The image reading device comprises an imaging device on which an on-chip color filter is provided. The on-chip color filter has color filter elements of the Bayer arrangement, for example. Pixel data, output from the imaging device, are stored in a memory. When the pixel data are read from the memory, some of the pixel data are thinned out, so that a thinned image data, colors of which are arranged in the same arrangement as the color filter elements of the imaging device, is obtained. The pixel data of the thinned image data are subjected to an interpolation process, so that one image's worth of pixel data are generated for each of the color components.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image reading device in which image data, having a multitude of pixel data, is obtained by an imaging device, and after a reading operation of the pixel data from the imaging device, some of the pixel data are thinned out.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there is known an image reading device, such as a digital camera, in which image data is obtained by an imaging device such as a CCD, and a color image, corresponding to the image data, can be recorded in a recording medium. The CCD is provided with an on-chip color filter, in which color filter elements of the three primary colors, for example, are provided on photo-diodes of the CCD. Namely, a pixel data generated by each of the photo-diodes corresponds to one of the primary colors, and thus, the pixel data does not indicate the other primary colors. Thus, an interpolation process is performed to obtain pixel data of the other primary colors.
A number of pixel data, recorded in the recording medium, is determined depending upon a recording mode, and is usually much less than that of the photo-diodes. Therefore, in a conventional device, after the interpolation process, some of pixel data are thinned out to reduce the number of pixel data in conformity with the number of pixel data to be recorded in the recording medium.
Thus, in the conventional device, three image frame's worth of color image data are generated because of the interpolation process, and the thinning process is then applied to the color image data. Namely, in the interpolation process and the thinning process, a large number of pixel data are processed, and therefore, it takes a long time to obtain the pixel data to be recorded.

Image reading device with thinned pixel data


A structurally improved shutoff valve is provided, the shutoff valve comprises a straight or an elbow tubular housing including a water inlet and a water outlet at two ends for respectively connecting a water source and a waterflow pipe therebetween, a valve ball disposed in the housing and operated by a swivel knob for controlling the water flow therethrough, a nipple in cooperation with a retaining ring and a nut to engage the waterflow pipe with the water outlet of the housing. A sealing ring secured to an outer periphery adjacent the forward end of the nipple having a outer diameter slightly larger than that of the outer periphery of the nipple so as to completely prevent the water from leaking out of the valve. Upon this improvement, the engagement of the nipple with the water outlet of the housing will no longer apply the waterproof glue.

The present invention relates to valves and more particularly to a structurally improved shutoff valve which connects between a water source and a supply pipe and the connection does without applying glue so as to ensure a smooth operation of the valve.
A shutoff valve is adapted to control the water flow between a water source and a supply pipe which sequentially connects to a tap for supplying water to a sink, a basin or a bath, the shuoff valve can control the waterflow and shut off the water flow to facilitate the replacement of a tap from a pipe.
Typical shutoff valve (as shown in FIG. 1) includes a tubular housing 1 connected to a water source and a waterflow pipe respectively by necessary fittings, a valve ball 4 rotatably disposed in the housing between a pair of flexible rings and controlled by a swivel knob, a nipple 2 screw connected to the housing 1 with applying the waterproof glue therebetween. In order to ensure a permanent coupling, a proper amount of the glue applied is very important, more or less will cause problems such that if the glue is inadequate, the water will unavoidably leak out, and if the glue is excessive, the residual glue will permeate into the valve and contaminate the flexible rings that prevents the valve ball from a smooth operation.

Suite 2, 7F, No. 95-8, Chang Ping Road, Sec. 1


An outdoor power equipment device may include a mobility assembly and a mounting receptacle. The mobility assembly may support a device frame of the outdoor power equipment device and enable an operator of the outdoor power equipment device to facilitate movement of the outdoor power equipment device. The mounting receptacle may be coupled to the device frame. The mounting receptacle may include a removable lamp operable to provide light at least when removed from the mounting receptacle.

Lawn care and other outdoor tasks associated with grooming and maintaining property are commonly performed using various tools and/or machines that are configured for the performance of corresponding specific tasks. Certain tasks, like snow removal, are typically performed by snow blowers. Other tasks, like cutting grass, collecting leaves and/or the like, may be performed by lawn mowers. Both lawn mowers and snow blowers may, in some cases, be walk-behind models or may be associated with lawn tractors or other riding lawn care vehicles.
Walk behind snow blowers, lawn mowers and other walk behind yard maintenance devices are popular with many users due to their relative small size and cost. Moreover, since such devices are handled at relatively low speeds under the direct control of the operator, they can sometimes fit into spaces and conduct delicate operations that may be difficult with larger machines. Thus, walk behind yard maintenance devices are likely to continue to be popular, and the demand for such devices having improved functionality will likely grow.

Removable lamp for outdoor power equipment


A high-strength, high-toughness, weldable and deformable rare earth magnesium alloy comprised of 0.7˜1.7% of Ym, 5.5˜6.4% of Zn, 0.45˜0.8% of Zr, 0.02% or less of the total amount of impurity elements of Si, Fe, Cu and Ni, and the remainder of Mg, based on the total weight of the alloy. During smelting, Y, Ho, Er, Gd and Zr are added in a manner of Mg—Y-rich, Mg—Zr intermediate alloys into a magnesium melt; Zn is added in a manner of pure Zn, and at 690˜720° C., a round bar was cast by a semi-continuous casting or a water cooled mould, then an extrusion molding was performed at 380˜410° C. after cutting. Before the extrusion, the alloy is treated by the solid-solution treatment at 480˜510° C. for 2˜3 hours, however, the alloy can also be extrusion molded directly without the solid-solution treatment. After the extrusion molding, this alloy has a strength of 340 MPa or more and a percentage elongation of 14% or more at room temperature and is a high-strength, high-toughness, weldable and deformable rare earth magnesium alloy.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a high-strength, high-toughness, weldable and deformable rare earth magnesium alloy.
2. Description of the Related Art
Comparing with the mature industries of steel, aluminum, copper and the like, the proportion of deformable magnesium alloy in magnesium alloy industry is too low, only less than 10%, due to the following reasons: a) the technology of the magnesium alloy industry is still immature; b) the magnesium industry still has a very large technology space and a profit space.
In deformable magnesium alloys, the common alloy series are Mg—Mn, Mg—Al and Mg—Zn—Zr series. Trademark MB1, namely, Mg—Mn binary alloy, has a good corrosion resisting property; however, its strength is not high. MB8 developed for overcoming the drawback thereof comprises rare earth cerium which has the function of fining crystal grains and increasing strength. The strength of an alloy can be increased again by further increasing the content of Ce, and therefore, MB14 was developed as well. MB2, namely, AZ31 of US, belongs to Mg—Al series and is a deformable alloy with a wide application. The subsequent MB3 to MB7 are all developed on the basis of MB2 and comprise more Al or Zn. Although the strengths of MB3 to MB7 are increased, the plastic properties decreased largely, and the present research indicates that appropriate amount of rare earths can increase the overall performance. Corresponding to ZK60 of US, MB15 belongs to Mg—Zn—Zr series and is a high-strength alloy which can be age strengthened. The content of Zr is relatively stable, generally 0.6˜0.8%, however, when Zn excesses 4.5%, the plastic property will decrease largely. In order to obtain the overall performance, MB21 is adopted in China (the content of Zn is low). In this way, Mg—Zn—Zr series is separated into the two types of high zinc alloys and low zinc alloys, wherein MB21, MB22 belong to low zinc alloys, while MB15, MB25 belong to high zinc alloy. MB25 further comprises rare earth Y as compared with MB 15.
From what described above, it can be seen that addition of rare earths on the basis of primary alloy series is an effective way for increasing performance, and the rare earths are also necessary ingredients for achieving a good high temperature resistance performance. However, by various strengthening manner, the performance of Mg—Zn—Zr series excels the other two series.
It is well known that magnesium alloy is a light metal material and the rare earth elements have specific effects in the aspects of improving the strength, heat resistance and the like of the traditional magnesium alloys. However, the addition of rare earths, for example, Nd, Y, La, is always performed in a manner of a single pure rare earth in many scientific research departments and producing factories except that Ce is always added in a manner of cerium-rich mixed rare earth.

High-strength, high-toughness, weldable and deformable rare earth magnesium alloy

Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences


An inkjet image forming apparatus includes an inkjet head having a nozzle unit having a length in a main scanning direction corresponding to a width of a printing medium, a capping unit to move to a capping position to cap the nozzle unit and an uncapping position for a printing. The capping unit includes a cap member having a spitting hole and covering the nozzle unit, an absorbing member to absorb an ink passing through the spitting hole, and a support member disposed at a position where the cap member and the absorbing member are installed, the support member receiving the ink spitted.

