This invention relates to solvents for extracting C1 to C4 carboxylic acids from aqueous streams. More specifically, the extraction solvents include one or more salts composed of a tetraalkylphosphonium cation and a carboxylate anion. The extraction solvents may further include one or more non-ionic liquid organic solvents as an enhancer. The extraction solvents are useful for extracting aqueous mixtures containing one or more lower carboxylic acids, such as monocarboxylic acids, alkoxycarboxylic acids, and halogen-containing carboxylic acids.

The recovery of C1 to C4 carboxylic acids (hereinafter "lower acids") from aqueous streams is a common industrial problem arising from a variety of reaction and processing steps. Simple distillation of wet acid streams to recover glacial acids is hampered by unfavorable vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) and high energy costs with all C1 to C4 carboxylic acids. Examples of unfavorable VLE include the formic acid-water maximum-boiling homogeneous azeotrope, the acetic acid-water VLE "pinch" (a region of low relative volatility), and the minimum-boiling homogeneous azeotropes with water and all C3-C4 carboxylic acids.
Various approaches have been suggested in the art to address the problem of lower acid recovery from wet acid feeds. For example, one approach subjects an aqueous lower acid solution to azeotropic distillation together with an entraining component capable of forming a heterogeneous minimum-boiling azeotrope with water, so that the azeotrope boils at a temperature substantially lower than pure water, the pure lower acid, and any acid-water azeotrope. An extraction step often precedes the azeotropic distillation. The extraction step partitions the carboxylic acid into a water-immiscible solvent (which is often the same as the azeotropic entrainer) in order to remove the bulk of the water from the recovered acid. Many examples of azeotropic distillation, extraction, and combinations thereof using conventional organic solvents have been proposed in the art. These include U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,839,894; 1,860,512; 1,861,841; 1,917,391; 2,028,800; 2,050,234; 2,063,940; 2,076,184; 2,123,348; 2,157,143; 2,184,563; 2,199,983; 2,204,616; 2,269,163; 2,275,834; 2,275,862; 2,275,867; 2,317,758; 2,333,756; 2,359,154; 2,384,374; 2,395,010; 2,537,658; 2,567,244; 2,854,385; 3,052,610; and 5,662,780, and Eaglesfield et al., "Recovery of Acetic Acid from Dilute Aqueous Solutions by Liquid-Liquid Extraction—Part 1," The Industrial Chemist, Vol. 29, pp. 147-151 (1953).
Several solvent characteristics determine the capital and energy costs of extraction-distillation processes for the extractive recovery of lower acids from wet acid feeds. The solvent for the extraction process is immiscible with water and meets two criteria:                a) The solvent shows some selectivity between extraction of the carboxylic acid and water, i.e., the ratio of carboxylic acid to water in the extraction solvent after extraction is substantially larger than in the wet acid feed stream. This factor can be quantified as the weight ratio of water to acid in the extract stream as defined in more detail below.        b) The solvent shows sufficient affinity and capacity for the lower carboxylic acid.These characteristics are quantifiable from experimentally determined equilibrium partition coefficients as defined in more detail below.
The equilibrium partition coefficient (also used interchangeably with the term "partition coefficient") for component A (the lower carboxylic acid) is defined as follows:
      P              (      A      )        =            weight                                      percent                                                                                A                                      in                                      solvent                                      phase              weight                                      percent                                      A                                      in                                      aqueous                                      phase
The partition coefficient is a measure of the relative concentrations of the solute to be extracted in the two phases. The value of the acid partition coefficient is directly related to the amount of solvent that is required to effect a given extraction. Low values of the partition coefficient indicate high levels of solvent are required, and high values of the partition coefficient indicate low levels of solvent are required. Since the acid partition coefficient changes with acid concentration, the minimum amount of solvent required to effect a given amount of acid extraction also changes. Thus, the controlling solvent flow requirement for the extraction is dictated by the lowest value of the acid partition coefficient as the acid concentration varies from the high of the inlet wet acid feed to the low of the outlet acid concentration of the exiting raffinate stream.
The controlling acid partition coefficient may be defined as:Pcont=minimum(Praff,Pextr)where
Praff=acid partition coefficient at an acid concentration approaching that desired in the raffinate stream (i.e., at low acid concentration); and
Pextr=acid partition coefficient at an acid concentration approaching that desired in the extract stream (i.e., at high acid concentration).
The most important water-acid selectivity value is that at the extract end of the extraction cascade. It is defined as:Rextr=Wextr/Aextr where
Wextr=weight fraction of water in the extract product stream; and
Aextr=weight fraction of acid in the extract product stream.
The controlling partition coefficient, Pcont, and extract water-to-acid ratio, Rextr, may be combined to yield an overall extraction factor, ε, which is a simple measure of the efficacy of a given solvent for recovering lower acids from wet acid feeds in an extraction-distillation process. The extraction factor, ε, is defined as:ε=Pcont/Rextr=(Pcont*Aextr)/Wextr
Generally, the higher the extraction factor, the lower the capital and energy costs are for a given extraction.
Extraction solvents that exhibit the inverse behavior are also known. That is, their acid partition coefficient is lowest at the extract end of the cascade (high acid concentration) and highest at the raffinate end (low acid concentration). Examples of such solvents include nitriles, phosphate esters, phosphine oxides (U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,816,524 and 4,909,939), and amines (e.g., King, "Amine-Based Systems for Carboxylic Acid Recovery: Tertiary Amines and the Proper Choice of Diluent Allow Extraction and Recovery from Water," CHEMTECH, Vol. 5, pp. 285-291 (1992); and Tamada et al., "Extraction of Carboxylic Acids with Amine Extractants. 2. Chemical Interactions and Interpretation of Data," Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., Vol. 29, pp. 1327-1333 (1990)).
This inverse behavior (partition coefficient highest at low acid concentration) has also been observed for a phosphonium- and an ammonium-phosphinate ionic liquid (Blauser et al., "Extraction of butyric acid with a solvent containing ammonium ionic liquid," Sep. Purif. Technol., Vol. 119, pp. 102-111 (2013); Martak et al., "Phosphonium ionic liquids as new, reactive extractants of lactic acid," Chem. Papers, Vol. 60, pp. 395-98 (2006)) and a phosphonium carboxylate salt (Oliveira et al., "Extraction of L-Lactic, L-Malic, and Succinic Acids Using Phosphonium-Based Ionic Liquids," Sep. Purif. Tech., Vol. 85, pp. 137-146 (2012)). Oliveira et al., in particular, report that P666,14-decanoate fails to form a simple two-phase system in the majority of extraction trials with lactic, succinic, and malic acids. A third phase complicates the distribution and recovery of carboxylic acid.
The use of hydrophobic ionic liquids as extraction solvents has been reviewed by Poole et al., "Extraction of Organic Compounds with Room Temperature Ionic Liquids," J. Chromatogr. (A), Vol. 1217, pp. 2268-2286 (2010). The development and advantages of phosphonium ionic liquids have been reviewed by Robertson et al., "Industrial Preparation of Phosphonium Ionic Liquids", Green Chem., Vol. 5, pp. 143-152 (2003)), and their application to the extraction of ethanol from fermentation broths is addressed by Neves et al., "Separation of Ethanol-Water Mixtures by Liquid-Liquid Extraction Using Phosphonium-Based Ionic Liquids," Green Chem., Vol. 13, pp. 1517-1526 (2011).
Extraction of lower carboxylic acids using imidazolium and phosphonium ionic liquids has also been reported. For acetic acid, McFarlane et al. report on bmim-NTf2, omim-NTf2, bmim-PF6, P666,14-LABS/nonanol, P444,14-LABS/nonanol, and P666,14-OSO2Me ("Room Temperature Ionic Liquids for Separating Organics from Produced Waters," Sep. Sci. & Tech., Vol 40, 1245-1265 (2005)). Hashikawa claims P222,8-NTf2 for acetic, propionic, and butyric acids ("Method for Producing Acetic Acid," JP 2014/40389, Daicel, (Mar. 6, 2014)). And Matsumoto et al. report on bmim-PF6, hmim-PF6, and omim-PF6 ("Extraction of Organic Acids Using Imidazolium-Based Ionic Liquids and Their Toxicity to Lactobacillus rhamnosus," Sep. and Purif. Tech., Vol. 40, pp. 97-101 (2004)).
None of these documents, however, employed a quaternary phosphonium carboxylate with mono-functional carboxylic acids. Moreover, lower carboxylic acid partitioning was poor in the reports by McFarlane, Hashikawa, and Matsumoto. Furthermore, adding an alcohol to phosphonium ionic liquid compositions for extracting lower carboxylic acids is recognized by those skilled in the art as not being preferred, due to the formation of carboxylic ester derivatives of the alcohols with the acid extracts, especially in downstream distillation or evaporative processes for purifying the lower carboxylic acids. This exclusion is addressed by Judson King, "Acetic Acid Extraction," Handbook of Solvent Extraction, Krieger Publ. Co. (1991).
Hashikawa, in particular, claims only using ionic liquids with fluorine-containing anions, such as bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide, bis(fluoroalkylsulfonyl)imides, tris(perfluoroalkyl)trifluorophosphates, hexafluorophosphates, tetrafluoroborates, and perfluoroalkylsulfonates. These anions add significant cost and toxicity concerns to large-scale applications. In addition, Hashikawa claims ionic liquids with phosphonium salts containing a total of only ten carbon atoms or higher. According to the data presented in the Hashikawa application, triethyl(octyl)phosphonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)-imide exhibits relatively poor extraction behavior for acetic acid, with a small two-phase region, low capacity for acetic acid, and very low partition coefficients (between about 0.06 and 0.1).
Despite the poor performance of the above reported and claimed ionic liquid systems, the extremely low vapor pressure of ionic liquids remains an attractive physical property for a lower-carboxylic-acid-extracting phase. Thus, there is a need in the art for an extraction solvent with excellent partitioning of lower carboxylic acids from aqueous solutions and that enables the simple separation of these acids via distillation from the solvent. There is also a need for extraction solvents with high extraction factors whereby C1 to C4 carboxylic acids can be recovered from wet acid feeds in an energy-efficient and cost-effective manner.
The present invention addresses these needs as well as others, which will become apparent from the following description and the appended claims.

