A fluid coupling with a lock-up clutch which is capable of an improved torque transmission is provided. The fluid coupling with a lock-up clutch according to the present invention comprises, a front cover connected to an input shaft, an impeller shell connected to the front cover, a hub connected to an output shaft, a turbine shell connected to the hub at radially inner end, a driven plate assembly disposed near the outer surface of the turbine shell, a drive disc assembly disposed between the front cover and the driven plate assembly. The driven plate assembly has a driven plate which is rotatable in company with the hub, an annular friction surface disposed on the surface of front cover side of the driven plate. The drive disc assembly has a spring locator connected to the front cover, damper springs located in the spring locator, a front drive disc disposed on the front cover side of the spring locator, and a rear drive disc disposed on the driven plate assembly side of the spring locator. On the rear drive disc, a friction surface is disposed toward and selectively engageable with the annular friction surface disposed on the driven plate. The front drive disc and the rear drive disc are connected to each other at least at two different radial position and support the damper springs by co-operating with each other. Preferably, the driven plate are connected to the turbine shell at radially inner end portion and radially outer end portion so that the driven plate covers the whole outer surface of the turbine shell.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fluid coupling with a lock-up clutch and especially relates to a fluid coupling with a lock-up clutch used in an automobile as a torque converter.
2. Description of the Related Art
A fluid coupling with a lock-up clutch is commonly used in an automobile as a torque converter.
In a known fluid coupling with a lock-up clutch, a drive disc assembly, which is connected to a front cover through damping mechanism, is disposed close to the front cover and a driven plate assembly which is connected to a hub at an inner end is disposed between the drive disc assembly and a turbine shell. The front cover of the fluid coupling is fixed to an input shaft and the hub is fixed to an output shaft (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication "kOKAI" 5-187518). In this type of fluid coupling with a lock-up clutch, a front drive disc and a rear drive disc, which are the components of the drive disc assembly, are connected to each other only at their midpoints. Therefore, the drive disc assembly does not have high rigidity and is easy to deform.
As a result, the drive disc assembly and the driven plate assembly are not engaged to each other at constant position, and the torque transmitting capacity in a lock-up condition is low. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the thickness of the drive discs to obtain higher rigidity. This causes an increase in the axial length of the automatic transmission, which results in poor mountability of the automatic transmission in a body of automobile, and increase in weight which results in poor fuel consumption.
In other fluid couplings with a lock-up clutches, the driven plate is disposed directly on the outer surface of turbine shell and in a radially outer area (U.S Pat. No. 5,195,621). In this type of fluid coupling with a lock-up clutch, turbine blades are fixed to the inner surface of a turbine shell throughout the whole radial length of the turbine shell by inserting one end of the turbine blade into slits which are formed on the turbine shell and then brazing the blades. Therefore, if the brazing is broken by repeated deformation of the turbine shell, the oil filled on the inner side of the turbine shell will leak to the space between the outer surface of the turbine shell and the drive disc assembly. As a result, it would be difficult to obtain desirably low oil pressure in the space between the outer surface of the turbine shell and the drive disc assembly, so that the torque transmitting capacity of the fluid coupling at a lock-up will be low.


This application relates to a system for fitting a hearing aid by testing the hearing aid patient with a three-dimensional sound field having one or more localized sound sources. In one embodiment, a signal processing system employing head-related transfer functions is used to produce audio signals that simulate a three-dimensional sound field when a sound source driven by such audio signals is coupled directly to one or both ears. By transmitting the audio signals produced by the signal processing system to the hearing aid by means of a wired or wireless connection, the hearing aid itself may be used as the sound source.

Hearing aids are electronic instruments worn in or around the ear that compensate for hearing losses by amplifying and processing sound. The electronic circuitry of the device is contained within a housing that is commonly either placed in the external ear canal or behind the ear. Transducers for converting sound to an electrical signal and vice-versa may be integrated into the housing or external to it.
Whether due to a conduction deficit or sensorineural damage, hearing loss in most patients occurs non-uniformly over the audio frequency range, most commonly at high frequencies. Hearing aids may be designed to compensate for such hearing deficits by amplifying received sound in a frequency-specific manner, thus acting as a kind of acoustic equalizer that compensates for the abnormal frequency response of the impaired ear. Adjusting a hearing aid's frequency specific amplification characteristics to achieve a desired level of compensation for an individual patient is referred to as fitting the hearing aid. One common way of fitting a hearing aid is to measure hearing loss, apply a fitting algorithm, and fine-tune the hearing aid parameters.
Hearing loss is measured by testing the patient with a series of audio tones at different frequencies. The level of each tone is adjusted to a threshold level at which it is barely perceived by the patient, and the audiogram or hearing deficit at each tested frequency is quantified as the elevation of the patient's threshold above the level defined as normal by ANSI standards. For example, if the normal hearing threshold for a particular frequency is 4 dB SPL, and the patient's hearing threshold is 47 dB SPL, the patient is said to have 43 dB of hearing loss at that frequency.
Compensation is then initially provided through a fitting algorithm. This is a formula which takes the patient's audiogram data as input to the formula and calculates gain and compression ratio at each frequency. A commonly used fitting algorithm is the NAL_NL1 fitting formula derived by the National Acoustic Laboratories in Australia and the DSL-i/o fitting formula derived at the University of Western Ontario. The audiogram provides only a simple characterization of the impairment to someone's ear and does not differentiate between different physiological mechanisms of loss such as inner hair cell damage, as opposed to, outer hair cell damage. Patients with the same audiogram often show considerable individual differences, with differences in their speech understanding ability, loudness perception, and hearing aid preference. Because of this, the initial fit based on the audiogram is not usually the best or final fit of the hearing aid parameters to the patient. In order to address individual differences, fine-tuning of the hearing aid parameters is conducted by the audiologists.
Typically, the patient will wear a hearing aid for one-to-three weeks and return to the audiologist's office, whereupon the audiologist will make modifications to the hearing aid parameters based on the experience that the patient had with real-world sound in different environments, such as in a restaurant, in their kitchen or on a bus. For example, a patient may say that they like to listen to the radio while washing dishes, but with the hearing aid loud enough to hear the radio, the sound of the silverware hitting the dishes is sharp and unpleasant. The audiologist might make adjustments to the hearing aid by reducing the gain and adjusting the compression ratio in the high frequency region to preserve the listening experience of the radio while making the silverware sound more pleasant. Whether these adjustments solve the problem for the patient, however, will only be determined later when the patient experiences those problem sounds in those problem environments again. The patient may have to return to the audiologist's office several times for adjustments to their hearing aid until all sounds are set appropriately for their impairment and preference.
This process could be improved if the audiologist were able to create a real-world experience so that the patient could instantly tell the audiologist if the adjustments that are made are successful or not. In the above example, if the audiologist could present the real-world sounds of a radio and a fork on a plate while washing dishes to the patient, the audiologist could make as many adjustments as necessary to optimize the hearing aid setting for that sound during a single office visit, rather than having to make an adjustment, have the patient go back home and experience the new setting, then come back to the office if the experience wasn't optimal.
To address this problem, some hearing aid manufacturers have provided realistic sounds in their fitting software that use a 5.1 surround speaker setup. The surround sound is important because the spatial location can affect the sound quality and speech intelligibility of what they hear. Without it, the fine-tuning adjustments made in the audiologist's office may not be optimal for the real world in which the patient experiences problems. Also, natural reverberation, a problem sound for hearing aid wearers, is better reproduced with surround speakers than with a typical stereo front-placement speaker setup. Unfortunately, most audiologists' offices do not have 5.1 surround speaker setups, either due to cost, space, lack of supportive driving hardware, unfamiliarity with setup and calibration, or multiples of the above.
Spatial hearing is an important ability in normal hearing individuals, with echo suppression, localization, and spatial release from masking being some of the benefits provided. Audiologists would like to be able to demonstrate that hearing aids provide these benefits to their patients, and this can be done with a surround speaker setup but not the typical two-speaker stereo setup that exists in most clinics. Any hearing aid algorithms that were developed for these spatial percepts will be difficult to demonstrate in the audiologist's office.

