An expandable tire building drum, having alternating fixed (226, 326, 426) and expanding (228, 328, 428) segments (e.g., 24 of each) in a center section (220, 320, 420) of the drum. The expanding segments are axially-extending and circumferentially spaced from one another, and are contoured (have recesses, or grooves) to accommodate tire components such as sidewall inserts. Two different mechanisms for expanding the center section are described. A first mechanism includes two wedge elements (358) which are axially moveable away from one another to expand the center section. Ramp elements (348) associated with the expanding segments (328) may thus be moved radially outward. Rubber bands (358) provide a restoring force for collapsing the center section. A second mechanism includes two guide rings (458) which are axially moveable towards one another for expanding the center section, and away from one another to collapse the center section. Overlapping links (462, 464) are provided between the guide rings and a support element (448) supporting the expanding segments (428).

It is known that in making vehicle tires, for example for automobiles, that manufacture of a so-called carcass is first achieved by successively assembling several different components. In other words, the different carcass types included in a production range can be distinguished from one another depending on the presence thereon of the various accessory components and/or the typology of the accessory components themselves.
By way of example, when carcasses for tubeless tires are to be produced, that is tires that in use do not require the presence of an inner tube, the main components can be considered to include a so-called inner liner that is a layer of elastomeric air-impervious material, a carcass ply, a pair of annular metal elements, commonly referred to as bead cores, around which the opposite ends of the carcass ply are folded as well as a pair of sidewalls made of elastomeric material, extending over the carcass ply at laterally opposite positions. The accessory components may in turn comprise of one or more additional carcass plies, one or more reinforcing bands for overlying the carcass ply or plies at the areas turned up around the bead cores (chafer strips), and others.
It is well known that the components of most pneumatic tire constructions must be assembled in a way which promotes good tire uniformity in order to provide proper tire performance. For example, a tread which "snakes" as it goes around the tire circumference will cause wobbling as the tire is operated. For example, a carcass ply which is lopsided (longer cords on one side of the tire than the other side) can cause a variety of tire nonuniformity problems including static imbalance and radial force variations. For example, a tire which is not meridionally symmetric (e.g., tread not centered between beads) can cause a variety of tire nonuniformity problems including couple imbalance, lateral force variations, and conicity. Therefore, in order to meet typical tire performance requirements, the tire industry generally expends considerable effort in producing tires with good uniformity. Tire uniformity is generally considered to mean tire dimensions and mass distributions which are uniform and symmetric radially, laterally, circumferentially, and meridionally, thereby producing acceptable results for measurements of tire uniformity including static and dynamic balance, and also including radial force variation, lateral force variation, and tangential force variation as measured on tire uniformity machines which run the tire under load on a road wheel.
Although certain degrees of tire nonuniformity can be corrected in post-assembly manufacturing (e.g., by grinding), and/or in use (e.g., applying balance weights to the rim of a tire/wheel assembly), it is preferable (and generally more efficient) to build-in tire uniformity as much as possible. Typical tire building machines comprise a tire building drum around which the tire components are wrapped in successive layers including, for example, an innerliner, one or more carcass plies, optional sidewall stiffeners and bead area inserts (e.g., apex), sidewalls and bead wire rings (beads). After this layering, the carcass ply ends are wrapped around the beads, the tires are blown up into a toroidal shape, and the tread/belt package is applied.
Commonly-owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,288 (hereinafter referred to as "Becker") discloses mechanical tire building drums for building extended mobility pneumatic tires, and more specifically to a tire building drum having contours or depressions in its surface to facilitate building certain tire designs. Attention is also directed to corresponding published European Patent Application No. 0 634 266 A2.
As noted by Becker, tire performance can be affected by adding components to the tire or by adjusting the location of tire components in the tire during the tire building process. During the tire building process, it is important that components fit together well with a minimum of wrinkling of the tire components or trapping of air between the components. If air is trapped between the uncured tire components, the tire may be defective and may have to be scrapped. During the tire building process, if it appears the air has been trapped between tire components, the tire builder must stitch the interfaces between the uncured elastomeric components to work any bubbles or trapped air from between the components. This stitching involves rolling a roller wheel along the components, forcing the air to an edge of a component where it can escape. The stitching process is time consuming and requires the skill of the tire builder.
As further noted by Becker, this problem is further magnified in tire designs where components are rather thick compared to other components. For example, when a component having a relatively square cross-section, such as a tire bead, is positioned adjacent a more planar component, such as a ply, the air may be trapped where the different-shaped components interface. In tire designs where different-shaped components are necessarily placed next to each other, the problem of trapped air is even more difficult.
As further noted by Becker, in one particular extended mobility tire design, inserts are positioned in the sidewall between the carcass plies to enable the tire to support the weight of the vehicle even if the tire should lose inflation pressure. These inserts are typically thicker than the plies which lie adjacent to them and it is important that this tire be built without trapping air between the plies and inserts. In accordance with the present invention, an inventive tire building method and drum have been designed which have features to accommodate the special production needs of such tires. These special features will be described hereinafter and contribute to the building of a quality tire without trapping air.
Becker therefore provides a method of building a tire comprising the steps of forming a liner into a cylinder, positioning first inserts to indent the liner cylindrical surface circumferentially at axially spaced insert locations along the axis of the cylinder, laying a first ply of reinforcing material around the cylindrical surface of the liner and first insert, positioning second inserts over the first ply at the spaced insert locations, laying a second ply of reinforcing material over the first ply and the second inserts, positioning circular beads at each end of the cylinder, expanding the first ply and the second ply to increase the diameter of the cylinder between the circular beads to provide shoulders at each end of the cylinder, turning edges of the first ply around the second ply over each of the beads, and positioning a belt and tread assembly around the second ply to form a precured tire.
Becker further provides a method of assembling tire components on a tire building drum having a cylindrical surface comprising the steps of laying a liner on the surface of the drum, positioning first inserts below the cylindrical surface and around a drum at insert locations spaced from each end of the drum, laying a first ply of reinforcing material around the drum over the cylindrical surface of the liner and first insert, positioning second inserts over the first ply at the insert locations spaced from each end of the drum, laying a second ply of reinforcing material over the first ply and the second inserts, positioning circular beads at each end of the drum, expanding the drum to increase the diameter of the cylindrical surface and provide shoulders at each end of the drum, turning edges of the first ply and the second ply over each of the beads, positioning a belt and tread assembly around the second ply, and contracting the drum for removal of the assembled tire components from the drum.
Becker further provides a tire building drum which has a cylindrical surface, circular grooves in the surface at insert locations spaced from each end of the drum for positioning of first inserts below the surface, means for applying a first ply over the cylindrical surface, means for applying second inserts over the first ply and the first inserts, means for applying a second ply over the first ply and second insert, means for expanding the drum providing shoulders at each end of the drum for applying bead rings, means for turning up ends of the first ply around the beads, means for applying a belt and tread assembly around the second ply and means for contracting the drum to remove the assembled tire from the drum.
Commonly-owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,855,008 discloses an expandable tire building drum, especially a first stage solid pocket drum for building a carcass of a radial tire, having a segmental drum (10) with a plurality of axially-extending, circumferentially spaced segments (36) with flexible connections (56) to shoulder pistons (32) at opposite ends of each segment (36). Wedge shaped bars (62) are positioned between the segments (36) and are connected to center pistons (64) for urging tapered side faces (80) of the bars into engagement with sloping side faces (78) of the segments (36). The shoulder pistons (32) and center pistons (64) move radially outward to expand the drum. During the first stage operation, the tire reinforcing plies, beads and other components are assembled on the first stage drum and then the carcass is moved to another location where it is shaped and the belt and tread applied. In the first stage assembly of the tire carcass it is important that the tire components be applied to contracted and expanded drum surfaces which are concentric and of uniform diameter along the length of the drum. Expandible drums of different constructions have been used heretofore; however it has been difficult to maintain a concentric drum surface and a uniform diameter along the length of the drum in both the expanded and contracted condition of the drum. For example, the drum surface may be concentric and uniform in the contracted condition but is distorted during expansion to a larger diameter. As a result, the components added to the carcass on the expanded drum are not precisely assembled which may adversely affect the uniformity of the tire.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,264,068 discloses an expandable drum including adjustable stops for setting drum circumference. Tapering structures, each having axial slidability, are provided, and in response to a slide move of the tapering structure, drum segments are each radially expanded or retracted. As noted therein, the tapering structure (12) is of an inner recessed frustum and is mounted over the drum shaft (10) longitudinally or axially slidable with the aid of a key (16), and housed in the drum (14). The drum (14) is circumferentially divided into a plurality of drum segments (17), each being like a sector, and each segment (17) is interiorly supported by a drum segment supporter (18).
Commonly-owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,804 discloses an expandable, segmental tire building drum (1) having a plurality of circumferentially spaced drum segments (28) radially movable by a set of links (36) pivotally connected to a pair of axially movable hub assemblies (34) slidably mounted on a drum shaft (12). Each of the segments (28) has a cylindrical center portion (30) and end portions (32) with recesses providing pockets (68) for the tire bead portions. The links (36) are positioned between the end portions (32) providing space for large bead portions in the pockets (68) and at the same time the segments (28) are retractable to a small diameter to facilitate placing of a tire band (64) over the drum (10).
Commonly-owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,929,298 discloses a tire building drum including an expandable segmental cylinder assembly and a vacuum Chamber. The drum (10) has a plurality of axially-extending, circumferentially spaced segments (18). The ends of the drum are sealed to provide a vacuum chamber (76) inside the drum which is in communication with vacuum holes (78) in a cover sleeve (48) to hold tire components on the drum surface (58) during assembly of the tire components.