Quaternary carboxylate compositions for extracting C


A biocontrol agent and a method of use thereof for controlling diseases caused by fungal pathogens in plants. In one aspect of the invention, novel strains of Gliocladium roseum exhibiting antagonistic effects against plant pathogens are used as biocontrol agents. Most preferably, a novel strain Gliocladium roseum ACM941 (ATCC #74447) is used in a treatment effective against fungal pathogens of plants. The biocontrol agent of the present invention may be used in the treatment of seeds, soil or plants to effectively protect against plant diseases caused by fungal pathogens. The biocontrol agent is particularly effective against fungal infections of pea, bean, canola, wheat, barley, beet, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, canola, califlower, cucumber, egg plant, pepper, tomato, marigold and other horticultural and ornamental plants, caused by Alternaria alternata, Aphanomyces euteiches, Ascochyta spp., Bipolaris sorokiniana, Fusarium graminearum, Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. pisi, Fusarium solani f.sp. pisi, Fusarium spp. Mycosphaerella pinodes, Pythium spp., Rhizopus sp., Rhizoctonia solani, and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a new strain of Gliocladium roseum fungus, referred to as ACM941 that is capable of controlling plant diseases. In particular, the present invention relates to the use of the new strain of Gliocladium roseum fungus as a biological control agent (sometimes referred to as bioagent) to inhibit soil-borne and seed-borne fungal pathogens and to enhance plant growth and productivity in both greenhouse and field conditions.
2. Description of Related Art
Soil-borne and seed-borne fungal pathogens of plants are responsible for severe economic losses in the agricultural and horticultural industries worldwide. These pathogens cause plant diseases such as seed decay, root/foot rot, seedling blight and wilt. Such diseases commonly reduce emergence, plant vigor and yield potential. Severe disease infection can kill emerging seedlings of an entire plant population, and result in a total loss of crop yield.
Solutions to the recurring problem of plant pathogens have been explored for decades. As particular crops become more abundant, and the area of land allocated for agriculture expands, there is an inherent need to employ more efficient and effective farming practices. As a result of increasing demand for crop production, farmers must often compromise their cultural practices by planting crops on sub-optimal land, or by increasing the frequency at which crops are planted in a specific location. In doing so, crop nutrients are depleted and specific crop pathogens, especially soil-borne or seed-borne pathogens, become more prevalent. Accordingly, it is increasingly difficult to sustain the health and productivity of a respective crop.
Historically, preferred cultural practices and chemical controls were used in combination to combat destructive pathogens. More recently, the use of integrated systems employing biocontrol agents and chemicals has become more prevalent.1 (note: all superscript reference numerals relate to a list of references appearing at the end of this disclosure). However, despite progressive research in recent years, chemical alternatives remain the most reliable and economic solution to the problems caused by most soil-borne and seed-borne plant pathogens.
The case of field pea is illustrative. There were approximately 900,000 hectares of field pea in western Canada in 1998, estimated at a total farm value of over $400,000 million. In recent years, the field pea crops of western Canada have been most affected by soil-borne or seed-borne diseases, as well as the Ascochyta complexes of root and foliage. Known as PRRC (pea root rot complex) diseases, the soil-borne and seed-borne diseases are most commonly caused by the pathogens Fusarium solani f.sp. pisi, Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. pisi, Mycosphaerella pinodes, Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotina sclerotiorum, Aphanomyces euteiches, Alternaria alternata and Pythium spp. The incidence of PRRC diseases varies with year and location, while its severity is largely dependent on climate, crop rotation and cultural practices. The yield losses of pea crops alone, as a result of PRRC pathogens including foliar infection by Ascochyta complex, are frequently devastating with a conservative 15% yield reduction translating into an approximate annual loss of $60 million in areas of western Canada. As crops such as pea become increasingly important, efforts must focus on more effective and efficient means of crop farming, both in Canada and around the world.
The most effective solution to the destruction of crop plants by pathogens would most likely be the development of resistant cultivars, which would allow for plant growth and productivity in the presence of fungal pathogens. Unfortunately, success in the development of PRRC resistant cultivars of pea, or other resistant crop cultivars, has not been forthcoming. Alternatively, biological control of crop plant pathogens by microorganisms may be considered a more natural and environmentally friendly alternative to existing chemical treatment methods. Accordingly, it is desirable to isolate a microorganism, which displays antagonistic effects against a target pathogen, and is capable of survival and propagation in a target location.
Efforts to isolate antagonistic microorganisms effective against plant pathogens have been underway in recent years. As a result, several microbial isolates have proven effective as plant pathogen antagonists and some related biocontrol products are currently commercially available, including: Mycostop(trademark) (Streptomyces sp.); GleoGard(trademark) (Trichoderma virens); Kodiak(trademark) (Bacillus sp.); and BioTrek(trademark) (Trichoderma sp.); TRICHODEX(trademark) (Trichoderma harzianum); and BINAB-T(trademark) (T. harzianum plus T. polysporum).
The effectiveness of bioagents against certain pathogens has been characterized according to a variety of modes of action. Cook et al.2 described the modes by which a bioagent can effectively act against target pathogens as including: (i) a parasitic attack against the pathogen, (ii) a competitor for a common food source, (iii) a source of toxic antibiotic substances, or (iv) an induced indirect toxic effect by the release of volatile substances. As such, a bioagent behaves as a natural antagonist to the pathogen.
Although efforts have concentrated on the biological control of PRRC pathogens, obstacles in stability, delivery and versatility have not been resolved. Specifically, Hwang et al.3 in 1992 reported the potential use of Gliocladium virens (Syn. Trichoderma virens) as a biocontrol agent against Rhizoctonia caused root rot in field pea, when employed with a fungicide. In this integrated control system, the presence of the fungicide provided protection against the pathogen when the environmental conditions inhibited the activity of the bioagent. Parke et al.4 in 1991 disclosed findings of the effectiveness of Pseudomonas cepacia and P. fluorescens against Pythium damping-off and Aphanomyces root rot in pea when applied to seed. P. cepacia was disclosed as being the most effective bacterium, increasing emergence by an average of 40% and yield by 48% over captan fungicide alone. The Parke et al. reference further reported on disclosures of the effectiveness of seed treatment with species of Trichoderma5 and Penicilium oxalicum6 against diseases of pea Oyarzun et al.7 further reported findings, in 1993, of the biological control of root rot in pea caused by Fusarium solani, with two nonpathogenic Fusarium oxysporum isolates. Both isolates of F. oxysporum investigated displayed reduced disease severity and prevented the plant weight losses owing to F. solani f. sp. pisi in sterilized soil. In 1996, Xi et al.8 reported on the effectiveness of formulated Rhizobacteria against root rot of field pea. Pseudomonas fluorescens (strain PRA25) peat-based granular formulation increased yield by 17% over untreated, in a trial with light disease infection, and by 120% in another trial with moderate infection. P. cepacia (strain AMMD) and P. fluorescens increased seedling emergence, and decreased disease incidence and severity. However, these agents had variable effect on yield when disease level was light to moderate. In addition, biocoritrol agents resulted in only limited control when disease was severe. As a result, a commercially available microbial product for the treatment of root rot diseases of pea is not currently available.8
U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,928, issued on Nov. 24, 1992 to Cornell Research Foundation, Inc. and entitled xe2x80x9cBiological Control of Phytophtora by Gliocladiumxe2x80x9d, discloses the use of strains of Gliocladium virens (Syn. Trichoderma virens) on the root biosphere of plants in controlling plant diseases caused by Phyrophthora sojae. More specifically, this patent is directed to the use of specific strains of T. virens on P. sojae-caused stem and root rot in soybean plants.
Steinmetz and Schobeck9 (1993), reported the use of conifer bark inoculum, comprising Trichoderma harzianum or Gliocladium roseum, in controlling Pythium ultimum on pea. Specifically, the applicability of conifer bark as a growth medium and inoculum carrier for T. harzianum or G. roseum was examined, as well as the antagonistic efficacy of such preparations to protect pea seedlings against pre-emergence damping-off caused by P. ultimum. This investigation looked at the possibility of using bark inoculum to control soil. borne pathogens in horticultural practice, and not specifically at the effectiveness of the respective fungal antagonist isolates. However, it was reported that a pretreatment with a nutrient solution was required on the G. roseum-containing bark inoculum for optimum development and efficiency of the antagonist. Accordingly, the G. roseum isolate investigated by Steinmetz and Schobeck is not easily or economically propagated for the treatment of seedlings.
Accordingly, the prior art has not disclosed a biocontrol agent effective against a variety of root rot pathogens, nor is there a bioagent, which can be economically and readily propagated for easy application to seeds or soil. Furthermore, a commercially effective biocontrol agent does not exist which can be applied to a seed or a suitable host, and provide prolonged effectiveness against a range of plant pathogens. In addition, there has not been previously disclosed a biocontrol agent, which, in the absence of an accompanying fungicide, is effective against a range of root rot pathogens including PRRC pathogens Pythium spp., Fusarium solani f.sp. pisi, Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. pisi, Mycosphaerella pinodes, Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotina sclerotiorum, Alternaria alternata, and Aphanomyces euteiches; common root rot pathogen Bipolaris sorokiniana; and fursarium head blight pathogen Fusarium graminearum.
The lack of commercial development in the area of biocontrol products, and more specifically with respect to such products effective against root rot pathogens, may be largely in part due to the need for excessive amounts of the biocontrol agent, or, in the case of seed treatments, the short term effectiveness of the product.10 In addition, the commercial availability of biocontrol agents against plant pathogens has been hampered by the lack of effective delivery systems.11 The most successful biologically-based practices reported to date involve integrated management systems which employ a combination of biological, chemical and cultural control measures.11 Accordingly, it is desirable to produce biocontrol agents which are effective against plant pathogens, under a variety of conditions and for a prolonged period of time. In addition, it is desirable to eliminate the need for chemical treatment in controlling root rot diseases in crop plants. More specifically, with respect to the present invention, it is desirable to produce an economically efficient biocontrol agent which can be readily propagated and applied to a plant source or growth medium to provide prolonged effectiveness against a range of PRRC pathogens. In addition, it is desirable to provide a biocontrol agent effective against a range of soil-borne and seed-borne pathogens in a variety of crop species.
