Moldable polyester resin compositions and molded articles therefrom include, based on the total weight of all resin components:. (A) between 2 to 98% by weight of a compatibilizing metal sulfonate group-containing aromatic polyester copolymer which is the polycondensation reaction product of (a) an aromatic dicarboxylic acid or its ester-forming derivative, (b) a diol compound or its ester-forming derivative, and (c) an ester-forming compound containing a metal sulfonate group; PA1 (B) between 2 to 98% by weight of an additive resin which is one of (B-I) an olefin copolymer which is the copolymerization reaction product between an olefin with at least one of an .alpha.,.beta.-unsaturated carboxylic acid or its derivative and a vinyl alcohol or its ester, and (B-II) a polyamide resin; and, optionally PA1 (C) between 0 to 96% by weight of a non-compatibilizing aromatic polyester resin.. The ester-forming compound containing a metal sulfonate group is preferably incorporated into the main polymer chain of the compatibilizing aromatic polyester resin in an amount between 0.01 to 15 molar percent.

Thermoplastic aromatic polyester resins, polyolefin resins and polyamide resins each are well known engineering plastics which exhibit excellent moldability characteristics. Furthermore, these resins exhibit desirable mechanical properties, electrical properties and the like which make them suitable materials for a wide range of end-use applications. Specifically, aromatic polyesters and polyamide resin are known to possess excellent chemical resistance characteristics. While such resins have property characteristics which are desirable, there is still a need for property improvements and/or enhancements, particularly where new end-use applications are identified which require specialized properties.
For example, aromatic polyester resins are frequently required to exhibit greater toughness, impact-resistance, heat-resistance and alkali-resistance properties. Polyamide resins are typically required to have improved water absorption resistance characteristics and increased dimensional stability. Olefins resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, on the other hand, generally are relatively light-weight, and possess excellent chemical resistance and flexibility characteristics. Olefin resins, however, typically lack strength and rigidity which sometimes precludes their use in certain end-use applications where strength and rigidity are requisite attributes of the engineering plastic.
Aromatic polyester and polyolefin resins have relatively poor affinity for one another. Thus, when such resins are formed as distinct layers or regions in a composite article (such as a co-extruded laminated film structure having respective layers of an aromatic polyester and a polyolefin), there is a tendency for the composite article to delaminate along the boundary region between the aromatic polyester layer and the polyolefin resin layer due to poor adherence characteristics.
Generally, blending of resins so as to achieve a desirable set of property attributes has typically been thought to be useful for solving or reducing the problems associated with any one individual resin. For example, the homogenous blending of an aromatic polyester resin and a polyolefin resin would be expected to compensate for the drawbacks associated with the respective resins so as to achieve a composition having improved fusability and bondability. However, the compatibility of aromatic resins and polyolefin resins is so poor that even when melt-blended with one another, it is difficult to obtain a homogenous dispersion. In particular, when injection molded articles are formed from a blend of an aromatic polyester and a polyolefin, severe surface peeling occurs due to an inhomogeneous blend. The resulting mechanical properties of such a blend are also significantly lower than what might otherwise be expected. These problems, therefore, tend to limit the practical value of such a resin blend.
Various proposals have been made in order to obtain a homogenous dispersion of an aromatic polyester resin and a polyolefin resin by improving their compatibility characteristics. In this regard, it has been proposed that a modified polyolefin copolymer be employed which contains comonomeric units introduced into the polymer's backbone for the purpose of enhancing the compatibility between the polyester and polyolefin resins. Although such a "compatibilizing agent" does improve the compatibility of polyester and polyolefin resins to some extent, further improvements in terms of dispersibility and mechanical properties are needed.
Blending of an aromatic polyester resin and a polyamide resin is considered useful in order to improve not only the heat-resistance properties of the aromatic resin, but also to improve the water absorption resistance properties of the polyamide resin. It might be expected, therefore, that a composition which contains both an aromatic polyester resin and a polyamide resin would benefit from the advantageous properties, such as mechanical strength and the like, attributable to each of the resin components. The present applicants, however, have determined that the compatibility of aromatic polyester and polyamide resins is so poor that, when simply melt-blended with one another, it is difficult to obtain a homogeneous dispersion, which results in substantially lower mechanical strength properties than would otherwise be expected. Like the aromatic polyester and olefin blend discussed above, an inhomogeneous blend of an aromatic polyester and a polyamide will result in significant surface peeling on injection-molded articles. As a result, the practical value of such a blend is questionable.
What has been needed therefore is a better compatibilization technique to enable aromatic polyesters to be blended sufficiently with either a polyolefin or a polyamide resin. It is towards fulfiling such a need that the present invention is directed.
Broadly, the present invention is embodied in moldable polyester resin compositions which contain a modified aromatic polyester copolymer having metal-sulfonate-containing units introduced into the copolymer's backbone structure. Such an aromatic polyester copolymer has been found to be highly compatible with both polyolefin and polyamide resins, and serves as a compatibilizer when an unmodified (i.e., one not containing metal-sulfonate units) aromatic polyester is further blended with the modified polyester copolymer and either a polyolefin or a polyamide resin.
Preferred embodiments of this invention will include, based on the total weight of the resin components:
(A) between 2 to 98% by weight of a modified aromatic polyester copolymer containing a metal sulfonate group which is the polycondensation reaction product of (a) an aromatic dicarboxylic acid or its ester-forming derivative, (b) a diol compound or its ester-forming derivative, and (c) an ester-forming compound containing a metal sulfonate group;
(B) between 2 to 98% by weight of one of (B-I) an olefin copolymer produced by copolymerizing an olefin with at least one of an .alpha.,.beta.-unsaturated carboxylic acid or its derivative and a vinyl alcohol or its ester, and (B-II) a polyamide resin; and, optionally
(C) between 0 to 96% by weight of an unmodified aromatic polyester resin.
By the term "modified aromatic polyester" is meant to refer to an aromatic polyester copolymer having metal-sulfonate-containing units as part of its backbone. On the other hand, by the term "unmodified aromatic polyester" is meant to refer to aromatic polyesters which do not include such metal-sulfonate-containing units as part of their backbone structures.
Further aspects and advantages of this invention will become more clear after careful consideration is given to the detailed description of the preferred exemplary embodiments which follow.

Moldable polyester resin compositions and molded articles formed of the same


A method of and an apparatus for inspecting a bottle or the like by which the presence or absence of a defect, particularly a check, can be determined with a high degree of accuracy. Light is irradiated upon an inspection area of a rotating or moving object, and reflected light is photographed by a two-dimensional camera which includes solid-state image pickup elements. Picture element data for a first frame are fetched at a first point of time from the two-dimensional camera and stored into a memory, and then picture element data for a second frame are fetched at a second point of time after a fixed interval of time after the first point of time. Then, differences of the picture element data for the second frame from the picture element data for the first frame from the memory are taken and binary digitized with reference to predetermined brightness threshold level, and the differences which have one of two binary values are counted. The count number is compared with a predetermined number to determine the presence or absence of a defect in the object being inspected.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for inspecting a bottle or the like using an optical device to determine presence or absence of a defect by electronic processing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various methods of optically inspecting a bottle or the like to determine the presence or absence of a defect such as, for example, a split often referred to as a check or a foreign article such as a stone or the like) which may appear at or mixed in a bottom or body portion of the bottle are conventionally known. An exemplary one of such methods is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Publication Application No. 58-58020. According to the method, light is irradiated in an inverted conical ring shape by a light projecting section upon circumferential side wall of a bottle for inspection from above such that it may be introduced toward a bottom face of the bottle so as to reach a corner material portion of the bottom through the material of the side wall of the bottle. The light which is reflected from a split in the corner material portion is introduced into a single photoelectric transducer element to detect such a split.
The method, however requires an optical system which is complicated in construction. In addition, since reflected light is detected only by means of the single photoelectric transducer element, if the angle of light reflected from a check is different only a little from a specified angular range, such reflected light will not be introduced into the photoelectric transducer element, and consequently, the presence or absence of a defect cannot be detected accurately. Further, various design patterns are commonly formed on bottom faces of bottles, and the amount of reflected light is varied to a great extent depending upon such design pattern. Accordingly, it is impossible to detect a check of a bottle only from a variation in amount of light when the bottle has a design pattern thereon.
Another exemplary one of such conventional methods as described above is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. 61-107144. According to the method, a bottle is carried in to an inspection position in the neighborhood of a one-dimensional image sensor, and while the bottle is being rotated around an axis thereof with the axis thereof held in parallel to a longitudinal direction of the image sensor, it is illuminated such that an image of transmission light through the bottle is formed on the image sensor. The image sensor is scanned so as to obtain a set of signals, and such scanning &s repeated during rotation of the bottle so as to successively obtain a plurality of sets of signals. Two sets of signals obtained at a first rotational position of the bottle and a second rotational position of the bottle after rotation of the bottle from the first rotational position are compared with each other, and presence or absence of a defect is determined in accordance with a result of such comparison.
With the method, the accuracy in detection is somewhat higher than that of the former method described above. However, while employment of a one-dimensional image sensor is more advantageous in regard to resolution than employment of a two-dimensional image sensor, a high degree of accuracy cannot be anticipated for detection of a check of a bottle using a one-dimensional image sensor since the direction of reflected light from a check of a bottle is changed to a great extent by rotation of the bottle and since such checks are various in shape and further since more disturbance light from other than a check is received by the one-dimensional Image sensor due to rotation of the bottle. Accordingly, the latter method cannot cope efficiently with cheeks of bottles having various shapes.