Expandable tire building drum with alternating fixed and expandable segments, and contours for sidewall inserts


A light guiding unit is provided which can reflect light from one light source such that a plurality of irradiated lights can be intermittently viewed, while allowing substantially all portions of the plurality of irradiated lights to be substantially uniform. The light guiding unit can include an input portion where light from a light source is input, a first reflecting portion that has reflecting surfaces which divide light from the input portion into a plurality of directions (e.g., six directions), and then radially reflects the light. A second reflecting portion can be provided that has reflecting surfaces which reflect light from each of the reflecting surfaces of the first reflecting portion along the principal optical axis. An irradiation portion can be provided that has irradiation surfaces which irradiate light from each of the reflecting surfaces of the second reflecting portion. The irradiation surfaces can be separated from each other on a circumference substantially centered on the principal optical axis. Each of the six light paths from the first reflecting portion up to the irradiation surfaces can be arranged so as to have a rotationally substantially symmetric relationship of 60° substantially centered on the principal optical axis.

1. Field
The disclosed subject matter relates to a light guiding unit, a light guiding unit assembly, and a lamp comprising the same wherein a plurality of irradiated light paths can be intermittently illuminated by reflecting light from one light source while allowing all or substantially all portions of the plurality of irradiated light paths to be uniformly illuminated.
In more detail, the lamp can be used for vehicles, amusement machines, general lighting, decorations, and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, lenses are known to include: an input surface where light from a light source is input; a first reflecting region that has a reflecting surface for radially reflecting the light from the input surface; a second reflecting region that has a circular (arc-shaped) reflecting surface for reflecting light from the reflecting surface of the first reflecting region in the direction of the principal optical axis of the light source; and an irradiation surface for irradiating light from the circular (arc-shaped) reflecting surface of the second reflecting region. FIG. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,549 shows an example of this type of lens, and is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference.
The lens shown in FIG. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,549 radially reflects the light from the light source at the first reflecting region but does not divide and reflect the light. Because the reflecting surface and the irradiation surface of the second reflecting region are continuously formed in a circular shape, the light irradiated from the irradiation surface is seen in a circular shape. As a result, with the lens shown in FIG. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,549, it is not possible for the light from the irradiation surface to be intermittently seen.
In addition, in the lens shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,549 the light irradiated from the irradiation surface cannot be seen radially but can be seen linearly. As a result, the lens shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,549 does not allow the light irradiated from the irradiation surface to be intermittently seen.
In contrast, a vehicle lamp is described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-59312 that allows irradiated light to be intermittently seen/illuminated, for example. U.S. Pat. No. 6,637,923 is an English language equivalent to Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-59312, and is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference. In the vehicle lamp described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-59312, there is a design wherein each portion of the plurality of irradiated lights, from among the plurality of irradiated lights that are arranged in a grid shape and can be seen glittering intermittently, arranged from the top to the bottom in FIG. 3 of Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-59312 can be uniformly seen. However, each portion of the plurality of irradiated lights arranged from left to right in FIG. 3 of Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-59312 cannot be uniformly seen. In more detail, the irradiated light at the left edge and the right edge, from among the plurality of irradiated lights arranged from left to right in FIG. 3 of Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-59312, becomes darker than the irradiated light at the center. In other words, according to the vehicle lamp described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-59312, each portion of the plurality of irradiated lights could not be made uniform at all.
Namely, when a plurality of irradiated lights can be intermittently seen by reflecting light from one light source in conventional technology, each portion of the plurality of irradiated light could not be made uniform.

Light guiding unit, light guiding unit assembly, and lamp comprising the same


An image-to-sheet closed loop registration system tracking the image drum position and/or velocity and coordinating movement of the sheet into the transfer nip based on such information.

All references cited in this specification, and their references, are incorporated by reference herein where appropriate for teachings of additional or alternative details, features, and/or technical background.
Disclosed in the embodiments herein is an image-to-sheet closed loop registration system tracking the image drum position and/or velocity and coordinating movement of the sheet into the image transfer nip based on such image drum position and/or velocity data.
The goal of a paper path system in a typical xerographic printing system is to transport media from a feeding unit in synchronism with a moving image bearing photoreceptor surface. The movement of the media to a transfer zone necessarily must arrive at the transfer zone at a given time and with a given velocity to match the velocity of the image bearing photoreceptor surface. Image forming systems involve a variety of internal components configured to manipulate a piece of paper and produce an image on the paper.
Prior art systems may comprise open loop systems with the media running at a specific speed, and position adjustment being made at a transfer registration station just prior to transfer. A difficulty with such systems is the often erratic and abrupt adjustments that must be made at the registration station due to the unpredictability of photoreceptor and media drives and the uncertainty of the position of the image on the photoreceptor. With little time and space for adjustment, the correction can be erratic. This is particularly true in higher speed, higher volume machines.
For this reason, some image forming apparatuses incorporate into the paper transporting system a mechanism for adjusting the timing of the paper reaching the image transfer position. For example, there is a construction in which, as shown in FIG. 5, two paper transporting rollers A, B are arranged along the paper transporting direction of the paper P. In this construction, the paper P fed by the paper transporting roller B on the upstream side is struck against the paper transporting roller A on the downstream side which is at rest and then the timing at which to start rotating the paper transporting roller A is adjusted to match the timing at which the paper arrives at the transfer position to the toner image arrival timing.
In order to correct for a difference in the transfer position arrival timing between the paper and the toner image. A so-called nonstop servo-registration control may be adopted which temporarily stops the paper in front of the paper transporting roller A and rotates the paper transporting roller A as the lead edge of the paper reaches the paper transporting roller A. This may eliminate possible variations in the paper engagement condition and thereby improve the precision of the paper position relative to the paper transporting roller A.
While such correction process may improve the precision of the timing of the paper arriving at the transfer position, variations in the toner image arrival timing may become a serious problem. That is, when variations in the toner image arrival timing occur, for example, due to changes in velocity of the print drum with elapse of time, it becomes difficult to match the paper arrival timing with the toner image arrival timing, even with an improved precision of the timing of the paper arriving at the transfer position. Especially in an image forming apparatus that uses an image carrying belt, such as a photosensitive belt and an intermediate transfer belt, variations in the toner image arrival timing may occur because the image carrying belt elongates or contracts in response to changes in temperature, humidity or belt tension.
FIG. 1 illustrates an image producing machine in which synchronization of the transport media from a feeding unit to the moving image on the photoreceptor surface is particularly difficult given its high speed and volume. A high-speed phase change ink image producing machine or printer 10 is illustrated. As illustrated, the machine 10 includes a frame 11 to which are mounted directly or indirectly all its operating subsystems and components. To start, the high-speed phase change ink image producing machine or printer 10 includes an imaging member 12 that is shown in the form of a drum, but can equally be in the form of a supported endless belt. The imaging member 12 has an imaging surface 14 that is movable in the direction 16, and on which phase change ink images are formed.
The high-speed phase change ink image producing machine or printer 10 also includes a phase change ink system 20 that has at least one source 22 of one color phase change ink in solid form. Since the phase change ink image producing machine or printer 10 is a multicolor image producing machine, the ink system 20 includes for example four (4) sources 22, 24, 26, 28, representing four (4) different colors CYMK (cyan, yellow, magenta, black) of phase change inks. The phase change ink system 20 also includes a phase change ink melting and control assembly 100 (FIG. 2), for melting or phase changing the solid form of the phase change ink into a liquid form. Thereafter, the phase change ink melting and control assembly 100 then controls and supplies the molten liquid form of the ink towards a printhead system 30 including at least one printhead assembly 32. Since the phase change ink image producing machine or printer 10 is a high-speed, or high throughput, multicolor image producing machine, the printhead system includes for example four (4) separate printhead assemblies 32, 34, 36 and 38 as shown.
As further shown, the phase change ink image producing machine or printer 10 includes a substrate supply and handling system 40. The substrate supply and handling system 40 for example may include substrate supply sources 42, 44, 46, 48, of which supply source 48 for example is a high capacity paper supply or feeder for storing and supplying image receiving substrates in the form of cut sheets for example. The substrate supply and handling system 40 in any case includes a substrate handling and treatment system 50 that has a substrate pre-heater 52, substrate and image heater 54, and a fusing device 60. The phase change ink image producing machine or printer 10 as shown may also include an original document feeder 70 that has a document holding tray 72, document sheet feeding and retrieval devices 74, and a document exposure and scanning system 76.
Operation and control of the various subsystems, components and functions of the machine or printer 10 are performed with the aid of a controller or electronic subsystem 80. The electronic subsystem or controller 80 for example is a self-contained, dedicated mini-computer having a central processor unit 82, electronic storage 84, and a display or user interface 86. The electronic subsystem or controller 80 for example includes sensor input and control means 88 as well as a pixel placement and control means 89. In addition the central processing unit 82 reads, captures, prepares and manages the image data flow between image input sources such as the scanning system 76, or an online or a work station connection 90, and the printhead assemblies 32, 34, 36, 38. As such, the electronic subsystem or controller 80 is the main multi-tasking processor for operating and controlling all of the other machine subsystems and functions, including the machine's printing operations.
In operation, image data for an image to be produced is sent to the controller 80 from either the scanning system 76 or via the online or work station connection 90 for processing and output to the printhead assemblies 32, 34, 36, 38. Additionally, the controller determines and/or accepts related subsystem and component controls, for example from operator inputs via the user interface 86, and accordingly executes such controls. As a result, appropriate color solid forms of phase change ink are melted and delivered to the printhead assemblies. Additionally, pixel placement control is exercised relative to the imaging surface 14 thus forming desired images per such image data, and receiving substrates are supplied by anyone of the sources 42, 44, 46, 48 and handled by means 50 in timed registration with image formation on the surface 14. Finally, the image is transferred within the transfer nip 92, from the surface 14 onto the receiving substrate for subsequent fusing at fusing device 60.


