elements, which are attached to a supporting wall of the flame tube. Each heat shield element has a hot side facing the hot medium, a cold side facing the supporting wall and four peripheral surfaces connecting the hot side to the cold side, two peripheral surfaces on opposite sides of a heat shield element being provided with grooves. Retaining elements with clamp sections are used to attach the heat shield elements to the supporting wall, engaging in the grooves in the peripheral surfaces and clamping the heat shield element in one direction. The retaining elements also each have a support section to support a heat shield element against a third peripheral surface. On the hot side this third peripheral surface has a projection projecting beyond the remainder of the peripheral surface, which rests on the support section of the retaining element such that the heat shield element is also secured in a direction perpendicular to the clamping direction. To allow thermal expansion of the heat shield elements, when they are exposed to the hot medium, the heat shield elements are arranged such that small gaps remain between them. With the fixing method disclosed in DE 41 14 768 A1 the heat shield elements are arranged at defined positions on the supporting wall.
A combustion chamber lining with heat shield elements is also disclosed in EP 1 302 723 A1. In this combustion chamber lining sealing elements are arranged in the gaps between the heat shield elements. The heat shield elements of this combustion chamber lining have grooves on their peripheral surfaces. A sealing element arranged in the gap between two heat shield elements thereby engages in the grooves in the two peripheral surfaces bounding the gap.


A system for despreading a spread spectrum signal includes at least one receiver for capturing a plurality of snapshots of the signal and a processing device for constructing a confidence vector from at least two of the plurality of snapshots. The processing device is operable to generate a first estimated spreading sequence of the signal, and to correlate the first estimated spreading sequence and the confidence vector to generate a second spreading sequence for despreading the signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to signal detection and, more particularly, to detection of a spread spectrum signal and determination of its spreading sequence.
2. Brief Description of Related Developments
Wireless communications systems are commonly employed to provide voice and data communications to users. Such communications systems may use spread spectrum modulation where a data modulated carrier is modulated by a spreading sequence before being transmitted. The spreading sequence usually includes a pseudo-random number (PN) sequence occurring at a chip rate much higher than the bit rate of the data sequence being transmitted.
In a typical spread spectrum receiver, the modulated signal is typically correlated with the particular spreading sequence to produce an estimate of the transmitted data sequence. However, in order to "despread" the spread spectrum signal, the receiver must have information related to the spreading sequence used to modulate the data sequence.
It would be advantageous to be able to detect a spread spectrum signal with unknown characteristics, for example, center frequency, chip rate, spreading sequence, etc., and to identify the spreading sequence of the detected signal for determination of the signal's data sequence.

Method for determining the spreading sequence of a spread spectrum signal


System and method for resynchronizing mirrored volumes in a storage system. According to one embodiment, a system may include a first volume located at a primary site and associated with a first storage management device, and a second volume located at a secondary site and associated with a second storage management device, where the secondary site is coupled to the primary site via a data link, and where the second volume is configured as a mirror of the first volume. The first storage management device may be configured to convey to the second storage management device an indication of a data block written to the first volume subsequent to a failure of the data link. Dependent upon the indication, the second storage management device may be configured to create a snapshot of the data block as stored on the second volume prior to resynchronization of the data block.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to data storage and, more particularly, to techniques for resynchronizing mirrored volumes in storage systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many business organizations and governmental entities rely upon applications that access large amounts of data, often exceeding a terabyte or more of data, for mission-critical applications. Often such data is stored on many different storage devices, which may be centrally located or distributed throughout an enterprise. Such storage devices may be heterogeneous in nature, including many different types of devices from many different manufacturers.
To provide for a degree of security against loss of critical data, for example due to hardware failure or a site-wide catastrophe such as a fire or natural disaster, copies of critical data may be stored at more than one site. For example, critical data may be stored on several volumes, where one volume is configured to mirror another. A mirror volume may be located at a different physical site from a volume at a primary site, which may provide a backup source of data in case of a failure at the primary site.
If a failure occurs during system operation, mirrored data volumes may not reflect the same data (i.e., may become inconsistent), for example if data is written to one mirrored volume but not another. In some cases, inconsistent mirrors may need to be resynchronized following a failure in order for applications to continue operating properly. However, resynchronization of mirrored volumes located at different sites may suffer from slow performance, for example if the communications path between sites is bandwidth-constrained.


A lens apparatus includes a changing unit for changing a user-specified value in a user-specified data segment to a standard set value at any screen state of a display panel. Therefore, a setting information element for each function regarding image capture in the lens apparatus is changed to a standard setting information element by a particular operation. As a result, problems, such as the activation of an undesired function upon the operation of a switch on a drive unit, and the like, are solved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image capturing unit used in a television lens for use in television image capture, the television lens including a lens apparatus and a camera device attached to the lens apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
An optical apparatus for use in television image capture includes a television camera body and a television lens apparatus, and when the optical apparatus is used, the television lens apparatus is attached to the television camera body. The television lens apparatus mainly includes a lens body unit and a drive unit. The lens body unit includes an optical image-capturing system and a manual ring for manually operating the optical image-capturing system. The drive unit contains a motor, a control substrate, and a central processing unit (CPU), all used for electrically driving the manual ring. On the outside of the drive unit, various switches and operating members, both used for providing instructions for electrical control, are disposed. The television image capture by means of the television lens apparatus used to be performed mainly by a manual zoom and a manual aperture setting, but it has been frequently carried out by using an electrical servomotor. As a result, diverse functions are added to the drive unit (see Japanese Patent No. 3420542).
Examples of such functions include a preset function that moves a zoom lens with a motor upon the pressing of a switch up to a position that was stored by a user and a function that assigns this preset function to a desired switch that is freely selected by a user from plural switches disposed on a drive unit.
In order to set these diverse functions, an optical apparatus including a function-setting unit for setting the functions regarding image capture in a lens apparatus, a display panel used for setting the functions, and a storing unit capable of storing a plurality of setting information elements for the individual functions has been proposed. Such an optical apparatus allows a user to grasp settings easily and quickly and has improved usability resulting from increased ease of use of the function-setting unit.
These functions set in this manner can extend the range of image capture performed by photographers and realize an optimal camera work selected in accordance with various image-capturing conditions.
Such an optical apparatus, which is used for television image capture and includes the television camera body and the television lens apparatus, is mostly owned by a broadcast station or an agency, not by an individual, and therefore, the optical apparatus is often used by different photographers, who can individually set various settings. As a result, when a first photographer determines a setting of the optical apparatus and then a second photographer uses the optical apparatus, a problem arises in which the second photographer may encounter the operation of an undesired function when, for example, operating a switch on the drive unit.
Most of the television image capture is unexpectedly started in order to seize an opportunity to capture a critical image. In these cases, the problem described above is prone to lead to missing such an opportunity.
According to the present invention, a setting information element for each function regarding image capture in a television lens apparatus is changed to a standard setting information element by a particular operation, so that problems, such as the operation of an undesired function upon the push of a switch on a drive unit, and the like, are solved.