1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to an inkjet image forming apparatus and a maintenance method thereof, and more particularly, to an inkjet image forming apparatus employing an array inkjet head having a nozzle unit having a length corresponding to a width of a printing medium in a main scanning direction, and a preliminary spitting method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Inkjet image forming apparatuses form an image by firing ink from an inkjet head (e.g., shuttle type inkjet head) onto a sheet of paper while reciprocating the inkjet head in a main scanning direction and feeding the paper in a subscanning direction. For high speed printing, recent inkjet image forming apparatuses use an inkjet head (e.g., array inkjet head) with a nozzle unit having a length corresponding to a width of the paper in the main scanning direction instead of using the shuttle type inkjet head. In these inkjet image forming apparatuses, the array inkjet head is fixed, and only the paper is fed in the subscanning direction. Therefore, the inkjet image forming apparatus can have a simple driving mechanism and provide the high speed printing. In these inkjet image forming apparatuses, when a printing margin in a width direction of the A4 size paper is not considered, the nozzle unit is about 210 mm long so as to correspond to the width of A4 the size paper. Viscosity of ink should be kept in an appropriate state for printing. If the printing is not performed for a while, moisture of ink in the nozzle is vaporized and therefore the viscosity of ink increases. Also, while the printing is performed, the moisture of the ink in the nozzle that does not participate in the printing is vaporized and therefore the viscosity of the ink increases. Under this circumstance, ink may not be ejected from the nozzle. To prevent this, a preliminary spitting that before a printing is performed or after a predetermined amount of printing is performed, ink is spitted a few times to remove the ink with a high viscosity is performed. At this time, fog (particles) of the spitted ink is dispersed into an inside of the inkjet image forming apparatus. The shuttle type inkjet head has a few tens of nozzles while the array type inkjet head has more than a few thousands of nozzles. In the case of the array type inkjet head, the fog of ink may be generated so much, which may contaminate an inside of the image forming apparatus.

Inkjet image forming apparatus having a capping unit


A refrigerator has a water tank, a pump with a motor, a current detecting part, and a controller. The current detecting part detects a motor current flowing through the motor so that the current detecting part outputs control signals like a binary of high/low level according to the detected motor current. The controller turns on/off the motor according to the control signal from the current detecting part. By this refrigerator, the existence of the water in the water tank may be detected accurately.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a refrigerator with a water-feeding apparatus, more particularly to a refrigerator having a water-feeding apparatus with a current detecting part in which a controller turns on or turns off a motor in a water-feeding pump according to a current through the motor.
2. Prior Art
In conventional refrigerators, there are refrigerators in which refrigeration occurs automatically by an automatic water-feed.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional refrigerator with a conventional water-feeding apparatus. As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional refrigerator has a first tank 101, a second tank 102, a valve 103, a water-feeding pump 104, a water-feeding motor 105, a water-feeding impeller 106, a water-feeding tube 107, a water-feeding motor driver 108, a water-refrigerating container 109, a taking-out motor 110, a taking-out motor driver 117, a controller 112, a water-detecting sensor 113, a displayer 114, a timer 115, and a water-refrigerating sensor 116.
The first tank 101 stores water supplied from outside. The second tank 102 stores the water supplied from the first tank 101. The valve 103 comprises a stick inserted into a spring, and a cork formed at the lower part of the stick. By the valve 103, the water in the first tank 101 flows into the second tank 102 up to a predetermined amount. That is, if the water in the first tank 101 is filled up, the stick is pushed downwardly so that the cork is open. Finally, the water in the first tank 101 flows into the second tank 102. Then, if the water in the second tank 102 is full up to a predetermined height, the cork is pushed upwardly by buoyancy of the water in the second tank 102 so that the valve 103 is closed.
The water-feeding pump 104 comprises the water-feeding motor 105 and the water-feeding impeller 106. The water-feeding pump 104 feeds the water in the second tank 102 to the water-refrigerating container 109 via the water-feeding tube 107. The water-refrigerating container 109 is installed in a refrigerating room (not shown) for refrigerating water. The taking-out motor 110 twists the water-refrigerating container 109 in order to take out the ice in the water-refrigerating container 109.
The water-feeding motor driver 108 drives the water-feeding motor 105 according to a water-feeding control signal. The taking-out motor driver 111 drives the taking-out motor 110 according to a taking-out control signal.
The water-detecting sensor 113 measures the amount of the water stored in the second tank 102. The displayer 114 displays functions of the refrigerator. The timer 115 counts the time needed for refrigerating water. The water-refrigerating sensor 116 is installed on the outer surface of the water-refrigerating container 109 to measure the temperature of the water-refrigerating container 109. The controller 112 controls all the functions of the refrigerator.
The operation of the conventional refrigerator with the above-mentioned constitution is as follows. If water is supplied to the first tank 101 by a user and a predetermined amount of the water is filled, the valve 103 is opened by the weight of the water, and the water in the first tank 101 flows into the second tank 102 via the valve 103. Then, if the water in the second tank 102 is filled up to a predetermined height, a full state of the water in the second tank 102 is detected by the water-detecting sensor 113. At this time, the controller 112 drives the water-feeding motor 105 by controlling the water-feeding motor driver 108 so that a predetermined amount of water is fed to the water-refrigerating container 109. The water-feed continues until the output signal of the water-detecting sensor 113 changes from a turn-on signal to a turn-off signal. When the water-feed ends, the controller 112 receives a counted time period from the timer 115, and a measured temperature from the water-refrigerating sensor 116. For example, when the counted time is 2.4 hours and the measured temperature is -12.5 Celsius, the controller 112 drives the taking-out motor 110 by controlling the taking-out motor driver 111 so that the ice in the water-refrigerating container 109 is taken out. At this time, the water-refrigeration ends and a next water-feed begins.
The conventional refrigerator is convenient for a user due to the automatic water-feed and taking-out.
However, as shown in FIG. 2, when the water-detecting sensor 113 malfunctions, that is, when disconnection between a first detecting bar 202 and a second detecting bar 204 is not done by the surface tension, existence of the water is detected even if there is no water. Then, the water-refrigeration continues even if the water is not full. Also, excess water is fed to the water-refrigerating container 109 so that the excess water overflows out of the water-refrigerating container 109.