A windage brake for a fan descender comprises a rotatable spool connected by drive belts to a fan comprising a radial flow air impeller. A line is wound helically upon the spool. A user of the fan descender puts on a harness (not shown) at the free end of the line and jumps from an elevated position. The line is thereby drawn off the spool and rotates it. The rotating spool drives the fan and also winds a power spring formed by a resilient strip. The windage of the fan regulates the descent of the jumper, the fan being accelerated to a speed at which the braking force is such that the jumper descends at a rate safe for landing on the ground. When the jumper is on the ground, he removes the harness and releases the free end of the line. The line is then automatically retrieved by the power spring and rewound on the spool.

A fan descender provides an exhilarating experience for adventure-minded individuals. It comprises an elevated platform (which may form part of or be set upon a tower, a bridge, a crane cradle, a building or a tree etc) from which a user jumps, his fall being controlled by a windage brake in the form of a fan rotated by a line connected to the jumper by means of a harness. If the line rotates the fan at a constant speed, the air drag on the fan is similarly constant, and the jumper descends at a steady rate. For greater exhilaration, however, the fan descender is designed so that the line initially rotates the fan relatively slowly, with low drag, and the fan does not accelerate to provide full drag until the jumper nears the ground. This is achieved by having the line wound helically upon a spool connected to the fan, the spool tapering along the length of the helix so as to be accelerated as the line unwinds. By this means the jumper experiences something that feels like freefall immediately after jumping but is slowed to a safe rate of descent before landing.
A disadvantage of previous windage brakes for fan descenders is that they have commonly used a counterweight arrangement to retrieve the line after each jump: that is, a weight is lifted as the jumper descends, and after the jump is completed this weight and the jumper releases the harness, the weight itself descends again and retrieves the line. This restricts locations where the fan descender can be installed, requires an involved installation procedure and has a somewhat unprofessional appearance.


The invention involves a means of increasing the scorch delay period (scorch time) for standard bisphnol-cured fluoroelastomers (abbreviated as xe2x80x9cFKM;xe2x80x9d these are copolymers of vinylidene fluoride and hexafluoropropene, optionally also containing additional monomers such as tetrafluoroethylene). The invention entails particular subtituted monophenols (butylparaben or propylparaben) and/or mixtures of these with methylparaben and/or inorganic solids, and the inclusion of these particular substituted monophenols and/or blends in an FKM compound. These particular substituted monophenols are effective as scorch inhibitors of bisphenol-cured FKM, and are also effective as processing aid.

The chemistry of retarding scorch is necessarily linked to the crosslinking chemistry, such that different scorch retarders are required for each type of crosslinking system. FKM elastomers are believed to crosslink via a multistage process when bisphenol curatives are used, the first stage of which is dehydrofluorination to generate electron-deficient double bonds, followed by a Michael addition of bisphenol to generate a grafted bisphenol, followed by a second Michael addition of grafted bisphenol to generate a crosslink. Both the dehydrofluorination and the Michael addition reactions are usually catalyzed by quaternary ammonium or phosphonium salts. It has been observed that most of the bisphenol grafts before any of the grafted bisphenol adds to a second FKM chain (which creates crosslinks). Adding more bisphenol to a formulation increases the scorch time, while also increasing the final crosslink density. This observation led to a search for scorch delay additives that function by competing with bisphenol to delay the onset of crosslinking in FKM. U.S. Pat. No. 5,756,588 to Kolb and Jing (assigned to 3M) is the first patent to successfully utilize this mechanism to extend scorch delay of bisphenol-cured FKM. U.S. Pat. No. 5,756,588 teaches that electron-withdrawing substituents on the benzene ring of phenol are particularly desirable in scorch retarding monophenols.
Table 1 summarizes key findings reported in U.S. Pat. No. 5,756,588; these data also support the contention within U.S. Pat. No. 5,756,588 that electron-withdrawing substituents on a phenol ring increase the effectiveness of monophenol scorch inhibitors. According to the data of Table 1, p-cyanophenol (also known as 4-hydroxybenzonitrile) has the best balance of properties of all the tested compounds, as it simultaneously accelerates the cure by a factor of 1.5, and delays the onset of scorch by a factor of 2.08 under the test conditions.
Another relevant prior art patent is U.S. Pat. No. 4,446,270. This patent describes certain particular monophenols which also bear allyl functional groups. The purpose of these materials is to attach (xe2x80x9cgraftxe2x80x9d) the allyl functional group to an FKM polymer chain, as a means of increasing crosslink density and hardness. Some of the materials described in this patent may also function to delay the onset of scorch in bisphenol-cured fluoroelastomers, but this was not an objective of U.S. Pat. No. 4,446,270. Furthermore, this patent cites no evidence that an effect on scorch delay actually occurred.
(All monophenols listed were compared in an identical FKM basis formulation, with constant molar level of monophenol additive, except for the control; see U.S. Pat. No. 5,756,588 for details.)
Many of the particular monophenols described U.S. Pat. No. 5,756,588 in U.S. Pat. No. 5,756,588 are either toxic, or are relatively expensive. Among the monophenols described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,756,588, perhaps the least toxic chemical is methylparaben, which is commonly used as a preservative in various topical ointments. Unfortunately, methylparaben slows the cure of FKM while delaying the onset of scorch. Methylparaben has also been found to be difficult to disperse properly; in many instances formulations containing methylparaben must be re-milled to achieve proper dispersion.
A particular scorch inhibiting monophenol additive, butylparaben, has been found which has surprising cure system activity compared to methylparaben, an analogous chemical that was described in the prior art U.S. Pat. No. 5,756,588. Butylparaben is also effective as a processing aid, in a variety of different elastomer systems. Although the prior art U.S. Pat. No. 5,756,588 teaches that improved activity corresponds to electron withdrawing substituents on the phenol ring, the butyl group is relatively electron-releasing, so it is surprising that butylparaben increases rather than decreases both cure rate and efficiency in inhibiting scorch, especially when compared to methylparaben. Propylparaben has intermediate activity, and is not in and of itself highly desirable over methylparaben.
It was suspected that the increased activity of butylparaben over methylparaben and propylparaben is due to its lower melt point; therefore various melt blends of butylparaben, methylparaben, and propylparaben were prepared in order to map out the melt point of the blends versus concentration. It was found that low-melting eutectic mixtures form which remain fluid for extended times at temperatures as low as 50xc2x0 C. The very lowest melting/solidifying mixtures contain more than 30% by weight of butylparaben, and these mixtures would be particularly suitable for liquid injection systems for scorch delay additives into an internal mixer or extruder. and are not as desirable as the mixtures that melt/solidify around 75xc2x0 C. Among these mixtures, the most economical mixtures which melt/solidify around 75xc2x0 C. consist of approximately 10% butylparaben, 40% propylparaben, and 50% methylparaben.
When said eutectics are cooled, large methylparaben crystals formed which made the resultant flakes difficult to disperse into FKM elastomer, although once the dispersion was accomplished, these eutectic mixtures exhibited equivalent effectiveness to butylparaben at lower cost. Subsequent experiments showed that addition of colloidal silica interfered with recrystallization of the eutectic to a sufficient extent that large crystals did not form during cooling. Eutectic mixtures of methylparaben, propylparaben, and a minor portion of butylparaben can be mixed with various colloidal mineral fillers, then cooled to powder, flakes, pellets, or pastilles which are not dusty, and which readily disperse into typical FKM compounds. These solidified, colloidal mineral-containing eutectic paraben mixtures contain only small methylparaben crystals, which leads to rapid uniform dispersion into FKM, even at processing temperatures slightly below the melting temperature of the eutectic.

Scorch inhibitors for bisphenol-cured fluoroelastomers


Timepiece resonator oscillating at a natural frequency, comprising one oscillating member and oscillation maintenance means, this oscillating member carrying a regulator oscillating at a regulation frequency comprised between 0.9 times and 1.1 times the value of an integer multiple greater than or equal to 2 of the natural frequency, this resonator is included in a timepiece movement for a timepiece, particularly a watch, and this regulator imposes a periodic modulation of the resonant frequency and/or quality factor and/or point of rest of this resonator.