Lens apparatus allowing changing user settings to standard settings


Methods and compositions are disclosed utilizing optically pure (-) pantoprazole for the treatment of ulcers in humans while substantially reducing the concomitant liability of adverse effects associated with the racemic mixture of pantoprazole. The optically pure (-) isomer is also useful for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux. (-) Pantoprazole is an inhibitor of H.sup.+ release and is therefore useful in the treatment of other conditions related to gastric hypersecretion such as Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome.

This invention relates to novel compositions of matter containing optically pure (-) pantoprazole. These compositions possess potent activity in treating ulcers of the stomach, duodenum and esophagus, gastroesophageal reflux diseases, Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome, and other disorders including those that would benefit from an inhibitory action on gastric acid secretion. (-) Pantoprazole inhibits the H.sup.+, K.sup.+ -ATPase associated with the gastric proton pump and the resulting secretion of gastric acid by parietal cells providing therapy in diseases associated with gastric hyperacidity. Optically pure (-) pantoprazole provides this treatment while substantially reducing adverse effects, including, but not limited to, hepatocellular neoplasia, gastrin hypersecretion, gastric neoplasms or carcinoids, headache, diarrhea and skin alterations which are associated with the administration of the racemic mixture of pantoprazole. Also disclosed are methods for treating the above described conditions in a human while substantially reducing the adverse effects that are associated with the racemic mixture of pantoprazole by administering the (-) isomer of pantoprazole to said human.
The active compound of these compositions and methods is an optical isomer of pantoprazole. The preparation of racemic pantoprazole is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,758,579. The medicinal chemistry of pantoprazole is described by Kohl et al. J. Med. Chem. 35, 1049-1057 (1992)!, Kromer et al. J. Pharm. Exp. Ther. 254, 129-135 (1990)!, Simon et al. Aliment. Pharmacol. Therap. 4, 239-245 (1990)!, Beil et al. Europ. J. Pharmacol. 218, 265-271 (1992)!, and Kromer et al. Pharmacology 41, 333-337 (1990)!. Chemically, the active compound is the (-) isomer of 5-(difluoromethoxy)-2-3,4-dimethoxy-2-pyridinyl)methyl!sulfinyl!-1H-benz imidazole(I), hereinafter referred to as pantoprazole. ##STR1##
(-) Pantoprazole, which is the subject of the present invention, is not presently commercially available; only the 1:1 racemic mixture is commercially available as its sodium salt.
Many organic compounds exist in optically active forms, i.e., they have the ability to rotate the plane of plane-polarized light. In describing an optically active compound, the prefixes D and L or R and S are used to denote the absolute configuration of the molecule about its chiral center(s). The prefixes d and 1 or (+) and (-) are employed to designate the sign of rotation of plane-polarized light by the compound, with (-) or 1 meaning that the compound is levorotatory. A compound prefixed with (+) or d is dextrorotatory. There is no correlation between nomenclature for the absolute stereochemistry and for the rotation of an enantiomer. Thus, D-lactic acid is the same as (-) lactic acid, and L-lactic acid is (+). For a given chemical structure, these chiral compounds exist as a pair of enantiomers which are identical except that they are non-superimposable mirror images of one another. A specific stereoisomer may also be referred to as an enantiomer, and a mixture of such isomers is often called an enantiomeric or racemic mixture.
Stereochemical purity is of importance in the field of pharmaceuticals, where 12 of the 20 most prescribed drugs exhibit chirality. A case in point is provided by the L-form of the beta-adrenergic blocking agent, propranolol, which is known to be 100 times more potent than the D-enantiomer.
Furthermore, optical purity is important since certain isomers may actually be deleterious rather than simply inert. For example, it has been suggested that the D-enantiomer of thalidomide was a safe and effective sedative when prescribed for the control of morning sickness during pregnancy, while the corresponding L-enantiomer has been believed to be a potent teratogen.
The separation of racemic pantoprazole into (+) pantoprazole and (-) pantoprazole is described in German application 4,035,455, but no pharmacology of the individual enantiomers is reported.
Racemic pantoprazole had been in clinical trials in Europe and the United States under the sponsorship of two pharmaceutical manufacturers, but the United States and British sponsor withdrew in 1991 due to concerns about hepatocellular neoplasia seen in rats in a two year carcinogenicity study. Trials continue in Europe and initial reports indicate 90-100% ulcer healing in patients suffering from duodenal ulcers after four weeks of 20 to 80 mg of racemic pantoprazole per day.
Racemic pantoprazole sodium is an orally active, potent, irreversible inhibitor of H.sup.+, K.sup.+ -ATPase. The compound is one of the class of compounds known as gastric "proton pump" inhibitors. These compounds are weak organic bases which diffuse passively from the plasma into the acid-containing intracellular canaliculi of gastric parietal cells. At the low pH found in the lumen of these canaliculi, the protonated compounds rearrange to form pyridinium sulfenamides, which react with sulfhydryl groups present on the ATPase localized in the membranes lining the intracellular canaliculi. The alkylation of the sulfhydryl inhibits the ability of the enzyme to catalyze the secretion of H.sup.+ into the lumen in exchange for K.sup.+ ions. This inhibition results in an overall reduction in hydrochloric acid secretion by the parietal cells into the cavity of the stomach, thus increasing intragastric pH. As a consequence of reduced acidity in the stomach, the activity of the proteolytic enzyme pepsin is also markedly decreased. Because the proton pump is the final step in acid production and the compounds of this class combine covalently with the associated H.sup.+, K.sup.+ -ATPase, a profound and prolonged inhibition of gastric acid secretion can be achieved.
The potency of pantoprazole in vitro as an inhibitor of aminopyrine uptake, which is an index of acid secretion in isolated gastric glands, is similar to that of omeprazole, a structurally related antiulcer agent. Pantoprazole is, however, more chemically stable under neutral and moderately acidic conditions than is omeprazole. This may increase pantoprazole's selectivity for the acid secreting parietal cells, where low pH conditions exist in the intracellular canaliculi. In intact animals, pantoprazole is active in inhibiting gastric acid secretion in both rats and dogs. Specifically, the intravenous and oral doses required to reduce endogenous acid secretion in pylorus-ligated rats by 50% are in the 1-3 .mu.mole/kg range. The calculated oral/intravenous (p.o./i.v.) ratio is approximately 2, suggesting good oral bioavailability. Racemic pantoprazole is also effective at doses less than 5 .mu.mole/kg in inhibiting exogenously stimulated acid secretion induced by a variety of agonists, indicating general activity of the drug in inhibiting acid secretion. The serum half-life of racemic pantoprazole is 1.1 to 1.5 hours in humans. Compared to omeprazole, racemic pantoprazole is a weaker inhibitor of hepatic drug metabolizing enzyme systems in intact rats and rat microsomal enzyme preparations. The intravenous LD.sub.50 values are 632 (rat) and 975 (mice) .mu.mole/kg; oral LD.sub.50 in mice is 1,893 and in rats >2,467 .mu.mol/kg. The p.o./i.v. LD.sub.50 ratio of the compound in mice is about 2 and the rat LD.sub.50 values are at least two to three orders of magnitude greater than the corresponding doses required to produce half-maximal inhibition of endogenous acid secretion in this species.
Although no cardiovascular or obvious physical changes have been observed in humans on short-term administration of racemic pantoprazole, fasting serum gastrin levels are significantly elevated. This is cause for concern because prolonged elevated serum gastrin appears to be associated with diffuse and focal enterochromaffin-like cell hyperplasia and focal neoplasia (carcinoids) in rats. Larsson et al. Gastroenterology 90, 391-399 (1986)!. Thus, despite its advantages, some adverse effects of racemic pantoprazole may remain, including, but not limited to, some incidence of hepatocellular neoplasia and gastric carcinoids on long-term therapy, and headache, diarrhea and skin alterations on acute therapy. It would therefore be particularly desirable to find a compound with the advantages of the racemic mixture of pantoprazole which would not have the aforementioned disadvantages.