Refrigerator having a water-feeding apparatus with a current detecting part


A recording tape cartridge has a reel at whose axially central portion is provided a reel hub which is shaped as a cylindrical tube having a bottom and around whose outer peripheral surface a recording tape is wound; an engaging gear provided within the reel hub; a case rotatably accommodating the reel; and a braking member having a braking gear which can mesh with the engaging gear. The engaging gear is formed in a form of internal teeth or in a form of external teeth. A tooth surface of each tooth is substantially parallel to an axis of the reel hub. The braking member is supported so as to be unable to rotate with respect to the case, and moves along an axis of the reel, and can be disposed at a rotation locking position, at which the braking gear meshes with the engaging gear, and a released position at which meshing is released.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reel on which a recording tape, such as a magnetic tape or the like, is wound, and to a recording tape cartridge which rotatably accommodates the reel within a case.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recording tapes such as magnetic tapes and the like are used as external recording media for computers and the like. Little space is required to accommodate such a recording tape at the time of storage thereof, and a large amount of information can be recorded thereon. A so-called single-reel recording tape cartridge is used in which a single reel, on which the recording tape is wound, is rotatably accommodated within a case.
A reel which is made of resin and which structures such a recording tape cartridge will be described by using FIG. 10. The axially central portion of a reel 200 shown in FIG. 10 is structured by a reel hub 202. The reel hub 202 is formed in the shape of a cylindrical tube having a bottom, and a magnetic tape is wound around the outer peripheral surface thereof. The reel hub 202 has an engaging gear 206 which stands at the inner surface of a floor plate portion 204 of the reel hub 202, and a reel gear 208 which stands at the outer surface of the floor plate portion 204.
The engaging gear 206 is formed by a large number of teeth, whose addenda are directed upward, the teeth being disposed along a circumference which is coaxial with the reel hub 202, and is provided on a pedestal portion 210 which stands erect at the floor plate portion 204. When the magnetic tape is not being used, the engaging gear 206 meshes with a braking gear which is formed at the bottom surface of a braking member, so as to impede rotation of the reel 200. The respective teeth of the engaging gear 206 are formed in tapered shapes which guide the braking gear in. The engaging gear 206 centers the braking member by meshing with the braking gear which is adjacent thereto along the axial direction of the reel hub.
Because the respective teeth of the engaging gear 206 are formed in tapered shapes, there is the concern that the reel 200 will rotate merely due to the braking member moving slightly from the locked state of the reel 200 in the direction in which locking is released.
On the other hand, the reel gear 208 is formed by a large number of teeth, whose addenda are directed downward, the teeth being disposed along the outer peripheral portion of the floor plate portion 204. The radial direction inner side end portions of the respective teeth are connected by a rib 212. A reel plate 214, which is formed of a magnetic material, is attached to the inner side of the rib 212 at the outer surface of the floor plate portion 204. The reel plate 214 is attracted by a magnet provided at the rotating shaft of a drive device. When the magnetic tape is used, a driving gear of the aforementioned rotating shaft meshes reel gear 208 in a state in which the reel plate is attracted to and held by the magnet. Due to the rotating shaft rotating in this state, the reel 200 is driven to rotate.
However, at the reel 200, as shown in FIG. 11, the engaging gear 206 is formed on the pedestal portion 210, and the rib 212 projects from the reverse side of this pedestal portion 210. Therefore, a thickness t4 of the floor plate portion 204 of the reel hub from the top surface of the pedestal portion 210 (the engaging gear 206) to the bottom surface of the rib 212 is large. Moreover, at the radial direction inner side of the portion where the thickness is t4, a portion having a thickness t5 from the pedestal portion 210 to the bottom surface of the floor plate portion 204, and a portion having a thickness t6 which is the thickness of the floor plate portion 204 itself, are formed continuously in that order. Namely, this is a structure in which the thickness changes in steps. The flowability of the resin at the time of molding the reel 200 is therefore poor.
Moreover, at the reel 200, the surfaces of the reel gear 208 which mesh with the driving gear are inclined surfaces which are inclined with respect to the axial direction. The positioning of the reel 200 in the axial direction with respect to the rotating shaft is carried out by the reel gear 208 and the driving gear meshing together such that no backlash arises. Namely, the axial direction reference surface at the time when the reel 200 is driven to rotate is an imaginary surface which is the meshing pitch surface of the reel gear 208 with the driving gear. In this way, because the dimensions of the respective portions of the reel 200 are determined on the basis of an imaginary reference surface, evaluation of the dimensions of the respective portions, and designing, have been complicated.
Thus, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,354 for example, the following structure has been conceived of in which: three convex portions for reference project at uniform intervals in the peripheral direction from the outer surface of the floor plate portion of the reel hub, at the radial direction outer side of the reel gear; end surfaces of the respective convex portions for reference, which are surfaces orthogonal to the axis of the reel, are used as reference surfaces; and positioning of the reel in the axial direction is carried out by these reference surfaces being made to abut positioning surfaces of the rotating shaft.
However, even in a structure in which such reference surfaces are provided independently of the reel gear, there is room for improvement.


Techniques for controlling delivery of a therapy to a patient by a medical device, such as an implantable medical device (IMD), involve a sensitivity analysis of a performance metric. The performance metric may relate to efficacy or side effects of the therapy. For example, the performance metric may comprise a sleep quality metric, an activity level metric, a movement disorder metric for patients with Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, or the like. The sensitivity analysis identifies values of therapy parameters that defines a substantially maximum or minimum value of the performance metric. The identified therapy parameters are a baseline therapy parameter set, and a medical device may control delivery of the therapy based on the baseline therapy parameter set.

In some cases, an ailment may affect a patient's sleep quality or physical activity level, or a therapy delivered to the patient to treat the ailment may produce undesirable side effects. For example, chronic pain may cause a patient to have difficulty falling asleep, and may disturb the patient's sleep, e.g., causing the patient to wake. Further, chronic pain may cause the patient to have difficulty achieving deeper sleep states, such as one of the nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep states associated with deeper sleep. Other ailments that may negatively affect patient sleep quality include movement disorders, such as tremor, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, or spasticity, as well as psychological disorders, such as depression, mania, bipolar disorder, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Further, sleep apnea, congestive heart failure, gastrointestinal disorders and incontinence may negatively affect patient sleep quality. As another example, chronic pain may cause a patient to avoid particular physical activities, or activity in general, where such activities increase the pain experienced by the patient. Neurological disorders such as movement disorders and psychological disorders, in addition to congestive heart failure, may also affect patient activity level.
Furthermore, in some cases, poor sleep quality may increase the symptoms experienced by a patient due to an ailment. For example, poor sleep quality has been linked to increased pain symptoms in chronic pain patients, increased tremor or other inappropriate movements in movement disorder patients, and worsening of psychological symptoms. The link between poor sleep quality and increased symptoms is not limited to ailments that negatively impact sleep quality, such as those listed above. Nonetheless, the condition of a patient with such an ailment may progressively worsen when symptoms disturb sleep quality, which in turn increases the frequency and/or intensity of symptoms.
In some cases, these ailments are treated via a medical device, such as an implantable medical device (IMD). For example, patients may receive an implantable neurostimulator or drug delivery device to treat chronic pain or a movement disorder. Congestive heart failure may be treated by, for example, a cardiac pacemaker or drug delivery device.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Sensitivity analysis for selecting therapy parameter sets


A female housing (10) is divided into a first and a second blocks (15A, 15B) that can be united by fitting a rib (27) of the second block (15B) into a dovetail groove (19) of the first block (15A). With the two blocks (15A, 15B) united, tab-shaped terminal insertion passages (29) are formed up to the dovetail groove (19) and the rib (27) in the female housing (10). This enables male tabs (13) to enter the tab-shaped terminal insertion passages (29) and prevents them from interfering with the female housing (10), wherefore a male housing (11) can be used commonly for a unitary female housing (40) and the divided female housing (10).

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector and a connector assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
A known connector has first and second housings that are connectable with each other. Cavities are formed in the first housing and terminal fittings are accommodated in the cavities. Tab-shaped terminals are arranged in the second housing. The tabs enter the cavities and electrically contact the terminal fittings when the two housings are connected. At least one of the housings of the connector often is formed unitarily as a single member.
A connector of an automotive wiring harness may connect several different circuits to one circuit. In such a case, plural circuits are wired in a single housing. A wiring operation is cumbersome in this situation because wires in the one housing are likely to be of different lengths and are likely to be laid along different paths. A divided connector addresses these problems by effectively dividing the housing into plural blocks. Wire laying operations then can be performed efficiently and independently for the circuits in the respective blocks. A connector of this type is e.g. known from Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H10-106670.
Outer surfaces of each block-shaped housing of a divided connector are formed with dovetail grooves or ribs. The dovetail grooves and ribs of adjacent block-shaped housings of the divided connector are engaged with one another to prevent the block-shaped housings from separating during the connecting operation of two connector housings. Thus, an operator need not press the blocks together while performing a connecting operation, and operation efficiency can be improved.
Each housing of the above-described divided connector is formed with cavities for receiving terminal fittings. The leading ends of the tab-shaped terminals would interfere with a connecting surface of a mating housing during a connecting operation if the cavities for the tab shaped terminals were arranged at positions corresponding to the dovetail grooves or ribs on the mating housing. Thus, the tab-shaped terminals cannot be arranged at positions that will align with the dovetail grooves or ribs on the mating housing. Then, the mating housing only can be used exclusively for the one divided housing and cannot be used for a unitary housing.
The invention was developed in view of the above situation, and an object thereof is to provide a connector and a connector assembly in which the other connector housing can be commonly used for one unitary-type connector housing and one divided-type connector housing.


The invention pertains to a waterbed with at least one water-filled mattress, which forms a substantially flat bed surface when in an unloaded state and which is held inside a frame consisting of beams of foamed plastics. On the inside of the waterbed, at least one beam is convexly curved, proceeding upward in an arc from a carrier plate and continuing as a flat surface at the top, underneath the surface of the bed. The mattress, on the side facing the beam, has a concave recess conforming to the arc of the beam and has an extension of rectangular cross section, which covers the top surface of the beam, the extension preferably extending all the way to, and being flush with, the top outside edge of the beam.

