The shut height of a crimping die set (9) for crimping an electrical terminal (T) on an anvil (22) to a lead (L) is adjustable stepwise by means of a disc (60) which can be driven by a servo motor (M1) to a plurality of angular positions each setting a theoretical ideal shut height for a particular combination of lead and terminal sizes. Since anvil wear, in particular, and/or minor variations in lead and terminal dimensions can falsify the ideal crimp height set, the actual crimp height achieved, is measured electronically or mechanically, and the height of the anvil (22) is automatically adjusted in accordance with such measurement, by means of a further servo motor (M2) to adjust the shut height of the die set (9) and anvil (22), so that the ideal shut height is achieved.

There is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,184,950 a method of controlling the crimp height of crimped connections each produced by the application of a compressive crimping force to a crimping barrel of a respective electrical terminal, the method comprising the steps of coarsely adjusting the shut height of crimping tooling for crimping said barrels to electrical leads under said compressive force, to a theoretical value corresponding to an optimum crimp height for the crimped connections.
The said shut height is adjusted stepwise by means of a rotary disc having projections thereon each of a different height for selective intersection between an applicator ram carrying upper elements of the crimping tooling and a press ram for driving the applicator ram towards and away from lower crimping tooling. Each projection corresponds to the theoretical optimum crimp height for a particular terminal and lead size combination. These theoretical crimp heights are derived by testing the integrity of crimped connections produced by means of tooling, terminals and leads, which are in optimum condition. Thus in the event of tooling wear for example or minor variations in terminal or lead size, the crimped connections produced may be imperfect even if the disc be adjusted to its correct angular position for the terminal and lead combination to be used.

Method and apparatus for controlling the crimp height of crimped electrical connections


Disclosed is a device for the remote operation of the variable audio controls of floor-mounted audio effects devices, such devices typical of those used by performing artists on stage. The vast majority of devices of this type are operated by a foot pedal-controlled on/off switch and rotary operated potentiometer switch(es) to vary the audio output. The present inventive concept uses a variety of mechanical connectors, which couple the rotary switches of the floor device to a hand-operated controller mounted on a microphone or accessory stand. In this manner a performer is able to operate the effects device, with his/her hand, from a more natural standing position during a musical performance, rather than having to crouch down during said performance.

1. Field of Invention
This inventive concept is applicable to devices with slightly differing names, including "audio signal processor,""audio effects processor,"or the like, and in particular, methods and apparatus for operating floor-mounted devices of this type.
2. Prior Art
With the further development of electronic musical instruments in the mid-1960's, and the implementation of digital technology in the 80's and 90's, small, floor-mounted audio effect processors (FIG. 1) have become widely popular tools for enhancing and manipulating audio signals produced by electronic musical instruments, particulary the electric guitar.
These small, battery operated devices usually consist of a metal housing containing the various electronic components, a foot operated on-off switch, and a plurality of rotary potentiometers (FIG. 2) which provide independent adjustment of the various operating parameters and functions of the device.
It should be noted that, other than the differences in the type of effect available, the size/shape of the housing, and the number of rotary potentiometers, used to vary the audio effects, the basic configuration of these devices has remained virtually unchanged in the forty years since their introduction, and though a multitude of floor-mounted effects devices are now used world wide, several inadequacies are inherent in their operation:                1) Control over the devices is limited to the foot-operated on/off switch which only engages a pre-set effect to an audio signal. (Provides no actual manipulation or control over the effect.)        2) Being floor-mounted, access the manual controls (rotary potentiometers) is unavailable during normal use without the user stooping or crouching down. (This is often unpractical as the user is usually required to maintain a standing or sitting position in order to play his/her instrument, sing at a stand-mounted microphone, or more frequently, both.)        3) In order to make any adjustment to the manual controls, the user must either:                    a) Make any adjustments prior to each song/piece and hope the adjustment was accurate (This is inherently difficult due to the need of an audio signal as well as the exact tempo of the song/ performance in order to make adjustments that are often measured in milliseconds.)            b) Wait until a pause in the song/performance provides time for the user to bend over and make a quick (and usually innaccurate) adjustment, all while his/her eyes constantly must adjust to an ever-changing or dimly-lit lighting situation.
Recently, one company has attempted to address this problem by marketing a floor-mounted apparatus that is designed to be positioned directly alongside the effects device it connected to.
A small metal housing with approximately the same dimensions as typical effect pedal has protruding from its top surface a short flexible metal shaft approx. 30 cm in length and a foot-operated see-saw lever. The shaft is rotated by a simple gear arrangement powered by the up and down movement of the foot lever.
Once the apparatus is in position next to an effect pedal, the flexible shaft is bent over 180° and attached to an effect pedals exposed potentiometer shaft with a hex wrench and set-screw.
A photographic representation of the currently marketed device is included in the Information Disclosure Document.
There are however, several inefficiencies in the currently marketed device:                1) Unnecessarily complicated/costly design.        2) Takes up extra floor space during performances/use.        3) Due to its shorter drive shaft, the currently marketed device can only function when placed directly next to an effects pedal:                    If the user wishes to use the currently marketed device with an elongated effects processor (commonly known as a pedalboad) he/she is limited to those pedalboards having their control knobs located on either the extreme right or left hand side.                        Note that many pedalboards are equipped with see-saw type foot levers on one or both sides and are thus restricted from use with the currently marketed device.        4) The currently marketed device is capable of controlling only one rotary potentiometer at a time.        Even a two-channel version of this device would be too bulky and cost prohibitive to be practical.        5) Guitar players are used to making adjustments to control knobs with their hands not their feet. When trying to make fast, precise adjustments in increments that are often measured in milliseconds, replacing the control knob with yet another foot-operated apparatus does not efficiently, much less naturally solve the problem, it merely reconfigures it.

Remote controller device and method for hand operation of floor-mounted audio effects processors


A database central routing device is provided for routing access requests for internet access among a variety of on-line service providers. The device generally includes a central server having a list of algorithms pertaining to access phone numbers of internet access providers to be chosen from. The central routing device further includes an automatic phone number identifier to identify incoming calls in order to identify the user as a customer. An algorithm generator is also included in order to download algorithms pertaining to particular phone numbers in order to give the user access to a variety of internet access providers. The central routing device allows the user to select from a number of internet access providers depending on the availability of the providers. Factors such as time of day, consistent peak and off peak hours of any particular provider, the time of access, the type of user such as consumer or business user, and other factors in order to make efficient use of a variety of internet access providers.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the field of telecommunications, as it relates to the use of network address and user criteria information for network transactions.
2. Cross-References to Related Applications
The present application is related to U.S. patent application entitled, "A METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USING NETWORK ADDRESS INFORMATION TO IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF NETWORK TRANSACTIONS," having application Ser. No. 08/656,923, and filed on Jun. 3, 1996 now, pending.
The present application is also related to the following co-pending U.S. patent applications:
U.S. Patent application entitled, "Web Browser Allowing Navigation Between Hypertext Objects Using Remote Control," having application Ser. No. 08/660,088, and filed on Jun. 3, 1996 now, pending; and
U.S. Patent application entitled, "Method and Apparatus for Providing Proxying and Transcoding of Documents in a Network," having application Ser. No. 08/656,924, and filed on Jun. 3, 1996 now, pending; and
U.S. Patent application entitled, "Method and Apparatus For Managing Communications Between a Client and a Server in a Network," having application Ser. No. 08/660,087, and filed on Jun. 3, 1996 now, pending; which are assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
3. Description of Related Art
The internet is a modern communication system that allows computer operators a means to network with other operators as well as a variety of databases. These databases provide a great deal of useful information, the dissemination of which is greatly enhanced by use of the internet. Participation in this modern network entails establishing an account with an internet access provider or on-line service provider such as Netcom, UUNet, AT&T Worldnet, or America On-line. The user is given an account and a phone number (and perhaps alternate phone numbers in case the first number is busy or if he moves to a different location) to type into his client software, and then the client software dials the entered phone number to connect to the access provider.
Similar to long distance telephone service providers, internet access providers are faced with routing large numbers of customers attempting to access the system at different times. As a result, each provider incurs peak periods that are characteristic of the providers particular customer base and corresponding off peaks. For example, if a provider caters to business customers, it is busy during normal business hours. On the other hand, if a provider caters to consumers, it is busy in off business hours such as evenings and holidays. During these off hours and holidays, providers that cater to consumers may be burdened by requests that overlook the system. On the other hand, during business hours, providers that cater to consumers go underutilized. Business providers, on the other hand, would experience peak hours during normal business hours and go underutilized during non-business hours.
The cost of this inconsistent use of a provider's system is spread out over all users regardless of whether they use the system during peak hours or off peak hours. Furthermore, access can be limited during peak hours when the system is overloaded, leaving users with a busy signal when trying to access the overloaded system.
As a result, access providers must charge all customers accordingly in order to cover for periods where the modem pools are underutilized. Also, access providers that offer nationwide service at a consistent rate throughout the country may incur far more costs from users dialing in from congested or isolated areas than providers would incur from users in less congested and not so isolated areas. They therefore fail to get optimal use of their modem pools in these underutilized areas. Still further, if an internet access provider has no peak operating period in an isolated area, a user may be forced to incur a higher cost by acquiring long distance service in order to reach an internet access provider, adding long distance charges to the connect time charges.
Thus, it would be useful to provide a service or device that could efficiently route customers of internet access providers among a variety of internet access providers in order to reduce the cost of internet access as well as to make optimal use of the systems provided by internet access providers. As will be seen, the present invention accomplishes this in a useful and elegant manner.
Conventional computer network protocols are designed to operate within a given network topology. These protocols are flexible enough to handle many different arrangements of nodes and robust enough to handle changes in the topology as computers are added or removed from the network. Because of the need to maintain flexibility and mobility, conventional networks do not rely on information that is specific to a particular geographic location. These network protocols usually consider geographic independence to be an advantage.
In many areas of the United States, it is possible to determine a calling telephone number from the telephone network. Telephone network services such as Caller ID and Automatic Number Identification (ANI) can provide a caller's telephone number to a suitably equipped telephone answering device, and then the telephone number can be transferred to a server coupled to the answering device.
In many calling areas, however, Caller ID and Automatic Number Identification are not available either for technical or legislative reasons. In such areas it may be possible to verify a user's area code, and possibly the calling area (e.g. city), but in some cases no identification at all is possible. Without a direct method to identify or verify a user's telephone number, indirect methods can be used.
In various ways, therefore, conventional means are available for obtaining information pertaining to a particular network node or network user. Although this information is available, conventional network protocols do not provide the functionality to obtain this information or to use the information to optimize the operation of the network.
Thus, a better means and method is needed for optimizing network transactions.

