A method of manufacturing a disk drive (10) including determining and implementing skew values for each head (12a-12d) of the disk drive (10) during a production test phase is provided herein. The method for each head (12a-12d) includes initiating a head switch test series, measuring a head switch time, computing an average head switch time, computing a standard deviation of the head switch times, and computing a head skew based on the average and the standard deviation of the head switch times. The method for each head (12a-12d) further includes initiating a single-cylinder seek test, measuring a single-cylinder seek time, computing an average single-cylinder seek time, computing a standard deviation of the single-cylinder seek times, and computing a cylinder skew based on the average and the standard deviation of the single cylinder seek times. The present invention also includes a disk drive (10) that includes a base (24), at least one storage disk (14), at least one actuator arm (26a-26d) for positioning each of the heads (12a-12d) near the storage disk (14), and skew settings for each of the heads (12a-12d) determined during a production test phase of the disk drive (10) manufacturing process. Individual skew settings for each head (12a-12d) ensure a greater precision in disk drive (10) operation and an increased efficiency of the disk drive (10).

The present invention relates generally to methods for preparing and operating disk drives for computer systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods for improving disk drive performance by determining and implementing skew settings for each data transducer of each disk drive.
Data storage devices are widely used in computers and data processing systems for storing information in digital form. These devices include disk drives, which commonly use one or more rotating magnetic storage disks to store data. Each storage disk typically includes a data storage surface on each side of the storage disk. These storage surfaces are divided into a plurality of narrow, annular, concentric regions of different radii, commonly referred to as xe2x80x9ctracksxe2x80x9d. Additionally, each storage surface typically includes a plurality of wedge-shaped xe2x80x9csectorsxe2x80x9d. Typically, a read/write head is utilized to transfer data to and from the tracks of the data storage surfaces. As used herein, the read/write head is also sometimes referred to as a xe2x80x9cheadxe2x80x9d or a xe2x80x9cdata transducerxe2x80x9d.
Within data storage devices, e.g. disk drives, if a sequential data transfer crosses a boundary from one head to another, or crosses a cylinder boundary, i.e., when data associated with the last sector of a track and the first sector of the next sequential track are included in the transfer, there is a negative impact on data throughput since the transfer of data must be interrupted while a head switch or single-cylinder seek procedure is completed. The term xe2x80x9cseek timexe2x80x9d describes the latency that occurs from the initiation of a head switch or single-cylinder seek operation until the data transfer can be continued, i.e. restarted.
A xe2x80x9cseekxe2x80x9d process encompasses activities associated with positioning the heads to a predetermined location on the disk drive medium (sometimes referred to herein as a xe2x80x9ctarget trackxe2x80x9d) to initiate data recording and data retrieval sequences. The seek process will typically involve one or both of the following steps:
1. A xe2x80x9csingle-cylinder seekxe2x80x9d, also known as xe2x80x9ccylinder switchxe2x80x9d, involves operating the actuator to move the heads across the disk surfaces. This motion permits moving the heads from cylinder to cylinder, as required. Moving the heads from a cylinder to a next adjacent cylinder, e.g. moving from cylinder to cylinder, is known as a single-cylinder seek.
2. xe2x80x9cHead selectionxe2x80x9d, also known as xe2x80x9chead switchxe2x80x9d, involves activating different heads which are associated with different storage surfaces of the storage disks to be used during a required data transfer. As illustrated in FIG. 2, a head switch occurs when a data transfer first requires head 12a, then head 12b to be sequentially activated, for example
A xe2x80x9cskewxe2x80x9d of a track is defined as the physical offset of logical sector zero of the target track from logical sector zero of the preceding track. Stated another way, because the storage disks continue to rotate during the latency period caused by a single-cylinder seek or a head switch, a particular measurable offset occurs, called a xe2x80x9cskewxe2x80x9d. By configuring the disk drive to account for these known xe2x80x9cdelaysxe2x80x9d or skews, the disk drive is able to operate with greater efficiency, with a decrease in the interruption time while reading and/or writing data to a storage disk. The purpose of the skew is to improve disk drive performance by compensating for the rotation of the medium that occurs during the time it takes to complete a corresponding seek operation. The size of the physical offset, or the xe2x80x9cskew valuexe2x80x9d, is determined by the seek time associated with the required operation.
Disk drive units typically use two different track skew values: xe2x80x9chead skewxe2x80x9d, which is associated with a head switch operation, i.e. switching from one head to another, and xe2x80x9ccylinder skewxe2x80x9d, which involves a single-cylinder seek operation, i.e. movement of the head from one cylinder to another. Since the time required to complete a head switch operation will usually differ from that required for a single-cylinder seek operation, different skews are associated with each operation. For example, during sequential data transfer operations, in a disk drive unit having n heads, track zero of each cylinder is always assumed to be the target track during a single-cylinder seek operation and is given a cylinder skew consistent with that operation. During a head switch operation, each of the tracks 1 through n-1 associated with each cylinder is assumed to be a target track and receives a head skew consistent with that operation.
In the past, skew values associated with a particular disk drive product were determined during the product development cycle. Commonly, all disk drive units in a product line carried the same skew values. Skew values have typically been determined by several factors, among them head mass, disk rotation speed (RPM), flexibility of the flex cable, etc. The prevailing approach was to use greater skew values that would avoid xe2x80x9cslipped revolutionsxe2x80x9d, i.e. when a data transfer is delayed a full disk revolution because of an intervening head switch or single-cylinder seek operation. The prevailing thought has been that the skew values should be higher than measured in order to provide a xe2x80x9cmargin of safetyxe2x80x9d in order to prevent slipped revolutions. Unfortunately, the problem with this approach has been that by using somewhat higher skew values to avoid slipped revolutions, a decrease in efficiency was realized over time. Higher skew values result in longer access times, which is not conducive to high performance. In other words, excessively increasing the skew value in an attempt to avoid a slipped revolution results in a greater loss of time than more precisely setting the skew value and suffering an occasional slipped revolution.
In addition, slight changes in shape occur to the heads of a disk drive during operation. These changes occur as a result of heat, aerodynamic forces, etc. Oftentimes, one head can become misaligned relative to the other heads following usage of the disk drive. Head misalignment can impact the skew value of each individual head. This effect on the skew values can adversely affect the speed and efficiency of the disk drive.
Therefore, there exists a need for a method of determining skew values for each individual disk drive and implementing the values into each drive in a manner that is conducive to high performance disk drives. Further, the need exists to provide a method for determining skew values for each individual head of every disk drive, and implementing the skew values into each drive. Still another need exists to provide a disk drive consistent with this methodology which is relatively easy and inexpensive to manufacture.
The present invention satisfies these needs. A general object of the present invention is to determine and implement skew values for each disk drive to improve performance of the disk drive. Preferably, head skew and cylinder skew values are calculated and implemented for each of the heads of the disk drive during a production test phase of the disk drive manufacturing process. Uniquely, data is compiled during the production test phase of the disk drive manufacturing process and is used to calculate and implement skew values for each individual head of each disk drive.
Preferably, the method of manufacturing a disk drive includes initiating a head switch test series for a first head, measuring a head switch time for the first head, computing an average head switch time for the first head, computing a standard deviation of the head switch times for the first head, and computing a head skew based on the average and the standard deviation of the head switch times for the first head. This process is typically repeated for each head in the disk drive.
The present invention is also directed toward a disk drive that includes a base, at least one storage disk mounted to the base, and at least one actuator arm for positioning a head near the storage disk. Importantly, the disk drive also includes skew settings for each of the heads determined during a production test phase of the disk drive manufacturing process. By determining individual skew settings for each of the heads, a greater precision in disk drive operation is achieved. Additionally, accurately setting the skews for each head results in an increased efficiency of the disk drive.
These and other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed descriptions and studying the various figures of the drawings.


A method of conditioning a body for swimming in conjunction with an inclined bench of the type having a sliding top carriage comprising the steps of: a) providing i) a vibration generation unit having a housing containing vibration generation and a vibrating member; ii) a member attachment to facilitate transmission of the generated vibration to the body; and a base for the vibration generation unit capable of orienting the vibrating member in a position generally parallel to an incline of the bench; b) orienting the vibration generation unit on the base so that its vibrating member reciprocates on a plane generally parallel to the bench; and, c) positioning and securing the vibration generation unit beneath the bench. Then a swimmer lying face down on and carried by the carriage can slide the carriage cyclically along the incline by pressing his hands on the vibrating member attachment specifically conditioning his arms and upper torso.