A main objective of the present invention is to provide a biological control agent effective against a variety of plant pathogens, and more specifically, to provide a biological control agent effective against PRRC pathogens of pea as well as other root pathogens of other plant species.
It is a further objective to provide an effective and commercially viable method of propagating the biological control agent of the present invention.
Further still, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a biological control agent which is at least as effective against plant pathogens as existing chemical alternatives, under appropriate conditions, and to provide an effective delivery system for said biological control agent.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide an effective and commercially viable method of propagating the biocontrol agent of the present invention.
Another objective is to provide a delivery system for the effective application of the biocontrol agent of the present invention to a plant source or growth medium.
The present invention is based on the discovery and isolation of a novel strain of Gliocladium roseum Bainier, shown to have antagonistic effects against several plant pathogens, particularly root rot fungal pathogens in groups of Ascomycetes, Deuteromycetes, Oomycetes and Zygomycetes; as well as in a variety of host species in Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Fabaceae, Poaceae and Solanaceae. For example, when applied to seeds of pea, the isolates of the present invention exhibit antagonistic capabilities against fungal pathogens that, in both controlled environments and field conditions, can be at least as effective as current chemical fungicides.
Thus, according to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a biologically pure culture of a strain of a microorganism G. roseum exhibiting antagonistic effects against a plant pathogen. Preferably, the strain of the microorganism is a strain ACM941 having the identifying characteristics of ATCC #74447 (please refer to the deposit information provided later).
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a composition a comprising: a culture of a strain of G. roseum (preferably ACM941) exhibiting antagonistic effects against a plant pathogen; and a delivery medium. e.g. a plant seed.
The invention also relates to seeds coated with a strain of the microorganism (preferably ACM941) and to methods of treating plants and plant seeds, etc., with the strain and compositions containing the strain.
According to a still further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of propagating the strain of G. roseum (preferably ACM941) exhibiting antagonistic effects against fungal plant pathogens, which comprises incubating spores of said strain in a liquid medium for 3 to 5 days at a temperature in the range of 25xc2x0 C. to 30xc2x0 C. under low light intensity and pHxe2x89xa74.5.
As described below, the strain of the present invention has been shown to display antagonistic effects against 13 pathogens including Bipolaris sorokiniana, Fusarium graminearum, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani, Mycosphaerella pinodes and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum representing the group of Ascomycetes; Ascochyta spp, Rhizoctonia solani and Alternaria alternata representing Deuteromycetes; Pythium aphanidermatum, Pythium ultimum and Aphanomyces euteiches representing Oomycetes; and Rhizopus sp. representing Zygomycetes. These 13 pathogens cause seed decay, root/foot rot, seedling blight and wilt on 17 crop plants including canola, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower (Brassicaceae), field bean, field pea and sweet pea (Fabaceae), sugar beet and table beet (Chenopodiaceae), cucumber (Cucurbitaceae), marigold (Asteraceae), egg plant, pepper and tomato (Solanaceae), and wheat and barley (Poaceae). These are collectively referred to as pathosystems. In particular, these pathosystems are Rhizoctonia solani on pea (field pea and sweet pea), bean (dry bean and garden bean), beet (sugar beet and table beet), broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, canola, cauliflower, cucumber, egg plant, pepper, tomato and marigold; Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Alternaria alternata, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani, Pythium aphanidermatum, Pythium ultimum, Aphanomyces euteiches, Ascochyta spp., Rhizopus sp. and Mycosphaerella pinodes on pea; Bipolaris sorokiniana and Fusarium graminearum on wheat and barley. From these results, it is apparent that the strain of G. roseum has a broad effect on most or all fungal pathogens. The host plants appear to have little effect on the efficacy of ACM941 seed treatments in controlling fungal diseases, as shown by the effectiveness of the biocontrol agent against Rhizoctonia foot/root rot caused by R. solani in pea, bean, beet, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, canola, cauliflower, cucumber, egg plant, pepper, tomato and marigold. It is therefore predictable that the strain of G. roseum (ACM941) will control the same disease caused by the same pathogen in various field and horticultural crops, vegetables, and ornamental plants.
Besides the tested crops, Rhizoctonia root rot caused by Rhizoctonia solani is also a major disease that causes significant yield loss in Canada and worldwide in 589 genera of plants including field and horticultural crops, vegetables and ornamentals. Similarly, Sclerotinia rot or white mold caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is also a very damaging disease of 177 genera of plants in the United States21; Alternaria alternata is a major pathogen of vegetables, field and horticultural crops and causes disease in 110 genera of plants; Fusarium oxysporium is a common wilt pathogen and causes significant damage in 156 genera of plants; Fusarium solani, Pythium spp. and Aphanomyces euteiches are common seed decay and root rot pathogens and cause diseases in 105, 92 and 8 genera of plants, respectively, Bipolaris sorokiniana is a common root rot and damping off pathogen and causes common root rot in 52 genera of plants; Fusarium graminearum is a common root rot and head blight pathogen in 18 genera of plants; and Mycosphaerella pinodes is a major pathogen of field pea and recorded in 6 genera of plants in the United States.
For the reasons given above, it is believed that the G. roseum strain of the present invention controls the diseases caused by the above pathogens in the indicated genus of plants. Thus, on the basis of the morphological characterization and mycoparasitic activity of the novel G. roseum strain herein disclosed, the effectiveness of this bioagent against fungal pathogens in a range of plant species, not just those herein specifically mentioned, is within the scope of the present invention. Specifically, the effectiveness of the G. roseum strain is not limited to the treatment of fungal pathogens in crop species, but also displays promise as a biocontrol agent of fungal pathogens in horticultural plant species, and other plants.
The primary strain of the present invention is G. roseum ACM941. However, it is further believed that other strains of G. roseum, particularly closely related isolates of G. roseum ACM941, display similar antagonist effects against fungal pathogens of plants. Such a additional strains, their compositions and methods of use are thus included within the scope of the present invention.
Thus, according to a first preferred aspect of the invention, there is provided a biologically pure culture of a microorganism G. roseum ACM941, having the identifying characteristics of ATCC #74447.
In accordance with another preferred aspect of the present invention, there is provided a composition comprising a culture of G. roseum ACM941; and a delivery medium.
In accordance with another preferred aspect of the present invention there is provided a coated seed comprising a coating of G. roseum ACM941.
In accordance with yet another preferred aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for protecting a plant from fungal infection wherein the method comprises the steps of immersing plant seeds in a composition comprising G. roseum ACM941; and planting the seeds in a suitable growth medium.
In accordance with still another preferred aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of protecting a plant from fungal infection comprising the steps of contacting said plant during a stage of the growth of said plant with a strain of a microorganism Gliocladium roseum exhibiting antagonistic effects against a fungal plant pathogen.
In accordance with still another preferred aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling fungal plant pathogens, comprising the steps of: providing a delivery medium comprising a culture of a strain of Gliocladium roseum exhibiting antagonistic effects against a fungal plant pathogen; and delivering said delivery medium to plants.
In accordance with a still further preferred aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of enhancing the growth and productivity of plants comprising: providing a growth medium containing a strain of Gliocladium roseum exhibiting antagonistic effects against a fungal plant pathogen; and planting plant seedlings or seeds in said growth medium,
The primary strain of the present invention has been determined to have a distinct genotype different from known strains of G. roseum, and a sample of the strain was deposited on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada (as represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) (the intended original assignee of the present application) under the terms of the Budapest Treaty at the American Type Culture Collection of 10801 University Blvd., Manassas, Va. 20110-2209, USA, on Jun. 2, 1998, under accession number ATCC #74447.
The use of the isolates of the present invention for the control of plant pathogens is highly favored over existing chemical alternatives in that it appears not to have adverse effects on non-target organisms, to cause harm to the environment, or to promote pathogen resistance. In the past, biological control agents have been unsuccessful as a result of their inability to propagate in certain soil environments and to promote their parasitic effect for sufficient durations of time. Further, fungal antagonists applied as a seed coating have not routinely colonized the plant rhizosphere.1
As already noted, the strain of the present invention displayed versatility in its effectiveness against a range of pathogens, as well as its ability to survive and proliferate in the plant rhizosphere, thus providing a target plant with prolonged protection against invasive pathogens.
In addition, the strain of the present invention can be readily propagated in a timely manner, in both solid media and relatively inexpensive liquid media, and applied as seed coatings without difficulty.
Moreover, the effectiveness of the isolates against a range of pathogens lends confidence in their ability to effectively protect a wide range of crops affected by other soil-borne and seed-borne fungal pathogens studied.
Preliminary studies have indicated the potential for the biocontrol ability of the G. roseum ACM941 strain against several major field crop, vegetable and ornamental diseases, including: rhizoctonia root/foot rot of peas, beans, beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, canola, cauliflower, cucumber, egg plant, pepper, and tomato; common root rot of wheat and barley; seed-borne phase of fusarium head blight of wheat and barley; Sclerotinia rot, ascochyta foot rot, fusarium root rot, fusarium wilt, aphanomyces root rot, pythium seed decay and root rot, seed-borne phase of alternaria blight, and seed-borne phase of mycosphaerella blight of field pea.
Studies of the broader applications of G. roseum ACM94 1 against plant pathogens continue to be conducted in western Canada. It is predicted that these studies will confirm that ACM941 is effective against other crops commonly afflicted by soil-borne and seed-borne fungal pathogens.