Client connects to an internet access provider using algorithm downloaded from a central server based upon client's desired criteria after disconnected from the server


The system carries out conversion of digital video signals organized in blocks of pixels from a first format to a second format. The second format is a format compressed via vector quantization. The vector quantization is performed by means of repeated application of a scalar quantizer to the pixels of said blocks with a quantization step (Q) determined in an adaptive way according to the characteristics of sharpness and/or brightness of the pixels and representing said vector quantization in a n-dimensional space indicative of the characteristics on n of said pixels in the block partitioned into cells of size proportional to said quantization step, each cell being assigned to an appropriate binary code, wherein said process further includes identifying at least one symmetry element in said n-dimensional space suitable for separating at least two symmetrical set of cells, and selecting one of said at least two symmetrical set of cells for the assignment of said binary codes. A symmetrical permutation on the n pixels of the block is performed according the selection and a part of said binary code indicating the status of said symmetrical permutation is conveniently set.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates generally to techniques for signal processing and has been developed with particular but not exclusive attention paid to possible applications in the framework of systems which envisage reduction in the quantity of data required for representing, in a digital format, an image (still picture) or a sequence of images (video sequence).
2. Description of the Related Art
Known to the art are various solutions for efficient compression of digital images. These solutions are usually characterized by a high computational complexity and are not easily integratable in the solutions commonly referred to as System on a Chip (SoC).
The techniques of compression of digital images can be classified in two fundamental groups.
A first group comprises the so-called lossless compression techniques i.e., techniques without loss of quality, which can be used also for processing other types of digital data. The purpose of this type of compression is to remove the statistical redundancy of the data.
To each digital datum there is assigned a variable number of bits, which depends upon the statistical frequency of the particular datum in question.
With reference, by way of example, to the so-called Huffmann compression, to each digital datum there is assigned a variable integer number of bits according to the following rule: short binary codes are assigned to the more frequent data, whereas long binary codes are assigned to less frequent data.
Also known are techniques of arithmetic compression, in which to each digital datum there is assigned a variable and fractional number of bits. The criterion of assignment of the bits is similar to the one used for the Huffmann compression.
Other compression methods are based upon the use of dictionaries. The sequences of the digital data to be compressed are reduced to words of variable length of a dictionary. Corresponding to each word is an appropriate binary code of a fixed or variable length. Belonging in this context is the algorithm for identification of the optimal dictionary due to Lempel and Ziv.
A second group of known compression techniques comprises the lossy compression techniques i.e., techniques with loss of quality.
The purpose of this type of compression is to remove the perceptive redundancy in the data. The image is modified by eliminating what cannot be perceived, or is perceived less, by the human visual system (HVS). The characteristic that is most widely exploited by the visual system amounts to the fact that the sensitivity to low frequencies is higher than the sensitivity to high frequencies. In addition, the perception of the spatial resolution of brightness information is more marked than the perception of chromaticity information.
The representation of the chromaticity information may therefore be less precise, in the sense that the spatial resolution may be lower. The chrominance is, therefore, under-sampled as compared with the brightness. The loss of quality which derives therefrom is practically not perceived by the human eye.
By way of example, for the ITU-R BT.601 standard, the under-sampling ratio between the luminance signal (Y) and the two color differences (CbCr or UV or IQ or DbDr) is 4:2:2. For the well-known MPEG standard the ratio is 4:2:0, where 0 indicates that under-sampling is both vertical and horizontal.
Likewise, the representation of the other sequences may be less precise, in the sense of a coarser quantization, with consequent saving in bits. The loss of perceived quality that derives therefrom is, however, low on account of the lower sensitivity of the visual system to these frequencies.
The splitting into high and low frequencies can be done only after having passed from the spatial domain to the frequency domain by means of the transformation operation. The most widely used transformations are, by way of example, the discrete cosine transform (DCT) and the discrete wavelet transform (DWT).

Method and system for processing signals via perceptive vectorial quantization, computer program product therefor


A sport glove finger construction utilizing an asymmetrical pattern resulting in a seam which lies above the tip and on the back of the fingernail of the user.

1. Field of Invention
The invention resides in the field of sports gloves and more particularly relates to an improvement in a glove with an asymmetrical finger seam pattern.
2. Description of Prior Art
The aforementioned patents contain a detailed disclosure of an asymmetrical patterned thumb for a sports glove. In those patents, the asymmetrical pattern (the palm and back portions being of completely different shapes) consists of a central palm portion and two opposed wing portions attached thereto. The purpose of this arrangement is to provide a finished thumb wherein the thumb seam is positioned over the back of the thumbnail rather than the tip and sides as in the case in conventional gloves.
In the pattern, The palm portion is the shape of a full thumb including the sides, and the wing portions are each the shape of a half of a back of a thumb and are sized such that when folded over and joined to each other with a central lateral seam and joined to the palm portion by a cross seam, the relocation of the thumb seam to the back of the thumbnail is achieved.
The present invention by the same inventor applies the previously disclosed asymmetrical pattern concept to the construction of a glove finger.

Sports glove with asymmetrical finger seam pattern


Generally discussed herein are systems and methods for probabilistic name matching. In one or more embodiments a method can include determining a first set of possible intended names as a function of a first name, determining a second set of possible intended names for each name in a set of names in a name variant database, and probabilistically matching a name from the first set of possible intended names to a name from the second set of possible intended names. Probabilistically matching can include determining a weight associated with typing the first name but intending to type another name in the first set of possible intended names and determining the probability of typing a name in the set of names in the name variant database but intending to type a name from the second set of possible intended names.

Word matching algorithms can use a string similarity model that is a function of an edit distance, n-gram, longest common substring, or skip-gram. The edit distance is defined as the smallest number of edit operations (e.g., insertions, deletions, substitutions, or transpositions) to transform one string into another. The n-gram of a string is all the overlapping n-character sequences in the string. There are several different n-gram similarity measures. A simple measure is the count of the total number of n-grams two strings have in common. Positional n-grams are an extension to n-grams that add positional information (e.g., location of an n-gram within a string) and can match common n-grams that are within a specified distance of each other. The longest common substring approach can repeatedly find and remove the longest common substring in two compared strings. A similarity measure can be calculated by dividing the total length of the common substrings by the minimum, maximum, or average lengths of the two original strings. Skip-grams ("s-grams") can allow n-grams to be formed from both adjacent and non-adjacent characters of strings. Skip-grams have been assisted in overcoming cross-lingual spelling variation as well as monolingual morphological variation.
Word matching algorithms can use a phonetic coding technique. Phonetic coding techniques attempt to convert a name string into a code according to how a name is pronounced. The combination of string similarity and phonetic coding has proven to be relatively effective in spell checkers. For example, a spell-checker can match words that have a same phonetic code and are within a specified edit distance.