1.Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to a waterbed with at least one water-filled mattress, which forms a substantially flat bed surface when in the unloaded state and which is held inside a frame consisting of beams of foamed plastic.
2.Description of the Related Art
Many different designs of waterbeds which have proven to be reliable are known. So-called "soft-side" waterbeds have an upper structure consisting of a dimensionally stable tub, in which one or two separate water-filled mattresses are arranged. A waterbed of this type known from EP 0 240 479 has a mattress which has a shape corresponding to that of the tub-like recess and which is introduced into the one-piece mattress carrier. The recess is concavely curved both in the longitudinal direction and in the transverse direction and is adapted to the outlines of a person lying on the bed in such a way that the concave longitudinal curvature is less pronounced under the leg and foot end and more pronounced under head end. As a result, less water is required to fill the mattress, and thus the weight of the mattress is also reduced. On the mattress, furthermore, a top cover is provided, and immediately below that, lying on the mattress, there is a weight-distribution liner. The top cover, the weight-distribution liner, the mattress, and the mattress carrier are held together by an enveloping sleeve, by means of which the water is also held in the mattress under pressure. When the mattress is now subjected to the additional weight of a person and when, as a result of this load, the top cover and the weight-distribution liner are pushed into the mattress, the water is displaced toward the sides, and a bead is formed along the edges, above the edge of the mattress carrier. This edge area is thus no longer available as a bed surface, because a person lying on the bed will almost always position himself/herself as close to the center as possible because of the shape of the surface caused by the load.
Alternatively, a water-filled mattress can be held by a frame, which usually consists of four individual beams of foamed plastic, which are connected by screws, adhesive, or other types of fastenings to a carrier plate located underneath. The height of the beams is usually the same as the height of the mattress. The beams can be cut to a wide variety of profiles; they can be square or rectangular, for example, as shown in FIG. 1. Alternatively, it is known that these types of square or rectangular beams can be subdivided horizontally and/or vertically as well, as explained, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,157, or horizontally according to FIG. 2 as described in DE 101 46 686. By dividing the beam in this way, it is possible to make optimum use of the physical properties of different foamed plastics.
In addition to square or rectangular beams, one-part or multi-part beams which have a bevel on the inside surface are also known. The width of the beam at the top, in cross section, is therefore smaller than that at the bottom, where the beam rests on a carrier plate. There are many different profiles of this type, such as those described in EP 0 240 479, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,228,157, 4,057,862, and FR 2 669 522, and as illustrated here in FIGS. 3 and 4.
The wedge-shaped beams of foamed plastic which come to a sharp angle at the top where they extend around the mattress have not proven to be acceptable. Although the available bed surface is not reduced around the edges by a frame, a frame of this type lacks sufficient mechanical strength. Under load, e.g., when a person sits on the waterbed, the sharply angled edges of the frame regularly break off.
Because the beams are much stronger and harder than the mattress, a frame of foam beams enclosing the mattress or mattresses thus has the effect of making the available bed surface smaller than the total floor space actually occupied by the waterbed (see FIG. 5). Normally, a "soft-side" waterbed with overall dimensions of 180 cm×200 cm has, on average, a bed surface measuring only about 166 cm×186 cm.


A system and method of receiving tasks in a distributed test framework (DTF) includes receiving a task in a task feeder. The task is in a task feeder-specific format. The received task is converted to a DTF-specific format and the converted task is scheduled for submission in the DTF.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to distributed software execution, and more particularly to a methods and systems for submitting tasks via a non-proprietary, common format.
2. Description of the Related Art
Software is used to perform daily tasks at a rapidly increasing rate. New software is therefore being developed at an even more increasing rate. Assessing software reliability through software testing has therefore become an imperative stage in software development cycle. Software testing finds and eliminates defects (i.e., bugs) in software, which if undetected, can cause the software to operate improperly. In general, a stand-alone computer or a network of computer resources can be used to perform software testing. When a stand-alone computer system is used to perform the software testing, the computer system is programmed to run a test selected by the software user. When a network of computer resources is used, the user must manually add and delete the computer resources to the network, program the master computer system and the server, initiate the running of a user-selected test, and run the test on the group of dedicated computer systems coupled to the server. A distributed testing of this sort presents launch and control problems, as described next with reference to FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a prior art distributed test configuration 100. The distributed test configuration 100 includes several test systems 102a–102c, each executing a test application 104a–104c. Tests are submitted by manually entering the tests in a test sub-directory under an application to be tested.
Unfortunately, in the distributed test configuration 100 all tests must be submitted to meet the specific format requirements of the distributed test configuration 100. Further, each task for each test must be manually entered into the application under test sub-directory in the distributed test configuration 100. Manually entering the required tests in the required format is not a problem when the distributed test configuration 100 is readily accessible to a user, however, if as is often the case, the distributed test configuration 100 is isolated from a user, the user will be unable to enter the tasks required to perform the desired testing. The distributed test configuration 100 can be isolated from a user by a firewall or other isolation technique.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for a more easily accessible task submission system and method for the distributed test framework such as distributed test configuration 100.

Task submission systems and methods for a distributed test framework


A method for determining transfer bias settings in an electrophotographic printing system having a plurality of printing modules, each printing module including a respective transfer subsystem operated at an associated transfer bias setting. The method includes defining a plurality of test transfer bias sets, each test transfer bias set including a transfer bias setting for the transfer subsystem in each of the printing modules. For each of the defined test transfer bias sets, a plurality of process control patches are transferred onto a measurement surface, wherein the process control patches include a monochrome patch printed using a particular printing module and at least one multi-color patch. A monochrome transfer function and a multi-color transfer function are determined characterizing the amount of the transferred toner as a function of the transfer bias, and are used to determine a transfer bias setting for the particular printing module.

Electrophotography is a useful process for printing images on a receiver (or "imaging substrate"), such as a piece or sheet of paper or another planar medium, glass, fabric, metal, or other objects as will be described below. In this process, an electrostatic latent image is formed on a photoreceptor by uniformly charging the photoreceptor and then discharging selected areas of the uniform charge to yield an electrostatic charge pattern corresponding to the desired image (i.e., a "latent image").
After the latent image is formed, charged toner particles are brought into the vicinity of the photoreceptor and are attracted to the latent image to develop the latent image into a visible image. Note that the "visible image" may little or no visibility to the naked eye depending on the composition of the toner particles (e.g., clear toner).
After the latent image is developed into a visible image on the photoreceptor, a suitable receiver is brought into juxtaposition with the visible image. A suitable electric field is applied to transfer the toner particles of the visible image to the receiver to form the desired print image on the receiver. The imaging process is typically repeated many times with reusable photoreceptors.
The magnitude of electric field to be applied to transfer an appropriate amount of toner depends on a variety of factors. Examples of such factors include the resistance of a transfer member, the toner charge-to-mass, the ambient environment (temperature and relative humidity or absolute moisture content), physical and electrical properties of a receiver (thickness, width, resistivity), the machine printing speed, and the side of the receiver being printed upon.
A variety of methods have been developed in the art for setting image formation parameters, including a transfer bias level, in response to measurements made of various imaging system attributes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,963,756 to Sakai et al., entitled "Color correction in a color image formation apparatus," discloses the formation and measurement of monochrome and multicolor patch densities and adjusting color image formation process parameters based upon these measurements. The measured patch density values are compared to target values and the differences between the measured and target values are used to change the image formation condition.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,477,339 to Yano et al., entitled "Image forming apparatus with current detector and voltage control based on detection result," describes measuring the resistance of a transfer belt by applying a constant current and measuring the voltage required to sustain that current.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,985,678 to Maebashi et al., entitled "Color image forming apparatus and control method therefor," discloses the formation and measurement of monochrome and multicolor patch densities and adjusting color image formation process parameters based upon these measurements. The measured patch density values are compared to target values and the differences between the measured and target values are used to change the image formation condition.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,151,902 to Rakov et al., entitled "Toner transfer technique," discloses an algorithm that varies the transfer bias current depending upon a control voltage value that is linearly proportional to the toner charge-to-mass raito. A potential drawback with this approach is that the control voltage value may vary due to factors other than toner charge-to-mass, resulting in an erroneous adjustment to the transfer bias current.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,340,191 to Yamada, entitled "Image forming apparatus featuring variably-controlling a primary-transferring condition based on a detection result of combined toner images," discloses a method for controlling a bias current in an electrostatic transfer system. The method includes measuring the density of a single color patch and a multi-color patch. If the difference between the measured densities exceeds a predefined threshold, the bias current is reduced.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,450,871 to Yamada, entitled "Image forming apparatus with an adjustment function for adjusting color taste of toner image," discloses forming mixed toner images on a transferring medium, detecting the mixed toner images, and controlling a transferring condition based on the detection result to adjust a color preference.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,019,246 to Yamada, entitled "Image forming apparatus," discloses the adjustment of a transfer bias level based upon the measurement of the resistance of a transfer member in combination with a measurement of the absolute moisture content.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,687,989, entitled "Transfer unit with compensation for variation," by Zaretsky discloses the use of a charger to estimate the variation in electrical properties of a static dissipative member and controllably adjust the electric transfer field to compensate for the estimated variation.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,737,854, entitled "Printing system with receiver capacitance estimation," by Zaretsky discloses the use of a charger and non-contact voltmeter to estimate the capacitance of a receiver and subsequently adjust the transfer power source to produce an electrostatic transfer field commensurate with the estimated capacitance.
However, none of the above prior art characterize the transfer performance using in-situ measurements of monochrome and multi-chrome patches, and determine an optimal transfer bias level based upon this characterization.
There remains a need for an improved method to determine transfer bias settings in an electrophotographic printing system having a plurality of printing modules.

