A plumbing system is provided with a coupling having a chamber, an inlet passageway through which a fluid may enter the chamber from a supply, an outlet passageway through which a fluid may exit the chamber and the coupling, and a vent passageway in fluid communication with the chamber and having a vent inlet in communication with ambient atmosphere and a vent outlet in communication with the chamber. The coupling is provided between a source of liquid (e.g. a control capsule for mixing hot and cold water supplies via a user operable valve) and an outlet nozzle (e.g., a hose-connected spray head). A vacuum breaker check valve is located in the vent passageway of the coupling and includes a valve member for closing the vent inlet when pressure in the chamber is greater than pressure at the vent inlet and for opening the vent inlet when pressure in the chamber is less than pressure at the vent inlet.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for preventing the back flow of water in plumbing systems, and in particular, to vacuum breaker type anti-siphoning mechanisms.
2. Description of Related Art
Plumbing fixtures have been provided which include a hose-connected spray head which can be manipulated by a user to provide a stream of water, for example, to wash hair or to rinse dishes, for example, in a sink.
One problem inherent with such movable spray heads is that the water supply lines can become contaminated if the spray head is immersed in contaminated water (e.g., as is found in a water-filled sink). Should a negative pressure occur in the water supply (e.g., due to a water main break or the use of water at other outlets in the plumbing system) a back flow or siphoning of water from the sink through the spray head and into the plumbing system may occur. This back flow of water contaminates the water supply.
While one or more one-way back pressure check valves are conventionally provided in the plumbing system to prevent the undesirable back flow of water, these check valves do not always prevent the back flow of water due to, for example, the lodging of sediment in the check valves preventing them from closing properly. Accordingly, it is known to provide vacuum breakers in plumbing systems so that when a vacuum condition occurs in the water supply, air is introduced into the plumbing system through the vacuum breaker, preventing waste water from being pulled into the water supply.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,856 to Fleischmann discloses an anti-siphoning valve assembly for placement between the outlet tube of a faucet and a spray head. The assembly includes a T-shaped housing having duck-bill check valves in its inlet and outlet passages in order to restrict fluid flow to only one direction through the housing, and a vacuum breaker attached to a sink rim and in fluid communication with a chamber of the T-shaped housing via a flexible conduit. A float is located in the vacuum breaker housing to prevent liquid from exiting the vacuum breaker housing during normal flow conditions and for permitting the plumbing system to be vented when a vacuum condition occurs in the water supply. A problem with this arrangement is that the flexible conduit attached between the T-shaped housing and the vacuum breaker housing forms a dead-end in which water becomes trapped for extended periods of time. Such water can become contaminated (e.g., by bacteria and microbes). The water in the flexible conduit is pulled into the water supply when a vacuum condition occurs in the water supply, thus potentially causing contamination of the water supply. Additionally, the contaminated water in the flexible conduit gradually makes its way into the water supplied to the spray head, which can be undesirable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,814 to Gayton et al. discloses a back flow preventer and vacuum breaker for use with a plumbing fixture, and includes a body having an inlet and an outlet, a chamber connecting the inlet and outlet and an air vent opening into the chamber. A first diaphragm is positioned within the chamber and controls air flow through the vent. A second diaphragm positioned in the chamber controls flow from the inlet into the chamber and includes an integral check valve extending into the outlet.
Page 12 of the Nov. 22, 1988 Minutes of the ANSI/ASME A 112 Committee, Panel 18 schematically illustrates numerous arrangements for locating back flow preventers and vacuum breakers in a plumbing system having hose connected outlets.
Other patents disclosing back flow preventers, with or without vacuum breakers, for hose-connected spray heads include: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,805,661 and 4,696,322 to Knapp et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,079,781 to Gnauert et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,554 to Gloor; U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,538 to Heimann et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,483 to Knapp; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,301,972 and 4,314,673 to Rudelick; U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,437 to Egli et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,508,136 to Kah, Jr.
Additional references disclosing floats used as vacuum breaker check valves include U.S. Pat. No. 3,414,003 to Wyckoff, U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,762 to Breneman, U.S. Pat. No. 926,968 to Stickdorn and a paper presented by Friedrich Grohe at the Mar. 9, 1988 ANSI/AMSE A 112 Committee, Panel 18 meeting, for use with faucets having hose connected outlets.
A back flow preventer device for connection between a supply pipe and a service pipe, and including one-way check valves at an inlet and outlet of a body member, and a spring biased vacuum breaker located in a separate housing attached to the body member by a tube is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,746.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,929,149 to Phillips discloses a back flow preventer for installation in the water discharge line between an automatic dishwasher and a garbage disposer which can be mounted to a sink rim.

Anti-siphoning valve assembly and plumbing fixture including same


A connector includes a cover adapted to push a connection object toward a first contact. The first contact includes a first contact portion to be connected to a contact portion of the connection object. A second contact includes a second contact portion and a locking portion. The cover includes a cover contact portion held by the housing so as to be rotatable between opened and closed positions and to be connected to a shell of the connection object, a connecting portion to be connected to the second contact portion of the second contact, and a to-be-locked portion adapted to engage the locking portion of the second contact. At the time of the connection to the connection object, the shell of the connection object and the second contact are connected to each other through the cover contact portion, the connecting portion, and the to-be-locked portion of the cover.

This invention relates to a connector that establishes a connection to a connection object using its openable and closable cover.
With the recent miniaturization and multifunctionality of portable electronic devices, there have been required miniaturization of electronic components and an increase in the number and speed of signal lines. These requirements can be satisfied using optical fibers or the like, which, however, naturally requires conversion from optical signals to electrical signals.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. H05-335617 discloses an optical transmission module that converts an optical signal to an electrical signal. Generally, this type of optical transmission module is too large in size to be mounted in a portable device as a connector. Further, since it has pin-shaped terminals, it is necessary to form contact holes in a board. There is also a problem in terms of ensuring shielding.
Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. 2000-82826 discloses an optical transmission socket module. Since this optical transmission socket module also has pin-shaped terminals, it is necessary to form contact holes in a board. Since this causes a limitation in board wiring, there arises an inconvenience in terms of design particularly in a miniaturized portable device. Further, even if a connector can be disposed on a board, there still arises a problem that the height increases. In addition, if an optical transmission socket module is miniaturized, it is difficult to attach and detach the optical transmission socket module to and from a board because handling thereof is complicated. Further, there is also a problem that it is difficult to achieve sufficient shielding.

Connector easily adapted to miniaturization

Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Limited


The present invention relates to recombinant adenoviral vectors based on adenoviruses that encounter pre-existing immunity in a minority of the human population and which harbor a chimeric capsid. The chimeric capsid comprises fiber proteins that have at least the knob domain of a human adenovirus that binds to the Coxsackievirus and Adenovirus Receptor (CAR) and a hexon protein from an adenovirus serotype that encounters pre-existing immunity in a low percentage of the human population.

Recombinant adenoviral vectors are widely applied for gene therapy applications and vaccines. To date, 51 different adenovirus serotypes have been identified. The subgroup C adenoviruses have been most extensively studied for applications such as gene therapy; especially serotype 2 and 5 (Ad2 and Ad5) are widely used in the art. Recombinant Ad5 is used in a variety of different purposes, including vaccination. Importantly, Ad5 vector-based vaccines have been shown to elicit potent and protective immune responses in a variety of animal models. Moreover, large-scale clinical trials for HIV vaccination are ongoing in which Ad5-based recombinant vectors are being used (WO 01/02607; WO 02/22080; Shiver et al. 2002; Letvin et al. 2002; Shiver and Emini. 2004). However, the utility of recombinant Ad5 vector-based vaccines for HIV and other pathogens will likely be significantly limited by the high seroprevalence of Ad5-specific neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) in human populations. The existence of anti-Ad5 immunity has been shown to suppress substantially the immunogenicity of Ad5-based vaccines in studies in mice and rhesus monkeys. Early data from phase-1 clinical trials show that this problem may also occur in humans (Shiver 2004).
One promising strategy to circumvent the existence of pre-existing immunity in individuals previously infected with the most common human adenoviruses (such as Ad5), involves the development of recombinant vectors from adenovirus serotypes that do not encounter such pre-existing immunities. Human adenoviral vectors that were identified to be particularly useful are based on serotypes 11, 26, 34, 35, 48, 49, and 50 as was shown in WO 00/70071, WO 02/40665 and WO 2004/037294 (see also Vogels et al. 2003). Others have found that also adenovirus 24 (Ad24) is of particular interest as it is shown to be a rare serotype (WO 2004/083418).
A similar strategy is based on the use of simian adenoviruses since these do typically not infect humans. They exhibit a low seroprevalence in human samples. They are however applicable for human use since it was shown that these viruses could infect human cells in vitro (WO 03/000283; WO 2004/037189).
It was shown that adenovirus serotype 35 (Ad35) vector-based vaccines could elicit potent cellular immune responses that were not significantly suppressed by anti-Ad5 immunity (Barouch et al. 2004; Vogels et al. 2003). Similarly, chimpanzee adenoviruses have been shown to elicit immune responses that were minimally affected by anti-Ad5 immunity (Farina et al. 2001; Pinto et al. 2003). It was recently demonstrated that neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) and CD8+ T lymphocyte responses both contribute to anti-Ad5 immunity, whereas Ad5-specific NAbs appear to play the primary role (Sumida et al. 2004). Although this development appears to be a very useful approach, it was also demonstrated in mice that Ad35 vector-based vaccines proved less immunogenic than Ad5 vector-based vaccines in studies in which there was no pre-existing Ad5-immunity (Barouch et al. 2004).
Clearly, there is a need in the field for alternative adenoviral vectors that do not encounter pre-existing immunities in the host, but that are still immunogenic and capable of inducing strong immune responses against the proteins encoded by the heterologous nucleic acids inserted in the nucleic acid carried by the vector.