System and method for probabilistic name matching


A creation order of content items can generally be determined by a metadata creation time associated with the content items. In some instances, multiple content items can be associated with the same metadata creation time. To determine the order of content items associated with the same metadata creation time, a files system modification time for the content items can be accessed. The file system modification time may indicate time in a smaller time increment than the metadata creation time. If the creation order of the content items cannot be determined from the file system modification time, the names of the content items can be analyzed to determine if they indicate a creation order. Alternatively the order the content items are placed in memory can be used to determine the creation order. Metadata identifying the determined creation order of the content items can be appended to the content items.

Cloud storage accounts allow users to store their content items in an online storage account that can be accessed from any computing device with a network connection. Users can thus upload content items such as pictures, songs, documents, etc. from a computing device to their online storage account and later access the content items from different computing devices.
Cloud storage accounts can be especially useful for storing and viewing photographs taken from multiple computing devices. In addition to traditional cameras, a wide variety of computing devices now include capabilities to capture photographs. For example, a user can take pictures using a smart phone, MP3 music player, laptop computer, etc. Storing photographs from the multiple computing devices to an online storage account can thus allow a user to easily organize and manage their photographs.
One important aspect of presenting photographs is to present them in their proper grouping and order. Photographs often tell a story and thus intermixing photographs taken from multiple devices and/or presenting them in the wrong order can ruin the story or make it hard to follow. Presenting photographs in the correct grouping and order can be difficult when receiving photographs from a plurality of computing device. Distinguishing the proper order of photographs becomes even more difficult when the photographs are taken within a small time frame. Accordingly, an improved method of presenting photographs is needed.


A disposable protective sole is adapted for wear on a foot or shoe of a user. The protective sole includes a multilayer composite having opposing inside and outside major surfaces. The outside major surface is textured to resist slippage of the protective sole on an underlying surface. A pressure-sensitive adhesive is applied to the innside major surface of the composite, and is adapted for removably attaching the protective sole to the foot or shoe of the user.

This invention relates to a disposable, protective sole for wear on a shoe or foot of a user. The invention serves to limit the exchange of elements, such as dirt, grime, and other loose debris, between the foot/shoe and an underlying surface. In one example, the invention is used to protect carpeting, rugs, and other floor surfaces in a newly constructed residence. In this case, the invention may be quickly and conveniently applied directly to the outside bottom (outsole) of the shoes, and used as a protective "dirt barrier" between the shoes and floor surfaces. The invention addresses the inconvenience of removing the shoes before entering the home, and the awkward and often embarrassing request that visitors remove their footwear at the door before stepping inside.
In another preferred application, the invention may reduce exposure to harmful bacteria, germs, and other microorganisms commonly found in public areas, such as health club showers and facilities, community pools, public restrooms, and the like. In this case, the invention is adhered directly to the bare feet and operates as a protective shield to these harmful, and potentially fatal, outside elements.

Disposable sole for the shoe or foot of a wearer


A driving assist method is performed by a controller that performs a lane change assist based on a generated target route. A determination is made as to whether or not the lane change has been executed. Next, it determines whether or not the lane change is in a direction toward a preset location due to a driver's operation when the lane change has been executed. Then, a determination is made as to whether or not a position index value from the host vehicle to the preset location is equal to or less than a first threshold value when the lane change is in a direction toward the preset location due to the driver's operation. The lane change assist in a direction away from the preset location is restricted when the position index value is equal to or less than the first threshold value.

In the prior art, there have been driving assist methods in which, when it has been determined that a lane change will be made at a guidance branching location ahead of a host vehicle and it is then determined that the host vehicle is traveling on a road where a lane-change-prohibiting line is present, a lane-change-starting location where the host vehicle will start a lane change is set at a final end of the lane-change-prohibiting line in a direction in which the host vehicle advances (for example, see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2015-184721-Patent Document 1). With this driving assist method, when the host vehicle is determined to have arrived at the lane-change-starting location, an engine device, a brake device, power steering, etc., are propellably controlled to automatically perform a lane change.

Driving assist method and driving assist device


In general, in a first aspect, the invention features apparatus that include an interferometer having a main cavity and an auxiliary reference surface, the main cavity including a primary reference surface and a test surface. The interferometer is configured to direct a primary portion of input electromagnetic radiation to the main cavity and an auxiliary portion of the input electromagnetic radiation to reflect from the auxiliary reference surface, wherein a first portion of the primary portion in the main cavity reflects from the primary reference surface and a second portion of the primary portion in the main cavity reflects from the test surface. The interferometer is further configured to direct the electromagnetic radiation reflected from the test surface, the primary reference surface, and the auxiliary reference to a multi-element detector to interfere with one another to form an interference pattern.

Interferometric optical techniques are widely used to measure surface profiles of precision optical components.
For example, to measure the surface profile of a test surface, one can use an interferometer to combine a test wavefront reflected from the test surface with a reference wavefront reflected from a reference surface to form an optical interference pattern. Spatial variations in the intensity profile of the optical interference pattern correspond to phase differences between the combined test and reference wavefronts caused by variations in the profile of the test surface relative to the reference surface. Phase-shifting interferometry (PSI) can be used to accurately determine the phase differences and the corresponding profile of the test surface. The surface profile measurement of the test surface is relative to the surface profile of the reference surface, which is assumed to be perfect (e.g., flat) or known within the tolerances of the measurement.
With PSI, the optical interference pattern is recorded for each of multiple phase-shifts between the reference and test wavefronts to produce a series of optical interference patterns that span, for example, at least a half cycle of optical interference (e.g., from constructive, to destructive interference). The optical interference patterns define a series of intensity values for each spatial location of the pattern, wherein each series of intensity values has a sinusoidal dependence on the phase-shifts with a phase-offset equal to the phase difference between the combined test and reference wavefronts for that spatial location. Using numerical techniques known in the art, the phase-offset for each spatial location is extracted from the sinusoidal dependence of the intensity values to provide a profile of the test surface relative the reference surface. Such numerical techniques are generally referred to as phase-shifting algorithms.
The phase-shifts in PSI can be produced by changing the optical path length from the measurement surface to the interferometer relative to the optical path length from the reference surface to the interferometer. For example, the reference surface can be moved relative to the measurement surface. Alternatively, the phase-shifts can be introduced for a constant, non-zero optical path difference by changing the wavelength of the measurement and reference wavefronts. The latter application is known as wavelength tuning PSI and is described, e.g., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,594,003 to G. E. Sommargren.
One type of interferometer that is often used for characterizing a surface of a test object is a Fizeau interferometer. In many embodiments, phase shifting for object surface profiling proceeds by mechanical translation of the reference surface or by wavelength tuning, during which time a computer captures successive frames of an interference pattern at a detector for later analysis.
In a number of situations, it can be attractive to profile surface without temporal modulation of the Fizeau interference pattern, for example, to accommodate high-speed measurements of dynamically actuated parts. Although a variety of such techniques exist for Twymann-Green interferometer geometries, including for example spatial phase shifting or phase shifting based on polarization, these techniques typically require separating the reference and object beam reflections. However, the common-path characteristics of a large-aperture Fizeau interferometer can make it difficult to separate the reference and object beam reflections spatially or by polarization.


A facility for rewarding the provision of useful item reviews is described. The facility receives a plurality of item reviews, each from a source. The facility publishes each of the plurality of received item reviews, and assesses the usefulness of the published item reviews. Based upon this assessment of usefulness, the facility selects one or more of the published item reviews, and provides rewards to the sources of these selected item reviews.

Web merchants sell items such as products, services, and data via the World Wide Web ("the Web"). Because most items sold by a web merchant result in a profit, measured by the amount by which the item's price exceeds its cost, web merchants have a strong incentive to increase the rate at which they sell items.
It is common for web merchants to design their web sites to include content that helps to draw interest to the web sites and to particular items in order to increase the number of customers that may buy these items. As one example of such content, some web merchants include item reviews on their web sites, which typically provide additional information about an item and, in the case of a positive review, an endorsement of the item. For example, some web merchants furnish book reviews on their web sites.
In some cases, web merchants pay professional reviewers to prepare item reviews. In these cases, the often-significant cost of procuring professional reviews can have a negative impact on the web merchant's profitability. Additionally, some readers of professional reviews may be distrustful of the evaluation of a professional reviewer.
In other cases, volunteers, such as customers, are solicited to prepare item reviews. While volunteer reviews can be procured much less expensively than professional reviews and may have more appeal to readers that prefer reviews from those they perceive to more substantially share their perspective, volunteer review programs often have significant disadvantages of their own.
For example, it can often be difficult to convince volunteers to prepare item reviews. Of those volunteer reviews that are prepared and submitted, a significant portion may be of little use to prospective purchasers for a variety of reasons: such reviews may be poorly written, fail to adequately support their conclusions, contain subject matter irrelevant to the item, engage in ad hominem attacks on the creator of the reviewed item, etc.
In view of the above-discussed disadvantages of conventional types of reviews, a more effective approach to obtaining useful item reviews from volunteers would have significant utility.