The search for improvements in the performance of timepiece time bases is a constant preoccupation.
A significant limitation on the chronometric performance of mechanical watches lies in the use of conventional impulse escapements, and no escapement solution has ever been able to avoid this type of interference.
EP Patent Application No 1843227A1 in the name of SWATCH GROUP RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT Ltd discloses a coupled resonator with a first low frequency resonator and a second higher frequency resonator comprising means for permanently coupling the resonators to each other.
CH Patent No 615314A3 in the name of PATEK PHILIPPE discloses a movable assembly comprising an oscillating balance, subjected to the action of a balance spring, and synchronised by a vibrating member magnetically coupled to a fixed member. The vibration frequency of this vibrating member is higher than that of the balance. The balance and the vibrating member form the same, single, movable element which simultaneously vibrates and oscillates. The vibration frequency of the vibrating member is an integer multiple of the oscillation frequency of the balance.
EP Patent Application No 2690507A1 in the name of NIVAROX discloses a timepiece assembly comprising a balance spring stud including means of attachment to a plate or to a bridge. This assembly includes a balance spring with at least one strand wound into coils between an inner end and an outer end, the inner end fixed to a collet is pivotally movable about a pivot axis, and the outer end is integral with the balance spring stud. This stud and/or collet includes braking means arranged to cooperate with at least a first coil when accelerations during the contraction or extension of the balance spring are greater than desired values, to change the resulting rigidity of the balance spring when the number of its active coils are modified by local coupling of at least the first coil to the braking means.
DE Patent No 1217883B in the name of BAEHNI & CO discloses an electric timepiece with an incremental encoder and a member for driving the gear train, using a magnetostrictive vibrator.
EP Patent Application No 2487547A1 in the name of MONTRES BREGUET SA discloses a timepiece regulator, for an escapement mechanism or striking work, with centrifugal and eddy current regulation.
EP Patent Application No 1772791A1 in the name of SEIKO EPSON concerns centrifugal regulation combined with regulation by modulation of air friction, and discloses a contactless regulator using the resistance of the viscosity of a fluid, with a rotor powered by a power transfer means, and a wing having surfaces perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotor, arranged on the external circumference of the rotor, and which is radially movable under the effect of the centrifugal force produced by rotation of the rotor. The wing is returned by an elastic return means. A surface opposite the circumference of the rotor is the origin of a resistance dependent on the amount of motion applied to the wing.

Device for maintaining and regulating a timepiece resonator

The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd.


The present invention provides a method for reducing the variations attendant to free-form execution of a signature by providing a delimiting area in which a signature string, and/or portions of a signature string, is/are to be constrainedly transcribed. Also disclosed is a method of signature verification based on analysis of the environs attendant to the signature-string. Such method comprises analyzing the delimited areas attendant to one or more exemplar signatures; determining highly correlative relationships between two or more delimited areas within the signature strings of the exemplar library thereby identifying archetypical delimited areas; causing an unauthenticated signature to be signed in a delimiting manner corresponding to the manner in which the exemplar signatures were delimitedly signed; searching for delimited areas in the unauthenticated signature corresponding to the archetypical delimited areas; determining whether such corresponding archetypical delimited areas of the unauthenticated signature display the same inter-relationships as the archetypical delimited areas with respect to the exemplar signatures; and rejecting as non-authenticate unauthenticated signatures having little correspondence to the exemplar signatures with respect to such highly correlative delimited areas and the relationship there-between.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to a apparatus and method for detecting forged signatures on a check or draft.
2. Brief Description of Prior Art
Under principles set forth in the Uniform Commercial Code, financial institutions, such as banks and credit unions, are responsible for insuring that checks are validly authorized by the person to whom the drafts were originally issued. Payment on a forged draft results not in the debit of the account of the person to whom the drafts were issued, but rather of the account of the financial institution which honored the forged draft. If a forged draft is detected, the retail or service business that accepted the draft bears the brunt o r the loss.
Losses to financial institutions, and to retail and service businesses, resulting from forged drafts have a significant impact upon the consumer in terms of higher bank fees and higher retail/service prices. Until recently, the only method available to protect against forged signatures was to rely on manual signature checks to determine whether the signature on a draft was valid.
Manual signature checks suffer from many disadvantages, especially with respect to the time involved in conducting such checks. In a financial institution setting, a manual signature check generally entails the bank teller locating the signature card of the transactor from a compilation of thousands of cards and visibly comparing the signature on the card against that on the draft. Such comparison has traditionally only been made on high value single transaction drafts. In a retail or service sector setting, such comparison is generally made by obtaining a signed identity instrument from the consumer, such as a credit card, license etc., and comparing the signature thereon with that which is inscribed on the draft which has been tendered. Management approval is often sought prior to approval. Such attempts to reduce bad-draft losses often result in customer dissatisfaction due to inconvenience, delays, and embarrassment.
Because of the difficulties involved in manual comparisons, computer-assisted methods for ascertaining the validity of a signature have been introduced over the past 20 years. There are two basic approaches to computer-assisted handwriting identification: (1) comparison systems and methods whereby a stored reference signature and a specimen signature are displayed together to allow the validity of the specimen to be judged by the observer and (2) automatic signature verification systems and methods which process data from a reference signature and a specimen signature, and report whether or not the specimen is verified.
Many financial institutions today employ computer-assisted comparison systems and methods for verifying signatures, for example, the check imaging system of SQN. This choice over automated systems and methods is likely due to the high degree of dissatisfaction and failure rate which have accompanied prior automated signature verification systems. Typically, computer-assisted comparison systems provide a plurality of stored reference signatures on a screen against which the signature on a draft may be compared. The draft signature may be feed into the computer for visual comparison of "overlap" with the stored signatures. Systems such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,589 to Meeks provide reference signatures along with one or more dynamic handwriting parameters represented thereon to allow better visual comparison of the presented signature with the reference signature.
Automated verification methods and apparatuses can be broadly classified into two classes: (1) those involving verification of a signature at point-of-purchase, or "dynamic" verification and (2) those involving verification of a previously executed draft, or "static" verification.
Numerous patents have issued with respect to dynamic point-of-purchase verification systems. Such systems take into account variations in such unique handwriting parameters as applied pressures, or combination of applied pressures, direction and timing of movement of a stylus during the act of handwriting. By measuring and storing information with respect to the same in a database, point-of-purchase systems permit comparison of signatures written at the time of purchase with the database-stored information. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,480,911, 3,563,097, 3,906,444, 3,956,734, 4,008,457, 4,040,010, 4,040,011, 4,040,012, 4,495,644, 4,553,258, 4,581,482, 4,789,934, 4,111,052, 4,128,829, 4,131,880, 4,308,522, 4,701,960, 4,856,077, 5,054,088, 5,109,426, 5,226,091, 5,422,959, and 5,434,928 all teach special apparatuses whereby the dynamic variations inherent in writing may be converted into electrical signals for analysis. Each requires the writer to use a special pen device to produce the handwriting specimen. None is capable of examining a signed document directly.
Automated static signature verification systems were first proposed as early as the late 1960s, albeit, significant commercial acceptability has yet to surface. Early systems relied essentially on character recognition and pattern super-position types of analysis methods based on x-y positional data. Such systems apparently failed owing to the inherent variability of such positional information. Later systems searching for more exacting methods of verification have employed digital imaging processing technology.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,454,610 discloses a static system, comprised of an encoding and verification device, for classifying and identifying patterns which may be used to verify signatures. A submitted signature is imaged by a lens system to produce two optical images, each of the images are optically transformed, optically averaged and then converted into electrical signals by vidicon tubes. The signals are combined in such a way that the resultant set of signals is the Fourier transform of the transmitted signature. The logarithm of the resultant signals is taken and this final transform is displayed on a screen. A set of fixed detectors measure the intensity values of particular pixels on the screen and this set of values is used to classify/identify the submitted signature.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,985,928 describes a static signature verification system in which optical density measurements of a plurality of elements in a handwriting specimen are made. Density measurements which form continuous line segments of at least a predetermined length, and the location of the same, along the sample are recorded and processed and compared to a reference specimen. The signature is converted to a set of vectors which contain the average density reading across the width of the signature line and the X and Y coordinates of the center of the line. The vector points may be organized as a sequential set of points to permit the flagging of end and crossing points. A five-point smoothing algorithm is used to average out any minuscule imperfections ascertained in the signature thus accomplishing the averaging of two points on both sides of a point to perceive the density at the point being averaged so that both density and X and Y position may be read.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,320 describes a static signature verification system employing light analysis to produce component digital representations. A predetermined area on a carrier medium is illuminated and the light reflected therefrom converted to an electrical signal which is subsequently converted to black and white pixel representations of the sample signature. The pixel representations are analyzed to determine the number of pixels which satisfy a plurality of pre-selected features of the sample signature. The resultant determination is compared against that discerned from a plurality of reference signatures.
And further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,265 discloses a static signature verification system wherein the image of a signature is aligned with respect to a given axis and is then digitized such that there is provided a grey scale representation of each pixel. Several parameters are measured from the grey scale representations, including the center of gravity of the pixels within each row and column of the representation, a center of gravity line for the centers of gravity for the rows or columns, the center of gravity for all pixels of the image, the positions of maximum grey scale pixels within each row or column, sums of grey scale values per column or row and the shape of a bow within the signature image. Second order polynomials which describe unique segments of the signature are also determined. Such measurements are contrasted against the same measurements made on a plurality of reference signatures, and verification made on the basis of the correlation between the same.
A significant problem associated with static signature verification systems of the past was the need to determine a set of algorithms which were to apply to all sample signatures which were to be analyzed by the system. Extremely reliable algorithms have been found to be elusive, the latter being attributed to the wide-ranging variations which exist with respect to the manner in which individuals write their signatures. Recognition of this problem resulted in several groups proposing "neural network" software techniques, patterned after the striate cortex of a human being, for the computer to generate individualized signature algorithms with respect to a particular person's signature. Neural network software techniques for pattern recognition are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,269.
Application of neural network technology has recently resulted in the commercial introduction of a static electronic signature verification system known as Chequematch.RTM., a product marketed by AEA Technology, a commercial division of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. Neural network software permits systems such as Chequematch to learn the unique characteristics of a signature from a plurality of reference signatures input into the system. The "learning" process is said to permit these systems to generate algorithms that more appropriately define the writing characteristics of the individual than prior systems.
A significant problem associated with all static verification systems, including neural network-based verification systems, is the complex manner in which they attempt to deal with or adapt to the variabilities inherent in signature-string calligraphy including the changing variables of penmanship and alterations of the habits of the signer. Penmanship variability relates to changes such as the particular type of instrument being used to sign the signature, the length of the signature line on the document (e.g., a signature fitted onto a small line may look substantially different from a signature fitted onto a large line), the position where the signer begins and ends the signature string, how the hand of the signer is positioned on the document being signed (such positioning can dramatically affect the slope nature of the signature particularly if the hand is repositioned midway in the signing process) and the type of substrate upon which the signature is made (e.g., one's signature on a piece of corrugated cardboard may look substantially different than one's signature on a piece of plain paper). Variability in signer habits is due to a multiplicity of factors including, illness or injuries (e.g., when ill, people frequently write smaller), the emotional state of the signer (e.g., the signature of a depressed person often shows a reduction in the size of letter extensions and crosses), and even simple things like the weather (e.g. one often signs things quicker, and thus in a less neat way, when trying to get out of the cold or rain). Changes in one's signature are particularly magnified when one looks at the signature of the same individual over a life time. Few adults continue to sign their name the same way they did when they were six or seven years of age. Similarly, the signature of an elderly person not infrequently significantly differs from the signature of the same individual when they were middle-aged. A signature algorithm may be inadequate for distinguishing authentic from invalid signatures even if it is based upon a plurality of exemplar signatures if such exemplar signatures were supplied on the same day, or in temporal proximity to one another.
Present day static verification systems, further suffer from the inherent complexity of the verification process. Determination of slope functions, pixel contrast, x-y coordinate positions of signature components, center of gravity measurements, the utilization of "smoothing" algorithms, require in-depth analysis of the entire signature string and comparison of these characteristics to the same characteristics, and associated variability of characteristics, determined from analysis of authenticate signature exemplars. As discussed supra, these systems often entail construction of complex algorithms based on a limited sample of authenticate signatures supplied by the person for whom signature comparison is sought. The complexity of the algorithms may lead to many false negatives occurring with respect to truly valid signatures, and in some cases may slow processing of signed documents to an unacceptable rate.
Therefore, there is a need for a static verification system employing a less complex verification protocol which takes into account the variable nature of a person's signing habits, which provides for reducing false negative rejections of authenticate signatures, that is minimally affected by the writing instrument used by the person signing the document, by the document stock and by the length of the signature line on the document to be signed, which is relatively unaffected by the manner in which the signer holds the writing instrument and begins/ends the signature, and yet permits efficient rejection of forged signatures.

