A vehicle connector lockout prevents tampering with digital data stored on a vehicle's Controlled Area Network (CAN), that is accessed via the in-vehicle Diagnostic Link Connector (DLC) interface port, by verifying in pre-crash, crash and post-crash real time when the DLC is secure and un-secure using Near Frequency Communications (NFC) technologies embedded in the vehicle connector lockout that is capable of communicating with the Internet. In one implementation, when a specific area of the vehicle connector lockout is touched by an NFC enabled cell device the time, date and NFC UIP number is recorded in the NFC cell application URL landing page and saved to a Cloud vault. In another implementation, when the vehicle connector lockout key is touched by an NFC enabled cell device the user confirms in real-time the lockout sealed/unsealed status of the DLC thus establishing chain of custody.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle connector lockout for an in-vehicle onboard Diagnostic Link Connector (DLC) computer interface port, and more specifically to enhancing a vehicle connector lockout with embedded Near Frequency Communication (NFC) technologies which can communicate with the Internet via a mobile cell application.
2. Description of Related Art
Technology allowing vehicle safety researchers to collect objective data on crashes would open the door to a new generation of understanding. The opportunities are immense since about 20,000 tow-away crashes occur each day. The past four decades have witnessed an exponential increase in the number and sophistication of electronic systems in vehicles. A vast increase in automotive electronic systems, coupled with related memory storage technologies, has created an array of new safety engineering opportunities and subsequent consumer acceptance challenges.
Virtually every passenger car and light truck manufactured in or imported to the North American market since model year 1996 includes an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandated Diagnostic Link Connector (DLC) to allow access to engine and emissions diagnostic data. SAE J1962 was originally developed to meet U.S. OBD requirements for 1996 and later model year vehicles. ISO 15031-3 was based on SAE J1962 and was intended to meet European OBD requirements for 2000 and later model year vehicles, and added a modified connector type to accommodate vehicles with a 24 V system. This document is technically equivalent to ISO 15031-3 with U.S. specific requirements identified. The ISO 15031-3 document is intended to satisfy the OBD requirements in countries other than the U.S., and includes functionality not required or not allowed in the U.S. This onboard DLC (OBDII) is regulated by the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) (40 CFR 86.094-17(h)) and revisions for subsequent model years. It is standardized by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Vehicle Electrical Engineering Systems Diagnostic Standards Committee.
The physical configuration of the output plug is specified under SAE J1962-2002 and through the International Standards Organization under ISO 15031-3:2004 and is increasingly used as an access point to other in-vehicle electronics systems, subsystems, computers, sensors, actuators and an array of control modules including the air bag control module. The onboard DLC is also used as a serial port to retrieve data elements from on-board systems, subsystems, modules, devices and functions that collect and store data elements related to a vehicle crash such as a restraint control module (RCM) and event data recorder (EDR).
Thus, the onboard DLC provides a portal for capture of an increasing volume of sophisticated sensor data regarding the operating condition, operation and behavior of vehicles, and in particular the operation and behavior of vehicles involved in crashes. Consumers continue to be interested in safety advancements but remain concerned about issues of privacy, tampering, and misuse of vehicle crash data. It is important to protect a variety of crash-sensing and diagnostic memory modules. Increasingly, data from these devices have been used in civil and criminal court cases nationwide, including cases dealing with vehicular homicide in which speed was an issue.
Many light-duty vehicles, and increasing numbers of heavy commercial vehicles, are equipped with some form of Motor Vehicle Event Data Recorder (MVEDR) These systems, which are designed and produced by individual motor vehicle manufacturers and component suppliers, are diverse in function and proprietary in nature, however, the SAE J1962 (ISO 15031-3:2004) vehicle DLC has a common design and pinout, and is thus universally used to access event data recorder information.
Data access via the DLC can be accomplished by using scan tools or microcomputers and network interfaces. This same DLC and network interface is also used for re-calibrating electronic control units (ECU) on a vehicle. Such ECU applications can include restraint controls, engine controls, stability controls, braking controls, etc. It is important to protect against misuse of electronic tools which use the DLC to erase, modify or tamper with electronic controller or odometer readings, or to improperly download data.
Utilizing a vehicle connector lockout provides an opportunity to achieve DLC security to prevent vehicle tampering, which can include odometer fraud, illegal calibrations leading to emissions violations and theft of personal data. The data will be more secure and credible while still permitting accessibility to legitimate end users.
Having standardized data definitions and formats allows the capture of vehicle crash information. The value of improved crash information is in improving the knowledge of what happens before, during, and after a motor vehicle crash. Such insights will provide major benefits to society and significantly improve the science of motor vehicle crashes.
Kowalick in U.S. Pat. No. 7,553,173 teaches a vehicle connector lockout apparatus capable of being connected to the diagnostic port of a vehicle. The preferred embodiment of the invention uses a raised protrusion, located in the common space below the two rows of pin spacing of the diagnostic port, as a locking point. The preferred embodiment provides a blocking mating connector with a pressure mechanism for clamping the mating connector to the protrusion. In the preferred embodiment the pressure mechanism is activated and released mechanically by operation of a key or tool in a lock which is an integral part of the mating connector, where rotation of the key or tool to the locked position in the lock applies pressure to the protrusion so as to clamp the blocking mating connector to the protrusion. A further embodiment of the invention provides a non-volatile microchip memory component to store information about the vehicle operator usable by medical personnel at the scene of a crash. However, Kowalick does not teach a means of determining in pre-crash, crash, or post-crash real-time if and when the device is attached or unattached.
Doyle in U.S. Pat. No. 6,795,751 teaches a secure event data recording system configured for use in a passenger vehicle. The secure event data recording system can include an event data recorder; a memory device coupled to the event data recorder and configured to store event data processed in the event data recorder, and, an input/output port communicatively linked to the memory device through which read/write access can be provided to the memory device. Significantly, a tamper proof sealing mechanism can be provided which bars access to the memory device, the event data recorder and the input/output port without causing an irreparable breach of the tamper proof sealing mechanism. However, Doyle does not teach any locking mechanism or any means to determine in pre-crash, crash, or post-crash real time if and when the device is attached or unattached.

Vehicle connector lockout for in-vehicle diagnostic link connector (DLC) interface port


Methods and systems provide approaches to start code emulation prevention at a granularity higher than the bit level. In various embodiments, start code emulation prevention can occur at locations other than data boundaries such as byte boundaries and the like. These embodiments can be used in connection with systems that do not always preserve data alignment boundaries in the data that is processed. In some systems, the described techniques can provide a basis from which decoder systems can recover in the event that data boundaries are lost.