In recent years the popularity of using low frequency mechanical vibration in training has been growing. Vibration training is currently a regular topic of debates in scientific conferences and coaches' clinics. Many articles have been published in scientific magazines about the beneficial effects of vibration on strength and power, flexibility, balance, rehabilitation after injuries, recovery after high intensity training, bone density, and neurophysiology including blood circulation and human growth hormone production. It has been reported that low frequency and short period muscle vibration induces improvements in strength, power, and/or flexibility similar to those observed after several weeks of heavy training.
The benefits of vibration as a training and treatment methodology have been known as early as the 60's and 70's. (Hagabarth, K. E., & G. Eklund, 1965; Coerman, R., et al., 1965; Butkovovskja, Z. M., & I. G. Boldyrev, 1967; Macchioni, P., et al., 1968; Kozminska, A., et al., 1970; Homma, S., et al., 1972; Arinchin, N. I., 1974 etc.) Russian scientist V. T. Nazarov used vibration as a training tool in gymnastics and several other sports (1983, 1984, 1987). Research demonstrates that only 10-20 minutes per day of exposure to vibration results in increasing levels of testosterone, doubling of muscle blood flow and energy metabolism, and quadrupling Human Growth Hormone production; as well as increasing bone density comparably to, hours of high impact, strenuous physical activity.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,659,918 issued to H. Scheissl discloses a vibrating platform used to run on. One of the problems with this device is that it has limited capacity to adjust frequency of vibration. While frequency in the 25-35 Hz range is optimal, a selected frequency in that range is optimal for a particular targeted effect. For example, blood flow has been documented to almost double at the lower end of this frequency range, while 35 Hz is dramatically better for neuro muscular effects. Yet another problem with Scheissl's platform is that it has minimal effect on the upper torso and arms. Genadijus Sokolovas, the inventor herein, and Director of USA Swimming, has developed a vibration generator which can target specific groups of muscles. U.S. Olympic swimmers regularly use and appreciate the benefits that this vibration generator has had on their upper torsoes and arms.

Body vibration generator having attachments for exercises to target body regions


This disclosure generally relates to a method and system for counting words spoken by a user. For example, an audio input representative of spoken speech may be received and divided into a series of windows. The windows may be analyzed to determine whether or not one or more of the windows meet one or more speech criteria. The number of times a window meets one or more speech criteria may be counted and modified by a modifier factor to determine a word count. The word count may be output in a graphical user interface.

1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates generally to a continuous analysis word counter. More specifically, the device disclosed herein relates to a device that may receive audio input representative of one or more spoken words, analyze the audio input continuously, and determine a number of words spoken by a user over a period of time.
2. Description of the Related Art
Word count is at least one metric used to quantify levels of human interaction. In one example, word processing programs use word count to assess an approximate length of a document. Some courts in the United States, for example, limit the number of words that may be submitted in a pleading. Written word counts are relatively simple to ascertain. For example, a word processing program may identify a word by determining whether or not an alphanumeric character appears between two grammatical spaces. Alternatively, because written words are fixed on paper or an electronic display, a word count may be ascertained by simple counting.
Spoken word counts, however, are more difficult to ascertain than written word counts. Nonetheless, a word count for spoken words is a useful metric for ascertaining human interaction in a number of circumstances. For example, public speakers may use a word count to assess effectiveness in addressing a crowd. In another example, recent research has shown a correlation between brain development in young children and the degree of interaction they have with parents and others. Specifically, a high degree of correlation exists between the quantity of words spoken to children younger than four years old and brain development in children younger than four years old. Simply put, the number of words spoken to a child between birth and age four largely sets the child's mental ability trajectory for the child's lifetime. Given the importance many caregivers place on a child's success in life, and the correlation between the quantity of words spoken to a child and brain development, it is desirable to track the number of words spoken to a child, for example, over a substantial period of time, even years. Conventional technology, however, has failed to provide adequate ability to accurately count and track a number of spoken words.
For example, conventionally, spoken word counts have been ascertained by recording and subsequently transcribing speech for manual counting. While this technology is fairly accurate in determining a spoken word count, this method of manually obtaining a count is profoundly inefficient in terms of effort and time effectiveness. Alternatively, an observer may manually count words as the words are spoken. However, manually counting words as they are spoken is prone to error and can be quite expensive in terms of paying the observer to manually count words. Accordingly, accurately tracking a number of words spoken over time has heretofore been profoundly difficult, expensive, and time consuming, if possible at all.
Accordingly, it is one object of this disclosure to provide an apparatus to count the number of words spoken by a user. Another object of this disclosure is to provide an apparatus that continuously counts the number of words spoken by a user in real time. A further object of this disclosure is to provide alternative low-power options for counting words in a mobile device with a reasonable degree of accuracy.


A new and improved high pressure post valve used to control the flow of high pressure gas, e.g., oxygen, from a high pressure gas cylinder. More particularly, the improvements are directed to three different inventive embodiments: (1) manufacturing the post valve from cylindrical metal bar stock to contain a unitary valve body having an integral valve body seat ring for seating against gas cylinder structure, thereby preventing gas leakage between the valve body and the valve body seat ring; (2) providing the post valve with a valve actuator having an annular valve seat, surrounding a valve cavity, and disposing a deformable valve seat material in position to surround a gas inlet orifice for sealing contact with the annular actuator valve seat for sealing in an area surrounding the gas inlet orifice to prevent direct contact of high pressure inlet gas against the valve seat material; and (3) disposing of filter within a gas inlet orifice of the post valve to remove any solids entrained in the high pressure gas to prevent solids from contacting the valve actuator.

A post valve is a valve that is used to control flow of fluid, typically gas, out of a high pressure container or cylinder. Post valves are, for example, common on high pressure oxygen cylinders, and typically have a hand crank mechanism that allows a person to manually open and close the valve to enable or disable the flow of gas from the cylinder. A seat ring is disposed between the valve body and the gas cylinder and either one or two elastomeric O-rings are placed on one or both sides of the seat ring to limit gas escaping from the gas cylinder between a gas cylinder-connecting threaded extension and the gas cylinder.
During operation, the valve actuator is turned, using a handle, knob or other turning mechanism connected thereto, to open a valve orifice within the valve body to thereby allow gas to enter through a passageway within the threaded extension and to flow out of a gas cylinder outlet orifice to the valve actuator. The outlet orifice may be fluidly connected to a device that uses the gas within the gas cylinder, such as a torch or a breathing apparatus.
In prior art post valves, the seat ring is created or machined as a separate part and is placed over a collar on the threaded extension before the post valve is attached to the gas cylinder. In the past, O-rings have been placed on both sides of the seat ring, or without an O-ring between the seat ring and the valve body, and the seat ring has been press fitted onto the collar of the threaded extension. In either case, there is some opportunity for high pressure gas within the gas cylinder to escape through the threaded engagement of the extension and the inner diameter of the seat ring. Further, the manufacturing of the seat ring apart from the valve body creates additional parts and results in a process that has additional manufacturing and assembly steps, which is undesirable.
In a first embodiment of the high pressure post valve described herein, there is disclosed a method of manufacturing a post valve so that the seat ring is integrally formed thereon. The seat ring is integrally formed on the bottom side of the valve body with the gas cylinder-connecting threaded extension extending therefrom. This manufacturing procedure results in a post valve that provides no opportunity for gas to escape between the seat ring and the valve body. The manufacturing process includes starting with round metal bar stock, which is less expensive than the square or rectangular bar stock now used to machine the valve bodies, and cutting or etching away the outer diameter of the round metal stock to create the square or rectangular portions of the valve body The seat ring is turned or left to be circular. The threaded extension also is turned to the proper diameter. Thereafter, exterior holes (such as the outlet orifice) are created by side cuts or drill cuts. Next, the interior sections of the valve body are machined and the threads are cut into the threaded extension. Because this manufacturing process starts with the less expensive round bar stock, the entire manufacturing process is cheaper than the traditional process which starts with square or rectangular bar stock and uses a separate, press fitted or floating circular seat ring.
Another serious disadvantage of extant post valves for connection to a high pressure gas supply is that sometimes when the valve is opened, high pressure gas carries solid particulate materials into a valve cavity of the valve actuator (such as metal particles or dust from the gas cylinder). These high speed particles strike against the polymeric valve seat sealing material, thereby creating sufficient heat to ignite the valve seat material. This is potentially very dangerous to a patient receiving oxygen, and to those surrounding the high pressure gas cylinder.
Typical in the prior art, the actuator is coupled to a valve seat, typically made of brass, disposed in a valve chamber. Longitudinal movement of the actuator causes the valve seat to move toward or away from a conical gas inlet orifice. When the valve seat is moved away from the gas inlet orifice, gas under high pressure enters into the valve chamber through a passageway within the threaded extension and through the gas inlet orifice. The actuator valve seat includes a circular cavity. Valve seating material, typically a polymer or elastomeric material, is disposed within the cavity and, when the post valve is closed, comes into sealing contact with the conical gas inlet orifice to prevent gas from entering into the valve chamber. The polymer or elastomeric material is used at the seating surface of the orifice because it is softer than brass and thus provides a better seal. However, when the actuator is turned to cause the valve seat to move away from the orifice, gas under very high pressure flows through the orifice and comes into direct contact with the valve seat material 42. Impurities in the gas, such as particles, will hit the valve seat material directly at very high speeds. In some cases, the energy in these particles is enough to cause ignition of the valve seat material, which may lead to the combustion of the post valve and down stream components.
As disclosed herein in the second embodiment, the improved valve design includes the valve seat material 50 disposed to surround the gas inlet orifice. In this configuration, the bottom surface of the annular ring comprising the actuator valve seat provides sealing contact with the valve seat material in an area surrounding, and preferably below, the inlet orifice so that impurities within the gas flowing at high speeds through the orifice first hit a metal surface in the valve cavity, which has a much higher ignition temperature than the valve seat material. This configuration reduces the likelihood of impurities within the gas causing ignition with the post valve.