Simulated surround sound hearing aid fitting system


A nanoemulsion having reversible continuous and dispersed phases. The nanoemulsion includes an aqueous phase and an oil phase, a weight ratio of the aqueous phase to the oil phase being 1:40-100:1. In the nanoemulsion, the aqueous phase is dispersed as nanosized droplets in the oil phase or the oil phase is dispersed as nanosized droplets in the aqueous phase. The aqueous phase contains water or a water solution and a water-soluble organic nanostructure stabilizer. The oil phase contains an oil or an oil solution, an organic gel thickener, and a hydrophilic surfactant having a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance value greater than 8.0. Also disclosed is a method for preparing the above-described nanoemulsion.

There are two types of nanoemulsions, i.e., an oil-in-water (o/w) nanoemulsion and a water-in-oil (w/o) nanoemulsion. An o/w nanoemulsion has a continuous water phase and a dispersed oil phase while a w/o nanoemulsion has a continuous oil phase and a dispersed water phase.
These two types of nanoemulsions are stabilized by emulsifiers that have different hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) values. An o/w nanoemulsion is stabilized by an emulsifier having a HLB value of 8-28 and a w/o emulsion is stabilized by an emulsifier having a HLB value of 3-6. As a result, they cannot be easily inter-converted.
The lack of facile convertibility can be problematic. An o/w nanoemulsion collapses when its water content decreases. Similarly, a w/o nanoemulsion collapses when its oil content decreases.
Thus, there is a need to develop a nanoemulsion that its continuous phase and dispersed phase can be readily converted from one to the other with the same emulsifier contained in it.