Method and apparatus for detecting forged signatures


A method of detecting abnormalities in an ECG signals, comprising receiving an ECG signal, extracting at least one ECG beat the ECG signal; providing the at least one ECG beat to a neural network. Within the neural network, performing at least two layers of convolution operations, and for a beat of the ECG signal, determining a confidence map for the location of each of the P, Q, R, S and T points, determining, from the respective confidence maps the position or absence of points, the points comprising each of the P, Q, R, S and T points; and reporting the positions and/or absence of the points.

Every year, more than 2 million people in the UK are affected by cardiac arrhythmia (heart rhythm abnormalities) which can lead to stroke, cardiac arrest, or even sudden cardiac death. In particular, atrial fibrillation (AF) is responsible for 20% of all strokes caused by clots (ischemic stroke). The population of AF patients is around 1.5 million in the UK alone.
However, early detection allows the commencement of treatment which can allow patients to lead a normal life, and thus is of great importance. Yet, AF in early stages occurs sporadically and inconsistently in short episodes, termed "paroxysmal AF", which may be difficult to detect in short tests. This is before developing into more sustained episodes, termed "persistent AF". In these early stages, round-the-clock monitoring is necessary to capture these short episodes.
Existing solutions are adequate in detecting what is known as "clinical AF", by operating on the order of minutes and diagnosing based on the fraction of time spent in AF and non-AF. This approach minimises the potential for false alarms. However, very short episodes of AF that may be "subclinical" during the paroxysmal stage may go undetected by such algorithms.
AF is the most common type of cardiac arrhythmia and is a condition of the heart whereby the atria (upper chambers of the heart) do not coordinate well to pump blood through the body. This may allow blood clots to form, which can lead to a stroke when they travel to the brain.
Having AF increases the risk of stroke in patients by 5 times, and the overall risk of death in patients by twice. A stroke afflicts 100,000 people per year in England and Wales (equivalent to one person every 5 minutes), and 20% of all strokes caused by such clots (known as an ischemic stroke) result from AF. An estimated 1.5 million people in the UK have AF currently, and the NHS spends over £2.2 billion a year on treating AF and AF related illnesses. By the time adults reach 40 years of age, they have a lifetime risk of about 25% of developing AF.
If AF is detected, patients may be put on treatment and medication like blood thinners (Warfarin in particular), which can reduce the risk of stroke by up to two thirds, and the risk of death by one third without significantly increasing the risk of major bleeding. Stroke patients require a long recovery, and many suffer permanent neural damage. This has a significant impact on the workforce and economy, estimated to be around £2.4 billion per annum.
FIG. 1 illustrates a basic electrocardiograph (ECG) signal. This has several points, which are labelled as P, Q, R, S, and T. These features arise from the electrical signals that pass through the different heart muscles in a procedural manner to allow the heart to pump blood normally. The voltage and time statistics (height, width, and time intervals of the various features) are key to diagnosing abnormalities in the heart rhythm. Most significantly, the P wave is the result from activity in the atria.
FIG. 2 illustrates a series of ECG signals which may be used for the detection of AF by doctors in clinics. They are, in order of reliability:                Irregularly irregular R-R intervals        Missing P waves        Presence of fibrillatory waves in the ECG base line.
Using each indicator on its own has its setbacks but these indicators work well when used together. Irregular R-R intervals, while being the easiest to detect in most circumstances, may not indicate AF in some cases, as there are various other arrhythmia that also exhibit irregular R-R intervals.
Missing P waves are difficult to observe in cases where there are high noise levels, which can obscure the baseline of the ECG signal, or if the ECG leads are not placed in positions to efficiently pick up electrical signals from the atria. There are also other arrhythmia that exhibit delayed, or advanced, P waves, complicating the detection.
Fibrillatory waves on the ECG base line are the hardest to observe because they are irregular and vary in amplitude from coarse to fine. Thus they are easily obscured by noise and other interference such as electrical activity from muscles. Owing to this, fibrillatory waves are considered a "soft marker" for AF.
To make matters worse, AF occurs sporadically (termed "paroxysmal AF") in a patient at an early stage, before becoming continuous (termed "persistent AF") in a later stage of the patient. While in the early stage, a patient may only exhibit AF under specific physiological conditions (e.g. when under physical stress, if they consume alcohol, etc) and these sporadic episodes of AF may occur for very short periods of time, on the order of seconds. This means that for early detection, round-the-clock monitoring is needed so that there is the opportunity to capture and recognise these short episodes of AF.
Computer algorithms already exist for the detection of AF. The usual approach is to diagnose AF by a threshold of AF burden (i.e. percentage of beats which are AF in a certain time window), as seen in M. Carrara et al., "Classification of cardiac rhythm using heart rate dynamical measures: validation in MIT-BIH databases," J. of Electrocardiology, vol. 48, no. 6, pp. 943-946, November-December 2015. DOI: 10.1016/j.jelectrocard.2015.08.002, to reduce false positives and diagnosis. This works well for the diagnosis of what is termed as "clinical AF".
However, during the stage of paroxysmal AF, such episodes can be short enough that they can be passed over by such detection algorithms. These very short episodes are termed "subclinical AF". According to a recent investigation J. S. Healy et al., "Subclinical atrial fibrillation and the risk of stroke," The New England J. of Medicine, vol. 366, no. 2, pp. 120-129, 12 Jan. 2012. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1105575, being diagnosed with subclinical AF places an individual at 5.5 times the risk of developing clinical AF, and 2.5 times the risk of stroke, both within a period of approximately 2.5 years. Early detection of AF can thus have significant impact, but requires acute accuracy in the algorithm, and at high resolutions.
Machine learning techniques have been used to classify ECG data, such as applicants U.S. application Ser. No. 15/686,948, filed Aug. 25, 2017, "A Method of Detecting Abnormalities in ECG Signals" the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference, but considerable room for improvement exists.