Digital data is typically transmitted from some type of transmitter to some type of receiver. Transmitters typically include an encoder that encodes the data for transmission; and receivers typically include a decoder that decodes data that it receives. There are different types of digital data such as video data, audio data, audio/video data, text data, computer executable program data, archival data, database information, and the like. When digital data is transmitted, it is typically transmitted in some type of channel. Equivalently, computer memory or any storage device or storage medium can be considered a transmission channel for purposes herein.
When digital data is transmitted, it is important to be able to find specific points within the data in the channel. This is done for various purposes, such as to locate points that enable recovery from errors or losses in the transmission of the data through the channel, points that enable starting the decoding process at a location other than the start of the entire stream, or points that enable searching for different types of data that are utilized for different purposes. Thus, for example, on the decoder side, decoders and other components that process digital data often need to know the context of the data so that the data can be properly processed. This would not be so important if one was able to start with the first bit that was sent and the decoder was able to run without any errors. In this situation, ideally, the decoder could simply track the information that was being sent according to knowing what the format of the data is. Unfortunately, this idealistic situation often does not occur. Errors and other contingencies do occur that present challenges to those who design and use systems that transmit and receive digital data. In some cases such as when tuning into an ongoing broadcast stream of data, the decoder cannot start at the beginning of the data transmission. Locating points by data format parsing may also require a significant amount of complex processing in a decoder.
In many types of channel environments, such issues are addressed by providing, in the data, so-called resynchronization markers. Resynchronization markers provide a mechanism by which a system can start its decoding process or recover from an error. For example, when digital data is streamed as a series of bits or bytes, having resynchronization markers in the stream can provide a decoder with a point of reference from which to recover in the event an error occurs in the transmission.
One way that resynchronization markers can be employed is in the context of start codes. A start code is a string of bits or bytes having a specific value. Generally, many systems tend to carry bytes (e.g. H.222.0/MPEG-2 Systems), so that start codes can be defined as a uniquely-valued string of bytes. The unique string of bytes provides a pattern the presence of which indicates a resynchronization point. A resynchronization point typically indicates the start or boundary of some independently decodable amount of data. For example, in H.262/MPEG-2 Video data, resynchronization points can indicate the start of a slice (i.e. an independently decodable region of a picture), the start of a picture, the start of a GOP (i.e., "Group of Pictures" or independently decodable sequence of pictures), or the start of a new video sequence. Digital video streams can also include so-called ancillary or supplemental data which can be preceded by a start code.
Sometimes, start codes are used not only within a data stream such as a video stream, but are used by a system's multiplex level. The H.222.0/MPEG-2 System specification is an example of a system that uses start codes, and carries streams of video data interleaved with system-level information and audio information.
Since start codes can be important insofar as providing resynchronization points within a data stream, it is a good idea to avoid emulating start codes in the data stream in places that are not, in fact, intended to represent start codes.
For example, consider the following. Start codes define a specific pattern of bits or bytes that can identify the start of a new unit of data. If one is sending arbitrary data in between the start codes, then it is possible that the arbitrary data may, in and of itself, contain the same pattern that one is using as a start code. For example, if one assumes that the data that is being carried is completely random, then if a start code is K bits long, the probability of accidentally emulating the start code in the bits starting at some particular bit location is ½k.
In some cases, the judgment can be made that if the number of bits in the start code is large, then it may be fairly unlikely for the start code to be accidentally emulated. In such a situation, if the consequences of an accidental start code emulation are not too severe, it may be judged unnecessary to take measures to ensure prevention of accidental start code emulations. This is the case with respect to some audio data formats. Typically, these formats do not utilize a very high bit rate measured in bits per second, so it is not too likely that a start code will be accidentally emulated during any particular interval of time. With respect to video data, this is generally not the case, as the bit rate is ordinarily much higher for transmission of video data.
In past major video coding standards (with perhaps one exception), the video syntax format within the data payload has been designed to avoid start code emulation. That is, if one knows what kind of data elements will make up the video syntax, then one can carefully design the syntax so that no accidental start codes can occur. For example, a start code in traditional video coding standards begins with a long string of 0-bits, followed by a 1-bit. This long string may contain 23 0-bits followed by one 1-bit. Assume that most of the data that is sent is entropy coded using variable length codes (often referred to informally as Huffman codes). Variable length codes (VLCs) are defined for example purposes herein as variable-depth tree-structured codes that are utilized to select among a set of represented symbols. One technique using binary-tree VLCs is to make sure that the path in the tree from the root to every leaf that represents a valid symbol always has a "1" in it somewhere, and that the tree structure is not too deep.
Thus, for example, if one knows that every variable length code string is no longer than 10 bits long and that every such string will have at least one 1-valued bit in it, then one knows that there is no way that a sequence of coded data from the VLC can ever contain more than 18 consecutive zero-valued bits. That is, the worst-case scenario would be 1000000000 followed by 0000000001. Thus, if one designs the syntax carefully and inspects the location of every 0- and every 1-valued bit to ascertain how many 0's can occur in a row, one can use a start code that contains a longer string of 0's than can ever occur in the syntax. For example, the syntax can be designed so that valid syntax can never contain 23 0's in a location that is not a start code. Thus, every occurrence of 23 0's should be a start code and the decoder should be able to accurately detect start codes.
While the above-described operation appears straightforward, the operation can be a fairly difficult undertaking because one has to inspect all of the possible data (at the bit level) that is going to be sent, in every possible order in which it is going to be sent to ensure that a start code pattern cannot accidentally be sent. This is an arduous method of syntax design that is prone to mistakes.
This bit-level inspection design process describes, generally, the way that many video coding specifications have been designed in the past (i.e. H.261, MPEG-1, H.262/MPEG-2, most of H.263, and MPEG-4). The one exception to this is Annex E of ITU-T Recommendation H.263 which uses a technique called arithmetic coding to generate compressed bits in an algorithmic fashion from a mathematical specification. Here, there is an extra process at the end of the entropy encoder which inspects the bits that are generated and, on the encoder side, if there are too many 0's in a row, a "marker" bit (a 1-bit) is inserted before a pre-determined number of 0's are encountered. On the decoder side, the decoder counts up the zeroes and if it encounters the critical number of zeroes, it knows that it has encountered a real start code. If the decoder sees one less zero than the critical number, it knows that the following 1 bit is a marker bit inserted to avoid start code emulation, discards that bit, and takes the following bits as the continuation of the real data.
The problem with this solution is that it makes the encoder and the decoder inspect and process the incoming data at the bit level. Analyzing and shifting the location of the data that is being processed by single bit positions becomes difficult and can undesirably tax the decoder. Bit-wise shifting is also a processor-intensive operation.
Accordingly, this invention arose out of concerns associated with providing improved methods and system for preventing start code emulation.

Methods and systems for preventing start code emulation at locations that include non-byte aligned and/or bit-shifted positions


A porous glass base material manufacturing burner comprising a combustible gas emission nozzle having one or more rows of small-diameter combustion assisting gas emission nozzles arranged around a central glass raw material gas emission nozzle. When a cross section of the burner formed by cleaving in a direction perpendicular to a central axis of the burner is divided into four equal regions by two orthogonal straight lines intersecting at a center of the cross section, total flow path surface area of the small-diameter combustion assisting gas emission nozzles included in two of the four regions through which passes a straight line running along the starting member and through the center of the cross section is less than the total flow path surface area of the small-diameter combustion assisting gas emission nozzles included in the other two of the four regions.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a burner for manufacturing a porous glass base material and a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a porous glass base material for optical fiber, in which, according to the optical fiber base material manufacturing method, a porous glass base material is obtained that has a desired density distribution and the yield of the base material is improved.
2. Related Art
A variety of conventional methods have been proposed for manufacturing optical fiber base material. Among these methods, VAD is a commonly known method that includes affixing a starting member to a shaft that rises while rotating, lowering the starting member into a reaction chamber, and using a core deposition burner and cladding deposition burner arranged within the reaction chamber at prescribed angles relative to the axial direction of the starting member to generate and deposit glass fine particles on the tip of the starting member, thereby manufacturing a porous glass base material from a core layer and a cladding layer. With this method, a high production rate cannot be expected, but it is the preferable method for obtaining a desired refractive index distribution.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a porous glass base material for optical fiber using VAD. The reaction container is formed of a deposition chamber 2, including a gas inlet 4 and an exhaust outlet 5, and a storage chamber 3 that stores the manufactured object, and a plurality of burners are used to synthesize the porous glass base material 1. The starting member is inserted into the deposition chamber 2, and as the starting member is being raised and rotated, the reaction gas is supplied to each burner, hydrolysis occurs in the oxyhydrogen flame, and the synthesized glass fine particles are deposited on the starting member, thereby manufacturing the porous glass base material 1. The burners used here are usually quartz glass burners, and there are a plurality of burners including a core deposition burner 6 arranged pointing at the tip of the starting member and a first cladding deposition burner 7 and second cladding deposition burner 8 that are arranged pointing at the side surface of the starting member. These burners are each arranged at a prescribed angle relative to the axis on which the starting member is pulled up. The manufactured porous glass base material 1 undergoes transparent vitrification in an electric furnace to become a preform for optical fiber.
A porous glass base material can also be manufactured using OVD. FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a porous glass base material for optical fiber using OVD. The starting member is formed by fusing the ends of a core rod 14 to dummy rods 15, and the core rod 14 is attached to a rotating chuck 17 via one of the dummy rods 15, to be supported in a manner to be rotatable on the axis thereof. Burners 16 are arranged in series in a manner to be movable left and right, and are pointed at the starting member. Combustible gas, combustion assisting gas, and inert gas are blown along with glass raw material gas (SiCl4) from the burners 16, glass fine particles are synthesized by a hydrolytic reaction in an oxyhydrogen flame, and these glass fine particles are deposited on the starting member, thereby obtaining the porous glass base material 18. Furthermore, a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a porous glass base material for optical fiber that uses OVD further includes an exhaust hood 19. With this OVD method, a plurality of burners are lined up in series along the starting member that rotates and is arranged horizontally, and the porous glass base material 18 is manufactured by moving the burners or the starting member relative to each other such that the glass fine particles generated in the flames of the burners are deposited. This method provides a high production rate. The porous glass base material 18 obtained in this manner is passed through a heating furnace formed of a heat resistant material to undergo transparent vitrification, thereby obtaining the optical fiber base material.
In these conventional manufacturing methods, concentric multi-tube burners can be used as the burners for synthesizing the glass fine particles, but burners having this structure cannot sufficiently mix the glass raw material gas, the combustible gas, and the combustion assisting gas, and therefore there is not sufficient generation of the glass fine particles. As a result, the yield cannot be improved and high-speed synthesis is difficult. In order to solve this problem, Japanese Patent No. 1,773,359 proposes a multi-nozzle burner in which small-diameter combustion assisting gas emission nozzles are arranged in a manner to surround a central raw material gas nozzle in a combustible gas emission nozzle.
In recent years, base material has become larger in an attempt to decrease cost, and this has caused the following problems. With the VAD method shown in FIG. 1, the first cladding deposition burner 7 arranged above the core deposition burner 6 is pointed diagonally upward. Therefore, in the deposition region, as shown in FIG. 3, the deposition density of the bottom side 10 of the flame tends to be high while the deposition density of the top side 11 of the flame tends to be low. The burner central axis 9 is the line through the central axis of the first cladding deposition burner 7.
Here, when the amount of combustible gas supplied to the first cladding deposition burner 7 is increased in order to achieve a suitable density in the top side 11 of the flame, the density of the bottom side 10 of the flame becomes too high and air bubbles remain during the vitrification. On the other hand, when the amount of combustible gas is reduced in order to achieve a suitable density in the bottom side 10 of the flame, the density in the top side 11 of the flame becomes too low and cracking occurs during deposition.
When the OVD method is used, the glass fine particles are deposited on the core rod 14 using an apparatus such as shown in FIG. 2, but as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the inter-burner regions 20 lined up in series are strongly heated from both sides by the flames of adjacent burners, and therefore the deposition density in these portions tends to be locally increased. As a result, when the amount of combustible gas supplied to the burners is increased in order to realize a suitable overall density for the glass base material 18, the deposition density of the inter-burner regions 20 become locally too high and air bubbles remain during the vitrification. On the other hand, when the amount of combustible gas is reduced in order to realize a suitable deposition density in portions of the inter-burner regions 20, the overall density of the porous glass base material 18 decreases and cracking occurs during deposition.