Determining transfer bias settings in electrophotographic printing


Browsing in collaboration space is done by presenting to a user an interface to collaboration space. Responsive to the user opening a main window, presenting a selector and results of a search in the main window. Responsive to selection of the selector, a separate quick browse window is opened and objects searched to generate a set of hits which are linked to the main window without losing context. Context is displayed in the quick browse window in a hypertext markup language format, with an entry for each item in the set of hits. Responsive to user selection of an item in the quick browse window, paging controls redirect the main window to a linked page for displaying the quick browse window while the user browses target pages and accesses local settings of the target page to display context of the target page.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to web technology. More particularly, it relates to the creation and use of collaboration sites on the Internet or on an Intranet client/server system and to the graphical user interface used in Internet communications.
2. Background Art
The Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW) provide intra-enterprise connectivity, inter-enterprise connectivity and application hosting on a larger scale than ever before. By exploiting the broadly available and deployed standards of the Internet and the WWW, system users and designers can leverage a single architecture to build client/server applications for internal use that can reach outside to customers, business partners and suppliers.
Collaboration requires simultaneous communication between individuals on a project team. Typically, this has required that the team members work in the same location. Phone and video conferencing has enabled some remote work on the part of team members. Also, because of the growth of the Internet, collaboration using web technologies has been attempted, primarily using electronic mail (E-mail), Internet chat rooms, electronic whiteboards, and conferencing software. The most useful has been E-mail, but this approach results in a large trail or thread of notes as collaboration on a project advances, and these notes have no home or place to reside which is accessible by all team members substantially instantaneously and simultaneously. People often enter such a thread at different points, and such threads are not efficient in coordinating the work of many different people on a team which may include in-house developers and others, such as remote contractors, outside of an enterprise's firewall.
In order for such disperse teams to have the same, or substantially the same, collaboration environment as individuals working in the same physical office, a system is required which facilitates instant messaging, voice conferencing, electronic white boarding, and text and non-text file exchange. Such a system needs to provide a collaborative electronic room, or space, which is easily configured for use by team members without substantial administrative or application development support, and preferably include both groupware and project oriented applications such as shared folders, file exchange, workflow, group calendars, threaded conversations, version control, file locking, file merging, and security.
There is a need in the art for such a system which is easy to set up and which enables diverse and remote teams to become immediately productive in a secure environment. It would be, further, most desirable to allow such a collaborative environment to be set up without administrative support, that is by members of the team itself, using a familiar and easy to use browser user interface. Members of the team, acting with manager or author authority, and using such a browser interface without involving administrative or application development support, need to be able to set up a folder or room for each project element, such as a source code component, with version control, workflow elements, and group calendaring for tracking the project or project element with respect to approvals and deadlines. Such a room needs to receive from team members reports and have them routed to appropriate team members for review, resolution, and approval.
The WWW is a collection of servers on an IP (Internet Protocol) network, such as the Internet, an Intranet or an Extranet, that utilize the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). Hereinafter, "Internet" 100 will be used to refer to any IP network.
HTTP is a known application protocol that provides users with access to files, which can be in different formats, such as text, graphics, images, sound, and video, using a standard page description language known as Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). Among a number of basic document formatting functions, HTML allows software developers to specify graphical pointers on displayed web pages, commonly referred to as "hyperlinks," that point to other web pages resident on remote servers. Hyperlinks commonly are displayed as highlighted text or other graphical image on the web page. Selection of a hyperlink with a pointing device, such as a computer mouse, causes the local computer to download the HTML associated with the web page from a remote server. The browser then renders the HTML into the displayed web page.
Web pages accessed over the Internet, whether by a hyperlink, opening directly via an "open" button in the browser, or some other means, are commonly downloaded into the volatile cache of a local computer system. In a computer system, for example, the volatile cache is a high-speed buffer that temporarily stores web pages from accessed remote web sites. The volatile cache thus enables a user to quickly review web pages that were already downloaded, thereby eliminating the need to repeat the relatively slow process of traversing the Internet to access previously viewed web pages. This is called local caching.
There is a need in the art for a system and method for enhancing browsing in collaboration space of collections of links. These link collections exist in a variety of formats which users need to be able to quickly visit in any order. For example, a random access UI is needed to What's New and Search Results links. These items can reside in more than room, producing potentially brutal context switches from one link to the next. Also, newcomers or casual users of the collaboration space have trouble knowing how to get started and where they can go in a QuickPlace, and would be greatly assisted by the presence of quick-browse windows, such as (1) live "go there" links from the Tutorial (in a window) to specific locations, (2) live "go there" links from Help to specific locations, and (3) a generated Sitemap (a simple rendering of the access-controlled TOC hierarchy). Further, it is desired to support random-access browsing of the links in any folder as a set.
One approach known to the art is to rely on the browser Back button, like regular websites. This meets all three requirements (assuming no actual reload on browser "Back" in the frameless architecture). However, using the Back button this can be a frustrating experience, and QuickPlace is different from average websites in that much heavier use is expected from authors and managers than would be typical of the average web user. Heavier use requires more efficient ways of getting around.
It is an object of the invention to provide a collaboration space application model for creating web applications that are aesthetically pleasing and present the user with a simple interface.
It is a further object of the invention to provide for creating web applications that are instantly created, instantly archived, team and project oriented, easy to use, created, accessed and administered via the Web, reusable, and extensible.
It is an objective of the invention to provide an improved user interface which is quick to load, takes up minimal screen space (at least while the user browses target pages), and which, while browsing a target page from the Quick-Browse setting, allows users to see and access the page's local setting so that they understand the page's context—e.g., its TOC location, folder, parent (responses), and/or ancestors (revisions).

Method and system for providing a separate browser window with information from the main window in a simpler format

International Business Machines Corporation


The present invention provides methods and compositions for treating thyroid-related medical conditions. Many thyroid-related medical conditions exist that go undiagnosed and untreated. These conditions may be prevented and treated with reduced folates and vitamin B12. Administration of reduced folates and vitamin B12 will prevent or treat cerebrospinal folate deficiency, which is linked to thyroid-related medical conditions. Administration of reduced folates and vitamin B12 will also prevent or treat conditions associated with masked megaloblastic anemia and hypothyroidism, and other conditions brought upon through improper thyroid function. Additionally, it is commonplace to treat many thyroid conditions with anti-thyroid drugs or thyroid stimulating drugs. This practice alone is also responsible for causing, or not beneficially addressing, adverse conditions that can be prevented or treated through the methods and compositions discussed herein.

