Methods, computer-readable media, systems and apparatuses for receiving data from one or more sensors associated with one or more home devices for a plurality of homes relating to one or more possible perils such as water perils.

Performing services on a home or other structure is an important aspect in maintaining or increasing value in the property. However, homeowners are often unsure of the different types of services (e.g. maintenance or improvements) that should be performed or the value that is added to the home by the different types of services. For example, homeowners are often unaware or negligent in servicing appliances which can lead to inefficiencies, break-downs, and even fire or water damage. Providing homeowners with real-time, convenient access to experts knowledgeable in their specific areas of concern would assist them in better servicing their homes.
Some services may increase the sale price or value of a home such as upgraded kitchens or addition of a deck. Some services do not increase the value of a home but are still necessary to maintain the value of the home such as replacement of a roof or appliances. Some services provide safety features such as home security systems or smoke detectors. Further, a homeowner may not be aware of timing for services. For example, roofs are recommended to be replaced about every 20 years; however, some roofs last longer and some shorter. Appliances generally have a certain lifespan and often have recommended services to ensure the lifespan.
In addition, some homeowners become laissez faire in dealing with their home and do not take an active role in fixing or improving their home, often waiting until the home is sold to perform necessary services or upgrades. By this point, such services may be more expensive and/or upgrades are being done for the benefit of the new owner whereas an existing owner could have enjoyed the upgrade.
Further, there has been no real mechanism of knowing if a homeowner has performed necessary repairs or recommended upgrades. For example, an insurance company may not know if a homeowner actually used an insurance payout to actually repair the problem in their home.
In addition there is no real mechanism to gather useful and relevant data (static, dynamic and behavioral) to generate risk models in order to identify specific risks and then to recommend actions to prevent or mitigate those risks. Further there is no mechanism to score homes based on risks for perils and update the insurance premium based on identified risks and risk scores for the perils.


A functional device includes a light sensor for outputting a signal control signal relative to received light, a temperature sensor for outputting an additional control signal relative to an ambient temperature, a control means for controlling the signal control signal, and an output means for outputting a sensory signal perceivable by a sensory organ based on the signal control signal. The control means controls the signal control signal by using the additional control signal.

In recent years, a display device such as a liquid crystal display used for map display in a car navigation system includes an optical sensor for adjusting brightness of a backlight in the display. The brightness of the backlight is controlled to be dimmer when the vehicle is in a dark place, or to be brighter when the vehicle is in a very well-lighted place. In this manner, glaring or darkness of map display in the liquid crystal display is prevented. Japanese patent document JP-A-H11-316566 discloses a liquid crystal display having above-described control of brightness.
The optical sensor such as a photo diode or the like has an output characteristic that is susceptible to temperature of an environment. That is, the optical sensor receiving the same brightness outputs a different amount of output current when the temperature of the environment is different. As a result, the brightness of the liquid crystal display may be too bright or too dim for a driver of the vehicle when the output current from the optical sensor is changed because of the temperature of the environment.
Similar problems are experienced when the optical sensor is used in other kinds of devices. For example, a cellular phone having brightness detecting function for controlling volume of a ring tone does not work properly when the optical sensor does not distinguish the brightness in a pocket from the brightness in a bag because of the output characteristic under the influence of the temperature. That is, the volume of the ring tone does not change for drawing attention of a user even when the cellular phone is stored in the bag.


Electrophoresis support media which include one or more polymers made from hydroxy alkyl esters of acrylic or methylacrylic acid or poly (alkylene glycol) esters of acrylic or methacrylic acid. These acrylic or methacrylic monomers are polymerized or copolymerized to form electrophoresis support media which can be used in place of polyacrylamide gels, agar gels and agarose gels. The acrylic or methacrylic ester monomers may be cross-linked with various cross-linking agents to provide electrophoresis support media with a wide range of pore sizes and physical strength. The electrophoresis support media is well-suited for use with organic solvents.

The present invention was made with the support of the National Science Foundation Grant No. DIR-8809710. The United States Government may have rights to the invention.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the support mediums used in electrophoresis. More particularly, the present invention is directed to the use of polymers and copolymers which include hydroxyalkyl esters of acrylic or methacrylic acid or poly(alkylene glycol) esters of methacrylic or acrylic acid as at least part of the support media.
2. Description of Related Art
Support media are commonly used in electrophoresis systems to suppress convection caused by gravity, thermal gradients or concentration gradients. The support media which have been used conventionally include powdered and porous solids, fibrous materials and gels. The powdered and porous materials which are used as electrophoresis media includes cellulose, starch, silica, glass, polyurethane foam and glass powder. For the most part, the powdered and porous solid electrophoresis media have been replaced by gels which have a higher resolving power. The powdered and porous solids are generally reserved for large scale preparative separations.
Fibrous materials, such as paper have been used in electrophoresis for many years. Paper electrophoresis support media became popular due to their low cost and ease of handling. However, the use of paper as a support media has largely been replaced with gels due to problems experienced with variations in different batches of paper and impurities in the paper which caused undesirable and unpredictable absorptive properties.
Cellulose acetate membranes have also been used as an electrophoresis support media. Cellulose acetate membranes do not have the undesirable absorptive properties of paper and have a uniform microporous structure and are chemically inert. However, cellulose acetate must be laminated to a flexible plastic support due to the inherent brittleness of dry cellulose acetate.
The most popular electrophoresis support materials are based on molecular-sieve gels. Starch gels were initially used in the early 1950's for the separation of proteins. However, the narrow range of porosities and the fragile nature of starch gels have rendered them obsolete. Agar and agarose gels have been widely used as an electrophoresis support media. Agar and agarose gels are obtained from polysaccharides extracted from red algae. Agar and agarose gels have not been widely used (except for large DNA molecules) as an electrophoresis support media because of limited sieving properties and a high content of anionic residues, such as sulfate and pyruvate.
Polyacrylamide gel (PAG) has been widely adopted as the support media of choice for the separation of both proteins and DNA. Cross-linked polyacrylamide provides good resolution in many applications because it possesses sieving as well as anti-convective properties. The sieving properties of cross-linked polyacrylamide gels are particularly well-suited for molecular weight separations. By varying the percentage of monomer or cross-linker, the nature of the gel can be changed to suit a variety of separations from small (1,000 kD) peptides to large (500,000 kD) proteins.
Despite the numerous advantages and popularity of polyacrylamide gel support media, there are a number of inconveniences, hazards and limitations which accompany the use of this material. For example, the acrylamide monomer and the bis-acrylamide cross-linker represent a serious health hazard. Although the polymer is not toxic, exposure to the monomer and cross-linker during preparation of the gel poses significant health concerns. In addition, residual and derivative chemicals present during post-electrophoresis processing also pose health concerns.
The health problems associated with acrylamide monomer are compounded by the fact that the toxic effects of acrylamide are cumulative. The toxicity problem associated with acrylamide monomers can be carefully controlled in a research setting. However, toxicity concerns may limit the use of polyacrylamide gel in clinical laboratory settings where people being exposed to the toxins may not be well-informed about the risks associated with polyacrylamide monomer and carefully trained with respect to proper handling procedures.
Another problem associated with polyacrylamide gel support media is the difficulty in forming gels of reproducible properties. Acrylamide monomers and the bis-acrylamide cross-linkers are commercially available as extremely pure and uniform compositions. However, separation of the electrophoresis support media involves a high degree of skill and care. Slight changes in preparation technique from batch to batch results in the formation of gels having slightly different properties. Further, the pouring process for preparation of the gel is prone to minor variations which result in the formation of gels which vary in composition at different locations within the gel.
The variability present in polyacrylamide gel support media results in inconsistent protein migration within a particular gel media. Further, protein migration is not reproducible when different batches of gel are used. As a result of these inconsistencies, polyacrylamide gel support media has not been widely used in clinical applications. Instead, cellulose acetate membranes have been used even though they have considerably less resolution power.
Two dimensional electrophoresis (2DE) is a technique which allows the identification of thousands of molecules simultaneously. In 2DE systems, the samples are subjected to electrophoresis based on two independent variables such as charge and mass. For example, in a first dimension, isoelectric focusing (IEF) is used to separate complex mixtures based on charge. In a second dimension, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis is used to separate the samples based on mass. The resulting 2-dimensional image contains the positional coordinates and quantity of each species as well as all interconnecting correlations. Unlike a series of one-dimensional separations, the 2DE gel image provides a data base which is suitable for determining individual differences between samples and for the analysis of molecular networks.
The full potential of two-dimensional electrophoresis has been difficult to obtain because of non-uniformities in the polyacrylamide gel support media. For example, the computer matching of up to thousands of protein spots on a two-dimensional electrophoresis is greatly hindered by artifacts in the polyacrylamide gel support media such as bubbles, insoluble material, polymer concentration gradients and cross-link density variabilities. These variabilities or artifacts in the gel give rise to glitches in protein spot structure and gel-to-gel variations in composition that result in irreproducibility of relative protein or DNA migration velocities.
In view of the above problems with present electrophoresis support media, it would be desirable to provide improved support media which overcome the disadvantages set forth above. For example, it would be desirable to provide electrophoresis support media which are non-toxic and easily handled. Further, the procedures and techniques for forming the support media should be simple and easily mastered so that uniform support media with reproducible characteristics can be prepared routinely. Finally, the properties of the support media must be such that they are suitable for use in high performance electrophoresis systems, such as two-dimensional electrophoresis.
Many times it is desirable to use organic solvents in the electrophoresis process. The present electrophoresis medias, such as polyacrylamide gel are not well-suited for use with organic solvents to separate hydrophobic molecules. Accordingly, there is also a need to provide electrophoresis support media which not only have all of the above mentioned desired characteristics, but are also suitable for use with organic solvents.

