An information processing apparatus, output system, information processing method, and an information processing program stored in a non-transitory recording medium, each of which controls interaction between an upper-level program and a lower-level program, by providing the functions of: storing output processing information relating to output processing being performed or to be performed on output data, in association with output data identification information; and sending the output processing information associated with the output data identification information to the upper-level program, in response to the output data identification information received from the upper-level program.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to processing output processing information, and more specifically, to an information processing apparatus, an output system, an information processing method, and a non-transitory recording medium storing an information processing program, each of which processes output processing information.
2. Description of the Related Art
The network print systems may be provided in various organizations such as companies, government agencies, or hospitals, in which printing may be performed using at least one printer selected from a plurality of printers available through a network. Various techniques are proposed, which monitor print processing being performed by each printer in the print system, and notifies a user of information relating to the print processing. For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-167718-A discloses a print control system provided with a status monitor that monitors print processing performed by a print processor. In this print control system, the status monitor determines whether a data stream of print data is stopped due to preview processing at the print processor, and when the data stream of print data is stopped, sends notification to the user. This print system, however, is not capable of monitoring processing at the print processor after EMF spooling or processing at the graphic driver. Even when an error occurs after EMF spooling, the application is not able to obtain information regarding an error such that the user is not notified of the occurrence of the error.

Information processing apparatus, output system, information processing method, and recording medium storing information processing program


A method can be used to profile a user using network addresses, category information, and corresponding temporal information when the user requested or received information from those network addresses. A table can be created that includes the user identifier, category information, and temporal information. The user profile can be generated and based at least in part on the user identifier, category information, and at least some of the temporal information. In a specific embodiment, the user identifier, network addresses, and timestamps may be the only source of user information. Embodiments can also include data processing system readable media having code to perform at least part of the methods. The methods and data processing system media can be implemented without having to generate complex code or rely on user provided information.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to methods and data processing system readable media, and more particularly, to methods of profiling a user and data processing system readable media for carrying out those methods.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many different Internet Service Providers ("ISPs") or sites are interested in creating or using profiles of their users. One way to obtain a profile for a user is to rely on information that the user may voluntarily provide. One problem with this is that the user may lie or give inaccurate, misleading, or incomplete data regarding himself or herself.
Another attempt at establishing a profile for a user may include reviewing the Internet Protocol ("IP") address of the user and determining the geographic location and time zone for the user. However, that information may be misleading depending upon the ISP and where it is located. For example, if the user is using America Online, the user may be listed as residing in Virginia and being in the Eastern Time zone. In reality, the user may be in a different country and residing within a time zone many hours different from the Eastern Time zone. Additionally, many different users may be using the same computer (same IP address). Clearly, such information is of little use in determining interests or other information regarding an individual. Even if the information regarding state and time zone are correct and only one user is using a specific IP address with a local ISP, this may yield little useful information about the individual user. The ISP may have thousands or millions of users.

Method for click-stream analysis using web directory reverse categorization


A recloseable storage bag is disclosed which may include first and second sides having closed sides and an open top. Primary closure members may be provided proximate the top, with a secondary closure element being provided in one of the sides to enable gas to be evacuated from the bag after the primary closure members are closed. The secondary closure member may further include the ability to prevent liquid from exiting the bag therethrough.

Reclosable storage bags are well known, especially with regard to food storage. Such bags are generally made out of a plastic film and have two side walls which are sealed around the edges. Such material is fluid impermeable, relatively inexpensive, and can be manufactured in transparent form thereby facilitating content identification. Accordingly, plastic bags have become the dominant product of choice in the area of food storage bags.
Such bags are typically recloseable and substantially sealable. One common approach to provide such features employs closure members at a top edge of a bag having first and second thermoplastic layers folded or heat sealed along bottom and first and second side edges. The closure members may be provided in the form of mating male and female profiles such as those provided by the present assignee under the ZIPLOC® trademark. The male and female profiles are also typically manufactured from plastic, with the male profile including a linear tab adapted to be interlocked with a linear groove of the female profile.
The male and female profiles can be connected to close the bag by pinching and pulling across the closure members along the length of the top edges. Such motion can be accomplished with the thumb and forefinger of a user, or through the use of a sliding element mounted to the male and female profiles, as is the case with bags provided by the present assignee under the ZIPLOC® trademark as well.
While such bags have been met with extraordinary commercial success from their inception until the present day, the assignee continues to improve its product offerings. One area which the assignee has identified as grounds for improvement involves the ability to evacuate gas from a bag after sealing. While the primary closure found at the top of many plastic bags provides an airtight seal, air remaining enclosed in the bag after closure enables bacterial growth and therefore hinders the preservation and freshness the bags are intended to maintain.
It would therefore be an advance in the art of bags to provide a bag with an evacuation aperture provided with a secondary closure, or valve, for sealing the aperture. In this manner, a bag may be closed at the top using the primary closure member, as described above, and subsequently evacuated of gas and resealed using the aperture and secondary closure, respectively.

Recloseable storage bag with porous evacuation portal


A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell which includes a first gate insulation film provided on the semiconductor substrate; a floating gate electrode provided on the first gate insulation film; a second gate insulation film provided on the floating gate electrode; a control gate electrode provided on the second gate insulation film; a source layer and a drain layer that are provided in the semiconductor substrate, the source layer and the drain layer respectively being provided either side of a channel region which is below the floating gate electrode; a source electrode that is electrically connected to the source layer; a buffer film provided on the drain layer; and a memory cell including a drain electrode electrically connected to the drain layer through the buffer film, wherein when viewing the surface of the semiconductor substrate from above, an overlapped area between the floating gate electrode and the drain layer is smaller than an overlapped area between the floating gate electrode and the source layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Background Art
A demand for an NOR flash memory as a semiconductor memory device for digital cameras, portable telephones, and portable audio devices is increasing rapidly. These devices are increasingly required to have a smaller size, a lighter weight, and an advanced function. Along these trends, miniaturization, high integration, a low power supply voltage, and improved reliability are required for the NOR flash memory.
However, when the power supply voltage is reduced, operating speed of the NOR flash memory decreases. When the power supply voltage is increased, the operating speed improves, but the requirement for the low power supply voltage cannot be satisfied.
When memory cells are miniaturized, electric charges cannot be stored sufficiently in a floating gate electrode, and a threshold voltage of the memory cells decreases. This reduces reliability.

Semiconductor memory device and method of manufacturing the same


System monitors and methods of monitoring a system are disclosed. In one arrangement a system monitor predicts a future state of a system. A data receiving unit receives system data representing a set of one or more measurements performed on the system. A first statistical model is fitted to the system data. The first statistical model is compared to each of a plurality of dictionary entries in a database. Each dictionary entry comprises a second statistical model. The second statistical model is of the same general class as the first statistical model and obtained by fitting the second statistical model to data representing a set of one or more previous measurements performed on a system of the same type as the system being monitored and having a known subsequent state. A prediction of a future state of the system being monitored is output based on the comparison. The first statistical model and the second statistical model are each a stochastic process or approximation to a stochastic process.

The present invention relates to system monitors and methods of system monitoring, particularly for predicting a future state of a system being monitored. The systems are particularly applicable to providing an early warning of a change in a system state, for example a future machine failure or adverse medical event in a human or animal subject.
In clinical settings, and particularly in acute settings such as hospitals, patient data are continually monitored to provide values (e.g. vital signs) relating to a patient's current health. These measurements are of particular importance in intensive care units and other high-dependency units. Measured vital signs may be compared with thresholds and an alarm raised when it is detected that a vital sign is beyond a corresponding threshold.
An improved method over simple vital sign threshold warning is the Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS). MEWS can be calculated for each patient, and considers the abnormality of multiple vital signs. However assessments like MEWS are staff-intensive, and thus not suitable for continuous monitoring. MEWS may be difficult to calculate in the presence of missing information, and MEWS also does not account for vital sign trajectories or signals that are individually healthy but jointly abnormal. Furthermore any manual monitoring or calculation is subject to human error.
An improvement on the above is offered by continuous probabilistic monitoring systems that compare a patient's current set of vital signs to those of a global population of healthy patients. Possibly the best known of these methods is the Parzen window kernel density estimate (KDE). If the observed data stray sufficiently from those previously acquired from a cohort of stable patients (in the example of patient monitoring) then it is a signal of abnormality and potential physiological deterioration. Other probabilistic methods have made use of extreme value theory (EVT) to anticipate whether extreme observations represent a true deterioration, an artefactual measurement, or a reasonably-expected extreme arising from long-periods of continuous monitoring. In essence, these methods replace an absolute threshold with a probabilistic threshold that can account for the correlation between vital signs and lengthy observation periods. Patient risk, though, is still assessed at a single point in time, thereby losing information from previous measurements, and making the inaccurate assumption of independent and identically distributed observations (that is, that the data for the "patient being monitored" have the same probability distribution as the data from the entire population of "patients previously acquired", which were used to form the training set—this is an inaccurate assumption because an individual will have data that are some subset of the data of an entire population). To address the correlated time series nature of data, methods have been suggested to estimate patient trajectories, but these frequently rely on manipulating the data to fit into a specific model, for example into discrete time points.