The invention relates to a method for encapsulating multi-layer partitioned timed media data in a server, the multi-layer partitioned timed media data comprising timed samples, each timed sample being encoded into a first layer and at least one second layer, at least one timed sample comprising at least one subsample, each subsample being encoded into the first layer or the at least one second layer. The method comprises: obtaining at least one subsample from at least one of the timed samples; creating a track comprising the at least one obtained subsample; and generating a descriptive metadata associated with the created track, the descriptive metadata being organized into one main descriptive box per track, the descriptive information about the organization of the different layers being included into one or more sub-boxes, wherein at most one main descriptive box comprises the one or more sub-boxes.

Video coding is a way of transforming a series of video images into a compact digitized bit-stream so that the video images can be transmitted or stored. An encoding device is used to code the video images, with an associated decoding device being available to reconstruct the bit-stream for display and viewing. A general aim is to form the bit-stream so as to be of smaller size than the original video information. This advantageously reduces the capacity required of a transfer network, or storage device, to transmit or store the bit-stream code. To be transmitted, a video bit-stream is generally encapsulated according to a transmission protocol that typically adds headers and check bits. Video streaming mechanisms are widely deployed and used over the Internet network and mobile networks to stream audio/video media over HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) such as 3GPP's Adaptive HTTP Streaming (AHS), Microsoft's Smooth Streaming or Apple's HTTP live streaming for instance.
Recently, the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) published a new standard to unify and supersede existing streaming solutions over HTTP. This new standard, called "Dynamic adaptive streaming over HTTP (DASH)", is intended to support a media-streaming model over HTTP based on standard web servers, in which intelligence (i.e. selection of media data to stream and dynamic adaptation of the bit-streams to user choices, network conditions, and client capabilities) relies exclusively on client choices and devices.
In this model, a media presentation is organized in data segments and in a manifest called "Media Presentation Description (MPD)" which represents the organization of timed media data to be presented. In particular, a manifest comprises resource identifiers to use for downloading data segments and provides the context to select and combine those data segments to obtain a valid media presentation. Resource identifiers are typically HTTP-URLs (Uniform Resource Locator), possibly combined with byte ranges. Based on a manifest, a client device determines at any time which media segments are to be downloaded from a media data server according to its needs, its capabilities (e.g. supported codecs, display size, frame rate, level of quality, etc.), and depending on network conditions (e.g. available bandwidth).
It is to be noted that there exist alternative protocols to HTTP, for example the Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP).
In addition, video resolution is continuously increasing, going from standard definition (SD) to high definition (HD), and to ultra-high definition (e.g. 4K2K or 8K4K, that is to say video comprising images of 4,096×2,400 pixels or 7,680×4,320 pixels). However, not all receiving and video decoding devices have resources (e.g. network access bandwidth or CPU (Central Processing Unit)) to access video in full resolution, in particular when video is of ultra-high definition, and not all users need to access such video. In such a context, it is particularly advantageous to provide the ability of accessing only some Regions-of-Interest (ROls) that is to say to access only some spatial sub-parts of a whole video sequence.
A known mechanism to access spatial sub-parts of frames belonging to a video consists in organizing each frame of the video as an arrangement of independently decodable spatial areas generally referred to as tiles. Some video formats such HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) provide support for tile definition. A user-defined ROI may cover one or several contiguous tiles.
As an alternative, a user may select a ROI if he wants to focus only on a particular detail of the pictures in the video sequences.
Accordingly, for streaming video sequences or the user-selected ROls according to HTTP protocol, it is important to provide encapsulation of timed media data of an encoded video bit-stream in a way that enables spatial access to one or more tiles and that enables combination of accessed tiles.
It is to be recalled that encoded video bit-streams are organized into NAL (Network Abstraction Layer) units which are generally constructed as a set of contiguous temporal samples that correspond to complete frames, the temporal samples being organized as a function of the decoding order. File formats are used to encapsulate and describe such encoded bit-streams.
For the sake of illustration, the International Standard Organization Base Media File Format (ISO BMFF) is a well-known flexible and extensible format that describes encoded timed media data bit-streams either for local storage or transmission via a network or via another bit-stream delivery mechanism. This file format is object-oriented. It is composed of building blocks called boxes that are sequentially or hierarchically organized and that define parameters of the encoded timed media data bit-stream such as timing and structure parameters. According to this file format, the timed media data bit-stream is contained in a data structure referred to as mdat box that is defined in another data structure referred to as track box. The track represents a timed sequence of samples where a sample corresponds to all the data associated with a single timestamp that is to say all the data associated with a single frame or all the data associated with several frames sharing the same timestamp.
For scalable video such as video of the multi-layer HEVC format, the layered media data organization can be efficiently represented by using multiple dependent tracks, each track representing the video at a particular level of scalability. In order to avoid data duplication between tracks, extractors can be used. According to a standard file format, an extractor is a specific kind of network abstraction layer (NAL) data structure directly included in a bit-stream that enables efficient extraction of other network abstraction layer (NAL) units from other bit-streams. For instance, the bit-stream of an enhancement layer track may comprise extractors that reference NAL units from a base layer track. Then later on, when such enhancement layer track is extracted from the file format, extractors must be replaced by the data that they are referencing.
Several strategies can be adopted when using ISO BMFF embedding these mechanisms to describe sub-information and to ease access to this sub-information or to efficiently organize bit-streams into multiple segments.
For example, in the article entitled "Implications of the ISO Base Media File Format on Adaptive HTTP Streaming of H.264/SVC", the authors, Kofler et al., present three different strategies for organizing a scalable video bit-stream (H264/SVC) for HTTP streaming considering possibilities as well as limitations of the ISO BMFF:
a) a single file containing a particular file header comprising a file type box "ftyp" and a movie box "moov" containing all ISO BMFF metadata (including track definitions), the single file also comprising a single mdat box containing the whole encoded bit-stream. This organization is suitable for local storage but is not adapted to HTTP streaming where a client may only need a part of the whole bit-stream. Such an organization is preferably used for a file used as an initialization file when the bit-stream is fragmented into multiple segments. This initialization file is followed by one other single file whose organization is defined in b), this initialization file gathering information about all the segments;
b) a single file containing multiple moof/mdat boxes suitable for fragmentation each couple of moof/mdat being relative to one of the multiple segments of the bit-streams. This format allows for progressive download. More in detail, the moof box is equivalent to the moov box at fragment level. According to this scheme, using a fragmented media file, the scalable bit-stream can be split into multiple dependent tracks representing the video at different scalability levels. Extractors are specific NAL units used to reference NAL units from other track(s). In case a track per tile is used, all addressable tracks have to be prepared in advance and tracks cannot be selected independently. If several tiles are to be displayed, several bit-streams must be decoded and the base layer is decoded several times. The last organization described in c) is particularly suitable for selected each track independently;
c) multiple segments files, each file being accessible by its own URL and being downloadable independently. Each file is related to one fragment and the multiple segment files are preferably preceded by a dedicated initialization file. Each segment typically consists of a segment type box (styp), which acts as a kind of file header, an optional segment index box (sidx) and one or multiple fragments. Again, each fragment consists of a moof and an mdat box. According to this scheme, using a fragmented media file, each track is stored in its own segment with the associated bit-stream related to one level of scalability. If necessary, extractors are used to reference required bit-stream from dependent tracks. Such a coding scheme is particularly suitable for streaming tracks independently. It is well adapted to the DASH standard but it is not suitable for tile streaming since several bit-streams are to be decoded and thus, one decoder per track is required. Moreover, there is a potential duplication of the base layer's bit-stream when selecting more than one tile.
The definition of the boxes above mentioned as well as the definition of sub-boxes included in those boxes made in reference to the document "WD3 of ISO/IEC 14496-15 2013/AMD1 Enhanced support of HEVC and MVC+D, ISO/IEC JTC1/SC29/WG11, W14328, March-April 2014, Valencia, Spain" (named "w14328" below) may lead to complex and less efficient organization of the ISO BMFF metadata.
Moreover the tile tracks are not properly defined for Layered HEVC, limiting it usage.
To solve these issues, there is provided an efficient data organization and track description scheme suitable especially for handling spatial tiles in Layered HEVC for multi-layer video streams. This ensures that the result of the ISO BMFF parsing is more efficient and adapted to Layered HEVC.