Porous glass base material manufacturing burner and optical fiber porous glass base material manufacturing apparatus


A vehicle suspension packing apparatus for providing undamped suspension system rebound in a vehicle suspension system includes a ratchet mechanism including a shaft having a longitudinal rack of engageable teeth and a pivoting pawl engageable with one of the rack of engageable teeth, engagement of the pivoting pawl with one of the rack of engageable teeth holding the shaft in an engaged position to thereby hold a coil spring in a compressed configuration, and disengagement of the pivoting pawl from the one of the rack of engageable teeth releasing stored system spring energy to thereby provide undamped suspension system rebound.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to vehicle suspension systems. More particularly, certain embodiments relate to a vehicle suspension system packing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vehicle suspension systems are designed to cushion shocks transmitted to a vehicle as it encounters bumps and depressions formed on a road or other riding surface. Typical vehicle suspension systems are optimized to keep the vehicle's tires on the road or riding surface as much as possible in order to contribute to the vehicle's handling and braking capabilities. However, it is desirable in some circumstances to use stored suspension system spring energy to propel the vehicle's tires off the road or riding surface in order to make the vehicle "jump" or "buck". This capability is particularly desirable in the case of off-road vehicles such as mountain bikes, dirt bikes and all-terrain vehicles where the rider or driver may want to jump over obstacles or perform other stunts.

Vehicle suspension system packing apparatus


A synchronous control device having a memory 101 for storing block data blocked in terms of a pre-set data amount, a clock generating circuit 102 for generating input side clocks which are based on a data rate to be synchronized, and a memory control unit 103 for generating output side clocks C.sub.out responsive to input side clocks C.sub.in from the clock generating circuit 102. The memory 101 stores the block data on the block basis, based on the input side clocks C.sub.in from the clock generating circuit 103, and outputs the stored block data based on the output side clocks C.sub.out from the memory control circuit 103. The memory control circuit 103 detects a difference between the input data volume and the output side data volume in the memory 101 for varying the speed of the output side clocks responsive to the amount of the detected difference so that the output side clocks will be synchronized with the input side clocks C.sub.in from the clock generating circuit 103.

In a video tape recorder (VTR), for example, standard external synchronization signals are used and image signals are reproduced based on these external synchronization signals. That is, in a VTR, speech signals transiently stored in a memory are reproduced to follow up with clocks generated on the basis of external synchronization signals (reference clocks).
The input data volume and the output data volume to or from the memory occasionally undergo local deviation from the reference clocks. However, these data volumes are generally constant. Thus, in the above VTR, the writing clocks (input side clocks) and the readout clocks (output side clocks) are controlled at a pre-set velocity so that partial offset from the reference clocks is taken up by a time base corrector (TBC).
However, in a system devoid of the reference clocks, for example, in a projector, the image signal playback speed is determined by the film frame feed speed, such that there is no guarantee for an absolutely constant playback speed, with the playback speed being varied both locally and comprehensively. The speech signals need to be reproduced in synchronism with this playback speed of the image signals. However, with the conventional system, such as a projector, the output side clock rate is perpetually constant without regard to how much the input side clocks of the memory in which the speech signals are transiently stored, that is the clocks based on the playback speed of the image signals, deviates from the output side clocks. The result is that deviation is produced between the image and the speech and that, if the input side clocks are monotonously increased, the memory is occupied to its maximum capacity such that memory rupture occurs.
If, for preventing deviation between the image and the speech or evading the memory-full state, the memory input side clocks are compulsorily matched to the memory output side clocks by, for example, a phase-locked loop (PLL), the output side clocks react hypersensitively to local fluctuations of the input side clocks, thus outputting wow and flutter. If, for prohibiting the outputting of the wow and flutter, the reaction response speed of the output side clocks is delayed, prolonged time elapses until the output side clock reaction subsides to a steady state, thus again producing deviation between the image and the speech.
That is, with the conventional memory control, there are only two speeds at which the data is outputted from the memory (output speeds), that is a speed for a steady-state mode and a speed for an accelerated mode. The result is that the output side clocks follow up at a constant speed, for example, a speed added to with a speed increment s1, without regard to the extent of offset between the output side clocks and the input side clocks.
If the current output speed deviates significantly from the target speed, a prolonged time t.sub.d is required until the output speed catches up with the target speed S.sub.d, as shown in FIG. 4 showing memory control contrasted to that in the synchronous control device of the present invention, as later explained, such that, during this time t.sub.d, the speech remains deviated from the image.
Moreover, if the current output speed is slightly deviated from the target speed, the output speed reaches the target speed S.sub.d in a shorter time t.sub.d as shown in FIG. 5 showing memory control contrasted to that in the synchronous control device of the present invention as later explained, that is the output speed is changed abruptly, thus producing a non-spontaneous sound.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a synchronous control device whereby the output side data rate can be reliably synchronized with the input side data rate.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a synchronous control device whereby the speech can be reliably synchronized with the image.


There is disclosed a plow constructed for displacement, by a traction vehicle, a predetermined direction. It comprises a cultivator having a generally U-shaped frame with a pair of lateral arms parallel to the above direction and interconnected by a bight. The cultivator further has a soil-chiselling assembly mounted on and transversely between the arms, this assembly including a horizontal rotary shaft provided with longitudinally spaced sets of coplanar flat radial shares. The cultivator is mounted on retractable wheels movable between the first position, wherein the wheels engage the soil for displacement of said cultivator with the soil-chiselling assembly stands inoperative above the soil, and a second position, wherein the wheels are retracted and stand above the soil and the soil-chiselling assembly operatively engages the soil. Finally, the plow has a soil-lump breaker which is mounted on the free ends of the lateral arms of the cultivator frame and which includes lump-breaking elements disposed between the spaced sets of shares.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvements in a plow of the type having a rotary shaft on which are mounted spaced sets of radial shares for tilling the soil.
More particularly, the invention relates to a plow having a rotary shaft on which are mounted spaced-apart sets of coplanar flat radial shares for use in "chiselling" the soil.
In the following description and claims, the word "chiselling" is intended to designate the kind of soil lifting and soil loosening that are obtained when the flat radial shares of the plow are rotating.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,545,438 discloses a plow of the above mentioned type, whose original characteristic lies mainly in the particular configuration of the blades mounted in spaced sets on a horizontal shaft to till the soil (i.e. to lift it up and turn it over as the shares leave the ground). The plow, intended to be drawn by a traction vehicle, has no wheels for use where it has to be displaced on roads. It only has a wide and heavy roller acting as a support, as well as serving to break soil lumps, which roller is located behind the shares. This roller is quite unsuitable for riding on firm grounds such as on roads. Additionally, the roller restricts seriously the possibility of making full effective use of the tilling blades because both the shaft and the roller are mounted on the same solid frame with no possible adjustment of their relative positions.
A main object of the invention lies in providing an improved rotary plow which on the one hand, has chiselling shares instead of tilling shares and which, on the other hand, avoids the above difficulties.
Other patents of less interest, known to Applicant, are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,120,279 and 4,290,488.


In a snap buckle, the plug member 1 has a pair of resilient locking strips, each having on its outer surface an engaging portion, and a pair of guide strips outside the locking strips, each having an inner edge portion substantially in alignment with the respective engaging portion. The companion socket member has a pair of locking walls and a pair of inwardly bent resilient push levers outside the locking walls. When inserting the plug member into the socket member, the engaging portions engages the locking walls to bring the inner edge portions of the guide strips into contact with the side surfaces of the locking walls, causing the pushing portions of the push levers to resiliently contact the heads of the locking strips. Pressing the pushing levers inwardly releases the connection of the plug and socket members. The guide strips prevents either any accidental release or any misinsertion.