Methods and compositions for treating gastric disorders using optically pure (-) pantoprazole


Example link recovery methods and apparatus are described. One example method includes determining a link failure of a first control resource set, where the first control resource set is a control resource set configured by a first master information block MIB. A link failure recovery request is sent, where the link failure recovery request is used to request to recover a communication link of the first control resource set. The first control resource set may be a control resource set (CORESET), a control region, or an enhanced physical downlink control channel (ePDCCH) set defined in a 5G mobile communications system.

With emergence of intelligent terminals, especially emergence of video services on the terminals, current spectrum resources can hardly match an explosive growth of users' capacity requirements. A high frequency band (for example, a millimeter-wave band) with a larger available bandwidth gradually becomes a candidate frequency band of a next-generation communications system. However, the high frequency band causes a larger path loss than a low frequency band.
A signal transmission mechanism based on a beamforming technology is used to overcome the path loss of the high frequency band. The beamforming technology compensates for the path loss by generating a relatively large antenna gain in a specific direction. When a signal is transmitted based on the beamforming technology because the signal has a relatively large antenna gain only in a specific direction, once a receive end moves (that is, a beam is not aligned) or a relatively large obstacle appears on a transmission path of the signal (that is, a beam is blocked), an antenna gain of the signal is greatly reduced, and signal interruption frequently occurs at the receive end.
The beam needs to be adjusted in time when the beam is not aligned or the beam is blocked, to quickly recover a communication link, so as to reduce a communication latency. In all communication links to be recovered, a communication link of a control resource set configured by a master information block (MIB) is particularly important. Therefore, how to recover the communication link of the control resource set configured by the MIB is a problem to be resolved.


An apparatus for controlled hydration and continuous full absorption cooking of a bed of particulate food product, the apparatus comprising a substantially horizontal vessel (12) in which the hydration and cooking process takes place, having an inlet end (14) and an inlet port (16) for introducing food product into the vessel, an outlet end (18) and an outlet port (20) for the discharge of the food product, an upper portion (22), and at least one trough portion (24); a loading device (38) for introducing food product into the vessel; a conveying device (30) for moving food product from the inlet end to the outlet end of the vessel during the hydration and cooking process; a hydration device (47) for hydration and cooking the food product during the transit by the conveying device from the inlet end to the outlet end of the vessel, the hydration device delivering water to the surfaces of the food product so that the food product is exposed to water at substantially its rate of absorption during the hydration and cooking process; and an outlet device for discharging the food product from the vessel.