Developmental problems associated with folic acid deficiency are well known in the art. Perhaps neural tube defects in fetuses are the most common problem associated with folate deficiency. Expecting mothers are routinely placed on a folic acid regimen. Additionally, nursing mothers are also supplemented with folic acid to continue to provide nutrition to the newborn. During the prenatal and perinatal periods, folate is essential for adequate enclosure of the neural tube by dermal tissues. In recent studies, it has been shown that women with increased levels of plasma homocysteine and decreased levels of erythrocyte folate have a greater risk of having an offspring with a neural tube defect. It is believed that during the early stages of pregnancy (prior to the development of the placenta) transport of folates to the fetus is primarily performed by the maternal erythrocytes. Inadequate folate levels in maternal erythrocytes are a significant factor in the lack of progression of neural tube closure in utero.
Folate helps produce and maintain new cells; this is critically important in cells with rapid growth that undergo frequent cell division such as in infancy and pregnancy. Folate is needed to form DNA and RNA, and both adults and children need folate to make normal red blood cells. It is essential that folates are part of the daily nutritional consumption for adequate human health.
Folates also play a critical role in the reduction of plasma homocysteine levels. An increased amount of homocysteine in the plasma has been associated with heart disease. Folates have been shown to reduce the calcification of plaques during an acute ischemic attack; thereby reducing the long-term effects of cardiovascular disease. Thus, folates are major components of cardiovascular functionality.
Folate is an essential water-soluble B. vitamin that occurs naturally in food. As a result of these important metabolic activities, several dietary derivatives of folate are manufactured as supplements. Although most of the derivatives are capable of becoming converted into the metabolically active form (6S)5-methyltetrahydrofolate, the enzyme kinetics of such conversion can differ dramatically as well as the absorption rate and it is these differences that are important in determining the hierarchy of performance.
Folates are a group of pteroyglutamate acids that become structurally and functionally altered when reduced (adding electrons) or oxidized (removing electrons). In humans, folates are absorbed most readily as 5-methyltetrahydrofolate and it is the principal circulating form of folate. Other derivatives are hydrolyzed in the intestinal jejunum and the liver to the active form with an intermediate stable form (5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate).
5-methyltetrahydrofolate is the predominant form of folate in the circulatory system and is the type of folate that can cross the blood-brain barrier. 5-methyltetrahydrofolate is critical for brain development and normal mental health.
The endocrine system is a system of glands, each of which secretes a type of hormone into the bloodstream to regulate the body. The endocrine system is an information signal system like the nervous system. Hormones regulate many functions of an organism, including mood, growth and development, tissue function, and metabolism.
Thyroid-related medical conditions, and medications that are used in connection with thyroid conditions, are known to cause hematological issues in individuals, as well as in fetuses of such individuals who may be pregnant, or the children who receive breast milk from such individuals who have thyroid-related medical conditions and/or who are on thyroid medication. In addition, these thyroid-related medical conditions, and the medications that are used in connection with thyroid conditions, are known to cause adverse hepatic conditions regarding the liver, as well as having an adverse impact on other organs. Moreover, in addition to those persons who have thyroid-related medical conditions or who are taking medications for thyroid conditions, environmental conditions, and environmental contaminants are also known to impact the thyroid system of an individual, as well as the fetus of such individual or child nursing from such individual. Thus, the thyroid system can be impacted by thyroid-related medical conditions that develop within one's own body, by certain medications, and by the environment.
Typically, thyroid conditions are treated with medication to address the thyroid condition and bring the patient to a euthyroid state. That is the focus of the medical community and pharmaceutical community. However, bringing an individual to a euthyroid state does not sufficiently address the adverse conditions associated with low folate, as well as vitamin B12, and specifically low cerebrospinal folate. The medical and pharmaceutical communities have not been able to sufficiently address the further complications the thyroid-related medical conditions, and/or the medications that are used in connection with thyroid conditions, cause. For instance, anti-thyroid drugs are known to cause (a) numerous blood disorders (including, but not limited to, megaloblastic anemia, pancytopenia, aplastic anemia, neutropenia, agranulocytosis, thrombocytopenia, and leukopenia), (b) bone marrow suppression, and (c) hepatic dysfunction. In addition, thyroid-related medical conditions are known to cause similar conditions. For instance, hypothyroidism is known to cause iron, folate and/or vitamin B12 deficiencies, which with respect to folate or vitamin B12 deficiencies, can cause "macrocytic" or "megaloblastic" hematological conditions leading, in some cases, to bone marrow suppression and hepatic dysfunction, as well as dysfunction in other organs (polyglandular failure syndrome for instance).
Even further, autoimmune conditions like chronic autoimmune thyroiditis and Hashimoto's thyroiditis associated with pernicious anemia can cause even further vitamin B12 deficiencies that will not be corrected solely by thyroid hormone replacement, but also require specific vitamin B12 supplementation. Moreover, additional conditions that complicate the clinical picture are (1) "masked megaloblastic anemia" conditions that can arise from simultaneous iron and folate/vitamin B12 deficiencies, (2) lack of vitamin B12 which is critical in the metabolic pathway of converting folate into its biologically useful form, and (3) "polymorphisms" that are commonplace. For instance, the methylenetetrahydrofolate (MTHFR) polymorphism is very common, by some accounts up to 40% of the U.S. population. As a result, some individuals are naturally more susceptible to having cerebrospinal folate issues, or ancillary folate and/or vitamin B12 issues, than others based on whether or not they have the polymorphism. Yet, notwithstanding the foregoing, thyroid-related medical conditions and drugs that are used to treat thyroid conditions are not augmented with suitable folate and B12 supplementation protocols sufficient to prevent or ameliorate the adverse effects of low cerebrospinal folate.

Methods and compositions for treating thyroid-related medical conditions with reduced folates


Apparatus for handling a continuous web of Z-fold computer paper discharged from a printer includes a conveyor having spaced apart paper stacking and stacked paper removing regions. Included in the apparatus is a plurality of stacking blades moveable in a generally horizontal plane between extended and retracted positions. The blades are also moveable between upper and lower positions; in their upper position the extended blades are directly above the stacking region in a position to intercept a stream of paper from the printer, the intercepted paper forming an intermediate stack on the extended blades. When the blades are in their upper and retracted positions, they are positioned out of the stream of paper. In their lower position, the extended blades are directly below the conveyor paper stacking region. The extended blades and conveyor are relatively configured so that the blades can pass through the conveyor stacking region on their way to their lower position so that an intermediate stack of paper on the blades is deposited onto the stacking region for completion of the stack.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of apparatus for the handling of continuous webs of paper and, more particularly, to apparatus for handling a continuous web of Z-fold (fan-fold), tractor-feed computer paper that is discharged from a printer, such as a printer associated with a computer.
2. Background Discussion
It is well known that many computer printers, especially high speed printers associated with large computers, print on a continuous web of Z-fold (also often referred to as "fan-fold" or "accordion-fold") computer paper that has a row of sprocket or pin drive holes along each side edge. In operation, motorized drive sprockets or pin-studded belts associated with the printers engage these drive holes, thereby enabling the continuous webs of computer paper to be advanced at a selected printing speed through the printers. Such belt-type paper drives are sometimes referred to as "tractor" drives because of the resemblance of the studded paper drive belts to tractor treads.
Such continuous Z-fold paper is "divided" into "sheets," for example, 11 by 14 inches or 81/2 by 11 inches in size, that are separable one from another along transverse fold lines, the paper being slightly perforated or otherwise weakened at these fold lines so that, as desired or needed, the sheets can be easily separated one from another by tearing or "bursting."
Ordinarily, the two narrow strips along the sides of the paper through which the two opposing lines of drive holes are formed are also scored so they can be easily separated from the rest of the sheets. In this manner, individual computer printout sheets, comparable to standard sheets of paper, can easily be obtained for filing, copying or the like.
During printing, however, it is ordinarily highly desirable, if not necessary, for the sheets of the continuous web of computer paper to remain joined to one another so that the proper printing continuity is automatically maintained without the need for operator intervention or supervision. Although there are some single sheet printers which print on individual sheets of paper, such printers are not ordinarily used for high through-put as is needed for today's large, high speed computers.
Many high speed printers that print on a continuous web of Z-fold computer paper are constructed with a printed computer paper receiving bin directly beneath the paper discharge region of the printer. Because of the Z-fold construction of such continuous web of computer paper, when the paper exits the printer and falls into the bin under gravity, the paper naturally folds back and forth on itself along alternating transverse sheet separation lines so that a stack of sheet-sized printed computer paper is formed, with the top of each page (except the first page) being joined to the bottom of the preceding page. Representative of such high speed printers having integral, printed computer paper stacking bins is the SIEMENS-NIXDORF 2140 Model 3 electronic printing system.
An inherent disadvantage of such printers with integral stacking bins is that the bins necessarily have limited paper stacking capacity. This tends to be less than optimal, particularly when the printers are fed a very long continuous web of computer paper whose length is greater than can be stacked in the stacking bins after printing. As an illustration, my prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,573 discloses a Z-fold computer paper feeding apparatus for feeding to a printer a continuous web of computer paper that can have an extremely long length, as is highly desirable for modern high speed printers. Obviously, when the integral bin of a printer having such a bin becomes full (i.e., at most when the paper stack reaches the height of the bin), the stack must be manually removed by a printer operator or attendant. The printer cannot continue to process printed information until this stack removal chore is accomplished. Thus, data center operations are disrupted and the potential through-put of these high speed printers is reduced.
For the above-mentioned reasons, it is desirable to provide a means to accomplish this printed paper removal chore while the printer continues to process printed forms (i.e., continues to print).
Although various patents known to the present inventor disclose apparatus and methods for the stacking of cut sheets of paper or printed articles, commonly called "signatures," they do not disclose apparatus and methods for stacking Z-fold computer paper in an efficient and reliable manner that maintains the integrity of the continuous web of paper. U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,687 to Hayden, et al., for example, discloses a high speed stream fed stacker method and system f or printed products; however, the patent is applicable only to the stacking of printed signatures from a high speed printing press. In such case, all the signatures in a run would be expected to be identical and so there is no necessity for maintaining order, much less continuity between the signatures.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,255,885 to Klingler discloses a signature stacking mechanism for the stacking of printed signatures for packaging, but this patent also is not applicable to the stacking of a continuous web of Z-fold computer paper after it has been printed. In this same line, U.S. Pat. No. 3,160,413 to Faeber discloses method and apparatus for supporting stacks of printed signatures. Again, such apparatus is applicable to individual printed products and in not applicable to the stacking of Z-fold computer paper.
Some high speed printers use a roll feed system whereby the printer discharges the printed paper onto a take-up roll instead of permitting the paper to stack in the usual manner. While such a specialized printing system has the advantage of avoiding paper stacking problems such as those mentioned above, it has the disadvantage that the first printed "sheets" are at the center of the take-up spool and the last-printed sheets are at the outside of the roll formed on such take-up spool. This is in reverse order of what is ordinarily required. Therefore, the printed roll would normally have to be fed either onto a second take-up spool so that the first-printed sheets are the first ones accessible on the second spool or else fed into a special stacking apparatus. While such a specialized printing system has the advantage of avoiding paper stacking problems such as those mentioned above, it has the disadvantage of requiring additional equipment to process the printed roll into individual sheets. This equipment takes up valuable floor space, is not easily moved about, and is expensive to maintain. Moreover, the initial cost of such equipment makes it impractical for most applications.
For these and other reasons, the present inventor had invented a highly efficient Z-fold computer paper handling apparatus that is adaptable for use with conventional high speed printers which normally discharge the printed paper into an integral or associated bin, the inventor's apparatus automatically enabling the stacking of a number of interconnected stacks of paper on a conveyor.

