Disclosed are systems and methods for processing the releasing and/or dispensing of releasable items, particularly pills, capsules, tablets, medications, and drugs. In one embodiment, a system for processing the releasing and/or dispensing releasable items includes a releasing unit configured to verify whether a cartridge is authorized for usage with a releasing unit. The releasing unit is further configured to send data corresponding to the releasable items and the activities of the items via a network and/or telephone line. The system further includes a central-computing device configured to receive the data via the network and/or telephone line and provide a database of the data to a provider, i.e., pharmacist. In one embodiment, a method for processing the releasing and/or dispensing of releasable items includes verifying whether a cartridge is authorized for usage with a releasing unit, gathering data corresponding to the releasable items from the cartridge, determining whether to release the releasable items to a user in accordance to the gathered data, recording data corresponding to the activities of the medication in a memory in the releasing unit, sending the data from the releasing unit to a central-computing device via a network and/or telephone line, wherein the central-computing device provides a database of the activities data and sends the database to a provider.

Typically, a patient that is prescribed a medication reads the instructions on the prescription bottle and other written documents to inform the patient when and how much medication to take during a period of time. Sometimes, the patient needs a refill of the medication and must remember to place an order with a pharmacist a few days before the patient runs out of medication. The pharmacist places an order for the medication whenever the patient places the order. If the patient does not place the order, the pharmacist simply does not order the medication. Some problems that arise from this scenario are that the patient sometimes forgets to take his medication at the proper time, the patient has to physically go to a pharmacist store to place an order for his medication, the medication is not readily accessible to the patient when the patient places an order for his medication, etc.
In addition, there are more medications available now than before to treat various diseases, such as kidney failure, diabetes, cancers, etc. Some of these illnesses require multiple medications to treat the illness. For example, a patient with kidney failure may be required to take medications for high blood pressure, medication for controlling his blood sugar level, and other medications to substitute the functions of the kidney. The management of dispensing the medication from the pharmacist to the patient and releasing the medication to the patient has become difficult and at times overbearing. Self management of medication is especially difficult for elderly patients who may have multiple medications that must be taken on different time schedules.
From the above, it can be appreciated that it would be desirable to have a reliable system and method for processing the releasing and/or dispensing of releasable items, i.e., pills, capsules, tablets, medications, and drugs.


Disclosed is an automatic pet relief station (10) consisting of a housing (12) with an opening (14) to permit entry and exit of pets, an endless belt (16) positioned within the housing (12) to support a pet, a dispenser (18) positioned within the housing (12) for distributing litter on the endless belt (16), and a recycler (20) to cleanse soiled litter, dry the cleansed litter, and deposit the cleansed litter in the dispenser (18) for reuse.. After a pet uses the relief station (10), the endless belt begins to travel, with soiled litter being received by the recycler (20) from one end of the endless belt (16), while clean litter is evenly distributed upon the opposite end of the endless belt (16) by the dispenser (18) as the endless belt (16) moves beneath the dispenser (18), thereby replacing the soiled litter. The recycler (20) cleanses the soiled litter, dries the cleansed litter, and deposits the dry cleansed litter into the dispenser (18) for reuse.

Trays or other containers with absorbent litter therein are commonly used by cats or other pets for excretion of wastes. The wastes must frequently be removed from the litter, or the litter must be changed, to prevent odors and for hygienic reasons. Even if wastes are frequently removed from the litter, at some point the litter must be completely replaced because there is no method known in the art to completely remove all waste from the litter.
Various devices that provide a litter box or pet relief station are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,011,837 issued to Ksioszk, discloses a self-cleaning animal kennel in which an impervious sheet is moved along the floor of the kennel. Absorbent paper and a deodorant is automatically applied over the impervious sheet and collected animal waste, as the sheet passes from the kennel floor with the two superimposed sheets and captured waste being rolled up on a drum.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,465,018, issued to Mopper, discloses an indoor pet relief station in which a plastic sheet is dispensed from a roller and is moved across the floor of the device by a motor driven take-up roll. Fresh litter, dispensed from a hopper, is deposited on the surface of the moving plastic sheet. As the plastic sheet passes onto the take-up roll, soiled litter falls downwardly into a disposable collection bag. A screen positioned immediately above the collection bag allows the used litter to pass into the collection bag, but prevents passage of solid waste. According to the Mopper patent, the filtered litter can be reused, while the separated solid waste is disposed of. However, it is readily apparent to those skilled in the art, that merely filtering litter neither removes all waste from the litter, nor prevents the buildup of odor and unsanitary conditions.
A pet relief station disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,493,288, which issued to van der Kolk, includes a hopper for supplying litter to the upper end of a conveyor belt. When an animal enters the litter box, the conveyor belt operates to move used litter from the lower end of the conveyor belt into a container. Simultaneously, fresh litter is deposited by the hopper.
In a pet relief station disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,334, which issued to Bassine, litter is deposited by a supply hopper onto a movable plastic sheet. When a crank is turned, the sheet is wound on a roller, sealing the used litter in the rolled up plastic sheet.
Although prior art devices of the above-described type may be satisfactory in some situations, various disadvantages and drawbacks exist. For example, none of the described devices provide for the cleansing or otherwise recycling of used litter, or its automatic resupply to a storage hopper.


A facsimile system includes a transmitting unit and a receiving unit which is connected to the transmitting unit by a telephone line. The facsimile system performs a pre-message procedure between the transmission unit and the receiving unit before the transmitting unit transmits the image information to the receiving unit. A part of the pre-message procedure is omitted on the basis of the condition of the transmitting unit and the receiving unit.

The present invention generally relates to a facsimile system, and more particularly to a facsimile system capable of shortening the time required for the carrying out of a pre-message procedure.
Generally, in a group three (G3) facsimile system, a communication, with regard to a transmission function which may be used when image information is transmitted, is performed between a calling station and a called station before the transmission of the image information. A procedure carried out for a communication performed before the transmission of image information described above is called a pre-message procedure. According to the communication performed on the basis of the pre-message procedure, transmission functions which can be used by the calling station and the called station are determined, and then the calling station transmits the image information to the called station on the basis of the determined transmission functions.
The pre-message procedure is described in CCITT Recommendations T.30, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Recently, in the group three (G3) facsimile system, the time required for a transmission of image information has been shortened so that the ratio of the time required for the performance of the pre-message procedure to the time required for the transmission of image information has increased. That is, in a conventional facsimile system, there is a new disadvantage in that the time required for the pre-message procedure has increased relatively.

Image communication system having a function for shortening the pre-messaging procedure


A method for tracking a target object utilizing a binocular system includes capturing first and second images, the first image captured from a first camera device and the second image captured from a second camera device. A plurality of image patches are applied to the first and second images and a plurality of detection costs each associated with respective ones of the image patches applied to the first and second images is determined. A plurality of matching costs each corresponding to respective ones of selected matching pairs of image patches between the first and second images is determined. At least one cost flow path is determined from a source vertex of the first image to a sink vertex of the second image based on the detection costs and the matching costs and the target object is tracked based on the at least one cost flow path.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure. Accordingly, such statements are not intended to constitute an admission of prior art.
Active Safety and Driver Assistance Systems (ASDAS) utilize monocular vision systems as a low-cost solution for detecting a target object, such as a leading vehicle traveling along a roadway. Monocular vision systems estimate depth based on a flat ground assumption. However, when the flat ground assumption does not hold true, the depth estimation deviates from its true value. For instance, the monocular vision system may estimate the range to a target object to be further away than the target object actually is when the flat ground assumption does not hold true.
It is known, for example, to utilize range detection devices such as radar and lidar to detect the presence and range to a target object. However, such range detection devices are costly, increasing the price of a vehicle equipped with ASDAS.
It is further known, for example, to utilize stereo imaging approaches to determine the presence of a target object by extracting three-dimensional features from a disparity map of two captured images, each from a respective camera device, and matching a sparse set of key points. However, such stereo imaging approaches suffer from depth inaccuracy due to a narrow baseline between the two camera devices because depth accuracy degrades quadratically with depth. Additionally, pixel correspondence issues resulting in an unusable disparity map can occur when the baseline between the two camera devices is increased.
Accordingly, it is desirable to improve the depth accuracy using stereo imaging without extracting three-dimensional features that require the use of disparity maps.

Wide baseline binocular object matching method using minimal cost flow network


A universal media player designed to improve a user's online media experience that is preferably embedded in an Internet browser is disclosed. The universal media player allows a user to navigate between different sources of media without requiring the downloading of the media player associated with the format of the media source. The universal media player includes an interface with user-actuable control buttons, the universal media player determining whether incoming media is playable by the universal media player. If the incoming media is playable by the universal media player, the media is intercepted as the media is downloaded and redirected to the universal media player. Determining if the media is playable is accomplished by identifying the type of incoming media and searching a table of MIME media types.