1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates generally to a snap buckle for a belt or strap of a garment, bag, helmet, sporting goods, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art:
FIG. 6 of the accompanying drawings shows a typical conventional snap buckle comprising female and male members, i.e. a flat tube shaped socket member B and a plate shaped plug member A releasably insertable into the socket member B. The male or plug member A has a pair of resiliently deformable legs C each having on its outer surface a stepped portion D. On the other hand, the female or socket member B has a socket portion E for receiving the legs C, a pair of locking portions F engageable with the respective stepped portions D of the plug member A, and a pair of resilient push levers G each having a pushing portion H adapted to be located outside the respective leg C for pushing the leg C to disengage the stepped portion D from the companion locking portion F. This conventional art is exemplified by Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Hei 1-30090 and Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 2-145109.
With this conventional type buckle, partly since the plate shaped plug member A has a pair of legs C each having on its outer surface a stepped portion D, and partly since the flat tube shaped socket member B has a pair of locking portions F releasably engageable with the respective stepped portions D and a pair of resilient push levers G outside the locking portions F for pushing the free ends of the legs C to disengage the stepped portions D from the respective locking portions F, the plug and socket members A and B would be moved about one of the stepped portions D if the other stepped portion D of the plug member A is accidentally disengaged from the companion locking portion F as an outward pulling force is exerted on the plug and socket members A and B, thus releasing the buckle.
Further, if the legs C of the plug member A is inserted into the socket portion E of the socket member B off a predetermined locking position by error, it would be a cause for possible damage to the buckle.


A case of a recording tape cartridge, which accommodates a reel on which a recording tape is wound, has a substantially rectangular opening at a rear end wall which is at a rear side in a direction of loading the recording tape cartridge into a drive device. A block, which is equipped with a memory on which various types of information such as a recording capacity and the like are stored, is fit into and mounted to the opening. The memory is mounted to the block so as to be inclined at substantially 45° with respect to a rear surface and a bottom surface of the case. The block can be attached to and removed from the case. Access to the memory in order to read and write information from and onto the memory is possible from the rear and from beneath.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording tape cartridge accommodating, within a case, a single reel on which is wound a recording tape such as a magnetic tape used as a recording medium mainly for computers or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, magnetic tape cartridges are known which accommodate, within a case, a single reel on which is wound a magnetic tape which is used as a data recording medium for computers or the like. A leader member, which is a leader block, a leader pin or a leader tape, is provided at the distal end of the magnetic tape. A pull-out means provided at a drive device pulls the leader member out from the magnetic tape cartridge, and winds the magnetic tape, which is fixed to the leader member, on a take-up reel of the drive device.
A reel gear is formed in an annular shape at the center of the bottom surface of the reel which emerges from a hole formed in the bottom surface of the magnetic tape cartridge. Due to a driving gear provided at a rotating shaft of the drive device meshing with the reel gear, the reel is driven to rotate. By rotating the reel of the magnetic tape cartridge and the take-up reel of the drive device synchronously, data can be recorded onto the magnetic tape or data recorded on the magnetic tape can be played back (read out).
Usually, a large number of such magnetic tape cartridges are accommodated and stored in an accommodating rack called a library. The rear end sides of both side walls of a desired magnetic tape cartridge are grasped by a grasping means having a robot hand or the like, and the desired magnetic tape cartridge is removed from an accommodating portion of the library. By loading the magnetic tape cartridge as is into one of a plurality of drive devices, data is recorded in the magnetic tape cartridge, or data recorded in the magnetic tape cartridge is played back.
A card-like memory board, which stores various types of information such as the recording capacity, the recording format and the like of a magnetic tape cartridge, is provided at the inner side of the rear wall of the magnetic tape cartridge, in order for the magnetic tape cartridge which has been removed from the library to be smoothly loaded into one of the drive devices. Namely, the various types of information stored on the memory board are read by a reading device provided at the robot hand or by a reading/writing device provided at the drive device. The drive device, which can record data into that magnetic tape cartridge or which can playback (read out) recorded data from that magnetic tape cartridge, is recognized in advance by a control device or the like such that there is no loss in the operation of the grasping means such as a robot hand or the like.
A conventional magnetic tape cartridge 150 is illustrated in FIG. 8. In FIG. 8, the direction of arrow P is the front direction. As shown in FIG. 8, a memory board 144 is disposed so as to be inclined by a predetermined angle at the inner side of a rear wall 152 of the magnetic tape cartridge 150. Because the robot hand is structured to grip portions near the rear ends of the left and right side walls of the magnetic tape cartridge 150, a reading device 140 accesses the memory board 144 from the rear surface (rear wall 152) side of the magnetic tape cartridge 150. Due to a bucket (see FIG. 7) being lowered, the magnetic tape cartridge 150 which is loaded in a drive device is completely loaded within the drive device. Thus, a reading/writing device 142 accesses the memory board 144 from a bottom surface 154 side of the magnetic tape cartridge 150.
Accordingly, the memory board 144 is disposed at an angle of elevation of 45°, as seen in side view, in order to be able to be accessed from two directions which are from the rear surface (rear wall 152) side and from the bottom surface 154 side. When the memory board 144 is disposed in such a position, the memory board 144 can be accessed (read) by electromagnetic waves transmitted and received from and by the reading device 140 which is disposed at the rear surface (the rear wall 152) side. Further, the memory board 144 can be accessed (read and written) by electromagnetic waves transmitted and received from and by the reading/writing device 142 which is disposed at the bottom surface 154 side. Note that the reading/writing device 142 is a device which can carry out not only reading of information, but writing of information as well. However, depending on the drive device, there are cases in which only the reading device 140 is provided.
In any case, because the memory board 144 can be accessed in a non-contact manner, it is provided within the case. Namely, the case of the magnetic tape cartridge 150 is assembled by, after the memory board 144 has been provided at the interior, joining an upper case 146 and a lower case 148 by attaching screws, ultrasonic welding, or the like.
However, with such a structure, when the magnetic tape cartridge is to be disposed of, if even only the memory board is to be removed from the case for recycling, a problem arises in that the memory board cannot be easily removed. Namely, in order to remove the memory board, the case of the magnetic tape cartridge must be disassembled. In particular, when the case is assembled by joining the upper case and the lower case by ultrasonic welding or the like, the memory board cannot be removed unless the case is destroyed. Thus, the operation for removing the memory board is extremely troublesome.


A display apparatus includes a light source, and a partition wall which divides an inside of the display apparatus into an enclosing space which includes a plurality of optical elements and an outer space with respect to the enclosing space. The optical elements includes a color separator which receives a light from the light source and emits a plurality of separate color beams, at least one reflecting type light valve which forms an image by reflecting the plurality of color beams, and a projection lens which projects the image of an external screen. A first cooling fan is provided which causes an air flow in the outer space. A least one of the optical elements forms a part of the partition wall, and the air flow cools the at least one reflecting type light valve from the outer space.

There is a projection type display device, such as a liquid crystal projector, which changes light from a light source, such as an electric bulb, to a contrast per pixel image using a light valve device, such as a liquid crystal panel, and projects an enlarged image on a screen or the like. Further, as the light valve device of the display device, devices of two operation types, a light transmitting type light valve device and a reflecting type light valve device, are known.
The light valve device generally comprises a semiconductor driving device and an optical function material such as liquid crystal or the like. To normally operate both constituents, a predetermined temperature (e.g., 60° C.) or lower must be maintained in the device. On the other hand, light from the light source, except for light that is to be finally projected, is absorbed by the light valve device and its peripheral optical elements and the like, and this light turns to heat. Accordingly, in a projection type video display device, the light valve device must be cooled so as not to overheat beyond a range of normal operation. The significance of cooling is becoming more and more important with an increase in the intensity of the light-source light for recent high-brightness projection video images, since the increase in the light-source light intensity increases the amount of heat generation which occurs in the light valve device.
Further, in such a display device, as the optical system brings the light of the image from the light valve device into focus, images of foreign particles, such as dust attached around the light valve device, are enlarged and projected on the screen or the like. Accordingly, prevention of dust around the light valve device is also an important problem to be solved.
Conventionally, a display device using a reflecting type light valve device is disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Sho 64-5174. Further, a technique to cool the reflecting type light valve device in a display device is disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Sho 62-294230. According to this technique, a cooling device is provided on the rear of a liquid crystal panel operating as the reflecting type light valve device.
Further, a technique to prevent dust in the display device is disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application, No. Hei 7-152009. According to this technique, a liquid crystal panel operating as a light transmitting type light valve device is placed within an enclosed space, and air within the enclosed space is circulated to radiate heat generated by the liquid crystal panel and transmit the heat to the outside of the enclosed space.
In the device disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Sho 64-SI74, the cooling of the light valve device and dust prevention around the light valve device are not considered, and the disturbance of normal operation due to the above-described overheating and the occurrence of shadows on the screen due to dust have not been fully considered.
Further, in the technique disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Sho 62-294230, the prevention of dust around the light valve device is not considered, and the occurrence of shadows on the screen due to dust has not been fully considered.
Further, in the technique disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Hei 7-152009, since the cooling is performed via the air present within the enclosed space, efficient cooling cannot be expected. Further, in a case where the amount of heating increases due to an increase in the light-source light intensity, the light valve device might not be sufficiently cooled. In this case, the display device cannot be normally operated, and this problem has not been fully considered.
Accordingly, the present invention has an object to provide a projection type display device which efficiently performs dust prevention around the light valve device and cooling of a light valve device.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Display device and display optical system unit


A sampling device comprising an outer tube and an inner tube that is eccentrically mounted for rotation within the outer tube, the inner and outer tubes being disposed in spaced, parallel relationship so that relative rotation therebetween cuts a sample of bulk material and retains that sample for subsequent removal.