Gliocladium roseum  strains useful for the control of fungal pathogens in plants

Her Majesty the Queen in right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada


Measuring device for checking an electrical circuit breaker includes a current generating unit designed to generate a measurement current for a continuity measurement of a switching contact of the circuit breaker. The measuring device furthermore includes a measuring unit for registering a measurement signal at the circuit breaker, an energy supply unit for supplying a control drive of the circuit breaker with electrical energy, and a control unit, which has a timer. The control unit is able output to the control drive, via the control output, a signal for opening or closing the circuit breaker, and to determine a time-based switching behavior of the circuit breaker in dependence on the measurement signal. Further, the control unit is designed, in the case of the circuit breaker being closed, to determine the resistance of the switching contact in dependence on the measurement current and the measurement signal.

The present invention relates to measuring devices for checking an electrical circuit breaker, in particular for checking electric circuit breakers in electrical power generation and transmission plants following commissioning or service inspection of the circuit breaker.
Circuit breakers, which are also referred to as high-voltage switches, are special switches designed for high currents. In energy engineering plants such as, for example, power generation plants such as power stations or power transmission plants, circuit breakers switch not only operating currents, but also overload currents or short-circuit currents in the case of faults. Circuit breakers can be used both to switch on these currents and to switch off the currents. A circuit breaker usually comprises a switching contact and a control drive that mechanically drives the switching contact. The control drive can comprises, for example, spring drives or compressed-air drives, which store mechanical energy that is used for rapid switching of the switching contact. The spring drives or compressed-air drives can be biased or "charged", for example, by means of electrical drives. The release of the stored mechanical energy for switching the switching contact can be effected by means of so-called trip coils, which are operated electrically. In the electrical plants there is usually a station battery, which provides a direct-current voltage (DC voltage) of between 48 and 200 V, in order to supply the trip coils with energy. Only a floating relay contact is then required for opening or closing. During operation, the commands for opening or closing usually come from protective relays or the instrumentation and control system.
During the checking of an electrical circuit breaker, a so-called micro-ohm test is usually performed, in which, with the switching contact closed, the resistance occurring at the circuit breaker is measured by means of infeed of a predefined current. The predefined current can be of several hundred amperes, for example 200 A. Furthermore, during the checking of the electrical circuit breaker, a so-called timing test can be performed, which registers a switching duration that is required by the switch in order to execute the switching function command after a control command has been applied. Furthermore, a so-called loss-factor test or tan delta test can be performed if the circuit breaker is located in an earth housing, a so-called tank. The loss-factor test is also referred to as a "dead tank test".
In order to perform the timing test, control commands must be issued, in order to open and close the switch. For this, the trip coils require a certain amount of energy. According to the prior art, this energy comes either from the station battery or from a further device that provides the required DC voltage during testing. Tests are also performed in which the DC voltage is reduced below the nominal value, in order to check whether the switch also works faultlessly with reduced voltage. This test is also referred to as an undervoltage test. This required energy source is referred to in the following as an energy supply unit. The energy supply unit can also be used to recharge the energy storage device in the control drive of the switch. This is effected through application of an alternating current voltage (AC voltage) or DC voltage, usually in the range of from 48 V DC to 230 V AC nominal.
Usually, in order to perform the tests described above, various devices are used, which are connected in succession to the circuit breaker for the purpose of performing the corresponding tests, it also being possible for the energy supply unit to be used at the same time in the case of some tests.


An apparatus for drilling hole, comprising: a cluster drill of down-the-hole (DTH) percussion hammers having two or more DTH percussion hammers; and a special distributor having rotatable swivels for sourcing compressed air or pressurized fluid from independent supply sources and distributing to the DTH percussion hammers; wherein the DTH percussion hammers are arranged such that one or more circumferential layers of drill bits are formed covering the drilling area; and wherein within each circumferential layer, at least one DTH percussion hammer is supplied with the compressed air or pressurized fluid from an independent supply source that is different from the independent supply source supplying the other DTH percussion hammers.

Conventional ground drilling equipments or techniques normally drill holes with a single or outer diameter (OD) target. Depending on the ground condition, a casing sometimes is inserted in the ground to prevent collapse of soil when the ground condition is loose. In the case where the ground strata are stable, no casing is necessary to be inserted to the ground. In either case, all the materials inside the hole will needed to be excavated away in the process of drilling.
The single DTH percussion hammer is well known in its use for general ground drilling. The DTH percussion hammer can be driven by either compressed air or pressurized fluid such as water.
A cluster drill of DTH percussion hammers is an implementation of a plurality of DTH hammers arranged and allocated in a cylindrical housing of which the OD defines the diameter of the hole drilled. One such implementation is shown in FIG. 1. The plurality of DTH hammers can also be arranged and allocated in an annulus housing having an OD and an inner diameter (ID) designed to drill ring holes with a particular size. One such implementation is shown in FIG. 2. In both cases, the OD of the hole to be drilled can range from a minimum of 300 mm to any diameter length. There is no theoretical maximum limit to the size of the hole as there can be many different possible arrangements of the plurality of DTH hammers. In the case of drilling annulus ring holes, the ID of annulus ring hole can range from a minimum of 200 mm to any larger diameter length.
Contemporary designs and arrangements for the cluster drill of DTH percussion hammers often have centralized supply sources of compressed air or pressurized fluid for their hammer driving mechanisms. The compressed air or pressurized fluid delivery paths branch out to all the DTH percussion hammers so that each of them can actuate its corresponding piston to strike on its front drill bit. With this configuration, the cluster drill of DTH percussion hammers assembly can hammer and penetrate homogenous hard materials or ground formation over its drilling area. In other words, when all the DTH percussion hammers are simultaneously impacting the homogenous hard materials or ground formation, there will be enough evenly distributed reaction force feedback on to the drill bits and in turn pushing back on to the pistons to facilitate the hammering cycle.
However, a problem arises in practice when the cluster drill of DTH percussion hammers is needed to drill mixed ground formation comprising materials of different rigidities. While the hard ground formation can provide enough reaction force feedback on to a drill bit to facilitate the continuation of hammering cycle of its corresponding piston, soft ground formation does not provide sufficient reaction force, causing the drill bit to drop and rest on the drill bit retaining ring. Following the drill bit, the piston also rests on top of it. The compressed air or pressurized fluid then escapes directly from the drill bit through the main exhaust holes in piston instead of going through the bottom chamber, which normally feeds the piston for the return stroke in a normal hammering cycle if the ground is hard enough to provide sufficient reaction force. At this point, the DTH hammer is at the maximum flushing position with the compressed air or pressurized fluid supplied to it being directly released out through its bottom of the drill bit. This condition is called the "direct exhaust phenomenon."
The condition described above is the result of that compressed air or pressurized fluid being delivered from a single centralized supply source for the operation of all the DTH percussion hammers in the cluster of DTH percussion hammers assembly. The direct exhaust phenomenon occurred in the DTH percussion hammers (or even in a single DTH percussion hammer) that are impacting soft ground. It led to the bypassing of all compressed air or pressurized fluid from the centralized supply source through these direct exhaust path(s) because of the much less flow resistance through the bottom of the drill bit(s); as opposed to the much higher flow resistance experienced when the compressed air or pressurized fluid is driven on the piston(s) of those DTH percussion hammer(s) that are impacting on hard ground.
Furthermore, due to the release of the compressed air or pressurized fluid through the lesser flow-resistive path(s) associated with the DTH percussion hammer(s) that are impacting soft ground; there is insufficient compressed air or pressurized fluid left to drive the other piston(s) of those DTH percussive hammer(s) that are impacting hard ground. Subsequently, the piston(s) of the DTH percussive hammer(s) that are impacting hard ground cease. Therefore, when the cluster drill of DTH percussion hammers encounter mixed ground formation during drilling, it cannot penetrate any more at that ground depth and the drilling cannot proceed further.
In fact, the aforementioned condition is the limitation of application of contemporary designs of cluster drills of DTH percussion hammers in drilling works, that is they can only be used in drilling homogeneous or competent rock strata, but not mixed ground formation. Therefore, there is a need for equipments and/or methodologies for controlling the operation of cluster drill of DTH percussion hammers for drilling mixed ground formation.