Media designed for distribution over the Internet come in many forms and formats. Media players are software resident on computers that interpret incoming stream media and convert the media into human-perceivable form, i.e., into audio and video form for outputting to a user. What is common to each media player is a uniform media format and a unique user interface.
Because conventional Internet media players have their own unique media formats and user interfaces, in the past, media players have been incompatible. This incompatibility has created a variety of problems. For instance, if a user is sampling radio stations played by different media players, an undesirable amount of time is spent juggling the various players and waiting for them to cue up media. This is not conducive to providing simple background music. Even when the streaming media being downloaded has a universal file format, problems exist because each resident media player competes to register itself as being the owner of a given file format. For instance, almost all media players can play MP3 files as well as the private file format for which the player is expressly designed. When a user downloads streaming media having a particular file format, the user will be queried to download the media player associated with the format of the media. If the user selects to download the media player, the player installer will change the user's file associations. For instance, if a user has been using the WinAMP® media player and decides to receive a Real Network stream of media, the user will be asked if the Real Networks media player should be downloaded. If the user specifies that the Real Networks media player should be downloaded, the Real Networks media player installer will change a user's file associations so that the Real Networks media player will, in the future play every media type saved in the user's file. As a result, the user will lose the use of the WinAMP® media player.
In another scenario, a user may decide to listen to a first streaming media radio station. The user will have to locate the appropriate link and open the necessary media player to launch the application. After managing the windows on the screen to return the user to the "working" window, the user may decide to listen to a second streaming media radio station which may employ a different player. In order to change media players, the user must first open the original player window and activate the stop feature of the player's interface. Then, the user must locate the second streaming media radio station and activate the link to start the second media. If the media player employed by the second streaming media radio station is not installed, activating the link will prompt the user to install a second player. This entire process requires the user to manage multiple windows in order to listen to the second streaming media radio station. If the user forgets to stop the first media player, both media players will play simultaneously, leading to noise. Changing the volume level of one media player may or may not affect the other media player so the user may be forced to separately locate and adjust both players' volume control.
Accordingly, there is a need for a universal media player that improves a user's online media experience and eliminates the burdens discussed above that are placed upon a user when juggling media played by different media players. The present invention is directed to fulfilling this and other needs.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A method for accurate heart rate detection includes receiving a signal indicative of motion due to respiration, and using the signal indicative of motion to adjust a threshold value of a signal indicative of activity of the heart. The adjusted threshold value is used to detect an accurate heart rate of a patient. A system for accurate heart rate detection comprises a motion sensor which produces a signal indicative of motion due to respiration, and a processor which adjusts a threshold value of a signal indicative of activity of the heart according to the signal indicative of motion. The adjusted threshold value is used to detect an accurate heart rate of a patient. The motion sensor can be any device that can determine direction of motion, such as an accelerometer, a displacement sensor, a velocity sensor, or a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to heart rate detection. More particularly, the invention relates to improving heart rate detection accuracy by reducing the influence of physical activity.
2. Background of the Invention
An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a measurement of the electrical signals given off by the beating of the heart. The R waves, which are the noticeable upward spikes on an ECG trace, occur during contraction of the heart and are part of the QRS complex. Thresholding is one method of determining a patient's heart rate, and involves detecting when the R wave amplitude exceeds a predetermined threshold value. However, the real time detection of heart rates is challenging in the presence of amplitude fluctuations that are due to motion.
An example of such a scenario is the detection of R-waves measured either from surface or subcutaneous electrodes placed in the chest area. Respiration induced motion artifact is especially problematic when a patient's breathing is being controlled by a respirator. In this case, exaggerated inflation and deflation of the lungs causes the rise and fall of the chest cavity at a frequency several times lower than the cardiac rate. This rise and fall can cause amplitude fluctuations in the signal measured from the electrodes.
An increase in amplitude can cause detection of portions of the ECG other than the R wave, resulting in spurious beat detections. Conversely, a decrease in amplitude can cause missed detection of R waves, resulting in missed beat detections. Thus, amplitude fluctuations may result in an inaccurate heart rate determination.
Another example is the subcutaneous photoplethysmography (sPPG) sensor, which is extremely sensitive to motion. The real time PPG signal fluctuates greatly with respiration due to motion artifact as well as change in venous blood volume that accompanies each breath.
High-pass filters have been used to remove low-frequency components from the cardiac signal. However, such an approach requires the added complexity of a filter to obtain an accurate heart rate.
What is needed is a more efficient way to detect heart rate in the presence of physical motion such as that due to respiration.

Use of motion sensor for dynamic updating of heart detection threshold


Systems, methods, and devices for resolving a network address include a Domain Name System (DNS) server configured to receive a request for a resource from a client device, determine a source IP address of the client device, and determine whether the source IP address is included in a source client list. In response to determining that the source IP address is not included in the source client list, the DNS server may determine whether a default view datastore includes a record for requested resource. If the default view datastore does not include a record for requested resource, the DNS server may determine whether the requested resource is included in the view datastore. If the requested resource is included in the view datastore, the DNS server may generate and send to the client device a response message that includes a SIPNOTDEFINED indication.

The Domain Name System (DNS) is a hierarchical and decentralized naming system for computers, services, or other resources connected to a communication network, such as the Internet. The DNS associates a variety of information with a domain names assigned to each of the participating entities. The DNS translates more readily memorized domain names to unique numerical addresses, such as Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, for locating and identifying computer services and devices with the underlying network protocols.
Client computing devices attempting to locate a resource on a communication network may send a DNS query that includes a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) or a requested resource address (e.g., a uniform resource identifier (URI) or a uniform resource locator (URL)) to a DNS server. The DNS server may respond with a DNS response that includes a resource identifier (e.g., IP address) of the requested resource address. The client computing device may receive and use the information included in the DNS response to locate and access the requested resource address.
In recent years, "DNS views" have grown in popularity and use. DNS views provide the DNS server with the ability to serve one version of DNS data to one set of client computing devices, and another version of DNS data to another set of client computing devices. That is, a DNS server that uses "views" may provide a different resource identifiers (e.g., IP addresses) in response to identical DNS queries depending upon the source of the query. As DNS views continue to grow in popularity and use, enhanced DNS servers that are better suited to implement or use DNS view technologies will be beneficial to network service providers and the consumers of their services.

Enhanced domain name system (DNS) server


In embodiments, a modular magnetic assembly includes a decorative modular section that is stackable with a functional modular section on a housing of a mobile device to form the modular magnetic assembly. The mobile device includes housing metal plates that are integrated in the housing of the device. The functional modular section includes magnets that are each positioned to couple with a respective housing metal plate that is integrated in the device housing. The decorative modular section includes section metal plates that are each positioned to couple with a respective one of the magnets of the functional modular section. The magnets of the functional modular section couple together the decorative modular section and the housing of the mobile device, where one side of the functional modular section stacks against the mobile device, and the other side stacks against the decorative modular section to form the modular magnetic assembly.

Portable devices, such as mobile phones, tablet devices, digital cameras, and other types of computing and electronic devices typically restrict consumers to the combination of features and hardware configurations that are available when a device is purchased. Although many consumers would desire customization choices, only different device models with some feature differences may be available, which are generally limited to the size of device memory and appearance changes. Other than these minimal feature differences, only simplistic functional covers are available after-market so that a consumer may change the exterior appearance and/or color of device. Further, many of the after-market covers are difficult to install and remove, often requiring small tools or applied force that may damage the cover.


A paster tab for use in splicing a leading end of a web on a rotary new roll to a running web on an expiring roll includes an elongated, uniformly thin, base layer having opposite facing sides with adhesive applied at various locations on the oppositely facing sides thereof. At least a pair of elongated die-cut slots extend transversely across a majority of the width of the base layer and through the thickness thereof. Mutually adjacent ends of the die-cut slots are separated from one another by a tearable narrow uncut part of the base layer. The narrow uncut part defines a vertex of an angle defined by the die-cut slots, which die-cut slots are straight and diverge from the narrow uncut part toward one of the ends of the base layer. An adhesive is applied to a surface of the base layer opposite the surface adapted to be bonded to the outer surface of the leading end as well as the outer surface of the rotary new roll. This adhesive extends up to an edge of the narrow uncut part and an edge of each of the die-cut slots. A surface area on the opposite side of the base layer from the adhesive which is adapted to become bonded to an expiring web is entirely free of adhesive.