System monitor and method of system monitoring to predict a future state of a system


The present invention relates to an optic seismic MEMS sensor. More specifically, a proof mass is supported by a frame having supporting beams. The proof mass is positioned within the frame and has a hinged attachment to the beams. The proof mass has a sensor gap having a first reflector and a second reflector positioned at opposing ends of the sensor gap. An optical fiber injects light into the sensor gap and light is reflected to determine seismic movement of the proof mass with respect to the frame. Stops are provided for limiting the movement of the proof mass to minimize strain on the attachment of the beams and the proof mass.

The traditional method for detecting land seismic signals has been the coil-type geophone. Geophone sensors consist of a mass-spring assembly contained in a cartridge about 3 cm long and weighing about 75 grams. In a typical geophone sensor, the spring is soft and as the cartridge case moves the mass (coil) is held in place by its own inertia. Thus, the coil acts as a reference for measurement of the cartridge displacement. This sensor arrangement is ideal for measurement of large, oscillatory displacements on the order of millimeters with sub-micrometer resolution. However, the frequency range of these sensors is limited. For best sensitivity to small displacements, a given sensor has a mechanical bandwidth of about 10 Hz. Sensors can be designed with center frequencies from 20 Hz to 100 Hz.
Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) are miniature mechanical components fabricated in silicon wafers. The fabrication methods are based on the same photolithographic and etching processes used to manufacture electronic circuits in silicon. In fact, most MEMS devices include not only miniature mechanical components such as nozzles, gears, etc. but also integrated electronic components to provide local signal conditioning. Unfortunately, the integrated circuits limit the maximum operating temperature of electronic MEMS to 75° C. The maximum temperature limit can be extended to 400° C. or more if optical fiber sensors are integrated with mechanical MEMS components so that no electronics are needed in the high temperature environment.
Recently, MEMS accelerometers have been developed for 3-component (3C) land seismic measurements. In the MEMS accelerometer, a mass-spring assembly is also used, but, unlike the geophone, the spring is stiff and the mass moves with the case that houses the MEMS. The inertia of the mass causes strain and deflection of the spring and the deflection or strain that can be measured with a sensor to determine the acceleration of an object. Capacitance sensors may also be incorporated into high performance 3C MEMS accelerometers to determine the acceleration of an object.
The measurement range of accelerometers is specified in units of 'G' where 1G=9.8 m/s2. Commercial specifications include 120 dBV dynamic range (1G to 10−6G) and 500 Hz mechanical bandwidth with 24-bit digital resolution equivalent to a noise limited performance of 10−7G/(Hz)1/2. The accelerometer is fabricated on a silicon chip on the order of 100 mm2. Three single-axis accelerometers (each with an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for signal conditioning) are packaged to measure in three orthogonal directions. The limitation of these accelerometers is an upper limit on the operating temperature of 75° C., which is imposed by the electronic integrated circuits and is not a fundamental limitation of silicon itself.

Fiber optic MEMS seismic sensor with mass supported by hinged beams


There are provided a thermal head capable of decreasing the possibility of occurrence of layer separation in a protective layer, and a thermal printer equipped with the same. A thermal head includes a substrate; an electrode disposed on the substrate; an electric resistor connected to the electrode, part of which serves as a heat-generating section; and a protective layer disposed on the electrode and on the heat-generating section. The protective layer includes a first layer containing silicon nitride or silicon oxide; and a second layer disposed on the first layer, containing tantalum oxide and silicon oxynitride.

Various types of thermal heads have been proposed to date as printing devices for use in facsimiles, video printers, or the like. For example, there is known a thermal head comprising: a substrate; an electrode disposed on the substrate; an electric resistor connected to the electrode, part of which serves as a heat-generating section; and a protective layer disposed on the electrode, as well as on the heat-generating section (refer to Patent Literature 1, for example). In Patent Literature 1, there is described a protective layer obtained by disposing a first layer made of SiO2 on the electrode and the heat-generating section, and then disposing a second layer made of Ta2O5 on the first layer.

Thermal head and thermal printer equipped with the same


One or more semiconducting or conducting regions of a device such as a transistor may comprise molecular materials such as nanotubes or similar materials. Regions of a conductive alignment pattern used to align the nanotubes may be proximate to one or more ends of the nanotube. Additionally, a contact region may be proximate to each end of the nanotube to provide electrical contact to the nanotube. Nanotubes or the like may be in communication with device interconnection regions on a device substrate and may further be in communication with a package connection region on a package substrate.

Integrated circuits are generally fabricated by patterning a succession of spatially related layers on a substrate. The patterned layers form electronic devices and interconnections, separated by insulating materials. Conventional materials for integrated circuits include conducting materials such as aluminum, copper, and polysilicon, semiconducting materials such as p- and n-doped silicon, and insulating materials such as silicon dioxide and silicon nitride.
A number of dice may be patterned on a substrate such as a silicon wafer, where each die includes an integrated circuit with a number of connection points for making electrical contact with the integrated circuit. Each die may then be electrically and structurally connected to a packaging substrate.
For example, after a passivation step, an array of bumps may be formed on the connection points of a die. The bumps may be formed by electroplating a bump material (e.g., a lead-tin material, or copper) on a base layer metal (BLM) material.
After separating the die from the wafer, the array of bumps may be aligned with complementary solder bumps on a packaging substrate. The system may be heated so that the solder flows, connecting the die to the packaging substrate.
Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.


A target is detected under a forest canopy or other elevated clutter where the target is obscured by the elevated clutter. Radar returns reflected from the target on the surface, combined with those from the elevated clutter are digitized. Motion compensation is performed for the radar returns with respect to the target to obtain a focused first synthetic aperture image of the target. Next, the radar returns are motion compensated with respect to the elevated clutter at various heights above the surface to obtain images of the elevated clutter. The elevated clutter within the images at the various heights above the surface is identified and coherently subtracted from the original synthetic aperture images.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the field of above ground clutter canceling for use with Synthetic Aperture Radar imaging.
2. Description of the Related Art
Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) radar is used for ground mapping as well as target identification. The general principle behind SAR is to coherently combine the amplitude and phase information of radar returns from a plurality of sequentially transmitted pulses from a relatively small antenna on a moving platform.
The plurality of returns creating a SAR image generated by the transmitted pulses along a known path of the platform make up a frame length. During the frame length, amplitude as well as phase information returned from each of the pulses, for each of many range bins, is preserved. The SAR image is formed from the coherent combination of the amplitude and phase of return(s) within each range bin, motion compensated for spatial displacement of the moving platform during the acquisition of the returns for the duration of the frame length.
The plurality of pulses transmitted during an SAR frame length, when coherently combined and processed, result in image quality comparable to a longer antenna, corresponding approximately to the "length" traveled by the antenna during the frame length.
However, where ground targets of interest are under a forest canopy or some other vegetative cover, the SAR imaging may not reliably detect the targets. In the prior at, lower operating frequencies (VHF and UHF) have been used to penetrate forest canopies. This is because VHF and UHF frequencies have lower attenuation through forest canopies or other vegetative cover, while still providing a radar return from metal, reflecting targets. However, this VHF and UHF approach failed in many instances.

Technique for cancellation of elevated clutter for the detection of fixed and ground moving targets under trees


Changes in a telephone subscriber line voltage are detected in a telephone set by supplying a voltage dependent upon the subscriber line voltage to a potential divider having first, second, and third tapping points, the second tapping point being between the first and third tapping points, and comparing the voltages at the first and third tapping points with a smoothed version of the voltage at the second tapping point to produce pulses at respective terminals when the line voltage is falling or rising. An algorithm is described for responding to the pulses to distinguish changes in hook state of another telephone connected to the same subscriber line from interfering signals. The arrangement facilitates remote release from hold and privacy indication functions for the telephone set.