Method, device, and computer program for encapsulating HEVC layered media data


An extruded honeycomb body of a ceramic or metallic material includes a plurality of conduits being separated from each other by partitions and extending approximately parallel to each other. The partitions are disposed and shaped in at least an outer region in such a way that as seen in a cross section through the honeycomb body they do not form structures which are rigid in the radial direction and/or rigid support structures extending in the circumferential direction. Separating walls extending spirally or involute particularly increase the elasticity of a honeycomb body. Such shapes are particularly suited for electrically conductive extruded honeycomb bodies which can be used, for example, in connection with electrically heatable catalytic converters of motor vehicles.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an extruded honeycomb body of a ceramic or metallic material with a multiplicity of conduits being separated from each other by partitions and extending approximately parallel to each other. Such honeycomb bodies, which are used in catalytic converters of internal combustion engines in particular, have been described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,853,485, for example.
Such bodies are usually extruded from a powdery or granulate-like ceramic material, dried and subsequently baked.
Of late, that method of production has also been employed for producing electrically conductive honeycomb bodies which can be electrically heated, wherein a metallic material or a mixture of ceramic and metallic materials is used. Such honeycomb bodies have been described, for example, in European Patent Application 0 465 184 A1. In order to affect the electrical resistance and the course of an electric current in such a honeycomb body, slits are additionally provided which generally extend parallel to the extruded structures.
Either squares, rectangles or other polygons are typical cross-sectional shapes of conduits in extruded honeycomb bodies. Various polygonal progressions have been described as cross-sectional shapes in particular in U.S. Pat. No. 3,853,485, in which varied numbers of conduits per cross-sectional surface are provided in the various cross-sectional regions.
However, it is common for all heretofore-known extruded honeycomb bodies to have preferred orientations of the conduit or channel walls, wherein the preferred orientation of the conduit walls leads to reduced elasticity in the direction of the preferred orientation. With square conduits, the bodies have practically no elasticity in the direction of the webs, and elasticity is also very low in typical hexagonal honeycomb shapes. That does not even change if additional walls are disposed in various directions, as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,853,485.
Besides the extruded honeycomb bodies which have been known for many years, honeycomb bodies made of sheet metal are employed in increasing numbers, wherein suitable honeycomb bodies are produced by suitable structuring and disposition of the sheet metal in layers. Besides the initially used honeycomb bodies wound spirally or helically from sheet metal, a plurality of shapes with considerably increased elasticity have become known in the meantime. In that connection a principal structure which is very important for elasticity has been described in European Patent 0 245 736 B1, in which the individual sheet metal layers extend in an approximately involute shape from a center outward. Honeycomb bodies produced in accordance with that principle have also been described in International Patent Application WO 90/03220, corresponding to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,105,539; 5,135,794; and 5,139,844, and, in a somewhat changed shape, also in International Patent Application WO 92/02717, corresponding to U.S. application Ser. No. 08/016,041, filed Feb. 10, 1993. Similar properties also result in connection with bodies being formed of sheet metal wound in an S-shape, wherein the elastic properties and the oscillating behavior can be affected by additional reinforced layers, such as is described in International Patent Application Wo 89/07488, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,102,743. Those and similar structures have been shown to be particularly suited for electrically heatable honeycomb bodies, especially because of their elasticity, such as is recited in International Patent Application WO 92/02714, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,711.

Extruded honeycomb body of ceramic and/or metallic material with increased flexibility

Emitec Gesellschaft fuer Emissionstechnologie GmbH


Methods for administering medical gases include providing the medical gas in compressed gas cartridges containing an amount of the medical gas preferably corresponding substantially to a unit dose of the medical gas and providing a patient with access to the medical gas from the gas cartridge upon need therefor. Apparatus for administering medical gases also includes a housing, a cassette associated with the housing containing at least one compressed gas cartridge preferably containing at least an amount of the medical gas substantially as required for a single dose and a patient supply interface to provide the medical gas to the patient.

Historically, most medical gases which are considered to be pharmaceuticals by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) whether they are USP grade or NF grade or have undergone a New Drug Approval (NDA) are supplied in the form of compressed gas cylinders, generally containing large gas volumes and for return and refilling by distributors and the like. These large cylinders create significant problems in terms of their handling and use, as well as their shipment which is generally as hazardous materials.
One exception to this is oxygen gas. Oxygen has had a long history of use by outpatients and home care patients in the form of small as well as large compressed gas cylinders. In addition, heliox, a mixture generally of 40% to 80% helium in oxygen has also sometimes been made available to home care patients.
Other gases which have been used to some extent for medical purposes such as N2O are rarely used on a home care basis and particularly are not permitted for self administration because of the dangers involved and the inability to control their use. Once again, as a general matter, with the use of medical gases including N2O in oxygen or air and other such gases, even when provided in connection with dental procedures, or during ambulance transport and the like, the gas is generally applied by professionals or in the presence of a professional on a relatively long-term basis ranging from 15 minutes to several hours. There are, in fact, other reasons why large compressed gas cylinders themselves have not been used on an outpatient basis, including the ease of access to the contents of such cylinders with standard valves, for recreational abuse in the case of certain medical gases such as N2O, risk of overdosing, and other safety reasons such as enhanced flammability for certain gases and the like. In addition, these systems require the use of separate gas pressure regulators and/or blenders in order to assist in the application of these gases, and none of these known systems is present for the administration of therapeutic gases for short periods of time for specific medical purposes, and particularly not in an outpatient or home environment for self application.
Certain medical gases with therapeutic effects, such as nitrous oxide and xenon, are subject to potential recreational misuse and abuse. Cylinders of nitrous oxide and/or xenon containing large volumes of the gas and easy access to the cylinder contents by the use of traditional valves may be attractive to such non-prescribed use, or outright theft from a non-medical location, such as a patient's home, and is a major reason, in addition to concerns about overdosing, that such gases are limited to use at medical sites where security and medical supervision exists. Compressed gas cartridges containing these two gases, because of their size and the fact that they utilize a standardized, easily accessed surface for puncture and release of their contents, may be particular targets for recreational use. This is a key reason why medical gases, and in particular those with the potential for recreational abuse such as N2O or Xe, have never been approved for packaging and marketing in compressed gas cartridges. Therefore, it is highly desirable to have a sealed unit dose package and a means of delivery as described below that is strongly tamper, abuse and misuse resistant, incorporates multiple levels of safety or fail safe mechanisms, and which includes the ability to comply with new FDA regulations concerning unit dose pharmaceutical traceability as FDA considers medical gases to be regulated as pharmaceuticals.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,016,801 discloses a device for the delivery of nitrous oxide as an alternative to smoking, and to serve as a stress-reducing, recreational and nonaddictive smoking substitute. The delivery system in U.S. Pat. No. 6,016,801 mixes the nitrous oxide with ambient air from outside the device. The device includes a nitrous oxide container which includes a refilling port, and there is no discussion in this patent of the nature or duration of administration thereof. Furthermore, the device described in this patent also does not address issues of safety and control regarding the potential for misuse or recreational abuse of N2O that would be required for approval by a regulatory body such as the FDA, and therefore is not applicable to practical medical use.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,125,844 discloses a hand-held delivery system which delivers oxygen or oxygen along with a medication, so that the oxygen can act as a propellant and as a therapeutic agent in its own right. The device used in U.S. Pat. No. 6,125,844 includes a pressurized gas supply 12 in which the single gas canister can be replaced, and is said to include the possibility of other gases listed therein.
International Application No. WO 01/36018 discloses a device for the co-application of drugs, such as in a powdered form, along with short bursts of a vapor or gas, primarily CO2. This device is not used for the normal respiration of a pure gas or gas mixture, but is intended to utilize a small CO2 canister to entrain the drug for application to the patient's nose, mouth, eye, etc. This device is not intended for the normal respiration of a medical gas for any significant time period, and cannot accommodate a gas mixture for such purposes. A similar device is shown in International Application No. WO 01/03645 for bathing the mucous membranes of the body with a gas such as CO2. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 6,484,664 discloses a holder for a device for consumable products, such as a CO2 cartridge, which includes a mechanism whereby the amount of remaining product in the dispenser can be determined based on the center of mass of the device.
Additional commercial systems for the supply of various gases and gas mixtures are also available. The NITRONOX unit from Matrx Medical, using pressure reducing regulators and a blending system combines N2O and O2 from separate compressed gas cylinders into a fixed mixture of 50% N2O and 50% O2 which is delivered to the patient using a demand valve and face mask. More than about a 30-minute supply of nitrous oxide is mixed with the oxygen, but this allegedly "portable" system has a weight of over 12 pounds, requires an external and separate O2 source, which may be a compressed gas cylinder whose weight is not included in the above 12 pounds, or a wall outlet O2 source, and also requires supervision by medical personnel trained in its use when it is self administered by a patient using the demand valve and face mask due to the medical management required in order to operate the NITRONOX blending device itself. Additional systems include the MEDIMIX unit of AGA Linde Health Care which includes a single premixed cylinder with 50 mole percent nitrous oxide and 50 more percent oxygen with a regulator, tubing, a demand valve and a face mask, and other elements, as well as the ENTONOX unit from BOC, Inc., which again requires medical personnel for use and has a weight and a size making it impossible to be carried and used with a single hand in a portable manner, and is therefore not usable for self-administration by an outpatient at home, work or other locations.
Other gases have also been utilized for patient treatment and in similar types of systems. U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,434, for example, discloses a system for the application of xenon in admixture with oxygen and helium as an anesthetic gas for administration during relatively long periods of time, such as that involved in surgical procedures.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,846,556 describes inhalant compositions for relaxation or the reduction of stress therewith. The preferred composition disclosed in this patent includes nitrogen and oxygen, and can include additional inert gases such as helium and xenon. In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the gas comprises nitrogen, oxygen, neon, argon, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide. The patentee discloses that the inhalant can be packaged, for example, in a pressurized tank or in small pressurized containers for portable personal use. It is also stated that the product can be used for from one to 10 minutes twice per day. A number of the specific gases collectively provided in the preferred embodiment on a quantified basis provided no added medical and/or other benefit within the collective mixture.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,968 discloses an analgesic anesthetic composition, preferably including equal volumes of nitrous oxide and oxygen. The background of this patent discusses a prior system sold under the trademark ENTONOX which includes a demand valve by which the gas can be self-administered by a patient. The invention disclosed in this patent includes an additional ether-based anesthetic which is said to be disposable in a single container above its pseudo-critical temperature at a pressure of 2,000 psi, forming a homogeneous analgesic anesthetic composition. Use of such a product by an outpatient, or supervised by a medical person, is highly unlikely due to safety and other regulatory issues generated by the inclusion of the ether-based anesthetic in the mixture. Furthermore, in locations of treatment where medical persons are present such as hospitals, clinics and emergency medical services ambulances, the likely cost of producing and obtaining regulatory approval of such a product would require product pricing which renders alternatives that provide medical benefit of relatively equal treatment value to be far more attractive in an era of cost consciousness.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,185,067 discloses apparatus for self-administration of nitrous oxide/oxygen mixtures for analgesic purposes. This patent discloses use of this apparatus for short-term procedures. The device includes a pair of gas cylinders with pressure reducing and mixing equipment therefor.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,747,600 discloses an anesthetic apparatus for supplying oxygen/nitrous oxide gas mixtures that is primarily intended for attachment to the wall of a room in which administration is to take place, and the sources of N2O and O2 include both wall outlets, and large cylinders. The device includes a homogeneous block of metal which is said to produce a very compact, light-weight version of the anesthetic apparatus, for example, one which is 5×5×15 cm, not including the reservoir bag and lever tube, and which can be attached to a wall or stand.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,485,827 discloses the administration of nitric oxide for the treatment of asthma and the like in which the gas is administered for at least three minutes, and preferably at least six minutes. This patent discloses an inhalation device as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 in which vessel 12 includes a pressurized gas with at least 1 ppm nitric oxide dissolved in a liquefied propellant or compressed inert gas with a rebreathing chamber 22, and the total weight of the device is said to be less than 200 grams so that it is readily portable.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,276 discloses apparatus for delivering precise volumes of a therapeutic gas; namely, nitric oxide. The device in this patent uses a sensing device for detecting the start of a patient's spontaneous breathing for purposes of gas control regulation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,488,946 discloses an emergency breathing supply apparatus which includes two high pressure air cartridges supplying air through demand regulators. The device is specifically for emergency purposes, so as to supply from six to eight minutes of breathable air from these cartridges.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,021,777 discloses a portable anesthesia machine which includes apparatus for delivering a mixture of oxygen and nitrous oxide combined with any known industry standard liquid anesthesia agents. This machine is said to be insensitive to the physical attitude of the machine, and is said to be transportable.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,286,505 discloses a portable anesthetic machine that utilizes liquid anesthetic and is used with an emergency kit which is said to be usable in rapid treatment of or surgery on acutely injured patients.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,393 discloses a breath-activated inhaler in which a pin releases a metered dose of medication for direct inhalation by the patient.
One particular area of particular application for therapeutic gases on a portable, handheld self-administration basis is in connection with atrial fibrillation implantable cardioverter defibrillators or AF-ICDs, or multi-function implants which include AF-ICD capability, which have been implanted in patients who then return to their normal lives and on an outpatient basis detect atrial fibrillation, notify the patient, and allow self-activation of a shock on a timer to effect atrial defibrillation. In connection with this procedure, there is a significant need for a co-therapy so that outpatients can reduce pain, anxiety and phobia related to self-administration of a shock of this type. It is also necessary to apply the co-therapy quickly, for it to provide a rapid onset of analgesic, anxiolytic and anteragrade amnesic effects which begin prior to, last during and immediately after the atrial defibrillating shock, rapidly dissipate after use so that the patient returns to normal sensorium and can quickly resume daily routine activities supporting a quality of life, and to be safe and easy to use in this manner.
Therapeutic gases and gas mixtures are known in the art. Examples include oxygen, nitrous oxide, xenon, helium, carbon dioxide, and mixtures thereof.