Paster tabs, or splicing webs as they are also called, are known in the art and U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,149,832, 2,149,833, 2,377,971, 2,812,145, 3,001,735, 3,006,568, 3,231,949, 4,575,017 and 4 905 924 are representative examples thereof. One of the problems confronting a user of such paster tabs is that a rotary new web must be quickly and securely fastened to a running web without failure so that the leading end of the rotary new web will travel with the running web and effect an unwinding of the new web from the roll on which it is supported. If the attempt to secure the leading end of a web on a rotary new roll fails and the running web on the expiring roll comes to an end, considerable down time in a system utilizing roll stock will be experienced as the web of the rotary new roll is threaded through the system so that the system can be restarted. One such system is a newspaper printing system wherein a continuous feed of roll paper stock is required in order to print newspapers.
The paster tabs known heretofore have not been entirely satisfactory due to the fact that the occurrence of "missed" securements of the leading end of a web on a rotary new roll to a running web on an expiring roll is much too frequent. Accordingly, it is desirable to effect a development of a new paster tab which will overcome the problems and disadvantages of the known paster tabs.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a paster tab which will effect a splicing of a leading end of a web on a rotary new roll to a running web on an expiring roll without failure.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a paster tab, as aforesaid, wherein at least a pair of elongated die-cut slots extend transversely across a majority of a width of a base layer of the paster tab and through a thickness thereof, mutually adjacent ends of the aforesaid at least pair of elongated die-cut slots being separated from one another by a tearable narrow uncut part of the base layer, the narrow uncut part defining a vertex of an angle defined by the diecut slots which extend in a diverging manner from the narrow uncut part toward one of the ends of the paster tab.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a paster tab, as aforesaid, wherein an adhesive is applied to a surface area of the base layer which is on a side of the base layer facing away from the rotary new roll and is adjacent an edge of the narrow uncut part and an edge of the die-cut slots, there being no adhesive on a side directly opposite thereto, so that when the adhesive contacts the running web, the adhesive will effect an adhering of the base layer to the running web and the tearable narrow uncut part will tear and, due to the absence of adhesive on the side directly opposite thereto, allow a part of the base layer having the aforesaid adhesive thereon to peel away from the outer facing surface of the rotary new roll to cause the leading end of the rotary new roll to travel with the running web adhesively secured thereto by the aforesaid adhesive.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a paster tab, as aforesaid, wherein a base layer between the narrow uncut part and an end thereof is of sufficient width to resist tearing the moment the aforesaid adhesive contacts the running web to cause the leading end of the rotary new roll to become connected to the running web through the aforesaid base layer.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a paster tab, as aforesaid, wherein the adhesive for effecting a securement of the leading end of the rotary new roll to a running web has a tackiness which is greater than the tackiness of a further adhesive for effecting a securement of the paster tab to an outer facing surface of the rotary new roll with the base layer thereof bridging a gap between the leading end and the outer facing surface.


A computer system with power management and the method thereof. First, the CPU outputs a power management signal to the south bridge. The south bridge responds with a stop clock signal, and then the CPU responds with a stop grant message. The north bridge receives and analyzes the stop grant message to identify a power supply mode. If the power supply mode is to suspend the main power supplied from the power supply, the north bridge outputs a state transition signal to the peripheral, which then responds with an acknowledge signal. The north bridge passes the stop grant message to the south bridge after receiving the acknowledge signal. The south bridge receives the stop grant message and outputs a power control signal accordingly. The power supply receives the power control signal for suspending the corresponding power accordingly.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a computer system with power management and the method thereof, and more particularly to a computer system with power management for a peripheral supporting the PCI express, and the method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
The power management is to optimize the power in a most efficiency way and thus save the power consumption. FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration showing a computer system. The computer 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 110, a north bridge 120, a south bridge 130, and a power supply 140. The CPU 110 communicates with the power supply 140 and other peripherals (not shown in the drawing) via the north bridge 120 and the south bridge 130. The power supply 140 supplies a main power and an auxiliary power for powering the computer 100 to operate. The power supply modes typically include C2, C3, S3, S4, S5 modes, and the like. The modes C2 and C3 are used to save the power consumption of the CPU 110, while the modes S3, S4 and S5 are used to suspend the main power.
FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing a power management method in a typical computer system. First, in step 210, when the computer wants to enter a power-saving mode, such as a sleep mode S3, S4 or S5, the CPU 110 passes a power management signal to a power management unit of the south bridge 130 via the north bridge 120 by accessing a PMIO register of the south bridge 130 according to the indication from the operation system. Then, in step 220, the south bridge 130 receives the power management signal and immediately responds with a stop clock cycle STPCLK to inform the CPU 110 that the requested power supply mode will be entered. In step 230, the CPU 110 receives the stop clock cycle STPCLK and immediately responds with a stop grant cycle STPGNT to represent that the sleep mode is ready to be entered. The north bridge 120 receives the stop grant cycle STPGNT and immediately passes it to the south bridge 130, as shown in step 240. Next, the south bridge 130 receives the stop grant cycle STPGNT and immediately outputs a power control signal to the power supply 140. For example, the south bridge 130 outputs a power control signal SUSB to the power supply when the mode S3 is to be entered, or the south bridge 130 outputs a power control signal SUSC to the power supply when the mode S4 or S5 is to be entered. Finally, the power supply 140 receives the power control signal and immediately suspends the corresponding power, as shown in step 260.
Serially connected peripherals, such as PCI express peripherals that are electrically connected to the north bridge by PCI express link, have been gradually developed in order to meet the demands on the high-speed peripherals. FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration showing power management state transitions for a PCI express link. The PCI express link operates at a full speed under the normal condition referred to as the state L0. The PCI express link has to enter the state L2 or L3 for saving power. At this time, the power supply stops supplying the main power to the PCI express device. However, before entering the state L2 or L3, the link has to first enter the state of L2/L3 ready. However, because the conventional power management method is only controlled by the CPU and the south bridge, and the north bridge cannot identify the change of the power supply mode, the PCI express peripheral cannot be informed in advance. Under the condition that the PCI express link cannot identify the change of the power supply mode of the computer, the PCI express peripheral cannot be transited to the state of L2/L3 ready. Instead, the PCI express link jumps from the state L0 to the state L2 or L3, and abnormal conditions will be caused during the initialization of the next rebooting process.

System and method for determining if power should be suspended to at least one peripheral based on analyzing a power supply mode in a stop grant message


The invention provides a continuous adiabatic process for the preparation of nitrobenzene by nitrating benzene with mixtures of sulfuric and nitric acids using a stoichiometric excess of benzene, wherein the content of organic compounds in the circulating sulfuric acid, at least during the start-up period of the production plant, is always kept below 1.0 mass percent, based on the total mass of circulating sulfuric acid. This is preferably achieved by a procedure in which, either after the end or before the beginning of a production cycle, the circulating sulfuric acid is circulated at elevated temperature so that the organics contained in the sulfuric acid, preferably comprising nitrobenzene and traces of benzene, dinitrobenzene and nitrophenols, are separated off in the evaporation apparatus for concentrating the sulfuric acid.