This invention relates generally to sampling devices, and particularly to sampling devices that remove a core of material from bulk material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Sampling devices for sampling grain and other materials are known. U.S. Pat. No. 2,896,444, No. 2,688,877, No. 902,049, No. 323,057, No. 230,121, and No. 215,230 disclose grain sampling devices.
In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 2,896,444, No. 2,688,877, No. 902,049, No. 323,057, and No. 230,121 disclose devices that comprise two concentric tube portions, an outer tube portion and an inner tube portion that is rotatable relative to the outer tube portion. Both tube portions have formed in them apertures which, when they are aligned, allow ingress of material into the device and which, when they are not aligned, retain that material in the device for extraction from the bulk material.
Other sampling devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat No. 4,383,583, No. 4,172,385, No. 3,383,131, and No. 1,027,246. U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,583 discloses a soil sampling tool which comprises a hollow tube having a pointed closure at its lower end for soil penetration and a handle at its upper end for manipulation of the tool. A lateral opening is provided adjacent to the lower end to allow soil to enter the tube and fall into a ladle mounted therein. The tool is removed from the soil before the soil sample is removed therefrom using the ladle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,172,385 discloses a sampling device for use in septic tanks. That device comprises a transparent tube having an external parallel rod which carries a closure plate. The tube is inserted into the tank and the plate is swung into a position against the lower open end of the tube to retain the sample. The plate is retained in position by a spring.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,383,131 discloses a core sampler in the form of a hollow tube having a removable liner and a cutter at its lower end. The sample is retained in the liner by means of a flexible tube portion which closes above the cutter to retain the sample as the device is lifted from its sampling position.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,027,246 discloses a device that is used to obtain samples from peat bogs. The device comprises a hollow tube, within which is mounted a plunger. The plunger is lifted to a first position within the tube to receive a plug of the material being sampled. If the plug is relatively dry, the plug is retained in the tube by frictional resistance. .If the plug is wet, the plunger is moved to a second position so that a vacuum is created in the tube to retain the plug.
In each case discussed above, the sampling device is removed from the bulk material as a whole, that is, none of the prior-art devices allows the sample to be removed from the device prior to removing the device itself from the bulk material. Also, in many cases the sample breaks up during its removal from the device, or during insertion of the device into the bulk material.
Furthermore, none of the devices discussed above can be used to remove a representative core of material from bulk material which is in a firm set state but which can be cut readily by a blade.


The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for generating and displaying the difference between a primary result set and a secondary result set. According to the present invention, a method for displaying the difference between a primary result set and a secondary result set for a query comprises generating a primary result set and a secondary result set, the primary result set and secondary result set generated according to one or more respective disparate search algorithms. A difference result set is determined according to a difference between items in the primary result set and second result set, which is displayed to a user.

The invention disclosed herein relates generally to a system and method for comparing result sets that are responsive to searches over a corpus of documents. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods for generating and presenting a difference result set comprising items selected according to a difference between a primary result set and a secondary result set.
When using search engines made available by commercial search providers, users are not always satisfied with the search results that these search engines generate. In an attempt to overcome perceived shortcomings with available search engines, meta-search engines provide aggregate results from a plurality of search engines to generate a meta-result set by determining the union of the result sets from a plurality of search engines. These meta-search engines, however, apply proprietary ranking algorithms to the meta-result set, which may result in items that are potentially relevant to a given user receiving a low ranking and therefore not being utilized.
What is therefore needed are systems and methods that allow a user to view a difference result set comprising differences between a result set generated by a first search engine using a first search and rank algorithm, and a secondary result set generated by a second search engine using a second search and rank algorithm. Systems and methods are also needed to track selections in the difference result set, which may be used in improving the searching and ranking of items by the first search engine.

Presentation of differences between multiple searches


An intermediate for vinblastine synthesis represented by general formula A.

It was found that the natural vinblastine (X) which is an alkaloid extracted from catharanthus roseus has a strong cancerocidal effect and currently used as a remedy for vicious lymphoma or ciliary tumor (Reference Document A). Further, aiming the development of novel medicines, various derivatives making vinblastine as a lead compound are investigated and synthesized (Reference Document B). However, in the present conditions, the syntheses of the most of these derivatives depend on partial syntheses from natural vinblastine or analogues thereof. There is a limitation in the chemical transformation of the natural compound, and it is impossible to investigate the wide and systematic structure-activity relationships. For the effective and systematic synthesis of the derivatives, it is necessary to establish the effective total synthesis of vinblastine. Vinblastine (X) can be considered as a bisindole compound generated by bonding two indole units, vindoline and carbomethoxyvelbanamine (Y).

Therefore, it is important to establish the method for synthesis of each indole unit. However, in the synthesis of the compound composing vindoline unit which is said one compound, the sufficient supplement of vindoline so as to synthesize said vinblastine effectively was not established. In said circumstance, the inventor of the present invention already proposed the effective method for (−)-vindoline (JP application No. 2000-335349 filed on Nov. 7, 2000). Still more, as another problem, the problem that even if the compound (Y) is used as the compound to lead the other indole unit (called as the upper unit) into which vindoline is introduced, sometimes the reaction proceeds with opposite stereoselectivity, is reported (Reference Document C).

Therefore, it is not possible to accomplish the above desired subject, namely, to synthesize vinblastine derivatives effectively, unless the indole derivative which composing the upper unit into which vindoline can be introduced with the desired stereoselectivity is designed and the method for total synthesis of the derivative is established.
Regarding the design of the indole derivative which composing the upper unit, Schill et al reported that vindoline can be introduced with the desired stereoselectivity, when a compound (Z) possessing an eleven-membered ring obtained by ring opening of piperidine ring is used (Reference Document D).

However, since the process to obtain the above eleven-membered ring compound is very complicated, the synthesis of vinblastine using compound (Z) is far from an effective synthetic method from the view point of yield.
The subject of the present invention is based on the knowledge of the above mentioned report by Schill et al, and is intending, (1) to establish an effective and highly stereoselective synthetic method of an upper unit, and to provide a method capable of synthesizing the upper unit derivative (2) with high flexibility to synthesize various vinblastine analogous, and (3) where control of the stereochemistry at the introduction of vindoline is improved. For the purpose to accomplish the above mentioned subjects, the inventors of the present invention have tried to combine the method for synthesis of indole (Reference Document E) using a radical ring forming reaction of thioanilide developed by the inventors of the present invention and the method for synthesis of middle and large ring compound (Reference Document F) using intramolecular alkylation of 2-nitrobenzenesulfonamide. In said investigation, it has become clear that the compound which forms said upper unit can be synthesized under relatively mild conditions when above mentioned reactions are used by combination. Therefore, it is possible to make various functional groups coexist in each reactant when these reactions are used by combination, and said basic subjects of (1) and (2) are dissolved.

Intermediates for synthesis of vinblastine, process for preparation of the intermediates and process for synthesis of vinblastines

Abstract: general formula A.(in the formula, R1, R2, R3 and R4 are the group selected independently from the group consisting of H, lower alkyl group, lower alkoxy group, halogen, lower perfluoroalkyl group, lower alkylthio group, hydroxy group, amino group, mono- or di-alkyl or acylamino group, lower alkyl or arylsulfonyloxy group. R5 is H, or a lower alkyl group or a substituted or non-substituted aryl group, R6 is an alkyl group of carbon number 4 or less, R7 is a substituted or non-substituted aryl group, R8 is a substituted or non-substituted aryl group or lower alkyl group and R9 is an acyl group or trialkylsilyl group.) A method for synthesis of the compound of general formula A utilizing radical ring forming reaction of thioanilides and using the compound of general formula B as the starting material, synthesizing thioanilide of general formula C by the reaction with compound 1 and the formation of a 11-membered ring by intramolecular alkylation of 2-nitrobenzenesulfonamide by which the reactions can proceed under mild conditions and high yield can be accomplished.


The present disclosure discloses a VCSEL array light source, a pattern design method for the VCSEL array light source, a laser projection apparatus, and a three-dimensional (3D) imaging device. The VCSEL array light source includes a semiconductor substrate and a plurality of VCSEL light sources arranged on the semiconductor substrate in a two-dimensional array. The two-dimensional array includes at least one sub-array and is generated by transforming the at least one sub-array.

Three-dimensional (3D) imaging, especially the 3D imaging technology applied to the field of consumptions, continually impacts or even replaces the conventional two-dimensional (2D) imaging technology. In addition to the capability of 2D imaging on target objects, the 3D imaging technology can obtain depth information of the target objects. Functions, such as 3D scanning, scene modeling, and gesture interaction, can be further implemented based on the depth information. Depth cameras, especially structured light depth cameras or time of flight (TOF) depth cameras, are common hardware devices used for 3D imaging.
The core component in the depth camera is a laser projection module. The structure and function of the laser projection module vary with respect to the type of the depth camera. For example, the projection module disclosed in the patent CN201610977172A is configured to project speckle (spots & dots) patterns into the space to implement structured light depth measurement. Such a speckle structured light depth camera is also a relatively mature and widely adopted solution, currently. With the continuous expanding of the application fields of the depth cameras, optical projection modules will be more miniaturized and have better performance.
Featuring a small size, high power, concentrated beam, and other advantages, a depth camera using a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) array light source will replace an edge-emitting laser emitter light source. The VCSEL array is characterized by arranging a plurality of VCSEL light sources on an extremely small substrate for laser projection, for example, arranging 100 or more VCSEL light sources on a 2 mm×2 mm semiconductor substrate. For a structured light depth camera, the speckle patterns projected by the laser projection module require extremely high irrelevance, which increases the design difficulty of the light source arrangement in the VCSEL array.