It is well known to connect two or more telephone sets, for example in different rooms of a residence, to the same two-wire telephone subscriber line, thus enabling two or more people in the residence to participate simultaneously in a telephone conversation via the telephone subscriber line. A disadvantage of such an arrangement is that the privacy of a person using a first telephone set may be lost due to another person taking a second telephone set, connected to the same telephone subscriber line, off-hook (lifting the handset). While in some circumstances a click may be audible to the person using the first telephone set when the second telephone is taken off-hook, this does not provide a convenient or reliable indication that privacy has been interrupted. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a more reliable indication at one telephone set of the hook state of another telephone set connected to the same line.
Such an indication is also useful even when the first telephone set is on-hook, as it can then serve to indicate to a prospective user of this telephone set whether or not the telephone subscriber line is already in use by another person using one of the other telephone sets connected to this line.
Furthermore, it is desirable for a user of the first telephone set to be able to place this in a hold state during a telephone call, to go to a second telephone set connected to the same line to continue the call, and to have the first telephone set automatically release itself from the hold state when the second telephone set is taken off-hook. This is referred to as remote release from hold.
For each of these situations, a change in the voltage between the two wires of the telephone subscriber line can conceivably be detected and used to take an appropriate action, for example to provide an indication at the first telephone set or to effect a release of this telephone set from the hold state. However, it has been found to be very difficult to monitor the subscriber line voltage in an effective manner to accomplish this, because of the variability of this voltage and the presence of interfering signals on the line.
More particularly, the actual subscriber line voltage is dependent upon a number of variable factors, such as the resistance of the telephone subscriber line and the number and nature of the telephone sets connected to the line. Interfering signals on the line can occur due to hook switch flashing or pulse dialling activities at other telephone sets connected to the line, and due to short-duration open switch intervals at the central office to which the subscriber line is connected. Open switch intervals comprise temporary interruptions in voltage supplied from the central office to the subscriber line during switching activity at the central office, and known methods of remote release from hold are susceptible to incorrectly releasing from hold in response to open switch intervals.
An object of this invention, therefore, is to provide an improved method of and apparatus for detecting voltage changes on a telephone subscriber line.

Telephone subscriber line voltage change detection


A pinion gear unit includes a rotation member rotating according to the rotation of a output shaft. A first pinion gear fit to the rotation member through a first serration unit rotates with, and also moves with the rotation member if the pinion gear unit moves towards an engagement location with an engine starting gear. A second pinion gear is fit to the rotation member adjacent to the first pinion gear through a second serration unit, rotates with and moves with the rotation member if the pinion gear unit further moves towards the engagement location, and engages with the starting gear later than the first pinion gear, where the first pinion gear engages with the engine starting gear. Fitting is performed by the first and second serration units so that phases of teeth of the first and second pinion gears in a circumferential direction correspond with each other.

In an engine starting device (hereinafter, referred to as a starter) of the related art, a starting operation is performed in a state where an engine is stopped. Accordingly, a pinion gear has been engaged with a ring gear, in a state where the ring gear is not rotating. However, in a system for performing idling stop for low fuel consumption, restarting performance is secured by engaging a pinion gear and a ring gear even in ring gear rotation.
For example, when restarting is required in a state where engine rotation is not stopped at the time of idling stop, or when shortening of time is required when restarting from the stopped state, engagement with a pinion gear is previously performed in rotation of a ring gear.
In this case, as a method of engaging a pinion gear in rotation of a ring gear, there has been known a method of engaging the gears by turning on and controlling the speed of a starter motor of the pinion gear so as to be synchronized with a rotation speed of the ring gear (for example, see Patent Literature 1). In addition, there has been known a method of engaging the gears by providing a mechanism for previous synchronization and performing synchronization to have constant difference of the rotation speed by friction of the mechanism unit (for example, see Patent Literature 2). Further, there has been known a method of devising a pinion formation to easily perform the engagement (for example, see Patent Literature 3).


A folding apparatus for folding a plurality of sheets of multiple lengths such as mail statements, which includes a plurality of folder rollers, one or more folder gates, and a kicking plate associated with one of the folder gates. An input transport system provides statements to the folder rollers, and an exit transport system receives folded statements therefrom. A system controller monitors movement of statements through the folder rollers and folder gates of the apparatus by a plurality of sensors, and directs operation of the kicker gate at the appropriate time to push or eject the folded statements from the folder rollers. The action of the kicker plate prevents undesirable folding of the tips of shorter sheets in the statement while folding the longer sheet or sheets of the statement.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains generally to systems and methods for folding paper sheets, and more particularly to a folder ejector apparatus for high speed folding of a plurality of stacked or collated sheets or pages for envelope insertion wherein one or more of the plurality of sheets is longer than the others.
2. Description of the Background Art
Periodic billing operations, such as the preparation and mailing of monthly billing statements to customers, require quick and efficient preparation and processing of large numbers of statements. Such billing statements each generally include a plurality of pages, sheets, or forms which must be printed, separated, organized, collated, folded, and inserted into envelopes.
Generally, each billing statement includes at least one page or form which is of greater length than the other pages in the statement. In one standard billing format, for example, the first or outer page of the billing statement is printed on an 8.5" by 14" sheet, while the remaining, inner pages in the statement comprise 8.5" by 11" sheets. The longer form generally includes a detachable portion that is removed along a perforation or indentation line by the billing recipient to leave an 8.5" by 11" sheet which is retained by the recipient for record-keeping. The detached portion, together with a payment, is then returned by mail to the biller.
A variety of folding systems and devices for mail preparation are known and used for high speed folding of a plurality of sheets or pages in a manner suitable for subsequent envelope insertion. Typically, a mail or billing statement is folded in half or in thirds by a buckle folder or other conventional folding device to provide a folded statement suitable for insertion into standard billing envelopes.
An important drawback in the currently known folding systems and devices, however, is the inability to accurately fold statements containing a plurality of sheets with one or more sheets of greater length than the others, as in the aforementioned standard billing format. When such a statement has been folded once to produce a folded 8.5" by 5.5" packet, there are still an additional three inches of the longer, outer sheet or form that protrude out from the 8.5" by 5.5" folded packet and which must be folded in order to fit into the envelope. A conventional buckle folder, in folding such a billing statement, cannot reliably fold over the three inch long detachable portion or tab of the longer, outer sheet into the 8.5" by 5.5" folded statement or packet without also causing unwanted folding of the tips of the inner, shorter sheets. When a plurality of 8.5" by 11" inner, sheets and one or more longer, outer sheets are registered along their front edges during collation and folded over, the back edges of the inner 8.5" by 11" sheets tend to extend out slightly past the eleven inch mark of the longer outer sheet in a shingling effect. Thus, as the extra portion (typically three inches) of the longer, outer sheet is folded over by a conventional buckle folder, the tips of the inner sheets are also folded. The folded tips of the inner statement detract from the overall appearance of the statement, which can cause customer dissatisfaction. The folded tips also interfere with the envelope insertion operation for the billing statements, since the folded tips may catch or jam in the machinery associated with conventional high speed envelope insertion, causing system shutdown and delay while the jam is cleared.
Accordingly, there is a need for a folding apparatus which can fold a billing statement having one or more sheets which are longer than the others without folding the tips of the shorter sheets, which performs folding operations quickly and efficiently, and which avoids system shutdowns due to improperly folded statements. The present invention satisfies these needs, as well as others, and generally overcomes the deficiencies present in the background art.

Output Technology Solutions of California, Inc.


An exemplary transflective electro-wetting display (EWD) device includes an upper substrate, a lower substrate opposite to the upper substrate, a first polar liquid disposed between the upper and lower substrates, a second, colored, non-polar liquid disposed between the upper and lower substrates, and a reflective pattern disposed at the lower substrate. The second liquid is immiscible with the first liquid. An area of the reflective pattern covered by the second liquid varies according to an area of the lower substrate covered by the second liquid.

Display devices like TFT-LCDs (thin film transistor liquid crystal displays) are used in laptop computers, but also find an increasingly wider application in GSM telephones. Instead of LCDs, for example, (polymer) LED display devices are also being used. Apart from these types of displays, other display techniques, such as electro-wetting display (EWD) devices, which are suitable for flat plate displays are evolving. The electro-wetting functionality provides displays with excellent brightness and contrast, and relatively low power consumption compared to many other display technologies.
However, when the ambient environment is dark, the reflection of ambient light by the EWD devices is limited. The visibility of the reflective EWD device is poor. Conversely, a transmission type EWD device is disadvantageous when the ambient environment is bright.
It is, therefore, needed to provide a transflective EWD device that can overcome the above-described deficiencies.

Transflective electro-wetting display device


A system and method for determining an in vivo property of a tissue or blood is described. The in vivo property may be a hematocrit value, a hemoglobin concentration, or a combination thereof. The system can automatically determine a location of a subcutaneous blood vessel. Based on the automatically determined location, the system illuminates the blood vessel with a light beam and detects light resulting from the illumination. The system determines the in vivo property based on the detected light. Alternatively, or in combination, the system displays an image corresponding to a spatial relationship between a subcutaneous blood vessel and a light beam. Based on the image, an operator can adjust the light beam with respect to the blood vessel to have a selected spatial relationship. The system determines an in vivo property based on the illumination of the blood vessel when the light beam has the selected spatial relationship.

Medical personnel often need to determine properties of human or animal tissue or blood. For example, in a diagnostic or surgical setting, one may wish to determine blood hematocrit (Hct), which relates to the abundance of hemoglobin (Hb) and/or red blood cells. Traditional determinations of Hct include drawing blood from a vein and centrifuging the drawn blood to separate cellular and fluid components of the blood.