The present invention relates to a continuous process for the preparation of nitrobenzene by the adiabatic nitration of benzene with a mixture of sulfuric and nitric acids (so-called 'mixed acid'). Such a process was first claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,256,999 and is described in more modern embodiments in U.S. Pat. No. 4,091,042, U.S. Pat. No. 5,313,009 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,763,697.
A common feature of the adiabatic processes described is that the starting materials, benzene and nitric acid, are reacted in a large excess of sulfuric acid, which absorbs the heat of reaction evolved and the water formed in the reaction.
The reaction procedure generally involves combining the nitric acid and sulfuric acid to give so-called 'nitrating acid' (also called 'mixed acid'). Benzene is metered into this nitrating acid. The reaction products are essentially water and nitrobenzene. In the nitration reaction, benzene is used in at least the stoichiometric amount, but preferably in 2% to 10% excess, based on the molar amount of nitric acid. According to the state of the art, the crude nitrobenzene formed in the reaction apparatuses and separated from the acid phase in the phase separation apparatus is washed and worked up by distillation, as described e.g. in EP 1 816 117 A1 (page 2, lines 26 to 42), U.S. Pat. No. 4,091,042 (cf. above) or U.S. Pat. No. 5,763,697 (cf. above). A characteristic feature of this work-up is that, after washing, unreacted excess benzene is separated from nitrobenzene in a final distillation and re-used in the nitration reaction as recycle benzene, which also comprises low-boiling non-aromatic organic compounds (so-called 'low boilers') (cf. DE 10 2009 005 324 A1). The treatment of the exhaust gas from the adiabatic nitration reaction is described in EP 0 976 718 B1. The exhaust gas from the acid circuit and final crude nitrobenzene is drawn off, combined and passed through an NOx absorber to recover dilute nitric acid, which is returned to the reaction. The sulfuric acid, referred to as circulating acid, is concentrated in a flash evaporator and freed of organics as far as possible. High-boiling organics, e.g. nitrobenzene, dinitrobenzene and nitrophenols, and traces of benzene, remain in the circulating acid and are therefore also returned to the reaction.
When the exhaust gas from an adiabatic nitration reaction is worked up as described in EP 0 976 718 B1, i.e. when the exhaust gas from the acid circuit and final crude nitrobenzene is drawn off, combined and passed through an NOx absorber to recover dilute nitric acid, which is returned to the reaction, it is advisable not to return this dilute nitric acid to the reaction until the start-up process (meaning the period of time within which a production plant is brought to target load from shutdown; cf. below for details) has ended, because admixing of the dilute nitric acid reduces the overall concentration of the starting nitric acid and causes reaction kinetics to slow down.
The quality of an adiabatic process for the nitration of aromatic hydrocarbons is defined on the one hand by the content of unwanted reaction by-products in the product, which are formed by multiple nitration or oxidation of the aromatic hydrocarbon or the nitroaromatic. In the preparation of nitrobenzene one strives to minimize the content of dinitrobenzene and nitrophenols, particularly trinitrophenol (picric acid), which is classified as explosive. The quality of an adiabatic process is defined on the other hand by the fact that the process can be operated without a technical shutdown of production.
To obtain nitrobenzene with particularly high selectivities, the nature of the mixed acid to be used has been stipulated in detail (EP 0 373 966 B1, EP 0 436 443 B1 and EP 0 771 783 B1) and it has been pointed out that the content of by-products is determined by how high the maximum temperature is (EP 0 436 443 B1, column 15, lines 22 to 25). It is also known that a high initial conversion is advantageous for a high selectivity and that this is achieved if optimum mixing is applied at the beginning of the reaction (EP 0 771 783 B1, paragraph[0014]).
Outstanding selectivities are obtained when the chosen initial reaction temperature is very low (WO 2010/051616 A1), although this is tantamount to increasing the reaction time several fold. A high space-time yield is advantageous for the industrial application of a process, since this makes it possible to construct compact reaction equipment distinguished by low capital expenditure in relation to capacity. This approach is therefore counter-productive.
Common to all the literature references listed is the fact that they do not describe the start-up process of a nitration unit and its difficulties.
As regards the quality of the auxiliary material sulfuric acid in the adiabatic preparation of nitrobenzene, EP 2 070 907 A1 describes that low contents of metal ions in the sulfuric acid obtained from the nitration have a positive effect on the concentration of the sulfuric acid. Thus, in the flash evaporation (i.e. evaporation associated with expansion) of the waste acid comprising sulfuric acid, which is obtained after separation of the aqueous phase from the reaction mixture obtained from the nitration of benzene, higher sulfuric acid concentrations are achieved in the resulting concentrated sulfuric acid when the content of metal ions is low. This is probably attributable to the improved evaporability of the water in the flash evaporator when there are low contents of metal ions in the waste acid. It has thus been found that, in flash evaporation under otherwise identical conditions (same temperature of the waste acid, same sulfuric acid content of the waste acid, same pressure in the flash evaporator), the concentration of H2SO4 in the concentrated sulfuric acid obtained is up to 0.25% higher when using a waste acid with low contents of metal ions of less than 900 mg/l.
EP 2 070 907 A1 further describes that lower metal ion concentrations in the sulfuric acid also result in a lowering of the boiling point of the sulfuric acid, which in turn reduces the amount of energy required to concentrate the sulfuric acid.
EP 2 070 907 A1 further points out that the problematic deposits of metal sulfates can be found not only in heat exchangers but also at any points where the concentration of the metal ions that form hardly soluble metal sulfates is sufficiently high and the temperature sufficiently low to cause the formation of solids, and where at the same time the flow rate of the sulfuric acid or the cross-section of the sulfuric acid pipelines is sufficiently small to cause an accumulation of the metal sulfates that interferes with the process. Therefore, not only can metal sulfate deposits be observed in heat exchangers, but metal sulfates can also occur as deposits on the bottom of tanks, at measuring points like level measurings, and on dispersing elements, which conventionally have small flow orifices. Likewise, metal sulfate deposits can also occur inside the flash evaporators, where the sulfuric acid is conventionally cooled while water is evaporated and the concentration of the acid is increased. Moreover, deposits of metal salts can also form in the work-up steps following the reaction, e.g. in the effluent work-up, due to entrained metal sulfates. According to the state of the art cited above, necessary provision is made for a periodic cleaning of the affected parts of the plant in order to reduce the interference caused by these deposits. However, this cleaning entails production shutdowns and hence additional costs. The cleaning of heat exchangers and pipelines that convey sulfuric acid to remove solid precipitated metal sulfates can be dispensed with if, in the nitration of the benzene by a mixed acid comprising sulfuric and nitric acids, the sulfuric acid recovered by the flash evaporation of water is not completely recycled into the reaction zone as recycled acid, but partially removed and replaced by fresh sulfuric acid which is poor in metal ions.
EP 2 070 907 A1 does not go into organic compounds which can concentrate in the circulating sulfuric acid, above all when the production plant is operated at high loads.
It is true that the processes of the prior art described succeed in preparing a nitrobenzene having a low content of by-products, i.e. comprising only from about 100 ppm to 300 ppm of dinitrobenzene and 1500 ppm to 2500 ppm of nitrophenols, wherein picric acid can make up a proportion of 10 mass percent to 50 mass percent of the nitrophenols. The processes are also distinguished by a high space-time yield. However, only processes that are already in progress are described, i.e. processes in which the period from the beginning of the reaction until the target load is achieved (so-called 'start-up period') has already passed. Any particular difficulties during the start-up of an adiabatic nitration process are not mentioned.

Method for producing nitrobenzene by adiabatic nitriding


A catheter has an electrically conductive material coated, deposited, or otherwise formed directly on the outer surface of the catheter. Preferably, an outer electrode is formed by ion-beam assisted deposition using a preselected metal for efficient vaporization onto the designated surface region of the catheter body. Alternatively, the electrically conductive coating may be formed by sputtering the metal onto that region of the catheter, vacuum deposition, spraying, or printing the electrically conductive material onto the entire surface region. Portions of the coating may be removed by directing a laser beam onto the outer surface of the catheter and ablating such portions. The result is an electrically conductive coating of desired thickness used to form a relatively uniform electrode throughout the desired length and surface region of the catheter body to improve the characteristics of electric field and to form an electrode which flexes to substantially the same extent as the catheter body without such a coating. As a result, the electrode does not impede the flexibility of the catheter.

As is well known in the art, catheters are frequently used with electrodes on the surface thereof for selectively stimulating and/or sensing electrical activity in the body and particularly in connection with the heart. For example, a catheter may be inserted into the cardiovascular system of a patient, through the superior vena cava, and into the heart so as to achieve placement of one or more electrodes in desired positions within the heart or adjacent a portion of the heart to evoke a response of the heart muscle to an electrical signal applied to the electrodes. As the utilization of catheters in remote and difficult to reach portions of the body such as the heart has increased, it has become important to be able to precisely control the movement of the catheter.
Control of the movement of catheters is somewhat difficult because of the inherent structure of the same. The body of conventional catheters is normally long and tubular. To provide sufficient control over the movement of the catheter, it is necessary that its structure be somewhat rigid. However, the catheter must not be so rigid as to prevent navigation of the catheter through the body to arrive at the precise location where the medical procedure will be performed. In addition, it is imperative that the catheter not be so rigid as to cause damage to the portions of the body through which it is being passed.
Over the years, specific catheters have also been developed for very particular purposes. For example, temporary atrial defibrillation catheters have been designed which are used specifically for terminating atrial fibrillation of a patient in a hospital or other medical facility, whether spontaneous or induced by medical procedures being performed on the patient for analytical, pre-surgical, or other purpose, such as electrophysiology tests. The catheter is coupled to an electrical waveform generator to deliver electrical shocks to the patient's heart when activated by the attending physician or surgeon after implantation of the catheter. It is desirable that such a catheter be especially amenable to rapid insertion and manueverability into proper position to limit the period during which the heart is in atrial fibrillation.
As another example, mapping and ablation catheters use an electrode array on the catheter which allows for electrically mapping areas of tissue, in the heart or otherwise, and optionally ablating certain tissue areas where pathways that cause cardiac arrhythmias are identified using one or more of the electrodes. Radio frequency electrical current is then transmitted to the tissue via the catheter which is positioned as closely as possible to the arrhythmogenic site. The electric current heats the tissue surrounding the catheter and ablates the specified tissue.
These electrode catheters are usually formed by a continuous, electrically conductive coating or layer deposited or otherwise formed directly on the outer surface of the catheter at the distal end thereof. Preferably, this outer electrode may be formed by ion-beam assisted deposition using a preselected metal for efficient vaporization onto the designated surface region of the catheter body. Alternatively, the electrically conductive coating may be formed by sputtering the metal onto that region of the catheter or by vacuum deposition, spraying, or printing the electrically conductive material on the designated surface region. The result is an electrically conductive coating of desired thickness which provides a relatively uniform electrode throughout the desired length and surface region of the catheter body to improve the characteristics of electric field and an electrode which flexes to substantially the same extent as the catheter body without such a coating. That is, the electrode does not impede the flexibility of the catheter.
The electrically conductive coating is electrically connected to a conductive lead or leads running through a lumen of the catheter by means of a conductive material in one or more openings formed in the catheter wall from the outer surface of a catheter body to the interior surface of the lumen. These openings are then filled with an electrically conductive paste which firmly contacts both the conductive coating and an exposed conductive surface of the lead. The lead is, of course, electrically insulated from other leads associated with other electrodes which may also be employed on the catheter. A single connection and, therefore, a single opening is all that is required for interconnecting the surface electrode and the internal lead.
In order to ensure that at least that the electrode is sufficiently flexible so that the same can be easily bent and again straightened, as desired, without causing any damage to the same, it is formed by a process of ion-beam assisted deposition (IBAD). This technique is described in detail in each of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,468,562; 5,474,797; and 5,492,763, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. The use of this technique for forming an electrode catheter is also described in co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 08/751,436. Alternatively, that co-pending application, also describes applying the electrode by sputtering, vacuum deposition, printing, or spraying. Before commencing the deposition process, areas adjacent to the location in which the flexible electrode is to be formed are masked by chemical or mechanical masking techniques. As is known in the art, the masking is removed after the deposition process is completed.
The preferred metal used in the ion-beam assisted deposition process to form the electrode is silver. However, other biocompatible low resistance metals such as gold or platinum could be utilized. The silver is vaporized and applied in a vacuum in a pure uniform coating of approximately 1 micron or less. However, the electrode could range in thickness from about 0.5 to 10 microns.
The problem with these methods however, is in the masking step, both in placing it on the catheter and removing it from the catheter once the deposition process is completed. Placing the masking on the catheter is time-consuming and may lead to inaccuracies. These catheters can be extremely small and to manually mask them is extremely tedious and may be difficult in some cases. Also, with this method, only 360.degree. sections of the catheter can be easily masked. If a section less than 360.degree. needs to be electrically conductive, trying to mask such an area may not only be difficult, it may lead to inaccuracies. Furthermore, removing the masking may be also be difficult, depending on the size of the catheter. Finally, the masking may not be completely removed, causing the residue to interfere with the functioning of the electrode.