A metallic microcapsule containing a polymeric microcapsule having one or more polymeric precursors encapsulated therein; and a metallic shell enclosing a volume containing the polymeric microcapsule is disclosed. Also disclosed is a self-healing coating composition comprising (a) a film-forming binder; and (b) metallic microcapsules, the metallic microcapsules being the same or different and containing a polymeric microcapsule containing one or more polymeric precursors encapsulated therein; and a metallic shell enclosing a volume containing the polymeric microcapsule.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a self-healing coating using metallic microcapsules.
2. Description of the Related Art
The cost of corrosion is estimated to be at least $276 billion per year in the U.S. alone. A 2001 study commissioned by the Federal Highway Administration analyzed 26 industrial sectors to find that direct costs accounted for approximately 3.2% of the U.S. economy. Often overlooked in these numbers are the costs related to equipment downtime. For example, the time spent replacing or rehabilitating corroded equipment not only ties up valuable manpower, but also makes it necessary to maintain a reserve of excess capital equipment. With service rotations as short as 6 months, even a modest increase in service life can lead to significant savings.
The most common approach to preventing corrosion is to paint the surface with a protective coating. Typically, paints composed of an inorganic powder embedded within a polymer matrix have only limited ability to resist abrasion. Attempts to improve durability are ultimately constrained by the requirements that the coating be relatively thin (e.g., <100 μm) and easy to apply. While repainting and touch-ups can be performed as part of regular maintenance, many defects go unnoticed before significant damage occurs. Accordingly, self-healing coatings have been developed that autonomously repair scratches below some maximum width, thereby delaying the onset of corrosion and increasing the time between maintenance cycles.
The most common strategies utilized in developing self-healing polymer coatings are to supply energy to the system to form new bonds, or supply additional material to the damage zone. Supplying energy to the system could be as simple as heating a polymeric coating to achieve melt and reflow. Other examples include the use of heat to activate a reversible Diehls-Alder reaction, applying UV light to initiate the polymerization of pendant vinyl groups, and the use of hydrogen bonded polymers near their effective melting temperature. The advantage of energy activation is the potential for unlimited healing capacity. However, heating is logistically impractical for large objects, and UV activation may not provide complete healing if pigments in the coating interfere with light absorption.
Another approach achieves self-healing by supplying additional material to the damage zone. For example, one technique for delivering a reservoir of fresh material to a scratch include the use of embedded polymer microcapsules incorporated into paints and primers. The microcapsules release the self-healing compound or compounds, most commonly as liquids, when the coating system is damaged. However, appropriate materials should be used to fabricate the microcapsule and its contents, else it may "deploy" before the coating is applied or, upon application, spontaneously deploy improperly, i.e., without a physical compromise of the coating such as abrasion or nicking. Further, unless the microcapsule is compatible with both its contents (the encapsulated repair compound) and its surrounds (the solvent), the "application" life of the resultant mixed product may be less than desirable.
Accordingly, there is a continued need for improved self-healing coatings that can be made in a simple, cost efficient manner.


A mailer or business form is provided including a coating of a first colorless reactant on one sheet thereof and a transparent patch overlying the coating. The surface of the patch facing the sheet includes a coating of a second colorless reactant such that when the transparent patch is impacted by an imaging force, a visible image is formed which may be viewed.

The present invention relates to a mailer or business form having an imagable surface, and more particularly, to a mailer or business form including a coating of a first colorless reactant on one surface thereof and a transparent patch overlying the coating, the patch including a coating of a second colorless reactant on the surface facing the first coating such that when the transparent patch is impacted by an imaging force, a visible image is formed.
Mailers or business form assemblies typically comprise sealed envelopes which contain additional sheets therein on which information can be printed by impact printing processes. These mailers are frequently processed by computer-aided automated systems. The ability to print information selectively both on the inside and on the outside of the mailer simultaneously eliminates time-consuming separate printing of the sheets and envelopes, and manual stuffing, sealing, and stamping of individual envelopes. Mailers of this type are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,777,971, 3,830,141, 3,988,971, 4,081,127, 4,095,965, 4,425,386, 4,705,298 and 4,729,506.
In producing this type of mailer or business form, confidential information, such as billing information, appears only on the inner layers of the mailer, while other information, such as the address, must appear on the outside. A number of techniques have been proposed to accomplish this result.
One prior method involves printing all of the information on the outside of the mailer and onto one or more interior sheets. The confidential information, which is to appear only on the inner layers, is then obscured by overprinting the confidential information on the exterior surface of the mailer with enough printed characters to make it unreadable. However, envelopes printed in this fashion have an undesirable appearance and require additional printing steps.
Another prior method involves the use of spot coatings of carbon ink on the bottom side of a top record sheet positioned over the mailer. Using this method, the address information can be printed on the front of the envelope by positioning it under the carbon spot, while confidential information can be printed onto the interior sheets. However, this system requires the use of expensive carbonizing bond paper to prevent penetration of the carbon ink. In addition, the top record sheet is typically thrown away because the information recorded there is usually stored on computer.
Another type of mailer uses a carbon ink spot coated carbon tissue which is placed between the top sheet and the mailer. This eliminates the use of expensive carbonizing bond paper, but the carbon tissue must be removed and thrown away prior to mailing.
Carbon ink spot coated carbonizing bond paper and carbon tissue sheets have sometimes been used inside the mailer. However, as discussed previously, these systems are expensive and, in addition, can cause smudging of the image receiving sheet.
Another system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,172,605 which uses a chemically reactive ribbon for a typewriter or a computer printer. The ribbon is coated with a solution which reacts with the coating on portions of the mailer to form images. However, this system requires direct contact between the ribbon and the mailer so that the chemical reaction can take place. In addition, the ribbons, which are relatively expensive, must be replaced frequently.
Still another system is disclosed in Chang et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,386. The mailer uses an autogenous, or self-contained, carbonless coating over part of the top sheet. The impact of the printer or typewriter causes the image to develop in the coated area. Other information printed at the same time but outside the coated area will not appear on the top sheet. The interior sheets of the mailer may have self-contained coatings or other printing systems so that the other information will appear on the appropriate sheets.
While the mailer described in the Chang patent solves some of the problems associated with mailers, it suffers some serious drawbacks. The Chang patent teaches the use of a typical self-contained coating, which contains an encapsulated color former dissolved in oil and a dispersed color developer, such as phenolic resin or acid clay. However, such self-contained coatings suffer from a number of disadvantages. One problem with typical self-contained coatings is that dispersions of color developer usually must be applied as low solids content dispersions due to the poor rheology (i.e., high viscosity) of commercially available phenolic dispersions. The low solids level results in higher drying requirements, weak image development, and sheet distortion upon drying. Poor rheology also limits the method of applying these coatings by air knives or other full coat applicators, effectively preventing their use as spot coatings. In some cases, the addition of high levels of binder to the coating may permit it to be printed as a spot coating, but this results in poor image development.
Background coloration is also a major problem with conventional self-contained coatings. The existence of free color former in the coating remaining after the encapsulation process causes premature coloration of the background when it reacts with the dispersed color developer which is also present. Additional background coloration can be caused by the tendency of phenolic resin dispersions to yellow when exposed to air. Premature coloration of the color former microcapsules may also result due to their rupture by pressures such as minor abrasions and friction applied to the paper during storage, transportation and routine handling.
Another problem with typical self-contained coatings is the waste of expensive color forming dyes. Much of the dissolved dye remains in the capsules and is not available for reaction with the color developer when the capsules are ruptured. This requires the use of higher coating weights to achieve a sufficient surface concentration of dye and results in a significant waste of dye.
Van Malderghem, U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,298 discloses a self-imaging web including a coating containing dye microcapsules and an acidic co-reactant positioned behind the window cut area of an envelope face web such that when the self-imaging web is impacted, address information may be viewed through the window area. However, additional steps are required to provide die cut windows on the envelope. In addition, a separate continuous web is required to form window patches over the die cut windows.
Neubauer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,506, teaches yet another variation of carbonless coatings in which a continuous mailer assembly is provided comprising a front ply having a cut-out window, a transparent patch secured over the window, an insert ply and a back ply. The patch is provided with a CB coating on its under surface while the upper surface of the uppermost insert ply is provided with a CF coating such that when pressure is applied to the patch, the CB coating reacts with the CF coating to form an image on the mailer which can be viewed through the patch. However, the mailer construction requires both a separate coated insert ply and front ply including a cut-out window and patch.
Accordingly, there is still a need in the art for a mailer or business form having an imagable area which allows information to be printed and viewed without the need for die cut windows, additional webs or plies, and without the drawbacks of self-contained coatings