Method of and apparatus for inspecting bottle or the like


An ink cartridge includes an ink containing part and first through third housings. The ink containing part includes a holding member with an ink supply opening part and a sealed ink filling opening part. The first housing includes a holding part holding the holding member of the ink containing part. The second housing has an outline analogous to that of the first housing. The third housing is fitted to the side of the assembly of the first and second housings from which side ink is supplied. The first, second, and third housings are assemblable and disassemblable.

An ink-jet printer is a well-known one of image-forming apparatuses (or image-recording apparatuses) such as printers, facsimile machines, and copiers. The ink-jet printer performs recording on a recording medium such as paper (recording paper) by ejecting ink thereonto from a recording head. The recording medium is not limited to paper. The recording medium refers to a medium on which an image is formable. The recording medium may also be an OHP (overhead projector) sheet, for instance. The ink-jet printer can record a high-definition image at high speed with reduced noise at low running cost. Further, the ink-jet printer enjoys another advantage of easiness in recording a color image using multiple color inks.
An ink cartridge having a housing formed of a rigid rectangular shell and an ink reservoir filled with ink in the housing as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,388 (Prior Art 1) and an ink cartridge having a flexible bag-like ink reservoir with an ink outlet and a chassis (housing) with an opening through which the ink reservoir is insertable into and extractable from the chassis as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,363 (Prior Art 2) are well known as ink cartridges that are ink containing parts employed in the conventional ink-jet recording apparatuses.
FIG. 1 shows another conventional ink cartridge. The ink cartridge of FIG. 1 includes an ink containing part 501 containing ink, a cylindrical case 502 housing the ink containing part 501, and a lid member 503 covering the front side (opening) of the cylindrical case 502. The ink containing part 501 is integrated with a holding member 504 to which a sealed cylindrical ink filling opening 505 for filling the ink containing part 501 with ink and a cylindrical ink supply opening 506 for supplying ink are provided. The holding member 504 is pushed into the cylindrical case 502 so that projections 504a of the holding member 504 engage engagement holes 502a formed on the wall surface of the cylindrical case 502. As a result, the holding member 504 is fixed and held to the cylindrical case 502. The lid member 503 is fitted into the opening of the cylindrical case 502.
Recent ink-jet recording apparatuses tend to consume more ink as higher image quality is achieved. Therefore, in the recent ink-jet recording apparatuses, a small sub tank is mounted on a carriage so that ink is supplied to the small sub tank from a main ink cartridge provided to the apparatus main body. This is because a conventional type of ink-jet recording apparatus in which cartridges are mounted on a carriage requires frequent replacement of cartridges.
Accordingly, ink cartridges have become larger in size, and if the ink cartridges should be disposed of directly after use as the above-described ink cartridge disclosed in Prior Art 1, it is a huge waste of resources. Therefore, it is necessary that ink cartridges be effectively reusable.
The ink cartridge of Prior Art 2 simply houses an ink reservoir in a chassis so that the ink reservoir is insertable into and extractable from the chassis. According to this configuration, however, the ink reservoir remains unstable, thus preventing a stable supply of ink. In the case of inserting the ink cartridge into the main body of an apparatus from its upper side so that the ink cartridge is loaded into the apparatus with the ink supply opening of the ink cartridge facing downward, the ink reservoir is stabilized to some extent in the chassis. However, in the case of inserting the ink cartridge into the main body of the apparatus from its front side so that the ink cartridge is loaded with its ink supply opening facing in a sideward (horizontal) direction (hereinafter, this configuration is referred to as a front loading configuration), the ink reservoir is inclined in the chassis. Accordingly, it is impossible to employ the front loading configuration with such an ink cartridge.
Further, in the case of the ink cartridge of FIG. 1, the holding member 504 holding the ink containing part 501 has to be pushed into or extracted from the cylindrical case 502 through its opening that is substantially equal in size to the holding member 504. Therefore, the ink cartridge is assembled or disassembled with poor operability. Further, in the case of pouring ink into the ink reservoir, stability is not maintained if the ink reservoir is extracted from the chassis 502. On the other hand, if the ink reservoir is placed in the chassis 502, it is impossible to check the condition of the ink bag 501 while pouring ink into the ink reservoir.
Further, the ink-jet recording apparatuses have been widely used for business purposes because of their increasing processing speed. Therefore, it is required to reduce costs per print, which has been realized by increasing the capacity of an ink cartridge.
However, users who print out a relatively small number of prints and thus consume a small quantity of ink cannot use up ink in the ink cartridge of a large capacity before a recommended expiration date of the ink. As a result, the ink may deteriorate over time to cause ejection instability. Further, the unit purchase price of ink cartridges rises, so that an ink cartridge generally coming with the purchase of an apparatus also becomes expensive, thus placing a burden on users.
Moreover, in order to improve the assemblability and disassemblability of an ink cartridge, to make it possible to check the condition of an ink bag, and to make the front loading configuration employable, a dividable housing may be proposed for an ink cartridge. In the case of employing a dividable housing, however, the rigidity of the housing is reduced.

Ink cartridge, housing therefor, ink bag, ink-jet recording apparatus, ink container, and image-forming apparatus


Techniques to automate the transformation of an application involving programming language constructs from a composite of source grammars to a composite of target grammars, while maintaining the fidelity of the program semantics and functionality, or extending or changing it to explode the capabilities and avoid the limitations of new technologies are disclosed. The different stages of the transformation are persisted in an annotated abstract syntax tree where the annotations represent semantic preserving transformation rules. The abstract syntax tree is then transformed according to the transformational rules. The transformed abstract syntax tree may then be traversed to generate a new translated source code application or be queried to generate output reports. Alternatively, the transformed abstract syntax tree may be subjected to another transformation as part of a chain of transformations.

Computer programs are written in one or more computer programming languages. A computer program originates from one or more source code files written in the one or more programming languages. The source code files are subsequently interpreted by a runtime or execution environment, or compiled into object code and linked into a binary executable.
A programming language is defined by a grammar which sets forth the syntactic rules governing that programming language. The grammar will comprise a set of grammar elements which include a set of primitive symbols and a set of rules on what constitute valid combinations of the symbols into higher level. For example, the primitive symbols may comprise American Standard Code for Information Interchange ("ASCII") characters, which may be combined into terms, and where terms may then be combined with additional characters and other terms into expressions. Grammars are often formally represented with Backus-Naur Form ("BNF").
While a grammar defines the syntax of a programming language, a program comprises a set of semantic statements, expressed in one or more expressions in the syntax of the programming language. A set of expressions in the syntax of the programming language that corresponds to a semantic statement in the source code of a program is called a source code construct. Accordingly, a source code of program contains one more source code constructs, which ultimately will instruct a processor on how to execute according to the semantics of the program.
It is laborious to create a computer program. Production of a commercial computer program, may take years to develop. Examples include the Windows™ operating system where various releases have taken four years with thousands of developers to complete. In addition to writing the source code, the program must also be verified to operate according to the semantics expected by the designers and by customers. Thus a computer program represents a non-trivial investment by developers and customers alike.
However, as a computer program is maintained, over time it may be desirable to change one or more of the underlying programming languages used in the program. For example, new versions of the underlying programming languages may occur over time. For example, the FORTRAN programming language according to the FORTRAN 77 standard is different from the FORTRAN 90 standard. By way of another example, Visual Basic 7™ which is based on the .NET™ framework, is not fully backwards compatible with Visual Basic 6™ which is based on the Common Object Model ("COM") framework.
Changes to one or more of the underlying programming languages used in the program may also be motivated by the need to port a program to different platforms. For example, a mobile application targeting the Android™ operating system is typically written in the Java™ programming language. However, if that mobile application is to be ported to Apple's iOS™ operating system, then that mobile application might potentially be rewritten in the Objective C programming language.
A platform change need not be from one device to another, but may be to a different target topology altogether. For example, an application initially written for a client-server, two-tier, Local Area Network ("LAN") environment might be ported to a mobile device/application server/database three tier cloud environment. By way of another example, an application originally written for a single core, single processor environment might be ported to a different programming language as part of a refactoring effort to target symmetric multi-processor ("SMP") environments, or massively multi-core processors. There are cases where a program originally written in a structural programming language, such as the C programming language, is ported to a functional programming language, such as Erlang to better handle parallelism.
Present porting efforts, such as described above, as well as for more general refactoring are typically done manually, thus duplicating the cost of initial development and validation. Accordingly, there is an opportunity to fully automate porting while guaranteeing fidelity by transforming programming language constructs.