Acrylic polymer electrophoresis support media


An electronic device including a thermal reduction device, and a storage device electrically connected to the thermal reduction device. The storage device including a media, a channel configured to perform data operations on the media, a power input interface configured to receive power for consumption by the storage device from an available average amount of power, wherein the received power reduces the available average amount of power, and the available average amount of power is no greater than a maximum average power threshold, a thermal sensor configured to generate thermal data corresponding to a temperature of the storage device, and a thermal control unit configured to activate or deactivate a power savings mode for the storage device based at least on the thermal data, and to activate or deactivate the thermal reduction device based at least on the thermal data. The power savings mode affects an operation of the channel.

In a conventional disk drive, the conventional disk drive may become damaged if the temperature of the conventional disk drive is too high for too long of a period. Thus, the conventional disk drive may monitor the temperature of the conventional disk drive and implement cooling measures to reduce the temperature of the conventional disk drive when the conventional disk drive determines that the temperature of the conventional disk drive is too high. However, such cooling measures generally require a large amount of time to reduce the temperature of the conventional disk drive. In addition, the cooling measures typically reduce a performance of the conventional disk drive. Thus, the conventional disk drive may have a reduced performance for a large amount of time when the cooling measure is implemented to reduce the temperature of the conventional disk drive.
The conventional disk drive may also be cooled by a fan in a conventional computer. However, the fan is controlled by another device aside from the conventional disk drive. The device may turn on the fan when the fan is not needed to cool the conventional disk drive. Furthermore, the device may not turn on the fan fast enough to cool the conventional disk drive. Thus, the conventional disk drive may not be appropriately cooled by the fan. In addition, the fan generally draws additional power, which may increase a power consumption of the conventional computer. The increased power consumption of the conventional computer may be undesirable.

Thermal control of a storage device receiving a limited amount of power


The invention relates to a holding arm system, particularly for holding surgical instruments in the region of an operation, with a holding arm incorporated into arm segments and into hinge joints connecting these. The holding arm at the proximal end is fastened to a rail which is guided in a horizontal position on the operating table. Each arm segment comprises straight-lined tube segments as outer sleeves and, in each arm tube, a shaft which is axially rotatable relative to the arm tube and which, with conical gearwheels on the end faces, engages into the shaft of the repective connecting arm segment. A fastening device is operable from a single arm segment and locks the whole holding arm by way of a braking device which engages at a defined location within the arm tube and by these means prevents the rotating of the shafts, connected with a positive fit, in the arm segments.

The invention relates to a holding arm system, in particular for holding medical instruments in the region of an operation.
Such a holding arm system is known from DE-A-2700661. For a holding arm system which is suitable for holding surgical instruments in the region of an operation, the following requirements are present:
The holding arm system must have a locking, which can be operated from one point. With this locking, all those arm joints necessary for the change in position of the surgical instrument mounted at the distal end of the holding arm system must be easily fixable and releasable again. PA1 Each point in the operating region must be able to be reached with the instrument e.g. an endoscope, which depends on the respective operation technique. Further, the holding arm system must have a sufficient number of arm segments connected to one another in a jointed manner such that the instrument is movable over the operating table over a large as possible spacial angle and over a sufficiently large distance from the fastening point of the holding arm system. PA1 The higher the number of arms connected to one another in a jointed manner, the more important becomes the requirement that the locking is reliable and easily releasable for all arm segments. PA1 an axially mounted shaft in each arm tube shank, said shaft in each case engaging, with engaging means on the end face side within the hinge joints, on the neighbouring shank, and PA1 on one of the arm segments, a single fastening handle which on operation mechanically engages into braking means and brings said braking means in frictional engagement with a braking surface fixed to an arm tube in such a manner that in cooperation with the connected shafts, the whole holding arm system is locked. PA1 Since the joints of the holding arm system are formed as hinge joints, each joint in the locked condition may be locked with a high locking force by way of the shaft guided in the inside of the holding arm tube. PA1 Because the holding arm segments are formed tubular, the inside can be sealed against fluid and vapour and a sterile covering hose may be pulled from the end effector interface via the holding arm system up to the holding block. PA1 Since the fastening device comprises a handle formed on a single arm segment, with a simple hand grip, the whole holding arm system may be locked and released again. PA1 a holding arm sectioned into arm segments and joints connecting these arm segments, PA1 a holding block mounted to the proximal end of the holding arm for fastening the holding arm onto a stationary object, wherein the arm segments comprise, PA1 the joints in each case are formed as hinge joints each provided with a pivoting region, and wherein PA1 a fastening device can be operated from a single arm segment for locking the holding arm and which by way of a braking device locks a given shaft with respect to the assigned arm tube, so that due to the positive fit connection of the shafts the whole holding arm is locked.
The holding device for surgical auxiliary instruments described in the previously mentioned DE-A-2700661, for the locking of these instruments, comprises between an end effector interface and a holding block, a two-armed joint stand having a middle pivot joint. This joint stand with its one side is coupled to the end effector interface via a ball joint and on the other side is coupled via a further ball joint to an extension arm, which, relative to the holding block, can be tightened thereto at any position of height or rotation. The joint stand is formed tubular, and in the inside of this tube there is mounted an axially moving push rod which is pretensioned in the direction of a chuck lever by way of a spring. For its part, the chuck lever, for locking the connecting arm segment, operates conical sliding members which, when they are displaced by the chuck lever, displace the push rod in the direction of the connecting joint, so that a braking member attached here to the push rod effects the locking of this joint. This document also discloses a sterile hood which on application covers the whole holding arm system with the exception of the end effector interface and the applied instrument.
From EP-A-0293760 there is disclosed another holding arm system which is composed of several relatively freely moving arm segements in a first operational mode. The joints which connect these arm segments may be impinged upon by a small resistance force in a second mode of operation, so that a user can set the position of an instrument mounted at the distal end of the instrument to the desired setting whilst overcoming a small holding force, and it then remains at this setting.
In order to impinge the joints with this holding force, pressure tubes or hoses are guided through the arm segments and which undergo a pressure or vacuum by way of a pump. This means that this holding arm system is not securely lockable.
In view of the above state of the art it is the object of the invention to provide a holding arm system which can securely and rigidly hold a preadjusted instrument in its position without the effect of force, so that this locked position may only be deliberately changed by operating personnel.
This locking should be able to be operated from a single point, so that all arm joints of the holding arm system, necessary for the positional change at the distal end, may be easily lockable and releasable. The holding arm system must also be so designed that every point in the operation region can be reached by an instrument mounted on the distal end of the holding arm system.
Furthermore the system must guarantee that a suitable end effector interface formed as a quick change unit fulfils all the hygenic requirements of the respective operational technology. One requirement corresponds essentially to a separation into a sterile and semi-sterile section of the holding arm system.


A method of manufacturing a headliner assembly for use in the interior compartment of an automotive vehicle comprising the steps of: placing a mold release film onto a concave mold surface of a lower mold assembly for providing a barrier against the mold surface; placing a fiber mat on the mold release film; applying a foamable material directly onto the fiber mat; expanding the foamable material around the fiber mat to embed the fiber mat therein; placing an adhesive film onto a convex mold surface of an upper mold assembly; positioning the lower mold assembly directly beneath the upper mold assembly; moving the upper mold assembly in mating engagement with the lower mold assembly to define a mold cavity between the convex mold surface and concave mold surface; curing the foamable material within the mold cavity; and bonding the mold release film and adhesive film to the foamable material with the fiber mat embedded therebetween. A layer of scrim is then adhered to the mold release film and a layer of fabric is adhered to the adhesive film for providing a decorative cover to the headliner assembly.