Method for forming an electrophysiology catheter


A discontinuously operated filter centrifuge has its noninverting filter bag attached only to the filter bottom which is displaceable out of the filter drum, so that when the filter bag is displaced out of the filter drum, a clearance is provided between the filter bag and drum to enable inspection of the interior of the drum.

A filter centrifuge of the kind in which a filter bag is inverted to discharge the filter cake is described, for example, in German Patent Document DE-OS 27 09 894. Here the discharge of the filter cake from the drum is effected automatically by axially shifting a bottom provided within the drum and connected by pins with a cover which closes the mouth of the drum and the filtration space during filtration. For discharge of the filter cake, the bottom and the cover are shifted into the solids housing, the filter bag is inverted and, after discharge of the filter cake, the filter bag is withdrawn back into the drum. In this construction the rear end of the filter bag is attached to a shiftable bottom and the filter bag is also attached to the drum shell.
In order to invert the filter bag, the total displacement must be twice the length of the drum. During the inversion of the filter bag the material of the bag is subjected to a high degree of mechanical loading. Because the stroke of the apparatus must be twice the length of the filter bag and the drum and a minimum filter bag length is substantial for effective filtering, the overall length of the machine is considerable and the space required for the machine also high.
It is also not possible to look into the supporting sieve or screen of the drum against which the filter bag must rest during the filtration since the filter bag is connected with the drum end and thus this arrangement does not allow inspection of the drum interior during inversion or discharge of the filter cake.

Discontinuously operating filter centrifuge with noninverting filter bag


Disclosed herein is a camera case which permits underwater video shooting and which is also useful in video shooting on the ground when a hand grip assembly is detached therefrom.. In the event of underwater video shooting, a video camera 14 is placed in a main case body 10, and grips 41 and 42 are attached to the case through a link plate 43. The grip 41 has the function of a remote commander, transmitting infrared control signals from an LED to a signal receiver 35 within a transparent window 38 on the camera case 10 to operate the camera 14 accordingly. At the time of using the camera case as a drip-proof case in video shooting on the ground, the link plate 43 is detached from the camera case 10, and the camera 14 in the case is operated by way of operating buttons 24 to 26 on the camera case.

1. Field of the Art
This invention relates to a camera case, and more particularly to a combination of a camera case, which is adapted to accommodate a video camera in water- or drip-proof state to permit underwater video shooting, and a hand grip which is removably attachable to the camera case to guarantee underwater maneuverability of the camera.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Thanks to the success in downsizing, video cameras are increasingly used in outdoor life. It has also become fashionable to use a video camera in diversified ways, not only for taking pictures of human figures and landscapes but also for video shooting in rough or rainy weather or for underwater video shooting
For example, the so-called "marine pack" of a synthetic resin material has been used as a camera case for underwater shooting. To ensure resistance to water pressure, the camera case of this sort is generally formed in a circular shape in section or in a cylindrical shape as a whole. A problem with such a camera case is that it internally contains a great deal of dead spaces. Therefore, a relatively heavy weight has to be attached to the case in order to cancel the buoyance of the bulky marine pack. In addition, a large and heavy grip is usually attached to the marine pack thereby to control its posture under water.
Thus, the conventional camera case in the form of the so-called marine pack is too large and too heavy to serve as a handy drip-proof camera case in video shooting on the ground.

Combination of water-proof camera case and detachable hand grip assembly


A method for inducing melanogenesis in a human subject having a melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) variant allele associated with loss of or diminished receptor function comprises administering to said subject an amount of an α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) analogue effective to induce melanogenesis by the melanocytes in the skin or other epidermal tissue of the subject.

Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is now the most common form of cancer in white populations and incidence rates for NMSC and malignant melanoma are increasing steadily world wide. While ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is the greatest environmental risk factor for skin cancer, skin pigmentation phenotype appears to be the most important genetic determinant of risk.
The melanocortins include a family of peptide hormones that induce pigmentation by interaction with melanocortin 1 receptors (MC1R) in the epidermis (see Hadley, M E. The melanotropic hormones, In: Brake, D., editor. Endocrinology, 4th Edition, Simon & Schuster; 1982; pp. 153-76). The primary pigmentary hormone that is released from the pars intermedia of the pituitary gland in some non-human animals, and from UV-B exposed keratinocytes in human skin, is α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH). This 13 amino acid peptide binds to MC1R to induce cyclic AMP-mediated signal transduction leading to the synthesis of melanin polymers from DOPA precursors. Two types of melanins can be expressed in humans. The brownish-black pigment eumelanin is believed to convey protection from sun damage, whereas the reddish, sulfur-containing pigment, phaeomelanin is often expressed in light-skinned human populations that report a poor tanning response to sunlight. These poorly-tanning, easily-burning populations, often possess defects in the MC1R gene [28], and are generally thought to be at a greater risk of developing both melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers [5, 21].
α-MSH binds MC1R to stimulate both eumelanogenesis, by upregulating tyrosinase activity, and melanocyte proliferation, through activation of adenylate cyclase [1, 6, 13]. Eumelanin is known to have photoprotective properties as it is resistant to photodegradation and has the ability to quench reactive oxygen radicals [19, 20]. Studies investigating whether variant alleles affect the interaction between α-MSH, MC1R and the downstream processes have found that the MC1R gene is highly polymorphic and variants such as Arg151Cys, Arg160Trp and Asp294His, are associated with fair skin colour and red hair, characterised by a low melanin content and a low eumelanin to phaeomelanin ratio [5, 16, 28]. Several variants, including the above-mentioned, have since been associated with an increased risk of skin cancer independent of pigmentation phenotype [4, 17, 21]. It has also been demonstrated that the variants Arg142His, Arg151Cys, Arg160Trp and Asp294His are loss-of-function alleles, and one effect of having these variant alleles is a decrease in the binding affinity of MC1R to α-MSH [11, 15, 22, 24, 27]. Investigations conducted into human MC1R variants have established that either "loss-of-function" or "diminished function" mutations in the MC1R gene sensitise human melanocytes to the DNA damaging effects of UV radiation, which may increase skin cancer [12, 24, 25].
Although (α-MSH stimulates natural skin protection, the process requires harmful UVR. It has previously been disclosed that a super-potent derivative of α-MSH, Melanotan-1, (Nle4-D-Phe7-α-MSH), can induce tanning in human volunteers [18]. Melanotan (MT-1), contains two amino acid substitutions and exhibits a 10- to 100-fold increased activity in frog and lizard bioassays for pigmentation [25], increases melanogenesis and tyrosinase activity in human melanocytes, and more specifically, induces significant increases in the eumelanin content of melanocytes while having a lesser effect on the levels of phaeomelanin [7, 13, 14]. Several studies have assessed the pharmacokinetic and tanning effects of Melanotan in humans and found a significant increase in eumelanin, but not phaeomelanin, content in skin [7, 18]. Although melanotropins have been postulated to effect immunologic changes, all of the prior trials reported only minimal side effects such as facial flushing and transient GI upset, unless doses greater than those needed for tanning were administered.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,864 (issued Jul. 3, 1984), discloses analogues of α-MSH, including Nle4-D-Phe7-α-MSH. Cyclic analogues of α-MSH are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,039 (issued Nov. 27, 1984). The use of these and other analogues of α-MSH for stimulating the production of melanin by integumental melanocytes is disclosed in Australian Patent No. 597630 (dated Jan. 23, 1987) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,866,038 (issued Sep. 12, 1989), U.S. Pat. No. 4,918,055 (issued Apr. 17, 1990) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,547 (issued Sep. 17, 1991). Australian Patent No. 618733 (dated May 20, 1988), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,839 (issued Oct. 7, 1997), U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,981 (issued Nov. 4, 1997) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,714,576 (issued Feb. 3, 1998) disclose further linear and cyclic α-MSH fragment analogues, and the use of these biologically-active analogues in stimulating melanocytes. The contents of all these published Australian and US patents are incorporated herein by reference.
In work leading to the present invention, it has been demonstrated that notwithstanding the significantly reduced response to α-MSH of human melanocytes having either "loss-of-function" or "diminished function" mutations, Melanotan is effective in inducing melanogenesis in human subjects having MC1R variant alleles. In particular, it has been demonstrated that significant increases in melanin density can be induced in such subjects by use of Melanotan, in some cases leading to melanin density levels similar to the levels in subjects having the wild-type MC1R.
Accordingly, the method of the present invention enables the induction of melanogenesis in human subjects having a "loss-of-function" or "diminished function" mutation(s) in the MC1R gene, leading to increased melanin density levels in these subjects and reduced risk of skin cancer.