Programming language transformations with abstract syntax tree extensions


A device (10) for selective transfer of rows of products (11) between pairs of facing upper conveyor belts (12,13) and a lower belt (18) arranged at a right angle. One end of a first upper conveyor belt (12) for arrival of products is inclinable toward a lower belt (18). Beneath each facing end of the upper belts (12, 13) there is an intermediate horizontal shelf (14, 15) for reception and discharge of products. At least the first shelf (15) beneath the second upper belt (13) is inclinable between the horizontal position and a position inclined upward to align with the end of the opposite upper belt (12) inclined downward. At least the other shelf (14) being movable between a high position in which it is aligned with the first shelf (15) in a horizontal position and a low position aligned with the corresponding edge of the lower belt (18).

In the art of conveyance of rows of products along conveyor belts it is often necessary to selectively transfer the products between belts arranged perpendicularly to each other. The transition between belts is always a critical passage. It becomes truly difficult if the products conveyed are delicate and move at high speeds and in addition the products are arranged on the first belt in sequences of transverse rows while they must be fed from the second belt in an aligned continuous sequence. A typical case are the production and packaging lines for food products such as snacks and the like.
Various solutions have been proposed to resolve the problem. The most widely used consists of using three belts, two aligned to form the normal conveyance line for the products and a third arranged beneath the passage zone between the first two belts realising the perpendicular belt. The upper belt of arrival of the products has passage ends on the second belt, which is aligned therewith, which can be inclined downward to reach the lower belt and unload thereon the products. Controlling the inclination of the end of passage it is thus possible to cause the products to continue on the second belt or shunt them toward the perpendicular belt. This system resolves the problem of selection of the products but the passage between the first and third belts is brusque because of their differing inclinations with the horizontal plane.
Again in the known art there have been proposed intermediate elements between the first and third belts composed of a shelf which rotates around an axle parallel with the extension of the third belt to align itself first with the first belt when inclined and thus receive therefrom the products and then with the plane of the third belt and unload thereon the products received. The shelf can include pushers or a short conveyor belt to facilitate reception and subsequent unloading of the products.
This solves the problem of passage between the belts without brusque variations of slope but slows transfer and necessitates one more passage. For this reason the sequential rows of products must be supplied from the first belt at reduced speed or be widely spaced. Another shortcoming of the above art is that, if for any reason the lower belt must cease receiving the products, e.g. due to momentary cessation of the activity toward which they are being sent, either supply is suspended also by the first belt or the products are sent along the second belt without the possibility of subsequent automatic recovery for sending onto the third belt when it resumes activity.
The general purpose of the present invention is to overcome the above shortcomings by supplying a device for conveyance and translation between perpendicular belts which would act delicately but at great speed. In addition, another purpose is to supply an accumulation device capable of storing the products arriving to unload them even on the perpendicular belt.

Device for selective transfer of rows of products between pairs of conveyor belts


A portable and low-cost flotation device consisting of a high density mat sized to accommodate a user while floating, a cooled head rest and a portable, hand held misting spraying mechanism which may be removably secured to the mat during periods of nonuse. The head rest includes a water containing cavity in communication with the spraying mechanism, and a foot activated pneumatic pump to pressurize the cavity to transmit the water to the spraying mechanism. The head rest further features a closable recess to receive a frozen ice pack to maintain the cavity water cool for a prolonged period of time, and at least one recessed cradle to receive a beverage can.

This invention relates to an inexpensive recreational flotation device that may be readily transported to the beach, pool, etc., where the user is assured of cooling comfort from a hand held mist spraying mechanism. The device includes a cooled head rest integral with a high density flotation mat.
The prior art offers several devices that may provide some cooling comfort to a user of the device. The prior art is exemplified by the following U.S. Patents:
a.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,233,705, to Coleman, et al., discloses an inflatable raft with a shower device. The device includes a horizontally disposed support base having at least one flotation cell. At least one side wall of a shade member extends upwardly from the support base. The shade member further includes a horizontally disposed covering member supported by the at least one side wall. The support base and the shade member have at least one common inflatable air cell, such that full inflation of the air cell forces the side wall and the covering member to assume semi-rigid positions relative to the base for shading the base. The base has a support surface and perimeter walls extending above the support surface so that the base may retain water on the support surface between the perimeter walls. A water nozzle is further included and held by the covering member in a downwardly facing attitude. A flexible hose is positioned within the at least one air cell, and a hose coupling is positioned on the base. The hose interconnects the water nozzle and the hose coupling so that water may be introduced at the hose coupling to flow through the flexible hose for expulsion from the water nozzle for cooling a person reclining on the support base. A water reservoir is removably attached to the base, and includes a manual spray gun for producing a water spray for further cooling a person reclining on the base.
b.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,027,455, to Commisso, et al., teaches a misting device, usable with a lounging pad that produces a gentle blanket-like mist that completely covers sunbathers and provides cooling to keep a person comfortable while sunbathing without having to move away from the device. The misting device is removably attachable to a lounge pad and has mist emitting heads which are individually rotatable to control the direction of mist emission. While the device is attached to a lounge pad, the lounge pad may be folded for transport or to conform to the shape of lounge chairs or ground surface contours.
c.) U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,143, to Breaux et al., relates to sunbathing apparatus comprising a generally rectangular flexible sheet having an elongated flexible water conduit integrally attached to a marginal side edge thereof The conduit and the marginal side edge have a plurality of spaced concentric perforations therealong where the perforations are positioned toward the upper surface of the sheet member. A valve is provided for coupling the conduit to an operative supply of water and controlling the rate of flow of water, whereby water flowing into the conduit and out through the perforations is directed upwardly and inwardly of the marginal side edge of the sheet member so as to direct a fine spray of water onto the upper surface of the sheet member.
d.) U.S. Pat. No. D-387,271, to Bifulco, is a design patent which illustrates a portable spherical misting device.
In contrast to the foregoing prior art, the present invention offers a user of the device hereof a low-cost alternative to provide cooling comfort at a sunny beach, for example. The manner by which this goal is achieved with the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following specification, particularly when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Flotation device with portable mist spray


The aluminum trailer frame and trailer includes aluminum side rails with bowed forward sections which converge on an aluminum trailer tongue beam. A plurality of aluminum cross members are laterally mounted to opposing side rails. Each cross member has a generally C-shaped cross section with an embedded, generally C-shaped bolt head channel near the mid-section of the C-shaped cross member. The channel has opposing tabs which trap a bolt head and the channel extends the length of the cross members. Two bunk rail beams or other accessory supports or beam supports are mounted on the cross members via bolts having bolt heads that are slidably disposed in the bolt head channels. Accessories are movably mounted on the cross members by bolts in bolt head channels.

Trailers regularly transport boats, watercraft, snowmobiles, all terrain vehicles, motorcycles or carry all trailer beds behind trucks and suitably configured automobiles. These trailers typically are 12 foot to 16 foot in length and include a pair of wheels set on axles and a brake light system as well as trailer accessories to secure the boat, watercraft, snowmobile or all terrain vehicle to the support elements on the trailer frame.
Typically, trailer frames have been made of galvanized steel. However, galvanized steel is heavy and although it is easy to assemble, the trailer, after assembly, must be sent to a galvanizing processor. These galvanizing processors adversely effect the environment, add to the cost of the galvanized trailer frame and significantly increase the time to manufacture trailers.
Therefore, there is a need for a light, easy to assemble, trailer frame.


Power is supplied to electronic equipment from a battery pack unit by the control of the battery pack unit. A plurality of battery packs are attached to a personal computer. The battery packs each compare the voltage of the personal computer with the voltage of a battery built in its own battery pack. Upon comparison, charging FETs and discharging FETs provided for the battery packs are independently switched on or off. Accordingly, the battery packs simultaneously supply power to the personal computer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a battery pack unit, a control method for the battery pack unit, electronic equipment, and recording media. More particularly, the invention relates to a battery pack unit having a plurality of battery packs which is suitably used for supplying power to electronic equipment, such as personal computers. The invention is also concerned with a control method for the above type of battery pack unit, electronic equipment driven by power supplied from the above battery pack unit, and recording media on which a program for controlling the above battery pack unit is recorded.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 illustrates the configuration in which power is supplied to a personal computer from a battery pack unit according to a technique of the related art. In FIG. 1, a battery pack unit 21, which is formed of four battery packs 21-1 through 21-4, is detachably attached to a personal computer 1.
The personal computer 1 has four switches 12-1 through 12-4, the number of which is the same as the number of battery packs 21-1 through 21-4 attached to the computer 1. One end of each of the switches 12-1 through 12-4 is connected to the positive terminal of each of the battery packs 21-1 through 21-4, respectively. The other ends of the switches 12-1 through 12-4 are connected to each other and are further connected to a port 11. The lines connected to the negative terminals of the battery packs 21-1 through 21-4 are also connected in common to each other within the personal computer 1 and are further connected to the port 11. Moreover, control signals can be individually output to the switches 12-1 through 12-4 from the port 11, thereby separately turning on or off the switches 12-1 through 12-4.
In the state in which the four battery packs 21-1 through 21-4 are connected to the personal computer 1, as discussed above, the personal computer 1 first actuates the switch 12-1 and turns off the other switches 12-2 through 12-4. As a result, power from the battery pack 21-1 is supplied to the individual elements of the personal computer 1 via the port 11.
While the battery pack 21-1 is supplying power, the voltage of the battery pack 21-1 gradually lowers and finally reaches a predetermined reference voltage. Upon detecting the above state, the personal computer 1 turns off the switch 12-1 and turns on the switch 12-2. Then, the battery pack 21-2 starts to supply power.
Similarly, thereafter, every time the voltage of each battery pack reaches a reference voltage, the personal computer 1 sequentially changes the switches 12-1 through 12-4 to obtain power continuously from the battery packs 21-1 through 21-4.
According to the above related art, the provision of the switches 12-1 through 12-4 for the personal computer 1 is necessary to change a plurality of battery packs 21-1 through 21-4. This increases the number of parts and accordingly incurs an increase in the cost. Moreover, the switching devices should be inserted into the power supply path, which generates current loss, resulting in a waste of power.