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Inc.


A stone cutter having blade angle adjustment device includes a rectangular base having a pair of sliding bars, three cutting grooves of different slanting sections and two alignment of rectangular through hole in the top, a pair of hollow interior rectangular bars at two ends for respectively receiving a pair of lateral rods of a U-shaped extension and a sink on underside thereof. A salver plate slidably disposes on the sliding bars. A pair of support arms spacedly dispose on the top of the salver plate each having a first circular through hole and three second through hole in an arcuate slot in upper portion respectively engaged with a pair of first screw holes and a pair of second screw holes of a motor which is secured on the top of the salver plate between the support arms, a guarded blade secured to the axis of the motor and a pair of handled locks selectively engaged with one of the three second circular through holes to adjust the different slanting angles for the blade.

The present invention relates to the stone cutters and more particularly to a stone cutter having blade angle adjustment device.
A blade angle adjustment device in a stone cutter provides great convenience to an operator who turns the motor including the blade to easily adjust a desired slanting cutting angle. FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show a prior art stone cutter 10 which has a base 11, a pair of support arms 12 parallel secured to the lateral sides of the base 11, a lateral beam 13 for slidably suspending from a motor 14 which operates a blade 15 on an inner end. Each of the support arms 12 is secured to the base by a knob locks 122 through an arcuate slot 123 in the lower end of the support arms 12.
When unfastens the knob locks 122, the motor including the blade are turned a desired slanting angle relative the upper surface of the base 11. Due to the pivoting point of the motor 14 and the blade 15 are entirely concentrated on the knob locks 122, the operator has to apply great strength on the adjustment of the cutting angle by one hand swinging the motor 14 and the other hand operating the knob locks 122. Besides, the weight of the motor 14 always loaded up on the lateral beam 13 which is breakable.

Stone cutter having blade angle adjustment device


A rental company system 100 comprises a branch master table 124 for unitarily registering and managing the content of inquiries made at each branch office. In response to an operation performed by a branch operator, a branch terminal 112 in each branch office displays a “reception registration and modification” screen 907 and receives input of a plurality of types of inquiry content information. The branch terminal 112 registers the inputted inquiry content information in the branch master table 124 via an internal network 110. In response to an operation performed by a branch operator, the branch terminal 112 displays an “inquiry content information transfer” screen 980 and transfers the inquiry content information inputted into the “reception registration and modification” screen 907 to a portable telephone 801 of a transmission receiving party inputted into the aforementioned screen 980.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to technology for managing or notifying the results of communication with a customer, and is applicable in a rental enterprise in which construction vehicles are loaned, for example, as a device or the like for supporting the management or notification to a responsible party of the results of communication with a customer conducted over a telephone line.
2. Description of the Related Art
Explanation will be provided below using a construction vehicle rental company as an example.
This company employs a business model in which a plurality of branch offices are distributed in different locations and each branch office possesses and operates a plurality of construction vehicles independently. Thus, inquiries concerning the availability of the construction vehicles or the like usually tend to be made to each of the branch offices by telephone. The person responsible usually deals with the inquiry, but when the person responsible is outside of the office, the person who accepts the inquiry takes a note of the content of the inquiry and informs the person responsible of the content of the noted inquiry by telephone or the like, whereupon the person responsible deals with the inquiry by calling the source of the inquiry.
In the aforementioned conventional system, however, if a telephone call containing an inquiry, a reservation or the like is placed from a customer when the sales representative who is responsible for this customer is out of the office, it is difficult to share this information with the sales representative instantly (or in other words, the sales representative is not always informed of the content of the inquiry in a timely fashion). Moreover, the content of the inquiry is not always conveyed accurately. It is therefore sometimes impossible to respond to the customer in a precise and timely fashion. For the customer, this is of course a problem which requires improvement, and since business deals maybe lost as a result, this is also a problem that the rental company would wish to see redressed.
Further, since representatives deal with inquiries individually in this conventional system, the content of the inquiries placed at each branch office are presumably not managed on a computer. If the content of inquiries placed at each of the branch offices were to be managed on a computer, the rental company as a whole would be able to learn such information as the construction vehicle for which the most inquiries were placed, and as a result business efficiency could be improved.
Also in the aforementioned conventional system, a typical customer/representative system is employed, and according to this system the results of communication are rarely learned by persons other than the responsible sales representative. Thus, even if a call center is created to deal with inquiries and reservations made in the evening and on holidays, the running thereof is difficult. For example, if a call is placed from a customer to the call center or the front desk of an outlet and a person other than the representative is informed that "I wish to rent the item I asked the price of yesterday", there is no way to respond.
As noted above, in the aforementioned conventional system persons other than the responsible sales representative basically never learn the results of communication, and therefore an executive officer is unable to learn information such as a refusal due to lack of availability. As a result, business efficiency deteriorates.
These problems are not limited only to rental enterprises, and similar problems are likely to exist in various other business fields in which communication is conducted with customers.

System for managing or notifying the results of communication with a customer


An oven includes an oven cavity having multiple pairs of horizontally disposed guide slots recessed into the side walls of the oven cavity. At least one oven rack is configured with at least two wheels mounted on axles secured to at least one hinged support along an edge of the oven rack. After the oven rack is inserted into the oven cavity, the hinged support is pivoted to move the axles of the wheels to a generally horizontal position to cause the wheels to engage the horizontal slots and support the oven rack. The oven rack is removed from the oven cavity by lifting the oven rack to cause the wheels to disengage from the horizontal guide slots and to pivot so that the axles are at an angle with respect to the horizontal position. With the wheels disengaged from the guide slots, the oven rack is readily removable from the oven cavity.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally in the field of cooking appliances, and, more particularly, is in the field of ovens having removable racks for supporting cookware.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typical ovens comprise an insulated oven cavity or box that is accessible by a door that enables a user to place cookware on one or more racks within the cavity. Generally, the oven racks are removable and are positionable within the cavity at a plurality of levels. The oven racks usually slide in and out of the oven so that cookware can be positioned on an extended rack and then pushed into the oven cavity on the oven rack instead of requiring the user to place his or her hands within the oven cavity and risk injury from hot components within the cavity.
A conventional oven rack comprises a sturdy frame of rod-shaped material having a plurality of smaller rod-shaped elements supported by the frame. The smaller rod-shaped elements are spaced apart by a selected distance in order to provide sufficient support for cookware placed on the oven rack while permitting conductive and convective heat to easily pass between the elements. Typical oven racks comprise stainless steel or other suitable material that is able to withstand the high temperatures within the oven cavity.
Generally, an oven rack and the oven into which it is placed are configured so that the sides of the oven rack frame rest on ledges positioned on opposing sides of the oven cavity and extending into the cavity. When the oven rack is moved with a cookware positioned on the oven rack, the oven rack may be difficult to move because of friction between the frame of the oven rack and the ledges. The lower edges of the sides of the oven rack include protrusions that engage indents in the ledges or gaps between segments of the ledges so that the oven rack may be retained in the fully inserted position and restrained in a partially extended position. The user must first lift the oven rack to disengage the protrusions from the indents or gaps in order to move the oven rack from one of the positions to the other positions.
Various configurations of oven racks and oven cavities have been tried to provide an oven rack that has reduced friction. For example, the oven rack or the oven may be configured with bearings to eliminate the sliding friction. Such configurations generally include a guide rail (or other contrivance) along the side of the oven. Such guide rails or other contrivances extend further into the oven. Furthermore, the guide rails or other contrivances include surfaces with tight corners that collect grease and other food particles that must be cleaned periodically. Such cleaning is difficult and is not always effective.


The present invention relates to systems for determining mobile communications system carrier propagation characteristics. In an embodiment, a system includes a frequency scanner, signal strength measurement device, digital verification color code logic, a location determining unit, and a memory. The frequency scanner can output a carrier signal corresponding to a carrier signal identifier, where the frequency scanner is located at a geographical location. The signal strength measurement device can be coupled to the frequency scanner and determine a carrier strength indicator of the carrier signal. The digital verification color code logic can be coupled to the frequency scanner and determine the digital verification color code of the carrier signal. The location determining unit can be coupled to the frequency scanner and determine a location identifier corresponding to the geographical location of the frequency scanner. The memory can be coupled to the frequency scanner and store the carrier signal identifier, the carrier strength indicator, the digital verification color code of the carrier signal, and the location identifier.