Method and apparatus for controlling the operation of cluster drill of down-the-hole hammers


The invention aims to provide swimming goggles making it possible to adjust a distance finely between inner ends of two lens frame members.. Of swimming goggles, inner ends 3 of two lens frame members 2 each surrounding a lens 2A are connected to each other through a nose belt 4. Each of the inner ends 3 and each end portion of the nose belt 4 are respectively provided with first and second interlocking configurations adapted to be releasably interlocked with each other. One of these first and second interlocking configurations includes at least one ring-shaped member 17 and a shaft 13 on which the ring-shaped member 17 is movably put while the other of these first and second interlocking configurations is releasably interlocked with the shaft 13 at a position given by selectively positioning the ring-shaped member 17.

This invention relates to swimming goggles.
Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 1995-28577 discloses swimming goggles in which a distance between inner ends of two lens frame members is adjustable. According to the disclosure, the lens frame members are connected to each other through a nose belt and the inner ends of the lens frame members are formed with detents which can be selectively and releasably interlocked with any one of a plurality of projections arranged on the nose belt longitudinally thereof. The distance between the inner ends of the lens frame members can be adjusted by selecting the projections to be interlocked with the detents.
In the above-mentioned swimming goggles of well known art, the nose belt and the projections fixed thereon are integrally molded from soft elastic material. These projections are large enough to prevent themselves from disengaging from the detents. However, a fine adjustment of the distance is difficult in such swimming goggles, since the extent of the adjustment is limited by a size and a fixed position of each projection.


A camera or a remote controller with memory stores pieces of title information which correspond to predefined titles. The title information includes a title number and title display data. The title number indicates a predefined title to be printed together with a frame image on photographic film. The title display data is displayed on a LCD in the same mode as a printing mode. The pieces of title information are sequentially fetched from the memory in response to a title selection operation. The title display data of a fetched piece of title information is displayed on the LCD so that a desired title can be selected.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of displaying a title, and a camera, and a camera remote controller. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of displaying a title when a title is selected during photographing, and a camera and a remote controller which are provided with a function of displaying the title.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,627 discloses that a magnetic record layer is formed on a photographic film; a film manufacturer records information indicating the film type, development formula, etc. onto the magnetic record layer on the film; during photographing, pieces of information are recorded onto the magnetic record layer by a magnetic record device build into the camera; information indicating whether copies need to be printed or not is recorded onto the magnetic record layer at a photo processing shop; or ID information indicating where the developed photographic film is supplied is recorded onto the magnetic record layer at a photofinishing laboratory. The above-mentioned information is read appropriately in the process of handling the photographic film, and the information read can be used for the purpose of control and collation at each step, so that the process can be automatic and efficient.
The photographing information, which is recorded on the magnetic record layer on the photographic film during photographing, relates to a title, which is printed together with a photo image when a print photograph is printed, the number of prints, etc. It can be seen that various methods have been developed for the purpose of magnetically recording the data indicating the title. In one method, a title number of a desired title is selected among prepared titles (e.g. 30 titles); the title number is recorded as magnetic information onto a photographic film; at a photofinishing laboratory, the title, which is magnetically recorded on the photographic film, is read, and a title corresponding to the title number is printed with a photo image on a photographic printing paper.
It must be easy to set the title number in the camera because the subject and composition have already been determined, and only waiting for the processing of the shutter button is needed. Even in the above-described method of setting the title number in the camera, the title number can be set easily if a user memorizes the title number corresponding to a desired title. However, the user cannot memorize many titles and their title numbers, and thus the user must find a desired title by referring to a title table in which the titles are recorded, so as to set the title numbers of the titles in the camera. Moreover, the user must always carry the title table with him.

Method of displaying title and camera and camera remote controller


A system and method for determining skew of a document image. An image processing system is provided, comprising: an image segmentation system that identifies and segments a line of printed characters; and a skew processing system that determines the skew by calculating slope values for pairs of characters in the line.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to processing document images, and more specifically relates to a system and method for measuring a skew of an image by analyzing the slope of printed information in the image.
2. Related Art
Handling and processing document images is becoming more and more important with the advancement of electronic commerce in environments such as banking. For example, under the "Check 21 Act," which goes into law in October of 2004, banks will be allowed to exchange check images, without actually having to present the original check, for conducting transactions. An important challenge for handling such images includes measuring the image quality of the check. If for example, the check code line, which contains account information and the like, cannot be read, the image must be identified as being unacceptable. Given the high volume of checks that will be processed electronically, automated systems that efficiently measure image quality are required.
One important area of image quality involves document skew. The ability to accurately measure skew can help determine whether printed information can be accurately read in an automated fashion. Too much skew may indicate that the document is unacceptable and/or needs correction before the data can be read.
Known methods for measuring skew typically rely on use of the scanned document image edges to establish image skew. However, it is not unusual for images to be cropped such that the document edges have been removed. In these cases, skew measurements cannot be reliably obtained. Accordingly, a need exists for a system and method for measuring a skew angle of a black white document image.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method of determining image skew using connected components

International Business Machines Corporation


An amusement park ride adapted to provide passengers unobstructed lines of sight in turns and increased turn velocities. The ride includes a track and a ride vehicle. The ride vehicle includes a track connector assembly coupled to the track for movement along the ride path in a direction of travel. The vehicle also includes a vehicle base mounted to the track connector assembly to move with the track connector. The vehicle includes a bridge, or cantilever support arm or boom, extending from the vehicle base. The vehicle further includes a passenger compartment with one or more passenger seats. The passenger compartment is mounted to the bridge such that the seats and any passengers seated therein are spaced apart from the base at a cantilever distance. As a result, the passenger compartment has fore or aft cantilever mounting relative to the track connector assembly and relative to the vehicle base.

1. Field of the Description
The present description relates, in general, to amusement park rides including roller coasters and other track-based rides, and, more particularly, to new ride vehicles that are specially designed to provide passengers with new and exciting ride experiences while riding on a track. In this way, new rides and passenger experiences can be provided with new or even existing track layouts.
2. Relevant Background
Amusement and theme parks are popular worldwide with hundreds of millions of people visiting the parks each year. Park operators continuously search for and research new designs for rides to continue to attract and entertain park visitors. The park operators recognize that their repeat visitor numbers will be lower and lower over the years without changes and upgrades to their rides.
Further, it is often important to build upon or modify existing rides to provide park visitors with new and exciting experiences without the cost or inconvenience of completely demolishing and replacing an existing ride with a wholly new ride. For example, it is much more desirable for a park operator to reuse an existing track and support structure than to remove these and build a completely new ride as this places a ride out of use for a longer period of time and, during construction, is more disruptive to nearby attractions.
In some cases, park operators will even try to retain ride vehicles without modification while providing a "new" show. For example, the theme of a ride may be changed to present sets and characters from a more recently released movie while the actual track and passenger vehicles remain unchanged. In this regard, experiences may also be changed by trying to provide additional interactivity or gaming to try to entertain the passengers.
However, the ride experience itself has remained unchanged as the passenger vehicles travel over the same track. The passengers soon become accustomed to and, sometimes, bored with the ride experience as the passengers begin to remember each corner and its turning sensations as well as each straightaway and each rise and fall along the track. The passengers' views or lines of sight also do not change as the passenger vehicle typically faces forward such that the passengers face or look along the direction of travel (DOT) of the vehicle.