Battery pack unit, control method therefor, electronic equipment driven by power supplied from the same battery pack unit, and recording medium on which program for controlling the same battery pack unit is recorded


An information processing apparatus includes: a housing accommodating a plurality of component devices serving functions provided in the information processing apparatus; a plurality of tags mounted to individual locations on the housing relating to the respective associated component devices, each of the tags being embedded with a piece of device type information indicating the component device associated with the tag; a storage section configured to store a plurality of component device information sets indicating respective sets of information about the component devices; a communication section configured to send and receive data to and from a mobile terminal; and a communication control section configured to allow the communication section to receive data sent from the mobile terminal and allow the communication section to send back to the mobile terminal the component device information set about the component device indicated by the piece of device type information contained in the received data.

The present disclosure relates to information processing apparatuses, mobile terminals, and information processing systems and particularly relates to a technique for presenting information about an information processing apparatus to a user.
Recently, information processing apparatuses such as image forming apparatuses are becoming increasingly complex, so that the amount of information about each information processing apparatus, including manual information indicating various operations to be performed by a user, is becoming huge. It takes much time and effort for the user to acquire a desired piece of information from among such a huge amount of information, which is cumbersome. Therefore, it is important to appropriately present a piece of information desired by the user.
Conventionally, a technique for presenting a piece of information desired by a user from among information about information processing apparatuses is known. In such conventional technique, for example, an image forming apparatus has a bar code indicating an apparatus ID thereof and attached thereto. Furthermore, this image forming apparatus sends to a server a piece of status information indicating the status of the apparatus itself. Moreover, when a mobile terminal reads the apparatus ID indicated by the bar code and sends the apparatus ID to the server, the server identifies, from among respective pieces of status information on a plurality of image forming apparatuses stored in the server, a piece of status information on the image forming apparatus corresponding to the received apparatus ID and sends to the mobile terminal a piece of procedure display information (manual information) relating to the identified piece of status information. The mobile terminal displays the piece of procedure display information sent from the server. Thus, the user can know an operation procedure to be taken by the user in a current status of the image forming apparatus, by a simple operation of allowing the mobile terminal to read the bar code attached to the image forming apparatus.

Information processing apparatus, information processing system and mobile terminal reading tags mounted on the device components for obtaining status of the device components


This invention is in reference to ammunition feeding devices for guns, specifically magazines. The belt feed mechanism consists of a container, which stores the ammunition and defines the path which the ammunition band moves the ammunition. The ammunition is pulled by the ammunition band which is pulled onto one spool. The spool is driven by the power of a wound up spring. Two or more mechanisms can be coupled together, to form a system. The spring motor can be loaded externally through rotating an axle which is attached to a direction limiting mechanism while loading spring motor. The spring motor is discharged controllably utilizing a free gear friction brake by pushing an axle. The spring motor is disengaged from the belt with a push button. Dummy cartridges are used to forward ammunition when the belt itself does not deliver all cartridges by itself.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to magazines for firearms. More particularly, it relates to a magazine which can store and deliver a plurality of cartridges toward the firing chamber of a firearm.
2. Background of the Invention
Magazines for guns can be separated into two categories, belt fed and spring follower.
Originally, removable box magazines were designed as single stack. Later staggered box magazines were made. Both of these magazines were straight or curved. These magazines deliver ammunition to the gun with a spring, which usually pushes the cartridges toward the gun. The spring pushes or pulls the ammunition, guided by the inner wall surface of the magazine, toward the chamber of the weapon. U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,959 to Howard, Harvey (1979) discloses a plastic magazine which utilizes a push spring and a follower to push the cartridges out of the magazine.
These magazines are limited in capacity because of spring power restrictions or friction restrictions. Magazine capacity can only be increased by lengthening the magazine, usually along the axis perpendicular to the direction which the gun fires. Even if a box magazine can solve the spring and friction problems in a high capacity magazine, the magazine would be considerably long and unwieldy.
Although box magazines are inexpensive to manufacture, considerably reliable, simple to load, simple to operate, and simple to put into or remove from the weapon, they do not possess the ability to store and deliver a high quantity of ammunition to the weapon in a reliable manner. They also do not store high quantities of ammunition in a compact, ergonomic manner.
These magazines are limited in capacity because of spring power restrictions, friction restrictions or size restrictions. Magazine capacity is usually less than a drum magazine of the same size.
Another way which ammunition can be delivered to a weapon is by feeding the ammunition to the chamber with a belt magazine. These mechanisms usually use a spring drive and axle to move a belt. The belt has spaced shelves which hold cartridges individually. U.S. Pat. No. 4,468,875 to Harrison, Retzlaff(1984) discloses a removable magazine powered by a spring motor that is directly attached to the axle to drive an endless plastic band which carries the cartridges in inserts directly to the chamber.
Drum type magazines are also a way which a considerably high quantity of ammunition can be stored and delivered to the weapon. The drum type magazine can be configured as single drum or double drum. The magazine operates by pushing ammunition about the centroidal axis of the drum with a loaded spring and a rotor arm. U.S. Pat. No. 658,700 to Sullivan (1987) discloses a double drum magazine and a single drum magazine which is capable of storing and delivering a staggered ring of cartridges with the power of a spring and rotor arm.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,745,842; 4,384,508; and 4,445,418 have been considered but they were found deficient for ergonomic, capacity utilization, and space utilization reasons.
The drum type magazine has some imperfections. The magazine is usually difficult to load, especially without a special tool, due to the powerful spring. The spring loaded pusher arm puts a great deal of friction between the ammunition and the inside surface of the drum magazine. This can be a problem when using ammunition which is not good (reloaded or damaged ammunition). The hub, where the spring is stored on the axis of the drum, is rather large and occupies a space which can not be used to store ammunition. As a result, it takes a significantly larger space to store ammunition in a drum magazine than in other methods. Although drum magazines carry and deliver a relatively high capacity in a portable manner, they do not optimize the size of the magazine to capacity of the magazine. They are also rather difficult and time consuming to load without tools. Reliability may also be compromised when using less than perfect ammunition.


A method for selectively retrieving requested data files associated with computer cluster systems based on metadata associated with the requested data files is provided. The method may include receiving data retrieval requests, wherein the data retrieval requests include a request to retrieve requested data files. The method may also include querying the metadata associated with the requested data files, wherein the queried metadata determines a location affinity of data blocks associated with the requested data files located on a remote cluster associated with the computer cluster system. The method may further include based on the queried metadata, determining at least one server associated with the computer cluster system that is locally available and provides an optimum access to the requested data files. The method may also include, selecting the determined at least one server that provides the optimum access to retrieve the requested data files.

The present invention relates generally to the field of computing, and more specifically, to data communication.
Generally, computer clusters consist of a set of connected computers/servers that may communicate and work together so that, in many respects, they can be viewed as a single system. Typically, computer clusters have node sets comprising nodes to perform the same or different tasks which may be controlled and/or scheduled by different software. Examples of computer cluster architectures may include share nothing architectures and share everything architectures that may include clusters of servers, with each server having nodes to perform different tasks. Typically, in share everything architectures, the nodes that are associated with the node sets may use/share memory and disk storage; on the contrary, in share nothing architectures, nodes do not use/share memory or disk storage. Share nothing systems are also distinct from systems that may keep large amounts of centrally stored information on a server or any single point of contention, in that the share nothing systems do not have a single point of contention, to thereby eliminate a single point of failure for the share nothing systems.

Selectively retrieving data from remote share nothing computer clusters

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


A subject for the invention is to provide a method of transferring a polymerizable liquid by which the polymerizable liquid can be stably transferred without arousing any mechanical-seal trouble over long. The method of transferring a polymerizable liquid utilizes a pump which has a mechanical seal having seal faces and has a flushing liquid line for supplying a flushing liquid to a flushing liquid introduction opening of the mechanical seal, wherein the flushing liquid line is equipped with a strainer, a device for adding a polymerization inhibitor, or a flushing liquid cooler.