Method and devices for administration of therapeutic gases


An embodiment includes a casting mold. The casting mold may include a mold body having a direction surface and a coolant box coupled to the mold body. The casting mold further may include a coolant ring having a regulation surface where the coolant ring may be coupled to the coolant box so as to bring the regulation surface and the direction surface together to form a nozzle. The casting mold further may include a mold starting head.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention includes the metal founding process of continuously and semi-continuously shaping liquid metal against a forming surface. More particularly, the invention includes direct chill casting of a billet by applying liquid coolant directly to the billet product.
2. Background Information
Founding includes making objects by introducing molten material into a mold where the material solidifies as heat is removed from the material. Slip or continuous casting may be a process whereby molten metal is solidified by gravity feeding the molten metal through a heat absorbing ring. A starting head, having a base mounted to a hydraulic ram, forms an unattached bottom to the heat absorbing ring. The heat absorbing ring and the starting head comprise the basic elements of a slip mold.
When the molten metal fills the mold and begins to solidify, the starting head may be lowered at a controlled rate. Solidified metal may exit the heat absorbing ring to form a billet. Residing above the billet and within the heat absorbing ring may be a solidified metal shell that serves to stabilize the moving billet between the heat absorbing ring and the starting head. Within the sump of this shell may be replenishing molten metal. As molten metal is passed into the shell sump and through the heat absorbing ring, the billet may grow in length.
A billet (or ingot) may be viewed as an elongated mass of metal that is cast in a standard shape by a billet supplier for convenient storage or shipment. The billet may take on the cylindrical cross sectional shape of the heat absorbing ring and may be made of aluminum or aluminum alloy. Even though the heat absorbing ring may be less than two inches in height, a billet may be twenty feet long and have a diameter from three inches to thirty six inches. Manufacturers further process cylindrical billets by thermomechanically forging, extruding, rolling, scalping, or drawing a billet to produce marketable products such as curtain rods for indoors, engine mounts, aircraft landing gear, sheet metal for ships, and I-beams for buildings.
To better control the heat transfer cooling process of the billet, water may be applied directly to the surface of the solid metal as the solid metal exits the heat absorbing ring. Thus, as the starting head lowers, water jets built into the mold may spray water onto the billet to cool the surface and further solidify the metal. This continuous direct chill (DC) casting process, invented in 1942 by W. T. Ennor (U.S. Pat. No. 2,301,027), produces a fine-grained metal structure with minimum segregation. High production rates may be achieved in the casthouse when multiple DC casting molds are used simultaneously in a mold table.
Although some advancements in this area have been made since 1942, there still exists a need in the industry for a direct chill casting mold system package that produces an optimized metallurgical structure of the cast product with desirable surface finish. In comparison to conventional industry mold system packages, this direct chill casting mold system package should be safer to operate, easier to use and maintain, should maximize the casting productivity, and be less expensive to manufacture and operate.
An embodiment includes a casting mold. The casting mold may include a mold body having a direction surface and a coolant box coupled to the mold body. The casting mold further may include a coolant ring having a regulation surface where the coolant ring may be coupled to the coolant box so as to bring the regulation surface and the direction surface together to form a nozzle. The casting mold further may include a mold starting head.


A method and apparatus for controlling an insertion device includes the steps of providing sensors for providing respective signals in accordance with selected events associated with the operations and providing a plurality of motor profiles for operation of motors associated with the operations. Respective motors associated with respective operations of the apparatus are driven in correspondence with selected ones of said plurality of motor profiles for controlling driving of said motors in response to receiving the event signals from the sensors and other modules of the control program. In the event of out of tolerance conditions the envelope can be diverted and another substituted without having to shut down and restart the system at a known place.

Various methods for control of insertion devices have been devised. While many of these methods can work quite well, there are no easy solutions for dealing with jams or other problems created because of the "inflexibility" associated with the known synchronous mechanical insertion devices which rely only on the timed operation of the various corresponding steps in order to assure that the collation or material to be inserted is appropriately placed to be guided and inserted into an envelope waiting to receive the insert. It has become apparent that these devices are unforgiving of the various conditions that can occur during the operation of handling paper and any problems that do occur, such as for example, an out of tolerance skew of an envelope, can require a significant investment in time in order to clear the apparatus and begin the process at an appropriate restart point. U.S. Pat. No. 3,709,482 to Nelson, et al describes a high speed document feeder using synchronous operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,825,251 discloses a system for controlling the feed of documents into and along a document path. The device can be made to operate synchronously if the longest document length is used to determine the maximum throughput or asynchronously in that the document by its own length may be used to determine the throughput rate. The lengths in the asynchronous mode are used to adjust the speeds of various rollers in the document path to determine the degree of inter-document spacing. This reference does not deal with the problems of attempting to assure that one event such as the placement of an envelope matches the arrival of an insert. U.S. Pat. No. 3,773,316 to Stemmle teaches a drive mechanism which is used to provide reverse buckle feeding of an individual sheet from a stack by imparting an asynchronous multi-directional motion.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,485 describes an asynchronous communication protocol for a collating and insertion device. U.S. Pat. No. 5,012,073 describes a card and mailer data inserter system which includes an operator means for manual override and a means for re-initiating automatic operation.