Known commercial mobile communication systems typically include a plurality of fixed base stations arranged in patterns whereby each base station transmits and receives over a plurality of frequencies. A mobile station within range of the base station can communicate with the external world (e.g., via the Public Switched Telephone Network ("PSTN")) through the base station using the frequencies. The area surrounding a base station in which mobile stations communicate with that base station is often referred to as a cell, with the base station generally positioned toward the center of the cell. Examples of known commercial mobile communications systems having cells include cellular communications systems, Personal Communications Systems ("PCS"), Global System for Mobile communication ("GSM") systems, IS-136/Digital-American Mobile Phone systems (hereinafter "IS-136" or "D-AMPS"), and so on.
In an IS-136 system, a mobile station can communicate with the base station via a carrier frequency pair that includes two different (but paired) frequencies. The first frequency of the pair is the downlink (or forward) frequency where information is transmitted from the base station to the mobile station, and the second frequency of the pair is the uplink (or reverse) frequency where information is transmitted from the mobile station to the base station. Each carrier frequency pair is often referred to as a carrier or a channel, although the term channel is also used in different ways when a carrier can carry multiple channels (e.g., time-division multiple access ("TDMA") channels, code-division multiple access ("CDMA") channels, and so on). An IS-136 system can have 416 carriers, of which 395 carriers are available to carry voice traffic between a mobile station and a base station.
The carriers used by a base station are separated from one another in frequency to minimize interference. A cell's carriers are carefully selected so that adjoining cells do not transmit or receive on the same carrier frequencies. A mobile system operator can allocate to a base station a set of carriers with frequencies that are each separated from the next carrier by an integral number. For example, FIG. 1 shows a known frequency reuse pattern for base station cells, where each cell is assigned a set of carriers. Each cell can be allocated one of seven sets of carriers, where a cluster of seven cells as a whole is allocated all of the carriers. Thus, the frequency reuse pattern illustrated in FIG. 1 is typically referred to as having n=7 clusters. The cells are arranged and frequency sets can be allocated by assigning a first carrier set (e.g., carrier set 1) to a central cell 111 of a first cluster, and then assigning different carrier sets (e.g., carrier sets 2–7) to the cells of the first cluster surrounding that central cell. Thus, cell 111 can have carrier set 1, cell 112 can have carrier set 2, cell 113 can have carrier set 3, cell 114 can have carrier set 4, cell 115 can have carrier set 5, cell 116 can have carrier set 6, and cell 117 can have carrier set 7. Each of the carrier sets are also respectively allocated to the cells 141–147 of a fourth cluster adjacent to cells 111–117 of the first cluster. Portions of other adjacent clusters—such as cells 125 and 126 of a second cluster, cells 131 and 134–137 of a third cluster, and so on—are also illustrated.
The assignment of carriers to carrier sets, and the assignment of carrier sets to cells, can be based on the number of different carrier sets (e.g., seven, four, and three carrier sets) and the number of available carriers. An IS-136 system having 395 voice carriers and using a frequency reuse pattern illustrated in FIG. 1 can have approximately 57 carriers per carrier set and cell. With seven different carrier sets, carrier set 1 can include carriers 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 36 and so on; carrier set 2 can include carriers 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, 37 and so on; carrier set 3 can include carriers 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, 38 on so on; and so forth with respect to carrier sets 4–7.
FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate other known frequency reuse patterns. In particular, FIG. 2 illustrates a frequency reuse plan having n=3 clusters. A first cluster can have three cells 211–213. Six clusters—such as a second cluster having cells 221–223, a third cluster having cells 231–233, a fourth cluster having cells 241–243, and so on—can be located adjacent the first cluster. Each cell of each cluster can be allocated a third of the available system carriers. FIG. 3 illustrates a frequency reuse plan having n=4 clusters. A first cluster can have four cells 411–114. Six clusters—such as a second cluster having cells 321–324, a third cluster having cells 331–334, a fourth cluster having cells 341–344, and so on—can be located adjacent the first cluster. Each cell of each cluster can be allocated a fourth of the available system carriers.
To allow a mobile station to transmit and receive communications as the mobile station moves from one cell to another, each cell is normally positioned with its area of coverage overlapping the areas of coverage of a number of adjacent and surrounding cells. As a mobile station moves from an area covered by a first base station to an area covered by another base station, mobile station communications (e.g., a voice call, a data link, etc) are transferred from the first base station to the other base station in an area where the coverage from the two cells overlaps. The transfer of a mobile station from communicating with one base station to communicating with a second base station is typically called hand-off.
A cell can have at least two types of radio coverage. A first type of cell radio coverage is omnidirectional (i.e., azimuthally), where the cell has an antenna set that can communicate with mobile stations via each carrier of the carrier set allocated to the cell. A second type of cell radio coverage is sectored. FIG. 4 shows an illustration of a sectored cell. Cell 411 includes a plurality of sectors, including sectors 401, 402 and 403. Sectors are often referred to as an alpha sector, a beta sector, and a gamma sector. Cells are typically divided into three sectors, with each sector having an antenna set that covers a 120° sector. In a cell having three sectors, each sector antenna set can communicate with mobile stations via one-third of the carriers of the carrier set allocated to the cell so that each sector communicates over different carriers as compared to the other sectors of the cell.
Notwithstanding the use of frequency reuse patterns, interference between like carriers of different cells can occur. For example, referring again to FIG. 1, even though cell 131 is a knight's move away from cell 111 (i.e., cell 131 is up two cells and over one cell from cell 111), there can be interference between the carriers of cell 111 and cell 131. For example, within portions of cells 113, 137, and 136, there can be interference between a carrier 1 of cell 111 and a carrier 1 of cell 131. Such interference is typically called co-channel interference.
Co-channel interference can be caused by antenna patterns, power levels, carrier scattering, and wave diffraction that differ from cell to cell. Buildings, structures, mountains, foliage, and other physical objects can cause carrier signal strength to vary over the area covered by a cell. As a result, the boundaries (i.e., edges) at which the signal strength of a carrier falls below a level sufficient to support communications with a mobile station can vary widely from cell to cell. Thus, cells adjacent one another do not typically form anything like the precise geometric patterns illustrated in FIGS. 1–3. Cell coverages, however, must overlap to allow mobile stations to be handed-off between cells, and such overlapping, among other factors, can lead to co-channel interference.
In an IS-136 system, mobile stations are instructed to measure the signal strengths of various carriers and report the measured signal strengths to the mobile system. For example, referring again to FIG. 1, as a mobile station in communication with the base station of cell 111 moves through cell 111 toward cells 112 and 113, the mobile station can be instructed to measure the signal strengths of certain carriers of cells 111, 112, and 113 and report the measured carrier signal strengths to the mobile system via the base station of cell 111. When the signal strength reported by the mobile station with respect to the cell 111 carrier drops below a certain threshold (e.g., as the mobile station approaches the intersection of cells 111, 112, and 113), the mobile system will pick one carrier of the carriers measured and reported by the mobile station and instruct the mobile station to use that carrier for communications (e.g., instruct the mobile station to begin communicating with the base station of cell 113 or cell 112 via the appropriate carrier). In known IS-136 systems, mobile stations can monitor and report the carrier strengths of neighboring surrounding cells.
Mobile system operators generate frequency reuse plans to, among other things, reasonably minimize co-channel interference and reasonably maximize the likelihood that mobile stations will be successfully handed-off to a next cell as it moves away from its current cell. A first method of generating a mobile system frequency reuse plan is to use a frequency reuse pattern as illustrated in FIGS. 1–3. The efficiency of a frequency reuse plan can be increased by modifying the frequency reuse plan based on knowledge (subjective and/or objective) of the terrain covered by the frequency reuse plan. For example, FIG. 5 illustrates a frequency reuse pattern that has been modified based on terrain characteristics. A first cluster includes cells 511–517. A mountain range 501 abuts the edge of the first cluster at the exterior edges of cells 513 and 514. The mountain range 501 attenuates the carrier signals transmitted by cells 512, 511, and 515. Thus, cells 522, 521, and 525 can use the same carrier sets used by cells 512, 511, and 515 with a reasonable minimization of co-channel interference. By reusing the carrier sets in a more compact manner, the frequency reuse plan illustrated in FIG. 5 is more efficient than the frequency reuse pattern illustrated in FIG. 1. A more efficient frequency reuse plan allows for greater system utilization (e.g., more mobile stations can be supported).
Frequency reuse plans can also be based on predictive methods using computer modeling. A computer model can predict carrier propagation areas based on antenna height, transmitter power, terrain characteristics, and so forth. Measured carrier data can also be used to create and modify frequency reuse plans. In an IS-136 system, mobile stations report received carrier strengths to the mobile switch coupled to the base stations. The reported carrier strength data can be used to determine how far carriers propagate.
Carrier propagation and co-channel interference can also be measured by receivers that measure received carrier strength as they are driven throughout areas of the mobile system during a so-called "drive test." For example, during a drive test a specific test carrier is transmitted at each cell or sector of a cell involved in the interference testing. A scanning receiver is driven over the roads, highways and traveled byways of the system. The scanning receiver scans and measures the strength of the test carrier signal transmitted by each cell at the points of possible interference, and location determination equipment (e.g., a Global Positioning System ("GPS") unit, a Loran unit, etc.) records the position of the scanning receiving. These strength measurements are then plotted and the expected interference points from different cells may be viewed graphically to determine whether sufficient interference exists to change the channel sets assigned to a particular area. This method of performing a drive test is often referred to as a "key-up" drive test because the test carrier is continuously "keyed-up" at each cell so as to be measured. A test carrier does not carry subscriber communications.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,926,762 ("the '762 patent") describes another type of drive test in which a unique test carrier at each cell site is transmitted such that each cell site is transmitting a different test carrier. A scanning receiver is driven over the roads, highways and traveled byways of the system to measure the strength (typically the received signal power) of each test carrier transmitted by each of the cell sites while location determination equipment records the position of the scanning receiver. According to the '762 patent, transmitting a different test carrier at each cell eliminates interference that can complicate strength measurements when a single carrier is keyed-up at multiple cells for a drive test.
These known methods of performing drive tests to measure carrier strengths and predict co-channel interference require test carriers to be keyed-up to continuously transmit. Whether a single test carrier is keyed-up at a plurality of cells, or different test carriers are keyed-up at different cells, each method requires keying-up a test carrier. When a test carrier is keyed-up, it is not available to carry subscriber communications (e.g., voice traffic), and system capacity is diminished. Thus, key-up drive tests are typically conducted during the evening when demand for system capacity is lowest. In view of the foregoing, it can be appreciated that a substantial need exists for systems and methods that can advantageously provide for determining mobile communication system telephone carrier frequency propagation characteristics.