Nanoemulsions having reversible continuous and dispersed phases


On an information recording medium such as a DVD, record information comprising information units, each including partial audio information obtained by dividing compressed audio information obtained by applying a variable length compression onto raw audio information, is recorded. The information unit includes header information and lead data which is the compressed audio information positioned at a lead of one or a plurality of the partial audio information. The header information includes: reproduction time control information such as a PTS indicative of a time of reproducing the partial audio information, to which first lead data among the lead data included in the information unit together with the header information belongs; forward position information such as a forward search pointer indicative of a position on the information recording medium, at which the compressed audio information to be reproduced a first predetermined time duration after a reproduction time indicated by the reproduction time control information on a reproduction time axis of the compressed audio information is recorded; and backward position information such as a backward search pointer indicative of a position on the information recording medium, at which the compressed audio information to be reproduced a second predetermined time duration before the reproduction time on the reproduction time axis is recorded.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information recording medium, such as an optical disc or the like, an information recording apparatus for recording record information onto the information recording medium, and an information reproducing apparatus for reproducing the record information recorded on the information recording medium. More particularly, it relates to an information recording medium on which reproduction control information to control a reproduction of the recorded record information is recorded together with the record information, an information recording apparatus for recording the reproduction control information together with the record information onto the information recording medium, and an information reproducing apparatus for reproducing the record information recorded on the information recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a technique-has been developed, which increases a recording capacity on an information recording medium such as an optical disc or the like and records one entire movie on one sheet of optical disc for example. As a result, a so-called DVD having a recording capacity equal to about seven times as that of a-conventional CD (Compact Disc) is put into a practical use.
Then, as this DVD, in addition to a so-called DVD video to record the above-mentioned movie, a so-called DVD audio to record only voice information and tone information other than voice information such as accompaniment information and the like is also put into a practical use (hereafter, the voice information and the tone information are collectively referred to as xe2x80x9caudio informationxe2x80x9d).
Here, in a case of the DVD audio, audio information to be recorded on the DVD audio (which is a disc recorded by a DVD audio format) may be non-compressed audio information such as a so-called PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) and the like, for example. This case has a problem that, if a quantization bit number and a sampling frequency are increased, the audio information may become vast so that a music composition of a long time cannot be recorded on one sheet of DVD audio.
So, a method of recording the audio information onto the DVD audio after compressing non-compressed raw or original audio information may be tried.
As a method of compressing the raw audio information, there are one method of setting the compressed audio information, which is generated as a result of the compression, to be a fixing rate, and another method of setting the compressed audio information to be a variable rate. It is thought that the latter so-called variable length compression method can further improve the recording density in consideration that a characteristic of the raw audio information to be compressed (actually, for example, an information amount within a unit time) is changed from time to time in one raw audio information.
However, for example, if performing a fast forward reproduction or a fast backward reproduction on the DVD audio on which the compressed audio information, which is variable-length-compressed, is recorded as a variation in the reproduction control (which is actually an intermittently fast forward reproduction or fast backward reproduction for repeating the operation of performing a forward jump or a backward jump onto the compressed audio information to be reproduced several sec. (seconds) before or after the compressed audio information which is currently being reproduced, and then reproducing the compressed audio information several sec. before or after for a short time duration (for example, 0.2 sec.), and hereafter, both of the intermittently fast forward reproduction and the intermittently fast backward reproduction are collectively referred to as an xe2x80x9cintermittent reproductionxe2x80x9d), it is difficult to perform the conventional operation of searching the information several sec. before or after since the recorded compressed audio information itself is compressed in the variable length.
That is, if the compression method is carried out at the fixed rate, it is possible to multiply an information amount per the unit time by a time duration to be jumped, to thereby search a position to be jumped. However, if the compression method is carried out at the variable rate, since the information amount per the unit time is variable, a search for the position to be jumped becomes extremely complex. This results in a problem that the fast forward reproduction or the fast backward reproduction or the like cannot be practically carried out, which reduces the variation at the time of reproducing the compressed audio information and extremely drops the flexibility or versatility in the reproduction.
The present invention is proposed in diagram of the above mentioned problems. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an information recording medium which can variable-length-compress the raw audio information so as to record a music composition of a long time and also increase a variation in the reproduction manner of the compressed audio information to thereby improve the flexibility in the reproduction, an information recording apparatus for recording the compressed audio information onto the information recording medium, and an information reproducing apparatus for reproducing the compressed audio information recorded on the information recording medium.
The above object of the present invention can be achieved by an information recording medium such as a DVD or the like on which record information comprising information units, each including partial audio information obtained by dividing compressed audio information obtained by applying a variable length compression onto raw audio information, is recorded, wherein (i) the information unit includes header information and lead data which is the compressed audio information positioned at a lead of one or a plurality of the partial audio information, and (ii) the header information includes: reproduction time control information such as a PTS (Presentation Time Stamp) or the like indicative of a time of reproducing the partial audio information, to which first lead data among the lead data included in the information unit together with the header information belongs; forward position information such as a forward search pointer or the like indicative of a position on the information recording medium, at which the compressed audio information to be reproduced a first predetermined time duration after a reproduction time indicated by the reproduction time control information on a reproduction time axis of the compressed audio information is recorded; and backward position information such as a backward search pointer or the like indicative of a position on the information recording medium, at which the compressed audio information to be reproduced a second predetermined time duration before the reproduction time on the reproduction time axis is recorded.
According to the information recording medium of the present invention, even if the information amounts of the compressed audio information included in the respective information units are different from each other due to the variable-length-compression, it is possible to speedily search the compressed audio information at a desirable position by controlling the reproduction by use of the forward position information or the backward position information at the time of reproduction.
Therefore, even in case of variable-length-compressing the raw audio information, recording it and reproducing it in order to increase the information amount recordable on the information recording medium, it is possible to perform a fast forward reproduction or a fast backward reproduction for example, or perform a reproduction of the compressed audio information with designating in advance the compressed audio information to be reproduced, by speedily searching the partial audio information corresponding to the forward position information or the partial audio information corresponding to the backward position information. Hence, it is possible to improve the flexibility in reproducing the compressed audio information.
By these, it is possible to improve the recording capacity of the raw audio information by variable-length-compressing the raw audio information and recording it while keeping the improved flexibility at the time of reproduction as a result.
In one aspect of the information recording medium of the present invention, the forward position information is relative position information indicative of a position on the information recording medium of the information unit, in which the lead data to be reproduced the first predetermined time duration after is recorded, with respect to a position on the information recording medium of the information unit, in which the forward position information is recorded, and the backward position information is relative position information indicative of a position on the information recording medium of the information unit, in which the lead data to be reproduced the second predetermined time duration before is recorded, with respect to a position on the information recording medium of the information unit, in which the backward position information is recorded.
According to this aspect, since the forward position information and the backward position information are recorded respectively as the relative position information, it is possible to respectively express the forward position information and the backward position information with an almost minimum information amount.
Therefore, it is possible to increase the recording capacity of the compressed audio information to be primarily recorded, and a music composition search or the like can be speedily performed.
In another aspect of the information recording medium of the present invention, each of the first predetermined time duration and the second predetermined time duration is 1 sec. (second).
According to this aspect, it is possible to perform various reproduction controls such as a fast forward reproduction etc., by searching the compressed audio information efficiently without deteriorating the natural auditory sense at the time of reproduction-controlling the compressed audio information.
In another aspect of the information recording medium of the present invention, the record information has a physically hierarchical structure with the information unit as a bottom layer.
According to this aspect, it is possible to search the partial audio information corresponding to the forward position information and the partial audio information corresponding to the backward position information even more efficiently.
In this aspect, management information, which is reproduction control information with regard to whole of the compressed audio information, may be recorded at a lead of the record information corresponding to a top layer of the hierarchical structure.
By constructing in this manner, it is possible to speedily search the compressed audio information by effectively using the management information as well as the forward position information and the backward position information.
Further in this case, the compressed audio information may include one or a plurality of music composition information, and the management information may include: music composition address information to search the compressed audio information with the music composition information as a unit; and music composition reproduction time duration.information indicative of a reproduction time duration in case of reproducing the compressed audio information with the music composition information as a unit.
By constructing in this manner, by using the management information as well as the forward position information and the backward position information, it is possible to perform the search for each of the music compositions, and perform the partial search, the partial fast forward reproduction or the partial fast backward reproduction within one music composition.