Optical determination of in vivo properties


A static, sector-type water sprinkler producing a variable-sector water-distribution pattern includes an outlet opening in the form of a helical slot having an effective length around the circumference of its housing which may be varied for preselecting the sector angle of the water distribution around the sprinkler, and a blocking member engageable with the inner surface of the housing on opposite sides of the slot to preselect the portion thereof to be unblocked and thereby the sector angle of the water distribution around the sprinkler.

The present invention relates to water sprinklers, and particularly to a static, sector-type water sprinkler producing a variable-sector water-distribution pattern around the sprinkler.
My U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,491 discloses a static, sector-type water sprinkler of this type including a housing formed with an inlet opening at one end connectible to a supply of pressurized water, and an outlet opening having an effective length around the circumference of the housing which may be varied for preselecting the sector angle of the water distribution around the sprinkler; characterized in that the outlet opening is defined by a slot extending helically around substantially the complete circumference of the housing; and in that the sprinkler further includes a blocking member movable with respect to the slot to preselect the portion thereof to be unblocked by the blocking member, and thereby the sector angle of the water distribution around the sprinkler.
According to further features in the preferred embodiment of the invention described in that application, the blocking member is disposed within a cylindrical bore extending axially of the housing and is rotatable therein to preselect the portion of the slot to be unblocked, and thereby the sector angle of the water distribution around the sprinkler. More particularly, the outer face of the blocking member is formed with a helical rib receivable in the helical slot to preselect the portion of the slot to be unblocked according to the rotated position of the blocking member and its helical rib.


Directional electromagnetic steel plates are laminated, and a plurality of stator and rotor core segments are produced by generating into an approximate U-shape so as to provide a U-shaped cross section of the lamination. The direction of high magnetic permeability of the directional electromagnetic steel plates is aligned during lamination with the direction along said U-shape. The side portions of the U-shape adjoin each other and are arranged along the circumference to produce the stator and rotor cores. As the electromagnetic steel plates are laminated, fluctuation in the components in the circumferential direction of the magnetic flux within the magnetic poles and salient poles can be reduced, and iron loss can thus be lowered. In addition, the direction of high magnetic permeability of the directional electromagnetic steel plates coincides with the direction of the magnetic flux creating a much stronger magnetic flux.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reluctance motor, in which a rotor is so formed as to have portions having different magnetic permeabilities alternately located in the circumferential direction, therein creating the interaction with the magnetic field by the difference in the magnetic pearmeabilities, and the reluctance motor is rotated by this interaction.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 14 is an exploded view for explaining the operating principle of a reluctance motor. A magnetic pole 12 is formed in a stator 10, and a coil 13 is formed by winding conductors in concentration around a magnetic pole. An AC current of established phase is respectively supplied at the three phases of U, V and W to the corresponding portions of the coil 13, and the magnetic poles wound with respective coils are respectively excited by U, V and W phases. Hereinafter, when explaining the phases of a magnetic pole 12 and the coil 13 distinguishably, letters indicating the phase will be attached after each code for the purposes of explanation, such as magnetic pole 12-U and coil 13-U. At a rotor 16, two salient poles 18 are arranged for three magnetic poles 12-U, 12-V and 12-W of a stator. In the explanation hereinafter, if it becomes necessary to describe each salient pole separately from the others, then a hyphen and a number such as -1, -2 or -3 will be attached to each salient pole starting from the head of the rotating direction, as shown in the drawings.
When the phase is 0.degree., the magnetic poles 12-V and 12-W are excited, and magnetic flux is created between these 2 magnetic poles and salient poles 181- and 18-2 as shown by a dashed line on the drawings. At this time, an attractive force acts (shown by arrows on the drawings) between the magnetic pole 12-V and the salient pole 18-2, and the rotor 16 rotates clockwise. When the phase is 30.degree., the magnetic poles 12-U, 12-V and 12-W are excited, and the salient pole 18-2 facing the magnetic pole 12-V is located almost at the front, so that no torque is generated here and a torque is generated in other magnetic poles 12-U and 12-W. In this way, the rotor as a whole is rotated while the position of the magnetic flux sequentially created is changing.
In the reluctance motor described above, the relative position of the magnetic pole 12 and the salient pole 18 is deviated as the rotor 16 is rotated therefore, the direction of the magnetic flux inside the magnetic pole 12 and the salient pole 18 has a component in the circumferential direction, and even the magnitude of this component will vary. By this variation in the component in the circumferential direction, there was such a problem that the efficiency and the output could not be enhanced since iron loss increased. In other words, it was not possible to improve the compactness of the motor at all.

Reluctance motor having magnetic poles formed by laminating steel plates in circumferential direction


A salt substitute including an inorganic food-grade salt, an organic food-grade acid as an acidulant, and edible plant tissue. The inorganic food-grade salt and the organic food-grade acid are dispersed throughout the plant tissue. The inorganic food-grade salt may include sodium and non-sodium salts. The salt substitute is a particulate solid, and may include one or more additives.

Salt, or sodium chloride (NaCl), is well known. While salt imparts a desirable flavor to food, too much use can result in long term adverse health risks. Because of the proliferation of salt in prepared foods and other products found in a grocery store, many people exceed the average recommended daily intake. Exceeding the recommended daily intake of sodium is a significant risk factor in developing high blood pressure and a cause or contributing factor in the rising incidence of heart disease. As such, medical professionals and governmental authorities recommend a reduction in per capita salt consumption of from about 10 to 12 g per day to a level of about 6 g per day, which is equivalent to 2400 mg of sodium.
The most recent Dietary Guidelines issued in the U.S. suggest a proposed consumption limit of 2300 mg of sodium per day and the American Heart Association even suggests a more stringent limit of 1500 mg of sodium per day. The Institute of Medicine also recommends a potassium consumption limit of 4,700 mg per day. Typically potassium consumption is less than half of that level.
Because of these and other reasons, there are a variety of salt substitutes in the market. The classical approach to production of salt substitutes involves combining the sodium and potassium salts, or occasionally magnesium salts, in various ratios and adding a wide variety of other additives to this mix. The other additives are generally added to mask or at least partially reduce the generally metallic or bitter taste of potassium that has generally been associated with salt substitutes containing potassium. The processing techniques used to make these products include, among others, simple blending, agglomeration, extrusion cooking, and the like.
Examples of salt substitutes are numerous. One type relates to a salt substitute that includes an inner core of potassium chloride coated with a carrier (e.g., a food additive such as maltodextrin), an inner core of potassium chloride coated with a mixture of carrier and sodium chloride, and an inner core of potassium chloride coated with a mixture of carrier, sodium chloride, and cream of tartar (potassium bitartrate). The process of making these salt substitutes includes coating the potassium chloride with a solution of carrier, carrier and sodium chloride, or a mixture of carrier, sodium chloride, and cream of tartar.
While traditional salt substitutes may be satisfactory in topical applications or for direct application to food just prior to consumption, they easily dissociate in various food processing operations. This dissociation can result in an undesirable taste associated with the individual components (e.g., the metallic taste of potassium chloride). Thus, traditional salt substitutes are often unsatisfactory for processed food applications.

Salt substitute with plant tissue carrier


It becomes possible for the rotational force generated by an operating member (12, ) to be transmitted to a cylindrical movable body (13) by means of a shaft member (62) inserted slidably in the longitudinal direction in a non-rotatable fashion, inside the movable body (13), and moreover, the shaft member (62) becomes able to pass inside the movable body (13) by penetrating through the inner side of the ratchet spring section (81), a composition being adopted wherein the shaft member (62) passes through the female screw thread (11a) of the main body (11) which screws together with the male screw thread (13a) of the movable body (13). Thereby, the shaft member (62) forming a tube side rotation preventing section and the female screw thread (11a) of the main body (11) forming a tube side screw thread section overlap mutually in the same plane orthogonal to the axial direction, and furthermore, the shaft member (62) forming the tube side rotating preventing section and the ratchet teeth (14a, 14b) overlap mutually in the same plane in orthogonal to the axial direction. Consequently, the overall length can be shortened in comparison to a prior art movable body dispensing device, whilst maintaining the same dispensing amount, and hence satisfactory downsizing can be achieved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a movable body dispensing device used, for example, for a liquid cosmetic material extruding vessel, or the like, by which the user can extrude and use liquid cosmetic material contained therein, as appropriate.
2. Related Background Art
Prior Art
A conventional movable body dispensing device is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-262324, which comprises: a columnar movable body formed with a male screw thread on the outer circumference thereof, and being formed with a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves that are open to the outer side and are aligned in the circumferential direction; a cylindrical main body, having a female screw thread, which screws together with the male thread of the movable body inserted from the rear side of the cylindrical main body, formed on the intermediate portion of the inner circumference of the cylindrical main body; and a cylindrical operating member coupled rotatably to the rear end section of the main body, having projecting ribs which interlock with the grooves of the movable body and are provided on the inner circumference of the cylindrical operating member; the movable body being inserted slidably in a non-rotatable fashion in the longitudinal direction and the movable body being progressively dispensed by relative rotation of the main body and the operating member.