System and method for determining mobile communication system carrier frequency propagation characteristics

BellSouth Intellectual Property Corporation


A wireless network arrangement includes a host device in communication with a wireless network module (e.g., an ultrawideband (UWB) module, etc.) through a universal serial bus (USB). A protocol is provided to support communication over the USB between the host and the module. In at least one embodiment, the host is able to offload network packet header processing functions to the wireless network module via the USB.

Wireless network devices often include a host device to which wireless communication functionality is added. For example, a laptop computer can become a wireless network device by installing a wireless network interface card (NIC) into one of the computer's available I/O slots. External wireless networking functionality may also be connected to a host device. Many wireless networking technologies are packet based. That is, data is transmitted between communication entities in relatively small units, known as packets. The size of the packets may be selected, for example, to achieve efficient routing of the packets through the network. When a data file, for example, is to be transmitted through a packet based network, the data file is first divided into a number of packets. Each of the packets may include, in a header portion thereof, a sequence number identifying the packet's position in the original file and a destination address identifying the node that is the final destination of the packets. Other information may also occur within the packet headers. After the packets associated with a communication operation have been received by a destination node in the network, the packets may be reassembled into the corresponding file.
In a wireless network device, the packet processing is typically performed in the host processor. In many systems, this packet processing can occupy a large percentage of the available computational resources of the host processor, which can leave inadequate resources for other functions of the host device. As will be appreciated, this burden on the host processor can significantly slow down the overall operation of the host device for both the communication activity and the other functions of the host. One technique for reducing the burden on the host processor is to offload one or more of the functions of the host processor to another processor associated with the host device. In past systems, such offloading has been done across bus structures that utilize direct memory access (DMA). There is need for techniques and structures that enable packet processing functions to be offloaded by a host across bus structures that are packet-based, such as a universal serial bus (USB).

Mechanisms for data rate improvement in a wireless network


An equipment for transporting, handling and feeding stock bobbins to a loom having a preparation station (5) for the charging of bobbin holders (12) with stock bobbins (4) and a transport loop (7) for transporting these bobbin holders (12) towards looms. The looms are arranged in groups and for returning bobbin holders (12') containing empty bobbin tubes towards the preparation station (5), as well as at least one storage section (7c) branching off the transport loop (7) for receiving a number of the bobbin holders (12, 12') which corresponds with the need of bobbins at the time by at least one of the groups of looms (1a, 1b, . . . 1n). For the exchange of the bobbin holders (12' or 12 respectively) on the looms a loading mechanism (18) is provided which is mounted on a secondary transport mechanism (10) which may be moved independently of the transport loop (7) towards a number of groups of looms (1a, 1b, . . . 1n) and is intended for temporarily receiving the bobbin holders (12, 12') which may be fed from and returned to the storage section (7c). Through this execution a simple clearly arranged method of construction of the equipment is achieved, which makes possible a loading of the looms with stock bobbins to match the needs, which may be automated in a simple manner.

The invention is concerned with an equipment for transporting and handling weft-yarn stock bobbins as well as for feeding them to bobbin frames on looms and for carrying away empty bobbin tubes from the bobbin frames.
The invention is further concerned with a method of operation of the equipment.
In the case of an equipment of the aforesaid kind known from the DE-OS 34 13 681, bobbin holders charged with stock bobbins and bobbin tubes are arranged in a closed transport loop which is led by one transport section along the bobbin frames of one group of looms arranged in a row, one storage section branching off from this transport section being associated with each of the looms. When all of the storage sections have been filled with a predetermined number of charged bobbin holders, access to the storage sections from the transport section beside the looms is blocked, whereupon further bobbin holders charged with stock bobbins and lying in the transport section beside the looms, circulate in a constant rotation round the transport loop without being brought into the storage section. Accordingly, in the case of the known equipment, a relatively large number of stock bobbins is in rotation at any time. In the case of an equipment of that kind in which under certain circumstances stock bobbins run round a number of times, the risk exists that the bobbins, in particular the turns of yarn wound onto them, will be damaged and/or soiled. In the case of the known arrangement with the storage sections associated one per loom, a feed of stock bobbins wound with different kinds of yarn to match the needs of individual looms, especially in the case of multicolour weaving operation, demands a relatively elaborate loom-related planning in order to place ready in the individual storage sections a combination of the different stock bobbins to correspond with the need of bobbins at the time, since correction of the preselected sequence of bobbins is not possible. In the case of installations having a number of groups of looms arranged in rows, the known arrangement would demand a relatively elaborate transport system in which one transport section in constant rotation, with a number of storage sections associated one per loom, is associated with each of the groups of looms.
The problem underlying the invention is to create an equipment of the kind, which is improved in this respect, is simple to operate, takes good care of the stock bobbins ,and is of simplified construction as compared with known devices, and which though needing relatively little room enables loading of the looms with stock bobbins to match their needs and may be automated in a simple way.

Equipment for transporting and handling weft-yarn stock bobbins


A pressurized-fluid workhead for permanent belling of end portions of plastic pipes. A die has a cavity for receiving a thermally plasticized end portion of a pipe. A forming buffer is insertable into the end portion of the pipe and arranged centrally of the die. A flange is mounted coaxially and slidably with respect to the buffer and die and has a striking surface which can be associated to an edge of the end portion of the pipe. Sealing elements are located on the die and the buffer. These interact with an external surface and an internal surface of the end portion of the pipe. The die, the buffer and the flange together peripherally define a forming chamber for the end portion of the pipe. The forming chamber is subdivided by the pipe into first and second pressure chambers for a fluid. The first pressure chamber is arranged between the lateral surface of the buffer and the internal surface of the pipe. The second chamber is arranged between the external surface of the pipe and the internal surface of the die. The pressure chambers being fed with pressurized fluid by conduits in the die and buffer to dilate and contract the end portion of the pipe, to produce ribbing on the pipe, for a pipe bell.

The invention relates to a work head for bell forming in automatic bell-forming machines, for pipe end portions made of plastic material, and in particular for pipes made of polyethylene and the like. In the manufacture of thermoplastic pipes destined for use in fluid conveyor pipelines, for example such as those used in the construction industry, bell-forming machines are employed to fashion at the pipe ends the characteristic bells which serve for connecting a plurality of individual pipes in succession, with the aim of obtaining a continuous pipeline of a desired length.
In a bell-forming machine, the pipe is associated to a special workhead which combines shaped buffer with forming chambers to heat-form the pipe to create a pipe bell in one end portion, cooling it inside the workhead in order to render the belling permanent.
Polyvinylchloride and ABS pipes and the like shrink during the above-mentioned cooling operation, and once cooled retain their shape permanently. The telescopic joining of the pipe spigots and bells thus never causes problems, even after a long period spent in a warehouse, or even after a prolonged exposition to a heat source, as happens, for example, in the case of pipes left exposed to the heat of the sun for long periods.
This dimensional and geometric stability is not at present attainable with pipes made of polyethylene, as pipes made of this material, at the end of the bell-forming process performed in a traditional bell-forming machine, remain in a state of internal tension which is apparently stable but which as soon as the pipe is subjected to solar rays or hostile thermal conditions, causes the shrinking process to recommence such that, often, the final shape and dimensions of the pipe are no longer compatible with the tolerances required for fitting.
This instability and the extreme difficulty of controlling the shrinkage of the belled end of the pipe inhibits the use of polyethylene in such applications.
Polyethylene, however, boasts provides several advantages: durability over a long period of time, weight, flexibility, and adaptability at the workplace, which overcome the disadvantage of fairly high cost, and render it a popular choice.
The prior art teaches no bell-forming machine which is capable of belling polyethylene pipes, and indeed other special equipment is used to bell-form them, all of which involve expensive constructional processes requiring the preparation of the tube and bell in separate parts, with specialized operations for welding them together when the pipe in place at a location of use.

Workhead for forming a pipe bell at an end of a pipe made of thermoplastic material

S.I.C.A. Serrande, Infissi, Carperteria, Attrezzatura S.p.A.