Handling apparatus for a continuous web of Z-fold computer paper


The present invention provides a technology for enabling a natural voice reproduction in which, depending on a gazed character position, a position of a voice output character follows but not excessively reacts with the gazed character position. Therefore, in an electronic device provided with a display unit for displaying text on a screen, a voice outputting unit for outputting the text as voice, and a sight-line detection unit for detecting a sight-line direction of a user, a control unit changes a starting position at which a voice outputting unit starts voice output if a distance between the position of the current output character and the position of the current gazed character is a preset threshold or more.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology for displaying text and outputting the displayed text as voice.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, technologies for outputting electronic book contents as voice are known. Also, in order to prevent a user from easily losing the part where he or she is reading, methods for detecting a sight-line of the user, specifying a character (gazed or viewed character) that the user is gazing at on an electronic book content, and highlighting the gazed (viewed) character are known (e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-102360).
However, in the conventional art, since the position at which voice output is performed is changed while following the gazed character, the position at which voice output is performed frequently changes, thus preventing a natural voice reproduction.

Electronic device, information processing apparatus,and method for controlling the same


Video fingerprinting using watermarks is described herein. A watermark encoder embeds a watermark into an input video to produce a watermarked video. The watermark encoder can choose particular regions of the video that are sufficiently complex for watermarking. Spatial and temporal complexity analyses can be performed on a per-pixel basis to locate suitable regions of the video. The watermarks can be embedded using a unique codeword associated with a given user. A watermark decoder can receive the watermarked video. In some instances, the watermarked video may have been attacked in some way after being output by the watermark encoder. In these instances, the watermark decoder can extract the watermark from the watermarked video. In turn, the watermark decoder can extract the codeword from the watermark, and compare the extracted codeword to a plurality of known codewords associated with respective users.

Piracy is an increasing problem faced by video content owners, such as companies that produce, market, and distribute motion pictures. In some instances, the piracy takes the form of unauthorized duplication or leaking of video, whether voluntary or not. In other instances, the piracy can take the form of unauthorized adaptation, editing, or other transformation of the video.
In any event, the piracy may be an "inside job", in the sense that persons associated with, for example, the companies that produce, market, and distribute the motion pictures may be involved with the acts that constitute video piracy. In such instances, it may be beneficial to identify the insiders who are engaging in or otherwise involved with video piracy, whether such involvement is voluntary or not.

Video fingerprinting using complexity-regularized video watermarking by statistics quantization


An apparatus for repairing cystocele including an adjustable support member, a pair of superior support arms continuously knitted with said support member, and a pair of inferior support arms continuously knitted with said support member, wherein the distance between the pair of superior support arms and pair of inferior support arms can be increased or decreased by modifying the shape of the support member.

Vault or vaginal prolapse develops when intra-abdominal pressure pushes the vagina outside the body. This condition develops when the utero-sacral ligaments, which hold the vagina in position within the body cavity, are severed or damaged. The result of such damage is that the vagina has a tendency to invert which is uncomfortable and unhealthy, and renders the vagina unsuitable for intercourse.
Many techniques have been tried to correct or ameliorate the prolapse and its symptoms, with varying degrees of success. Nonsurgical treatment of prolapse involves measures to improve the factors associated with prolapse, including treating chronic cough, obesity, and constipation. Other nonsurgical treatments may include pelvic muscle exercises or supplementation with estrogen. These therapies may alleviate symptoms and prevent worsening, but the actual hernia will remain. Vaginal pessaries are the primary type of nonsurgical treatment, but there can be complications due to vaginal wall ulceration.
There is a desire to obtain a minimally invasive yet highly effective device and method that can be used to treat pelvic organ prolapse with minimal to no side effects. Such a device should reduce the complexity of the surgical procedure, be biocompatible, adjustable, and non-toxic. The treatment methods using the device should reduce pain, operative risks, infections and post operative hospital stays. Further, the method of treatment should also improve the quality of life for patients.

Method and apparatus for treatment of vaginal anterior repairs


An electric iron having electrical terminals connected to an electrical power cord. At least one of the terminals extends through a slot in a heat insulating skirt at the rear of the soleplate. The terminal substantially blocks the slot. The terminal also has a narrow neck section above the slot The terminal is twisted or bent at the narrow neck section to prevent the terminal from being pushed back through the slot.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical appliances and, more particularly, to an electrical contact terminal.
2. Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 2,140,756 discloses an iron with male contacts at its rear that plug into female contacts. U.S. Pat. No. 5,221,874 discloses planar contact terminals introduced through slots in a wall. Other documents that disclose different electrical conductors include Japanese patent publication No. 3-148.893 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,880,491 and 5,079,672.

Assembly of an electrical contact terminal in an electrical appliance


An image segmentation method and device, a computer device and a non-volatile storage medium are provided. The image segmentation method includes: performing super-pixel segmentation on an image to be segmented to obtain a super-pixel image, and binarizing the image to be segmented to obtain a binary image; combining the super-pixel image and the binary image to obtain a binary super-pixel image; performing distance transformation on the binary super-pixel image, to obtain a grayscale super-pixel image; marking seed points in the grayscale super-pixel image, to obtain a seed point super-pixel image in which grayscale values of the seed points are greater than a first value, and grayscale values of pixel blocks other than the seed points in target regions are the first value; and marking and filling the pixel blocks, grayscale values of which are the first value in the seed point super-pixel image, to obtain a segmented image.

Image segmentation is a technology and process of dividing an image into a plurality of specific regions with unique properties and extracting a target of interest. It is a key step from image processing to image analysis. Existing image segmentation methods mainly include the following categories: a threshold-based segmentation method, a region-based segmentation method, an edge-based segmentation method, a segmentation method based on specific theories, and so on. From a mathematical point of view, image segmentation is a process of dividing a digital image into regions that do not intersect with each other. The process of image segmentation is also a marking process, that is, assigning a same label to pixels which are located at a same region.

Image segmentation method and device, computer device and non-volatile storage medium