Creating an incentive to author useful item reviews


A system and method for packet-based communications is performed by implementing arbitrated packet-based communications. According to an example embodiment, packet-based data is arbitrated and output with verification data. For each arbitrated packet stream, verification data is generated in response to detecting an end of frame (EOF) symbol in the arbitrated packet stream, and the verification data is added to the packet stream. A merged packet stream is provided at an output, the merged packet stream including the plurality of arbitrated packet streams with verification data added thereto.

Packet-based communication protocols are widely used for a multitude of different types of communications. These protocols often use a Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) value that is transmitted along with each packet so that the packet can be verified (via the CRC) by a device receiving the packet, helping to insure the integrity of the data contained in the packet. For packets with a non-trivial length, devices transmitting these packets incrementally compute the CRC value as the device processes each data element of the packet. After the last data element of the packet is processed, the resulting CRC value is a nearly unique value representing the contents of the packet.
The CRC usually is transmitted at the end of the packet. A device receiving a packet can perform the same CRC computation on the incoming packet and verify that the computed CRC matches the transmitted CRC value received with the packet to ensure that the packet data was not corrupted during transmission. If the computed CRC does not match the received CRC value, then the data is determined to be corrupted and an error recovery mechanism is generally employed.
A variety of different protocols are implemented in connection with packet-based communications. Some protocols, such as Mobile Industry Processor Interface (MIPI) UniPro or PCI Express, support several independent packet streams to be transmitted over a shared physical link. Arbitration between the streams is often used to ensure that complete, uninterrupted packets are sent over the link, or to ensure that higher priority packets interrupt lower priority packets (i.e., preemption) as allowed in MIPI UniPro. The receiving device is notified of preemption through the framing symbols around the packet.
A pair of packets where a high priority packet preempts a lower priority packet might be signaled with the sequence illustrated in FIG. 4B.
The CRC computation may cover all framing symbols and data elements as does MIPI UniPro.
While useful for a variety of packet-based communications, various issues have presented challenges to these approaches. For instance, packet streams from different priority classes may be pipelined in hardware so that the CRC may be computed on the data elements prior to presenting the data element to the packet arbiter. When the arbiter switches to a different packet stream, the interrupted packet may be required to insert a COF symbol which may be included in the CRC computation. If the CRC computer has already processed the data elements that are immediately after the COF, the computer must "undo" the last CRC computation or restore an old CRC value, then process the COF symbol and continue with the packet. This "undo" to insert a COF symbol generally causes a delay or requires additional storage elements. If the extra delay in the low priority packet is avoided by cleanly inserting the COF earlier in the pipeline, the higher priority packet is delayed while the data elements which have already contributed to the CRC computations in the lower priority packet pipeline can be transmitted.
These delays, additional required storage elements and other related characteristics of CRC-based packet communications have continued to present challenges to packet-based communications as well as devices and systems employing the same.

System and method for packet based communications and arrangement therefor


A cardboard cylinder for winding a heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet having a receptive layer on one surface of a support around the cardboard cylinder, wherein an innermost surface of the cardboard cylinder is composed of a layer containing a polyolefin resin having a number average molecular weight of 12,000 or more in a proportion of at least 80% by mass based on the layer.

Various heat transfer recording methods have been known so far. Among these methods, a dye diffusion transfer recording systems attract attention as a process that can produce a color hard copy having an image quality closest to that of silver halide photography (see, for example, "Joho Kiroku (Hard Copy) to Sono Zairyo no Shintenkai (Information Recording (Hard Copy) and New Development of Recording Materials)" published by Toray Research Center Inc., 1993, pp. 241-285; and "Printer Zairyo no Kaihatsu (Development of Printer Materials)" published by CMC Publishing Co., Ltd., 1995, p. 180). Moreover, this system has advantages over silver halide photography: it is a dry system, it enables direct visualization from digital data, it makes reproduction simple, and the like.
In this dye diffusion transfer recording system, a heat-sensitive transfer sheet (hereinafter also referred to as an ink sheet) containing dyes is superposed on a heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet (hereinafter also referred to as an image-receiving sheet), and then the ink sheet is heated by a thermal head whose exothermic action is controlled by electric signals, in order to transfer the dyes contained in the ink sheet to the image-receiving sheet, thereby recording an image information. Three colors: cyan, magenta and yellow, are used for recording a color image by overlapping one color to other, thereby enabling transferring and recording a color image having continuous gradation for color densities.
Recently, various printers allowing higher-speed printing have been developed and commercialized increasingly in the field of the dye-diffusion transfer recording systems. The high speed print enables to shorten a waiting time when a user obtains a print in a shop. For the foregoing reason, there is a demand for further speeding up of printing.
For the high speed print, it is necessary to convey a heat-sensitive transfer sheet and a heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet at higher speed in a printer. Accordingly, the high speed conveyance results in load of greater torque at the time of both start and stop.
In the heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet, a thick support is used so as to give a sufficient strength to a finished print. Therefore, the image-receiving sheet is heavier than the heat-sensitive transfer sheet, which results in load of greater torque to the image-receiving sheet even though their conveying speed histories are the same. For the reason that a surface of the receptive layer side of the image-receiving sheet is the same as the side on which an image is formed, there arises image defect (failure) owing to friction inside the printer when the heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet is conveyed in the printer. Therefore, the printer is designed in order that such the image defect does not occur. However, the surface opposite to the receptive layer side sometimes gets caught inside the printer in contact therewith. Further, inside the printer a torque is also loaded between the innermost surface of the heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet wound in a roll shape and a shaft unit inserted in the rolled image-receiving sheet. In this area, sometimes slip occurs when a torque is loaded. For the reason that it is difficult to convey the heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet according to the fixed manner because the foregoing "get caught" and slip occur, there arise strain and extraordinary tension in the heat-sensitive transfer sheet. Resultantly, sometimes normal prints cannot be obtained. Therefore, it has been desired to improve such the trouble. The higher the moving speed of the heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheets becomes and/or the greater the mass of the heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet wound in a roll shape becomes, the greater the load of torque to the heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet itself and between the innermost surface of the heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet wound in a roll shape and a shaft unit inserted in the rolled image-receiving sheet. Consequently, they become more easily to slip. Therefore, control of slipping properties is a current important problem to be solved.
In order to control the foregoing slipping properties, it is considered to hold a heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet in the state that the image-receiving sheet is wound around a cardboard cylinder, and to individually set suitable physical properties so that an inner surface of the cardboard cylinder is made difficult to slip, thereby to make it difficult to slip between the rolled heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet and a shaft unit, whereas a surface of heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet is made easy to slip, thereby to make it difficult to get caught. With respect to making a cardboard surface difficult to slip, for example, JP-A-62-110997 ("JP-A" means unexamined published Japanese patent application) and JP-A-5-116851 disclose a method of forming an anti-slipping layer, which method includes: coating the cardboard surface with a water dispersion containing a particular latex styrene/butadiene copolymer, polystyrene fine-particles, and a particular polyether compound; and a method of forming an anti-slipping layer, which method includes: coating the cardboard surface with expandable microcapsules in the state of pre-expansion, thereafter producing a cardboard cylinder by employing the thus-coated cardboard, and then foaming the microcapsules by means of heating.
As a result of studies on the inner surface of the cardboard cylinder obtained by any of those techniques, it was found that coefficient of friction was indeed enhanced, but these techniques still caused such problems that anti-slipping effect was insufficient to the instant heat-sensitive transfer print.