Deicing compositions comprised of hydroxyl-containing organic compounds and/or organic acid salts are disclosed.

Freezing point lowering compositions are in widespread use for a variety of purposes, especially to reduce the freezing point of an aqueous system so that ice cannot be formed or to melt formed ice. Generally, freezing point lowering compositions depend for their effectiveness upon the molar freezing point lowering effect, the number of ionic species that are made available and the degree to which the compositions can be dispersed in the liquid phase in which the formation of ice is to be precluded and/or ice is to be melted.
The most pervasive of the commonly used products for deicing are common salt, calcium chloride and urea, with common salt (sodium chloride) being the least expensive and most commonly used. Common salt is widely used to melt ice on road surfaces and the like. In this manner the salt forms a solution with the available liquid in contact with the ice and thereby forms a solution with a lower freezing point than the ice itself so that the ice is melted. Chloride salts however suffer from relatively severe drawbacks, such as the harmful effects on surrounding vegetation by preventing water absorption in the root systems, the corrosive effects on animal skin such as the feet of animals, clothing, roadways and motor vehicles, and the deleterious effects on surface and ground water. Thus, any new method of deicing or new deicing composition that can reduce the amount of chloride salts would solve a long felt need in the art.
For example, in roadway deicing applications, liquid calcium chloride (32%) is typically the preferred material when temperatures are too low for rock salt to be effective. However, the use of chloride salts often is not permitted or needs to be reduced in certain areas because of its highly corrosive nature, which causes destruction of surrounding vegetation, damage to roadways and vehicles, and contamination of water supplies.
Another drawback of certain prior art deicing fluids is the high chemical and biological oxygen demand that make them environmentally unfavorable. The glycols are exemplary of deicing fluids that particularly suffer from this type of environmental drawback. Thus, any new method of deicing or new deicing composition that can reduce the amount of glycols would solve a long felt need in the art.
Due to the problems associated with deicing agents as described above, there have been attempts to prepare even more deicing agents. For, example, Kaes, U.S. Pat. No. 4,448,702, discloses the use of a freezing-point lowering composition and method that calls for the addition of a water-soluble salt of at least one dicarboxylic acid having at least three carbon atoms, such as a sodium, potassium, ammonium or organoamine salt of adipic, glutaric, succinic or malonic acid.
Peel, U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,449, teaches the preparation of a deicing agent comprising 12–75% acetate salts, trace-36% carbonate salts, 1–24% formate salts and 1–32% pseudolactate salts that is prepared from a pulp mill black liquor by fractionating the black liquor into a low molecular weight fraction and concentrating the collected low molecular weight fraction to produce the deicing agent.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,960,531 teaches that small amounts of methyl glucosides, i.e., less than 10%, in combination with a low amount, i.e., about 2.5%, of potassium carbonate can be employed as a trigger to conventional salt deicers. The '531 patent is an improvement patent on U.S. Reissue Pat. No. RE 32,477 that teaches the use of a salt mixture of sodium and potassium chloride and an amide. Other inorganic salts are also known to be useful as freezing point lowering agents such as magnesium chloride, potassium phosphates, sodium phosphates, ammonium phosphates, ammonium nitrates, alkaline earth nitrates, magnesium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, and alkali sulfates.
Special mention is also made of Sapienza, U.S. Pat. No. 5,876,621 and Sapienza, U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,774 that disclose especially useful deicing and anti-icing compositions.
Solutions of low freezing point deicing and anti-icing agents typically include brines, ethylene glycol and propylene glycol solutions. The use of brines in anti-icing compounds can reduce, although not eliminate, the impacts of chlorides. Brines are used to transfer heat at temperatures below the normal freezing point of water. Ethylene glycol solutions are well known for use as coolants for automobiles and the like in regions in which the temperature may fall below the normal freezing point of water. Ethylene and propylene glycols are used in relatively large quantities at major airports in northern climates in order to keep air traffic flowing during inclement weather. The fluids generally are applied to the wings, fuselage and tail of aircraft as well as the runways to remove ice. However, these glycol compounds likewise have environmental drawbacks and can be detrimental to sewage treatment processes.
Other prior art deicing fluids, such as alcohols, have toxic effects and high volatility particularly in the low molecular weight range and may be the cause of offensive smell and fire danger. Furthermore, mono- and polyhydric alcohols oxidize in the presence of atmospheric oxygen to form acids, which can increase corrosion of materials.
Yet another reason why new deicing fluids are needed emerges from the recent changes to the freezing point requirements of the SAE AMS 1435A specification for airport runway deicing fluids. Newer AMS 1435A specifications require deicing fluids to have a freezing point of less than −14.5° C. for a 1:1 weight dilution. These specifications are such that many technologies, including existing glycol-based fluids currently used commercially, no longer meet the new requirements, including ASTM D 1177.
As such there exists in the art a need for new and improved deicing and/or anti-icing agents. Preferably these are free or substantially free of inorganic salts, are environmentally benign and are prepared from relatively inexpensive raw materials while still possessing desirable freezing point depression properties. Likewise, there also exists a need in the art for new deicing and/or anti-icing agents that can be used in combination with prior art deicing agents, such as inorganic salts or glycols, to substantially reduce the amount of inorganic salts or glycols, and thereby concomitantly reduce the environmental affects of the salts and/or glycols. Surprisingly, it has been found that compositions disclosed herein meet these needs.
The total active composition of the new deicing and/or anti-icing agents can vary from about 5 to about 100 weight percent. Improved solid deicers can be prepared that can be applied in the same manner as solid chloride salts with the environmental advantages described earlier.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Environmentally benign anti-icing or deicing fluids


Sensor platforms and methods of making them are described. A platform having a non-horizontally oriented sensor element comprising one or more nanostructures such as nanotubes is described. Under certain embodiments, a sensor element has or is made to have an affinity for an analyte. Under certain embodiments, such a sensor element comprises one or more pristine nanotubes. Under certain embodiments, the sensor element comprises derivatized or functionalized nanotubes. Under certain embodiments, a sensor is made by providing a support structure; providing one or more nanotubes on the structure to provide material for a sensor element; and providing circuitry to electrically sense the sensor element's electrical characterization. Under certain embodiments, the sensor element comprises pre-derivatized or pre-functionalized nanotubes. Under other embodiments, sensor material is derivatized or functionalized after provision on the structure or after patterning. Under certain embodiments, a large-scale array of sensor platforms includes a plurality of sensor elements.

1. Technical Field
The present application relates generally to methods for the detection of target analytes and for measuring or detecting various electrical values by utilizing individual nanosensors and nanosensor arrays, and the application more particularly relates to means or platforms for creating such sensors and sensor arrays.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Chemical sensors and biosensors have been utilized for detecting many species, from contaminants in air (e.g., in air quality sensors) to the presence of particular DNA segments in blood samples or other samples. More recently, chemical and biosensors utilizing nanotubes, such as single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have been proposed. Such sensors take advantage of the smaller size and greater sensitivity of the sensor. See, e.g., J. Kong et al., Science, vol. 287, pp. 622-625 (Jan. 28, 2000).
Chemical sensors made of nanotubes may be functionalized or otherwise modified to become molecule-specific or species-specific sensors, see P. Qi et al., "Toward Large Arrays of Multiplex Functionalized Carbon Nanotube Sensors for Highly Sensitive and Selective Molecular Detection," Nano Lett., vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 347-51 (2003); Dai et al., "Carbon Nanotube Sensing," U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/175,026, filed on Jun. 18, 2002. On the other hand, such sensors may comprise non-functionalized semiconducting tubes and may sense for the presense of known chemicals, see, e.g., Kong, supra.
Because it is difficult to control the placement of individual nanotubes between electrodes, the reliable fabrication of nanoscale sensors using individual nanotubes is problematic. In addition, the nanotubes so used are singular. Thus, devices using them may stop working if a single nanotube fails at a single point.
Therefore, though a body of art and literature exists and is evolving for the use of individual nanotubes in a sensor arrangement, a need exists for a more reliable vehicle or platform to serve as a sensor.

Sensor platform using a non-horizontally oriented nanotube element


Power management features of a reader device control an amount of electrical energy supplied to the reader device. The power management features include several power control categories that a user may select to affect an amount of power consumed by the reader device. One power control category controls power consumption based on a genre of an electronic book being processed by the reader device. Another power control category controls power consumption based on a time of day an electronic book is being processed by the reader device. Power control instructions that control how much power a reader device consumes may also be generated based on a characteristic of a user's interaction with the device.