Polymerizable liquids are known to polymerize by the action of heat or light or due to another factor during a production step, storage, or transportation to often create problems. The addition of a polymerization inhibitor such as phenothiazine or a phenol compound, e.g., hydroquinone and derivatives thereof, and contact with an oxygen-containing gas are known to be effective methods for preventing the occurrence of such problems, i.e., for preventing the polymerization of polymerizable compounds. These are techniques in extensive use.
There are cases where a mechanical seal is used as the seal in a pump for liquid transfer.
A mechanical seal comprises a driven ring capable of moving in the axial direction with the wear of the sealing terminal and a sheet ring which does not move. The contact surfaces have been well ground so that a fluid is sealed by the sealing end faces which are perpendicular to the axis and rotate relatively to each other.
A contact pressure is given by the pressure of the fluid to be sealed, a spring, or the pressure of another fluid, or by a rubber, bellows, magnetic force, etc.
There are many kinds of mechanical seals. Although single-mechanical seals are generally used frequently, double-mechanical seals are frequently used for handling fluids such as high-viscosity liquids, high-temperature or low-temperature liquids, and slurries. The mechanical seals are classified by a combination of basic functions as an unbalance type, balance type, rotational type, stationary type, inward flow type, outward flow type, back-end-face high-pressure type, back-end-face low-pressure type, inside-spring type, outside-spring type, etc. Static surface-pressing mechanisms which apply a pressure to the ground surfaces include a coil spring, magnetic force, rubber, metal-welded bellows, and the like.
Mechanical seals employ flushing, quenching, cooling, and other mechanisms for the purposes of cooling and lubrication and preventing foreign particles from accumulating. The flushing mechanism is a mechanism for injecting a liquid (flushing liquid) into the sliding part of a shaft seal part. With this flushing liquid, the mechanical seal is cooled to a temperature in a suitable range. This flushing liquid further functions not only to prevent the high-pressure-side fluid from vaporizing at the sealing end faces to improve lubrication but also to prevent impurities from accumulating in the shaft seal part.
Flushing techniques include self-flushing, in which the liquid itself being transferred is used for flushing, and external flushing, in which a liquid other than the liquid being transferred is injected.
The quenching mechanism is a mechanism for passing a cooling fluid through a non-sliding part of the shaft seal part. The primary purpose of this quenching mechanism is to keep the temperature of the sealing end faces in a suitable range. However, in the case where a volatile fluid, a fluid which is apt to form crystals, a harmful fluid, or the like is handled, the quenching mechanism is frequently used for the purpose of washing off the fluid which has leaked out. Examples of the quenching mechanism include ones employing a seal cover having an auxiliary bushing and ones employing a seal cover having an auxiliary gland.
The cooling mechanism is a mechanism by which a fluid is injected into and discharged from a part other than the sealing end faces in the mechanical seal, and is intended to keep the temperature around the mechanical seal in a suitable range. It is frequently used for cooling mechanical seals which handle high-temperature fluids.
In the mechanical seal part of a pump which transfers a polymerizable liquid, a leakage occurs frequently because the pump contents themselves (e.g., polymerizable liquid) or sludge or a polymer contained in the contents tenaciously adheres to the sliding part (sealing part) or another part or because the contents polymerize due to the heat generated in the mechanical seal part and the resultant polymer tenaciously adheres to the sliding part.
There is a seal utilizing a bellows-shape spring film member or the like (bellows seal) as a seal for preventing a sludge or the like from tenaciously adhering to the sliding part. However, this seal also suffers a leakage in the case of a fluid which polymerizes through a polymerization reaction, because a polymer generates and tenaciously adheres to the sealing surfaces and bellows part to reduce the function of pushing against the sliding part or cause a working failure, and further suffers a leakage due to the breakage caused by the concentration of the rotating force of the pump shaft on the bellows.
A maintenance operation has hence being conducted hitherto in which water, warm water, steam, or nitrogen gas is used to flush or quench the atmospheric side of the sealing surfaces (to conduct insulation from the air, such as cooling, heat insulation, and cleaning). In the case where the liquid to be transferred has a high temperature, a technique is being employed in which a device for cooling the periphery of the sealing region is separately disposed.
Flushing and quenching are effective in preventing adhesion to the sealing surfaces and sliding part of a mechanical seal. However, in the case where the fluid in the pump is one for which water inclusion is not allowable or one which reacts with water or with air contained in water, flushing or quenching cannot prevent the generation of a sludge or polymer although effective in washing off the sludge or polymer which has generated.
Namely, the sealing surfaces of a mechanical seal are lubricated by the formation of a thin film of an enclosed fluid in the space between the contact surfaces of the stationary-side seal face member fixed to the pump main body and the rotational-side seal face member disposed on the rotating shaft, and the enclosed fluid is inhibited from leaking out by the surface tension of the thin film. Since the flushing liquid and the air are in the state of being mixed and contacted with each other at the boundary between these, polymerizable ones undergo a polymerization reaction.

Method of transferring polymerizable liquid and apparatus for transfer


Media streaming is more efficient in terms of transmission bitrate consumption, transmission latency and/or fair trade of transmission capacity among several by pushing media content rather than the client pulling media content from the server. Pushing media content to the client at a varying bitrate enables to shift, at least partially, the control over the streaming from the client towards the server. The server may continue to push segments of the media content to the client even without receiving explicit queries or directives for these segments thereby reducing upstream bandwidth consumption. As far as the bitrate adaption is concerned, the server may act as a slave remotely controlled by the client in that media content is pushed at a bitrate depending on the client's most recently sent information such as reception situation information explicitly indicating the bitrate to be used.

Media streaming technology allows people to watch video or hear an audio signal via a client operating on a person's desktop, mobile phone, computer or the like. During streaming, only a small portion of the media data is sent to the client device at a time. These portions may be called temporal segments or chunks. In case of bitrate adaptive streaming, the bitrate at which the media data is transmitted to the client's device is varied in order to account for the varying transmission and reception conditions including, for instance, the available transmission bandwidth, the buffer fullness at the client and so forth.
Dynamic adaptive streaming over HTTP (DASH) is a popular adaptive bitrate streaming technique for high quality streaming of multimedia content over the internet. DASH streaming typically partitions media content into a sequence of small temporal segments with each such temporal segment containing a portion of the media content in a short interval of playback time. Typically, the content is made available with a media presentation description (MPD) file or manifest which describes information concerning the temporal segments such as timing, URL, media characteristics such as video resolution and bitrates and so forth. One or more versions/representations of the temporal segments of the media content are typically available, the versions differing in bitrate, resolution or other factors, and a selection can be made, typically automatically, based on network conditions, device capabilities and user preference, thereby enabling adaptive streaming. For example, generally when content is played by a DASH client, the client automatically selects from the available segments the next segment to download with the highest bitrate possible that can be downloaded in time for playback without causing pauses or rebuffering events in the playback.
However, media streaming techniques such as DASH do not address all needs imposed by current network environments. As the bitrate adaptivity is driven by the clients, the communication overhead between server and client puts strain on the transmission network in terms of uplink transmission bandwidth consumption to the server and aspects such as fair assignment of available downlink transmission bandwidth capacity to several clients is difficult to realize. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a concept for media streaming which is more efficient in terms of, for example, transmission bandwidth consumption, latency issues and/or fair trade of bandwidth capacities among several clients.


A connection terminal for connecting at least one conductor to a current bar, which is accommodated on a mount, in an electrically contacting manner, includes at least one clamping spring for applying a clamping force, the at least one clamping spring including a pivotable clamping lever for clamping the conductor. The clamping spring has a first leg and at least a second leg, is hingedly coupled to the clamping lever by the first leg, and is hingedly coupled to an auxiliary lever by the second leg, the clamping lever and the auxiliary lever being arranged pivotally on the mount.

Various connection terminals that are suitable for connecting conductors with large cross sections have become known in prior art. For example, conductors with large cross sections can be connected to screw terminals. In the process, the conductor is clamped to the electric connection terminal by means of a screw connection. A disadvantage with such screw terminals, however, is that simply pivoting the stripped conductor in from above is not readily possible. This leads to assembly being made considerably more difficult, in particular in the case of large and solid conductors, since the conductor has to be bent and inserted into the screw terminal axially from the front before the conductor can be clamped.
In the case of an electric connection terminal that allows a conductor that is to be connected to be pivoted in from above, assembly is comparatively easier. In the process, the conductor that is to be connected can be trimmed to the appropriate length beforehand and is then pivoted in during assembly.
Such a connection terminal has become known from WO 2013/004343 A1. In this known electric connection terminal, the clamping lever comprises a plurality of clamping springs and a clamping foot at the end of the clamping springs, in order to clamp an accommodated conductor to the current bar. The clamping lever is connected to a manual lever by means of which the actuation takes place. As a result of this, a dynamic transmission ratio during the closing process and a high clamping force can be achieved. A disadvantage with the known connection terminal is the relatively complicated construction of the clamping lever, for which the individual clamping springs are difficult to produce and on which settling phenomena may also possibly occur.


A read/write head for use in a data storage device to control the low dynamic flying height in order to achieve high data recording storage capacity of magnetic hard drives. The read/write head is designed for use in a data storage device that includes a storage medium having a recording surface. The head comprises a pole tip region and an actuator. In turn, the actuator includes an excitation source for generating a magnetic field, and a magnetostrictive plate for expanding in response to the magnetic field, resulting in a protrusion in a section of the pole tip region along a direction towards the recording surface, so that the head flies above the recording surface at a flying height lower than a nominal flying height.