Cardboard cylinder for a heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet, rolled heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet to form a roll shape, and image-forming method


A propagation speed of a fatigue crack in a HAZ is restricted, and a fatigue strength of an as-welded joint can be improved, by limiting an area ratio of a ferrite micro-structure in the HAZ of the welded joint to 20 to 100% and the balance to one of a bainite, a martensite, a pearlite and a residual austenite micro-structure, or limiting a carbon equivalent of a steel plate used for the welded joint to not greater than 0.275.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a welded joint having an excellent fatigue strength which is mainly used for welded structures such as ships, offshore structures, bridges, building machines, and so forth. More particularly, the present invention relates to a welded joint having an improved fatigue strength by increasing the area ratio of a ferrite micro-structure capable of retarding a propagation speed of a fatigue crack in a weld heat affected zone (hereinafter abbreviated as the "HAZ") of a welded joint.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the sizes of buildings have become greater, a reduction in the weight of structural members has become an important subject in recent years, and the strength of steels used for such structures has become higher and higher for accomplishing this object. However, since a load is repeatedly applied to the welded joint during use in ships, offshore structures, bridges, building machines, and so forth, counter-measures must be taken to prevent fatigue destruction in such structures. It is at the welded joint portion that this fatigue destruction is most likely to develop. Therefore, an improvement in the fatigue strength of the welded joint has been required.
Intensive studies have been made to this date on the factors deciding the fatigue strength of the welded joint and an improvement of the fatigue strength. However, most of the proposals include an improvement by additional execution after welding such as grinding by a grinder, shaping the end portion of the weld bead final layer by heating and refusing, shot peening to generate compressive stress at the weld end portion (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 59-110490 and No. 1-301823), and so forth. The reduction of the residual stress by post heat-treatment after welding is also well known in the art.
A method which improves the fatigue strength of the weld portion even in the as-welded state by means of components of the steel material without using a specific execution or post heat-treatment after welding as described above has also been proposed.
In order to make the formation of clean polygonal ferrite advantageous by an addition of Si, to strengthen the steel by an addition of B and to improve hardenability to thereby obtain an excellent elongation flange property, fatigue characteristics and resistance weldability, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 3-264645 discloses a high strength steel sheet having excellent elongation flange property, etc., which contains 0.01 to 0.2% of C, 0.6 to 2.5% of Mn, 0.02 to 1.5% of Si and 0.0005 to 0.1% of B.
Japanese Examined Patent Publication (Kokoku) No. 3-56301 discloses a ultra-low carbon steel sheet having excellent spot weldability which contains not greater than 0.006% of C, not greater than 0.5% of Mn,. not greater than 0.05% of Al and 0.001 to 0.100% of at least one of Ti and/or Nb, in total, with the proviso that nitrides and sulfides are not calculated, so as to advantageously improve the joint fatigue strength of the spot welded portion by elaborating the steel components, especially by an addition of B, and the proportion of un-recrystallized structure in the steel.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 6-207245 discloses a multi-layered steel plate having excellent fatigue characteristics by means of an addition of Ni to a steel material surface layer to generate a residual stress of compression at a weld end portion so as to increase the time until the occurrence of a fatigue crack, and wherein the addition amount of Ni is at least 3% inside the region spaced apart by at least 0.2 mm from both surfaces of the steel plate and being not greater than 25% of the thickness.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 6-228707 discloses a structural steel having excellent weld joint fatigue characteristics, and a welding method therefor, which contains 0.001 to 0.01% of C, 0.005 to 0.05% of Si and 0.5 to 2% of Cu and having a Ceq of not greater than 0.2. This reference invention makes uniform the hardness distribution in the proximity of the weld end portion by using fine precipitation of Cu while reducing Ceq to prevent concentration of plastic deformation, and reduces the residual stress of the weld end portion functioning as a mean stress by eliminating HAZ hardening through the reduction of Ceq.
Among these prior art references, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 59-110490 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 1-301823 require a specific execution after welding, and cannot improve the fatigue strength in the as-welded state. The method using the heat-treatment after welding is not preferable, either, because the number of the process steps increases and execution of welding becomes complicated. Further, its effect is limited.
The thin steel sheet described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 3-264645 relates to a base material of steel sheet which is mainly directed to wheels and discs of automobiles. Since this steel sheet is entirely different in application, the thickness and the method of use from the steel plate used for ship-building, offshore structures, etc., to which the present invention is directed, the observation described in this reference cannot be applied as such to the thick steel plate. Further, since this reference does not at all describe the welded joint, the influences on the fatigue strength of the welded joint are not at all examined. Further, it is not clear whether or not the polygonal ferrite micro-structure, which is reportedly contained in the base metal, is generated in the HAZ.
The steel sheet disclosed in Japanese Examined Patent Publication (Kokoku) No. 3-56301 relates to the spot weld portion of a ultra-low carbon steel sheet, and contemplates to control the hardness distribution of the spot weld portion. Spot welding is one of the resistance welding methods which clamps the weld portion of a steel sheet under pressure by electrodes, and causes a large current to flow through the weld portion within a short time. In contrast, the welding method of the welded joint as the object of the present invention is mainly a welding method used for welding steel plates having a large thickness. Therefore, these welding methods are different from each other not only in the welding residual stress but also in the welding conditions such as the shape of the electrodes, the existence of a welding material, and so forth. Because the factors governing the fatigue strength are different between spot welding of a thin sheet and welding of a thick steel plate, the observation of spot welding cannot be applied as such to the welding method of a thick steel plate.
The steel plate described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 6-207245 has the same application because it is a structural steel. However, since this reference limits to a Ni-containing multi-layered steel, the fatigue strength cannot be improved in the ordinary single-layered steel. It is not obvious from this reference whether or not the fatigue strength of the welded joint can be improved.
The invention disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 6-228707 does not describe the HAZ structure of the weld joint, and the relation between the micro-structure and the fatigue strength is not clear, either. Therefore, this reference invention is different from the present invention. Further, the C addition amount and the Si addition amount are as small as not greater than 0.01% and not greater than 0.05%, respectively. Since the reference invention essentially requires the addition of Cu, it is different from the present invention.


A power distribution system includes a plurality of power distribution modules connected to at least one power supply and configured to receive power therefrom. A power distribution bus connects the power distribution modules of the plurality of power distribution modules in parallel. The plurality of power distribution modules executes a distributed system policy management protocol over the power distribution bus to control a supply of available power from the at least one power supply to loads connected to USB charging ports of the power distribution modules.

In a Power Distribution System having USB Type-C outlets, the power is supplied and controlled per the Power Delivery specification (PD Spec). The PD Spec is implemented as a software stack (PD Stack). The PD Spec is published by the USB Implementers Forum, Inc. (USB-IF), and is available as part of the USB Specification download package, such as USB Specification download packages revs 3.0 through 3.2 or the like, which include the USB PD Spec, Engineering Chang Notices, and the corresponding Adopters Agreement. In a USB device which functions as a Power Provider, the source port is implemented as a defined software and hardware design comprising a Physical Layer, Protocol Layer, Policy Layer, and Device Policy Manager Layer.
Optionally, as the uppermost layer of the PD protocol stack, a System Policy Manager (SPM) Layer may be implemented, usually as part of the Operating System on the device providing the Power, for example a Desktop PC, Automobile Dashboard mounted Infotainment System, or an AC Powered Desktop Monitor. The SPM is integrated into the device that contains the Primary power Converter (usually, an AC Line Powered Power Supply). The primary function of the SPM is to ensure that the total power supplied to the downstream ports is within the capability of the primary power converter.
In order to regulate the supply of the available power in a logical and safe manner, known systems only permit one SPM and only one Primary power Converter to be active on the USB bus at one time. In these known systems, it is not permitted to connect together two or more powered USB type-C ports and have them share the task of System Policy Management.


A system facilitates a first user providing a second user with a gift through a service provider network. A first user may provide an asset such as a ring tone for use on the second user's mobile device. Alternatively, the first user may provide a monetary credit to the second user. Embodied systems are enabled for charging or billing an account associated with the first user and notifying the first user of a successful transaction including receipt or use of the gift. In some embodiments, a service delivery platform communicates with a unified storefront and a payment module for receiving and processing gift requests and payments. Gifts may be requested through an interface associated with the first user's IPTV set-top box. In addition, gifts may be presented to the second user by an interface associated with the second user's set-top box. The unified storefront allows access to gifting through mobile devices and other networked data processing systems in addition to set-top boxes.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure generally relates to service provider networks and more particularly to systems and methods for facilitating gift purchases within a service provider network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Service provider networks provide multimedia content such as video-on-demand movies and pay-per-view sporting events. In addition, service provider networks may provide mobile telephone services, text-messaging services, email services, instant messaging services, and the like. Service provider networks charge fees for many of these services. Some items accrue charges on a per-item basis. For example, a service provider network may charge a user fee for downloading from a service provider network a ring tone for a mobile telephone.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Purchasing a gift using a service provider network


A plurality of data items are stored in a storage medium, and time information of each of the plurality of data items is obtained. In a display window on a display screen, a time axis, having a spiral shape, which includes arrangement positions, each corresponding to a predetermined period of time, is displayed. At each of the arrangement positions, on the time axis, corresponding to time represented by the obtained time information of each of the plurality of data items, information (data icon) representing the corresponding data item is displayed. The display sizes of the data icons are reduced toward the center of the spiral time axis, thereby depth can be expressed.