Electronic distribution of information has gained in importance with the proliferation of personal computers, and has undergone a tremendous upsurge in popularity as the Internet has become widely available. With the widespread use of the Internet, it has become possible to distribute large, coherent units of information, such as books, using electronic technologies. Books and other printed works distributed using electronic technologies are commonly referred to as electronic books ("eBooks"). Various entities make eBooks available for download over ordinary network connections, such as broadband and dialup connections.
Typical eBook reader devices attempt to mimic the experience of reading a conventional paper book or other printed works through display of electronic information on one or more electronic displays. A typical eBook reader device is a handheld digital device having a liquid crystal display panel and enough memory and processing capability to store several eBooks. Such a device is capable of retrieving and displaying an eBook or portion of an eBook for reading.
There are some advantages to using an eBook reader device over conventional paper books or other printed works. An eBook reader device is often capable of storing a number of complete unabridged works. Therefore, an eBook reader containing a number of stored printed works weighs significantly less than the same number of printed works. This makes an eBook reader a particularly attractive alternative to printed works for travel, educational purposes, and professional business use. Also, because eBooks do not require the use of paper products, they are generally offered at a lower price than their printed counterparts. Furthermore, the use of eBook reader devices in conjunction with printed works may be beneficial to the ecosystem, by reducing a number of books produced using paper products.
To date, however, eBook reader devices and the use of eBooks in general have not achieved widespread consumer acceptance. This is mainly attributable to the design and implementation particulars of conventional eBook reader devices.
Battery life is one reason the use of conventional eBook reader devices has not gained widespread popularity. Limitations on battery life particularly limit and affect the use of an eBook reader. Unlike many portable devices, an eBook reader is often in use over a large timeframe (e.g., multiple hours). During this timeframe, a display of the device may be energized with electrical energy in order to display content (e.g., text and pictures) of an eBook. Furthermore, other internal components of the eBook reader are also energized to facilitate retrieval and transfer of eBook content from memory to a display of the eBook reader. These operations of an eBook reader often limit battery life to a few hours.
Conventional portable device battery management systems have been developed. One such management system dims a display of a portable device after a relatively long idle time (typically 1 to 5 minutes). Another such management system reduces power to a hard drive after a period of idle time (typically 10 to 30 minutes). Unfortunately, these management systems do not generally have the appropriate functionality for use with eBook reader devices.
Operationally, an eBook reader device functions differently than many other conventional portable devices. The functionality differences generally render current battery management systems ineffective when they are used with eBook devices. For example, dimming a display of an eBook reader after a relatively long idle time would provide little, if any, battery saving functionality. Often, a user of an eBook reader would actuate a page turn of an eBook long before the long idle time expires. Even if the idle time were to expire before actuation of a page turn, dimming a screen of an eBook reader device may create an undesirable reading experience for a user of the eBook reader device.
Similarly, the practice of reducing power to a hard drive after a period of 10 to 30 minutes does not achieve significant battery savings when used with eBook reader devices. Generally, an eBook reader device that uses a hard drive will need frequent, yet brief, use of the drive. This frequent use is generally related to providing content for display on a display of an eBook reader. Therefore, the technique of reducing power to a hard drive after a rather long period is generally ineffective in helping to extend battery life, when used in conjunction with an eBook reader.
The preceding description of various disadvantages of portable device battery management systems, as applied to conventional eBook reader devices, was provided herein for contextual reasons only.


Methods and arrangements in a client node and a server node support a decision on decoding and playout of a certain content in the client node. The methods and arrangements relate to the determining, conveying and obtaining of information related to the characteristics (level) required for decoding and playing out the certain media content at a non-regular playout rate. The method and arrangement in the client node further relate to determining, based on the obtained information, which playout rate(s) is/are supported by the client node in regard of level. The methods and arrangements enable the client node to refrain from attempting to decode and play out of the content at a non-regular rate requiring a level which is not supported by the client node.

The standard H.264, which is also known as MPEG-4 or AVC (Advanced Video Coding), is the state of the art video coding standard. The H.264 relates to a hybrid codec, which may eliminate redundancies between frames and/or within a frame. The output of the encoding process according to H.264 is VCL (Video Coding Layer) data which is further encapsulated into NAL (Network Abstraction Layer) units prior to transmission or storage.
The standard H.264 includes the definition of different profiles, which are denoted e.g. "Baseline profile", "Main profile" and "Extended profile". For each such profile, a set of binary capabilities of a terminal or client is defined. For example, "Main profile" includes CABAC (Context Adaptive Binary Arithmetic Coding), which is not included in "Baseline profile".
The standard H.264 further includes the definition of different "levels", which relate to e.g. the capabilities of a codec. The definition of a level includes e.g. a maximum number of macroblocks per second, a maximum frame-size, a maximum DPB (Decoded Picture Buffer) size, and a maximum video bit rate. The different levels may be specified e.g. in a table as illustrated in FIG. 1a. The table in FIG. 1a is part of a table defining profile independent levels in the standard ISO/IEC 14496-10. When a codec fulfills all requirements, e.g. in terms of capacity, of a certain defined level, the codec could be said to support, be compliant to, or conform to, said level. A media bit stream having characteristics, e.g. in terms of frame rate and/or bit rate, within the defined limits of a certain level could be said to be compliant to, or conform to, said certain level.
Typically, the conformance of a media content or bit stream to a particular level is specified by the setting of a syntax element associated with the media content, which element may be denoted, e.g. "level_idc", to a certain value associated with said particular level.
A client can determine the complexity, or level, required for playing a certain media content by analyzing the value of said syntax element associated with a content or bit stream, and thus determine whether the client supports the playout of said certain media content. If the level required for playing the media content is equal to or below the level associated with the client, the client supports the playout of the media. If the level required for playing the media content exceeds the level associated with the client, the client may not be capable of playing the media content.
A media content located e.g. at a media server, is associated with a certain predefined regular playout rate, and it is the level required for playing out this regular playout rate that is indicated e.g. in the "level_idc". For example, when playing a movie, the regular playout rate would be the "regular speed", or "real-time speed" of the movie, such as it would be played e.g. in a movie theater or in television. The term "regular playout rate" implies that all frames types of the content are displayed, e.g. I-frames (Intra-coded frames), P-frames (Predicted frames) and B-frames (Bi-predicted frames), in case of video content.
A media bit stream may also be played in a non-regular playout rate, i.e. non-real-time playout or playback. Below, some examples of achieving faster than real-time, or "fast forward", playout of a media bit stream will be described.
The simplest method of achieving "fast forward" is to play or playout a stream at a faster rate than its original or predefined regular rate, by increasing the number of frames played out per second. This method has the drawback of increased requirements on processing power. For example, for a client to be able to fast forward a media bit stream at 10× normal speed using this method, the client must have a processing power which supports a ten times higher decoding complexity than when playing the media bit stream at the regular playout rate. The above described method of achieving faster than real-time playback or playout is illustrated in FIG. 1b, where sequence or stream 102b is played out at normal rate or speed, and sequence 104b is played out at 2× normal rate, i.e. twice as fast as sequence 102b.
Another method of achieving "fast forward", which requires less processing power than the previously described method, is to play out e.g. only the I-frames of a video media bit stream. This method could be described e.g. as "jumping between I-fames", and is illustrated in FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, the sequence or stream 202 is played out at normal rate or speed. All frames comprised in the stream or content, such as I-, P-, and B-frames are played out. In sequence 204, only the P-frames (shaded in FIG. 2) of the stream are played out, which in this case creates a "pseudo" 2× normal rate, since every second frame is played out. This method is in fact an operation on the stream rather than a real speed-up. The reduction of the number of frames to be played out reduces the required complexity or processing power of a client to a degree depending e.g. on the distance between the I-frames in the media bit stream. A drawback of this method is that the "fast forward" speed cannot be freely controlled due to e.g. I-frame distance constraints. A finer granularity of fast forward speed, e.g. fraction of I-frame distance, is not possible.
Another drawback of the method of "jumping between I-fames" is the high overhead associated with this solution. Extensive overhead may imply high bandwidth demands. The complete stream (all frames) must be sent to the receiver or client, which filters and discards the "unwanted" frames (majority of frames).
Yet another method of achieving "fast forward" is to use prior knowledge of e.g. a video stream. This knowledge could be, e.g., that a certain Group Of Picture (GOP) structure, or a fixed periodicity for key-frames, is used. This information could be used e.g. to determine which frames that could be left out when displaying the video stream.
The main problem with existing "fast forward" solutions, such as the ones described above, is that the decoding complexity of a media stream when being played in "fast forward mode", and thus the required processing capacity or level for playing out the media stream, cannot be easily acquired by a client, which is about to e.g. retrieve or request the media stream, or, which is about to start "fast forwarding" of a media stream, which is currently being downloaded.
The specified "levels" regulate the upper limits of every aspect of decoding complexity including e.g. frame size, motion vector range and max bit rate. In order to be compliant to or conform to a particular level, a media stream must conform to all the specified limits associated with the level. Consequently, some media content or streams may be categorized into a "high" level due to that e.g. only one of its characteristics has a high value, such as e.g. a large frame size. At the same time, the other characteristics of the same media stream may have "low" values, i.e. lower than the values specified for said "high" level, which actually could give that the complexity of the stream as a whole, in fact, could be rather low, and that a lower level would suffice to cope with these characteristics. An example of such a media stream could be e.g. a 2 Hz, 1280×720p sequence, which has a relatively large frame size, but a very low frame rate.
In order to reduce decoding complexity for a client, the frame rate of a video stream could be reduced at the content server, to simplify fast forwarding at the client. However, such a reduction cannot be indicated to a client, and consequently clients cannot benefit from the "help" thus provided by the server.
Further, even if a client has access to prior knowledge about the encoding of a stream, the client may not be able to deduce the decoding complexity of the stream after that e.g. a frame reducing operation has been performed in the server or in the client.
Thus, when a client is to perform "fast forward" of a media stream, the client has no way of knowing if supporting the level indicated by or for the media stream will be sufficient for decoding the media stream in "fast forward" mode. Due to this uncertainty, clients are typically equipped with and use a more powerful, somewhat "overdimensioned", decoder, to "be on the safe side". This is very inefficient, e.g. in terms of computational resources.