An exemplary conventional read/write head comprises a thin film write element with a bottom pole P1 and a top pole P2. The pole P1 has a pole tip height dimension commonly referenced as "throat height". In a finished write element, the throat height is measured between the ABS and a zero throat level where the pole tip of the write element transitions to a back region. The ABS is formed by lapping and polishing the pole tip. A pole tip region is defined as the region between the ABS and the zero throat level. Similarly, the pole P2 has a pole tip height dimension commonly referred to as "nose length". In a finished read/write head, the nose is defined as the region of the pole P2 between the ABS and the "flare position" where the pole tip transitions to a back region.
Pole P1 and pole P2 each have a pole tip located in the pole tip region. The tip regions of pole P1 and pole P2 are separated by a recording gap that is a thin layer of non-magnetic material. During a write operation, the magnetic field generated by pole P1 channels the magnetic flux from pole P1 to pole P2 through an intermediary magnetic disk, thereby causing the digital data to be recorded onto the magnetic disk.
The magnetic read/write head is coupled to a rotary actuator magnet and a voice coil assembly by a suspension and an actuator arm positioned over a surface of a spinning magnetic disk. In operation, a lift force is generated by the aerodynamic interaction between the read/write head and the spinning magnetic disk. The lift force is opposed by equal and opposite spring forces applied by the suspension such that a predetermined flying height is maintained over a full radial stroke of the rotary actuator assembly above the surface of the spinning magnetic disk.
The flying height is defined as the magnetic spacing between the surface of the spinning magnetic disk and the lowest point of the slider assembly. One objective of the design of magnetic read/write heads is to obtain a very small flying height between the read/write element and the disk surface. With the ever increasing areal density, by maintaining a flying height as close to the magnetic disk as practically feasible, it is possible to record short wavelength or high frequency signals, thereby achieving high density and high storage data recording capacity.
A significant design challenge in a conventional read/write head is to achieve an ultra low flying height without causing physical damage to either the slider or the disk that may result in reliability problems and head crashes. Such as damage could cause both accelerated wear and performance degradation. The wear effect is due to the abrasive contact between the slider and the disk, which tends to cause the slider off track, thereby causing errors in the track following capability of the read/write head.
Typically, during operation, the magnetic read/write head is subjected to various mechanical and thermal conditions that tend to compromise the ability to attain the ultra low flying height in a conventional read/write head. For example, ambient pressure variations in the hard disk operating condition may contribute to the flying height variations. Similarly, mechanical disturbances during operation, such as vibration, also pose as a source of difficulty in maintaining the ultra low flying height.
Furthermore, during a typical operation, the magnetic disk spins at a rapid rate of rotation, typically on the order of several thousands revolutions per minute (RPM). This rapid rotation is a source of friction in the ambient air between the ABS and the spinning magnetic disk, causing an elevation in the operation temperature of the read/write head.
Additionally, the read/write head is also subjected to various other thermal sources of power dissipation resulting from the motor heating, current supplied to the write coils, eddy current in the core, and the current in the read sensor. The power dissipation manifests itself as a localized heating of the read/write head, resulting in a further temperature rise of the read/write head.
The combined mechanical and thermal effect therefore generally render the pole tip of the read/write head in a very close proximity to the magnetic disk in an uncontrolled manner that may possibly cause a physical interference of the read/write head.
In an attempt to resolve the foregoing problem, a number of conventional designs of read/write heads incorporate the use of heater coils to control the dynamic flying height of the read/write head.
Although this technology may have proven to be useful in controlling the dynamic flying height of the read/write head, it is still not entirely satisfactory in practice. Due to the reliance on the thermal expansion effect as a means to control the dynamic flying height, the response time is relatively slow. Since the ultra low flying height is typically lower than 12.5 nm, a flying height that is lower than 10 nm could cause a reliability problem.
Therefore, there remains a need for a read/write head that is capable of controlling the ultra low dynamic flying height during a read/write operation without causing undesirable pole tip protrusion during idle flying time. The need for such a design has heretofore remained unsatisfied.

Read/write head with dynamic flying height control by magnetostriction


A direct injection spark ignition internal combustion engine including a controller that controls a fuel injector to perform a plurality of fuel injections to inject a necessary amount of fuel during an intake stroke, or from an intake stroke to a first half of a compression stroke, when homogeneous combustion is to be performed. The fuel injection control sets an injection prohibition period, in which injection of the fuel is prohibited, to a middle of the intake stroke. The injection prohibition period is decreased as the engine speed and as the intake air pressure increase. In addition, the amount of fuel injected before the injection prohibition period is reduced, and the amount of fuel injected after the injection prohibition period is increased, as the engine speed decreases.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a direct injection spark ignition internal combustion engine in which fuel is injected from one side of a cylinder bore toward the cylinder bore wall on the opposite side of the cylinder bore such that the injected fuel rides on an intake air flow during an intake stroke, and a fuel injection control method for such an internal combustion engine. More specifically, the present invention relates to a direct injection spark ignition internal combustion engine that reduces dilution of oil by fuel that strikes the cylinder bore wall, and that effectively utilizes the latent heat of fuel evaporation and the effect of disturbance by a fuel jet, during homogeneous combustion to improve the homogeneity of an air-fuel mixture, and a fuel injection control method for such an internal combustion engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional gasoline direct injection engine in which fuel is injected from one side of a cylinder bore (for example, between two intake valves) toward the cylinder bore wall one the opposite side such that the injected fuel rides on an intake air flow during an intake stroke.
In this type of engine, it is desirable to more or less reduce the penetration of fuel spray in order to improve the homogeneity during homogeneous combustion and reduce generation of low-temperature smoke and hydrocarbon (HC). It is also desirable to increase the injection angle (installation angle) in order to reduce fuel adhesion to a piston.
With this in view, there is proposed a related art providing a fuel control device for a direct injection type spark ignition internal combustion engine that includes a fuel injector for directly injecting fuel into a combustion chamber and an ignition plug, and that performs stratified operation, in which fuel is sprayed in a concentrated manner toward the vicinity of the ignition plug, and homogeneous operation, in which fuel is sprayed in a distributed manner all over the combustion chamber, according to engine operating conditions. This fuel control device includes multiple injection control means for allowing a plurality of fuel injections during each cycle in the homogeneous operation. The multiple injection control means varies time intervals between injections and injection amounts for the respective injections according to the engine speed and load. (See Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-2002-161790, for example.)
Also, there is proposed a related art providing a fuel injection device for an engine having an ignition plug disposed in the center of a combustion chamber when viewed in the cylinder axis direction and a fuel injector for injecting fuel provided to face the combustion chamber. In the fuel injection device, a fuel injection port of the fuel injector is disposed at a periphery of the combustion chamber on an intake port side when viewed in the cylinder axis direction. The fuel injection device is provided with injection control means for controlling the fuel injector such that fuel injection is started during a first half of an intake stroke of the cylinder, and such that a plurality of multiple fuel injections are performed during an intake stroke. (See Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-10-159619, for example.)
In the former related art, however, the penetration of fuel spray is limited. Also, fuel may ride on an intake air flow at an excessive speed and thus an increased amount of fuel collides against the cylinder bore wall. The fuel adheres to the cylinder bore wall and flows via a piston ring into an oil pan, where the fuel dilutes oil, which deteriorates the engine quality.
In the full-load range where the homogeneity of air-fuel mixture and the utilization of the effect of latent heat of fuel evaporation and the effect of disturbance by a fuel jet are both desirable, in particular, fuel injection timing in the range where the piston speed is maximum is unavoidable.
In the related art according to Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-10-159619 mentioned above, fuel is not injected during an intermediate period of an intake stroke. However, because the absence of fuel injection is not because of an injection prohibition period set for positive prohibition, fuel is highly likely to be injected even during an intermediate period of an intake stroke if injection of a larger amount of fuel is demanded, which may lead to the problem of oil dilution described above.

Fuel injection control method for a direct injection spark ignition internal combustion engine


An improved-fidelity speaker system is presented. The sound system includes a frame and a pair of matching speakers. The frame is formed to hold a first speaker and a second speaker, each having a front side, a back side, and central axis. When attached with the frame, the two speakers are substantially aligned along their central axes in a configuration selected from a group consisting of being mounted in the frame such that the front sides of the speakers are facing away from each other, and being mounted in the frame such that the front sides of the speakers are facing towards each other. When the speakers are operated in unison, a sound wave is generated and pushed outward from the frame and approximately radially from the central axes of the speakers in up to 360 degrees, expanding outward about a plane approximately perpendicular to the central axes.

Sound systems utilizing speakers have long been used in the art to generate audio signals. Speakers take electrical signals and convert them into physical vibrations to create sound waves. FIG. 1 illustrates a traditional speaker system 100 of the prior art. As shown in FIG. 1, the traditional speaker system 100 includes a speaker 102 attached with some sort of a frame 104. Upon receiving an electrical signal, the speaker 102 pushes a lump of air (i.e., creating a sound wave 105) that is forced away from the speaker 102 to be received by a user 106 who interprets the sound wave as sound.
By virtue of their configurations, sound waves generated by the prior art are limited to a maximum 180 degree projection 108 from the frame 104. A result of such a configuration is that another user 110 positioned behind the projection 108 of the speaker 102 does not receive a direct sound wave 105. Although sound waves often bounce off of objects and reach the other user 110 in some form, they are distorted and do not provide for optimum sound quality.
Thus, a continuing need exists for a sound system that generates a sound wave that is projected 360 degrees from the frame, providing all users with a direct sound wave.