Amusement park ride with cantilevered ride vehicles


A motion control system and method that includes a central controller configured to generate first and second demand control signals to be used to define actuation motion of respective first and second actuators. The central controller is in communication with first and second nodes by way of a data network, each node including at least a respective actuator configured to implement at an actuator time a motion or force-related effort based upon the respective demand control signal. Each node also includes a memory configured to store at least one respective propagation delay parameter related to a signal propagation delay between the central controller and the node. A timing mechanism establishes timing at each node based on the respective propagation delay parameter so that the actuator time at the nodes occurs simultaneously. Strictly cyclic and/or full-duplex high-speed communication can be supported. The network can be wired in a ring or as a tree and with twisted pair cabling or fiber. The central controller issues demand signals to the nodes that are actuator, servo motor drive, and/or I/O devices. The central controller can also provide a timing message that is used by the nodes, in conjunction with local delay correction circuitry, so that the simultaneous acquisition of data and the simultaneous implementation of controlled action occur.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the control of motion of complex machines, and specifically to an improved system, method, and computer-readable instructions designed to minimize wiring yet retain the flexibility of centralized control systems.
2. Discussion of the Background
The control of moving components in modern manufacturing equipment, such as the equipment used to process and package semiconductor devices, has become extremely complex as demands for both speed and precision increase. Such complexity is seen, for example, in the implementation of feedback control loops used in servo motion control systems. These servo control systems are used for critical positioning actuators, typically referred to as motion axes, in a complex machine.
A schematic representation of an exemplary basic servo axis motion control system 10 is shown in FIG. 1. Typically, a desired motion path profile is generated at a motion planning device 12, either prior to operation or in response to a system stimulus. The desired motion profile is converted to a motor signal (or other actuator signal) by the drive 16. The drive 16 is typically a combination analog or pulse width modulated (PWM) amplifier along with the digital circuitry needed to convert a digital motion profile into the analog actuator drive signals.
The desired motion path profile can be described and regulated in several ways. For example, a "demanded position" is the desired motion profile expressed in terms of the position of the actuator (and/or actuated object). Alternatively, the "demanded velocity" of the actuator and/or actuated object may be used, as well as a combination of velocity and position. A position measuring device, typically an optical motion encoder, is used to measure the "actual motion path profile" (e.g., the "actual position" and/or "actual velocity") of either the shaft of the motor 15, or for more precise systems, the actual moving part position.
Due to various mechanical and electrical sources of error (such as, e.g., noise, backlash, part flexing), a difference between the desired motion profile and the actual motion profile is often present. For example, PID (Proportional Integral Differential) feedback 120 in the position/velocity loop can be used to adjust the drive signal to minimize the error between demand and actual position. The algorithms in many high performance servo motion systems go well beyond PID control. Servo systems often include filters to compensate for mechanical resonances, tailored acceleration/deceleration profiles, and other software intensive control elements that help optimize the speed and accuracy of a moving system.
The control signal input to the drive 16 is usually a voltage, whereas most motors generate a torque that is proportional to an input current. Therefore, the drive 16 must often convert the input voltage representing the desired position and/or velocity to a current corresponding to the motor torque. This voltage-to-current conversion requires another feedback element, the current loop 110, which may range from a simple wire between the input and output of a linear amplifier to fairly complex digital logic controls in the case of PWM amplifiers.
Modern motion control systems may include several elements (e.g. actuators) that need to operate simultaneously to perform complex tasks. In other words, a motion control system may include several servo motors 18 (or other actuators) and therefore several axes of control. The decisions about when and where to move using which trajectory are termed "motion planning." The motion control system also includes a cascade control scheme for each axis, where the elements in the cascade include the current/torque control loop, and the position and/or velocity control loop, which may either be combined or separate parts of the cascade.
Several types of digital networks have been indicated for use in motion control. These networks can be divided up into two groups: those that have been designed for general purpose data transmission but then applied to motion control and those that are designed specifically for use as motion control networks.
1. General Purpose Networks
These are generally networks designed for data communications or multi-media applications and adapted to machine control. Data communications networks are directed to moving data from point to point in an efficient and reliable manner but they pay little or no attention to the timeliness of delivery. For example, multi-media networks stream data at 8 kHz from a CD player to an audio amplifier. Although multi-media networks guarantee the average streaming rate, they do not provide strict periodicity, as the data is buffered at both ends in multi-media appliances and can therefore tolerate deviations in the delivery period. Thus, multi-media networks are not ideal for real-time motion control networks.
ARCNET
ARCNET is such a data communications network. Several companies are known to have motion control networks based on ARCNET (ATA/ANSI 878.1, 2 and 3). ARCNET is a medium speed token-bus network that can be operated to provide strict cyclic messaging. However, there are limitations to using ARCNET. The first limitation is a moderate bit rate (10 Mbit/s) that is not fast enough to send out torque/current demands. Moreover, the speed of ARCNET cannot be upgraded to 100 Mbit/s over copper without a fundamental re-design.
ARCNET can use twisted pair copper but has no scrambling and therefore data transmission may potentially cause electromagnetic interference. ARCNET can operate as a physical ring (or as a bus) but cannot operate after a link has been severed. Nor can it report where such a fault has occurred, thereby impeding automatic and remote fault diagnosis. ARCNET has no mechanism for auto-enumeration, which increases the time necessary to commission a machine. ARCNET, being half-duplex, cannot carry command and feedback data simultaneously. ARCNET uses a token-passing scheme; such schemes are inherently less robust in the event of electromagnetic interference than time-division multiplexing as the loss of the token requires the network to re-start a configuration process wherein the token is re-created. ARCNET has no propagation time correction mechanism and therefore would suffer significant data skew if a moderate number of nodes is used with a short cycle time.
IEEE Std 1394-1995 and prEN 1394b
This network is intended for multi-media applications and has a tree topology. The proposed 1394b version is to have both fiber and twisted pair copper layers, although neither has been reduced to practice to date. This network is proposed to operate at 100 Mbit/s or faster.
1394 is proposed to be cyclic, but not strictly cyclic. It is proposed to have a guaranteed rate for cyclic data but will delay transmission of the cyclic data depending upon network traffic. 1394 as proposed is restricted to an 8 kHz cycle rate, but rates of 16 kHz or more are required to update the torque/current demand in a motion control system. 1394b is proposed as full-duplex at the physical and data link layers but only half-duplex at the application layer. In other words, command and feedback data cannot be sent simultaneously. The proposed 1394 cannot operate as a ring and cannot operate all nodes in the event of a fault such as a broken cable. The proposed 1394 has auto-enumeration and node discovery but unfortunately these functions are 'hot-pluggable' (i.e. the network is re-enumerated when a new node is plugged-in or removed). Therefore, the position of a node within the network cannot be reliably used to signify the axis of control since this position would change if another node were disconnected during operation. Proposed 1394 has no time-correction mechanism for dealing with the situation where a synchronization message is received at different times at different points in the network, and therefore would suffer significant data skew if a moderate number of nodes were used with a short cycle time. Existing 1394 and proposed 1394b can, however, correct for a delay in sending a synchronization message.
Ethernet—IEEE 802.3-1998
This general network is intended for data communications applications and has a tiered hub topology that operates at 100 Mbit/s and above. The point-to-point physical layer can be used to form the network in one embodiment of the present invention.
Ethernet has no inherent cyclic messaging. Ethernet also cannot be operated as a full-duplex ring and therefore has no means of operating all nodes after a link has been severed. No known implementation of an Ethernet network can report where such a fault has occurred, thereby automatic and remote fault diagnosis is prevented. Ethernet lacks an appropriate mechanism for auto-enumeration since it cannot assign node numbers on the basis of position. Ethernet is normally half-duplex; full-duplex operation introduces the expense, complexity, and temporal uncertainty of using switches. Ethernet lacks a time-correction mechanism.
2. Networks Designed Specifically for Motion Control
The technical details of many of these networks are proprietary, and only some have been disclosed to the public. Only two of these networks possess a bus speed of exceeding 10 Mbit/s as is required to meet the fairly modest objective of achieving an update rate of 8 kHz on four axes with a telegram size of only 19 bytes.
SERCOS
The concept of cyclic, time-domain multiplexed messaging originated with the SERCOS network and was subsequently codified as IEC 61491. SERCOS is implemented upon a single fiber optic ring, is half-duplex, and can operate at up to 16 Mbit/s. While this network is accepted for use in certain industry sectors such as machine tools and automotive assembly lines, it has several significant limitations.
In a network with more than a few nodes, the SERCOS bit rate of up to 16 Mbit/s substantially limits the network cycle time to a moderate 1 ms. This moderate network cycle time in turn dictates that the position feedback loop must be closed at the drive rather than centrally at the motion controller. SERCOS networks thus limit the feasibility of close inter-axis coupling (including centralized implementation of electronic gearboxes and cams) and on-the fly changes of trajectory. The moderate bit rate also limits the number of axes that may be attached to a network to around 16 when there are many applications that demand more than 16 axes. SERCOS does not work with a copper transmission medium, which significantly increases the cost and poses a problem in applications where the network medium must be routed through flexible trunking such as cable retractors. This is due to the fact that the long term flexure characteristics of fiber are poor. SERCOS furthermore does not operate after a link has been severed, nor does it report where a fault has occurred. Finally, SERCOS has no mechanism for auto-enumeration and relies on DIP switches to identify nodes.
MACRO
MACRO is a proprietary network introduced by Delta-Tau Inc. It uses the FDDI fiber-optic physical layer to transmit 100 Mbit data on a single optical ring. MACRO has a weak error detection mechanism based on a checksum—not a CRC. MACRO, according the March 1999 specification has no long-haul (100 m) copper medium. MACRO cannot operate in a tree topology or in the event of a fault and lacks node discovery and auto-enumeration capabilities. It is unclear whether MACRO has a time-correction mechanism and therefore may suffer significant data skew if an even moderate number of nodes were used with a short cycle time.