Method and arrangement for supporting playout of content


An antenna system for a downhole tool has an antenna that is configured to operate at a plurality of frequencies. The tuning circuit is on the interior of the tool and shielded from borehole fluids. The tuning circuit is coupled to the antenna by a transformer circuit.

Measuring multiple frequency responses of a subterranean formation with a logging tool such as a high definition induction logging tool (HDIL) or a three-dimensional (3D) explorer (3DEX), is very common for formation evaluations. However, only a single frequency or perhaps two frequencies are customarily used for logging while drilling (LWD) tools. For example, the OnTrak® LWD system commercially offered by the Assignee of the present invention employs two frequencies to measure formation resistivity while drilling. The two frequencies (400 kHz and 2 Mhz) offer different depths of investigation so that a resistivity profile can be better resolved.
On the other hand, for certain measurements, such as azimuthal propagation resistivity, measurement at a lower frequency, for example around 100 kHz, can be beneficial.
As is known in the art, for some tools, a broadband antenna without tuning may be used, or the antenna may be tuned separately to two frequencies using known techniques that do not involve the use of switches or relays. It has also been shown that an antenna can be tuned to more than two frequencies through the use of switches or relays. An example of the latter is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,038,455 to Beste et al., entitled "Electromagnetic Wave Resistivity Tool." The Beste et al. '455 patent is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
In typical prior art arrangements, such as that described in the Beste et al. '455 patent, for each antenna on the tool, there is an associated junction box formed in the wall of the tool. The junction box serves to contain the tuning circuitry for the antenna, including any switches or relays required for multiple-frequency tuning. The junction box for a receiving antenna typically also contains a pick-up coil used to detect current in the antenna. Such an arrangement is described in further detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,358 to Wisler et al., entitled "Method and Apparatus for Measurement While Drilling Utilizing Improved Antennas." The Wisler et al. '358 patent is commonly assigned to the Assignee of the present invention and is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Since junction boxes are machined into the sidewall of the tubular tool body, it is necessary to enclose or seal them, such as with an epoxy or the like, in order to protect the circuitry within the junction box from the harsh conditions to which tools are exposed during utilization. Even with such protective materials, there is a risk that elements such as switches or relays contained within a junction box may not be durable enough to withstand the harsh conditions of a drilling operation. Incorporating such delicate components can thus result in a shorter operational life for the tool.
As noted in the Wisler et al. '358 patent, a further concern is that the tubular tool is weakened wherever junction boxes are formed in the sidewall. Machining of junction boxes into a tubular element's sidewall jeopardizes the structural integrity and load-bearing ability of the tool, to an extent that may not be acceptable in particularly difficult drilling operations.

Remotely located tuning circuits for multi-frequency, multi-purpose induction antennae in downhole tools


A method of making an aluminum airfoil includes brazing a first airfoil piece and a second airfoil piece together using a braze material that includes an element selected from magnesium and zinc, to form a braze joint between the first airfoil piece and the second airfoil piece. At least one of the first airfoil piece or the second airfoil piece has an aluminum alloy composition that includes greater than 0.8% by weight of zinc.

Airfoils are known and used in machines, such as gas turbine engines. In an engine, an airfoil may be made of any of various different types of materials, depending upon the operating conditions that the airfoil will be exposed to. Airfoils in relatively cool portions of the engine, such as the fan and compressor sections, can utilize different materials than in relatively hot portions of the engine, such as the turbine section. As an example, certain aluminum or titanium alloys can be used in cooler portions of the engine. For aluminum alloys, there are a wide variety of compositions, each with specific processing limitations that must be met in order to obtain the optimal properties of the alloy. As an example, exposure to elevated processing temperatures can over-age the aluminum alloy and thereby debit the strength and other properties. Given the shape and design requirements of an airfoil, and the processing limitations of aluminum alloys, it has not been possible to use certain aluminum alloys for airfoils.


A vibration system which does not rely on adhesive assembly includes a first bracket and a vibration assembly. The vibration assembly includes a voice coil portion and a first diaphragm portion. The voice coil portion includes a mounting base and a voice coil body. The voice coil body surrounds an outer surface of the mounting base. Through holes define in one end of the mounting base. The through holes penetrate the base. The first diaphragm portion includes two connecting portions and a diaphragm body between the two connecting portions. A first connecting portion connects the first bracket. A second connecting portion surrounds an end of the mounting base away from the voice coil body, and the second connecting portion inserts into the through hole. The disclosure further provides a loudspeaker and a method for manufacturing the vibration system.

Loudspeakers usually have vibration systems for generating sound. The vibration system is a main component of the loudspeaker. The quality/design/material of the vibration system largely determines the sound of the loudspeaker. The vibration system may have various vibration components, which may be connected to each other by adhesive. However, the non-uniformity of the adhesive in thickness may cause imprecise relationships between the vibration components, which affects the acoustic performance of the loudspeaker. Therefore, there is room for improvement in the art.

Vibration system, loudspeaker, and method for manufacturing the vibration system

HONG FU JIN PRECISION INDUSTRY (ShenZhen) CO., LTD.


A header for a harvesting machine having a frame, a cutterbar mounted on the frame operable to cut standing crop, the cutterbar being adjustable relative to the frame in a fore-and-aft direction, and a reel rotatably supported between a pair of reel arms pivotally mounted on the frame and operable to sweep crop material towards and over the cutterbar, a hydraulic cylinder extending between each reel arm and a corresponding side wall of the header frame to effect a generally vertical movement of the reel, comprising an interlock mechanism operably interconnecting the cutterbar and the hydraulic cylinder at each side of the header for adjusting the vertical position of the reel in response to a fore-and-aft movement of the cutterbar to maintain substantially constant the spacing and avoiding interference between the reel and the cutterbar.

Typically, a header for a harvesting machine includes a cutterbar which is operable to cut standing crop as the machine moves forward and a rotatable reel which carries tines to engage the standing crop and sweep it towards the cutterbar for cutting and then carry the cut material towards an auger before releasing it. The auger usually consolidates the cut crop material centrally of the header before it is passed to the body of the machine for processing. The distance between the cutterbar and the auger is critical and in general the optimal position depends on the type and condition of the crop to be harvested. Therefore some header types have been provided with a cutterbar mounted to a forwardly extendable cutting table, enabling the operator of the harvesting machine to adapt its configuration when the crop condition or type changes.
When harvesting down crops, i.e., crops that are not standing in a normal upright position, the relationships between the reel, the cutterbar and the auger is equally critical and, in general, the reel should be disposed so that the path described by the outer ends of the tines first enters the down crop forwardly of the cutterbar and below the level thereof for lifting the crop, then sweep closely over the cutterbar and finally pass in close proximity along the auger.
Headers are known in which the cutterbar is vertically flexible along its length so that it can follow local irregularities in the ground. With such headers, it is necessary to be able to adjust the height of the reel relative to the highest point of the cutterbar at any given instant, otherwise the cutterbar is likely to foul the reel on flexing with consequential damage to one or both components. To this end, headers having flexible cutterbars have been fitted with means for automatically adjusting the position of the reel on vertical flexure of the cutterbar.
Similar problems may occur when the cutterbar of an extendable header is set to forwardmost position. Then the cutterbar will enter into the reel path that is required otherwise for harvesting down crops with a retracted cutting table. The tines or the bars of the reel may then damage the cutterbar or vice versa. Measures must be taken to prevent such interference and limit the path of the reel tines when the header is extended.
EP-A-0 250 649 describes an interlock mechanism including a linkage mechanism between the movable cutting table and the hydraulic actuators on each side of the header that position the reel in a vertical direction. The interlock mechanism includes a bell-crank lever pivotally mounted on the corresponding header side wall. The linkage interconnects the cutterbar and the lever, whereas the other lever arm holds the lower end of the actuator. The mechanism adjusts the position of the actuator and hence of the reel in response to a fore-and-aft adjustment movement of the cutterbar so as to maintain the minimal spacing between the reel and the cutterbar substantially constant.
Another existing mechanism, as used in the Varifeed™ headers of New Holland, uses a cam system for limiting the vertical position of the reel arm. The system comprises a linkage whereby a first arm is fixed to the movable cutterbar table and a second arm is fixed to the frame below the reel arm. At the end of the second leg a cam is fixed which makes contact with a roller installed on the reel arm when this arm is lowered. When the cutterbar moves forward, the first leg will pull on the second leg and rotate the cam, thereby pushing the roller upwards. As such, the reel arm is pushed upwards, hereby lifting the reel and avoiding interference with the cutterbar.
These known systems have some disadvantages. The connection point between the reel arm and the interlock mechanism, or the contact point between the cam and the roller is close to the rotation point of the reel arm. Considering the weight of the reel and the accelerations caused by operation on a bumpy field, the load on the interlock mechanism or the cam is high. Furthermore, the load is transferred directly to the frame, which is not advantageous for frame deformation and lifetime. Another disadvantage for the cam system is that the hydraulic lift cylinder is fixed to the frame, while the reel arm can be forced upwardly by the cam. Hereby, when extending the header and lifting the reel, the cylinder rod gets pulled outwards little resulting in oil or air getting drawn through the sealing of the cylinders.
As illustrated by DE-A-195 08 887, it is also conceivable to provide a sensor on the reel arm for contacting a cam surface on the movable cutterbar table when the cutterbar is extended. A control system reacts to the contact signal of the sensor by loading the hydraulic actuator and raising the reel arm until the sensor is disengaged from the cam. Such system entirely relies on the proper and continuous operation of the sensor, which is positioned in a vulnerable forward position close to the crop. Hence, it does not have the reliability of mechanical systems. Furthermore, it limits the available stroke of the actuator and the consequent vertical range of the reel.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a header with a fore-and-aft adjustable cutterbar to suit various crops and crop conditions and which avoids interference between the reel and the cutterbar upon adjustment of the cutterbar.