Method of inducing melanogenesis in humans with MC1R variant alleles


An abrasion-resistant rubber composition comprises as rubber components (A) 30-95 wt. % of an end-modified butadiene polymer and (B) 70-5 wt. % of a diene rubber other than the end-modified butadiene polymer (A). The end-modified butadiene polymer (A) is obtained by reacting at least one compound to active terminals of a starting butadiene polymer having a trans 1,4 bond content of 70-95 wt. %. The at least one compound is selected from N-substituted aminoketones, N-substituted thioaminoketones, N-substituted amino-aldehydes, N-substituted thioaminoaldehydes and compounds containing in the molecules thereof an atomic group represented by the following formula: ##STR1## in which M stands for an oxygen or sulfur atom.

In rubber materials for large tires ranging from truck and bus tires to aircraft tires, diene rubbers have conventionally been used as principal materials. Among these diene rubbers, it is the common practice to use natural rubber for the improvement of the heat generation and breaking strength of tires, a styrene-butadiene copolymer rubber for the improvement of the abrasion resistance and cut resistance of tires, and a polybutadiene rubber for the improvement of the abrasion resistance of tires. There have been used rubber compositions with one or more of these rubber materials mixed in a suitable amount according to the purpose of improvement.
In particular, natural rubber is used principally in a rubber for tread parts of large tires because of substantially high loads applied to the tires. A polybutadiene rubber having a high cis content is generally blended further.
Abrasion resistance and crack resistance are both important properties for large tires. They are however contradictory to each other. In a mixture of a natural rubber and a polybutadiene rubber having a high cis content, a greater proportion of the polybutadiene rubber leads to an improvement in abrasion resistance but to a deterioration in crack resistance. While a smaller proportion of the polybutadiene results in insufficient abrasion resistance.
Extensive investigations have therefore been conducted to date on the improvement of polybutadiene rubbers, leading to many proposals. Exemplary proposals include a method in which a polybutadiene rubber having a wide molecular weight distribution is used to improve tack and/or green strength (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 45337/1984) and a method in which the molecular weight of a polybutadiene rubber is increased to improve abrasion resistance. These methods however are accompanied by the drawback that the processing characteristics are deteriorated although abrasion resistance is improved.
On the other hand, rubber compositions blended with a polybutadiene rubber having a high trans content are dealt with in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 197749/1985. Primary objects however reside in improvements in processing characteristics and cold flow characteristics but not in improvements in abrasion resistance. As a matter of fact, abrasion resistance is improved very little.


A method of adjusting positions of dots in an original halftone image for improving quality of printed images, the original halftone image including a plurality of pixels containing either dots to be printed or blank spaces. The method includes selecting a pixel in the original halftone image containing a selected dot to be printed, analyzing pixels in the original halftone image neighboring the selected pixel to determine if the neighboring pixels contain dots to be printed, adjusting the position of the selected dot in the selected pixel to increase an average distance between the selected dot and the dots in the neighboring pixels, and creating a modified halftone image in which the position of selected dot has been adjusted.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a halftone images, and more specifically, to a method of adjusting the position of dots in the halftone image for improving image quality.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Halftoning describes the process of displaying an image on a device which is capable of representing only a finite, discrete number of tone levels. The position and arrangement of the discrete picture elements should create the illusion of a continuous-tone image. Using traditional halftoning techniques such as error diffusion or dithering matrix, undesirable visual patterns often appear, caused by the fact that the dots are placed along a distinct, rectangular (or sometimes hexagonal) grid.
Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is an original halftone image 10 according to the prior art. The halftone image 10 is created according to techniques well known in the art, such as through error diffusion or dithering matrix algorithms. The halftone image 10 contains a plurality of pixels, each of which contains either a dot to be printed or a blank space. For instance, in FIG. 1, pixel 12 contains a blank space whereas pixel 14 contains a dot to be printed. Unfortunately, the dots in the halftone image 10 sometimes appear too close together, and form large block patterns in the images printed from the halftone image 10. For example, near the top-left corner of the halftone image 10 is a block 16 of three pixels containing dots to be printed. Because the three pixels in the block 16 are all contiguous, the block 16 looks like one very long pixel instead of three separate pixels. The end result is that the halftone image 10 contains many undesirable block patterns, and the quality of printed images suffers.

Method of adjusting halftone image dot positions for improving print quality


An image sensor includes a pixel layer in which an active pixel array and an optical black pixel array are formed; a first anti-reflective layer which is formed over the active pixel array, and including a hafnium oxide layer with a high transmittance; and a second anti-reflective layer which is formed over the optical black pixel array, and including a hafnium oxide layer with a low transmittance.

1. Technical Field
Various embodiments generally relate to image sensors and, more particularly, to image sensors configured by complementary metal oxide semiconductors (CMOS) and fabricating methods thereof.
2. Related Art
Image sensors sense external images as light, convert sensed light into electric signals, and transmit the electric signals to devices that process digital signals. Generally, there are two kinds of image sensors, charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensors and complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors.
CCD image sensors include photodiodes that are formed on P type impurity layers, CCDs, and signal detection circuits. The photodiodes convert light into charges. The CCDs transmit the charges to the signal detection circuit, and the signal detection circuit converts the charges into voltages and then outputs the voltages.
The CMOS type image sensor includes CMOS transistors in which a PMOS (P-channel metal oxide semiconductor) transistor and an NMOS (N-channel metal oxide semiconductor) are joined, and converts images into electric signals. Since the CMOS technology is capable of being highly integrated and operating with low power consumption, CMOS technology is often used in small-sized electronic appliances, such as mobile phones.
CMOS image sensors include active pixel arrays, which receive light, and optical black pixel arrays, which block light.
The active pixel arrays have pixels that receive light, resulting in the generation and accumulation of photo charges. The optical black pixel array blocks the introduction of unwanted light to minimize interference. As the active pixel array and the optical black pixel array have different functions, they also have different structures.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 2011-114292 discloses an active pixel array and an optical black pixel array that have different structures and are fabricated by different processes. Thus, that image sensor fabrication process is complicated and expensive. The invention disclosed herein seeks to simplify the image sensor fabrication process and improve image sensor product quality.

Image sensor having anti-reflective layer and fabricating method thereof

Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation Yonsei University


A vehicle mounting system is disclosed having a transfer arm coupled between the engine and the vehicle's rear axle for equalizing rear tire traction, control violent vibrations due to tire shake, improve drivability of the vehicle and safe control thereof The arm works by torque rotation of the engine at acceleration creating an upward force of the transfer arm at the area engine mount.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to vehicle mounting systems; and, more particularly, to improved control of the vehicle during rapid acceleration.
2. Background Information
Control of a vehicle during rapid acceleration is desirable since violent vibrations due to tire shake and the like, such as encountered in drag racing, could result in serious accidents. There is thus a need for a vehicle mounting system wherein in cases of rapid acceleration, such as in drag racing, traction on the rear tires of the vehicle is equalized and violent vibrations are controlled improving the safety and drivability of the vehicle.


A stand-up paddle board is formed by a core surrounded by a skin. The core is manufactured by creating an upper core member mold and a lower core member mold, corresponding to the top and bottom of the core. The upper core member and lower core member includes a concave surface filled by a lattice-shaped matrix. The core members and the matrices are molded to be complimentary in shape, such that the surface of each matrix and the surrounding upper and lower core members adjoin each other and are connected by an adhesive to create an air-tight core having air-tight matrix chambers. The completed core is then surrounded by a conventional paddle board skin.