An electronic device display may have pixels formed from crystalline semiconductor light-emitting diode dies, organic light-emitting diodes, or other pixel structures. The pixels may be formed in a display panel having a single substrate or an array of display panel tiles. The display panel has inwardly facing display panel contacts that mate with corresponding outwardly facing interconnect substrate contacts on an interconnect substrate. The interconnect substrate may have areas with compound curvature that are overlapped by the display panel. To enhance flexibility of the interconnect substrate, the interconnect substrate may have flexibility enhancement openings and/or may be formed from a material with a low elastic modulus such as silicone or other elastomeric material.

Electronic devices often have displays. A display may have an active area with pixels for displaying an image for a user and an inactive border. A display may have planar surfaces and surfaces with curvature.
It can be challenging to form displays for electronic devices. If care is not taken, display performance may be adversely affected when forming displays with surface curvature. There may also a risk that the inactive border areas of a display might be overly large and unsightly.


An adjustment safeguard for a set screw on a carburetor includes a cap held non-rotatably on the head of the set screw. The cap is surrounded by a coaxially positioned wall sleeve fixed to the housing. A rotation stop is fixed to the housing to limit the angle of rotation of the cap in the sleeve in the rotational direction of the set screw. A through-opening in the cap permits inserting a tool into an engagement opening in the head of the set screw to avoid destruction by introducing too much torque into the adjustment safeguard. The form and opening width of the through-opening is limited by the use of a metal material such that a tool larger than the adjustment tool is not able to be inserted through the through-opening into the head of the set screw. The engagement opening is flexible to limit a maximum allowable adjustment torque.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,252,261 discloses an adjustment safeguard for the set screw of a carburetor which consists of a cap held non-rotatably on the head of the set screw and is surrounded with minimum radial play by an approximately coaxially positioned wall sleeve fixed to the housing. The cap has associated therewith in the rotational direction of the set screw a stop in the wall sleeve which is fixed to the housing such that once the cap has been placed in position on the set screw, the user is only still able to adjust the set screw about a structurally fixed, limited angle of rotation. This ensures that once the carburetor has been preset during manufacture, the user is still only able to modify the preset settings within a limited range in which too rich a fuel setting and too poor a fuel setting are both prevented. Too rich a setting is negative for the exhaust while too poor a setting impairs the operating reliability of the internal combustion engine.
The cap of the adjustment safeguard is pressed onto the head of the set screw which has an outer knurling or toothing. A receiving space with an inner knurling or toothing is provided in a corresponding manner in the connecting portion of the cap such that it is only still possible to adjust the set screw together with the cap.
The adjustment safeguard itself is to be protected against manipulation by a user. The adjustment safeguard consequently has to be designed such that it is hardly possible for a user to destroy the limiting means of the adjustment range, even maliciously.

Adjustment safeguard for a set screw on a carburetor


Solar-reflective roofing granules having deep-tone colors are formed by coating base mineral particles with a coating composition including an infrared-reflective pigment. Color is provided by colored infrared pigment, light-interference platelet pigment, or a metal oxide.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to asphalt roofing shingles, and protective granules for such shingles, and processes for makings such granules and shingles.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Pigment-coated mineral rocks are commonly used as color granules in roofing applications to provide aesthetic as well as protective functions to the asphalt shingles. Roofing granules are generally used in asphalt shingle or in roofing membranes to protect asphalt from harmful ultraviolet radiation.
Roofing granules typically comprise crushed and screened mineral materials, which are subsequently coated with a binder containing one or more coloring pigments, such as suitable metal oxides. The binder can be a soluble alkaline silicate that is subsequently insolubilized by heat or by chemical reaction, such as by reaction between an acidic material and the alkaline silicate, resulting in an insoluble colored coating on the mineral particles. Preparation of colored, coated roofing granules is disclosed for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,981,636 of Lodge et al. The granules are then employed to provide a protective layer on asphaltic roofing materials such as shingles, and to add aesthetic values to a roof.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,732,311 of Hartwright discloses a method for preparing roofing granules having metal flakes, such as aluminum flakes, adhered to their surfaces, to provide a radiation-reflective surface. Rock granules are first mixed with kaolin clay, and then a stream of sodium silicate solution is added. A tacky viscous film is developed on the surface of the granules by passing air through the mixture while it is being mixed, and a fine grade of metal flakes are added, and the flake-coated granules are subsequently fired to cure the clay-silicate binder.
Pigments for roofing granules have usually been selected to provide shingles having an attractive appearance, with little thought to the thermal stresses encountered on shingled roofs. However, depending on location and climate, shingled roofs can experience very challenging environmental conditions, which tend to reduce the effective service life of such roofs. One significant environmental stress is the elevated temperature experienced by roofing shingles under sunny, summer conditions, especially roofing shingles coated with dark colored roofing granules. Although such roofs can be coated with solar reflective paint or coating material, such as a composition containing a significant amount of titanium dioxide pigment, in order to reduce such thermal stresses, this utilitarian approach will often prove to be aesthetically undesirable, especially for residential roofs.
Asphalt shingles coated with conventional roofing granules are known to have low solar heat reflectance, and hence will absorb solar heat especially through the near infrared range (700 nm-2500 nm) of the solar spectrum. This phenomenon is increased as the granules covering the surface become dark in color. For example, while white-colored asphalt shingles can have solar reflectance in the range of 25-35%, dark-colored asphalt shingles can only have solar reflectance of 5-15%. Furthermore, except in the white or very light colors, there is typically only a very small amount of pigment in the conventional granule's color coating that reflects solar radiation well. As a result, it is common to measure temperatures as high as 77° C. on the surface of black roofing shingles on a sunny day with 21° C. ambient temperature. Absorption of solar heat may result in elevated temperatures at the shingle's surroundings, which can contribute to the so-called heat-island effects and increase the cooling load to its surroundings.
There is a continuing need for roofing materials, and especially asphalt shingles, that have improved resistance to thermal stresses while providing an attractive appearance. In particular, there is a need for roofing granules that provide increased solar heat reflectance to reduce the solar absorption of the shingle, while providing a wide range of colors including deep-tone colors to maintain the aesthetic value of the system.

Colored roofing granules with increased solar heat reflectance, solar heat-reflective shingles, and process for producing same


A method of allocating a plurality of traffic demands on a network having a plurality of stations connected by a bi-directional ring is disclosed. The method comprises selecting a first traffic demand from the plurality of traffic demands. The method then acquires a first existing traffic volume for a first direction of the bi-directional ring and a second existing traffic volume for a second direction of the bi-directional ring. Either the first or second direction is selected for transmitting the first traffic demand based on the smallest incremental increase in the load of the bi-directional ring.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to communication network management, and more particularly to a method and system for allocating traffic demands in full duplex, ring topology networks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Traditional metropolitan networks have been designed for voice rather than data services using circuit-oriented technologies such as Synchronous Optical Networks (SONETs). Because SONET-based time-division multiplex (TDM) networks are typically deployed over fiber rings, much of the existing fiber plant in metropolitan areas is in ring form. Ring topologies enable SONET to implement a fast (e.g., sub 50 ms) protection mechanism that can restore connectivity using an alternate path around the ring in case of fiber cuts or equipment failure. The rapidly increasing demand for data traffic, however, is challenging the capacity limits of these existing transport infrastructures. This is compounded by the fact that SONET-based networks generally utilize available bandwidth inefficiently. Specifically, SONET was designed for point-to-point, circuit-switched applications, where each circuit is allocated a fixed amount of bandwidth that is wasted when not in use. Such fixed allocation puts a limit on the maximum burst data-transfer rate between endpoints, which is a disadvantage for data traffic because data traffic is inherently bursty. In other words, traffic may flow intensely between two devices and then stop abruptly.
With advances in packet-oriented technologies such as Optical Gigabit Ethernet technology, which is capable of supporting fiber spans of large distances, Ethernet technologies have emerged as a viable alternative for data transport in public networks. As nearly all data packets begin and end their trip across the Internet as Ethernet frames, carrying data in a consistent packet format from start to finish throughout the entire transport path eliminates the need for additional layers of protocol and synchronization that result in extra costs and complexity. In addition to efficient handling of IP packets, Ethernet has the advantages of familiarity, simplicity, and low cost. Despite these benefits, Ethernet switches rely on Ethernet bridging or IP routing for bandwidth management. Thus, while Ethernet switches can provide link-level fairness, this does not necessarily or easily translate into global fairness.
Consequently, neither SONET nor Ethernet effectively manages a shared resource such as a fiber ring shared across thousands of potential subscribers. More particularly, the network is underutilized in the case of SONET and non-deterministic in the case of Ethernet.
One emerging solution for data transport applications is Resilient Packet Ring (RPR) technology, a network architecture and technology designed to meet the requirements of a packet-based data traffic. It provides features typically associated with SONET—efficient support for ring topology and fast recovery from fiber cuts and link failures—while at the same time, providing data efficiency, simplicity, and cost advantages that are typical to Ethernet.
Generally described, RPR is typically implemented on two cross directional loops (or one bi-directional ring) connecting each RPR device, or node. At each node, traffic that is not destined for the node simply passes through and does not get queued and scheduled. FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary ring consistent with conventional RPR topology having four nodes: 110a, 110b, 110c and 110d. Each of these nodes may be aware of the location of each other node via a topology discovery protocol. For example, node 110a may be aware that node 110b is one segment clockwise and three segments counterclockwise from node 110a. The traffic demands on the ring are allowed to be routed on either side of the ring, and capacity for all spans of the ring may be required to be equal. Conventionally, when a traffic demand is to be originated from a particular node, the node selects the direction that requires the shortest transit path to the destination (i.e., the smallest number of links) and then inserts the traffic in that direction. Bandwidth is only consumed on the traversed segments.
However, RPR rings are still subject to becoming poorly routed. As traffic demands are provisioned and de-provisioned, certain spans of the ring may become congested while other spans become under utilized. By actively managing the traffic demands within a network, overall utilization may be increased and the need for adding new capacities to the network may be decreased. Therefore there is a need for a method and system of optimizing the routing of traffic demands for efficient utilization of network capacities.