The above object of the present invention can be also achieved by an information recording apparatus for recording record information onto an information recording medium such as a DVD audio or the like, the record information comprising information units, each being obtained by dividing compressed audio information obtained by applying a variable length compression onto raw audio information and each including the compressed audio information and header information. The information recording apparatus is provided with: a reproduction control information generation device such as a signal process unit or the like for generating reproduction control information used for reproducing the compressed audio information included in the information unit together with the header information; a forward position information generation device such a signal process unit or the like for generating forward position information indicative of a position on the information recording medium, at which the compressed audio information to be reproduced a first predetermined time duration after on a reproduction time axis of the compressed audio information is recorded; a backward position information generation device such as a signal process unit or the like for generating backward position information indicative of a position on the information recording medium, at which the compressed audio information to be reproduced a second predetermined time duration before on the reproduction time axis; and a recording device such as a mastering device or the like for recording the generated reproduction control information, the generated forward position information and the generated backward position information as the header information onto the information recording medium.
According to the information recording apparatus of the present invention, since the forward position information and the backward position information are respectively recorded in the header information recorded within the information unit together with the compressed audio information, even if the information amounts of the compressed audio information included in the respective information units are different from each other due to the variable-length-compression, it is possible to speedily search the compressed audio information at a desirable position by controlling the reproduction by use of the forward position information or the backward position information at the time of reproduction.
Therefore, even in case of variable-length-compressing the raw audio information, recording it and reproducing it in order to increase the information amount recordable on the information recording medium, it is possible to perform a fast forward reproduction or a fast backward reproduction for example, or perform a reproduction of the compressed audio information with designating in advance the compressed audio information to be reproduced, by speedily searching the partial audio information corresponding to the forward position information or the partial audio information corresponding to the backward position information. Hence, it is possible to improve the flexibility in reproducing the compressed audio information.
By these, it is possible to improve the recording capacity of the raw audio information by variable-length-compressing the raw audio information and recording it while keeping the improved flexibility at the time of reproduction as a result.
In one aspect of the information recording apparatus of the present invention, each of the first predetermined time duration and the second predetermined time duration is 1 sec. (second).
According to this aspect, it is possible to perform various reproduction controls such as a fast forward reproduction etc., by searching the compressed audio information efficiently without deteriorating the natural auditory sense at the time of reproduction-controlling the compressed audio information.
The above object of the present invention can be also achieved by a first information reproducing apparatus for reproducing compressed audio information from the above described information recording medium of the present invention. The first information reproducing apparatus is provided with: a detecting device such as an optical pickup or the like for detecting one forward position information; a reproducing device such as an audio decoder or the like for reproducing at least one portion of the compressed audio information, which is recorded on the information recording medium at a position indicated by the detected one forward position information; a controlling device such as a system controller or the like for controlling, the detecting device and the reproducing device to repeat (i) detecting another forward position information recorded within the information unit, in which the reproduced compressed audio information is included, as new forward position information and (ii) reproducing at least one portion of the compressed audio information recorded on the information recording medium at a position indicated by the new forward position information.
According to the first information reproducing apparatus of the present invention, since the operations of detecting the forward position information, reproducing at least one portion of the compressed audio information recorded on the information recording medium at the position indicated by the detected forward position information and further detecting the forward position information recorded together with the reproduced compressed audio information, it is possible to speedily perform the fast forward reproduction of the compressed audio information which is variable-length-compressed.
Therefore, even in case of variable-length-compressing the raw audio information, recording it and reproducing it in order to increase the information amount recordable on the information recording medium, it is possible to perform a fast forward reproduction by speedily searching the partial audio information corresponding to the forward position information. Hence, it is possible to improve the flexibility in reproducing the compressed audio information.
By these, it is possible to improve the recording capacity of the raw audio information by variable-length-compressing the raw audio information and recording it while keeping the improved flexibility at the time of reproduction as a result.
The above object of the present invention can be also achieved by a second information reproducing apparatus for reproducing compressed audio information from the above described information recording medium of the present invention. The second information reproducing apparatus is provided with: a detecting device such as an optical pickup or the like for detecting one backward position information; a reproducing device such as an audio decoder or the like for reproducing at least one portion of the compressed audio information, which is recorded on the information recording medium at a position indicated by the detected backward position information; a controlling device such as a system controller or the like for controlling the detecting device and the reproducing device to repeat (i) detecting another backward position information recorded within the information unit, in which the reproduced compressed audio information is included, as new backward position information and (ii) reproducing at least one portion of the compressed audio information recorded on the information recording medium at a position indicated by the new backward position information.
According to the second information reproducing apparatus of the present invention, since the operations of detecting the backward position information, reproducing at least one portion of the compressed audio information recorded on the information recording medium at the position indicated by the detected backward position information and further detecting the backward position information recorded together with the reproduced compressed audio information, it is possible to speedily perform the fast backward reproduction of the compressed audio information which is variable-length-compressed.
Therefore, even in case of variable-length-compressing the raw audio information, recording it and reproducing it in order to increase the information amount recordable on the information recording medium, it is possible to perform a fast backward reproduction by speedily searching the partial audio information corresponding to the backward position information. Hence, it is possible to improve the flexibility in reproducing the compressed audio information.
By these, it is possible to improve the recording capacity of the raw audio information by variable-length-compressing the raw audio information and recording it while keeping the improved flexibility at the time of reproduction as a result.
The above object of the present invention can be also achieved by a third information reproducing apparatus for reproducing compressed audio information from one of the aspects of the above described information recording medium of the present invention, wherein the record information has a physically hierarchical structure with the information unit as a bottom layer, wherein management information, which is reproduction control information with regard to whole of the compressed audio information, is recorded at a lead of the record information corresponding to a top layer of the hierarchical structure, and wherein the compressed audio information includes one or a plurality of music composition information, and the management information includes: music composition address information to search the compressed audio information with the music composition information as a unit; and music composition reproduction time duration information indicative of a reproduction time duration in case of reproducing the compressed audio information with the music composition information as a unit. The third information reproducing apparatus is provided with: a first detecting device such as an optical pickup or the like for detecting the management information corresponding to the music composition information to be reproduced; a searching device such as a system controller or the like for searching a position on the information recording medium of the music composition information to be reproduced on the basis of the detected management information; a second detecting device such as an optical pickup or the like for detecting at least one of the forward position information and the backward position information within the information unit recorded at the searched position; and a reproducing device such as an audio decoder or the like for searching a reproduction start position within the music composition information to be reproduced by using at least one of the detected forward position information and the detected backward position information, and reproducing the compressed audio information recorded at the searched reproduction start position.
According to the third information reproducing apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to speedily reproduce the compressed audio information at the reproduction start position of the music composition information by utilizing the forward position information and the backward position information as well as the management information corresponding to the music composition information to be reproduced.
Therefore, even in case of variable-length-compressing the raw audio information, recording it and reproducing it in order to increase the information amount recordable on the information recording medium, it is possible to perform the reproduction of the compressed audio information to be reproduced which is designated in advance. Hence, it is possible to improve the flexibility in reproducing the compressed audio information.
By these, it is possible to improve the recording capacity of the raw audio information by variable-length-compressing the raw audio information and recording it while keeping the improved flexibility at the time of reproduction as a result.
The above object can be achieved by a fourth information reproducing apparatus for reproducing compressed audio information from one of the aspects of the above described information recording medium of the present invention, wherein the record information has a physically hierarchical structure with the information unit as a bottom layer, wherein management information, which is reproduction control information with regard to whole of the compressed audio information, is recorded at a lead of the record information corresponding to a top layer of the hierarchical structure, and wherein the compressed audio information includes one or a plurality of music composition information, and the management information includes: music composition address information to search the compressed audio information with the music composition information as a unit; and music composition reproduction time duration information indicative of a reproduction time duration in case of reproducing the compressed audio information with the music composition information as a unit. The fourth information reproducing apparatus is provided with a designating device such as an input device or the like for designating music composition information to be reproduced and an elapse time from a lead of the music composition information; a first detecting device such as an optical pickup or the like for detecting the management information corresponding to the designated music composition information; a searching device such as a system controller or the like for searching a position on the information recording medium of the designated music composition information on the basis of the detected management information; a second detecting device such as an optical pickup or the like for detecting at least one of the forward position information and the backward position information within the information unit recorded at the searched position; and a reproducing device such as an audio decoder or the like for searching a reproduction start position corresponding to the designated elapsed time from the lead of the designated music composition information by using at least one of the detected forward position information and the detected backward position information, and reproducing the compressed audio information recorded at the searched reproduction start position.
According to the fourth information reproducing apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to speedily reproduce the compressed audio information at the position corresponding to the elapsed time from the lead of the music composition information, by utilizing the forward position information and the backward position information as well as the management information corresponding to the designated music composition information.
The nature, utility, and further features of this invention will he more clearly apparent from the following detailed description with respect to preferred embodiments of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings briefly described below.