Business form or mailer having an imagable surface


Disclosed is a method of constructing partially earth-anchored cable-stayed bridges using a thermal prestressing technique, in which, when a steel girder-type partially earth-anchored cable-stayed bridge is built using a cantilever construction technique, the center of an intermediate span of the bridge is closed with a final key segment using a thermal prestressing technique, thus applying an initial axial tensile force to reinforcing girders of the bridge. To apply the initial axial tensile force to the reinforcing girders while the center of the intermediate span is closed with the final key segment, an appropriate space length required for closure of the final key segment is determined, and both the heating region and the heating temperature of the reinforcing girders according to the initial axial tensile force to be applied to the reinforcing girders during a process of manufacturing the final key segment are determined. Thereafter, the reinforcing girders are heated using a heating means according to the above-determined conditions, thus being thermally lengthened to predetermined lengths corresponding to the predetermined space length. The junction between the reinforcing girders at the center of the intermediate span is closed with the final key segment and, thereafter, the heating means is removed from the reinforcing girders.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to a method of constructing partially earth-anchored cable-stayed bridges using a thermal prestressing technique and, more particularly, to a method of constructing partially earth-anchored cable-stayed bridges using a thermal prestressing technique, in which, while a steel girder-type partially earth-anchored cable-stayed bridge is built using a cantilever construction technique, the center of an intermediate span of the bridge is closed with a final key segment using a thermal prestressing technique, thus applying an appropriate initial axial tensile force to reinforcing girders of the bridge.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, as bridges for spans of about 200˜1000 m, cable-stayed bridges have been recognized as appropriate structures having good appearances and providing high economic efficiency. However, according to the lengthening of the spans, the cable-stayed bridges are problematic in that an excessive compressive force is applied to the upper structure of the bridges, so that buckling may be caused in the towers of the bridges.
In an effort to solve the problems of the conventional cable-stayed bridges, a partially earth-anchored cable-stayed bridge, in which an initial tensile force is artificially applied to the reinforcing girders of the bridge so as to reduce the excessive compressive force from the upper structure of the bridge, has been studied and proposed. However, in the related art, there has been no appropriate construction technique of applying tensile force generated using outside anchor cables to an intermediate span of a bridge in a process of closing the center of an intermediate span of the bridge with a final key segment, so that the partially earth-anchored cable-stayed bridge has not actually been built and put to practical use anywhere in the world.
Here, the technical term "final key segment" has the following meaning. That is, in a cantilever construction process of building a cable-stayed bridge by constructing two support towers and by gradually extending reinforcing girders from the two towers, the final key segment is a final closure element to couple the reinforcing girders to each other at the center of an intermediate span between the two towers while compensating for construction error generated between the reinforcing girders separately and respectively extending from the two towers. The coupling of the two reinforcing girders using the final key segment is so-called "closure of the final key segment" in the related art, and the step of closing the junction between two reinforcing girders with a final key segment has been recognized as the most important step in the process of building a cable-stayed bridge using a cantilever construction technique.
In a conventional technique that can be adapted to a process of building a partially earth-anchored cable-stayed bridge requiring an appropriate initial tensile force to be applied to reinforcing girders, excessive compressive force is applied to the reinforcing girder of the cable-stayed bridge (a so-called "self-anchored cable-stayed bridge") due to the long span of the cable-stayed bridge, so that the bridge must be designed such that the reinforcing girders have a large sectional area in proportion to the excessive compressive force. Furthermore, at the step of closing the junction between the reinforcing girders of the intermediate span with a final key segment in the conventional technique, the facing ends of the reinforcing girders of the intermediate span must be prestressed with an appropriate tensile force using prestressing machines, such as hydraulic jacks, prior to closing the junction between the reinforcing girders with the final key segment.
In other words, in a conventional technique of closing the junction between the reinforcing girders at the center of the intermediate span with a final key segment, the reinforcing girders are prestressed using hydraulic jacks and provide an appropriate space for the closure of the final key segment. However, to close the junction between the reinforcing girders with a final key segment using the conventional technique, a plurality of prestressing anchors must be installed at the ends of the reinforcing girders and, furthermore, the ends of the huge reinforcing girders must be prestressed with a uniform tensile force using a plurality of hydraulic jacks, and this causes difficulty in the conventional technique of building a partially earth-anchored cable-stayed bridge.
In the related art, a partially earth-anchored cable-stayed bridge may be built through a process, in which, after the junction between the reinforcing girders has been completely closed with a final key segment, cables are anchored to outside anchors and, thereafter, tensile force is applied to the reinforcing girders. However, this process is problematic in that it is almost impossible to separately anchor the cables, each comprising a great number of steel wires, to the outside anchors such that a uniform tensile force can be applied to the respective steel wires of the cables.
Therefore, in the related art, it has been required to provide a new technique of applying tensile force to the reinforcing girders of a partially earth-anchored cable-stayed bridge in an effort to solve the problems experienced in the conventional technique of building the partially earth-anchored cable-stayed bridge.

Method of constructing partially earth-anchored cable-stayed bridge using thermal prestressing technique

Industry-Academic Cooporation Foundation, Yonsei University


The present invention discloses a system and method for adaptive adjustment of bit budget that favors the allocation of bits to intra coding frames (I frames). Namely, an encoder is able to dynamically adjust the bit budget for each picture type in an image sequence, thereby effecting proper usage of the available transmission bandwidth and improving the picture quality. In one embodiment, the present invention will allocate more encoding bandwidth to a current Intra coding frame when the average quantization level of inter coding frames (e.g., P and B frames) of a previous group of pictures is relatively high.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to an encoding system. More specifically, the present invention relates to an encoding system where bit budget can be adaptively adjusted for intra coded frames.
2. Description of the Related Art
Demands for lower bit-rates and higher video quality requires efficient use of bandwidth. To achieve these goals, the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) created the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) created the ISO/IEC international Standards 11172 (1991) (generally referred to as MPEG-1 format) and 13818 (1995) (generally referred to as MPEG-2 format), which are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference. One goal of these standards is to establish a standard coding/decoding strategy with sufficient flexibility to accommodate a plurality of different applications and services such as desktop video publishing, video telephone, video conferencing, digital storage media and television broadcast.
Although the MPEG standards specify a general coding methodology and syntax for generating a MPEG compliant bitstream, many variations are permitted in the values assigned to many of the parameters, thereby supporting a broad range of applications and interoperability. In effect, MPEG does not define a specific algorithm needed to produce a valid bitstream. Furthermore, MPEG encoder designers are accorded great flexibility in developing and implementing their own MPEG-specific algorithms in areas such as image pre-processing, motion estimation, coding mode decisions, scalability, rate control and scan mode decisions.
In the area of rate control, MPEG does not define a specific algorithm for controlling the bit rate of an encoder. It is the task of the encoder designer to devise a rate control process for controlling the bit rate such that the decoder input buffer neither overflows nor underflows. A fixed-rate channel is assumed to carry bits at a constant rate to an input buffer within the decoder. At regular intervals determined by the picture rate, the decoder instantaneously removes all the bits for the next picture from its input buffer. If there are too few bits in the input buffer, i.e., all the bits for the next picture have not been received, then the input buffer underflows resulting in an error. Similarly, if there are too many bits in the input buffer, i.e., the capacity of the input buffer is exceeded between picture starts, then the input buffer overflows resulting in an overflow error. Thus, it is the task of the encoder to monitor the number of bits generated by the encoder, thereby preventing the overflow and underflow conditions.
Currently, one way of controlling the bit rate is to alter the quantization process, which will affect the distortion of the input video image. By altering the quantizer scale (step size), the bit rate can be changed and controlled.
Although changing the quantizer scale is an effective method of implementing the rate control of an encoder, it has been shown that a poor rate control process will actually degrade the visual quality of the video image, i.e., failing to alter the quantizer scale in an efficient manner such that it is necessary to drastically alter the quantizer scale toward the end of a picture to avoid overflow and underflow conditions. Since altering the quantizer scale affects both image quality and compression efficiency, it is important for a rate control process to control the bit rate without sacrificing image quality.
To illustrate, at low bit rate MPEG-2 compression, there are scenarios where there may not be sufficient bits available to encode the DCT coefficients. Therefore, details in the picture are often lost due to over-quantization.
Thus, there is a need in the art for an encoding system and method that can dynamically adjust the bit budget while maintaining image quality and compression efficiency.

Method and apparatus for providing intra coding frame bit budget


Tanning bed apparatus is provided for providing a person with an artificial sun tan. The apparatus includes a lower tanning unit and an upper tanning unit that is moveable between an open and a closed position where the units together form a tanning chamber. A first longitudinally extending edge of the lower tanning unit is positioned lower than the vertical center of the tanning chamber to ease the task of entering and exiting the chamber. A second longitudinally extending edge of the lower tanning unit includes at least one tanning bulb that is positioned at or above the vertical center of the chamber to eliminate uneven tanning along one longitudinally extending edge of the user. At least one tanning bulb in the first longitudinally extending edge of the upper tanning unit is positioned at or below the vertical center of the chamber to eliminate uneven tanning along the opposite longitudinally extending edges of the user. The:upper tanning unit includes two rows of tanning bulbs positioned in a staggered configuration that reduces the time required to achieve the desired level of tanning.