An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for providing system feedback from combined input values in a sensor-based control system wherein the reliability of a sensor response is questionable under defined conditions. The apparatus, in one embodiment, is configured to determine an output value. The apparatus may include an input module for receiving input from a sensor configured to provide a sensor response, an estimated expected response value, and a control module for determining an output value based on input from the sensor response and from the expected response value. To determine an output value, the sensor response and the expected response value may be weighted according to a predicted reliability of the sensor response or the model. The system may be embodied in an exhaust gas after-treatment system.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to feedback systems and more particularly relates to apparatus, systems and methods for combining sensor-based input and input from an estimation to determine an output value.
2. Description of the Related Art
Environmental concerns have motivated the implementation of emission requirements for internal combustion engines throughout much of the world. Governmental agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States, carefully monitor the emission quality of engines and set acceptable emission standards, to which all engines must comply. Generally, emission requirements vary according to engine type. Emission tests for compression-ignition (diesel) engines typically monitor the release of diesel particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and unburned hydrocarbons (UHC). Catalytic converters implemented in an exhaust gas after-treatment system have been used to eliminate many of the pollutants present in exhaust gas. However, to remove diesel particulate matter, typically a diesel particulate filter (DPF) must be installed downstream from a catalytic converter, or in conjunction with a catalytic converter.
A common diesel particulate filter comprises a porous ceramic matrix with parallel passageways through which exhaust gas passes. Particulate matter subsequently accumulates on the surface of the filter, creating a buildup which must eventually be removed to prevent obstruction of the exhaust gas flow. Common forms of particulate matter are ash and soot. Ash, typically a residue of burnt engine oil, is substantially incombustible and builds slowly within the filter. Soot, chiefly composed of carbon, results from incomplete combustion of fuel and generally comprises a large percentage of particulate matter buildup. Various conditions, including, but not limited to, engine operating conditions, mileage, driving style, terrain, etc., affect the rate at which particulate matter accumulates within a diesel particulate filter.
Accumulation of particulate matter typically causes backpressure within the exhaust system. Excessive backpressure on the engine can degrade engine performance. Particulate matter, in general, oxidizes in the presence of NO2 at modest temperatures, or in the presence of oxygen at higher temperatures. If too much particulate matter has accumulated when oxidation begins, the oxidation rate may get high enough to cause an uncontrolled temperature excursion. The resulting heat can destroy the filter and damage surrounding structures. Recovery can be an expensive process.
To prevent potentially hazardous situations, it is desirable to oxidize accumulated particulate matter in a controlled regeneration process before it builds to excessive levels. To oxidize the accumulated particulate matter, temperatures generally must exceed the temperatures typically reached at the filter inlet. Oxidation temperatures will be achieved under normal operating conditions in some applications, although in others, additional methods to initiate regeneration of a diesel particulate filter must be used. In one method, a reactant, such as diesel fuel, is introduced into an exhaust after-treatment system to generate temperature and initiate oxidation of particulate buildup in the filter. Partial or complete regeneration may occur depending on the duration of time the filter is exposed to elevated temperatures and the amount of particulate matter remaining on the filter. Partial regeneration, caused either by controlled regeneration or uncontrolled regeneration, can contribute to irregular distribution of particulate matter across the substrate of a particulate filter.
Controlled regeneration traditionally has been initiated at set intervals, such as distance traveled or time passed. Interval based regeneration, however, has not proven to be totally effective for several reasons. First, regenerating a particulate filter with little or no particulate buildup lessens the fuel economy of the engine and unnecessarily exposes the particulate filter to destructive temperature cycles. Second, if particulate matter accumulates significantly before the next regeneration, backpressure from blockage of the exhaust flow can negatively affect engine performance. In addition, regeneration (intentional or unintentional) of a particulate filter containing large quantities of particulate buildup can become uncontrolled and potentially cause filter failure or the like. Consequently, many particulate filters regenerated on a set interval must be replaced frequently to maintain the integrity of an exhaust gas after-treatment system.
Recently, attempts have been made to estimate the amount of particulate matter accumulated in a particulate filter in order to respond more efficiently to actual particulate buildup, such as, in one widely used method, through differential pressure across a diesel particulate filter. These attempts, however, often do not account for variations in engine operating conditions, sensor noise-to-measurement levels, exhaust flow estimate errors, and unevenly distributed particulate accumulation. In many cases they also integrate errors over time and deviate from real soot loading conditions.
From the foregoing discussion, it should be apparent that a need exists for an apparatus, system, and method that provide representative feedback based on combined input from a sensor and input from a calculated estimate. Beneficially, such an apparatus, system, and method, particularly when applied to an exhaust gas after-treatment system, would enable effective and timely regeneration of a diesel particulate filter, increase the fuel economy of a vehicle, extend the life expectancy of a diesel particulate filter, and increase the overall efficiency of an engine.

Apparatus, system, and method for providing combined sensor and estimated feedback


A phase contrast electron microscope has an objective (8) with a back focal plane (10), a first diffraction lens (11), which images the back focal plane (10) of the objective (8) magnified into a diffraction intermediate image plane, a second diffraction lens (15) whose principal plane is mounted in the proximity of the diffraction intermediate image plane and a phase-shifting element (16) which is mounted in or in the proximity of the diffraction intermediate image plane. Also, a phase contrast electron microscope has an objective (8) having a back focal plane (10), a first diffraction lens (11), a first phase-shifting element and a second phase-shifting element which is mounted in or in the proximity of the diffraction intermediate image plane. The first diffraction lens (11) images the back focal plane of the objective magnified into a diffraction intermediate image plane and the first phase-shifting element is mounted in the back focal plane (10) of the objective (8). With the magnified imaging of the diffraction plane by the diffraction lens, the dimensional requirements imposed on the phase plate having the phase-shifting element are reduced.

Electron microscope specimens are, as a rule, phase objects which generate only a very slight amplitude contrast in a transmission electron microscope because of the high electron energy in the range of 100 keV and higher. For this reason, in a conventional transmission electron microscope, objects of this kind generate a contrast only when utilizing the phase-shifting effect of the spherical aberration of the transmission electron microscope and are therefore imaged with correspondingly little contrast in a conventional transmission electron microscope. The introduction of a phase plate into the back focal plane of the objective of the transmission electron microscope therefore provides a large increase in contrast in a manner similar to the generation of a phase contrast in phase objects according to Zernicke in the optical microscopy. However, the dimensions required in a transmission electron microscope are problematic. Especially when the so-called unscattered ray (that is, only the ray which is undiffracted at the specimen) is to be shifted in phase, but the ray, which is diffracted at the specimen into the first order or higher orders, is intended to be uninfluenced by the phase plate, the small diameter of the unscattered ray of less than 1 μm imposes considerable requirements on the technology because, for the phase plate, freedom from contamination, freedom of charging and dielectric strength are required.
For generating the phase-shifting effect, basically two starting points are known, namely: for the first starting point, the phase plate is realized as a correspondingly small configured electrostatic lens which imparts a phase shift only to the unscattered ray but leaves the higher diffracting orders entirely or substantially uninfluenced. For the second starting point, a thin foil is used which is substantially transparent for electrons of the electron energy used in the transmission electron microscope and which has the required structure. For the second starting point, the inherent electrostatic potentials of the material are used in order to impart the desired phase shift onto the unscattered ray or onto the scattered electron rays. The first starting point has the disadvantage that the small electrostatic lens perforce requires outer holding structures which interrupt regions wherein the paths of the electrons run which are diffracted into high diffraction orders whereby important information is lost for the generation of images. With respect to the latter, the second starting point has the disadvantage that the higher orders of diffraction, which are anyway very weak compared to the unscattered ray, are additionally weakened by the unavoidable material absorption of the foil. Because of these technological problems, no phase contrast electron microscopes with phase-shifting elements directly in the back focal plane of the objective lens could, up to now, be successfully established in the marketplace as commercial products even though the basics for the generation of phase contrast have been known for more than fifty years.
Phase contrast electron microscopes are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,744,048 and 6,797,956 which are incorporated herein by reference.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,744,048, the suggestion is made to image the back focal plane of the objective by a lens system and to arrange the phase-shifting element in the image plane of the diffraction plane of the objective with the image plane being generated by the lens system.


A microtome for producing thin sections for microscopy is suggested that has a high level of automation and can be operated ergonomically. The microtome has a sectioning knife, a specimen holder, a first and a second motor unit operating the knife, a control system and an operating unit comprising a first and a second operating element. The first operating element controls the relative displacement between the sectioning knife and specimen holder, while the second operating element adjusts the advance rate of the displacement. The first operating element is a rotating ring and the second element is a rotary knob, concentrically within the rotating ring.

The present invention relates to a microtome for producing thin sections for microscopy.
Microtomes are increasingly being equipped with motor units in order to implement the necessary displacement between the sectioning knife and specimen holder, and for the oscillating motion between sectioning knife and specimen holder to generate the thin sections. In this context, a person actuates an operating unit whose signals are processed by a control system so that a first motor unit executes a relative motion between a sectioning knife and a specimen holder in order to bring the two closer to or farther away from one another. The movement speed can be relatively high for the coarse drive mode, until contact takes place between the sectioning knife and a specimen on the specimen holder. When the sectioning knife is in contact with the specimen, the advance must be decreased or halted in order not to destroy the specimen, for example a biological tissue sample. The advance rate for each sectioning motion for generation of the thin sections is often on the order of micrometers, and is thus much lower than for the aforementioned coarse drive mode. This coarse drive mode is usually implemented in different speed increments depending on the distance of the specimen from the sectioning knife. The closer the sectioning knife is to the specimen, the more slowly the further approach should occur so as not to damage the specimen. When controlling this approach, the operator should, if possible, not turn his or her gaze away from the specimen. Operation of the various control parameters, such as coarse drive, fine positioning, and adjustment of the advance rate, with a single hand would be advantageous in this context.
EP 0 920 613 B1 discloses a rotating disc microtome in which at least one specimen holder is mounted on a disc. The oscillating motion between the sectioning knife and specimen holder is produced by rotation of the disc. Relative displacement of the sectioning knife with respect to the specimen holder can be accomplished with a variety of actions: for example, the sectioning knife can be moved horizontally along a base bed, the disc can be moved along the base bed or along the oblique rotation axis of the disc, the disc can be moved vertically on the base bed, and/or the sectioning knife can be moved vertically with the disc placed obliquely.
DE 199 11 163 C1 discloses a microtome in which the displacement of a handwheel is converted, with the aid of electronic positioning elements, into electrical signals that enable control in such a way that a motor unit executes a relative motion between the specimen holder and sectioning knife.

Microtome having concentric operating elements for controlling a motor unit