1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention generally relates to a headliner assembly and a method and apparatus for manufacturing a headliner assembly of an automotive vehicle. More specifically, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for manufacturing a headliner assembly having integrated energy absorbing foam.
2. Description of the Related Art
Automotive vehicle headliner assemblies are used to line the ceiling or underside of the roof within the interior compartment of the vehicle. The headliner assembly typically includes a fabric layer that provides a decorative cover to the ceiling, a soft flexible foam intermediate layer of a relatively thin configuration, a layer of imperforate urethane film laminate disposed on the surface of the soft foam intermediate layer opposite the fabric layer, and a thick, rigid polyurethane foam layer formed on the imperforate film as the innermost layer of the headliner assembly.
It is also known to manufacture headliner assemblies having varying thicknesses of urethane foam for providing enhance strength characteristics and acoustical effects. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,796 discloses a method of making a headliner assembly having an exterior surface of a fabric layer providing a decorative cover and a body of foamed material adhered to the opposite interior surface of the fabric layer having central portions with a greater thickness than peripheral portions thereof. The body of foamed material has a constant density throughout its extent including the central and peripheral portion to provide desired strength, weight and acoustic characteristics to the overall headliner assembly. However, the headliner assembly of this type does not adequately address desired energy absorption characteristics or rigidity for use in mating engagement with the roof of the vehicle.
Therefore, it is desirable to manufacture a headliner assembly having contoured portions of varying foam thickness and density by embedding a fiber mat within a layer of urethane foam forming a rigid and integrated energy absorbing headliner assembly.

Headliner having integrated energy absorbing foam


Refrigeration circuit (2) for circulating a refrigerant in a predetermined flow direction, having in flow direction a heat rejecting heat exchanger (4), an evaporator throttle valve (8), an evaporator (10), a compressor (22), an internal heat exchanger (16) placed with its “cool side” between the evaporator (10) and the compressor (22), an inlet temperature sensor (24) located between the evaporator (10) and the internal heat exchanger (16) and an outlet temperature sensor (26) located between the internal heat exchanger (16) and the compressor (22), and a control (28) for controlling the evaporator throttle valve (8) based on the inlet and outlet temperature sensor measurement, wherein the control is adapted for controlling the evaporator throttle valve (8) based on an inlet temperature setpoint at the inlet temperature sensor (24); and shifting the inlet temperature setpoint based on the outlet temperature sensor measurement (26).

The present invention relates to a refrigeration circuit for circulating a refrigerant in a predetermined flow direction, comprising in flow direction a heat rejecting heat exchanger, an evaporator throttle valve, an evaporator, a compressor, an internal heat exchanger placed with its "cold side" between the evaporator and the compressor, a temperature sensor, and a control for controlling the evaporator throttle valve based on temperature sensor signals as provided by the temperature sensor.
Refrigeration circuits of this type the temperature sensor is located between the evaporator and the internal heat exchanger and they are operated in an operational mode which is called "semi flood". "Semi flood" refers to the condition of the evaporator which instead of completely evaporating the refrigerant in the evaporator provides a mixture of gaseous and liquid refrigerant at its outlet which has a very low superheat. The internal heat exchanger will rise the superheat of this gaseous/liquid refrigerant, thus evaporating the remainder of the liquid refrigerant and securing safe operation of the compressor to which the refrigerant is directed subsequent to the internal heat exchanger. As is well-known, liquid refrigerant at the inlet of the compressor can cause severe damage of the compressor.
For optimum heat exchange in the evaporator the temperature sensor is provided at the outlet of the evaporator. Together with a measured pressure value, for example the suction pressure, the evaporating temperature and the superheat is calculated. Based on the temperature or superheat at the outlet of the evaporator the control controls the evaporator throttle valve and thus the flow of the refrigerant to the evaporator. Depending on the particular cooling requirement by the refrigeration consumer an optimum setpoint for the refrigerant flow through the evaporator can be maintained.
The system is, however, not dependent on the cooling requirement only, but also on other parameters like ambient temperature, etc. For example the condensation temperature rises up to 47° C. in summer time mode while it could be reduced down to 15° C. in winter time in order to optimise the energy consumption of the refrigerant circuit. This will result in a much lower capacity of the internal heat exchanger due to smaller temperature differences in the winter mode. In consequence liquid in the gaseous refrigerant may flow to the compressor because the capacity of the internal heat exchanger is too small. In summer mode, on the other side, the discharge temperature of the compressor could become critical, resulting in decomposition of the refrigerant and/or the lubricant as conventionally present in the refrigerant in some amount.

Control of a refrigeration circuit with an internal heat exchanger


A method and apparatus for capturing data. A first latch latches data from a data source in response to respective rising edge transitions of a first clock signal. A second latch latches data from the data source in response to respective falling edge transitions of the first clock signal. A delay circuit generates a second clock signal that lags the first clock signal by a delay period and, in response to respective transitions of the second clock signal, a multiplexer alternately selects the first latch and the second latch to output data to a storage element. A pulse strobe circuit strobes the output data into the storage element in response to the first clock signal and the second clock signal being in different states.

In traditional interfaces between computer system I/O devices and their supporting I/O controllers, the I/O controller asserts a strobe signal to the I/O device to signal the I/O device to either receive or output data. In addition to its handshaking function, the strobe signal is also used internally by the I/O controller to strobe data that is pending from the I/O device into a storage element within the controller. Conversely, when data is being transferred from the I/O controller to the I/O device, the strobe signal is used to cause logic within the controller to output a new data value to the I/O device.
One disadvantage of the above-described traditional interface between computer system I/O devices and their supporting I/O controllers is that the handshaking is one sided. That is, there is no signal from the I/O device to the I/O controller to indicate when new data is ready. Consequently, when data is being transferred from the I/O device to the I/O controller, the I/O controller must assume that a new data value has been asserted by the I/O device after each strobing edge of the strobe signal and that the new data value becomes valid at the I/O controller input within a specified time after the strobing edge. However, because I/O devices exhibit different strobe signal response times and because the impedance and length of the transmission path (often a cable) between the I/O device and the I/O controller is variable, data from the I/O device is not always valid at the I/O controller input in time to be captured. In those instances, invalid data is captured in the I/O controller.
Another disadvantage of traditional interfaces between computer system I/O devices and their supporting I/O controllers is that the interfaces are typically limited to preset data transfer rates for different I/O devices. For example, some I/O devices may be capable of outputting data at a significantly faster rate than the strobe signal rate. However, because in the traditional interface the I/O device does not signal the I/O controller when valid data is present, the I/O device is forced to await the strobe signal and output data at the slower strobe signal rate.
A related disadvantage of the traditional I/O controller-to-I/O device interface is that it does not support time-varying data transfer rates. For example, some devices have a "burst" data transfer ability, that is, the ability to occasionally output or receive data at a rate faster than the average transfer rate for the device. Using a traditional I/O controller-to-I/O device interface, such I/O devices are forced to await the strobe signal and output data at the strobe signal rate even though they are capable of occasional burst data rates that exceed the strobe signal rate.