A urinary device is attachable to a toilet and assists males in directing a flow of urine into the toilet. The device is installed between a toilet seat and tank and pivots to a vertical or near vertical position against the tank when not in use. A telescoping portion extends for tall or short males. The device may be installed on any standard toilet in a few minutes. A bypass may be included to direct urine into a drain avoiding the toilet bowl and the need to flush the toilet. The urinary device reduces or eliminates germs and odors on or around the toilet and is easy to clean using water and a household cleaner.

The present invention relates to urinary devices and in particular to devices for assisting males have difficulty controlling urination.
Millions of males have prostate related urinary problems and can't control a flow during urination and more then 85% of males over the age of 55 have prostate problems. The prostate problems cause an erratic urine stream from the bladder making it difficult to direct a flow of urine into a toilet while standing.
Many older males often sit to urinate but may have trouble getting back up. Others who drink also have trouble directing a flow of urine into a toilet from a standing position. There is therefore a need for a product to assist older males while urinating.
There is a further need to reduce water use due to water shortages. Residential toilets use much more water than necessary when used for urinating.


A method of making a hard constituent powder coated with Co and/or Ni in a solution by liquid reduction of the Co and/or Ni from a suitable metal compound with a polyol while keeping the powder in suspension, the polyol functioning both as a solvent and as a reducing agent at the same time. By separating the intermediate solid compound and hard constituent from the suspension before any by-products are formed and reducing the intermediate solid compound in the dry state by H.sub.2 for around 24 hours or by using an excess of about 10 times more moles polyol than moles metal, the polyol can be conserved or reused leading to improved cost efficiency of the process.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,804, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, discloses a method of coating hard constituent powders with Co and/or Ni with the polyol process disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,539,041 and used today for the manufacture of cobalt and nickel metal powders with a small particle size. According to U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,804, hard constituent powder in suspension in a polyol solution containing an oxide, hydroxide or salt of Co and/or Ni during reduction of cobalt and nickel by the polyol obtains a cobalt and/or nickel metal precipitation on the surface. The metals are precipitated with a quite even distribution over the surface of the carbides without forming separate islands. However, the requirement of a large excess of ethylene glycol and the technical difficulties in separating and removing the ethylene glycol oxidation by-products interfere with the economy of the process. Further, a mixture of by-products are formed during the reduction which complicates separation of un-reacted ethylene glycol. A suitable strategy to improve the process economy is to recycle or decrease an excess amount of ethylene glycol needed for the cobalt or nickel reduction.


A surge suppression apparatus includes a housing, and a flexible diaphragm. The housing is divided into first and second sub-chambers by the diaphragm. The first sub-chamber is connected to a supply of liquid under pressure. The second sub-chamber contains a gas under pressure. The apparatus further comprises a gas reservoir in communication with the second sub-chamber so as, in use, to provide an effective volume which is substantially larger than that of the second sub-chamber.

This invention relates to a surge suppression apparatus. More particularly, but not exclusively, the invention relates to apparatus for suppressing the effects of pressure variations in a liquid, for example paint, supplied under pressure along a supply line by a reciprocating pump.
It is known to provide a surge suppressor which has an air sub-chamber volume which is greatly in excess of the volume of a liquid sub-chamber in order to minimise the differential pressure change experienced in the air sub-chamber resulting from the flexure of the diaphragm due to a change (normally a reduction) in the liquid supply line pressure thereby minimising any surge of the liquid, see for example European Patent Application No. EP 0 707 173 A1.
Such surge suppressors have the disadvantage of being bulky thereby limiting their usefulness in the case of large numbers of suppressors and in working environments with limited space.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a surge suppressor which mitigates this disadvantage whilst maintaining the advantages of the aforementioned known surge suppressors.
According to the present invention there is provided a surge suppression apparatus including a housing, and a flexible diaphragm, the housing being divided into first and second sub-chambers by the diaphragm, the first sub-chamber having connection means for connecting the first sub-chamber to a supply of liquid under pressure, the second sub-chamber containing a gas under pressure and a gas reservoir being in communication with the second sub-chamber so as, in use, to provide an effective volume which is substantially larger than that of the second sub-chamber.
Conveniently said first and second sub-chambers are of similar volume when the diaphragm is in a rest position.
The second sub-chamber is provided with a pressure regulation means. Ideally the pressure regulation means is an active valve pressure regulation means. Desirably the liquid is paint. Desirably the gas reservoir is remote from the housing. Conveniently there is provided an isolation valve between the gas reservoir and the second sub-chamber.


The invention provides a method for determining the level of risk for development or progression of a hematologic neoplasia in a subject by analyzing the level of a phosphatidylinositol glycan anchor biosynthesis protein, and providing an appropriate treatment or preventive measure, on the basis of this risk.

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous collection of clonal hematological malignancies that affect about 13,000 people annually in the United States alone with about a one-third propensity of progression into acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & FIGS. 2016). MDS is conventionally classified as AML with myelodysplasia-related changes (AML-MRC) when blood or bone marrow blast populations reach or exceed 20% with dysplastic morphology in 50% or more cells in more than two myeloid lineages (Arber et al., Blood. 2016, 27:2391-2405; Vardiman and Reichard, Am. J. Clin. Pathol. 2015, 144:29-43). AML is more aggressive and molecularly diverse and involves unconstrained proliferation of aberrant myeloid progenitor cells. These aberrant myeloid progenitor cells possess genetic aberrations, populate the bone marrow and peripheral blood, and contribute to leukemia progression by driving clonal evolution (Genovese et al., N. Engl. J. Med. 2014, 371:2477-2487).
Approximately in 50% of AML the aberrant myeloid progenitor cells possess clonal chromosomal instability (CIN) (Grove et al., Disease Models & Mechanisms, 2014, 7:941-951; Seifert et al., Leukemia, 2009, 23:656-663). AML may develop de novo or secondary to the treatment of other cancers with chemotherapy or radiotherapy; or may evolve from other bone marrow failure conditions such as myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), aplastic anemia, or myeloproliferative neoplasms (Ostgard et al., European Journal of Haematology, 2010, 85:217-226). It has been observed that high frequency of genomic instability is frequently associated with cancer initiation and progression (Rabinovitch et al, Laboratory Investigation, 1989, 60:65-71; Tainsky et al., Cancer Metastasis Reviews, 1995, 14:43-48; Donehower et al, Progress in Clinical and Biological Research, 1996, 395:1-11; Sheffer et al., PNAS, 2009, 106:7131-7136). In fact, genomic instability is responsible for the clonal accumulation of genetic aberrations that contribute to AML transformation and progression; and has been indicated as a driver of the clonal evolution of MDS to AML (Byrne et al., Neoplasia, 2014, 16:627-633). Therefore, there is a need in the art for reliable markers of hematological neoplasia which can be used as prognostic indicators for development of hematological neoplasia and advancement of MDS to AML.

Comparing PIGN transcription and translation levels and sequencing to locate a PIGN mutation


A flow regulator includes a body with an aperture into which an inlet and an outlet open. A pin has a bore extending therein and communicating with the outlet. A first aperture, a second aperture and a bypass orifice are spaced longitudinally along the pin and extend there through opening into the bore. A valve member is slideably located around the pin and is biased by a spring into a first position along the pin in which the valve member closes the first aperture while opening the second aperture. When a pressure differential between the inlet and outlet exceeds a first level, the valve member moves away from the first position and begins covering the second aperture. Thereafter continuing increase of the pressure differential above a greater second level results in the valve member moving into a second position at which both the first and second apertures are closed. However in the second position, a secondary flow path exists between the inlet and the outlet through the bypass orifice. Further increase of the pressure differential significantly above the second level causes the valve member to move into a pressure relief position in which the first aperture is open while the second aperture remains closed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fluid powered actuator systems for operating a mechanism, such as opening an aircraft door in an emergency; and more particularly to an apparatus which regulates the fluid flow to control the speed of the actuator.
2. Description of the Related Art
Commercial aircraft incorporate mechanisms for opening the doors of the passenger cabin in the event of an emergency. One known emergency door activating mechanism utilizes a piston/cylinder assembly that is operatively connected between the body of the aircraft and the door. A reservoir of gas, such as nitrogen, under high pressure is connected to the cylinder. When it is desired to open the door, the pressurized gas is released from the reservoir and applied to the cylinder thereby rapidly moving the piston and opening the door. International Patent Application PCT/EP2003/012374 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/045,205 filed on Jan. 28, 2005 describe hydraulic systems for operating aircraft doors during an emergency.
Although the emergency door activation system must rapidly operate the door to a fully open position, it should do so without damaging the door and other parts of the aircraft. It should be recognized that in many emergency situations, the aircraft is not severely damaged and can be repaired for subsequent use. As a consequence, activation of the emergency door system ought not result in further aircraft damage which results in additional repair costs.
It is therefore desirable that the hydraulic operating mechanism apply the pressurized fluid to the actuator in a controlled manner so that the actuator does not operate at an excessive speed.