Stand-up paddle boards are known in the art. Presently, paddle boards are constructed by molding individual foam cores by hand, followed by applying a skin to the core, which prevents water intrusion and provides a smooth finish to the paddle board. Molding a board by hand involves shaping the arc of the sides of the board, planning the bottom of the board, and shaping any desired features into the top of the board. This process has several drawbacks. First, foam core paddle boards are prone to break under substantial torsion forces. Second, because they are made on an individual basis, no two are alike. Third, they tend to be expensive because they are made individually. And finally, the use of solid foam cores results in relatively heavy boards, which is also a disadvantage for smaller users with less strength.
Stand-up paddle boards have been developed to address the problem of breakage. For instance, Conner Jr. (U.S. Pat. App. No. 2011/0045720) discloses an aquatic gliding board having a honeycomb material for the core. The honeycomb material is oriented such that the longitudinal axes of the hexagonal cells are generally perpendicular to the deck portion of the skin. Chen (U.S. Pat. App. No. 2011/0023762) discloses a structure for a stand-up paddle board including a hardened layer between two low density layers. Metrot (U.S. Pat. App. No. 2008/0280096) discloses a paddle board having an outer envelope surrounding a foam core, in which the outer envelope defines a hollow inner space having spacers for stability.
While these boards to some extent may provide some additional stability, they fail to solve the problem of creating a strong resilient paddle board which may be quickly and inexpensively manufactured. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a light-weight stand-up paddle board designed with enhanced structural stability, and which may be manufactured in large quantities using standardized parts which are easily put together.

Stand-up paddle board and method of manufacture


A fuse holder is disclosed which includes a frame, spring and a limiter,the frame having a first contact member and a second contact member adapted to receive an end of the fuse between them, the spring being adapted to press the contact member against the fuse end, and the limiter being adapted to define the largest possible depth of the fuse end in the installation direction between the first and second contact members. The spring includes a substantially circular arch-formed ring spring adapted to also serve as the limiter.

The invention relates to fuse holders according to the pre-amble of the independent claim.
A known fuser holder comprises a frame provided with a first and a second contact member, between which one end of the fuse is placed, spring means for pressing the contact members against the end of the fuse for achieving an electrically conductive connection, and limiter means for defining the largest allowed depth of the fuse end in the installation direction between the contact members. In known fuse holders, the limiter means are achieved by frame design or with a separate component.
The problem in the above-described fuse holder is its complex structure.


Provided is a thermoplastic resin composition that reduces uneven distribution of inorganic substance particles and is suitable for producing a formed article having excellent appearance and mechanical properties even when the thermoplastic resin is highly filled with inorganic substance powder and a formed article using this thermoplastic resin composition. Provided are an inorganic substance powder-containing thermoplastic resin composition including a thermoplastic resin and inorganic substance powder in a mass ratio of 50:50 to 10:90, in which the inorganic substance powder is calcium carbonate particles, the calcium carbonate particles include at least two groups of particles having different average particle diameters, and any of the average particle diameters of the particle groups is within a range of 0.7 μm or more and 6.0 μm or less; and a formed article using this inorganic substance powder-containing thermoplastic resin composition.

Conventionally, thermoplastic resins have been widely used as materials for various industrial and household formed articles, food packaging, formed packaging for general products, and the like together with paper materials derived from forest resources. However, environmental protection becomes an international issue now and thus reduction in the consumption amount of the thermoplastic resins and paper materials has been significantly studied in parallel with the viewpoint of allowing the thermoplastic resins and paper materials to be non-toxic, recyclable, and incinerated.
From such a viewpoint, an inorganic substance powder-blended thermoplastic resin composition formed by highly filling inorganic substance powder into a thermoplastic resin has been developed and put into practical use (refer to, for example, Patent Literature 1). In particular, calcium carbonate as the inorganic substance powder is a resource that is abundant in the nature and can preferably respond to requirement from the viewpoint of the environmental protection.
However, when calcium carbonate particles are filled in a thermoplastic resin and the resultant mixture is kneaded with a kneader such as a twin-screw extruder, voids (dead spaces) generated between adjacent calcium carbonate particles cause extreme difficulty in uniform dispersion of the calcium carbonate particles in the thermoplastic resin when, in particular, the calcium carbonate particles are highly filled in a ratio of 60% by mass or more. As a result, the calcium carbonate particles are unevenly distributed in the thermoplastic resin and have large unevenness of the surface state of the formed article and fluctuation of mechanical properties, which has caused a problem in practical use. It is conceivable that the particle diameter of the calcium carbonate particles to be blended is made smaller to reduce the size of the voids generated between the adjacent calcium carbonate particles. However, highly filled calcium carbonate particles having a smaller particle diameter causes the viscosity at the time of kneading the calcium carbonate particles into the thermoplastic resin to be significantly increased and thus the kneading becomes impossible.
Generally, in order to increase the filling rate of the additive in the matrix, it is conceivable that a plurality of types of fillers are used. For example, use of a combination of similar types or deferent types of fillers to various matrices has been developed in, for example, Patent Literatures 2 to 7.
However, none of the techniques disclosed in each of these Patent Literatures takes into consideration of the problem of uneven distribution in the case where the calcium carbonate particles, particularly heavy calcium carbonate particles, are highly filled as inorganic substance powder in the thermoplastic resin. Even when these techniques are applied based on the conditions disclosed in each Patent Literature, the desired improvement such as the uniformity of the surface state of the formed article and the improvement of the mechanical properties cannot be achieved.

Inorganic substance powder-containing thermoplastic resin composition and formed article


Disclosed is a method and apparatus for determining the ratio of the flowing condition density of a pipeline gas (i.e. the density at a flowing temperature and pressure) to the base condition density of the pipeline gas (i.e. the density at a base temperature and pressure). A sample of the pipeline gas is tapped from the pipeline to a first chamber of fixed volume where its temperature is maintained at the temperature of the gas flowing in the pipeline and the pressure of the sample is equivalent to the pressure of the gas in the pipeline. The sample of gas is flowed from the first chamber at a constant mass flow rate and the time rate of change of the pressure in the first chamber is determined. The ratio is derived from the time rate of change of the pressure in the first chamber, and the flowing temperature and pressure. By determining the base condition density separately, the flowing condition density may then be determined.

In one aspect, the present invention relates to a method and instrumentation that measures, in real time, the density of a gas flowing in a pipeline. In this aspect, the invention can also measure a base condition density of the same gas where the base condition density corresponds to a density (i.e. mass/volume) of the gas determined as if the gas were at some defined base temperature and pressure condition. In a broader aspect, the present invention determines a ratio ##EQU1## of the measured flowing condition density compared to the base condition density. This ratio can be referred to as a volume correction ratio and can be used to translate a measured pipeline gas volumetric flowrate to a corresponding base condition volumetric flow rate.
Heretofore, accurate measurement of gas flowrates has often been difficult because accurate determination of gas density is important when measuring gas flowrates and gas supercompressibility effects gas density in ways that are not detectable by volumetric flowmeters. For instance, with differential pressure flowmeters (e.g., an orifice plate meter), the density term appears directly in the volume flow equation ##EQU2## Also, with other flowmeters (such as turbine flowmeters), as well as with differential pressure flowmeters, the translation of volumetric flowrate to base conditions (i.e. volume correction ratio) is directly related to the density of the flowing gas.
Yet, at elevated gas pressure, computing gas density from the ideal gas law is inadequate and can be substantially wrong because the ideal gas law does not properly account for supercompressibility. If gas properties are well known, the difficulty can be partially alleviated because gas supercompressibility can be directly computed and accommodated in the calculations. However, if the gas is a variable mixture of unlike molecules, gas properties necessary to compute supercompressibility are unknown and difficult to measure.
Gas densities, volume correction ratios, and volumetric flowrates at base conditions are normally calculated using flow computers from contemporaneous measurements of several gas parameters. Generally, for determining volumetric flowrates at base conditions, the pipeline gas volumetric flowrate at pipeline conditions is measured, the gas temperature and pressure at pipeline conditions are measured, and the composition of the gas is measured. Gas composition is normally measured by a chromatograph. From this measured data, gas supercompressibility at both pipeline and base conditions is calculated and from that the density of the gas at pipeline and base conditions is calculated. When operating pressure is elevated (and supercompressibility effects cannot be ignored) gas supercompressibility is usually estimated from either virial equations of state or from correlations such as NX-19. Using virial coefficients is severely limited because the virial coefficients are functions of temperature, pressure, and composition, are largely unknown, and have significant real time uncertainties. Also, using correlations such as NX-19 is often inaccurate because the correlations can be inaccurate for many compositions.
An alternate method for determining volumetric flowrates at base conditions involves the Gerg Equations. The Gerg Equations estimate supercompressibility and density from knowledge of the heating value, the density of the gas at base conditions and the percentage of carbon dioxide and nitrogen in the exhaust of burned gas. Such measurements can be made using PMI's GB 3000 product (Precision Measurements, Inc., Tulsa, Okla.). The Gerg Equations allow more rapid computation of supercompressibility than the above described composition methods and are, therefore, preferred in applications at normal natural gas pipeline pressures. However, as with composition methods, extensive use of a flow computer is required to solve the Gerg Equations.
Moreover, each of the measurements recited above in describing both the composition method or the Gerg Equations method introduce the potential for measurement error. The aggregation of such errors can substantially influence accuracy. Because of this, it is common practice to frequently calibrate and maintain each individual measurement device.
In co-pending patent applications, Ser. No. 07/793,753, filed on Nov. 18, 1991, and Ser. No. 07/787,188, filed on Nov. 4, 1991, inventions are disclosed that among other things can determine the volume correction ratio of a pipeline gas from energy type measurements. These inventions involve the measurement of energy flowrate and energy content of a sample of gas tapped from the pipeline. A base condition volumetric flowrate of the sample gas can then be determined by the ratio of the energy flowrate of the sample gas to the energy content of the sample gas. These inventions also measure the ratio of the mass flowrate of the pipeline gas in the pipeline compared to the mass flowrate of the sample gas tapped from the pipeline. The volume correction ratio (or the base condition volumetric flowrate of the pipeline gas) can be calculated easily from the mass flowrate ratio and the base condition volumetric flowrate of the sample gas.
While it is desirable to measure energy flowrate and energy content in many applications, in applications where energy flowrate or energy content are not required (but where base condition volumetric flowrates are desirable), the energy measurement equipment provides excessive expense. Further, the inventions in these two co-pending patent applications are directed to monitoring combustible pipeline gas and are thus inappropriate for monitoring flows of non-combustible gas.