The present invention relates generally to large scale grain cookers, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for continuous controlled hydration grain cooking.
Rice is normally cooked in batches using what is known as a xe2x80x9cfull absorption method.xe2x80x9d This entails placing a measured volume of rice in a vessel, submerging it in precisely the amount of water that the rice will absorb, and heating the water to a full boil. A measured amount of rice that matches the water in the vessel is then added to the water and the combination of water and rice is brought to a boil while simultaneously being mixed gently. Once the water is boiling the heat is turned down or off and the rice is allowed to sit in the water at a temperature of between 190-210xc2x0 F. for approximately 20 minutes or until all of the water has been absorbed and the rice is fully hydrated and cooked.
This method is used for most types of rice, such as long-grained rice, medium- and short-grained xe2x80x98stickyxe2x80x99 rice, brown and basmati rice. Flavored rice is made by mixing flavorings such as turmeric or saffron into the water before the rice is added so that the rice will absorb the flavoring. Pilaf rice is also cooked in the same way by sauteeing onions, garlic and other herbs and spices, adding the water, bringing the water to a boil, and finally adding the rice to absorb the mixed ingredients.
A second method of cooking rice is termed the xe2x80x9cexcess waterxe2x80x9d method. In this method, the rice is added to a volume of water in excess of the amount the rice will absorb. At the end of the cooking process, when. the rice is fully cooked and hydrated, there will be some free water. The excess water method cannot be used in cooking Asian style xe2x80x98stickyxe2x80x99 rice because the excess water washes the starch from the surface of the kernels and leaves the rice less sticky. This method also cannot be used for cooking flavored rice or pilaf rice because the excess water dilutes the flavorings. Flavorings for rice are generally very expensive and it is desirable not to waste them by washing them away with the excess water.
The full absorption method of rice cooking is always used in batch cooking of rice. This method works reasonably well when the batch size is small (1-5 lbs. per batch). However, it does not work well when the batch size is several hundred pounds. This is because cooked rice on the surface of the batch has a lower water content than the rice on the bottom of the batch, rendering the batch of uneven quality. The unevenness occurs because as the rice kernels absorb water the kernels swell and the batch rises slightly out of the water pool. Once the top layer of rice has emerged from the water it cannot absorb additional water; at the same time rice kernels at lower levels in the batch with excess water around them continue to absorb additional water. When using this method, where the rice batch is 8-24 inches deep, the top layers have a much lower water content than the rice in the lower layers. In fact, rice at the bottom of the batch is over hydrated, soft and spongy; rice in the middle layers is generally hydrated properly, and rice near the top is under hydrated.
Continuous cooking of all cereal grain and cereal products, including rice, is much more efficient than cooking in batches. However, up to the present time true continuous cooking of rice could only be accomplished using the excess water method, and even then it was only used in cooking simple long grained white rice.
In Asia a semi-continuous full absorption cooking method is employed. The Asian medium- or short-grained types of rice are pre-soaked in water for one to two hours before cooking. Small pots are filled with a precise amount of water and pre-soaked rice, then conveyed through an oven to cook the rice in assembly line fashion. This system is very expensive and complicated to mechanize or to perform robotically for the following reasons: each pot must be filled with exactly the right amount of water and rice; the cover must be mechanically placed on the top of the cooking vessel; the pot is then conveyed through the oven; the cover is removed and the cooked rice tipped out; and the pot must then be washed and conveyed back to the beginning to receive another batch of rice and water. A machine to cook 2000 lbs. per hour of sticky rice presently costs in excess of $1,000,000 USD.
An additional disadvantage of this type of rice cooking system is that the rice is not stirred during the hydration time in the oven. As a result rice at the bottom of the pot has longer water contact time than rice at the top of the pot. Again, this results in uneven quality as the rice on the top layers have a lower water content than the rice kernels on the bottom layers. Accordingly, the result is much the same as that of the commercial batch cooking systems, with one difference: even the rice in the middle layers of the batch are generally not properly hydrated.
No other continuous full absorption method of cooking rice has been devised other than the assembly line pot method. Evidently no one has been able to conceive of a way to control the water and keep it in contact with each kernel until all rice kernels absorb the proper amount of water.
Generally: The present invention relates to a method of cooking cereal grains and products made of cereal grains in a batch cooker or continuously in a continuous cooker with controlled hydration. Also disclosed is an apparatus for the batch cooking of cereal grains and for the continuous cooking of cereal grains using the full absorption cooking method. Using the method and apparatus disclosed herein, a large bed of uncooked particulate cereal product is heated by direct steam injection without being in the presence of liquid water until the product is thoroughly heated to a temperature of approximately 190-200xc2x0 F. Hot water, approximately 200xc2x0 F. is then metered and periodically sprayed onto the top layers of the cereal at a rate slightly higher than the absorption rate of the food product, thereby allowing the water to percolate down through the cereal to the bottom layers at a rate matching the rate at which the product absorbs it during its vertical migration. The cereal in its fully heated condition begins to absorb the water that coats the surface of the cereal kernels. By periodically metering and spraying more water onto the cereal grain layers at a rate slightly above the rate at which the hydrating kernels absorb the water, the kernels throughout the volume of product will hydrate at an optimal rate.
In a continuous cooker this process is employed while the cereal is conveyed horizontally from an inlet end of the cooker toward the discharge or outlet end. At the discharge end of the cooker the cereal grains are fully hydrated and have absorbed all of the cook water sprayed onto the kernels during its transit through the cooking apparatus.
Although this invention applies to any cereal grain (such as rice, wheat, oats, corn, etc.) or any product made from cereal grain (such as pasta, oat meal, risotto, etc.) the instant application refers to rice for purposes of illustration and example only.
The full absorption batch or continuous rice cooking process and apparatus of the present invention will produce high quality rice at a fraction of the cost of existing batch or continuous assembly line pot cooking systems. It can cook Asian short grained xe2x80x98stickyxe2x80x99 rice, flavored rice and pilaf rice. The cooking process is controlled precisely to result in the same quality as batch cooked rice.
Summary of the Inventive Method: Each type of rice has a sequence of stages in the full absorption cooking process: First, either immediately preceding or as product is loaded into the cooking vessel, the rice kernels are washed for approximately four minutes to remove dust and surface starch. This is an optional but preferable stage; i.e., the rice need not be washed before cooking. The washing is accomplished by spraying water onto the rice at a high rate through at least one nozzle and while the rice is still at a relatively low temperature. The rice does not absorb water during this stage. After washing, the rice is exposed to steam in a heating stage for approximately three minutes. This brings the temperature of the rice up to substantially the temperature of the hot water that will be sprayed onto the rice throughout the cooking stages, thus equilibrating the rice. During this xe2x80x98heatingxe2x80x99 stage the kernels remain hard, relatively impermeable, and absorb. very little water. For the next approximately thirteen minutes (13 to 18 minutes into the cook) most of the water that will be absorbed in cooking is sucked into the kernels as the water is sprayed onto the rice through a plurality of hot water nozzles during a xe2x80x98steam and hydrationxe2x80x99 stage. Then, for the next approximately five to seven minutes (18-25 minutes into the cook) the water absorption of the rice dramatically slows down and the rice begins to swell in the final cooking stage, i.e., the final steaming stage, which is accomplished by the extremely steamy air maintained in the cooking vessel generally. but especially in the region proximate the discharge end of the cooker. This final stage gives each kernel a plump firm texture. After cooking, the rice is conveyed through a discharge outlet and into discharge bin.