Information recording medium, information recording apparatus and information reproducing apparatus


The present invention provides for analysis of cyber-physical systems with relation to compliance requirements such as regulatory compliance, maintenance compliance and safety compliance. Generally, the invention provides for a set of paths from an initial state to an end state, and analyzing the paths to determine which ones contain a violation state. Based on the resultant paths test scripts are generated. Additionally, other compliance related procedures can be performed utilizing the path analysis.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to compliance programs in cyber-physical systems and specifically to compliance programs such as regulatory, safety and maintenance compliance programs.
2. Description of Related Art
Systems wherein computers interact with each other and the physical world have become more pervasive. Such systems comprise a networked computer system that is proximately coupled to the physical world; thus, having both discrete (digital) components and continuous (physical) components and are called hybrid systems or cyber-physical systems. Examples of hybrid systems abound in industrial controls and critical infrastructure.
As such hybrid systems continue to be developed, it has become important to protect them from security concerns, i.e. cyber-attackers attacking the computer network by exploiting vulnerabilities on the cyber side. In cyber systems such attacks frequently cause damages such as denial of service and theft of corporate, personal or governmental secrets. In cyber-physical systems, the same damages as for cyber systems are of concern but also an additional new damage element of affecting the physical domain is present, such as stopping equipment functioning or changing the operation parameters of equipment so as to adversely affect its function.
In addition to security, hybrid systems have operational concerns. As distinguished from security concerns, operational concerns are focused on ensuring that equipment operates within maintenance, safety, regulatory and other compliance requirements. While some operational concerns can be the result of cyber-attack (a cyber-attacker changing an operating parameter, for example) others are purely operational with no security element (faulty sensor allows for running equipment at too high of a temperature, for example).
Presently, testing operating concerns is accomplished by an engineer or other skilled professional, writing test scripts by first studying and understanding the relevant regulatory, safety, maintenance and other compliance information as well as the physical side and potentially the cyber side of the hybrid or cyber-physical system. Such test scripts are necessary for the normal operation of the physical side to keep it in compliance with compliance requirements and for changing or upgrading the physical equipment, which may necessitate preparing different test scripts from those required for previous operation. Accordingly, a more automated system for generating compliance test scripts and for determining the compliance concerns related to equipment replacement and upgrades would be advantageous.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Compliance method for a cyber-physical system


A functional film includes a transition layer having a first constituent having SiO as a dielectric material and at least one second constituent selected from aluminum (Al), silver (Ag), silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), yttrium (Y), zinc (Zn), zirconium (Zr), tungsten (W) and tantalum (Ta). The first and second constituents have corresponding gradual content gradients according to a thickness of the functional film.