A reception apparatus includes: an extraction section; a transmission line characteristic estimation section; an estimation section; a frequency shift amount production section; a control section; an addition section; a first frequency shifting section; a second frequency shifting section; an interpolation section; a compensation section; a detection section; and an operation section.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a reception apparatus, a reception method and a program, and more particularly to a reception apparatus, a reception method and a program wherein a transmission line characteristic is estimated.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a modulation method for ground wave digital broadcasting, an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) method has been proposed wherein a large number of orthogonal carriers are used and modulated by PSK (Phase Shift Keying) or QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation).
The OFDM method is characterized in that, since it divides an overall transmission frequency band with a large number of subcarriers, the frequency band width per one subcarrier is small, and although the transmission speed is comparatively low, the total transmission speed is similar to that of an existing modulation method.
The OFDM method is characterized further in that, since a large number of subcarriers are transmitted in parallel, the symbol speed is comparatively low. Therefore, the multi-path time length relative to the time length of one symbol is low, and consequently, the OFDM method is characterized also in that the influence of multi-paths is low.
Furthermore, the OFDM method is characterized in that, since data are allocated to a plurality of subcarriers, a transmission circuit can be configured using an IFFT (Inverse Fast Fourier Transform) operation circuit which performs, upon modulation, inverse Fourier transform, and a reception circuit can be configured using an FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) operation circuit which performs, upon demodulation, Fourier Transform.
From such characteristics as described above, the OFDM method is frequently applied to ground wave digital broadcasting which is influenced significantly by multi-path interference. As standards for ground wave digital broadcasting which adopt the OFDM method, such standards as, for example, the DVB-T (Digital Video Broadcasting-Terrestrial), ISDB-T (Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting-Terrestrial) and ISDB-TSB (Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting-Terrestrial for Sound Broadcasting) standards are available.
FIG. 1 illustrates an OFDM symbol.
In the OFDM method, transmission of a signal is performed in a unit called OFDM symbol.
Referring to FIG. 1, one OFDM symbol includes an effective symbol in a signal interval for which IFFT is performed upon transmission, and a guard interval (GI) within which a waveform of part of a rear half of the effective symbol is copied. The GI is inserted to a position just forwardly of the effective symbol on the time axis.
With the OFDM method, since a guard interval is inserted, interference between OFDM symbols which occurs under a multi-path environment can be prevented.
A plurality of such OFDM symbols are collected to form one OFDM transmission frame. For example, in the ISDB-T standards, one OFDM transmission frame is formed from 204 OFDM symbols. The insertion position of a pilot signal is determined with reference to a unit of an OFDM transmission frame.
In the OFDM method which uses a QAM type modulation method as a modulation method for subcarriers, if an influence of multi-paths or the like is exerted upon transmission, then the amplitudes and the phases upon transmission and those upon reception become different from each other for each subcarrier. Therefore, on the receiver side, there is a need to perform equalization of the signal so that the amplitude and the phase of the reception signal may become same as those of the transmission signal.
In the OFDM method, the sender side discretely inserts a pilot signal of a predetermined amplitude and a predetermined phase into transmission symbols. On the other hand, the receiver side determines a frequency characteristic of the transmission line based on the amplitude and the phase of the pilot signal and equalizes the reception signal based on the determined characteristic of the transmission line.
A pilot signal used for calculation of a transmission line characteristic in this manner is hereinafter referred to as scattered pilot signal or SP signal. FIG. 2 illustrates an arrangement pattern of a scattered pilot signal in OFDM symbols adopted in the DVB-T standards or the ISDB-T standards.
FIG. 3 shows an example of a configuration of an existing OFDM receiver.
The OFDM receiver 100 includes a reception antenna 1, a tuner 2, an analog/digital (A/D) conversion circuit 3, an orthogonal demodulation circuit 4, a carrier production circuit 5, an FFT circuit 6, an FFT interval control circuit 7, and a transmission line distortion compensation circuit 8. The OFDM receiver 100 further includes an error correction circuit 9, a delay profile estimation circuit 10, a frequency shift amount production circuit 11, and a frequency interpolation filter selection circuit 12.
The tuner 2 frequency converts an RF signal received by the reception antenna 1 into an IF signal and outputs the IF signal to the A/D conversion circuit 3.
The A/D conversion circuit 3 performs A/D conversion for the IF signal supplied thereto from the tuner 2 and outputs a resulting digital IF signal to the orthogonal demodulation circuit 4.
The orthogonal demodulation circuit 4 orthogonally modulates the digital IF signal supplied thereto from the A/D conversion circuit 3 using a carrier supplied thereto from the carrier production circuit 5 to acquire an OFDM signal of a baseband from the IF signal. The OFDM signal of the baseband is a signal in a time domain before an FFT operation is performed.
An OFDM signal of a baseband before an FFT operation is performed is hereinafter referred to as OFDM time domain signal. The OFDM time domain signal is orthogonally modulated into a composite signal including a real-axis component (I channel signal) and an imaginary-axis component (Q channel signal). The orthogonal demodulation circuit 4 outputs the time domain OFDM signal to the carrier production circuit 5, FFT circuit 6, FFT interval control circuit 7 and delay profile estimation circuit 10.
The carrier production circuit 5 produces a carrier of a predetermined frequency synchronized with the reception signal based on the time domain OFDM signal supplied thereto from the orthogonal demodulation circuit 4 and outputs the produced carrier to the orthogonal demodulation circuit 4.
The FFT circuit 6 removes a signal within a range of a GI from a signal of one OFDM symbol based on an FFT trigger pulse supplied thereto from the FFT interval control circuit 7 to extract a signal within a range of an effective symbol length.
Further, the FFT circuit 6 performs an FFT operation for the extracted OFDM time domain signal to extract data orthogonally modulated with subcarriers. In particular, the start position of an FFT operation by the FFT circuit 6 is a position within a range from a position A of FIG. 1 which is the boundary of an OFDM symbol to another position B which is the boundary position between the GI and the effective symbol of the OFDM symbol. The FFT operation range is called FFT interval, and the start position of the FFT interval is designated by an FFT trigger pulse supplied from the FFT interval control circuit 7.
The FFT circuit 6 outputs an OFDM signal representative of the extracted data to the transmission line distortion compensation circuit 8. The OFDM signal outputted from the FFT circuit 6 is a signal in a frequency domain after an FFT operation is performed. An OFDM signal after an FFT operation is performed is hereinafter referred to as OFDM frequency domain signal.
The FFT interval control circuit 7 determines an FFT interval based on the time domain OFDM signal supplied thereto from the orthogonal demodulation circuit 4 and a delay profile estimated by the delay profile estimation circuit 10 and outputs an FFT trigger pulse for designating a start position of the determined FFT interval to the FFT circuit 6.
The transmission line distortion compensation circuit 8 includes a reception signal frequency shift circuit 8-1, an SP extraction circuit 8-2, a temporal direction transmission line characteristic estimation circuit 8-3, a transmission line characteristic frequency shift circuit 8-4, a frequency interpolation circuit 8-5 and a division circuit 8-6.
The reception signal frequency shift circuit 8-1 performs frequency shifting of the OFDM frequency domain signal supplied thereto from the FFT circuit 6 in accordance with a shift amount produced by the frequency shift amount production circuit 11. The reception signal frequency shift circuit 8-1 outputs the OFDM frequency domain signal obtained by the frequency shifting to the division circuit 8-6.
The SP extraction circuit 8-2 extracts an SP signal from the frequency domain OFDM signal supplied thereto from the FFT circuit 6, and removes modulation components of the SP signal to estimate a transmission line characteristic of subcarriers at a disposed position of the SP signal. The SP extraction circuit 8-2 outputs a signal representative of the estimated transmission line characteristic to the temporal direction transmission line characteristic estimation circuit 8-3
The temporal direction transmission line characteristic estimation circuit 8-3 estimates a transmission line characteristic of subcarriers on which the SP signal is disposed at positions of OFDM symbols juxtaposed in the temporal direction, that is, the OFDM symbol direction, based on the transmission line characteristic estimated by the SP extraction circuit 8-2. In FIG. 2, the vertical direction is the temporal direction, and the horizontal direction is the frequency direction.
For example, the temporal direction transmission line characteristic estimation circuit 8-3 uses a transmission line characteristic at the position of an SP signal SP1 of FIG. 2 estimated by the SP extraction circuit 8-2 and a transmission line characteristic at the position of another SP signal SP2 to estimate a transmission line characteristic of the subcarrier at the positions of the other symbols in a region A1 of FIG. 2.
Since an SP signal is inserted for every 12 subcarriers on the same time axis, the temporal direction transmission line characteristic estimation circuit 8-3 estimates a transmission line characteristic of a subcarrier at the positions of OFDM symbols for every three subcarriers. The temporal direction transmission line characteristic estimation circuit 8-3 outputs a signal representative of the transmission line characteristics of each three carriers to the transmission line characteristic frequency shift circuit 8-4 and delay profile estimation circuit 10. The signal representative of the transmission line characteristic outputted from the temporal direction transmission line characteristic estimation circuit 8-3 is represented, for example, as a signal on the frequency axis.
The transmission line characteristic frequency shift circuit 8-4 performs frequency shifting of the transmission line characteristic estimated by the temporal direction transmission line characteristic estimation circuit 8-3 in accordance with a shift amount produced by the frequency shift amount production circuit 11. Then, the transmission line characteristic frequency shift circuit 8-4 outputs a transmission line characteristic obtained by the frequency shifting to the frequency interpolation circuit 8-5.
The frequency interpolation circuit 8-5 performs a frequency interpolation process using an interpolation filter selected in accordance with a filter selection signal supplied thereto from the frequency interpolation filter selection circuit 12 to estimate a transmission line characteristic of a subcarrier at the position of each OFDM symbol in the frequency direction from the transmission line characteristic for each three subcarriers supplied from the transmission line characteristic frequency shift circuit 8-4. To the frequency interpolation circuit 8-5, a plurality of interpolation filters having predetermined bandwidths are provided, and an interpolation filter to be used for a frequency interpolation process is selected from the plural interpolation filters.
For example, the frequency interpolation circuit 8-5 estimates a transmission line characteristic of a subcarrier at the position of an OFDM symbol for which estimation of the transmission line characteristic is not performed as yet from among the positions of the OFDM symbols included in a region A2 in FIG. 2. The estimation of the transmission line characteristic is performed using a transmission line characteristic estimated already by the SP extraction circuit 8-2 and the temporal direction transmission line characteristic estimation circuit 8-3.
As a result, transmission line characteristics of all subcarriers at the positions of the OFDM symbols are estimated. The frequency interpolation circuit 8-5 outputs a signal representative of the estimated transmission line characteristics to the division circuit 8-6.
The division circuit 8-6 divides components of the signal which represent transmission line characteristics of all subcarriers supplied from the frequency interpolation circuit 8-5 from the OFDM frequency domain signal supplied thereto from the reception signal frequency shift circuit 8-1 and removes components of distortion by the transmission line from the OFDM frequency region signal. The division circuit 8-6 outputs the frequency domain OFDM signal from which the distortion components are removed to the error correction circuit 9.
The error correction circuit 9 performs a deinterleave process for a signal interleaved by the sender side and further performs such processes as depuncture, Viterbi decoding, diffusion signal removal and RS decoding. The error correction circuit 9 outputs data obtained by the processes as decoded data to a circuit on the following stage.
The delay profile estimation circuit 10 determines a temporal response characteristic of the transmission line to estimate a delay profile of the transmission line. For example, the delay profile estimation circuit 10 performs IFFT for the transmission line characteristic estimated by the temporal direction transmission line characteristic estimation circuit 8-3 to estimate a delay profile. The transmission line characteristic estimated by the temporal direction transmission line characteristic estimation circuit 8-3 is a frequency characteristic, and by performing IFFT for the transmission line characteristic, the determined temporal response characteristic becomes a delay profile.
The delay profile estimation circuit 10 outputs the delay profile to the FFT interval control circuit 7, frequency shift amount production circuit 11 and frequency interpolation filter selection circuit 12. It is to be noted that, as a method for delay profile estimation, also a method is known wherein a matched filter (MF) whose tap coefficient is a guard interval is utilized to estimate a delay profile from an OFDM time domain signal.
The frequency shift amount production circuit 11 produces a shift amount for use for frequency shifting based on the delay profile estimated by the delay profile estimation circuit 10. For example, the frequency shift amount production circuit 11 produces a shift amount with which the center position in the time axis direction of the path included in the delay profile (the center position of the delay spread) comes to the center position when the frequency band of the interpolation filter of the frequency interpolation circuit 8-5 is represented on the time axis.
The frequency shift amount production circuit 11 outputs a signal representative of the produced shift amount to the reception signal frequency shift circuit 8-1 and the transmission line characteristic frequency shift circuit 8-4.
The reception signal frequency shift circuit 8-1 performs frequency shifting in accordance with the shift amount produced by the frequency shift amount production circuit 11 such that the frequency band of the OFDM frequency domain signal supplied from the FFT circuit 6 is included in the frequency band of the interpolation filter. Meanwhile, the transmission line characteristic frequency shift circuit 8-4 performs frequency shifting such that the frequency band of the signal representative of the transmission line characteristic supplied from the temporal direction transmission line characteristic estimation circuit 8-3 is included in the frequency band of the interpolation filter.
The frequency interpolation filter selection circuit 12 determines a delay spread based on the delay profile estimated by the delay profile estimation circuit 10 to select an interpolation filter corresponding to the delay spread from among the interpolation filters provided to the frequency interpolation circuit 8-5. The frequency interpolation filter selection circuit 12 outputs a filter selection signal which designates the selected interpolation filter to the frequency interpolation circuit 8-5.
A similar reception apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2006-311385.