A spinning nozzle for an air-jet spinning machine has a base body with an internal turbulence chamber, an inlet opening for the fiber sliver which enters the turbulence chamber and a fiber guide channel for guiding the fiber sliver entering the inlet opening. A thread-forming element extends at least partially into the turbulence chamber and has an inlet mouth as well as an adjoining take-off channel for the thread in the transport direction. Air nozzles are directed into the turbulence chamber. The spinning nozzle has an extension piece that is releasably fixed to the base body in the region of the inlet opening, wherein the fiber guide channel adjoining the inlet opening is formed at least partially by a channel section of the extension piece.

Air-jet spinning machines with appropriately equipped spinning nozzles or spinning stations are known in the prior art (see for example DE 40 36 119 C2) and are used to produce a thread from an elongated fiber sliver. Here, the outer fibers of the fiber sliver are wound around the inner core fibers with the help of a turbulent air flow produced inside the turbulence chamber by means of the air nozzles in the region of the inlet mouth of the thread-forming element and finally form the entwined fibers that are crucial for the required strength of the thread. This results in a thread with a genuine twist that can ultimately be guided out of the turbulence chamber via the take-off channel and wound onto a spool, for example.
In general, within the meaning of the invention, the term thread is therefore understood to mean a fiber sliver with which at least some of the fibers are wound around an inner core. This therefore includes a thread in the conventional sense that can be processed into a material, for example with the help of a web machine. However, the invention also relates to air-jet spinning machines, with the help of which so-called slubbing or roving can be produced. This type of thread is characterized in that, in spite of a certain strength which is sufficient to transport the thread to a downstream textile machine, is still capable of being distorted. The roving can therefore be distorted with the help of a distortion device, e.g. the stretching unit, of a textile machine that processes the roving, for example a ring spinning machine, before it is finally spun.
However, regardless of the strength of the thread, it is always desirable that the twist that is produced in the region of the thread-forming element does not propagate outwards beyond the inlet opening in the opposite direction to the transport direction of the thread or fiber sliver. In other words, it must therefore be ensured that the fibers of the fiber sliver retain their original alignment before coming into contact with the turbulent air flow and only sustain the appropriate twist inside the turbulence chamber. If the twist were to propagate namely in the opposite direction to the transport direction, then the reverse rotation of the fiber sliver would thereby necessarily lead to a reduction in the required entwined fibers and to a reduced ability of the fiber sliver to deform in the region of a deformation unit located before the turbulence chamber.
While a pin pointing in the direction of the thread-forming element is proposed in the above-mentioned publication in order to prevent the said propagation, it is also known to realize the inlet opening of the turbulence chamber by an opening of the so-called fiber guide element, wherein the opening is positioned with a lateral offset with respect to the inlet mouth of the thread-forming element. This results in a shoulder that the fiber sliver must pass before the thread is actually produced, wherein, as a result of the friction between fiber sliver and fiber guide element, the rotation of the fiber sliver is prevented from being able to propagate in the opposite direction to the transport direction.
As with the known solutions, the guide channel is always formed by the fiber guide element that is securely attached to the base body of the spinning nozzle, the spinning nozzle can usually only be used for a certain type of fiber sliver or fibers with a certain length, as the distance between fiber guide element and a delivery roller pair located before the spinning nozzle must usually be matched to a certain fiber length.

Spinning nozzle and spinning station of an air-jet spinning machine fitted therewith


An adjustable vehicle seat (1) includes a seat part (2) and a backrest (3) which is pivotable relative to the seat part via a backrest adjustment fitting (5) and is lockable in a plurality of angular positions. A locking device (90) locks the seat part to a vehicle structure. An unlocking lever (30) transmits an unlocking movement to the locking device. A first interlock element (54), with the fitting unlocked, prevents a movement of the unlocking lever for unlocking the locking device and with the locking device unlocked, prevents an unlocking of the backrest adjustment fitting. The first interlock element, as a blocking lever, is connected to a transmission rod (60) for rotation therewith, to unlock the fitting. The unlocking lever has or interacts with a blocking element (36, 37) which, when the locking device; is unlocked, prevents a movement of the blocking lever for unlocking the backrest adjustment fitting.

Adjustable vehicle seats which have a seat part and a backrest which is arranged pivotably on the seat part are known by use. In addition, a vehicle seat of this type has two backrest setting fittings, by means of which the backrest can be pivoted about a backrest pivot axis relative to the seat part, and by means of which the backrest can be locked to the seat part in a plurality of angular positions.
Starting from a design position, in which a passenger can be seated and the backrest is approximately vertical, the vehicle seat can be transferred into a table position, in which the backrest rests on the seat part. Here, the rear side of the backrest lies approximately horizontally and the vehicle seat has the function of a table.
Furthermore, it is known that the vehicle seat can be locked to the vehicle structure by means of two locking apparatuses which are attached in the rear region of the seat part. By way of unlocking of the two said locking apparatuses, the rear part of the vehicle seat can be released from the vehicle structure. By way of raising of the rear part of the vehicle seat and pivoting toward the front, the vehicle seat can be transferred into a tumble position, in which additional cargo area is produced.


In order to provide a photographed image process changeover apparatus of a video telephone function which reduces the power consumption by providing only the most optimal functions in accordance with the state of a portable terminal, the comprisal at least includes an image cutout unit 11 for cutting out a predefined zone including a photography target from a photographed image taken by a camera comprised by the portable terminal, a handheld state detection unit 12 for detecting a handheld state, and a changeover unit 13 for changing over between the validity and invalidity of the image cutout unit 11 in accordance with the state of the portable terminal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable terminal equipped with a television (TV) telephone function and in particular to a photographed image process changeover apparatus controlling an image process for a photographed image that has been taken by a camera comprised by a portable terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Portable terminals such as portable telephones have been equipped with a number of functions in recent years. A representative function is a TV telephone (noted as "video telephone" or "video phone" hereinafter) function.
The video phone function (e.g., an optical system such as a camera) equipped in a portable terminal is designed on the premise that a user will hold the portable terminal in her/his hand(s) and use it in a manner such as near their face.
In such a case, a camera equipped with a standard- or wide-angle optical system, such as a system having a 40-degree angle of field or greater, is employed in order to photograph a face close to the camera in an appropriate size. Therefore, if a face, i.e., a photography target (also "photo target" hereinafter), is photographed by a camera placed at a distance, the ratio of the size of the face to the size of the person in the photograph is small in most cases.
Therefore, if the portable terminal is used in a user's hand(s), the face of the person in the image screen will be an appropriate size, while if the portable terminal is placed on a desk or such when talking on the phone, the ratio of the size of the face to the entire body of the person in the photo image screen becomes too small, hence making it difficult to discern facial expression.
Meanwhile, the video phone function of a portable terminal allows image processes such as cancelling the blurring of an image screen due to camera shaking and transmitting, to a correspondent terminal, a cut out and enlarged face part within an image screen, which is recognized by utilizing the techniques of recognizing a person's position or facial position. Performing image processing generally requires a high processing capacity, needing large power consumption.
Reference patent document 1 has disclosed an image display control apparatus used for a video conference terminal for appropriately displaying a person's image by detecting the person securely and creating an easily viewable image display even when the person moves.
Reference patent document 2 has disclosed an image pickup apparatus aiming at a high-quality camera shake correction function while securing a sufficient cutout positional accuracy.
Reference patent document 3 has disclosed a portable information terminal apparatus equipped with the function of preventing video image blurring when camera shaking occurs and that of changing over a display to the photographed video image of a photo target in order to have a user recognize inappropriateness of the photography angle.
Patent document 1: Laid-Open Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H10-051755
Patent document 2: Laid-Open Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H11-266391
Patent document 3: Laid-Open Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-156849

Photographed image process changeover apparatus of a video telephone function