This application claims the benefit of Korean Application No. 2001-5937, filed Feb. 7, 2001, in the Korean Industrial Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a functional film, and more particularly, to a functional film having adjustable optical and electrical properties.
2. Description of the Related Art
A functional film having electrical conductivity while minimizing reflectance of the external light, has a variety of applications. These applications include use in sun glasses, external light shielding glass, UV protective and insulating materials, or electromagnetic shielding materials. The functional film is also used by a black matrix formed between phosphor layers of a color display device, such as a color cathode ray tube. In this context, the functional film is used to absorb external light and light scattered from adjacent phosphor layer patterns.
Generally, as the reflectance of the external light of a screen of a display device increases, a visible image becomes increasingly blurred. Since the external light is reflected mainly at a black matrix of the screen, attempts to improve luminance and contrast by increasing the absorbance of the black matrix surrounding pixels of the display device have been continuously made. Thus, a black matrix is fabricated to have a laminated film structure using chromium, and more specifically, using a film substrate consisting of a chromium layer and a chromium oxide layer. In order to further increase the absorptivity of the black matrix, carbon may be added to the chromium oxide layer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,976,639 discloses a method of forming a black matrix for a liquid crystal display using a laminated film consisting of a transition layer and a metal layer on an inner surface of a display panel. According to this patent, the laminated film has a transition layer in which the content of one constituent element, such as Cr, W, Ta, Ti, Fe, Ni or Mo, increases between approximately 0.5% and 20% per 100 xc3x85 at the most in the incident direction of the external light. The transition layer may further include a constituent element such as oxygen, nitrogen or carbon. The metal element is desirably chromium. The transition layer is disposed between a low metal layer and a high metal layer. The content of the metal elements of the high metal layer is in the range of 50 to 100% by weight, and the content of the metal elements of the low metal layer is in the range of 10 to 50% by weight. The low metal layer is not the essential constituent from the viewpoint of the function of a black matrix.
The black matrix is manufactured by a reactive sputtering method in which a metal (chromium) target is placed on a magnetron cathode in a vacuum chamber, a first gas is introduced into the chamber for magnetron discharging, and a second gas (i.e., a reactive gas (oxygen or nitrogen) to react with the sputter metal elements) is introduced into the chamber. Sputtering is performed at an atmosphere in which the partial pressure of the reactive gas gradually decreases along the moving direction of a transparent substrate.
However, in the black matrix and preparation method thereof described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,976,639, materials that are environmentally detrimental, such as chromium, are used, and deposition should be performed at a reactive atmosphere. Also, during formation of the transition layer and the metal layer in the laminated film, the composition and thickness of each layer must be strictly controlled, which makes the manufacturing process complex.
To solve the above and other problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a functional film having excellent mechanical, optical and electrical properties using a mixture of nontoxic metal other than chromium and a dielectric material.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
To accomplish the above and other objects, a functional film according to an embodiment of the invention includes a transition layer having a first constituent having SiO as a dielectric material and at least one second constituent selected from aluminum (Al), silver (Ag), silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), yttrium (Y), zinc (Zn), zirconium (Zr), tungsten (W) and tantalum (Ta), where the first and second constituents have corresponding gradual content gradients according to a thickness of the functional film.
According to an aspect of the invention, the gradual content gradients are distributed such that a refractive index gradually increases or decreases in an incident direction of external light according to the thickness of the functional film.
According to another aspect of the invention, the gradual content gradients are distributed such that a light absorption efficiency gradually increases in the incident direction of the external light according to the thickness of the functional film.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, the gradual content gradients are distributed such that an electrical conductivity gradually increases or decreases according to the thickness of the functional film.
According to still another aspect of the invention, the gradual content gradients are distributed such that a content of the first constituent gradually decreases and a content of the second constituent gradually increases in the incident direction of the external light according to the thickness of the functional film.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the functional film is deposited on a substrate, where a difference in a refractive index at an interface between the substrate and the functional film is less than or equal to 0.5.
According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the functional film further includes a dielectric layer formed of SiO.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the dielectric layer is formed between the substrate and the transition layer so as to contact the substrate.
According to a yet further aspect of the invention, a difference in a refractive index between the dielectric layer and the substrate is less than or equal to 0.5.
According to still another embodiment of the present invention, the functional film further includes a conductive layer consisting of at least one metal constituent selected from the group consisting of aluminum (Al), silver (Ag), silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), yttrium (Y), zinc (Zn), zirconium (Zr), tungsten (W) and tantalum (Ta).
According to an additional aspect of the invention, the formation location of the conductive layer is formed on a face opposite an interface between the functional film and the substrate in the cases where the functional film is used in the fields requesting electrical conductivity characteristics and the second constituent is silicon and the Si content increases according to the thickness of the functional film.
According to an additional embodiment of the invention, the functional film includes a dielectric layer and a conductive layer, where the conductive layer is formed of a metal constituent selected from the group consisting of Al, Ag, Si, Ge, Y, Zn, Zr, W and Ta disposed on a face opposite an interface between the functional film and the dielectric layer.

Functional film having optical and electrical properties


A tool assembly having a housing body with a top portion and a bottom portion. The tool assembly may have an axis defined by the housing body and extending through the top portion and the bottom portion, an opening defined in the housing and extending from an outer surface of the housing body towards the axis, a notch defined in the housing along the opening, and a module base having a collar. Wherein the module base is positionable within the opening and when the collar is at least partially positioned within the notch, the module base is at least partially positioned within the opening and restricted from moving axially along the axis relative to the housing body.

Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita ("AMC") is a condition that causes a person's joints to be stiff and/or crooked. A person with AMC, or any other condition that causes similar stiff and crooked joints, may have difficulty executing routine motions because of their condition. Accordingly, different types of tools are used by people with joint conditions to assist them in executing routine activities such as fastening a zipper or button, eating, writing, cutting paper, or the like. However, these tools are often cumbersome, not easily interchangeable, and difficult to use.
Accordingly, there is a need for a tool assembly that can easily be manipulated by a user to select multiple different tool heads wherein each tool head aids the user in executing the desired activity.