Asynchronous control of insertion apparatus


Potato strips, which are cut from raw potatoes and blanched, are contacted with an aqueous solution containing one or more hydrocolloids to deposit a hydrocolloid layer on the surface of the strips. The potato strips preferably are partially dried before being contacted with an aqueous starch-based slurry to provide a starch-based batter coating over the hydrocolloid layer. The potato strips having the dual coating of a hydrocolloid and a batter are then parfried and frozen. When reconstituted by finish frying in hot oil, the resulting french fries have an extended holding quality, remaining crisp and tender for prolonged periods after finish frying.

This invention relates to the preparation of partially fried, frozen potato strips which have extended holding quality after finish frying. More particularly, the invention relates to the preparation of frozen, par fried potato strips which exhibit a crisp but tender exterior surface for extended periods of time after finish frying
Control of the textural properties of french fries after finish frying is of great concern to operators of fast food restaurants. Typically, french fries served by fast food restaurants are prepared by finish frying frozen partially fried (i.e., parfried) potato strips in fat or oil. Desirably such parfried and frozen potato strips, after finish frying, exhibit a crisp and tender exterior surface and a fluffy, mealy inner core. However, parfried potato strips presently available suffer from the disadvantage that when finish fried for consumption, they lose their desired crispness within a relatively short period of time and tend to become limp and soggy. This change in texture is due to the migration of internal moisture within the fried strips into the outer surface of the potato strips. Such migration of moisture is accelerated by holding the potato strips, after finish frying, under a heat lamp, a practice commonly used by fast food operators to maintain the french fries at desired serving temperature.
A number of procedures have been proposed heretofore for extending the holding time of french fries, so that the french fries remain crisp and tender for extended periods of time after finish frying, even when held under a heat lamp. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,597,227 discloses coating the surface of potato strips with an aqueous dispersion of a high amylose starch prior to deep frying to improve the crispness of finish fried potato strips. U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,759 discloses that potato strips having increased crispness and extended holding time after finish frying are produced by coating the strips, prior to parfrying, with an aqueous starch slurry containing chemically modified ungelatinized potato starch, chemically modified ungelatinized corn starch and rice flour. U.S. Pat. No. 5,302,410 discloses providing blanched potato strips with a "glaze" coating of an aqueous solution having a pH 5.5-8.5 and containing hydrolyzed starch having a DE of less than 12, to provide parfries which retain crispness for an extended period after finish frying. U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,944 discloses the production of french fries having a crispy texture by coating blanched potato strips with a batter mix containing a leavening agent, a blend of starch and high amylose starch, dextrin and a food gum. U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,741 discloses that potato strips having an extended hold time after finish frying are produced by coating blanched potato strips with an aqueous slurry containing corn flour, corn starch and low solubility dextrin.
Some of these prior art procedures have been more effective than others in providing potato strips which retain desired textural characteristics for an extended period after finish frying. However, all of these prior procedures suffer from disadvantages which limit their acceptability to fast food restaurant operators. For example, batter coatings used heretofore, even those designated as thin-coat batters, have a relatively high solids content and deposit a relatively thick batter coating on the surface of the potato strips. Although the batter coated strips have a crisp texture after finish frying, they develop an undesirable degree of toughness and chewiness during holding. Moreover, the batter coating detracts from the natural potato flavor of the product and forms a discernible coating layer on the surface of the french fries to detract from the natural appearance of the finish fried potato strips. The use of batter coatings having a low solids content has not been feasible since such low solids content batters have reduced adherence to the surface of the potato strips and tend to dissociate from the potato strips during parfrying and/or finish frying. While the "glaze" coating on potato strips disclosed in the '410 patent is effective in extending crispness of french fries after finish frying without the development of toughness and chewiness, such "glaze" coatings are not as crisp as batter coated french fries.

Process for preparing parfried potato strips having an extended hold time upon finish frying


Disclosed are a biodegradable separable fastener which can be appropriately used as a fastening means for disposable products and a method for the production thereof. In a separable fastener composed of a base part and a multiplicity of engaging elements raised from the obverse side of the base part, the base part and the engaging elements are formed of a biodegradable resin. In a favorable mode, at least the base part of the separable fastener has such a sectional shape as to increase the specific surface area. For example, grooves and/or holes are formed in the base part or holes are extended from the reverse side of the base part to the interiors of the engaging elements. The biodegradable separable fastener having such grooves and/or the holes may be manufactured by forming at least part of the base part with a water-soluble resin and the other part of the fastener with a biodegradable resin and, after the manufacture of the separable fastener, causing the water-soluble resin to dissolve out into a solvent.

1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to a biodegradable separable fastener of the hook-and-loop type, male-and-female type, hook-to-hook type or other type (hereinafter referred to generally as "separable fastener") and a method for the production thereof and more particularly to a biodegradable separable fastener which can be appropriately used as a fastening means for disposable products.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
In recent years, the problem of disposal of plastics waste has come to attract attention from the viewpoint of conservation of the earth's environment and the demand for the development of a technology for waste disposal has been gaining in enthusiasm. As one of the targets of the development, the biodegradable plastics to be incorporated in the circulation of matter in the natural world have been arresting attention.
The biodegradable resinous materials which are disintegrated on exposure to the microbial action in soil or in water are known in various kinds such as (a) the microbial fermentative production type, (b) starch alloy type, (c) chemical synthesis type, and (d) polylactic acid type. The development of these biodegradable resinous materials for use in such containers as bottles, cups, and trays besides wrapping films and bags is now under way.
No case of applying a biodegradable resin to the separable fastener which is the object of the present invention, however, has been known to the art.
Generally, the separable fastener requires such durability as withstands repeated use. The products of the kind necessitating the separable fastener generally are not intended as disposable articles. The separable fasteners marketed heretofore, therefore, have been invariably manufactured with a general-purpose resinous material.

Biodegradable separable fastener and method for production thereof


The present invention relates to a device (10) for varying blade pitch of a rotary wing aircraft (50) having a main rotor (11) with a plurality of blades (12), each blade (12) including at least one main flap (13) fastened to the trailing edge of the blade (12). The angle of inclination of each flap (13) is controlled via a swashplate (20). The device (10) makes provision for electric actuators controlled by a flight control system (54) to be mounted in a stationary frame of reference for the purpose of moving and varying the angle of inclination of the non-rotary plate of the swashplate (20). The electric actuators provide primary flight control and also multi-cyclic control for the purpose of attenuating noise and vibration as generated in particular by the blades (12) and the rotor (11).