Data capture circuit for asynchronous data transfer


A battery contact mechanism energizing a battery in a direction of one electrode of the battery by making pressure contact between a conductive contact member and the other electrode of the battery, includes a torsion coil spring. A rotational force is given to the contact member by the torsion coil spring. The contact member is provided separately from the torsion coil spring.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to battery contact mechanisms, battery receiving structures, electric power units, electronic equipment, and pressure-contacting mechanisms, and more specifically, to a battery contact mechanism using a torsion coil spring, a battery receiving structure having the battery contact mechanism, an electric power unit having the battery receiving structure, electronic equipment having the electric power unit, and a pressure-contacting mechanism using the torsion coil spring.
2. Description of the Related Art
An apparatus such as a camera including a digital camera is often driven by a battery. Such an apparatus wherein the battery is used as the driving source generally has a structure where the battery is detachably received in a battery receiving room provided in an apparatus main body. The battery receiving room has a contact terminal and an elastic contact member. The contact terminal arranged in an electrode direction stably supports the received battery. The elastic contact member energizes the battery in the direction of the contact terminal.
Meanwhile, FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 disclose related art battery receiving structures.
In the battery receiving structure shown in FIG. 1, one end part of a coil spring (circular cone coil spring) 51 is fixed to a wall surface situated at one end side of a battery receiving room 50. A battery 52 is energized in the other side by the other end part of the coil spring 51. In addition, the end part at a side of the battery receiving room 50 of the coil spring 51 is connected to an electric lead 54 by solder 53.
Furthermore, Japan Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2002-373634 discloses a battery receiving structure of electronic equipment whose objects are miniaturizing the size of the electronic equipment by making measurements of battery contact pieces contacting the electrode of the battery small and stably taking a battery power out by making a pushing force with the pressure of the battery contact pieces to the electrode of the battery constant. The battery contact pieces are formed by a torsion coil spring. An end part of the torsion coil spring works as a contact part against the electrode of the battery.
More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, this reference discloses a battery receiving device 61-1 of electronic equipment (a camera) 61 having a battery room 65 for receiving batteries 63A and 63B. Battery contact pieces which come in contact with a positive electrode 63a and a negative electrode 63b of the batteries 63A and 63B which can be received in the battery room 65 are formed by torsion coil springs 60A and 60B. End parts of one of the torsion coil springs 60A and 60B work as electrode contact parts 60a against the electrodes 63a and 63b, respectively. The other end parts of the torsion coil springs 60A and 60B work as output terminal parts 60b for outputting electronic power of the battery. Although not shown in FIG. 2, an electric lead is connected to the output part terminal by solder and electric power is supplied from the batteries 63A and 63B to a power substrate via the electric lead. The torsion coil spring is formed by a torsion spring made of a conductive material. In FIG. 2, numerical reference 64 represents a cover of the camera and numerical reference 62 represents metal stick-shaped members. The stick-shaped members 62 are inserted into hollow parts of the coil springs 60A and 60B. Basic end parts of the stick-shaped members 62 are supported by hole forming parts formed in the cover 64 so that the stick-shaped members 62 can be rotated by an energizing force of the coil springs 60A and 60B.
However, improvements are required in the related arts shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 in order to stably and precisely make contact between the electrode contact part and the battery electrode and stably supply electric power of the battery by reducing the contact resistance.
For example, in the battery receiving structure shown in FIG. 1, since the coil spring 51 works as both an energizing member and a contact member, it is difficult to simultaneously satisfy a strong energizing force and high conductivity. Because of this, an unstable state of the battery may be generated in the battery receiving room and thereby it is difficult to securely prevent an instant disconnection causing electric contact, namely a conductive state, to be broken off in an instant. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, only the coil spring 51 works as the energizing member. Hence, if a sufficient energizing force is attempted to be generated at the coil spring, a metal material having high conductivity cannot be used as the spring material. Furthermore, in this case, the distance from a part where the battery electrode and the battery contact member are in contact to a part where an electric lead of the battery contact member is pulled out or part soldered with a print board becomes long and thereby the value of resistance becomes large. As a result of this, it is not possible to efficiently take the battery electric power out.
In the structure shown in FIG. 2, since the torsion coil works as both the energizing member and the contact member, it is difficult to simultaneously satisfy a strong energizing force and a high conductivity. In order to obtain high conductivity, for example, it is necessary to apply a nickel plating or gold plating to phosphor bronze. However, it is difficult to heighten a spring constant by using such a metal material. In a case of spring steel that is normally used, although it is possible to obtain a high spring constant, it is difficult to secure high conductivity.
In order words, under the structure shown in FIG. 2, although the above-mentioned instant disconnection problem can be solved because strong energizing forces can be obtained by the torsion coil springs 60A and 60B, it is difficult to obtain high conductivities by the springs 60A and 60B. Furthermore, under the structure shown in FIG. 2, it is necessary to arrange members combined by the torsion coil springs 60A and 60B and the stick-shaped member 62, corresponding to each of the batteries 63A and 63B. Hence, the structure is complex and it is difficult to miniaturize the entire battery receiving structure.

Battery contact mechanism, battery receiving structure, electric power unit, electronic equipment, and pressure-contacting mechanism


A mercury reduction system includes an NH4Cl supplying unit that sprays an NH4Cl solution into a flue of the boiler, a reduction denitration apparatus that includes a denitration catalyst for reducing NOx in the flue gas with NH3 and oxidizing Hg in the presence of HCl, and a wet desulfurization apparatus for reducing Hg oxidized in the reduction denitration apparatus with limestone-gypsum slurry. The NH4Cl supplying unit includes an NH4Cl solution feed pipe that supplies the NH4Cl solution into the flue in a liquid state, a blow pipe that is inserted into the flue so as to surround the NH4Cl solution feed pipe and through which air is injected into the flue, and a two-fluid nozzle that is fitted to an end of the NH4Cl solution feed pipe and through which the NH4Cl solution is injected. Through the two-fluid nozzle, the NH4Cl solution is injected and sprayed in fine liquid droplets. NH3 is supplied by an ammonia supplying unit and HCl is supplied by a hydrogen chloride supplying unit wherein both units are located between the NH4Cl agent supplying unit and the reduction denitration apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mercury reduction system and a mercury reduction method of flue gas containing mercury that reduce mercury in flue gas discharged from a boiler and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Coal combustion flue gas and flue gas generated by burning heavy fuel oil may contain dust, sulfur oxide (SOx), and nitrogen oxide (NOx), as well as metallic mercury)(Hg0). In recent years, various proposals have been made on methods and apparatuses for treating the metallic mercury, by combining a denitration apparatus that reduces NOx and a wet desulfurization apparatus that uses an alkali absorbent as an SOx absorbent.
As a method for treating metallic mercury in flue gas, a system in which NOx in a flue is removed by spraying ammonia (NH3) in the upstream process of a high-temperature denitration apparatus, and mercury is oxidized (chlorinated) on a denitration catalyst by spraying a chlorinating agent such as hydrochloric acid (HCl), turned into an aqueous mercury chloride solution, and removed by a wet desulfurization apparatus installed downstream has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1).
FIG. 11 is a schematic of an air pollution control system including a mercury reduction system. As shown in FIG. 11, in this air pollution control system 100 including a mercury reduction system, flue gas 102 including nitrogen oxide and mercury discharged from a boiler 101 is supplied to a reduction denitration apparatus 103, where nitrogen oxide is reduced. The heat of the flue gas 102 is exchanged with air by an air heater 104, and the flue gas 102 is supplied to a dust collector 106, after the heat is collected by a heat collector 105. A desulfurization apparatus 107 reduces sulfur oxide in the flue gas 102, and discharges the flue gas 102 as purified gas 108. The gas is then heated by a reheater 109 and discharged from a stack 110.
An NH3 injection spot 111 is provided upstream of the reduction denitration apparatus 103, and nitrogen oxide is reduced by NH3 supplied from an NH3 tank 112.
A hydrochloric acid measuring unit 113 installed upstream of the desulfurization apparatus 107 in the flue measures the concentration of hydrochloric acid (HCl) used as a mercury chlorinating agent, and a mercury concentration measuring unit 114 installed downstream of the desulfurization apparatus 107 measures the concentration of mercury (Hg). An arithmetic unit 117 calculates an initial concentration of aqueous hydrogen chloride (HCl) solution 116 supplied from a hydrochloric acid solution tank 115, based on the measured concentration values of hydrochloric acid and mercury (Hg). A controlling unit 118 controls the supply of evaporated hydrochloric acid (evaporated HCl) supplied into the flue from the hydrochloric acid solution tank 115 through an HCl injection spot 119.
As a method of spraying HCl from the HCl injection spot 119, a method of reducing mercury combined with a hydrogen chloride (HCl) vaporizer has been proposed (for example, refer to Patent Document 2).
FIG. 12 is a schematic of a mercury chlorinating agent feed apparatus including an HCl vaporizer. As shown in FIG. 12, in a mercury chlorinating agent feed apparatus 120, the aqueous HCl solution 115 at room temperature stored in the hydrochloric acid solution tank 115 is supplied to the side of an HCl vaporizer 122 with a solution feed pump 121, and turned into mixed gas 123 of HCl and water vapor. The mercury chlorinating agent feed apparatus 120 then supplies the mixed gas 123 into a pipe 127 where heated air 126 for dilution supplied from a diluting unit 125 is circulating, through a gas-liquid separator 124, and adjusts to mixed gas 128 of hydrogen chloride/water/air of a predetermined concentration. The temperature of the mixed gas 128 of hydrogen chloride/water/air is normally 70° C. to 80° C. The obtained mixed gas 128 of hydrogen chloride/water/air is dispersed into a flue 139 from the hydrochloric acid injection spot 119, with a disperser 130 having the same configuration as that used for spraying NH3. Accordingly, the mixed gas 128 is uniformly sprayed into the flue gas 102 containing mercury.
As a method of supplying HCl, a method of reducing mercury combined with an apparatus for sublimating ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) solid has been similarly proposed (for example, refer to Patent Document 3).
FIG. 13 is a schematic of an air pollution control apparatus using an NH4Cl solid. As shown in FIG. 13, in an air pollution control apparatus 140, ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) stored in a silo 145 is fed to a crusher 147 by a feeder 146, and added to an economizer bypass unit 144a in powdery form. The economizer bypass unit 144a is placed upstream of a denitration apparatus 141 having an ammonia denitration catalyst, and at an inlet region of an economizer 144 provided in a flue 143 of a boiler facility through which flue gas 142 passes though. NH4Cl is sublimated, due to high ambient temperature of the flue gas 142 of high-temperature (550 to 650° C.) that passes through the economizer bypass unit 144a, and hydrogen chloride (HCl) and ammonia (NH3) are evaporated, and supplied into the flue 143. HCl and NH3 supplied to the flue gas 142 are mixed in the economizer 144.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Publication Laid-open No. H10-230137    Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Publication Laid-open No. 2007-167743    Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Publication Laid-open No. 2008-221087
However, in the air pollution control system 100 including a mercury reduction system shown in FIG. 11, and in the mercury chlorinating agent feed apparatus of the mercury reduction system shown in FIG. 12, HCl is a dangerous substance. Accordingly, there poses a problem that extra effort and costs are required to transport and handle HCl.
As the mercury chlorinating agent feed apparatus of the mercury reduction system shown in FIG. 12, if the HCl vaporizer 122 is used, steam 131 and the like is required as a heat source. Accordingly, there poses a problem that installation cost and maintenance cost of the HCl vaporizer 122 and the like are required.
As the air pollution control apparatus shown in FIG. 13, if NH4Cl is used, the size of particles needs to be fine and well dispersed. Accordingly, there poses a problem that the handling of NH4Cl is difficult, and the spraying amount of NH4Cl is not easy to control.
The present invention is made in view of the foregoing, and has an object to provide a mercury reduction system and a mercury reduction method of flue gas containing mercury with enhanced mercury reduction performance and low operational cost.