Arthrogryposis multiplex congenita lifestyle and grooming tool


In an outer shell of a pump impeller of a hydrodynamic torque converter, an axial connecting branch of a hub is joined by friction welding to a bearing sleeve, which exhibits axial driving teeth for driving a recirculating positive-displacement pump. The friction welding apparatus uses a respective receiving fixture for holding the joint parts and a device for machining a weld bead with a tool.

The present invention relates to a friction welding apparatus and process, and more particularly, to an apparatus and process for friction welding of cylindrical joint parts using a respective receiving fixture for holding the joint parts and a device for confining a weld bead during a weld upsetting procedure. The process comprises steps in which the receiving fixtures, one of which is rotary-drivable about a rotational axis, are mutually displaceable along a direction of the rotational axis, and in which, during an upsetting procedure, the rotary-drivable receiving fixture are set in rotation, the joint parts are pressed together with the application of axial compression forces and are heated in the region of a bonding zone situated at adjacent end faces thereof, and in which the weld bead in the warm state, in the region of origin of the welding burr, is confined during the weld upsetting procedure.
In a known process of the type stated in the introduction of Wichelhaus/Gruenauer "Preconditions Prospects for Friction Butt-Welding", German Journal "MM Maschinenmarkt", No. 70/1975, Vogel-Verlag Wurzburg, expulsion of plastic material from the torsional-flow zone during a welding operation produces, at the junction point, a welding burr. By virtue of faster cooling, the burr is generally harder than the welding zone which has a fine-grained recrystallization structure and therefore favorable strength and toughness characteristics. Nevertheless, the welding burr in the known process is twisted off, while still warm, immediately after the welding operation is completed.
The burrs which are formed in the friction welding disrupt the usability of the structural part having the weld joint. A mechanical removal (machine-cutting process), such as in the known case, is very complex, however, because the burr has a very high strength, by virtue of this welding process.
In the known process, the actual welding or upsetting procedure is preceded by a joint-part preparation procedure which relinquishes, however, an abutting-face preparation in the case of virtually plane-parallel severance cuts and, with respect to thin-walled pipes, is more or less restricted to measures to keep the axial slip as low as possible, but otherwise simply to remove coatings and impurities from the abutting faces.
It is further known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,584,520, in the case of a hydrodynamic torque converter, that a centric bearing sleeve is attached by its one front end to a radial connecting face of a hub and is joined to the latter by a fillet weld, with the hub being situated radially inside of the outer shell of a pump impeller and being configured in one piece with this outer shell.
According to German Journal: "Schwei.beta.en und Schneiden", Year 20 (1968), Issue 11, tough competition with domestic and foreign industry is constantly forcing motor-vehicle manufacturers to check new technological developments to see whether they might contribute, within the framework of large-scale production, to solving existing technical problems and to achieving more economical working methods. Since friction welding, as a joining process for butt seams, reportedly offers some basic production-engineering and welding advantages over joining methods previously used in a number of motor vehicle parts, it would already have been used in the motor vehicle shortly after its development to practical maturity. Among a selection of applications, this publication shows an impeller of a recirculating positive-displacement pump. According to the publication, friction welding can also be used in the production of a splined shaft. The separate manufacture of a pipe part having inner grooves and the connection of the finished piece to the other shaft part make it substantially easier for grooves to be introduced in the bore.
According to Eichhorn/Borowka "Schwei.beta.en und Schneiden", VDI-Journal, Vol. 128 (1986), No. 20--October (II), p. 806, the suitability also of turbine blades, turbine wheels and runner rims to flywheel welding is proven. In overall terms, it is not only for the manufacture of high-precision, safety-related structural parts that friction welding has reportedly proved its worth.
Finally, it is known that the joint parts should have at the abutment points, where possible, the same cross-sections. The joining of parts having unequal abutment point cross-sections could be carried out, without difficulties, in the same way as welding bolts or pipes onto metal plates.
An object of the present invention is to provide a friction-welding process and apparatus which ensure usability by preventing a disruptive burr without expensive added complexity.
The foregoing object has been achieved according to the present invention by a process wherein a geometric end shape of the weld bead following completion of the upsetting procedure is defined by a form tool, which is respectively disposed immovably in the direction of the rotational axis relative to the one receiving fixture such that relative to the bonding zone, the plastic material forced out of the bonding zone during the upsetting procedure is brought into the end shape, without cutting, by a form face of the form tool, no later than completion of the upsetting procedure.
In the process according to the present invention, the weld bead is shaped during the welding procedure such that usability is obtained without any subsequent working, because there is no longer any possibility of a disruptive burr being present. A joint-part preparation with the intention of facilitating the deformation of the still warm weld bead, for the prevention of the welding burr, is obtainable.
Where the process according to the present invention is applied to friction welding in order to join end faces of a centric bearing sleeve and of a coaxial, single-part connecting branch, belonging to a radially inner hub configured in one piece with an outer shell of a pump impeller of a hydrodynamic torque converter, a special joint-part preparation is able to be relinquished. This is because the weld bead, which has formed at the transition of the end faces, joined together by welding, into the respectively axially adjoining outer contacting surface, is at least partially expelled in the direction of the transition between the hub and the connecting branch.
The present invention also relates to apparatuses for realizing the novel process of the present invention such that the weld bead is shaped advantageously during the welding procedure.
In the process according to the invention, upon completion of the welding procedure, when the weld bead is deformed during cooling of the bonding zone, a situation can be reached, due to the still revolving rotary-driven receiving fixture and the temperature cycle of the friction-welding machine, in which the coaxiality of the two receiving fixtures in relation to the rotational axis is abolished. This coaxiality error is all the greater, the more elastic is the machine frame between the two receiving fixtures.
Other aspects of the process according to the present invention focus upon preventing the described coaxiality errors.

Process and apparatus for cylindrical joint friction welding


Methods and systems consistent with this invention analyze the performance of a program executed in a data processing system. Such methods and systems assign a semantic to the performance of the program, and measure the level of performance of the program based on the semantic. As part of assigning a semantic, such methods and systems indicate a class of processing of which to measure performance, and may define a suctitude associated with the class. Such methods and systems define the class as a processing function that could contribute to the poor performance of the program. As part of measuring the level of performance, such methods and systems measure the suctitude of the indicated class during program execution.