The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and method and, more particularly, to an information processing apparatus and method which manage and display a plurality of data on the basis of parameters (e.g., date and time), related to the respective data, like database and a filing system.
In a file management system and a database system of a computer, for example, date and time is often used as an important parameter for managing a large number of data. In a file management system, date and time when a file is created, and date and time when the file is updated are automatically added to the file as its attribute.
Further, in a database system, a date and time filed is set in a field in a record, and the data may be managed on the basis of the date and time written in the date and time field. FIG. 25 is a view showing an example of data structure of a general personnel management database. In the personnel management database 30 shown in FIG. 25, date of birth is written in a date field 31 and respective personal data are managed on the basis of data in the date field 31. Further, in a schedule application software (called "scheduler", hereinafter), schedules are managed by date and time. For example, if an item on a schedule is a conference, by registering a document file to be used in the conference in the scheduler in relation to the item on the schedule, it is convenient to check which document file is used in the conference at a later time.
Further, when searching desired data from a large number of data, date-and-time data is a very important parameter. In the file management system, by displaying files in order of time on the basis of date and time of creation and/or correction of data, a user may be able to find a desired file by recalling his/her memory of when he/she created and updated the file. Further, in a database system, e.g., a personnel management system, searching and displaying data in order of date of birth is often performed. Furthermore, in the scheduler, it is possible to check each item on a schedule in order of time, in addition, it is also possible to find a desired data file registered in relation to an item on the schedule.
The most general unit of memory for a user would be date and time. The user often has a vague memory of date when a file is created or when the file is updated, although not a specific date. Therefore, if the user forgot a name of a desired file to be searched, by comparing the vague memory of creation and/or correction date of the desired file with the creation and/or correction dates of files, it is possible to find the desired file. The same thing can be said for using the scheduler, and a desired item may be found based on the vague memory of date and time. In the database system, data can be read in order of, e.g., date of birth by displaying the data in order of date of birth.
However, in the aforesaid file management system, whether creation and/or correction date and time of files which are displayed next to each other on a list are very close to each other or far apart from each other can not be known at a glance. Therefore, a user has to read creation and/or correction date and time of each of the files on the list, imagine time intervals between the date and time of the files to be either short or long, and compare the imagined time intervals with his/her memory to find a desired file. FIG. 26 is a view showing an example of displayed files by a general file management system.
In FIG. 26, reference numeral 40 denotes a file display window of the file management system, and files in a designated directory 41 are sorted and displayed in order of time. However, in order to grasp a sense that about when those files are created, for example, a user has to check date and time of the files displayed in a time/date area 42 one by one.
In displaying data by the database system, an interval between date of birth of given personal data and that of adjoining personal data sorted in order of date of birth may be one year, or may be ten years. Accordingly, independently of differences in interval between date and time of files, data sorted with respect to time are displayed one after another at the same intervals. Therefore, a user has to confirm the date of birth of each personal data by number, and imagine what is the interval between data of adjoining two data. In addition, it is even more troublesome for a user to obtain tendency of the personal data, such that there are many people belonging to a certain generation but there are a little people belonging to another generation. The user may be able to grab tendency of the personal data after performing troublesome and time-consuming work, such as grouping dates of birth by generation and displaying it, or making a graph of date of birth.
In order to overcome the aforesaid problems, a system capable of displaying data in such a manner that a user can intuitively have a sense of time is demanded.

Information processing apparatus and method


Disclosed is a light assembly including a rotation ring including upper and lower surfaces, a mounting ring secured to a light pan and including upper and lower surfaces positioned over a portion of the rotation ring such that the portion of the rotation ring is sandwiched between the light pan and the mounting ring and such that the rotation ring is rotatable relative to the mounting ring, a light engine mounted on the rotation ring, and an adjustable rotation limiting mechanism that includes (a) a rotation stop platform provided on the mounting ring, the rotation stop platform including a moveable stop and (b) a rotation stop unit provided on the rotation ring, the rotation stop unit including a rotation stop arm. The rotation stop arm rotates with the rotation ring and contacts the moveable stop to prevent further rotation of the rotation ring with respect to the mounting ring.

Light engines for recessed positioning within a ceiling opening are typically constructed from sheet metal components and are locked in position over the opening such that the fixture cannot be rotated to adjust the directionality and distribution of the light emitted from the light engine. To the extent that light engines are capable of being rotated once installed in a ceiling, such rotation is typically limited to 360° and can typically only be effectuated using tools.


A laminating apparatus for laminating a material such as paper stock. Once the paper stock is laminated an image is transferred to the laminated paper stock. A flexure plate is provided to maintain the paper stock or the laminated paper stock free of creases or wrinkles. The image transferred to the laminated paper stock appears as if the image had been printed on said paper stock.

Proofing is the procedure used by the printing industry for creating representative images that replicate the appearance of printed images without the cost and time required to actually set up a high-speed, high-volume printing press to print an example of the images intended. Ideally, these representative images, or proofs, are generated, if in color, from the same color-separations used to produce the individual color printing plates used in printing presses so that variations in the resulting images can be minimized. Various proofing systems have been devised to create the proofs and have included the use of smaller, slower presses as well as means other than presses, such as photographic, electrophotographic, light imaging and nonphotographic processes.
The proofs generated are judged for composition, screening, resolution, color, editing and other visual content. The closer the proof replicates the final image produced on the printing press, as well as the consistency from image to image, from press to press and shop to shop, the better the acceptance of the proofing system by the printing industry. Other considerations used in judging proofing systems include reproducability, cost of the system as well as cost of the individual proofs, speed and freedom from environmental problems.
It is generally necessary to produce a "hard copy" (i.e. an image actually formed on a sheet of paper or other proof receiving material) before it can be fully assessed for final printing approval. Thus, each of the proofing systems require the use of some form of output device or printer which can produce a hard copy, on the type of media to be used in the printing process, so that the image can be properly evaluated. It is to the field of proofing output devices that the present invention is directed.
While purely photographic processes can provide accurate reproductions of images, they do not always replicate the reproduction resulting from printing presses nor is the media on which the image is to be printed necessarily the same media as used in the photographic process. Since the appearance of the final printed image is affected by the characteristics of the media upon which it is to be printed, the chemical make-up of the substance used to produce the image or other materials used to produce the hard copy are critical. Thus the ability to form the proof image on the material actually used in the printing process is a determining factor in the selection of the proofing system.
One form of image representation is produced on a plastic receiver film in which the plastic receiver is passed through a color copier and while said plastic receiver is supported on a rotatable copy drum, dye is transferred by sublimation to the plastic receiver to form a full color image on said receiver.
The problem is to prevent creases and wrinkles in the paper or media.


A document classification system is provided. The document classification system analyzes digital document information which is collected to be submitted as evidence in a lawsuit and classifies the digital document information. The document classification system includes an extraction unit that extracts documents from the collected document information, a document display unit that displays an extracted document group, a classification code receiving unit that receives a classification code assigned to the displayed document group, a selection unit that classifies the extracted document group for each classification code, analyzes a keyword commonly appearing in the classified document group, and selects the keyword, a database that records the selected keyword, a search unit that searches for the keyword from the document information, a score calculation unit that calculates a score indicating connection between the classification code and the document, and an automatic classification unit that automatically assigns the classification code.

In recent years, means or technique has been proposed which collects devices, data, and electronic records required to find or investigate the cause; analyzes them; and substantiates legal evidence, when there is a crime or a legal conflict related to computers, such as illegal access or confidential information leakage.
In particular, in a U.S. civil suit, electronic discovery (eDiscovery) is required and both the plaintiff and the defendant in the lawsuit have the responsibility to submit all of the related digital information as evidence. Therefore, the digital information recorded in the computer or the server needs to be submitted as evidence.
With the rapid development and spread of IT, most of information is created using the computer in the present business world. Therefore, there is flood of digital information within the company.
Therefore, during the pretrial period, when evidence exhibit is submitted to court, even confidential digital information which is not necessarily related to the lawsuit may be likely included in the evidence exhibit submission. In other words, there is a problem that confidential document information which is not related to the lawsuit is submitted.
In recent years, a technique related to document information in a forensic system has been proposed in PTL 1 to PTL 3. PTL 1 discloses a forensic system which designates a specific person from one or more users included in user information, extracts only digital document information which is accessed by the specific person on the basis of access history information about the designated specific person, sets additional information indicating whether each document file of the extracted digital document information is related to the lawsuit, and outputs the document files related to the lawsuit on the basis of the additional information.
PTL 2 discloses a forensic system which displays recorded digital information, sets user specification information indicating whether each of a plurality of document files is related to any one of the users included in user information, sets settings such that the set user specification information is recorded in a storage section, designates at least one or more users, searches for a document file in which the user specification information corresponding to the designated user is set, sets additional information indicating whether the searched document file is related to the lawsuit on a display section, and outputs the document file related to the lawsuit on the basis of the additional information.
PTL 3 discloses a forensic system which receives the designation of at least one or more document files included in digital document information, receives designation indicating a language used to translate the designated document file, translates the designated document file into the designated language, extracts a common document file indicating the same content as the designated document file from digital document information recorded in a recording section, generates translation-related information indicating that the extracted common document file is translated by quoting the content of the translated document file, and outputs a document file related to the lawsuit on the basis of the translation-related information.