Method, device, and non-transitory storage medium to obtain program historical data and social network data associated with users that receive one or more programs via one or more channels; calculate a social similarity value; calculate a channel-interest similarity value; calculate a similarity index value based on the social similarity value and the channel-interest similarity value; calculate a program weight value for each program; calculate a stay-time, for each channel, that indicates a time period each of the users remained on each channel; calculate based on each program weight value, each stay-time, and each similarity index value, a channel weight for each channel; and select based on each channel weight, one or more channels to recommend to at least one of the users.

Program service providers, such as television service providers, deliver programs to users using different types of channels (e.g., Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) channels, Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) channels, etc.). Other program service providers, such as on-line program providers, deliver programs to users via the Internet. Users are provided with a myriad of different types of programs to view, record, purchase (e.g., buy, rent, etc.), or digest for free.
A recommendation engine is used in various venues, such as on a YouTube® site and a Netflix® site, to assist users in selecting programs. However, under this framework, the recommendation engine recommends stand-alone programs. This is in contrast to a program channel-based framework that may include irregularly scheduled programs, has limited or no future program information, or a combination thereof.

Social network-based automated program channel recommender


User designs are assigned to a category for each design goal associated with the user design. Each category represents the difficulty of satisfying a design goal. Optimization phases are tailored to different combinations of categories and are selected according to the categories assigned to the user design. A ranking of the relative difficulty of the design goals is determined from the categories associated with the user design. Parameters of an optimization phase can be modified in accordance with this ranking to focus optimization efforts on specific design goals. The parameters may be weights of a cost function used by the optimization phase to evaluate alternative configurations of the user design. The user design can be re-classified into an additional category if the results of the optimization phase do not satisfy design goals, and additional optimization phases are selected based on this re-classification to further optimize the user design.

The present invention relates to the field of programmable devices, and the systems and methods for programming the same. Programmable devices, such as FPGAs, typically includes thousands of programmable logic cells that use combinations of logic gates and/or look-up tables to perform a logic operation. Programmable devices also include a number of functional blocks having specialized logic devices adapted to a specific logic operations. The logic cells and functional blocks are interconnected with a configurable switching circuit. The configurable switching circuit selectively routes connections between the logic cells and functional blocks. By configuring the combination of logic cells, functional blocks, and the switching circuit, a programmable device can be adapted to perform virtually any type of information processing function.
A typical design cycle for determining the configuration of a programmable device, referred to compilation, starts with an extraction phase, followed by a logic synthesis phase, a fitting phase, and an assembly phase. The extraction phase takes a user design, typically expressed as a netlist in a hardware description language such as Verilog or VHDL, and produces a set of logic gates implementing the user design. In the logic synthesis phase, the set of logic gates is permutated over the hardware architecture of the programmable device in order to match elements of the user design with corresponding portions of the programmable device. The fitting phase assigns the various portions of the user design to specific logic cells and functional blocks and determines the configuration of the configurable switching circuit used to route signals between these logic cells and functional blocks, taking care to satisfy the user timing constraints as much as possible. In the assembly phase, a configuration file defining the programmable device configuration is created. The configuration can then be loaded into a programmable device to implement the user design.
To satisfy the design goals of a user design, one or more additional optimization phases can be used to optimize the user design. Optimization phases can optimize a user design with respect to a number of different design goals, including as overall execution speed, programmable device resource consumption, and power consumption. To yield greater performance of the user design as implemented by the programmable device, it is often desirable to process the user design with two or more optimization phases.
Previously, a number of different optimization techniques were applied to the user design. This approach strives to ensure that complex user designs satisfy as many design goals as possible. However, applying numerous optimization techniques takes a large amount of time to complete. This increases the time need to compile user designs, even relatively simple user designs with more modest design goals.
Additionally, optimization techniques typically optimize user designs to meet two or more design goals. Typically, this requires some tradeoffs between design goals. Previously, these optimization techniques used a predetermined tuning to provide good results for multiple design goals for typical user designs. However, this tuning may waste optimization efforts by focusing large amounts of optimization efforts unnecessarily on design goals that are relatively easy to achieve while neglecting design goals that are much more difficult. As a result, additional time and optimization steps are needed to meet all of the design goals.
Another previous approach tailors optimization phases to user designs by classifying user designs using quantitative metrics associated with one or more design goals, such as timing, fitting, and power consumption. User designs are classified into "easy," "hard," or other categories based on the results of the quantitative metric. User designs can be assigned to different categories for each of its design goals. The system includes optimization phases tuned to each of the different categories or combinations of categories that can be potentially assigned to user designs. Based on the categories assigned to a given user design, the system selects one or more of the set of optimization phases and applies the selected optimization phases to the given user design. The Quartus II Version 4.0 design software produced by the Altera Corporation includes an implementation of this approach.
It is therefore desirable for a system and method to tailor optimization phases to individual user designs. It is also desirable for the system and method to reduce the compilation time of user designs. It is further desirable for the system and method to allocate the optimization efforts for a user design according to the relative difficulty of design goals. It is desirable for the system and method to be adapted to any type of optimization phase applied to the user design at any point in the compilation process.

Automatic adjustment of optimization effort in configuring programmable devices


The flow, use, interaction and separation of lubricant and gas flowing through the suction pressure portion of a low-side refrigeration scroll compressor is managed by the use of a multi-ported frame in conjunction with separate suction gas supply and lubricant return passages cooperatively defined by the compressor shell and the stator of the motor which drives the compressor.

The present invention relates to scroll compressors. More specifically, the present invention relates to the controlled flow of lubricant and suction gas in and through a hermetic low-side refrigerant scroll compressor.
Low-side compressors are compressors in which the motor by which the compressor's compression mechanism is driven is disposed in the suction pressure portion (low-side) of the compressor shell. In the case of a scroll compressor, the motor most often drives one of the two scroll members which comprise the compressor's compression mechanism and which are constrained, by use of a device such as an Oldham coupling, to relative motion such that one scroll member orbits with respect to the other.
Such orbital motion, in the proper direction, causes the cyclical creation of pockets at the radially outward ends of the interleaved involute wraps of the scroll members. During compressor operation, such pockets fill with suction gas, close and are displaced radially inward while decreasing in volume thereby compressing the gas trapped in them. The compression pockets are ultimately displaced into communication with a discharge port, most often located at the center of the scroll set, and the compressed gas is expelled therethrough.
In low-side scroll compressors used in refrigeration applications, relatively oil-free refrigerant gas at suction pressure must be delivered to the vicinity of the suction pockets that are cyclically defined at the radially outward ends of the wraps of the scroll members. At the same time, however, provision must be made for the lubrication of the bearings in which the drive shaft and driven scroll member rotate as well as for the lubrication of other components and surfaces in the suction pressure portion of the compressor shell. As a result, the delivery of lubricant to surfaces requiring lubrication in the low-side of the shell of a refrigeration scroll compressor, its return to the lubricant sump therein and the interaction of such lubricant with the suction gas flowing to the compression mechanism therethrough must be carefully managed and controlled so as to maximize compressor efficiency while providing adequate lubrication where and when needed.
One arrangement by which suction gas and lubricant flow are controlled in a low-side scroll compressor is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,875, assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference. In that arrangement, use is made of a sleeve mounted in the suction pressure portion of the compressor shell and in which the compressor drive motor is mounted so as to control and isolate lubricant and suction gas from each other as they flow through the low-side of the compressor. The use of such a sleeve, while effective, brings with it certain disadvantages and costs both in terms of the compressor's material cost and in terms of the compressor assembly process.