Method and system for allocating traffic demands in a ring network


A method for operating a motor vehicle that has an internal combustion engine and an automated manual transmission, connected between the engine and a drive output. The transmission includes a shifting element group with a plurality of shifting elements. The transmission further includes an oil pump and an electric machine, both of which are integrated in the transmission and coupled to an input shaft of the transmission. The oil pump delivers a flow of transmission oil for cooling the shifting element group and cooling the electric machine, and the shifting elements of the shifting element group are controlled and shifted by an actuator system that is independent of the oil pump. When the motor vehicle is at rest, the oil pump is driven by the electric machine in order to cool the electric machine while the motor vehicle is at rest.

The invention relates to a method for operating a drive-train having an automated manual transmission. An automated manual transmission has a shifting element group comprising a plurality of shifting elements, such that the shifting element group can be controlled by an actuator system, for example a pneumatic actuator system or an electric actuator system. Integrated in the automated manual transmission are an oil pump and an electric machine, wherein the oil pump delivers a flow of transmission oil that serves to cool and lubricate the shifting element group and to cool the electric machine. Thus, the shifting elements of the shifting element group of the automated manual transmission and the electric machine integrated in the automated manual transmission can be cooled by the transmission oil flow delivered by the oil pump.
In an automated manual transmission both the oil pump integrated in the automated manual transmission and also the electric machine integrated in the automated manual transmission are coupled to the transmission input shaft. When a motor vehicle with an automated manual transmission of this type is at rest, the oil pump is inactive and thus the electric machine cannot be cooled. If the electric machine has heated up to a relatively high temperature by intense use before the resting phase, then during the resting phase the electric machine will remain at this relatively high temperature because heat radiation alone cannot provide a sufficient cooling effect for the electric machine. This is particularly disadvantageous when after the resting phase of the electric machine, it is again required to deliver a high power. In order to avoid overheating of the electric machine, it may be necessary to reduce the power demanded from the electric machine. This is a disadvantage.

Control method and control unit for a vehicle drivetrain


A mixing apparatus (21) for use with a vessel (22) having a contiguous sidewall substantially centered about and defining a longitudinal axis (A), the mixing apparatus having a base plate (25) removably mountable atop the vessel, a table frame (55) removably mountable atop the base plate and a housing (42) removably mountable atop the table frame. The apparatus also features a mixing head (30) comprising a generally annular blade body (72) for immersion into the fluids to be mixed within the vessel, the blade body having a centrally positioned hub member (70) defining a substantially vertically directed hub axis, said hub member being attached to and surrounded by a ring portion defining an orifice having a centre of symmetry. A drive shaft (84) is provided for supporting the mixing head within the vessel and extending from the hub member to the housing. A reciprocating drive assembly (40) is mounted within the housing, the reciprocating drive assembly being operatively connectable to the drive shaft for imparting reciprocating longitudinal movement to the mixing head. A linear bearing assembly (90) is mounted on the table frame in proximal relation to the housing, with the drive shaft operatively slidable within the linear bearing assembly. With this arrangement, the mixing apparatus is positionable atop the vessel with the drive shaft, hub axis and centre of symmetry all being substantially aligned with said longitudinal axis. The housing is easily removable for servicing of the apparatus without disassembly of the remainder of the assembly.