Document classification system, document classification method, and document classification program


A method for reconstruction of an image function (r), which represents an object function (ƒ) of an object (1) imaged with periodically structured illumination, from optical section images (gc, gs), which are formed following convolution operations on the object function (ƒ) with a modified illumination point spread function (hI), comprises the steps of generating (S1) corrected optical section images (gc′, gs′), wherein predetermined filter operators are applied to the optical section images (gc, gs), said filter operators being the inverse of the convolution operations, and demodulation (S2) of the corrected optical section images (gc′, gs′) in order to generate the image function (r). In addition, an imaging method and an imaging apparatus are described, by means of which the aforementioned reconstruction method is applied.

The invention relates to methods for image processing, in particular a method for the reconstruction of images that have been recorded with a microscope using structured illumination, and an imaging method for microscopic imaging of an object. The invention also relates to devices for carrying out said methods, in particular an imaging apparatus, for example a microscope, and a reconstruction device for image reconstruction, and applications of the method.
In optical microscopy, various methods have been developed for imaging objects with resolution in depth, for example, to obtain a section image in a particular region through a sample or, by means of recording a plurality of section images, to obtain a three-dimensional representation of the sample. For example, in confocal microscopy, using confocal, point illumination and imaging, image information is gathered only in the sectional plane of interest. Disadvantages arise in confocal microscopy, in particular, due to the complex microscope configuration and the complex gathering of image information.
Another method is microscopy with structured illumination microscopy (SIM). With this wide field microscopy method, a periodic grating structure is focused onto the sectional plane of interest in the sample. By imaging the grating structure in the sectional plane, a modulation of the illumination is introduced into the coordinate space and thereby the "missing cone" problem of wide field microscopy is overcome. From a plurality of intermediate images, each of which is recorded with a different phase position of the grating structure, an image function can be calculated which represents an image of the sectional plane in the real object. Conventional microscopy with structured illumination, however, has the general disadvantage that the image reconstructed from the intermediate images represents an approximation the quality of which may be impaired, in particular, by artifacts and instabilities.
In WO 2004/038483 A1 and in the publication by L. H. Schaefer et al. ("Journal of Microscopy", vol. 216, 2004, pp. 165-174), a method for microscopy with structured illumination is described with which the image reconstruction is improved. On the basis of a reconstruction algorithm, which describes the gathering of image information using a three-dimensional model, it was proposed that, for example, brightness variations in the object illumination or occurrences of bleaching in the object that can occur over time during recording of the intermediate images, should be taken into account in the image reconstruction. In practice, however, it has been found that the quality of the image reconstruction suffers from undesirable limitations in special application cases, in particular when investigating biological samples. These are expressed therein that, for example, the details of the real sample are imaged with an insufficient level of resolution.
It is an objective of the invention to provide an improved method for image reconstruction from intermediate images of an object illuminated with structured illumination, and with which the disadvantages of conventional techniques can be overcome. It is intended, in particular, that the reconstruction method should enable an imaging of optical sections with improved spatial resolution. It is a further objective of the invention to provide an improved imaging method for obtaining images of objects with structured illumination. It is a further objective of the invention to provide a correspondingly improved imaging apparatus.
This objective is solved with the method and devices of the invention.

Method and device for reconstructing images


A secondary battery module includes a plurality of plate shaped secondary cells; and a casing that is formed with a plurality of grooves extending in its depth direction, with at least one of the secondary cells being housed in a space defined between neighboring grooves, wherein: the plurality of grooves each extends from a lower portion of the casing towards an upper portion of the casing; and the plurality of secondary cells are electrically connected together in a space defined above the grooves and internal to the casing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the construction of a secondary battery module, of which a lithium ion battery is representative.
2. Description of Related Art
In the prior art, in many cases, with the object of increasing the load voltage or the load capacity, a module construction for an assembled battery is adopted in which a plurality of battery cells are connected in series, in parallel, or in various combinations of series and parallel, and these battery cells are housed within a casing. Moreover, from the point of view of safety, it is desirable to adopt a sealed construction in which harmful liquid, gas, smoke, flame and so on are prevented from escaping to the exterior of the battery.
There is a per se known module construction for a battery in which a plurality of battery cells are closely disposed and tightened together and are housed in a hard case. However, with only this construction, the heat that is evolved by the cells of the battery themselves is not radiated away well but builds up in the battery, so that the temperature of the battery rises to a high level, and this undesirably shortens its working life.
In recent years, there has been an increase in battery applications that employ accelerated charging and high rate discharge, so that it is easy for the battery temperature to become high, and this is yet a further cause for the working life to become shortened. In particular, if an assembled battery is constructed with flattened type battery cells so that the largest area sides of these cells are in mutual contact, then there is almost no path for heat dissipation other than the tab leads, so that the temperatures of the cells that are positioned at the central portion of the battery become extremely high, and they arrive at the ends of their working lives earlier than the cells at other positions, and as a result the overall life of the battery module becomes undesirably short. Due to this, various methods have recently been contemplated for cooling a battery module.
One background technique in this field is Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication 2000-251951. Referring to the Abstract of this publication, we find the following description: "In a sealed group type secondary battery in which a plurality of battery cells are arranged in series, along with providing cooling medium passage portions on both sides of the battery cells along their direction of arrangement, also a cooling medium passage is formed between the cell casings and communicates between the battery cell casings with the cooling medium passage portions on both sides, so that all of the sides of the battery cells and also the portions between the battery cells are forcibly cooled with the cooling medium".
Another publication in this field is Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication 2009-140714. Referring to the Abstract of this publication, we find the following description: "An assembled battery module is characterized in which a plurality of flattened type heat pipes are arranged in parallel between one flattened type battery cell and another flattened type battery cell, with each of these flattened type heat pipes being contacted to an externally fitted case that serves as a heat sink".

Secondary battery module with water cooling jacket


A motion sensor has a pyroelectric detector, a Fresnel lens array, a reducing lens, and a housing. The detector has two elements located side-by-side and the lens array has a plurality of lenslets which are integrally formed. The reducing lens demagnifies the elements. The reducing lens has grooves which run in parallel directions and face toward the elements. The lens array illuminates the detector by focusing infrared light through the reducing lens and onto the elements. The reducing lens makes the elements appear smaller and closer together. The reduced image of the detector allows the lenslets to be spaced more closely than prior art lenslets, thereby making the angular separation less than the angular separation of prior art sensors. Alternatively, the detector housing may be made smaller while maintaining the same angular separation of prior art sensors. If an object moves between two zones, the sensor detects the movement and triggers an alarm, turns on a light, or initiates some other process.

Motion sensors which detect movement for security and lighting applications are well known in the prior art. However, in order to make motion sensors less conspicuous, whether for aesthetic, safety or security purposes, the lens arrays utilized by motion sensors must be smaller.
Lens arrays, particularly fresnel-type lens arrays, make motion sensors more effective and economical. The individual lenslets of a lens array collect and direct infrared radiation onto a pyroelectric detector. The size and placement of the lenslets, along with other characteristics, determine the range of the motion sensor and its sensitivity to small movements. Generally, the detection range and sensitivity of the motion sensor are proportional to the size of the lens array.
Three parameters control the effectiveness of a motion sensor. Radial range is the range of the motion sensor as measured from the motion sensor to the farthest point at which it will detect motion. This parameter is limited by the collection efficiency of the lenslets and the sensitivity of the pyroelectric detector. The second parameter, angular range, is the angular spread within which the motion sensor will function. Angular range is usually limited by factors such as the curvature and size of the lens array, off-axis performance of the lenslets, and the angular acceptance of the pyroelectric detector. The third parameter is zone density which is measured as the number of detection zones or beams within an angular segment. This parameter determines the distance that a target has to move before the motion sensor detects it. Zone density is most affected by the focal length of the lenslets and the distance between the elements of a two element pyroelectric detector. Focal length is directly related to the distance from the lenslets to the pyroelectric detector.
Most motion sensors use pyroelectric detectors with two, one millimeter wide sensitive elements wherein the inner edges of the elements define a gap between the elements that is one millimeter wide. Since there is often no choice in the geometry of the pyroelectric detector used, the only way to increase the zone density has been to use longer focal length lenslets. However, this method has the disadvantage of creating a large, often unsightly and conspicuous package which is usually undesirable in most security and lighting applications.