Control of suction gas and lubricant flow in a scroll compressor


There is provided a transparent plastic film roof for a building, comprising two transparent plastic films, which are fixed to edge rafters extending from a ridgepole to a ridge plate and are formed in a bag-like structure for serving as a building roof, wherein warm air is supplied from an air supply port into the bag-like structure to maintain the bag-like structure in a tensioned state, and air in the bag-like structure is discharged from an air discharge port.

Heretofore, as a snow melting device to be used for a greenhouse for helping to cultivate plants, there has been known a snow melting device, wherein a spraying pipe is disposed on an exterior side of the roof of a greenhouse, and groundwater or warm water is supplied and is sprayed out (e.g., JP-A-63-263021). However, this device has a problem in that unless water is discharged from the spraying pipe at, e.g., nights in winter, the water is frozen to damage the spraying pipe since the spraying pipe is exposed outdoor.
There has been also known a snow removing device, wherein snow on a sloping roof is slipped down toward a gutter, and the slipped snow is melted by a snow melting means disposed near to the gutter (e.g., JP-A-9-107806). This device utilizes a system, wherein a pile of snow on the roof is slipped down by heating the interior of a greenhouse by an air conditioner to warm the roof made of a covering material (such as a glass sheet or a rigid synthetic resin plate), melting the pile of snow on the roof and gradually moving down the melted snow toward the gutter along the roof. In this system, a hot water pipe and a warm water pipe having apertures formed therein are disposed in the gutter of this device, hot water is passed through the hot water pipe to destroy a snow bridge, and warm water is spouted from the apertures of the warm water pipe to melt the snow. The roof is formed by a plate, which has a single structure. The heat source for melting a pile of snow on the roof is the warm air in the greenhouse. This system has caused, e.g., problems that nozzles are frozen, that snow is accumulated in a tunnel shape above the gutter since nozzles fail to melt all the snow, that snow is insufficiently melted, that nozzles are clogged by dust and dirt, and that a powerful pump is needed since snow is melted by water, not air.
Additionally, there has been proposed a snow melting device, wherein a gutter is mounted in a valley portion between adjacent roofs of a multi-ridge house, a warm water circulating pipe is disposed in the gutter, and a warm air duct is disposed in the house in the vicinity of the valley portion to blow out warm air toward the valley portion (e.g., JP-A-11-243789). According to this device, snow, which has piled on the roofs covered with a plastic film, is melted by warm air in the greenhouse heated by a warm air blowing heater, and the melted snow is slipped down on the smooth film. Although a portion of the slipped snow stays in the gutter, that portion is drained along the gutter, being melted by the warm water circulating in the warm water pipe. When warm air is supplementarily blown out toward the film, a portion of the snow, which is located above the gutter and has a hollow portion formed therein, can be easily melted, which is effective to completely melt the snow or to melt the snow rapidly. Each of the roofs is formed by a plate, which has a single structure. The heat source for melting a pile of snow on the roof is the warm air in the greenhouse. However, this device has caused, e.g., problems that snow is insufficiently melted since the warm air is locally blown out, a powerful pump is needed to sufficiently melt the snow, and the pipe is frozen.
The abstract of lectures at the joint convention of the Society of Agricultural Meteorology of Japan, National Convention 2000 and the Japanese Society of Environmental Control in Biology, National Convention 2000 refers to, at pages 450 to 451, a house having a pneumatic structure roof and utilizing solar energy. It is described that the pneumatic structure roof is adopted for the purpose of ensuring a structural strength without drastically decreasing the daylight entering the house. However, it is not described that warm air is supplied in the pneumatic structure roof, i.e., the roof formed in a bag-like structure, and the air supplied into the bag-like roof is discharged. In other words, the air in the pneumatic structure roof is not effective in terms of heat insulation and of keeping the house warm since the air is not warm. When snow has piled on the roof, it is impossible to expect to obtain an effect to melt the snow.

Transparent plastic film roof and building using the same

Abstract: There is also provided a multi-ridge building, wherein a liquid passing pipe is disposed in the same direction as long film-clamping assemblies in the vicinity of a valley portion of the multi-ridge roof formed by the two transparent plastic films, and wherein the liquid passing pipe is configured to pass warm water or warm antifreezing fluid therethrough.


An encoder for encoding a video stream or an image is described herein. The encoder receives an input video stream and outputs an encoded video stream that can be decoded at a decoder to recover, at least approximately, an instance of the input video stream. The encoder encodes a video stream by first identifying scene boundaries and encoding frames between scene boundaries using a set of parameters. For at least two different scene sequences, different sets of parameters are used, providing adaptive, scene-based encoding.

While video streaming continues to grow in popularity and usage among everyday users, there are several inherent limitations that need to be overcome. For example, users often want to watch a video over the Internet having only a limited bandwidth for obtaining that video stream. In instances, users might want to obtain the video stream over a mobile telephone connection or a home wireless connection. In some scenarios, users compensate for the lack of adequate bandwidth by spooling content (i.e., download content to local storage for eventual viewing). This method is rife with several disadvantages. First, the user is unable to have a real "run-time" experience—that is, the user is unable to view a program when he decides to watch it. Instead, he has to experience significant delays for the content to be spooled prior to viewing the program. Another disadvantage is in the availability of storage—either the provider or the user has to account for storage resources to ensure that the spooled content can be stored, even if for a short period of time, resulting in unnecessary utilization of expensive storage resources.
A video stream (typically containing an image portion and an audio portion) can require considerable bandwidth, especially at high resolution (e.g., HD videos). Audio typically requires much less bandwidth, but still sometimes needs to be taken into account. One streaming video approach is to heavily compress the video stream enabling rapid video delivery to allow a user to view content in run-time or substantially instantaneously (i.e., without experiencing substantial spooling delays). Typically, lossy compression (i.e., compression that is not entirely reversible) provides more compression than lossless compression, but heavy lossy compression provides an undesirable user experience.
In order to reduce the bandwidth required to transmit digital video signals, it is well known to use efficient digital video encoding where the data rate of a digital video signal may be substantially reduced (for the purpose of video data compression). In order to ensure interoperability, video encoding standards have played a key role in facilitating the adoption of digital video in many professional- and consumer applications. Most influential standards are traditionally developed by either the International Telecommunications Union (ITU-T) or the MPEG (Motion Pictures Experts Group) 15 committee of the ISO/IEC (the International Organization for Standardization/the International Electrotechnical Committee. The ITU-T standards, known as recommendations, are typically aimed at real-time communications (e.g. videoconferencing), while most MPEG standards are optimized for storage (e.g. for Digital Versatile Disc (DVD>> and broadcast (e.g. for Digital Video Broadcast (OVB) standard).
At present, the majority of standardized video encoding algorithms are based on hybrid video encoding. Hybrid video encoding methods typically combine several different lossless and lossy compression schemes in order to achieve desired compression gain. Hybrid video encoding is also the basis for ITV-T standards (H.26x standards such as H.261, H.263) as well as ISO/IEC standards (MPEG-X standards such as MPEG-1, MPEG-2, and MPEG-4). The most recent and advanced video encoding standard is currently the standard denoted as H.264/MPEG-4 advanced video coding (AVC) which is a result of standardization efforts by joint video team (JVT), a joint team of ITV-T and ISO/IEC MPEG groups.
The H.264 standard employs the same principles of block-based motion compensated hybrid transform coding that are known from the established standards such as MPEG-2. The H.264 syntax is, therefore, organized as the usual hierarchy of headers, such as picture-, slice- and macro-block headers, and data, such as motion-vectors, block-transform coefficients, quantizer scale, etc. However, the H.264 standard separates the Video Coding Layer (VCL), which represents the content of the video data, and the Network Adaptation Layer (NAL), which formats data and provides header information.
Furthermore, H.264 allows for a much increased choice of encoding parameters. For example, it allows for a more elaborate partitioning and manipulation of 16×16 macro-blocks whereby e.g. motion compensation process can be performed on segmentations of a macro-block as small as 4×4 in size. Also, the selection process for motion compensated prediction of a sample block may involve a number of stored previously-decoded pictures, instead of only the adjacent pictures. Even with intra coding within a single frame, it is possible to form a prediction of a block using previously-decoded samples from the same frame. Also, the resulting prediction error following motion compensation may be transformed and quantized based on a 4×4 block size, instead of the traditional 8×8 size. Additionally, an in-loop deblocking filter that reduces block artifacts may be used.
The H.264 standard may be considered a superset of the H.262/MPEG-2 video encoding syntax in that it uses the same global structuring of video data while extending the number of possible coding decisions and parameters. A consequence of having a variety of coding decisions is that a good trade-off between the bit rate and picture quality may be achieved. However, although it is commonly acknowledged that while the H.264 standard may significantly reduce typical artifacts of block-based coding, it can also accentuate other artifacts. The fact that H.264 allows for an increased number of possible values for various coding parameters thus results in an increased potential for improving the encoding process, but also results in increased sensitivity to the choice of video encoding parameters.
Similar to other standards, H.264 does not specify a normative procedure for selecting video encoding parameters, but describes through a reference implementation, a number of criteria that may be used to select video encoding parameters such as to achieve a suitable trade-off between coding efficiency, video quality and practicality of implementation. However, the described criteria may not always result in an optimal or suitable selection of coding parameters suitable for all kind of contents and applications. For example, the criteria may not result in selection of video encoding parameters optimal or desirable for the characteristics of the video signal or the criteria may be based on attaining characteristics of the encoded signal which are not appropriate for the current application.
Accordingly, an improved system for video encoding would be advantageous.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.