Fluid flow regulator with overpressure relief function


An image forming apparatus includes a forming unit configured to continuously form, on an image carrier, first and second detection patterns for detecting relative registration amounts and a density of each of a plurality of colors; and a control unit configured to control registration and the density. The forming unit forms the detection patterns such that a leading edge developer color of a detection pattern formed on a front side among the two detection patterns, in a direction in which the detection patterns are moved by rotation of the image carrier, is the same as a trailing edge developer color of the detection pattern formed on the front side, or a leading or trailing edge developer color of a detection pattern formed on a rear side among the two detection patterns.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention principally relates to an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic type or electrostatic printing type copying machine or printer. In particular, the present invention relates to the detection control of the tint and positions of developer images of colors formed in an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a color image forming apparatus including a plurality of photosensitive members, misregistration occurs between images of different colors due to, e.g., mechanical mounting errors of the photosensitive members, or optical path length differences or optical path changes of laser beams of different colors. Also, the image density for each color fluctuates due to various conditions such as the usage environment and the number of copies, therefore, the color balance, that is, the tint changes.
In an image forming apparatus, therefore, registration correction and density correction are performed between images of different colors. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-143171 has proposed a method of detecting and correcting misregistration and detecting and correcting densities by forming a registration detection pattern and density detection pattern on an intermediate transfer belt. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-143171 avoids increases in size and cost of the apparatus by detecting the registration and density detection patterns by using the same sensor.
Also, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-166553 has disclosed a method of forming both registration and density detection patterns on an intermediate transfer belt, and correcting the misregistration and densities by the same sequence, thereby shortening the time required for the correction.
In the related art, the correction control time is shortened by correcting the misregistration and densities by the same sequence. In this method, a plurality of registration detection patterns and a plurality of density detection patterns may be repetitively formed on an intermediate transfer belt, in order to avoid the influence of periodical variations generated by the rotation periods of, for example, photosensitive members or rollers for driving the intermediate transfer belt, because the photosensitive members or rollers are off-centered. To correct misregistration and densities by the same sequence, the detection patterns must be formed within one circumference of the intermediate transfer belt. As image forming apparatuses have been downsized recently, however, the circumference of the intermediate transfer belt shortens. Accordingly, demands have arisen for accurately correcting misregistration and densities even with a short pattern length.

Image forming apparatus for performing registration and density correction control


The invention is directed to a low-dropout voltage regulator (LDO), including a power transistor, a driving stage circuit, a feedback circuit, a bias power source and an auxiliary reference current generation circuit. The power transistor is controlled by a driving signal to convert an input voltage into an output voltage. The feedback circuit generates a feedback voltage according to the output voltage. The driving stage circuit generates the driving signal according to the feedback voltage and the reference voltage. The bias power source provides a bias current. The auxiliary reference current generation circuit is configured to sample an output current, adjust the sampled output current to generate an adjustment current by means of mapping and superpose the adjustment current onto the bias current to generate a reference current to control drive capability of the driving stage circuit.

Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a voltage regulator and more particularly, to a low-dropout voltage regulator (LDO).
Description of Related Art
In applications of electronic apparatuses, particularly portable electronic apparatuses, users have increasingly high demand for battery life. If overall static power consumption can be reduced, the usage duration of a portable electronic apparatus can be effectively prolonged. The static power consumption is majorly induced by a low-dropout voltage regulator (LDO) installed in the portable electronic apparatus; however, the static power consumption of a typical LDO cannot be adjusted along with an output current.
Under this premise, if it is considered to design the LDO in a large-current application, the static state power consumption of the LDO is usually maintained within a range from 0.5 mA to 2 mA, and in this way, the demand for a longer standby duration of the portable electronic apparatus cannot be satisfied. On the other hand, if hardware parameters of the LDO are adjusted to lower down the static state power consumption (e.g., down to about 0.1 mA), it may lead to an issue of worse load transient response characteristics. As a result, an unrecoverable failure may occur during the process that the system is switched from the standby state to the operation state.


The invention relates to a method for carrying out a dynamic range compression in traffic photography for representation having greater detail fidelity in images created in connection with traffic monitoring installations. The problem addressed by the invention is that of finding a possibility for achieving, in the case of digitally obtained images in traffic photography, whilst precluding the different subjective influences on the part of the processing personnel, a representation of the dark regions with greater detail fidelity, without the information of the brighter regions being lost in the process. According to the invention, this problem is solved by means of a method for carrying out a specific dynamic range compression in traffic photography.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for carrying out a dynamic range compression in traffic photography for representation having greater detail fidelity in images created in association with traffic monitoring installations.
2. Description of the Background Art
In traffic photography, for the most part images are created in which the driver in the vehicle cabin appears very dark, whereas the license plate appears strongly over-illuminated owing to its retroreflective property. A dynamic range compression can often be successfully applied in order to brighten up the dark regions in images with a high dynamic range, and to improve the visibility of low contrast details in said regions without destroying the information in the brighter regions. In this case, a copy of the image is converted into a contrast mask over which the image is superposed. In the process, brightness and contrast must be manually matched for each image so that the images thus corrected do not appear unnatural, or even like a photomontage.
When the images from the traffic monitoring installations come to be evaluated in the evaluation offices (backoffices) of the authorities or commissioned organizations, there is a need for daily manual matching of several thousand images, something which entails a considerable extra outlay in time, but also an additional burden on the staff. In extreme cases, fines can be time barred when a blockage results in the processing of the images. Furthermore, the manual matching is open to the subjective influences of the respective person who is processing the image.

Method for carrying out a dynamic range compression in traffic photography


A system and method, optionally implemented in a hardware circuitry, to receive a global positioning system pulse per second, GPS PPS, signal generated by a GPS receiver in a vehicle having a plurality of sensors; monitor the GPS PPS signal for an indication of a presence and a frequency of the GPS PPS signal within a predetermined threshold; generate a generated PPS signal synchronized with the GPS PPS signal; generate, based on an input of the generated PPS signal, a plurality of trigger signals, each of the generated plurality of trigger signals being selectively programmatically adjustable in at least one of a frequency and a phase, the selectively adjustability of each of the generated plurality of trigger signals being independent of the other generated plurality of trigger signals; and transmit at least one of the generated plurality of trigger signals to one or more of the sensors.

Autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles (e.g., self-driving vehicles) include sensors, devices, and systems that need to function together in synchronized harmony in order for these types of vehicles to operate accurately and reliably safely. A GPS (global positioning system) receiver unit typically generates a pulse per second (PPS) signal. Previously, some self-driving vehicles have used the GPS PPS signal as a reference in connection with driving or otherwise triggering the sensors, devices, and systems in the vehicle. However, triggering the sensors and other devices using the GPS PPS signal has been shown to be less reliable than desired and/or required in self-driving vehicles where continued operating accuracy and reliability are a top priority for the safe operation of self-driving vehicles. In some instances, the variety and/or number of sensors in the vehicle and their corresponding number of different timing signal requirements caused electrical load problems, which caused the trigger pulse to change in its shape and form and led to false triggering, compounding the shortcomings in the prior art GPS PPS-based approaches. The false triggering caused the sensors to, for example, skip images, to reset their timestamps too early, etc. that created uncertainties regarding when data was arriving and/or when that data was captured as well as whether the sensors were capturing data in a synchronized manner.
There are some techniques and protocols for synchronizing clocks in computer networks. However, such synchronization protocols may not be suitable for the wide variety of sensors, devices, and systems that might typically be included in a self-driving vehicle. For example, the Precision Time Protocol (PTP) is an ethernet-based protocol that allows computers to synchronize their internal clocks using ethernet packets to exchange messages, wherein network transit times are determined so that the networked devices' internal clocks can be accurately synchronized. In many instances, one or more of the sensors, devices, and other systems included in a self-driving vehicle may lack the functionality to support PTP and/or other sophisticated time synchronization protocols and techniques.
As such, there exists a need for a system and method to provide accurate time synchronization for a plurality of sensors and other devices and systems of a self-driving vehicle in an efficient manner. Such a system and method should not require modification of the embedded devices and systems of the self-driving vehicle.
Throughout the drawings and the detailed description, unless otherwise described, the same drawing reference numerals will be understood to refer to the same elements, features, and structures. The relative size and depiction of these elements may be exaggerated or adjusted for clarity, illustration, and/or convenience.

Method and system for a sensor trigger hub


A method of reporting quality metrics for packet switched streaming in a wireless network between a server and a client, comprising the step of transporting content data to the server to the client using a real time streaming protocol, the step of reporting at least one quality metric relating to the delivered data stream from the client to the server using both an unreliable transport mechanism, such as UDP, and at least one reliable transport mechanism, such as TCP.