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention lies in the narrow technical field of flight control devices for an aircraft having a rotary wing with a plurality of blades. The invention relates to a device for varying blade pitch of a lift rotor. The invention also relates to a rotary wing aircraft having such a device.
(2) Description of Related Art
A rotary wing aircraft commonly includes a main rotor for providing lift and possibly also propulsion, which rotor has a plurality of blades.
The blades of the main rotor describe a very flat cone referred to by the person skilled in the art as the "rotor cone", with the plane of rotation of the rotor (referred to as the disk plane of the rotor and defined by the path followed by the tips of said blade) being perpendicular to the general thrust generated by the main rotor. This general thrust of the main rotor may then be resolved into a vertical lift force and a horizontal force that serves to cause the rotary wing aircraft to move in translation.
Consequently, the main rotor serves to provide the rotary wing aircraft both with lift and with propulsion.
Furthermore, by controlling the shape and the angle of inclination of the rotor cone relative to the frame of reference associated with the rotary wing aircraft, a pilot can direct said aircraft accurately.
In order to act on the rotor cone, the rotor disk is tilted relative to the drive plane of the main rotor, which drive plane is perpendicular to the mast of the main rotor (i.e. the shaft that drives the rotor in rotation). For this purpose, the angle of inclination of the rotor disk is controlled by cyclic variation of the pitch of the blade.
The rotary wing aircraft is thus provided with specific means for causing the pitch of each blade to vary, thereby varying the aerodynamic angle of attack of each blade relative to the incident air stream through which the blade passes.
In order to control the general thrust from the main rotor, both in magnitude and in direction, the pilot of the rotary wing aircraft thus generally acts on the value of the pitch angle of each blade by causing each blade to turn about its longitudinal pitch axis.
Thus, when the pilot orders a collective variation of pitch, i.e. the same variation of pitch for all of the blades, the pilot varies the magnitude of the general thrust from the main rotor so as to control the altitude and the speed of the rotary wing aircraft, with speed variation also involving a corresponding variation in drag.
In contrast, varying blade pitch collectively has no effect on the direction of that general thrust and the rotor disk remains parallel to the drive plane.
As explained above, varying the direction of the general thrust generated by the main rotor results from varying the angle of inclination (tilt) of the rotor disk, with this being done by varying the pitch of the blades not collectively, but cyclically. Under such circumstances, the pitch of a blade varies as a function of its azimuth angle, and during one complete revolution it passes between a maximum value and a minimum value, which values are obtained at opposite azimuth angles.
Cyclic variation of the pitch of the blades gives rise to cyclic variation in the thrust from the blades and thus to tilting of the rotor cone. By causing the pitch of the blades to vary cyclically, the pilot controls movement of the aircraft in translation and also controls its attitude as required for controlling it, under the effect of roll and pitching moments that are induced by the general thrust.
The device for performing these collective and cyclic variations of the pitch of the blades, and thus enabling the attitude, the lift, and the movement in translation of the aircraft to be controlled, is generally referred to by the person skilled in the art as the primary flight control or "PFC".
Furthermore, a rotary wing aircraft in flight generates a large amount of noise and vibration, in particular as a result of rotation of the blades and the main rotor assembly. For example, while the aircraft is descending, the turbulence generated by the end of a blade lies on the path of the following blade, with which it comes into collision accompanied by a characteristic slapping sound, constituting a source of noise and vibration.
Furthermore, high levels of vibration can also be generated by the main rotor if an unbalance appears in the rotor. In general, unbalance appears on a rotating element when the center of gravity of that element is not positioned on its axis of rotation.
For an aircraft main rotor, there are various reasons why unbalance may appear, in particular a difference in the weights of the blades, a movement of a blade away from its equilibrium position, or a movement of the center of gravity of a blade.
One known solution for attenuating those noise and vibration phenomena is to increase the angle of attack of each blade periodically, e.g. in such a manner as to expel the turbulence generated by the preceding blade downwards, and also in order to compensate for the offset between the center of gravity of the rotor and its axis of rotation.
Experience shows that the frequency with which the angle of attack of the blades is varied in order to attenuate noise and vibration phenomena is a function of the number of blades of the main rotor and is proportional to the frequency of rotation of the main rotor.
Tests have also confirmed that those variations in the angle of attack of the blades need to be performed at particular frequencies that are equivalent to the product 2ω, where ω corresponds to the speed of rotation of the main rotor, and also to the products (b−1)ω, bω, and (b+1)ω, where b corresponds to the number of blades of the main rotor.
In order to attenuate noise and vibration phenomena, it is thus found that the angle of attack of the blades needs to be modified at least twice during a single rotation of the main rotor. That is why the device for producing these variations in pitch that enable noise and vibration generated by the aircraft to be attenuated is generally referred to by the person skilled in the art as "multi-cyclic control", and is also known as "higher harmonic control" (HHC).
The prior art known to the person skilled in the art generally includes systems that separate primary flight control functions from functions of attenuating.
A swashplate device, usually referred to simply as a "swashplate", is used for primary flight control and controls cyclic and collective pitch variation of the blades by acting on the angle of inclination of each blade. The swashplate conventionally comprises a rotary plate and a non-rotary plate. The collective and cyclic pitch controls of the pilot are connected via a linkage system to the non-rotary plate, the rotary plate being mechanically connected to each blade via a respective pitch control rod.
In order to simplify specifying components associated with the rotary plate or components associated with the non-rotary plate, two frames of reference are defined. A frame of reference referred to as the "stationary frame" is associated with the cabin of the aircraft, while a frame of reference referred to as the "rotary frame" is associated with the rotary plate and thus moves with the rotary plate relative to the stationary frame of reference.
When the pilot seeks to modify the collective pitch of the blades, the pilot acts on a control that causes the swashplate to move up or down as a whole, i.e. causes both its rotary and non-rotary plates to move together. The pitch control rods are then all moved through the same distance, which means that all of the blades change pitch by the same angle.
In contrast, when the blades are caused to vary pitch cyclically in order to cause the aircraft to go in a given direction, the swashplate is not moved vertically, but rather it is tilted relative to the mast of the main rotor. Each pitch control rod then moves in a direction and by an amount that is specific thereto, and the same goes for the pitch of the associated blade.
Although that device is effective and in widespread use, it requires considerable forces in order to maneuver the blades, particularly on heavy aircraft.
Furthermore, the presence of a swashplate penalizes the performance of the aircraft because of its large weight and dimensions that are needed as a result of the large forces to be transmitted to the blades, thereby giving rise in particular to aerodynamic disturbances that lead to an increase in drag.
It is also known that the pitch of the blades can be varied by means of flaps placed on the trailing edges of each of the blades. By varying the angle of inclination of a flap relative to the air flow, the lift generated by the blade-and-flap system is modified, and consequently, under the effect of aerodynamic forces, the pitch of each blade is modified.
Furthermore, the use of flaps makes it possible to reduce the forces that need to be deployed in order to obtain a change in the angle of attack of the blades insofar as the lift area of each flap is small compared with the lift area of the entire blade, but its effectiveness is considerable because of the speed of the air flow.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 3,095,931 describes mechanical flight controls. Flaps are situated at the trailing edge of each blade and controlled by a first linkage transmitting the movements of the swashplate to each of the flaps. The control mechanism uses a second linkage connecting together the cyclic pitch controls and the collective pitch controls at the swashplate, there being mechanical coupling between the cyclic pitch control and the collective pitch control.
Document FR 2 927 881 discloses a rotorcraft in which the rotor has as many vanes as it has blades. Each vane is associated with a single blade and is linked to the blade via a mechanical linkage. The vane, e.g. under the control of the swashplate, serves to modify the pitch angle of the associated blade. That device is particularly suitable for a two-blade rotor, with each vane then being arranged at 90° relative to the blade with which it is associated, however it can be generalized to any number of blades.
Document US 2007/0131820 seeks to eliminate the swashplate, which penalizes aircraft performance in terms of weight and drag. The flight control system described is controlled by flaps incorporated in the trailing edge of each blade, first flaps being used mainly for primary flight control and second flaps being used mainly for multi-cyclic control.
Each flap is controlled by an actuator directly incorporated in the blade. Furthermore, the second flaps, which are associated mainly with multi-cyclic control, are also capable, should the need arise, of taking over primary flight control.
The actuators incorporated in the blade may in particular be linear or rotary electric motors of the brushless direct current (BLDC) type.
Those motors and their particular application to helicopter blades are described in document WO 2008/048279.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,826 discloses a system of flaps positioned along the trailing edges of blades. Each flap is independently controlled by an electromechanical actuator, preferably of the piezoelectric type, that is incorporated in the blade. That device serves to change the pitch of the blade, and even, by virtue of the way the flaps are distributed along the blade, to modify the profile of the blade in different manners along its length.
Furthermore, document JP 2002/362496 describes a rotary wing aircraft having a mechanism for adjusting the pitch of the blades of the main rotor and a mechanism for controlling the pitch of flaps arranged on each blade. That mechanism for controlling the pitch of the flap is constituted by a first non-rotary plate fastened on a second non-rotary plate constituting the mechanism for controlling the pitch of the blades. Blade pitch control is used for maneuvering the aircraft, and flap pitch control is used for reducing the noise and vibration generated by the blades of the main rotor.
Document EP 0 936 140 discloses a system for controlling a rotor having blades with each blade having a flap positioned thereon. The pitch of the blades is controlled by means of a first rotary plate, while the pitch of the flaps is controlled by means of a second rotary plate independent of the first rotary plate, or else via actuators positioned in the rotating frame of reference.
Document US 2010/0178167 describes a method and a device for controlling the pitch of the blades of a rotor by using flaps positioned on each blade. Varying the pitch of each flap causes the pitch of the corresponding blade to be varied.
Document EP 0 729 883 discloses a multi-cyclic control system for controlling the pitch of blades of a helicopter rotor by using both cyclic actuators and multi-cyclic actuators for modifying the pitch of the blades. The cyclic actuators are located upstream from a non-rotary plate while the multi-cyclic actuators may be positioned upstream from the non-rotary plate or else they may be situated between the rotary plate and each of the blades.
The document "Reduction of helicopter blade-vortex interaction noise by active rotor control technology" published by Progress in Aerospace Sciences, Oxford, GB, Vol. 33, No. 9/10 of Sep. 1, 1997, describes in particular how to reduce the noise and vibration from the blades of a helicopter rotor by applying multi-cyclic control to the pitch of its blades. That control may be implemented in particular by using multi-cyclic actuators positioned upstream from a non-rotary plate, or indeed between a rotary plate and each of the blades. Such a system includes a control unit, a computer, and vibration sensors.
Document US 2009/0140095 discloses an electric helicopter in which the main rotor and the tail rotor are driven by respective dedicated electric motors. An electromechanical device controls pitch variation of the blades.
It can be observed that the technological background includes document U.S. Pat. No. 2,936,836, which describes an aircraft having two rotors, each having two blades. Each blade includes a flap serving to estimate and correct unbalances and differences of lift between the various blades.
Furthermore, tests have been carried out on a three-bladed main rotor concerning the configuration of three electrohydraulic actuators in the fixed frame of reference for the purpose of reducing vibration. Those actuators dedicated to multi-cyclic control act on the swashplate and are themselves controlled by means of an algorithm that analyzes vibration at certain points of the aircraft. Flight testing has demonstrated results that configuration with a three-bladed main rotor that are useful in terms of attenuating the vibration generated by the blades and the main rotor.
Finally, the ADASYS project involving Eurocopter, EADS, Daimler Chrysler Research Labs, and DLR, has shown that multi-cyclic control can be provided by a flap placed on the trailing edge of each blade of the main rotor, each flap being controlled independently by an electromechanical actuator of the piezo-ceramic type.
From the above considerations, it can be seen that using flaps on the trailing edges of blades and controlled by actuators incorporated in the blades for the purpose of primary flight control enables the performance of aircraft to be increased. Such use is accompanied by eliminating the swashplate, where its weight and its induced drag are very penalizing for the performance of such aircraft.
An object of the present invention is thus to propose an alternative solution to those designs.
It should be recalled that the blades of a rotary wing aircraft are extremely thin, i.e. the relative thickness of the aerodynamic profiles of the sections of each blade is small.
That makes it difficult to incorporate an actuator such as an electric motor or a hydraulic actuator in a blade together with its control system for modifying the angle of inclination of a flap positioned at the trailing edge of each of the blades.
It is also difficult to power such actuators, whether electrically or hydraulically, since power needs to pass from the stationary frame of reference to the rotary frame of reference, and that power must be sufficient for turning the flaps. Solutions do indeed exist for transferring such power, e.g. slip rings, however the reliability of such systems in an environment having high levels of vibration cannot always be guaranteed.
Furthermore, primary flight control must be guaranteed and safe so as to ensure the safety of the occupants of the aircraft. For that purpose, use is often made of solutions such as having multiple control circuits in order to accommodate risks of failure and in order to be able to remedy them while in flight. Consequently, when using trailing edge flaps for primary flight control, such control circuit multiplication (i.e. duplication multiplication by a number greater than two) adds additional complexity in the configuration of actuators inside the blades and in the transfer of power from the stationary frame of reference to the rotary frame of reference, as mentioned above.
In the event of a failure or a malfunction, the system as made safe by multiple control lines is capable of detecting the anomaly and of correcting it. Even if that operation takes place quickly, e.g. in less than one second, there nevertheless exists a moment during which the aircraft is not properly controlled, since the system is not operational. When using a swashplate, even if the actuators are jammed, all of the flaps and consequently all of the blades continue to operate cyclically as imposed by the swashplate. The behavior of the aircraft then remains relatively stable.
In contrast, if the swashplate is eliminated and replaced by actuators incorporated in the blades, i.e. in the rotary frame of reference, it is difficult to ensure that the flaps and consequently the blades remain synchronized over a cycle while the system is not operational. Under such circumstances, an unbalance may appear in the main rotor due to the lack of synchronization of the blades. The behavior of the aircraft can become unstable and very uncomfortable until the system has corrected the fault or the malfunction.
Consequently, in the event of a failure, the behavior of the aircraft when faced with failures is better if a swashplate is used, even if the behavior is transient and lasts only for the time needed to correct the problem.
Proper balancing of each blade is also most important for good operation of the aircraft, and the center of gravity of each blade must be in a precise position, e.g. relative to the pitch axis of the blade. Any offset in this position of the center of gravity of the blade and consequently any offset in the center of gravity of the main rotor including the blade affects both the operation of the blade and the comfort of the aircraft, considerable amounts of unbalance and vibration potentially being generated in the main rotor.
In addition, the actuator controlling the flaps, such as a piston and cylinder, has a movable portion, and as a result the center of gravity of the actuator moves a little while it is in use. Because of this, integrating actuators in blades adds elements that need to be taken into account when balancing a blade, and in particular the movement of the centers of gravity of actuators while they are in use potentially complicates such balancing, or even modifies balancing during a flight.
Furthermore, the source of power used at present for controlling the various movements of the blades is mainly of a hydraulic nature when using a swashplate, in particular for powering actuators controlling the movements of the swashplate. Although hydraulic technology has been in use for a long time and is well mastered, it nevertheless gives rise to certain constraints.
The elements needed for these functions, such as actuators and pumps are expensive and very penalizing in terms of weight. Incorporating them often requires a large amount of flexible pipework and various ducts for feeding the various elements, thus adding weight, cost, and complexity for configuration in a volume that is limited.
Furthermore, the sealing of the various hydraulic elements needs to be very thorough in an environment where there is a high level of vibration, since any reduction or loss of hydraulic pressure gives rise to a degradation or even to a loss of the flight controls of the aircraft. Hydraulic technology thus imposes constraints in terms of maintenance, and thus once more contributes to high costs in order to ensure reliability for the pumps, the actuators, and the hydraulic equipment as a whole.
Finally, protecting the environment is becoming more and more important nowadays regardless of the field of activity, whether technological or otherwise.
Hydraulic technology, in particular in terms of the recyclability of its components, and its fluids in particular, can have a negative impact on the environment.