The surface tension of a small amount of water coating each rice kernel will hold the water in place without runoff. If additional water is sprayed onto the rice, the surface tension of the water will be overcome and the excess water will gravitate to a lower level. In contrast to all existing art, both the continuous and batch cooking methods of the present invention involve spraying hot water onto the surface of the rice at a controlled, metered rate so that the surface tension of the water keeps the cook water in contact with each kernel as the rice absorbs the water. By controlling the rate at which the water is sprayed on or pulsing the water spray on and off, the water seeps down through the layers of rice from top to bottom at the same rate as the water is absorbed by the rice kernels at all levels and layers. Furthermore, in the continuous cooking method, the rice is periodically moved longitudinally through the cooking vessel while simultaneously being mixed to ensure extremely homogeneous exposure time to cook water.
Summary of the Inventive Apparatus for Continuous Cooking: The present invention may be embodied as a continuous grain cooking apparatus or a batch grain cooking apparatus. The continuous cooking apparatus comprises a substantially horizontal vessel in which the hydration and cooking process takes place. The vessel may have either a single trough or twin, side-by-side troughs. In a vessel with a single trough is a motorized screw conveyor with a single auger; in a vessel with twin trough the screw conveyor comprises parallel, side by side intermeshing augers. For long grained rice or cereals that do not stick together, a single auger system is adequate. For sticky rice or sticky cereal products, such as risotto or hominy grits, the product will stick to the rotating screw and will not convey properly. Accordingly, a double auger system is more suitable for continuous cooking of such products.
The auger flights on the double auger system are wound such that by rotating the augers in a counter rotating direction, up in the center, the rice is pushed to center of the cooker conveyor as the rice is conveyed from the inlet toward the outlet.( The mound of rice conveyed through the vessel is referred to herein as a rice bed or a bed of rice.) When the augers"" direction of rotation is reversed the rice is pushed outwardly toward the sides of the vessel and away from the center or interior. By changing the direction of rotation on a preprogrammed interval, the rice bed will be spread out and then pushed together in the center repeatedly as the bed is conveyed toward the discharge end. This movement and agitation exposes a high percentage of the rice kernels to the water spray from above and continuously stirs the rice to promote even hydration.
Down the length of the auger the 360 degree auger flights may be intermittently separated by sections of shaft without flights and on which mixing bars, or spokes, are welded and radially disposed. The action of the counter rotating augers, which rotate upwardly in the center, has the effect of keeping sticky rice from sticking to the auger flights while the bars mix the hydrating rice. The auger flights on the opposing auger clean the product from the flights on the adjacent auger. The spokes may also be equipped with paddles affixed to their distal end to assist in mixing and moving rice, as well as cleaning product from surfaces within the spoke""s range of movement.
Along the bottom of the twin auger trough is a row of direct steam injectors. These injectors are oriented to inject steam into the moving rice as it is conveyed along. The continuous gentle stirring of the rice by the counter rotating augers keeps the water spray and steam evenly mixed with the hydrating rice.
The rice is metered into the inlet of the cooker either manually or, preferably, by an electronic weigh belt feeder or gravimetric screw feeder. As the raw, dry rice is metered into the cooker it may be washed with a heavy water spray using either cold or hot water and the excess water then drained out through a screen in the bottom of the cooker tub. Alternatively, washing may be accomplished outside the cooker, drained, and then conveyed onto the feeder using any of a number of suitable conveying devices, preferably an elevator conveyor. The washing removes dust and surface starch that collects on the kernels during the milling process. Wash water representing approximately ten percent (10%) of the weight of the dry rice will be held around the dry rice kernels due to water surface tension. If hot water is used in the wash, the heat from the hot wash water (200xc2x0 F.) increases the temperature of the rice as it is being washed.
The control of the rice feeder is electronically networked with the control of the cook water metering system and the agitation system through a programmable logic controller (PLC). This control system may be programmed to spray extremely precise amounts of hot water at any point in the length of the cooking vessel, and during any stage of the agitation cycle, to keep each kernel surrounded with a preferred amount of water as it hydrates. The control assures that an excess of water will not be sprayed onto the rice bed. Using prior methods, an excess of water is often sprayed onto the bed of rice during the cooking process, and the water tends to collect near the bottom layers of the bed. Using the present inventive apparatus and method, if water is sprayed on at too high a rate in one area, the paddles on the slowly rotating auger flights redistribute the excess water to less hydrated rice kernels.
The water spray rate is governed by the feed rate of the rice being fed into the cooker. The ratio of water to rice and the percentage of water flow at each point in the length of the cooker are controlled by a PLC. These variables can be independently programmed for any product being cooked (cereal grain or product made with a cereal grain).
To get good water spray coverage on the fill surface of the layers of rice being conveyed, the water metering system cycles on and off under precise control by the PLC program, which coordinates the rice gravimetric or weigh belt feeder. the auger motor, and the water flow control valve. The water flow is controlled with a sufficient flow rate to provide adequate spray coverage and is turned off automatically at each spray nozzle location when the proper metered amount of water has been sprayed on to match the hydration of the entire bed of rice. The pulsing of the water on and off controls the distribution of water from the inlet end of the vessel to the discharge end.
Flavorings and spices can be mixed with the cook water and sprayed onto the hydrating rice. Even cooked diced onions, garlic or tomato can be metered into the rice since the intermeshing augers will gently mix in these ingredients. Because there is no excess water to carry the ingredients away or to compromise the even distribution of these ingredients, the resulting finished rice dish is homogeneous throughout the production cycle. Large particulate products such as bay leaves can be added to the rice on a continuous basis and they will be mixed in thoroughly and evenly.
It is important that the rice be kept at or near 210xc2x0 F. during the full length of the hydration cycle, and it is also important that the environment above the rice be maintained steamy and moist throughout the full length of the cooker. To ensure the maintenance of this environment, the cover is sealed with a water seal or gasket system and the direct steam diffusers are positioned the full length of the cooker. Steam that is not condensed by the hydrating rice is contained above the rice and is locked in by the water sealed cover. The only place steam can escape is through small openings at the inlet and outlet of the cooker. The cook water sprayed onto the hydrating rice is continuously preheated to 195-200xc2x0 F. as it passes through a water heater either mounted on the cooker or located separately.
Summary of the Inventive Apparatus for Batch Cooking: The controlled hydration method and apparatus may also be adapted for use in a batch cooking process wherein the food product is not conveyed or moved in the cooking vessel or relative to the hydration source. As embodied in a commercial batch rice cooker, the batch cooking apparatus of the present invention provides means for water to be sprayed onto stationary rice in a batch cooking vessel at the same time steam injectors are injecting steam in the region immediately underneath the rice batch. The steam rising up through the batch heats the rice while the water seeping down from the top layers provides the moisture for proper hydration. Gravity distributes the cook water evenly from top to bottom hydrating every rice kernel properly.
This controlled hydration method of full absorption cooking can be used for cooking grains and cereals other than rice, including wheat, barley, oats, pasta and other food products with a cereal composition.