Extendable header for harvesting machine


A method, system, and apparatus determines that one or more tasks should be relocated from a first processor to a second processor by comparing performance metrics to associated thresholds or by using other indications. To relocate the one or more tasks from the first processor to the second processor, the first processor is stalled and state information from the first processor is copied to the second processor. The second processor uses the state information and then services incoming tasks instead of the first processor.

Conventional computer systems rely on operating system-level and other higher-level software decisions to move tasks between different processors within a system. These conventional solutions are associated with substantial overhead in terms of performance inefficiencies and additional power consumption. By moving tasks among different processors using finer-grained tracking and decision making, performance per power consumed is optimized.

Method of task transition between heterogenous processors


A fire suppression system is disclosed. The system includes a source of pressurized gas and a source of pressurized liquid. At least one emitter is in fluid communication with the liquid and gas sources. The emitter is used to establish a gas stream, atomize and entrain the liquid into the gas stream and discharge the resulting liquid-gas stream onto the fire. A method of operating the system is also disclosed. The method includes establishing a gas stream having first and second shock fronts using the emitter, atomizing and entraining the liquid with the gas at one of the two shock fronts to form a liquid-gas stream, and discharging the stream onto the fire. The method also includes creating a plurality of shock diamonds in the liquid-gas stream discharged from the emitter.

Fire control and suppression sprinkler systems generally include a plurality of individual sprinkler heads which are usually ceiling mounted about the area to be protected. The sprinkler heads are normally maintained in a closed condition and include a thermally responsive sensing member to determine when a fire condition has occurred. Upon actuation of the thermally responsive member, the sprinkler head is opened, permitting pressurized water at each of the individual sprinkler heads to freely flow therethrough for extinguishing the fire. The individual sprinkler heads are spaced apart from each other by distances determined by the type of protection they are intended to provide (e.g., light or ordinary hazard conditions) and the ratings of the individual sprinklers, as determined by industry accepted rating agencies such as Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., Factory Mutual Research Corp. and/or the National Fire Protection Association.
In order to minimize the delay between thermal actuation and proper dispensing of water by the sprinkler head, the piping that connects the sprinkler heads to the water source is, in many instances, at all times filled with water. This is known as a wet system, with the water being immediately available at the sprinkler head upon its thermal actuation. However, there are many situations in which the sprinkler system is installed in an unheated area, such as warehouses. In those situations, if a wet system is used, and in particular, since the water is not flowing within the piping system over long periods of time, there is a danger of the water within the pipes freezing. This will not only adversely affect the operation of the sprinkler system should the sprinkler heads be thermally actuated while there may be ice blockage within the pipes but, such freezing, if extensive, can result in the bursting of the pipes, thereby destroying the sprinkler system. Accordingly, in those situations, it is the conventional practice to have the piping devoid of any water during its non-activated condition. This is known as a dry fire protection system.
When actuated, traditional sprinkler heads release a spray of fire suppressing liquid, such as water, onto the area of the fire. The water spray, while somewhat effective, has several disadvantages. The water droplets comprising the spray are relatively large and will cause water damage to the furnishings or goods in the burning region. The water spray also exhibits limited modes of fire suppression. For example, the spray, being composed of relatively large droplets providing a small total surface area, does not efficiently absorb heat and therefore cannot operate efficiently to prevent spread of the fire by lowering the temperature of the ambient air around the fire. Large droplets also do not block radiative heat transfer effectively, thereby allowing the fire to spread by this mode. The spray furthermore does not efficiently displace oxygen from the ambient air around the fire, nor is there usually sufficient downward momentum of the droplets to overcome the smoke plume and attack the base of the fire.
With these disadvantages in mind, devices, such as resonance tubes, which atomize a fire suppressing liquid, have been considered as replacements for traditional sprinkler heads. Resonance tubes use acoustic energy, generated by an oscillatory pressure wave interaction between a gas jet and a cavity, to atomize a liquid that is injected into the region near the resonance tube where the acoustic energy is present.
Unfortunately, resonance tubes of known design and operational mode generally do not have the fluid flow characteristics required to be effective in fire protection applications. The volume of flow from the resonance tube tends to be inadequate, and the water particles generated by the atomization process have relatively low velocities. As a result, these water particles are decelerated significantly within about 8 to 16 inches of the sprinkler head and cannot overcome the plume of rising combustion gas generated by a fire. Thus, the water particles cannot get to the fire source for effective fire suppression. Furthermore, the water particle size generated by the atomization is ineffective at reducing the oxygen content to suppress a fire if the ambient temperature is below 55° C. Additionally, known resonance tubes require relatively large gas volumes delivered at high pressure. This produces unstable gas flow which generates significant acoustic energy and separates from deflector surfaces across which it travels, leading to inefficient atomization of the water.
There is clearly a need for a fire suppression system having an atomizing emitter that operates more efficiently than known resonance tubes. Such an emitter would ideally use smaller volumes of gas at lower pressures to produce sufficient volume of atomized water particles having a smaller size distribution while maintaining significant momentum upon discharge so that the water particles may overcome the fire smoke plume and be more effective at fire suppression.

Fire suppression system using high velocity low pressure emitters


A hull-fitted electronic device (2) for a vessel is provided. The hull-fitted electronic device is adapted to be attached to a seat (10) having a through hole (11), the seat being attachable to a hull (20) of the vessel such that the through hole of the seat is aligned with a through hole (12) of the hull. The hull-fitted electronic device comprises a transducer (16) adapted to generate a signal to be transmitted into the water outside the hull, and a housing (14) encapsulating the transducer and having a lower portion (3) and a flange portion (4). The lower portion and at least the portion of the flange portion located closest to the lower portion are covered by a surface (5) of a material (17) being watertight and transparent to the signal generated by the transducer. A portion of the surface forms a window (13) of the housing arranged to transmit the signal of the transducer.

Marine vessels are normally equipped with hull-fitted electronic devices, which may be used e.g. for navigation. Examples of such hull-fitted electronic devices are speed logs and echo sounders. A hull-fitted electronic device may comprise a transducer adapted to generate a signal to be transmitted into the water outside the hull. The transducer may typically be encapsulated in a housing, which is mounted in a through hole of the hull such that an end portion of the housing is exposed to the water outside the hull. As such hull-fitted electronic devices are mounted at the vessel-water interface, demands are high on water tight seals for avoiding water leakage into the housing as well as into the vessel.
Normally, a sealing between the housing and surrounding mounting structure is accomplished by O-rings extending around a cylindrical portion of the housing adapted to be fitted in a through hole of the surrounding mounting structure. A drawback with such an arrangement is that the O-ring must be fitted tightly to the cylindrical portion of the housing in order to provide sufficient seal, whereby the tolerance of the O-ring fitting around the housing need to be very accurate, which in turn makes manufacturing and installation of the hull-fitted electronic device difficult. Further, there is a risk that the O-ring may come off when the cylindrical portion of the housing is inserted in the through hole of the mounting structure upon installation, which increases the risk of water leakage.

Hull-fitted electronic device for a vessel


Apparatus and methods for facial detection are disclosed. A plurality of images of an observed face is received for identification. Based at least on two or more selected images of the plurality of images, a template of the observed face is generated. In some embodiments, the template is a subspace generated based on feature vectors of the plurality of received images. A database of identities and corresponding facial data of known persons is searched based at least on the template of the observed face and the facial data of the known persons. One or more identities of the known persons are selected based at least on the search.

Advances in technology have resulted in portable devices with increasingly powerful computing and communication capabilities. For example, there currently exist a variety of portable computing devices, such as portable wireless telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), laptop computers, tablet personal computers, eBook viewers, and the like. More specifically, many of these devices can include digital imaging sensors for taking photos and video, and can communicate voice and data packets over wired or wireless networks. Accordingly, such portable devices may be capable of downloading videos and images. In one implementation, a cellular phone can store a contact list of persons known to the user. The user may also be able to selectively assign a picture to selected contacts. Pictures may be received by capturing the image with a camera on the phone, or by downloading the appropriate picture from a network such as the Internet.
Additionally, advances in facial recognition have resulted in systems capable of identifying an unknown persons in some circumstances. These systems may require performing prior training involving multiple images of the person to be identified. In some examples, the training process is performed in an offline manner to ensure the correctness of the training process.

Method and apparatus for facial recognition