Reception apparatus, reception method and program


The embodiments of the present invention relate to the general area of Field Programmable Gate Arrays and, in particular, to Field Programmable Gate Arrays (“FPGAs”) comprising memory cells with both volatile and nonvolatile properties, and the control and management of each portion to overcome the disadvantages of each individual technology. Some of the advantages of combining the two properties in a single FPGA are power reduction, shorter power-on time, configuration flexibility, instant-on logic capability, cost savings in system components including nonvolatile instant-on devices, configuration memories, and standard CMOS process. Furthermore, to optimize these and other advantages of the proposed architecture, additional apparatus and methods are presented to individually and collectively manage and control different parts of such hybrid FPGAs.

A digital logic circuit, generally formed as a cascade of separate logic functions, is a circuit that produces a digital output as a result of some logical operation on its digital inputs. Digital logic circuits are typically implemented on various types of integrated semiconductor chips. One widely known type of integrated chip is the Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), which is a custom-made integrated chip. Each ASIC is manufactured to implement a specific digital logic circuit.
Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs) are another type of integrated chip, but differ from ASICs because of their ability to implement any number of different complex digital logic circuits by configuring the underlying integrated chip. For implementing an end product, the programmable integrated chips are less costly, usually in a limited volume, than ASICs because a large volume of identical programmable integrated chips may be manufactured from a single design, which can later be configured to implement a wide variety of digital logic circuits for different end customers. Therefore, the cost of design and manufacturing is distributed over a large number of identical integrated chips that can implement a large number of end designs.
An FPGA is one type of PLD that can either be permanently or temporarily programmed by the user. Typically, an FPGA consists of an array of modularized logic units and interconnection resources, such as presented in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/578,597, filed Jun. 10, 2004. It is an array of uncommitted gates with uncommitted wiring channels. Each logic unit can be programmed to implement any particular logic function. Various digital circuits may be implemented to execute desired functions by configuring or programming a number of logic blocks and interconnecting them using programmable interconnection resources. A programmable gate array circuit can be programmed to implement virtually any set of functions.
A function is implemented in a PLD by setting the states of programmable elements such as memory cells that set the functionality of the circuit. These memory cells may be implemented with volatile memories, such as static random access memories (SRAMs), which lose their programmed states upon termination of power to the system, or with nonvolatile memories, such as erasable-programmable read only memories (EPROMs), Flash memories, or electrically erasable-programmable read only memories (EEPROMs), which retain their contents upon termination of power. If the programmable elements used are volatile memories, the memory cells must be reconfigured upon system power-up in order to restore the PLD to the desired programmed and functional state.
As integrated circuit technology and semiconductor processing continue to advance, there is a need for greater densities and functionality in integrated circuits, which are often determined in large part by the size of the memory cells used to create the circuit. Further, it is desirable that the memory cells have improved operating characteristics, such as lower power consumption, nonvolatility, greater device longevity, improved data retention, better transient performance, superior voltage and current attributes, and improvements in other similar attributes. Memory cells may be used to programmably control the composition, configuration, arrangements, and also the interconnections of logic array blocks and logic elements. Many different memory cell technologies may be used including DRAM, SRAM, EPROM, EEPROM, Flash, and antifuse, among others. Typically, an ideal technology for storing the configuration information of the PLD should be compact, power efficient, programmable, infinitely reprogrammable, infinitely reconfigurable, and nonvolatile, require little additional programming circuitry overhead and generally provide enhancements to the performance and features of PLD logic modules and interconnections.
The prior art and the present mainstream commercial FPGAs have either employed a volatile or a nonvolatile technology, each of which has its own disadvantages that cannot be overcome except by switching to the other technology. For example, in the case of a power interruption, the memory cells using volatile technology need their information to be restored and reconfigured; have a slower power-up time than the ones with nonvolatile technology; need a higher standby power; and typically require external intelligence for configuration. Likewise, the memory cells using nonvolatile technology are not infinitely reconfigurable, require nonstandard semiconductor processes, have a slow programming or "write" capability, and may not be testable during the manufacturing.

Field programmable gate arrays using both volatile and nonvolatile memory cell properties and their control