Apparatus for controlled hydration grain cooking


A computer graphics system that utilizes a super-sampled sample buffer and a sample-to-pixel calculation unit for refreshing the display, wherein the graphics system may store sample position information as offsets to coordinates in the sample buffer. The graphics system may have a graphics processor, a super-sampled sample buffer, and a sample-to-pixel calculation unit. The graphics processor renders samples into the sample buffer at computed positions or locations in the sample buffer. The sample positions may be computed using various sample positioning schemes. The sample-to-pixel calculation unit uses the position information to select the samples for filtering during generation of output pixels. In one embodiment, for each sample, the position information comprises one or more offset values, such as an x-offset and a y-offset, wherein the offset values are relative to pre-defined locations in the sample buffer, such as pre-determined pixel center coordinates or predetermined bin coordinates. The position information may be stored in the sample buffer with the samples, or may be stored in a separate sample position memory coupled to the graphics processor. The samples may also be stored according to a bin ordering, wherein the bin ordering indicates a position of the samples in the respective bin. The sample-to-pixel calculation unit may use the bin ordering of the samples in the bins to index into a look-up table memory to determine the position information of the samples. The graphics system may include double buffered sample position memories.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of computer graphics and, more particularly, to high performance graphics systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
A computer system typically relies upon its graphics system for producing visual output on the computer screen or display device. Early graphics systems were only responsible for taking what the processor produced as output and displaying it on the screen. In essence, they acted as simple translators or interfaces. Modem graphics systems, however, incorporate graphics processors with a great deal of processing power. They now act more like coprocessors rather than simple translators. This change is due to the recent increase in both the complexity and amount of data being sent to the display device. For example, modem computer displays have many more pixels, greater color depth, and are able to display more complex images with higher refresh rates than earlier models. Similarly, the images displayed are now more complex and may involve advanced techniques such as anti-aliasing and texture mapping.
As a result, without considerable processing power in the graphics system, the CPU would spend a great deal of time performing graphics calculations. This could rob the computer system of the processing power needed for performing other tasks associated with program execution and thereby dramatically reduce overall system performance. With a powerful graphics system, however, when the CPU is instructed to draw a box on the screen, the CPU is freed from having to compute the position and color of each pixel. Instead, the CPU may send a request to the video card stating xe2x80x9cdraw a box at these coordinates.xe2x80x9d The graphics system then draws the box, freeing the processor to perform other tasks.
Generally, a graphics system in a computer (also referred to as a graphics system) is a type of video adapter that contains its own processor to boost performance levels. These processors are specialized for computing graphical transformations, so they tend to achieve better results than the general-purpose CPU used by the computer system. In addition, they free up the computer""s CPU to execute other commands while the graphics system is handling graphics computations. The popularity of graphical applications, and especially multimedia applications, has made high performance graphics systems a common feature of computer systems. Most computer manufacturers now bundle a high performance graphics system with their systems.
Since graphics systems typically perform only a limited set of functions, they may be customized and therefore are far more efficient at graphics operations than the computer""s general-purpose central processor. While early graphics systems were limited to performing two-dimensional (2D) graphics, their functionality has increased to support three-dimensional (3D) wire-frame graphics, 3D solids, and now includes support for three-dimensional (3D) graphics with textures and special effects such as advanced shading, fogging, alpha-blending, and specular highlighting.
The processing power of 3D graphics systems has been improving at a breakneck pace. A few years ago, shaded images of simple objects could only be rendered at a few frames per second, while today""s systems support rendering of complex objects at 60 Hz or higher. At this rate of increase, in the not too distant future, graphics systems will literally be able to render more pixels than a single human""s visual system can perceive. While this extra performance may be useable in multiple-viewer environments, it may be wasted in more common primarily single-viewer environments. Thus, a graphics system is desired which is capable of matching the variable nature of the human resolution system (i.e., capable of putting the quality where it is needed or most perceivable).
While the number of pixels is an important factor in determining graphics system performance, another factor of equal import is the quality of the image. For example, an image with a high pixel density may still appear unrealistic if edges within the image are too sharp or jagged (also referred to as xe2x80x9caliasedxe2x80x9d). One well-known technique to overcome these problems is anti-aliasing. Anti-aliasing involves smoothing the edges of objects by shading pixels along the borders of graphical elements. More specifically, anti-aliasing entails removing higher frequency components from an image before they cause disturbing visual artifacts. For example, anti-aliasing may soften or smooth high contrast edges in an image by forcing certain pixels to intermediate values (e.g., around the silhouette of a bright object superimposed against a dark background).
Another visual effect used to increase the realism of computer images is alpha blending. Alpha blending is a technique that controls the transparency of an object, allowing realistic rendering of translucent surfaces such as water or glass. Another effect used to improve realism is fogging. Fogging obscures an object as it moves away from the viewer. Simple fogging is a special case of alpha blending in which the degree of alpha changes with distance so that the object appears to vanish into a haze as the object moves away from the viewer. This simple fogging may also be referred to as xe2x80x9cdepth cueingxe2x80x9d or atmospheric attenuation, i.e., lowering the contrast of an object so that it appears less prominent as it recedes. More complex types of fogging go beyond a simple linear function to provide more complex relationships between the level of translucence and an object""s distance from the viewer. Current state of the art software systems go even further by utilizing atmospheric models to provide low-lying fog with improved realism.
While the techniques listed above may dramatically improve the appearance of computer graphics images, they also have certain limitations. In particular, they may introduce their own aberrations and are typically limited by the density of pixels displayed on the display device.
As a result, a graphics system is desired which is capable of utilizing increased performance levels to increase not only the number of pixels rendered but also the quality of the image rendered. In addition, a graphics system is desired which is capable of utilizing increases in processing power to improve the results of graphics effects such as anti-aliasing.
Prior art graphics systems have generally fallen short of these goals. Prior art graphics systems use a conventional frame buffer for refreshing pixel/video data on the display. The frame buffer stores rows and columns of pixels that exactly correspond to respective row and column locations on the display. Prior art graphics system render 2D and/or 3D images or objects into the frame buffer in pixel form, and then read the pixels from the frame buffer during a screen refresh to refresh the display. Thus, the frame buffer stores the output pixels that are provided to the display. To reduce visual artifacts that may be created by refreshing the screen at the same time the frame buffer is being updated, most graphics systems"" frame buffers are double-buffered.
To obtain more realistic images, some prior art graphics systems have gone further by generating more than one sample per pixel. As used herein, the term xe2x80x9csamplexe2x80x9d refers to calculated color information that indicates one or more of the color, depth (z), transparency, and potentially other information, of a particular point on an object or image. For example a sample may comprise the following component values: a red value, a green value, a blue value, a z value, and an alpha value (e.g., representing the transparency of the sample). A sample may also comprise other information, e.g., a z-depth value, a blur value, an intensity value, brighter-than-bright information, and an indicator that the sample consists partially or completely of control information rather than color information (i.e., xe2x80x9csample control informationxe2x80x9d). By calculating more samples than pixels (i.e., super-sampling), a more detailed image is calculated than can be displayed on the display device. For example, a graphics system may calculate four samples for each pixel to be output to the display device. After the samples are calculated, they are then combined or filtered to form the pixels that are stored in the frame buffer and then conveyed to the display device. Using pixels formed in this manner may create a more realistic final image because overly abrupt changes in the image may be smoothed by the filtering process.