Lens assembly for miniature motion sensor


The present invention provides a method for the screening of a wound-healing agent, which comprises determining a substance to be active as a wound-healing agent on the basis of potentiation or modification of biological activities of a growth and/or differentiation factor, a growth hormone or a cytokine. This invention also provides a wound-healing method, which comprises as an active ingredient a compound of the following formula (1) or formula (2) found to be active by the screening method. ##STR1##

a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the provision of a novel wound-healing agent and a novel method for the screening and provision of the wound-healing agent. More specifically, this invention is concerned with a novel medicament for the healing of wounds, for example, wounds by injuries such as simple incised wounds or cuts; wounds by various accidents or disasters; burns; scalds; bone fractures; tooth extraction wounds; operative wounds caused at affected sites or peripheries thereof during surgical operations such as in cornea vessels and various organs; body epithelial or endothelial ulcers; wounds such as keloids; texture injuries of gastrointestinal mucosae, e.g., gastric mucosa injuries, gastrointestinal ulcers, and mucosal injuries caused by inflammatory intestine diseases; hepatic injuries; bone damages; pseudoarthroses; necrosis of femoral head; ligamentous damages; periodontal damages; vascular damages; myocardial infarction; arterial seleroses; post-PTCA re-perfusion disorders; injuries by drugs or radiations, e.g., stomatitides and mucitis caused by chemotherapy or radiotherapy of cancers; decubiti by some causes such as bed-ridden health for a long period of time; and hemorrhoids. This invention also provides an original in vitro screening system and screening method for the provision of such wound-healing agents.
b) Description of the Related Art
To cure various wounds such as those described above, it is the current circumstance that with respect to injuries, injured parts are disinfected and then applied with a wound-covering material such as wet dressing or dry dressing or sutured with a surgical suture and patients then await until the injuries are healed by spontaneous ability of the their bodies. Recently, measures have been increasingly taken for the positive promotion of tissue repair or regeneration of such wounded parts, including use of "Aviten" (trade mark) or application of a material--which is formed of a matrix of a hyaluronic acid sponge and fragments of collagen or as a cell adhesion molecule, laminin or fibronectin coated on the matrix--to wounded parts.
It is stated that the process of healing of a wound is divided into an inflammation phase, a proliferation phase, granulation phase, and a remodeling phase, cicatrization (scar maturation) phase and proceeds through these phases or stages. In the granular tissue forming phase, formation of fibroblasts, myofibroblasts and new blood vessels is observed. In the cicatrization phase, parallel rearrangement of increased collagen on a skin surface and decrease and reconstruction of the new blood vessels are observed, whereby reorganization of the tissue is conducted. During these phases described above, various growth and/or differentiating factors and cytokines are considered to be produced by and released from various tissues containing fibroblasts, myofibroblasts or vascular endothelial cells, platelets, leukocytes, macrophages and the like and to give important action to the healing of the wound. Use of epidermal growth factors (EGFs) or basic fibroblast growth factors (bFGFs) has therefore started on a trial basis for the healing of apellous wounds or gastrointestinal ulcers (for example, Wolfe, M. M. et al., "Gastroenterology" 106, A212, 1994).
Further, external administration of bFGFs and the like are also being tested on animals with a view to promoting angiogenesis to perfuse cardiac muscle damaged by ischemia or the like.
As has been described above, it is performed actually or on a trial basis for the promotion of the process of healing of a wound to administer to the living body a growth and/or differentiation factor, a growth hormone, a cytokine or an adhesion molecule which takes part in the healing of a wound actually performed in the living body. It is the current situation that such substances are limited only to those derived from the living body.
When one wants to apply these substances, especially proteins for the healing of human wounds, a limitation is imposed on their administration route so that their effects are generally not expected to last over an extended period of time. For EGFs and bFGFs, local administration may be the best method for administration in many instances. Under the circumstances, however, local administration of ointments or the like may be performed first although whole body administration by injection or the like would also be attempted on a trial basis. Further, a growth and/or differentiation factor or a cytokine has a multipotent of functions so that it may exhibit not only wound-healing effects but also other undesired action. Its administration may therefore involve potential problems.
In addition, it is also necessary for the preparation of such a protein to process a human gene by genetic engineering to conduct its expression. Therefore, the protein becomes costly, and is also required to overcome various problems which are expected to arise upon its production as a pharmaceutical.

Method for healing compromised tissues using pyrimidine derivatives


There is disclosed a method and system for determining the progress of a calling connection. The system measures the peak voltage of the signals on the line and derives a ratio of these peak signals to the average value of the signal. From this ratio a determination is made as to the calling condition of the line.

In modern communication technology it is becoming increasingly more important to be able to electronically detect the progress of a calling connection. One reason this is important is so that in automatic systems, particularly predictive dialing systems such as disclosed in concurrently filed copending patent application assigned to a common assignee, which patent is hereby incorporated by reference herein, the system is able to ascertain the status of any calling connection with a high degree of certainty.
It is not acceptable just to know that the call has not been answered, but the value of such a system lies in its ability to distinguish between no answer, busy, a dedicated computer or fax line, operator intercept, modems, etc. By knowing this information, the calling system can make determinations about future calls. For example, if a fax machine answers a call, there is no point in leaving a voice message or in retrying that call to that number. On the other hand, if a busy condition is detected, a call can be retried sooner than it would be if a no-answer condition were to be found.
Typically, the prior art in one form or another detects the envelope of the call progress signals. These envelopes are a result of the dual tones which are used for creating the various call progress audio signals. Such a system, however, does not work well in all countries, particularly where the telephone systems do not have standard tones which define the call progress signals.
In addition to the problem encountered where there are no signal envelopes, the prior art systems do not handle the situation where there is an answer by an attendant or by a fax machine or computer.
Another prior art method of determining call progress is to measure the on and off times of the audio signals, and from the change in cadence of these signals, deduce that a call has been answered. Again, this system cannot discriminate between answering machines, fax equipment, etc.
Accordingly, there exists in the art a need for systems and methods of determining the progress of calling connections without resort to signal timing or signal envelope detection.

Call progress detection circuitry and method


An external system (e.g., a website) is associated with an event and includes an interface that allows users to interact with streams of content associated with a social networking system. The interface allows a user to provide posts about the event via the interface, where the posts are displayed in the interface and also in a social networking interface on social networking system in connection with the user and other users associated with that user. The user can view, via the interface on the external system, posts from all users that are provided via the interface (e.g., everyone watching the event), thereby increasing the likelihood that the posts are relevant to the event. The user can also view, via the interface, posts from users associated with the user via the social networking system (e.g., friends of the user), regardless of where those are posted.

The present invention relates generally to media presentation, and more particularly to an interface for sharing posts about a live online event among users of a social networking system.
Social networking systems include social utilities that track and enable connections between users (including people, businesses, and other entities). In particular, social networking systems allow users to communicate information more efficiently and to associate themselves with other users, thus creating a web of connections among the users of the social networking system. Users commonly share information with one another via the social networking system. A user can post text and content (e.g., photos, videos, music, links, or any other type of digital or other content that can be posted on the Internet) or a combination of both, and can post comments relating to other users and their posts. These types of user posts or "news stories" can be displayed to users in a feed or stream of content (either on a social networking website or elsewhere).
Posts and related comments by users sharing information on the social networking system sometimes tend toward particular topics or current events. When a noteworthy event has occurred or is in progress, many of the posts on the social networking system will be directed toward this event or related topics. A user interested in this event may be interested in reading the posts of other users directly relating to the event, many times in conjunction with concurrently watching or attending the event (e.g. the Super Bowl, the Oscars, the presidential inauguration, etc.). Yet, in a social networking system, posts related to a particular event are typically mixed in with a variety of unrelated content and can, therefore, be lost in the shuffle or difficult to follow.
Technology today allows many events to be captured and viewed on television, the Internet, etc. These broadcast accounts of events (e.g. via video, audio, text description, etc.) can be followed by users on television, websites, mobile devices, and so forth. A user can easily follow the broadcast of an event of interest while the event is actually happening or being broadcast. However, to share this event with other users of a social networking system, the user has to do so separately from following the event itself. Using means that are not associated with the event to post about the event may result in the user's post not being read by others until the post is stale and the event has ended or has moved on to a new topic. There is no easy way for the user to simultaneously follow an event outside a social networking system while interacting about the event in real time with other users of a social networking system (or other users following the event in general). There is also no mechanism for capturing and using these interactions back in the social networking system.

Interface for sharing posts about a live online event among users of a social networking system