System for motion control, method of using the system for motion control, and computer readable instructions for use with the system for motion control


Apparatus, systems, and methods for resolving a forward error correction (FEC) protocol include requesting, by a network node element during an auto-negotiation period between the node element and a link partner, to resolve at least one FEC mode during a data mode period, wherein auto-negotiation period occurs before the data mode period. At least one channel quality parameter of at least one channel of a communication link between the network node element and the link partner are determined by the network node element during the data mode period. The network node determines, during the data mode period, whether to enable or disable at least one FEC mode for use by the network node element based on, at least in part, the at least one channel quality parameter.

Some conventional Ethernet network systems support optional Forward Error Correction (FEC) protocols as an additional measure of packet integrity, which may be useful on channels having marginal quality. FEC protocols are processor intensive, and enabling FEC protocols typically degrades system performance, latency and increase the overall power demand of a network node. In the conventional Ethernet approach, FEC protocols are enabled during an auto-negotiation period between link partners. However, the auto-negotiation period is typically agnostic to the actual quality of the channels between link partners. Instead, the conventional network system measures channel quality during a link training sequence, which is performed after the auto-negotiation period and before the data mode period. Once enabled, the conventional network system does not provide for dynamic adjustment to an FEC state. Thus, while channel quality parameters may change during data mode operations, the conventional network system is not capable of dynamically enabling/disabling FEC protocols during a data mode, and thus, the conventional Ethernet network system may unnecessarily degrade system performance and latency and increase the overall power demand of the network segment and/or degrade packet integrity.
Although the following Detailed Description will proceed with reference being made to illustrative embodiments, many alternatives, modifications, and variations thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Network system configured for resolving forward error correction during a data mode


A device for recording consumption of a consumable substance during a time period. The device comprises a first member having a first surface for temporary securement to a drinking container; a second member having a surface which is removably engaged with the first surface of the first member; a plurality of tab members, each of which is removably secured along a second surface of the first member; and wherein each of the tab members includes a marking which is different from the other markings and which indicates an amount which has been consumed during the period.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a serving counter, and in particular to a serving counter which indicates an amount of a consumable substance, such as water which has been consumed throughout a 24 hour period.
The recommended minimum daily amount of water intake is eight ounces eight times per day, amounting to a total of 64 ounces of water per day. For people who are significantly large or small, such as obese people or small children, the recommended minimum varies depending upon the person's size and/or weight. In any event, a person often forgets the number of containers of water which he/she has consumed in a day, thereby leading to water consumption which fails to meet the recommended daily amount. As a result, the present invention addresses the problems associated with meeting the recommended minimum daily water amount by allowing for substantially easy recording of water consumed.
2. The Relevant Art
There are known drinking containers which include means for indicating an amount of fluid which has been consumed over a period of time. For instance, Kimpson U.S. Design Pat. No. 333,066, Bailey U.S. Design Pat. No. 350,457, and Claudias U.S. Design Pat. No. 314,689 disclose drinking containers having rotary controls for pointing to one of a plurality of numbers.
Yuen U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,670 discloses a food storage container which includes a flange having dates printed thereon and a lid having a pointer.
Garby U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,067 discloses an adaptor for use as a bottle closure device, having an indicator which displays the number of times the bottle has been opened.
Parker U.S. Pat. No. 2,833,064 discloses a recording device for medicine intake.
Wrobel U.S. Pat. No. 4,609,208 discloses a label identification device for electrical wires.
Kauflnann U.S. Pat. No. 5,264,265 discloses a multi-ply, resealable, peel-back label.
Essehnann U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,783 discloses a label dispensing sheet for setting labels on pages of books or other publications.
The above-identified references, however, fail to provide a device which indicates the number of servings and/or drinking containers of water which has been consumed in a 24 hour period, and which temporarily adheres to a conventional drinking container for easy recording and updating.

Consumption indicator label apparatus, and methods of using same


A direct acting pressure reducing valve includes a valve-inlet pressure introduction port; a valve-outlet pressure output port; a main valve for opening and closing a communicating conduit; a pilot pressure chamber formed with a flexible diaphragm member; a communicating hole; a connecting rod inserted in the communicating hole; and a biasing member for biasing the flexible diaphragm member in a direction to open the main valve. An insertion portion of the connecting rod has a partly-deformed circular cross section, a distance from a deformed portion thereof to a center of an imaginary circle corresponding to the communicating hole being shorter than a radius of the imaginary circle. A non-deformed portion of the partly-deformed circular cross section guides the connecting rod along the communicating hole, while the deformed portion serves as an air passage via which the communicating conduit and the pilot pressure chamber are communicatively connected.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a direct acting pressure reducing valve.
2. Description of the Related Art
A direct acting pressure reducing valve is known in the art. The valve includes a main valve which is disposed in a communicating conduit via which a valve-inlet pressure introduction port and a valve-outlet pressure output port are communicatively connected with each other. The valve-outlet pressure output port is communicatively connected with a pilot pressure chamber which is formed by a diaphragm (flexible diaphragm member). The pilot pressure chamber and the valve-inlet pressure introduction port are communicatively connected with each other via a circular communicating hole, in which a connecting rod is inserted to be freely movable in a sliding manner. The connecting rod is disposed between the diaphragm and the main valve, and the pressure in the pilot pressure chamber acts on the diaphragm to be equilibrium with the spring force of a pressure regulating spring and controls the valve-outlet pressure by movement of the connecting rod in response to movement of the diaphragm. The connecting rod acts on the main valve to move the main valve in a valve closing direction thereof when the pressure in the pilot pressure chamber exceeds the spring force of the pressure regulating spring, while the connecting rod moves down in a direction to open the main valve so that the pressure which is determined with the pressure regulating spring is output from the valve-outlet pressure output port.
In this conventional direct acting pressure reducing valve, it is desirable that the direct acting pressure reducing valve operates sensitively to vary a cross-sectional area of the main valve so that the pressure in the pilot pressure chamber and the spring force of the pressure regulating spring are balanced. It is known experientially that the size of the circular communicating hole, via which the pilot pressure chamber and the valve-inlet pressure introduction port are communicatively connected with each other, has a very large influence on the responsivity to variations of the flow rate on the valve-outlet side. The circular communicating hole, via which the pilot pressure chamber and the valve-inlet pressure introduction port are communicatively connected with each other, and the connecting rod, which is inserted in the circular communicating hole to be freely slidably movable therein, are constructed so that the connecting rod can slidably move in the circular communicating hole normally with a minimum clearance therebetween. In this type of pressure reducing valve, the pressure responsivity of the valve-outlet pressure tends to be delayed in response to a sudden variation of the valve-inlet pressure. It is known that the valve-outlet pressure overshoots especially when a pressure supply valve on the valve-inlet side is opened.


The invention relates to an electric tooth cleaning device and to a method for automatically indicating the cleaning duration when cleaning teeth, whereby a timer signal is emitted using a time element after the termination of a set cleaning duration in a tooth cleaning session. According to the invention, the set cleaning duration, whose termination prompts the emission of a timer signal, is modified. An actual cleaning duration in the tooth cleaning session is registered by a time registration device. The deviation of the actual cleaning duration from a predetermined standard cleaning duration is determined by means of an evaluation device. The set cleaning duration of a subsequent tooth cleaning session is then defined depending on the deviation that has been determined.

It is known with electric tooth brushes to provide a time switch, which, starting from switching-on of the electric tooth brush, emits a discernible signal after a predetermined time duration for a user. The signals serve to indicate to the user the end of the cleaning time. The user is made aware of the end of the optimal cleaning time through the use of acoustic or optical signals. From WO 96/14025, it is known to not emit an acoustic or optical timer signal, rather instead to switch the drive motor of the tooth brush on and off rapidly so that the drive motor stutters. This can be done while the device is either in the hand or in the mouth of the user.
In addition, it can be provided that the electric tooth brush is switched off after termination of the target cleaning time automatically. This is inexpedient if the timer-signal merely indicates that a partial region of the teeth, such as, for example, a biting quadrant, has been completely cleaned. In WO 97/19650, it therefore proposed to switch again to regular cleaning operation after the stuttered operation, so that the biting quadrant can be cleaned completely according to the desire of the user. As soon as the user changes to another biting quadrant, he can start anew the timing member by means of a button, in order again to be provided the target cleaning time for this new biting quadrant. This method for indicating the target cleaning time does not fulfill the wishes of all tooth brush users, however.
From DE 197 28 964 A1, a tooth brush with a device is known, which signals to the tooth brush user the beginning and end of the optimal tooth cleaning time. On the tooth brush, a knob or slide switch is mounted, with which at the beginning of the teeth cleaning, an acoustic signal can be released, which is repeated automatically after approximately three minutes. In addition, a signal after approximately three months of using the tooth brush can be emitted, whereby the user is informed that the tooth brush should be replaced with a new tooth brush.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,029,303 discloses a manual tooth brush with an electric circuit, which emits a discernible signal regarding the cleaning time. The beginning of the cleaning time can be determined, for example, by means of a movement sensor, which releases a timing member, whereby, at the end of the time, a signal discernible by the user is emitted from the timing member of an electrical circuit. Also, the possibility exists that with the electronic circuit, the entire cleaning time is added up and a further signal from the electronic circuit is then emitted, which falls below the recommended use time of the tooth brush.