These prior art super-sampling systems typically generate a number of samples that are far greater than the number of pixel locations on the display. These prior art systems typically have rendering processors that calculate the samples and store them into a render buffer. Filtering hardware then reads the samples from the render buffer, filters the samples to create pixels, and then stores the pixels in a traditional frame buffer. The traditional frame buffer is typically double-buffered, with one side being used for refreshing the display device while the other side is updated by the filtering hardware. Once the samples have been filtered, the resulting pixels are stored in a traditional frame buffer that is used to refresh the display device. These systems, however, have generally suffered from limitations imposed by the conventional frame buffer and by the added latency caused by the render buffer and filtering. Therefore, an improved graphics system is desired which includes the benefits of pixel super-sampling while avoiding the drawbacks of the conventional frame buffer.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/251,453 titled xe2x80x9cGraphics System With Programmable Real-Time Sample Filteringxe2x80x9d discloses a computer graphics system that utilizes a super-sampled sample buffer and a sample-to-pixel calculation unit for refreshing the display. The graphics processor generates a plurality of samples and stores them into a sample buffer. The graphics processor preferably generates and stores more than one sample for at least a subset of the pixel locations on the display. Thus, the sample buffer is a super-sampled sample buffer which stores a number of samples that may be far greater than the number of pixel locations on the display. The sample-to-pixel calculation unit is configured to read the samples from the super-sampled sample buffer and filter or convolve the samples into respective output pixels, wherein the output pixels are then provided to refresh the display. The sample-to-pixel calculation unit selects one or more samples and filters them to generate an output pixel. The sample-to-pixel calculation unit may operate to obtain samples and generate pixels which are provided directly to the display with no frame buffer therebetween.
In a system with a super-sampled sample buffer and sample-to-pixel calculation units, the samples are calculated and stored at positions or locations in the sample buffer. Sample position information is stored for each sample which indicates the position or location of each sample in the sample buffer. This sample position information is created when the samples are rendered into the sample buffer, and the sample position information is used by the sample-to-pixel calculation unit in selecting samples for filtering. Due to the large number of samples stored in the sample buffer, improved techniques are desired for more efficiently storing position information of the samples in the sample buffer.
The present invention comprises a computer graphics system that utilizes a super-sampled sample buffer and a programmable sample-to-pixel calculation unit for refreshing the display, wherein the graphics system has improved storage of position information of the samples in the sample buffer. In one embodiment, the graphics system may have a graphics processor, a super-sampled sample buffer, and a sample-to-pixel calculation unit.
The graphics processor generates a plurality of samples and stores them into a sample buffer. The graphics processor preferably generates and stores more than one sample for at least a subset of the pixel locations on the display. Thus, the sample buffer is a super-sampled sample buffer which stores a number of samples that, in some embodiments, may be far greater than the number of pixel locations on the display. In other embodiments, the total number of samples may be closer to, equal to, or even less than the total number of pixel locations on the display device, but the samples may be more densely positioned in certain areas and less densely positioned in other areas.
The sample-to-pixel calculation unit is configured to read the samples from the super-sampled sample buffer and filter or convolve the samples into respective output pixels, wherein the output pixels are then provided to refresh the display. The sample-to-pixel calculation unit selects one or more samples and filters them to generate an output pixel. Note the number of samples selected and/or filtered by the sample-to-pixel calculation unit is typically greater than one.
The sample-to-pixel calculation unit may access the samples from the super-sampled sample buffer, perform a filtering operation, and then provide the resulting output pixels directly to the display, preferably in real-time. The graphics system may operate without a conventional frame buffer, i.e., the graphics system may not utilize a conventional frame buffer which stores the actual pixel values that are being refreshed on the display. Thus, the sample-to-pixel calculation units may calculate each pixel for each screen refresh on a real time basis or on an on-the-fly basis.
The graphics processor renders samples into the sample buffer at computed positions or locations in the sample buffer. The sample positions may be computed using various sample positioning schemes, such as a grid-based or stochastic position generation. The graphics processor may operate to calculate positions during rendering of samples into the sample buffer and utilize these calculated positions during rendering, and the graphics processor may also store the calculated position information for each of the samples. Alternatively, the graphics processor may use pre-computed position information. The position information indicates the position or location of the respective samples in the sample buffer. The position information may be programmable, such as on a per frame or per bin basis. The sample-to-pixel calculation unit uses the position information to select the samples for filtering during generation of output pixels.
In one embodiment, for each sample, the position information comprises one or more offset values, such as an x-offset and a y-offset, wherein the offset values are relative to pre-defined locations in the sample buffer. The one or more offset values may be offsets relative to a pre-defined grid in the sample buffer, such as pre-determined pixel center coordinates or pre-determined bin coordinates. For example, the samples may be stored in the sample buffer within bins, wherein each respective bin defines a region in the sample buffer in which samples in the respective bin are located, and the one or more offset values comprise offset values relative to a bin. Thus, the sample-to-pixel calculation unit may determine a position of each sample within a respective bin by using the one or more offset values associated with the sample and the sample""s bin position.
The position information may be stored in the sample buffer with the samples, or may be stored in a separate sample position memory coupled to the graphics processor. In one embodiment, where the samples are stored in the sample buffer within bins, the samples are stored in the sample buffer according to a bin ordering, wherein the bin ordering indicates a position of the samples in the respective bin. In other words, the samples are stored in the sample buffer memory in an order corresponding to their respective relative positions in the bins. Thus, separate storage of sample position information may not be necessary, as the bin ordering of a sample in the sample buffer memory implies a position or offset of the sample. A look-up table memory may be included which stores position information, such as offsets, for each of the samples according to the bin ordering. The sample-to-pixel calculation unit may use the bin ordering of the samples in the bins to index into the look-up table memory to determine the position information of the samples.
In one embodiment, the look-up table memory stores a number of offset values which is less than the number of samples stored in the sample buffer. For example, the look-up table memory may store a number of offset values corresponding to only one bin of the sample buffer, wherein these offset values are reused for each bin of the sample buffer. The sample-to-pixel calculation unit may also manipulate bits in addresses to obtain different offset values for samples in respective bins.
The graphics system may include double buffered sample position memories, e.g., a first memory and a second memory which each are used to store position information for each of the samples. The graphics processor uses the first memory to access and/or store position information during rendering of samples into the sample buffer, while the sample-to-pixel calculation unit may contemporaneously use the second memory during generation of output pixels. Thus, the first memory may transfer current position information for a current frame to the second memory. The sample-to-pixel calculation unit may then use the second memory to determine the current position information of the samples, while the graphics processor contemporaneously stores position information for a subsequent frame into the first memory. Thus, the sample position memory may essentially be double buffered in this manner.