Generally, quality metrics will be used for reporting in 3GPP Packet-switched Streaming Services (PSS), where a service provider (server) needs information about the received quality of a video stream delivered to a client (see e.g. 3GPP TS26.234 V 5.3.0 Release 5). To be able to collect this information at the server, the client has to send feedback information about the received quality to the server. This information can only be created at the client, since conditions on the intermediate network and the client itself might influence the received quality of a video stream. The reported metrics are objective (e.g. amount of lost packets during the streaming session) since information about the quality of the delivery should be measured and not about the quality of the content (e.g., bad quality due to bad encoding of the video.) Since all the metrics are objective and not subjective, they can be automatically created at the client without any user interaction.
Packet-switched Streaming Services in 3GPP networks are based on the mechanisms that were invented for streaming in the wired Internet. Hence, known transport protocols, such as RTP/RTCP are used for the data transport (the actual streaming), while RTSP is used to control the streaming session. It has been shown that standardized mechanisms are not sufficient to report quality metrics about the perceived quality at the receiver. E.g., the information that is transported by RTCP receiver reports allows the sender to draw only rudimentary metrics about the quality of the delivered stream, like the number of group members, an RTT estimation to the receivers and the cumulative number of packets lost. These are not enough to inform the server about the quality of the streaming to each receiver. For example the cumulative number of packets lost does not provide precise information about the RTT on which it happened or which packets were actually received and lost. This fact hampers a proper adaptation by the server (rate and quality) and also the application of billing schemes, which will gain in importance as the streaming services become more popular. Therefore an extended mechanism is needed. Summarizing, there are two major problems with the RTCP-based quality metrics reporting:
The transport protocol (usually UDP) used for RTCP messages is not reliable and, thus, the quality metrics cannot be determined reliably.
The information contained in the RTCP receiver report is very restricted and does not give the operators much freedom to specify their own quality metrics.
A detailed overview about 3GPP PSS and the used protocols is given in 3GPP TS26.234 V 5.3.0 Release 5. RTCP is the control protocol for RTP, which is used to distribute control information about the RTP-based data transport. Two important message types in RTCP are sender and receiver reports that are used to exchange information about the data that is transported via RTP (e.g., the total amount of packets sent by the sender). In case the RTP session is based on UDP, which is the case for streaming, the RTCP data will also be transmitted via UDP. Since UDP is an unreliable protocol, a lossless transport of the RTCP data cannot be guaranteed. In order to avoid that RTCP message consume too much bandwidth, RTCP sender and receiver reports can only be sent in certain intervals (e.g., one receiver report each 5 seconds). Hence, the information that can be transmitted via sender and receiver reports is very limited and might not be sufficient to generate useful quality metrics timely. In particular, RTCP provides as exemplary basic metrics, an RTT estimation from sender to each receiver, delay jitter, cumulative number of packets lost, the highest sequence number received, and a packet count on how many packets the sender sent.
As mentioned in the previous section, these metrics are very limited and not extendable, so that new and existing applications (like MPEG4 video and AMR audio) lack a set of metrics to properly report on the received quality for each receiver.
RTSP is the signalling protocol that is used in PSS to control and set up a streaming session. It allows the client to start, stop the stream or jump to any position in time of the stream. Usually, RTSP data is transmitted reliably via the TCP protocol. Next to the control information additional information about the data transport characteristics is exchanged between server and client via RTSP. In addition, certain information can be exchanged during the streaming session.
Quality metrics define a certain set of parameters that are reported from the client to the server and allow the operator to draw conclusions about the quality a stream was delivered to the client. The usage of the information gained by those quality metrics can be manifold. E.g., a billing model could be based on such information or the operator could simply collect the data for its own statistics. As of today, the exact set of parameters for every kind of application is not known and it is debatable if one specific set will fit the needs of all operators in the future. There certainly is a limited set of quality metrics that is necessary in every case like the total amount of lost packets, a rough estimation of the RTT to the clients and an estimation of the delay jitter, as provided by RTCP. However, there are many application specific parameters while other parameters might only be of interest if content is streamed that has been encoded in a specific format.
Since it is not absolutely clear in which way the quality metrics will be used by the operator it would be desirable to find a solution that allows operators to define their own quality metrics for any kind of application. However, this is out of the scope of this invention. We assume the quality metrics subject of transport, which kind of transport is needed for each of the parameters and which peer is responsible for each of them is known to server and client.
To summarize, existing methods allow only limited possibilities of reporting quality metrics from the client to the server in a PSS. This is not sufficient for an operator to obtain a detailed and correct report about the received quality of a video stream at the client.

Method of reporting quality metrics for packet switched streaming


Methods and apparatus for determining the direction of borehole azimuthal offset and the borehole radius of curvature. Rotation rate of a borehole assembly is measured and mathematically converted into azimuthal torque imparted to the borehole assembly. Relative azimuthal offset is determined from variations in azimuthal torque over a rotation cycle of the borehole assembly. Relative radius of curvature is obtained from the magnitude of azimuthal torque over a rotation cycle. Relative azimuthal offset is converted to true azimuthal offset using an independent reference angle measurement. Relative borehole curvature is converted to true radius of curvature using a calibration constant determined in known borehole conditions.

The complex trajectories and multi-target oil wells require precision placement of well borehole path and the flexibility to continually maintain path control. It is preferred to control or "steer" the direction or path of the borehole during the drilling operation. It is further preferred to determine and to control the path rapidly during the drilling operation at any depth and target as the borehole is advanced by the drilling operation.
Directional drilling is complicated by the necessity to operate a drill bit steering device within harsh borehole conditions. The steering device is typically disposed near the drill bit, which terminates a lower or "down hole" end of a drill string. In order to obtain the desired real time directional control, it is preferred to operate the steering device remotely from the surface of the earth based upon real time measures of borehole azimuthal offset and curvature. Furthermore, the steering device must be operated to maintain the desired path and direction while being deployed at possibly a great depth within the borehole and while maintaining practical drilling speeds. Finally, the steering device must reliably operate under exceptional heat, pressure, and vibration conditions that can be encountered during the drilling operation.
Many types of directional steering devices, comprising a motor disposed in a housing with an axis displaced from the axis of the drill string, are known in the prior art. The motor can be a variety of types including electric, or hydraulic. Hydraulic turbine motors operated by circulating drilling fluid are commonly known as "mud" motors. A rotary bit is attached to a shaft of the motor, and is rotated by the action of the motor. The axially offset motor housing, commonly referred to as a bent subsection or "bent sub", provides axial displacement that can be used to change the trajectory of the borehole. By rotating the drill bit with the motor and simultaneously rotating the drill bit with the drill string, the trajectory or path of the advancing borehole is parallel to the axis of the drill string. By rotating the drill bit with the motor only, the trajectory of the borehole is deviated from the axis of the drill string. By alternating these two methodologies of drill bit rotation, the path of the borehole can be controlled. A more detailed description of directional drilling using the bent sub concept is presented in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,713,500, 3,841,420 and 4,492,276, which are herein entered into this disclosure by reference.
The prior art contains methods and apparatus for adjusting the angle of "bend" of a bent sub housing thereby directing the angle of borehole deviation as a function of this angle. The prior art also contains apparatus and methods for dealing with unwanted torques that result from steering operations including clutches that control relative bit rotation in order to position the bit azimuthally as needed within the walls of the borehole. Prior art steering systems using variations of the bent sub concept typically rely upon complex pushing or pointing forces and the associated equipment which directs the hole path by exerting large pressures on the bit perpendicular to the borehole path while rotating the drill string. These forces are often obtained using hydraulic systems that are typically expensive and present additional operational risks in the previously mentioned harsh drilling environment. Furthermore, these perpendicular forces typically require the steering device to be fabricated with mechanically strong components thereby further increasing the initial and operating cost of the steering device.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/848,328, which is entered into this disclosure by reference, discloses apparatus and methods for steering the direction of a borehole advanced by cutting action of a rotary drill bit terminating a lower or "down hole" end of a drill string. The rotation speed of the bit is periodically varied during a rotation of the drill string thereby cutting a disproportionately larger amount of material from an azimuthal arc of wall of the borehole, which will results in an azimuthal deviation in borehole direction. The steering device, which is disposed at the downhole end of a drill string, comprises a motor disposed in a bent housing subsection or "bent sub". A rotary drill bit is attached to a shaft of the motor. The drill bit can be rotated by both the motor and by the rotary action of the drill string. To deviate the borehole, rotation rate of the bit is periodically slowed or "pulsed" in a predetermined arc thereby cutting a disproportionally small amount of material from the borehole wall. As a result, the bit moves to the opposite side of the borehole and cuts disproportionately larger amount of material from the borehole wall. The borehole then tends to deviate and advance in the azimuthal direction in which the disproportional large amount of borehole wall material has been removed. This methodology is referred to as a Pulsed Modulated Steering.
Regardless of the steering system employed, the effective direction of a borehole to a predetermined target requires reliable, accurate, precise, and preferably real time measures of the azimuthal offset and curvature of the borehole at or very near the drill bit.

Determination of azimuthal offset and radius of curvature in a deviated borehole using periodic drill string torque measurements