Device for varying lade pitch of a lift rotor


A vortex generator intended to create a controlled vortex in a fluid medium such as a gas or liquid. The upstream portion of the vortex generator includes an inlet section which directs the fluid into the vortex generator and creates a vortex therein by use of an internal rotational symmetric cavity with a curved geometry. Downstream from the inlet section is a vortex chamber having one of several shapes in which the vortex motion is established. The vortex generator may have one of two shapes, one being a trumpet shape or elongated, and the other being a more ovide or egg shape. Also included is a cavitation assembly at the outlet portion of the vortex generator which creates cavitation.

Vortex generators are well known; they bring a fluid medium into a controlled vortex motion. See commonly invented PCT Publication WO 2008/039115A1 "Vortex Generator" useful e.g. for purifying water or other fluids, degassing a liquid, mixing fluids or a solid and a liquid, and killing microorganisms in a liquid, and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.


A novel method to divide the whole decoding process of the Viterbi decoder into four pipeline stages and the Viterbi decoder therefore. With an appropriate choice on the system clock, the invention trade-off the decoding speed with the hardware cost so that the designed Viterbi decoder is able to satisfy the decoding speed requirement for the highest speed profile in VDSL2 systems, 30 MHz profile. At the same time, with four-stage pipeline to just enough to meet the speed requirement, the hardware cost for the new designed Viterbi decoder is reduced compared with single-staged decoding.

The Viterbi algorithm is widely used in different signal processing systems, such as those pertaining to communication or storage, to decode data transmitted over noisy channels and to correct bit errors.
In VDSL2 systems, Trellis-Code Modulation (TCM) becomes a mandatory function that has to be supported by the transmitter and receiver. Trellis-code is basically a systematic convolutional encoder. On the transmitter side, for every two sub-carriers, one bit is extracted from the Wei's 16-state 4-dimensional encoder and integrated into the raw bits to form the coded bits and corresponding constellation for each sub-carrier. On the receiver side, the Viterbi decoder is used to extract the raw bits out based on the minimum metrics cost computation for a particular survival path. Compared with the trellis encoder, the Viterbi decoder on the receiver is a much harder design and consumes much more gate counts. So, the Viterbi decoder is a very important design element in the overall VDSL2 system design.

Four-stage pipeline based VDSL2 Viterbi decoder


The present invention provides novel compounds having antiviral activities and antiviral drugs containing the compounds as the active ingredient. The compounds are shown by the following general formula (1),wherein typically A1 and A2 are each guanidine or a group of the general formula (ia); A3 is a mono- or poly-cyclic heteroaromatic ring containing 1 or 2 heteroatoms; B1 is a single bond or alkylene group; R1 is hydrogen or alkyl group; W is an alkylene having 2-3 carbons, a cycloalkylene having 5-10 carbons, aromatic ring having 6-10 carbons, or a heteroaromatic ring having 5-10 carbons; y is C(═O)—; x is —C(═O)—NH—; n1 is an integer of 1-2; n2 is an integer of 2-3; D is a substituent selected from among various groups

There are a reverse transcriptase inhibitor and a protease inhibitor as the remedies for the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) induced by infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) However, the therapeutic effects are lost by appearance of drug-resistant HIV variants (SAISHIN IGAKU, Vol. 53, No. 9, 2031 (1998)). Therapy by the combined use of these drugs is complicated due to a number of requirements to be followed. In addition, there are many drugs to be administered and some of them exhibit various side effects (NIKKEI SCIENCE, Oct. 29 (1998)). In particular, a protease inhibitor, which requires a complicated method of administration and has a risk of involving various side effects, is known to increase the probability of inducing production and selection of resistant strains unless almost 100% of a required dose is administered (Molecular Medicine, Vol. 36, No. 9, 1012 (1999)).
Development of vaccines has been undertaken in view of the past experiences in which many viral diseases were exterminated or significantly reduced by vaccines. However, the use of vaccines in HIV is thought to be very difficult due to frequent occurrences of HIV variants (NIKKEI SCIENCE, October 42 (1998)).
As mentioned above, several compounds exhibiting anti-HIV effects have been reported. However, development of a novel antiviral agent having excellent antiretroviral activity, capable of withstanding expression of resistance, being free from toxicity and side effect, and capable of being subjected to a long use has been strongly desired.

Nitrogenous compounds and antiviral drugs containing the same