Numerous types of mixers are known in the prior art which provide for the mixing of liquids in large vessels on a commercial scale to carry out industrial and commercial processes on a substantially continuous, non-batch, basis. Two important examples of such continuous processes are froth separation and solvent extraction electrowinning, both of which processes are widely employed in the field of mining for the cost effective separation of minerals from their ores. While the mixers used in these and other substantially continuous industrial or commercial processes have traditionally been of the well-known electrically driven propeller type, recent concerns have surfaced over the energy consumption of such propeller mixers, and as to the actual mixing efficiency achieved thereby in large vessels. This latter concern should be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from an observation of the relative localized perturbation (and hence mixing) that is apparent around the perimeter of vessels having a relatively large diameter as compared to the diameter of the mixing head of the propeller mixer, and from a realization that the angular velocity (and hence shear forces) vary greatly as one moves radially outwardly from the centre of the mixing head of a propeller mixer towards it tip. As a result, an increasing need exists in the prior art for commercial scale process mixers which are more efficient than the conventional propeller type mixers conventionally used in such processes.
Accordingly, there has existed for a considerable period of time a longstanding need for more efficient mixing devices suitable for use in the mixing of liquids in large vessels on a commercial scale for carrying out industrial and commercial processes on a substantially continuous, non-batch, basis. One solution in this regard has been provided in the form of a non-propeller type mixer as shown in International Application Number PCT/CA02/00528 published on Oct. 24, 2002 under publication number WO 02/083280 A1, which application has as one of its co-inventors Mr. Gary Haughton, a co-inventor also named in the present application.
The Haughton PCT/CA02/00528 invention relates, inter alia, to a non-propeller type mixing apparatus for use with a vessel substantially centered about a longitudinal axis. The mixer has a generally circular (in plan outline) blade which has a central head axis, a first end and a second end spaced from the first end along the head axis. The blade preferably tapers in a frusto-conical manner from the first end to the second end. The mixing blade is mounted within the vessel for reciprocating longitudinal motion with the central head axis substantially coaxial to the longitudinal axis of the vessel, and means are provided for imparting said reciprocating longitudinal movement to the mixing head, said means preferably comprising a scotch yoke mechanism. The scotch yoke mechanism is operatively connected to the blade by a drive shaft, and the scotch yoke mechanism effects said reciprocating longitudinal movement of the blade in a controlled manner with particularly advantageous operating parameters for efficient mixing being disclosed in the subject application.
The present invention relates to improvements to non-propeller type mixers of the general type disclosed in PCT Patent Application Number PCT/CA02/00528. More particularly, and without limitation, such improvements include: improvements to the mixer which facilitate the quick installation and removal of the scotch yoke mechanism from atop the mixing vessel (for repair or replacement) whilst maintaining the central head axis substantially coaxial to the longitudinal axis of the vessel; improvements to the configuration of the mixing blade; improvements to the scotch yoke mechanism which facilitate its installation, service life, operation, reliability, and ease of service; and improvements which particularly adapt the mixer disclosed for use with closed vessels containing explosive or otherwise dangerous gases, such as sewage digesters, wherein the escape of such dangerous gases from the closed vessel must be minimized at all times.
There is thus disclosed according to one aspect of the present invention a mixing apparatus for use with a vessel having a contiguous sidewall substantially centered about and defining a longitudinal axis, the mixing apparatus having a base plate removably mountable atop the vessel, a table frame removably mountable atop the base plate and a housing removably mountable atop the table frame. The apparatus also features a mixing head comprising a generally annular blade body for immersion into the fluids to be mixed within the vessel, the blade body having a centrally positioned hub member defining a substantially vertically directed hub axis, said hub member being attached to and surrounded by a ring portion defining an orifice having a centre of symmetry. A drive shaft is provided for supporting the mixing head within the vessel and extending from the hub member to the housing. A reciprocating drive assembly is mounted substantially within the housing, the reciprocating drive assembly being operatively connectable to the drive shaft for imparting reciprocating longitudinal movement to the mixing head. A linear bearing assembly is mounted on the table frame in proximal relation to the housing, with the drive shaft operatively slidable within the linear bearing assembly. With this arrangement, the mixing apparatus is positioned atop the vessel with the drive shaft, hub axis and centre of symmetry all being substantially aligned with said longitudinal axis.
According to another aspect of the invention, the mixing apparatus is constructed with the housing having a housing base plate adjacent its lower end, the table frame having a top plate adjacent its upper end, and with the housing being mountable atop the top plate in removable contacting relation therewith. The housing also preferably has a removable front cover plate with the linear bearing assembly operably mountable on the top plate with its upper end protruding thereabove into the interior of the housing. The housing is constructed and otherwise adapted to be laterally slidable to remove the upper end of the linear bearing from within the interior of the housing when the front cover plate of the housing is removed and the drive shaft is operatively disconnected from the reciprocating drive assembly. Such lateral sliding of the housing is accommodated by means of an open-ended notch formed along a front edge of the housing base plate, with the open-ended notch being shaped and dimensioned to surroundingly receive the upper end of the linear bearing within the arms of said notch. Such lateral sliding of the housing simplifies assembly, disassembly and servicing of the mixing apparatus. It further allows for removal of the entire housing and drive components therein (i.e. the scotch yoke mechanism) for easy repair or quick replacement, thereby minimizing potential down time (and the associated significant economic loss) for the mixing vessel, which as indicated above, is typically utilized in large scale continuous processing systems.
According to yet a further aspect of the invention, the above mixing apparatus further comprises a screw jack assembly operatively interconnected between the housing and the table frame for mechanically assisting with the aforementioned lateral sliding of the housing.
According to yet a further aspect of the subject invention, the table frame preferably has a plurality of table legs and is removably mountable atop the base plate by means of said table legs. This feature also simplifies assembly, disassembly and servicing of the mixing apparatus and its associated components and sub-assemblies and allows the more service intensive components of the device (e.g. the reciprocating drive assembly) to be at a convenient height for access by service personnel without significant stooping or bending and consequential discomfort, distress or back injury.
According to a particularly advantageous aspect of the invention, the drive shaft is comprised of at least two sections being releasably interconnectable one to the other, being an upper drive shaft section and a lower drive shaft section, wherein the upper drive shaft section is dimensioned and otherwise adapted to extend from its operative connection with the reciprocating drive assembly through the linear bearing to a point of releasable interconnection with the lower drive shaft section, which point is, at all times of operation of the mixing apparatus, located above the base plate. The lower drive shaft section extends from the point of releasable interconnection with the upper drive shaft section through an aperture in the base plate to terminate at a point of connection with the hub member. A raised annular flange member is preferably mounted on the base plate in encircling relation to the aperture, and a lock means is provided for selectively interacting with the lower drive shaft member and the annular flange member to prevent longitudinal sliding of the lower drive shaft section relative to the annular flange member. This arrangement facilitates leaving the lower drive shaft section and the mixing head (attached to its lower end) suspended within the interior of the mixing vessel whilst the entire mixing apparatus thereabove (consisting primarily of the housing, the reciprocating drive components housed therein, and the table frame) can be removed from the top of the vessel, for easy repair or quick replacement without the need for a large lifting crane, as would otherwise be required to lift the entire mixing assembly out of and clear from the top the mixing vessel. Moreover, in applications involving sealed mixing vessels, this arrangement facilitates easy access for servicing to the seals or other components that are installed (as described more fully hereinbelow) adjacent to the base plate below the level of the top plate of the table frame.
According to yet a further aspect of the present invention the aforementioned seal is a substantially annular seal member mounted on the interior of the annular flange member for selective inflation to fill the void between the lower drive shaft section and the interior of the flange for selective sealing of the escape of gas from the interior of the vessel to atmosphere around said upper drive shaft section.
According to still a further aspect of the present invention as adapted for use with sealed vessels, a further gas sealing means is disclosed which comprises, in combination, the use of gas seals within the lower end of the linear bearing positioned in gas sealing relation to the upper drive shaft section, which linear bearing projects downwardly below the top plate of the table frame, an upper annular flange member mounted on the underside of the top plate in gas sealing relation to said top plate and in encircling relation to the lower end of the linear bearing, and a resilient rubber sleeve member extending from the lower annular flange member to the upper annular flange member, with the sleeve member being releasably connectable to both of said annular flanges in gas sealing encircling relation thereto.
Further aspects of the present invention relate to improvements in the design and construction of the scotch yoke type of reciprocating drive assembly preferably used in the subject mixing apparatus, in the manner of delivering lubrication to the key wear components of assembly, and to the design and construction of alternate forms of mixing heads for use as a component of the mixing apparatus.
These and other aspects, advantages, features and characteristics of the present invention, as well as methods of operation and functions of the related elements of the structure, and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, the latter of which is briefly described hereinbelow.


The apparatus comprises a frame and a carriage mounted slidably on the frame. The frame has a work support part and the carriage is equipped with a fastener, the threaded end of which extends through a hole in the work support part. A jack is situated between one member attached to the frame and another on the carriage. Extension of the jack moves the carriage on the frame to retract the fastener part way into the hole in the work support part. Tension springs, connected between a part attached to the frame and another on the carriage serve to restore the carriage to its at rest position relative to the frame when the jack is not extended. A flywheel is mounted on a shaft which engages the head of the fastener. In use a RIVNUT (TM) is threaded onto the fastener, the shank of the RIVNUT (TM) is inserted through a hole in the work (or the work part is placed onto the RIVNUT (TM)), the jack is extended to collapse the RIVNUT (TM) shank and thus install the RIVNUT (TM) and the flywheel is spun to withdraw the fastener from the RIVNUT (TM).

1. Field
The subject invention is in the field of apparatus for installing rivets and other fasteners which are held in place by deforming them after they are in place in material to be fastened or fastened to. It is also in the field of apparatus used for installing parts of fastener apparatus, such as the internally threaded portions of threaded fasteners, by deformation of the parts after they are in place in one of the parts to be fastened. In particular the invention is in the field of apparatus used for installing fastener parts known in the trade as RIVNUTS (TM).
2. Prior Art
There are several types of commercially available apparatus for installing RIVNUTS (TM). It has been the subject inventor's experience that those apparatuses suitable to his production needs in terms of quantity of output and of cost proved to be not sufficiently durable or reliable or to not have adequately predictable performance, especially for installing steel RIVNUTS (TM), as different from aluminum RIVNUTS (TM). Also, commercially available prior art apparatus in this field was found to be more complicated and expensive than were appropriate for low to moderate production rate work. The following U.S. Pat. Nos. illustrate such prior art apparatus.
2,445,067 PA0 4,599,086 PA0 2,583,733 PA0 4,821,555
Accordingly, the prime objective of the subject invention is to provide a reliable, inexpensive, less complicated, easy to operate apparatus for relatively quick installation of RIVNUTS (TM), particularly steel RIVNUTS (TM).


A system may be configured to calculate and use image sharpness results. In some example embodiments, a content-aware image sharpness evaluation scheme is implemented by the system to calculate the degree of sharpness or blur of photographs taken of objects of interest. In certain example embodiments, a calculated sharpness score from the image sharpness evaluation scheme is converted into a score that is meaningful relative to other photographs of the same category as the object depicted in the photograph. In various example embodiments, a mobile-based assistant is configured to provide instant (or near instant) feedback to users uploading photographs using a mobile device. In alternative example embodiments, a web-based assistant is configured to provide instant (or near instant) feedback to users uploading one or more photographs simultaneously to an electronic commerce or marketplace website.

Images can be used to convey information more efficiently or in a way not possible with text, particularly from the viewpoint of a user viewing the images or to facilitate electronic commerce (e-commerce). The extent to which information can be conveyed using images is related to image quality. Amateur or occasional sellers may not possess professional skills that would enable them to take quality photos of their products. One of the common image quality problems is photo blurriness (lack of sharpness).


A vehicular air bag door is disclosed. More particularly, a vehicular air bag door for achieving a reduction in the number of constituent elements and a simplified manufacturing process thereof is disclosed. The vehicular air bag door includes a chute provided at an instrument panel to mount an air bag module thereon, a door plate provided in an opening of the chute and connected with a door section defined in the instrument panel, and a hinge provided between the chute and the door plate. The chute, the door plate, and the hinge are integrally formed with one another.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicular air bag door, and more particularly, to a vehicular air bag door, which can achieve a reduction in the number of constituent elements and a simplified manufacturing process thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a conventional vehicular instrument panel.
Referring to FIG. 1, conventionally, an air bag module is installed in a car, to protect a passenger as well as a driver upon a car collision. The air bag module is mounted inside a vehicular instrument panel. For this, the instrument panel has an incision formed at a portion thereof corresponding to a front passenger seat, to define a passenger-seat door section. The incision is formed by a laser scoring process or other various processes.
The shown conventional instrument panel 10 has the passenger-seat door section 20 defined at a portion thereof in front of a passenger seat. When an air bag, which is mounted inside the instrument panel 10 at a position corresponding to the passenger seat, is inflated through a chute (not shown) upon a car collision to stop the inertia movement of a passenger, the passenger-seat door section 20 assures the air bag to be easily discharged out of the instrument panel 10.
The boundary of the passenger-seat door section 20 is defined by the incision processed at an inner surface of the instrument panel 10. To prevent the incision from being seen from the outside, the incision takes the form of a laser score line. As the incision is cut, the passenger-seat door section 20 is opened by the air bag.
In the case of the above described conventional air bag door, a chute and a door plate are individually manufactured and mounted inside the passenger-seat door section of the instrument panel, and also, are connected with each other by use of hinge and fastening members. Therefore, the conventional air bag door has problems of a complicated manufacturing process and an increased number of constituent elements thereof.