There is provided, as an object of the present invention, a refrigerant cycle apparatus capable of smoothly cooling an inverter module for driving a motor of an electric compressor while preventing enlargement of an installation space as much as possible. In the refrigerant cycle apparatus which is constituted by sequentially connecting the electric compressor, a gas cooler, an electric expansion valve, an evaporator and an accumulator in an annular form through pipes, and driving a motor of the electric compressor by the inverter module, the gist of the apparatus is that heat exchange is carried out between the accumulator and the inverter module.

The present invention relates to a refrigerant cycle apparatus constituted by sequentially connecting an electric compressor, a gas cooler, a pressure reducing device, an evaporator, and an accumulator in an annular form through pipes, and driving a motor of the electric compressor by an inverter module.
Recently, as an air conditioner for an electric automobile, a refrigerant cycle apparatus having an electric compressor mounted thereon to be driven by power from a battery has been developed. This refrigerant cycle apparatus is constituted by sequentially connecting the electric compressor, a gas cooler, a pressure reducing device (expansion valve or the like), an evaporator, and an accumulator in an annular form through pipes. A DC voltage from the battery is converted into a three-phase pseudo AC voltage by an inverter module and applied to the electric compressor, whereby a motor in the electric compressor is driven to start compression running of a refrigerant.
The inverter module is constituted by molding a switching element group comprising a switching element and a diode for switching serge absorption in a mold package (e.g., see Japanese Patent No. 3341327).
The inverter module generates heat when it is run, and thus the heat must be released. In other words, because of the heat generation, there is the danger that the heat may fill the inverter module to damage the switching element group. Thus, conventionally, a device for cooling the inverter module by air or water has been provided. The inverter module has been cooled by this device, thereby preventing a problem of damaging the inverter module.
However, when such a device for cooling the inverter module by air or water is installed, an installation space is considerably enlarged by the device, creating a difficulty of miniaturizing the refrigerant cycle apparatus.


A method for planning machine control for a system includes determining one or more capabilities and one or more capability constraints for each component used to execute a plan for processing a job by the system. The plan is incrementally constructed based on the components, the one or more capabilities, and the one or more constraints. One or more sets of executable instructions are queried with incremental portions of the plan, wherein each set of executable instructions is associated with a different one of the components and represents the actions that are performed by its corresponding component, each incremental portion includes actions that are to be performed by its corresponding component, and each set of executable instructions executes the incremental portion it received. Upon receiving confirmation from each of the queried sets of executable instructions that indicates each of the components is able to perform the actions in the incremental portions, a final plan for processing the job is generated.

Typically, a designer of a controller for a system (e.g., a machine, an apparatus, etc.) with modular hardware (e.g., components, modules, etc.) designs the control software for the system without knowing the configuration (e.g., capabilities, constraints of the capabilities, etc.) of one or more of the components that make up the system. If fact, such knowledge may not be attainable until after the control software is loaded to the system, system power is cycled "on," and the system boots up.
One technique that facilitates designing control software for such systems includes model-based planning. The model-based planning technique is based on a notion that each component of the system can send a model of its behavior to a central planner or controller. This assumes that a modeling language is available that can capture all the relevant information about each component's capabilities and constraints thereof and that the behavior of all possible future components can be captured as well. However, these assumptions typically are over-optimistic, or not achievable.
Conventionally, such models are written in a fixed language and transferred to the controller of the system. The controller interprets the models in order to determine the capabilities and constraints of the system components. Subsequently, upon receiving one or more jobs to process, the controller generates a plan to process the one or more jobs based on the components' capabilities and capability constraints described within each of the component models.
The plan is then validated via a propose/accept/confirm (PAC) protocol or other technique. With the PAC protocol, the plan is proposed to all of the components involved, as determined by the plan. Each of the components evaluates the proposed plan and responds to the controller by either accepting or rejecting the proposed plan. If all of the components accept the proposed plan, then the controller will confirm the plan. A confirmed plan is sent to an execution engine or the like for execution. If at least one of the components rejects the plan, then the controller generates a new plan, or re-plans. This cycle of generate a first plan, propose the first plan, reject the first plan, re-plan (generate a second plan), propose second plan, reject second plan, . . . , re-plan (generate plan X), propose plan X, etc. may continue until a plan is finally accepted by all of the components or be terminated without ever reaching a final plan.
By way of example, one or more of the component models may not capture one or more constraints of a component. Therefore, the controller may generate a plan that does not satisfy the unknown constraint and, thus, the plan is subsequently rejected by the corresponding component. Since the controller does not know why the plan was rejected (i.e., it is not aware of the constraint that is not being satisfied), the controller may generate a new or next plan that also does not satisfy the unknown constraint. As a result, the component will also reject this plan. Eventually, the controller may generate a plan that satisfies the unknown constraint and all of the components will accept the plan. However, the controller may never generate a plan that satisfies the unknown constraint and, thus, a plan may never by accepted by all of the components. In addition, each PAC cycle consumes time and cumulatively the time to get a confirmed plan may take tens, hundreds, thousands, etc. of milliseconds. Thus, even if a plan is eventually accepted, time and processing resources may have been wasted due to generating and testing plans based on the incomplete information.
In view of the above, there is an unresolved need for an improved planning technique.

Model-based planning using query-based component executable instructions


Disclosed are a method for processing multi-transmission reception point (TRP) data, a base station, a terminal, and a storage medium, used for solving the problem in the prior art of low reliability of data transmission when data is transmitted by using multiple TRPs. The method includes a base station generates a resource allocation instruction and a quasi-co-location (QCL) instruction according to the mapping relations between a transmission coding block of data to be transmitted and multiple TRPs, and the QCL instruction is used for indicating the associations between an allocated resource and the QCL identifiers of the multiple TRPs, and the allocated resource comprises a time-frequency resource or a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) port resource; and sends downlink control information (DCI) to a user terminal, the DCI comprising at least the resource allocation instruction and the QCL instruction as well as a data merging and detection instruction.

With the widespread use of mobile network, user terminals have increasingly higher requirements on the data transmission rate of the mobile network.
In order to improve the data transmission rate and system coverage of the mobile network, multiple Transmission Reception Point (TRP) can usually be used for data transmission. In the prior art, multiple TRP transmission schemes mainly include a multi-point transmission scheme based on Long Term Evolution (LTE) and a multi-point transmission scheme based on 5G R15 standard.
The multi-point transmission scheme of the LTE defines Dynamic Point Selection (DPS), Dynamic Point Blanking (DPB), Coordinated Scheduling (CS)/Coordinated Beam forming (CB), uncorrelated Joint Transmission (JT) and other transmission technologies. In these technologies, the base station can select a TRP to transmit data to the user terminal according to the Channel Quality Indicators (CQIs) of multiple TRPs fed back by the user terminal. For example, in the DPS transmission scheme shown in FIG. 1, the base station selects a TRP with a better CQI for data transmission from the CQIs of two TRPs fed back by the user terminal. However, in this way, only one Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) can be sent to a single user terminal at a time.
The multi-point transmission scheme of the 5G R15 standard defines that multiple TRPs can transmit multiple PDSCHs to a user terminal. For example, in FIG. 2, a user terminal can receive two PDSCHs, so that the access network can use different Physical Downlink Control Channels (PDCCHs) to schedule the multi-point transmission data, and thus different configuration schemes such as TRP resource allocation and Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) can be independent of each other.
Although both the above two schemes can achieve the multi-point transmission, for the case when the TRPs transmit multiple PDSCHs to a user terminal, if multiple PDSCHs use the same time-frequency resources to transmit different data, the multiple PDSCHs will interfere with each other, reducing the reliability of data transmission. For the case when multiple TRPs share a PDSCH to transmit the data streams corresponding to multiple TRPs to a user terminal, if this PDSCH carries a single data stream, the reliability of the transmitted data is not high because there is no duplication or diversity transmission of the data; and if this PDSCH carries multiple data streams, these data streams will interfere with each other, and the reliability of data transmission is also low.
In view of this, when multiple transmission points are used to transmit the data, how to improve the reliability of data transmission has become an urgent problem to be solved.

Method for processing multi-transmission reception point (TRP) data, base station, terminal, and storage medium

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