Encoding of video stream based on scene type


A method for determining signal phase rotation of sub-channels within a contiguous transmission bandwidth comprises the steps of: determining a fundamental set of phase rotations; performing a cyclic shift operation for the fundamental set of phase rotations to generate a cyclic-shifted set of phase rotations; multiplying the cyclic-shifted set of phase rotations by a complex constant to generate a final set of phase rotations; and determining the phase rotation of each sub-channel within the contiguous transmission bandwidth according to the final set of phase rotations.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a very high throughput transmission, and more particularly, to a very high throughput transmission with contiguous and non-contiguous channels.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wireless local area network (WLAN) technology is widely established to provide access to the Internet with mobile devices. Conventionally, a typical WLAN communication system may use a transmission bandwidth of 20 MHz or 40 MHz. To achieve a higher throughput in WLAN communication systems, greater transmission bandwidths are desired. A WLAN communication system with 80 MHz bandwidth has, therefore, become a target. However, as WLAN technology becomes more popular and widely accepted, the spectrum occupied by WLAN communication systems is becoming more crowded. Accordingly, a contiguous 80 MHz bandwidth is not always available. As a result, non-contiguous transmission has been proposed to increase the probability of transmitting data with wider bandwidth. In a WLAN communication system with non-contiguous transmission bandwidth, the sub-channels of the WLAN communication system are not necessarily adjacent.
A phase rotation technique is introduced in the IEEE standard 802.11n that uses a bandwidth of 40 MHz to overcome the peak-to-average-power-ratio (PAPR) problem. However, such phase rotation technique cannot be directly applied to WLAN communication systems using 80 MHz or greater bandwidth, including those with non-contiguous channels. Therefore, there is a need for a signal phase rotation method that can reduce the PAPR for both contiguous and non-contiguous channel configurations.

Method for determining signal phase rotation of sub-channels within a transmission bandwidth


A vehicle lateral control system that integrates both vehicle dynamics and kinematics control. The system includes a driver interpreter that provides desired vehicle dynamics and predicted vehicle path based on driver input. Error signals between the desired vehicle dynamics and measured vehicle dynamics, and between the predicted vehicle path and the measured vehicle target path are sent to dynamics and kinematics control processors for generating a separate dynamics and kinematics command signals, respectively, to minimize the errors. The command signals are integrated by a control integration processor to combine the commands to optimize the performance of stabilizing the vehicle and tracking the path. The integrated command signal can be used to control one or more of front wheel assist steering, rear-wheel assist steering or differential braking.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a system for providing vehicle lateral stability control and, more particularly, to a system for providing vehicle lateral stability control that integrates vehicle dynamics control from sensor measurements and target path projections, and path tracking control that integrates vehicle kinematics control with vehicle dynamics control.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Vehicle dynamics typically refers to the yaw, side-slip and roll of a vehicle and vehicle kinematics typically refers to vehicle path and lane tracking. Vehicle stability control systems are known in the art for providing stability control based on vehicle dynamics. Further, lane keeping and/or lane tracking systems are known that use vehicle kinematics. If the vehicle is traveling along a curve where the road surface has a low coefficient of friction because of ice or snow, vehicle dynamics and kinematics are both important. Conventionally, vehicle dynamics and kinematics control were performed separately and independently although they may be coordinated by a supervisory control, but only to an extent that they do not interfere with each other.
A typical vehicle stability control system relies solely on the driver steering input to generate a control command for steering assist and/or differential braking. However, driver response and style vary greatly, and there is no reliable way to identify the driving skill level and the driving style to determine how the driver is handling a particular driving situation. Contributing factors include driver incapacity, lack of experience, panic situation, etc.
Further, during a path tracking maneuver, the vehicle may encounter stability problems because of sensor data quality, such as noise, slow through-put and possible environmental disturbances. Also, because the road surface condition is unknown, and typically is not considered for path-tracking control, the same control design for a high coefficient of friction surface may generate a significant vehicle oscillation or even instability for a vehicle traveling on a low coefficient of friction surface.


A small mobile space includes a top plate, a bottom plate, and wall modules between the top plate and the bottom plate and is connected in sequence. The top plate, the bottom plate and the wall modules jointly define an accommodating space. A door assembly is arranged on at least one of the wall modules. A joint between every two adjacent wall modules, a joint between each wall module and the top plate, as well as a joint between the bottom plate and each of wall modules are clamped respectively by using a concave-convex structure. An air inlet module is arranged in the top plate and includes an air inlet channel, and a sound absorption component in the air inlet channel. An air inlet of the air inlet channel is communicated to the outside. An air outlet of the air inlet channel is communicated with the accommodating space.

Small space products are widely used in public spaces, especially in noisy indoor spaces such as offices, airports, service halls, and hospital halls. The small space product is equipped with tables and chairs, USB charging interfaces or power sockets, lighting and other infrastructures in combination with people's current behavior habits, and may be configured with access control, video dialogue, touch dimming, etc. In the future market environment, more and more attention will be paid to personalized private spaces, which have been or will be extended to baby-care rooms, lounges, live rooms, karaoke rooms, prayer rooms, dressing rooms and the like.
At present, products on the market are weak in sound insulation, resulting in a mutual interference inside and outside, which is specifically manifested in an inappropriate selection of materials, insufficient sealability at a joint between a surface and another surface or a too short path through which sound passes. An air passage for air intake and air discharge is too short to produce a satisfactory sound insulation effect, which is specifically manifested in that air intake and air discharge at the top happen in the same vertical position, with only one steel baffle being suspended therebetween, such that sound can easily penetrate and the sound insulation effect of a top module is deteriorated. Sound of a fan also is generated, and thus the internal sound is too large in use.
The installation is time-consuming, and accompanied with poor replaceability in a decorative finish of a finished product. It is impossible to increase or decrease other functional configurations on the basis of the finished product. It is specifically manifested in that a mode of disassembling parts after production requires a customer to install on site, and these parts cannot be prefabricated or integrated into as few parts as possible based on respective installation modes. The variety of installation modes requires a lot of tools and professional workers to assist with the installation. The customer needs many installation procedures and takes a long time, thereby causing an increase in the labor cost.
The recycling rate is low, which is specifically manifested in that the used main materials are mostly non-renewable materials. Most of products on the market use wood products as main bodies, but the recycling rate of wood is lower. Faced with wood resource shortage and environmental pressures, as well as huge wood conservation and substitution potential, to develop wood conservation and substitution, and to build ecological harmony, the implementation of Four Major Projects (including the wood processing machinery numerical control project, the wood protection project, the waste wood recycling industrialization project, and the environment-friendly wood-based project) of wood conservation and substitution can be accelerated.
Through market research and prediction for future markets, it is necessary to design a small space which has good sound insulation, and is modularly disassembled and assembled, environment-friendly and highly-efficient.
Therefore, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the art to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.

Halumm Construction Technology Co., Ltd.


A retractor of a three-point rear seatbelt system is affixed to a rear roof rail without excessively protruding out at the bottom of the rear roof rail. Such an arrangement provides sufficient rear vision of the vehicle and strengthens the rigidity of the rear roof rail where the retractor is fixed in order to withstand heavy loads associated with seat belt systems.

Generally, a three-point seatbelt has a retractor at the upper end thereof. The middle and lower end portions of the seatbelt are attached to both sides of a rear-seat passenger.
The retractor of the three-point seatbelt for a rear middle-seat passenger is preferably disposed at a rear roof rail. The rear roof rail installed with the retractor should firmly be formed for withstanding heavy load, and the retractor should appropriately be placed without interrupting the rear vision of the vehicle.