The present invention concerns rustication forms or moldings having covering (overlay or wrapping) that alleviate problems associated with concrete slab curing. The present invention also concerns methods for forming rustication in concrete walls. The present invention comprises a rustication form substrate, wherein all or portions of the surface exposed to the curing concrete is covered with covering or layering, and only portions of surfaces not exposed to the curing concrete is covered.

The present invention generally concerns rustication forms and molding and methods of forming rustication and moldings. More specifically, the present invention concerns rustication forms for use in concrete slab formation for forming rustication and molding impressions in concrete wall slabs.
Molding or rustication forms are used in the construction industry for creating architectural moldings and elements in concrete slab formation. Building walls in constructions projects, whether residential or commercial, often use concrete slab, tilt-up walls. Such concrete walls are generally formed at the construction site during building construction.
Generally, construction crews form concrete slabs for use as tilt-up walls by first preparing a flat even surface. Leveled concrete slabs, anchored by the foundations, are often used as the formation surface for making such concrete slabs. Alternatively, a thin formation surface or slab can be poured on ground for forming such walls and concrete slabs. The formation surface is then prepared by positioning enclosure or retaining walls for forming the outer walls of such slabs and walls. Once the formation surface and the position or retaining walls are prepared, wet concrete is poured into the area formed by such enclosure walls and allowed to cure. When the concrete dries and cures, the cured concrete slab is generally tilted up for use. The present invention, however, is not limited to concrete slab walls. The present invention can be applied as known in the art to any molding or rustication formation using curable construction material and rustication or molding forms. In examples discussed below, however, the example of the concrete slab wall will be referenced.
Rustication is generally the molding or architectural formation left on the concrete walls. Rustication can be made by cutting or shaping masonry or concrete so as to create molding, architectural elements, and to otherwise shape the surface of such masonry or concrete formations.
In the construction industry, rustications are often used for design elements. For example, a variety of rustication forms, which are substrates that serve as the physical molds for forming such rustications, are used to create architectural design impressions and formations into the curing concrete walls. They are also used for functional purposes as known in the art. For example, a rustication form can be laid to create a molding or impression or shape the curing concrete for forming a functional wall ledge impression.


The present invention reduces the number of diagrams and the workload of management and the like, by aggregating spools of a common format, in plant design technology using a three-dimensional CAD system. Format specific data which is stored separately according to spool format is obtained by aggregating the respective spools in the internal data, which is generated by a data acquisition means, into respective common formats by a spool aggregation means. In this process, a comparison and classification means compares the contents of the control point tables relating to the respective spools, between each and every pair of the spools, so as to confirm whether there exist control point tables which are the same, with taking all of the start points of each spool as a point of origin, thereby determines whether both spools of each pair are matching based on prescribed common characteristics, as the result of this determination, in cases where both spools are matching, then creates format specific data which is stored separately with respect to each spool format.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a CAD system.
2. Description of the Related Art
The design of thermal, nuclear or hydroelectric power plants involves planning the layout of the various piping systems used in the respective plants. In recent years, CAD systems capable of three-dimensional layout adjustment have been used for this layout planning work, due to the good usability that they offer, from the data input step to the development and management of the layout at subsequent steps in the design procedure of the plant. A three-dimensional layout adjustment CAD system, and the related software, are known as "tools".
In work relating to layout planning, the piping designer, using a three-dimensional layout adjustment CAD, arranges pipe components in a three-dimensional virtual space to create piping routes, resulting in creating layout data for the pipe components. Furthermore, a database of pipe specifications data is created using attribute information of piping system to be designed in the form of a spreadsheet, or the like.
In this layout data and specification database, numbers of the piping system are essential as keys, and information relating to the components, such as detailed system name, maximum operating pressure and temperature of the piping system, pipe wall thickness, material, grooves for butt welding, and the like, is written to the database. An operation of this kind is carried out in respect of all of the pipe relating to the plant, thereby building up layout data and a specifications database of the three-dimensional layout adjustment CAD.
More specifically, when using recent tools, isometric diagrams are output automatically on the basis of the layout data of the three-dimensional layout adjustment CAD. These diagrams are simple and straightforward, and therefore only contain the minimum necessary level of information relating to installation, however, provided that this information is output, then it is possible to carry out an installation arrangement which is at least problem-free.
A further concern in regard to installation are the "pipe spools". A "spool" is the smallest installation unit handled at the installation site, and it signifies a unit which is manufactured in a factory before being transported to the installation site. The spools are set to a size which is suitable for manufacture in a factory, transportation from the factory to the site, and installation at the site. Pipe spools of this kind are manufactured in the factory by welding together straight pipe sections, joints, flanges, and weldolets, and these welds are called "shop welds".
On the other hand, the welding together of respective pipe spools at the installation site is called a "site weld". With respect to shop welds and site welds, in general, machining and welding is easier to carry out in a factory since appropriate processing equipment can be installed, and therefore priority is given to increasing the number of shop welds. However, if consideration is given to the convenience of processing at the installation site, then there are cases where pipe spools having a simple format are easier to handle. For example, spools formed by simply welding a joint to a straight pipe section using a shop weld may cause an increase in the number of on-site welds required, but they are not liable to create problems due to manufacturing nonconformities in the factory.
Conventionally, in plant design using three-dimensional CAD, technology for defining pipe spools such as those described above has been proposed (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-293567).
However, in the conventional technology described above, all of the isometric diagrams are output from a tool in relation to a plurality of spools of the same format, and therefore the number of diagrams handled in one project becomes very large, and hence the management work increases, resulting in a very large task load.
In other words, if there are a plurality of spools of the same format for a particular plant, then in the conventional technology, all of the isometric diagrams for each of the spools are output from a tool, respectively and separately. As a result, diagrams are produced in the form of one sheet per component, even in the case of spools of the same format, or spools which are only a little different in terms of their dimensions. Consider, for instance, a case of spools having a simple format, where the number of different spools is very large, but the differences between the respective diagrams for each spool only relate to differences in the length of the straight pipe sections. Since these spools cannot be handled collectively, then it is necessary to manage a large volume of diagrams with recognizing those respective differences.
Furthermore, during the design procedure, if the piping layout is changed, then the spool diagrams must also be revised, but carrying out revision work for a huge number of diagrams which have been prepared individually as described above merely serves to make the amount of revision work involved much greater still. Consequently, the number of diagrams handled in one project becomes enormous, and the management work therefore increases, leading to a very large task load.
The present invention was devised in order to resolve the prior art problems such as those described above, an object thereof being to reduce the number of diagrams and the workload relating to their management, and the like, by aggregating spools of a common format, in technology relating to plant design using a three-dimensional CAD.

CAD system, control method and control program for same


There is disclosed an apparatus capable of providing a continuous source of soil to a level working surface and a vertically and horizontally adjustable conveyor system that transports planting pots proximate to the level working surface, so that an operator may efficiently scoop soil from the level working surface into the pot. The conveyor system is also used to collect and recycle spilled soil via a soil return hopper and a soil return elevator.

Potting plants in different pot and flat sizes is a time-consuming operation for commercial plant nurseries. It is therefore desirable to automate the process while retaining a high degree of adaptability to accommodate different sizes of plant receptacles. A number of plant potting machines are known which employ conveyor systems to move pots into position to receive soil and a soil distribution system comprising a hopper and either belts or buckets to move the dirt; examples include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,826,003, 2,884,022, 3,587,675, and 3,782,033.
The prior art potting machines discussed above are all fairly complex, fully automated and expensive machines which produce a certain-sized pot filled with soil, which in some cases is partially excavated to receive a plant. The limitations inherent in such machines are their lack of adaptability for various-sized pots, their complexity, their size, and their expense.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a semiautomatic soil distribution apparatus that continuously provides soil to a working surface and transports pots in close proximity to the working surface so that soil may be readily manually scooped into the pots.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a semiautomatic soil distribution apparatus for filling pots which uses a conveyor system that has the dual purposes of transporting pots past a working surface and transporting spilled soil to a soil return hopper where the soil is collected prior to being transported back into a main hopper and thereby recycled.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a conveyor system for use in such a semiautomatic soil distribution system which is adjustable horizontally and vertically relative to a flat working surface so that the apparatus may be adapted to a range of sizes and shapes of pots and flats.
The foregoing and other objectives, features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Soil distribution system to facilitate potting plants