The present invention provides an apparatus for artificially tanning a person. According to one aspect of the invention, the tanning apparatus is configured for more effectively tanning the sides of a person and for easy access. According to another aspect of the invention, the tanning apparatus is provided with specially arranged ultraviolet lamps for providing an enhanced radiation energy source.
Tanning beds making use of artificial ultra violet light are very popular, especially in the winter months when a natural tan can not be readily acquired and particularly in those areas where the summer tanning season is relatively short. Many tanning operators own a number of tanning beds for rent to the public. The length of time that a user must stay in the tanning chamber to achieve a desired tanning affect is a limiting factor on how often the beds can be rented and thus has a direct impact on profits.
A typical tanning bed has an upper tanning unit and a lower tanning unit connected by hinges so that the upper unit can be opened and a closed in a manner analogous to a clamshell In the open position, a person can enter the apparatus to lie down on the lower tanning unit In the closed position the units form an internal tanning chamber where the person to be tanned is partially surrounded by tanning lamps. The upper unit has a row of lamps that are intended to tan the upwardly facing parts of the person, and the lower unit has a row of lamps that are intended to tan the downwardly facing parts of the person.
A problem that is often encountered in prior art devices is uneven tanning along a users"" sides that arises because of a break in the lamp distribution at the S sides of the chamber where the upper and lower tanning units meet when in the closed position. In a typical tanning bed, the upper and lower units meet on opposite sides of the tanning chamber near the vertical center of the chamber. Consequently, the user cannot eliminate the uneven tan by a method such as periodically alternating from lying on his or her back and stomach.
Another problem with typical tanning beds is that the upper tanning unit, when in the closed position, must provide a reasonable amount of room above the person lying in the bed. However, providing the overhead space requires that the lamps in the upper tanning unit be positioned farther away from the person than the lamps in the lower tanning unit The overhead space decreases the amount of tanning radiation that reaches the upwardly facing parts of a person, which increases the time required to achieve a desired level of exposure.
In accordance with the present invention, a tanning bed is provided that comprises an upper tanning unit and a lower tanning unit positioned on a base. The lower tanning unit has a lower radiation source positioned between a first longitudinally extending edge on one side of the lower unit and a second longitudinally extending edge on the opposite side of the lower unit has an upper radiation source that is similarly positioned between a first longitudinally extending edge on one side of the upper unit and a second longitudinally extending edge on the opposite side of the upper unit
The upper tanning unit is connected to the base by a hinge mechanism and is moveable between an open and a closed position. A user accesses the tanning bed by ascending over the first longitudinal edge of the lower unit when the upper unit is in the open position In the closed position the upper and lower tanning units face each other and form a tanning chamber with the first and second longitudinal edges of the upper tanning unit positioned adjacent the first and second longitudinal edges of the lower tanning unit, respectively.
According to a first aspect of the invention, the first longitudinal edge of the lower tanning unit is positioned below the centerline of the tanning chamber to provide for easy entry and access into the tanning chamber. When in the closed position, at least one tanning lamp is positioned near the vertical center of one side of the tanning chamber, and at least one tanning lamp is positioned near the vertical center on the opposite side of the tanning chamber to eliminate uneven tanning along the user""s sides. According to a second aspect of the invention, the upper tanning unit is provided with an upper radiation source comprising a first row and a second row of tanning lamps that may comprise a higher output The lamps are positioned in a staggered arrangement that minimizes the reflection and refraction losses of the radiation emitted from the lamps in the second row. The second row of lamps and the staggered arrangement result in a higher level of tanning radiation that reaches the upwardly facing parts of the person, thereby reducing the time required to achieve the desired level of exposure.


An apparatus is provided that includes a processor and a memory storing executable instructions that in response to execution by the processor cause the apparatus to direct presentation of a user interface having a list that presents information regarding elements of a plurality of patient exams. The apparatus is also caused to receive an indication of acknowledgment of receipt of a higher-priority one of the exams or information regarding the respective exam. This includes the apparatus being caused to receive an indication of long selection of first information indicating the respective exam's designation as being higher priority, direct presentation of a dialog that includes a user interface element for the acknowledgment, receive an indication of selection of the user interface element, and receive an indication of selection of the first information, without first receiving an indication of user interaction with any other area of the user interface.

Medical imaging often includes creating images and/or video sequences of the human body or parts of the human body for clinical purposes such as examination, diagnosis and/or treatment. These images may be acquired by a number of different imaging modalities including, for example, ultrasound (US), magnetic resonance (MR), positron emission tomography (PET), computed tomography (CT), mammograms (MG) digital radiology (DR), computed radiology (CR) or the like. In a number of example medical imaging workflows, such as in the case of a picture archiving and communication system (PACS), an image study for a patient may include one or more acquired images of the patient along with information that may reside with or otherwise accompany the images. This information may include, for example, a study identifier (ID) as well as patient information such as the patient's name, demographics, medical record number or the like.
Once a patient study has been created, the study may be stored in a database of a central storage device for later retrieval by a workstation where the study may be reviewed by a medical professional such as a radiologist who may make one or more diagnoses or other assessments of the patient from the study, and record those diagnoses or other assessments in a text-based report. This report may then be stored in an information system such as a hospital information system (HIS), radiology information system (RIS) or the like, where the report may be linked or otherwise associated with the image study such as by study ID, patient name, medical record number or the like.

Apparatus, method and computer-readable storage mediums for acknowledging receipt of a higher-priority multimedia object


Disclosed herein is an isosorbide-based polycarbonate polymer comprising: an isosorbide unit, an aliphatic unit derived from a C14-44 aliphatic diacid, C14-44 aliphatic diol, or combination of these; and optionally, an additional unit different from the isosorbide and aliphatic units, wherein the isosorbide unit, aliphatic unit, and additional unit are each carbonate, or a combination of carbonate and ester units. Also disclosed are a thermoplastic composition and an article comprising the isosorbide-based polycarbonate.

This disclosure relates to polycarbonates comprising aliphatic diols, and in particular to isosorbide-based polycarbonates, and methods of manufacture thereof.
Polymers based on aliphatic diols derived from biologically-based sources are of great interest in the plastics industry and for the manufacturing industry, for the preparation of materials and products that can be derived from inexpensive, renewable sources and that also are biodegradable, and thereby have a low net environmental impact. Of particular interest are polymers based on isosorbides, and more specifically referred to as 2,6-dioxabicyclo[3.3.0]octan-4,8-diol, 1,4:3,6-dianhydro-D-glucitol, and 2,3,3a,5,6,6a-hexahydrofuro[3,2-b]furan-3,6-diol, and isomers of these. These materials are of great interest to the chemical industry, and in particular in the production of polymeric materials such as polycarbonates, because such aliphatic diols can be produced from renewable resources, namely sugars, rather than from the petroleum feed stocks used to prepare other monomers useful in the production of polycarbonates, such as bisphenol monomers.
However, for practical applications, polycarbonate incorporating isosorbide needs a balance of properties to be useful. Polycarbonates in general must have sufficiently high molecular weight for desirable mechanical properties, and sufficiently low glass transition temperatures and flow to be useful in molding and extrusion applications. A problem that accompanies inclusion of such biologically derived materials in polycarbonates is maintaining the desired mechanical and optical properties of the polycarbonate during and after high temperature processing, such as encountered during extrusion and molding, where. Polycarbonate that include isosorbide that otherwise have desirable properties of molecular weight can, under extrusion or molding conditions, exhibit undesirable degradation and commensurate increases in undesired color change and decreases in molecular weight. While the former has an undesirable effect on appearance, the latter can adversely affect the melt flow and mechanical properties of the polycarbonate.
A typical solution to the desired balance of molecular weight and melt flow has been to include "soft blocks", which are segments of lower glass transition temperature compositions, such as for example segments of polycarbonate based on resorcinol, interspersed in the polycarbonate. Doing so can reduce the net glass transition temperature of the polycarbonate, and increase the melt flow. Typical soft blocks include resorcinol, aliphatic diols and aliphatic diacids. Of these, it is desirable to include an aliphatic soft block because of the transparency of such soft blocks to ultraviolet light (UV), and hence inherent UV stability of aliphatic blocks; however aliphatic soft blocks are typically difficult to incorporate into polycarbonates thereby making it difficult to obtain polymers of sufficiently high molecular weight. In addition, difficulty in incorporating these soft blocks translates to differences in reactivity of the soft block and other monomers, which can lead to the formation of block copolymers instead of random copolymers. In turn, block copolymer formation can lead to phase separation of the dissimilar blocks, which negates the desired overall Tg reduction by creating regions having distinct glass transition temperatures, which can in turn have adverse effects on the soft block-containing copolycarbonate such as phase separation leading to haze and processing problems such as delamination.
There accordingly remains a need in the art for an isosorbide-based polycarbonate having a sufficiently high molecular weight and heat resistance while having a sufficiently low glass transition temperature to allow polymerization and processing and at the same time preventing phase separation and degraded mechanical properties in the composition.

Isosorbide-based polycarbonates, method of making, and articles formed therefrom