Graphics system having a super sampled-sample buffer with efficient storage of sample position information


An original reading device is provided with an original cover, an original reading device main body, and a cover attachment portion that attaches the original cover to the original reading device main body in an openable and closeable manner, and the cover attachment portion is constituted by a rod-shaped hinge portion that is attached to the original cover through an open-close mechanism portion, and a hinge guide portion that is provided in the original reading device main body and through which the rod-shaped hinge portion is inserted and supported, and a latch indentation is provided in the hinge guide portion such that a latch protrusion provided at a lower portion of the rod-shaped hinge portion is latched into the latch indentation to maintain a state in which the rod-shaped hinge portion is pulled out a predetermined distance from the hinge guide portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an original reading device that is provided with an original cover, which is provided with an original transport device; an original reading device main body, which is provided with an original placement platform; and a cover attachment portion for attaching the original cover to the original reading device main body in an openable and closeable manner, and more specifically relates to original reading devices and image forming apparatuses including the same in which adjustment of an opening angle of the original cover is enabled by devising a hinge structure of the cover attachment portion.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional original reading devices employ a hinge structure as the cover attachment portion for attaching the original cover to the original reading device main body in an openable and closeable manner. A structure that enables the original cover to open from zero to almost 90 degrees with respect to the reading surface of the original placement platform of the original reading device main body is widely employed as the conventional hinge structure (see JP 2007-86756A for example).
However, in the case of a configuration in which the original cover is provided with the original transport device, there is a problem that when the original cover is opened 90 degrees while originals are placed on the original transport device, the originals placed on the original transport device slip down undesirably to a rear side (back side) of the original reading device due to the tilt of the original cover. Furthermore, even in a case where a thick original such as a book are placed on the original placement platform, there is almost no usage situation as an actual situation in ordinary usage conditions that necessitates the original cover being opened to 90 degrees.
For this reason, conventional original reading devices that are provided with an original cover having an original transport device are commonly configured so that when the original cover is opened while originals are placed on the original transport device, it can only open to an angle at which originals do not drop, for example, approximately 60 degrees.
However, in original reading devices in which the original cover opens only to 60 degrees, for example in a case where the original reading portion (scanner portion) has suffered a malfunction (for example, a case where dust has adhered to the back surface of the glass of the original placement platform and the shape of this dust is being copied undesirably, or a case where a component breakdown has occurred in the original scanning portion in which a lamp, mirrors, and reading elements and the like are mounted for reading the originals), even if an attempt is made to remove the glass of the original placement platform to perform work on internal portions of the scanner portion, a driver for removing the screws or the like by which the glass is installed will not be able to reach desired positions by only an operation of opening the original cover based on the hinge structure portion, and ultimately it will be necessary to carry out repair work and the like by removing the entire original reading device from the image forming apparatus main body, which is a problem in that the work involved becomes more extensive.
Furthermore, in a case where the original reading device is to be taken out, it is necessary to remove wires and the like connected between the device and the image forming apparatus, which is a problem in that more time and effort is required in the work.

Original reading device and image forming apparatus including the same


A mobile platform includes a GPS receiver system to collect position related information for storage in a database. Sensors further collect platform operational information for storage in the database. A control processor for the mobile platform collects the stored information for periodic transmission over a wireless communications link to a remote location for further processing and handling. The control processor is configured to periodically engage in data collection from the GPS receiver system and sensors at a first rate and remotely report any interim collected information over the wireless communications link at a second rate. Preferably, the first rate is greater than the second rate by integer multiple to most efficiently and economically utilize wireless communications resources. At the remote location, a central controller receives the mobile platform reported information for processing in accordance with tracking management applications. An interface to the central controller allows a user to control the information collection and reporting operations of the control processor (in the mobile platform) as well as the tracking management functions performed by the central controller.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to information collection and reporting operations and, in particular, to the collecting and reporting of information concerning mobile assets.
2. Description of Related Art
Global positioning system (GPS) receivers associated with mobile platforms (such as automobiles or airplanes) are often used to obtain position information. The process such receivers use to make position determinations from satellite signal measurements is well known to those skilled in the art. Following collection in this manner, the position information is processed in connection with stored geographic map data to visually display on a map the location of the mobile platform.
It is also known in the art for the mobile platform to communicate a piece of collected position information over a wireless communications link to a central processing facility. At this facility, the communicated position information is processed and a visual display is created showing the mobile platform position in association with a geographic map. Remote access to that geographic map containing mobile platform position information may further be obtained by an interested party by remotely accessing the central processing facility over a data network (like the Internet) using a conventional web browser.
It is further known in the art for the mobile platform to communicate a collected piece of position information over a wireless communications link to a central processing facility. At this facility, the communicated position information is processed and a geographic map including an indication of, mobile platform position is created. The geographic map may then be communicated back over the wireless communications link for presentation and display within the mobile platform itself.
A GPS receiver system located on a mobile platform collects position related information. This position information, along with operational information collected by platform sensors, is stored in a database on the mobile platform. The collected and stored information is then periodically transmitted over a wireless communications link to a remote location for further processing and handling. The position and operational information is periodically collected at a first rate and thereafter remotely reported over the wireless communications link at a second rate. Preferably, the first rate is greater than the second rate by a positive integer multiple that is greater than one such that plural time instant collected information is reported in a single communication. Furthermore, the actual time instant for remote transmission is determined when a randomly or pseudo randomly selected offset time period expires as measured following each occurrence of the second rate.
More specifically, the GPS receiver system generates a clock signal and the first and second rates for controlling information collection and transmission, respectively, are measured using a modulo processing operation as applied against the GPS clock signal. In this configuration, the first rate comprises an X time period and the second rate comprises a Y time period, with the expiration of the first and second rate determined by counting modulo X and Y, respectively.
At the remote location, a central controller receives the mobile platform reported information for processing in accordance with tracking management applications. An interface to the central controller allows a user to control the information collection and reporting operations of the control processor (in the mobile platform) as well as the tracking management functions performed by the central controller.

Collecting and reporting information concerning mobile assets


An object is to provide a system for issuing and utilizing a ticket with which a passenger, using an IC card, can purchase a ticket and pass through a ticket gate, the structure being a non-contact terminal memories the non-contact signal transmitted from a ticket-selling machine and involving the permitted-section information corresponding to the section the passenger is aboard the train, and exchanges the permitted section information between the non-contact terminal and the ticket gate.

In the past, if a passenger wants to utilize a train or such, he must first purchase a ticket (including a commutation ticket), which has a record of the purchasing information, with cash or a prepaid card from a ticket-selling machine or from a station employee, and thereafter insert the ticket into the slot of the ticket gate.