Retractor fixing structure of rear seatbelt system


A mold (1) includes an upper mold half (U) and a lower mold half (L). The mold (1) includes a gate (G), a pole vent pin (P), a support pin (S) and an intermediate vent pin (M). The support pin (S) has a latitude (θs) of 45 degrees to 85 degrees. Each of the upper mold half (U) and the lower mold half (L) has at least three support pins (S). The intermediate vent pin (M) has a latitude (θm) of 45 degrees to 85 degrees. Each of the upper mold half (U) and the lower mold half (L) has at least three intermediate vent pins (M). A difference between the latitude (θm) of the intermediate vent pin (M) and the latitude (θs) of the support pin (S) is equal to or smaller than 15 degrees. A clearance between the intermediate vent pin (M) and a pin hole (13) is 5 μm to 50 μm. By the mold (1), a cover having a thickness of 1.4 mm or less is formed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mold for a golf ball and a method of manufacturing a golf ball. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improvement in a mold to be used for forming the cover of a golf ball.
2. Description of the Related Art
A two pieces golf ball is constituted by a core and a cover covering the surface of the core. In the manufacture of the two pieces golf ball, a mold including an upper mold half and a lower mold half which have hemispherical cavities is used. By uniting the upper mold half and the lower mold half, a spherical cavity is formed. The mold includes a support pin capable of being moved forward and backward with respect to the cavity and a vent pin for causing the cavity and outside air to communicate with each other. The vent pins are provided on the poles of the upper mold half and the lower mold half. By the support pins which are moved forward, the core is held on the center of the cavity. Then, a resin composition is put in an injection molding machine and is thus molten, and is injected toward the cavity through a plurality of gates. The resin composition thus molten is filled in a portion between a cavity surface and the core. The molten resin composition covers the core and coagulates to form a cover shortly.
In a stage in which the core is held by the support pin, air is present between the cavity surface and the core. When the molten resin composition is injected into the cavity, the air in the cavity is discharged to an outside. The discharge is carried out through a clearance of the support pin and the vent pin. There has also been proposed a mold in which a support pin formed by a porous material is used and the air is discharged from the support pin (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-37480).
If the discharge of the air is insufficient, there are caused defects such as the generation of bare, the intrusion of the air into the cover, the scorching of a resin or the generation of a weld mark. In the formation of a thin cover, the molten resin composition is fluidized with difficulty. Consequently, the defects are particularly apt to be caused.
The tip of the support pin which is moved forward is protruded from the cavity surface. The tip hinders the fluidization of the molten resin composition. If the fluidization is insufficient, the defects are apt to be caused.
In some cases in which the support pin is moved backward, the molten resin composition stuck onto the surface of the support pin is brought into the clearance. When the molten resin composition remains, the discharge of the air from the clearance is inhibited. The invasion of the molten resin composition into the clearance highly increases the proportion defective of a golf ball.
In recent years, a golf ball including a cover having a small thickness has been manufactured. In the formation of the cover, a molten resin composition tends to be non-fluidized smoothly due to a small interval between the cavity surface and the core. In the formation of the cover having a small thickness, generally, a polymer having a low viscosity is selected or the temperature of a resin is set to be high in order to enhance the fluidity of the molten resin composition. The molten resin composition having an excellent fluidity is apt to enter the clearance. In the manufacture of the golf ball including the cover having a small thickness, a yield is low.
There is also a golf ball including a cover formed by at least two layers. Also in the formation of each layer of the golf ball, there is a problem in that the air remains.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a mold for a golf ball in which air is easily discharged. It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing a golf ball in which a golf ball of good quality can be obtained and a yield is high.


An LED light source unit for plant cultivation includes: at least one first light emitting diode chip emitting light of 430 nm or less, at least three types of phosphors excited by the at least one first light emitting diode chip, and combined light emitted from the first light emitting diode chip and the at least three types of phosphors produces a basic spectrum of white light having a color temperature of 5000K or more.

Plants use light energy to photosynthesis to synthesize organic matter from carbon dioxide and water. Plants use chemical energy of organic matter obtained through photosynthesis as a nutrient for growth or the like.
Plants contain functional substances that are effective in an intended target. Plants have different levels of functional substances depending on their growth and environment. For example, plants protect themselves by producing antioxidants to defend against damage caused by oxidation stress. When a person ingests plants that contain many of these functional substances, the functional substances have similar effects on a human body. Therefore, to obtain the functional substances efficiently, plants should be harvested when plants contain as many functional substances as possible.
Recently, techniques for cultivating plants using light sources other than sunlight have been researched, and in particular, plant cultivation using an LED has become available. LED light sources are more productive in plant cultivation than natural light as plants can be grown regardless of weather, time, or place.
Therefore, there is a need to provide an LED light source capable of rapidly growing plants to be nutritious and rich in functional substances such as antioxidants.

Light source unit for plant cultivation and plant cultivation assembly having the same


This disclosure presents a clean burning flare stack, or gas flare, especially the tip portion thereof. The gas flare tip is air assisted to ensure clean burning. The disclosed gas flare tip provides smokeless clean burning of released gases. For example, the gas flare tip burns the released gases in a lean burning condition such that sufficient air is supplied to the surges of gases. In addition, the gas flare tip, by using a low pressure blower mixing chamber, is capable of handling low pressure gases and high pressure gases. As such, different flow rates may be provided to the gas flare tip when different amounts of low pressure and high pressure flammable gases are mixed with sufficient blower air to provide a clean burning condition. The disclosed smokeless gas flare is thus environmentally friendly and aesthetically appealing.

Petroleum refineries, petrochemical plants, natural gas processing plants, and other gas or chemical process plants face unexpected gas pressure surges, for example, as caused by local valve failure, raw gas production, or accidents preventing proper delivery/transfer/consumption as designed. To address such accidental gas pressure increases, a flare stack, or gas flare, is used to burn off excess gases. The gas flare can thus protect the connected pressure vessels or pipes from over-pressuring due to unplanned operational upsets. It is very common for pressure relief valves to automatically release gas when plant equipment is over-pressurized. Such released gases and/or liquid will be burned off when they exit the gas flare that includes an on-going pilot flame.
The amount of gases flared may cause environmental concerns, especially so if a large amount of released gases cannot be completely burned into carbon dioxide. For example, if the gases include methane, incomplete burning may release methane directly into the atmosphere, causing greater negative impact to the environment than carbon dioxide alone. Soot or smoke, as well as other solid particles, may also be released if the burning is incomplete. Incomplete burning may also subject the gas flare facilities to legal liabilities due to environmental regulations.


Provided are a method and apparatus for fusion of a panoramic video to solve a problem that a panoramic video image formed by stitching is incomplete. The method includes: acquiring a panoramic video image (21); extracting a moving target from at least two cuboid three-dimensional images (22); performing image fusion processing on the panoramic video image and the moving target to form a panoramic video image incorporated with the moving target (23). Thereby, problems such as overlapping and disappearance of a moving target, in whole or in part, in a panoramic video image generated by adopting a cuboid three-dimensional model are solved, thereby ensuring the completeness of a panoramic video image and improving the quality of the panoramic video image.

With the rapid development of image processing technology, panoramic video is more and more applied in various fields. A panoramic video image of a preset scene is formed by capturing video images of the preset scene from different angles with cameras, and then stitching the captured video images. Panoramic video images allows a viewer to easily browse the preset scene from all angles through one video image.
When stitching a plurality of video images to generate a panoramic video image, the plurality of video images are first converted into a plurality of cuboid three-dimensional images by using a cuboid three-dimensional model. When stitching these cuboid three-dimensional images, a stitching surface of an adjacent cuboid three-dimensional image would be cut off, and thus images on the stitching surface would also be cut off. In this case, in the panoramic video image after fusing, an image of a moving target moving to the stitching surface is cut off, which leads to a disappearance of the moving target when it passes through a stitching position or reaches a vicinity of the stitching position.
Specifically, referring to FIG. 1, a simple schematic diagram is shown in which a moving target is displayed abnormally in the related art. In FIG. 1, a human figure having a certain height is simply shown as a moving target, and the moving target is walking in a preset scene from left to right (the preset scene includes two local spaces where a fisheye camera 1 and a fisheye camera 2 are respectively located). When the moving target moves to point A, the fisheye camera 1 and the fisheye camera 2 respectively collect corresponding video images, and dotted lines indicate boundaries of line of sight for capturing the moving target from the position of respective fisheye cameras. At this time, it may be seen from further analysis that in the line of sight of fisheye camera 1, a projection of the moving target is located on a floor, as indicated by a bold black line in the figure; in the line of sight of fisheye camera 2, the projection of the moving target is located on a stitching wall, as indicated by a bold black line in the figure. When the moving target moves to point B, in the line of sight of fisheye camera 1, a part of the projection of the moving target is located on the floor, and a part thereof is located at the stitching position, as indicated by a bold black line in the figure; in the line of sight of fisheye camera 2, the projection of the moving target is located at the stitching position, as indicated by a bold black line in the figure. It can be seen that when video images of two local spaces are stitched, video images at the stitching position would be cut off, thereby causing disappearance of the moving target at the preset stitching area, so that the generated panoramic video image is incomplete.

Method and device for fusing panoramic video images

Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co., Ltd.