Computer systems execute programs that solve complex computational problems.
Preferably, the programs achieve high levels of performance, reduce wasted computer resources, and execute at peak speed. "Performance analysis" is the process of analyzing and understanding the execution characteristics of programs to identify impediments that prevent programs from running at peak speed, or their highest level of performance.
The amount of information required to completely characterize the execution of a program is massive, however, and it is therefore difficult or impossible to analyze all the data manually. Current automatic "performance analyzers" present performance data textually or graphically and direct the user's attention to patterns that may indicate a performance problem. These tools, however, lack an understanding of the meaning, or "semantic knowledge," of the analyzed program, which limits their effectiveness in solving performance problems.
For example, performance analyzers generally attempt to identify algorithms that ineffectively use computer resources. To do this, conventional performance analyzers may identify parts of a program that take a long time to execute. This heuristic, however, may be deceptive. For instance, such an analyzer would identify a well-written algorithm as a poorly-performing algorithm simply because it unavoidably requires a lot of time to execute. Such an analyzer would also fail to identify poorly-performing algorithms because they do not take a long time to execute or because they are not central to the program. Without knowledge of the semantics of the programs, or how program components are supposed to run, an automatic performance analyzer cannot adequately determine whether a particular component of a program exhibits poor performance.
Performance analysis is also important in multiprocessing computer systems. A multiprocessing computer system comprises multiple processors in which different portions of a program execute in parallel in the different processors. Or, it is a system in which a program executes in parallel over multiple computers, each with a different processor. In such a computer system, resources may be wasted if processors are idle (i.e., not executing a program instruction) for any length of time. Thus, an automatic performance analyzer identifies algorithms that do not effectively divide tasks over the available processors, i.e., they have low "parallelism." Conventional performance analyzers generally attempt to identify algorithms with low parallelism by indicating instances during program execution when one or more of the processors are idle. This may indicate when the program is not using the available processor resources as well as it could. Such a heuristic, however, may also identify instances when processors are expected to be idle, such as during the traversal of a linked list by a single processor. Further, even during the course of executing an extremely efficient program, the number of instances that one or more processors may be idle could be one billion or more. Conventional automated performance analyzers are incapable of distinguishing instances when the processors are expected to be idle from instances when they are not. Therefore, without knowledge of the semantics of the program, or how program components are supposed to run, automatic performance analyzers cannot adequately determine low parallelism portions of programs.
Thus, there is a need for performance analysis that identifies performance impediments based on an understanding of the meaning, or semantic knowledge, of the portions of the program being analyzed.

Method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for performance analysis using semantic knowledge


A music analysis apparatus has a feature extractor and an analysis processor. The feature extractor generates a time series of feature values from a sequence of notes which is designated as an object of analysis. The analysis processor computes an evaluation index value which indicates a probability that the designated sequence of notes is present in each of a plurality of reference music pieces by applying a probabilistic model to the time series of the feature values generated from the designated sequence of notes. The probabilistic model is generated by machine learning of the plurality of reference music pieces using time series of feature values obtained from the reference music pieces.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology for analyzing a correlation between a sequence of notes designated by a user (hereinafter, referred to as a 'designated sequence of notes') and each of a plurality of music pieces, which is suited for search of a music piece including a section corresponding or similar to the designated sequence of notes.
2. Description of the Related Art
A technology for searching a plurality of music pieces (hereinafter, referred to as 'reference music pieces') to locate a music piece including a designated sequence of notes has been proposed. For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 1994-110945 discloses a technology for searching for a music piece including a designated sequence of notes by generating an index that indicates position information and appearance frequency of each note in the reference music pieces and comparing the designated sequence of notes with the index in response to a user instruction.
However, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 1994-110945 has problems in that a target music piece cannot be searched with high accuracy when the user designates a wrong note or a designated sequence of notes that is arranged differently from the reference music pieces is provided, because the technology described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 1994-110945 searches music pieces on the basis of whether the designated sequence of notes is present in indexes.


A pipe testing apparatus comprising an elongate tester body having sealing means and actuator means to deform said sealing means on activation. The apparatus is further provided with means to bias actuator means axially away from the sealing means on deactivation of said actuator means. The apparatus is typically used to test the integrity of pipelines at specific points, for example joints or welds.

This invention relates to apparatus especially, but not exclusively for use in pipe testing and more particularly pressure testing of pipeline welds.
Pipelines to the type used to carry oil and gas often travel long distances and are subject to many potentially damaging effects both externally, from environmental effects, and internally, from substantial pressure effects. Clearly the nature of the transported material is such that leaks are not acceptable. There is thus a need to carry out testing of the integrity of the pipeline at certain points particularly joins or welded repair joints. This requires the use of appropriate pressure testing apparatus.
The pressure testing apparatus used is required to seal off the section of pipeline containing the join or weld to be tested so that pressure may be applied to that area.
The nature of the pipeline is such that any such pressure testing apparatus must be able to deal with two particular difficulties. These are the tendency of long lengths of pipeline to acquire a degree of ovality and the corrosive effect of the oil or gas on the internal surface of the pipeline which can become rough and pitted.
Previously proposed testing apparatus has attempted to overcome these difficulties by using resilient material seals which are forced into the gap between the exterior of a testing device and the interior surface of the pipeline to take up any ovality or surface imperfections.
A known problem of such an approach is that the seal in being forced into the gap between the body of the testing device and the pipeline, and additionally acted upon by the high pressure of the testing may become damaged. As a result the testing device requires frequent maintenance and repair.
A solution to this problem is proposed in GB2242530 where a sealing element is proposed which as outer and inner portions of varying degrees of resilience and deformability. The outer section is relatively soft, so as to deform to the contours of the pipeline, but the inner section is harder so that the overall deformability of the seal is limited. The seal is pushed against a cam slope by a thrust member acting axially so that the seal is deformed radially.
While this development goes some way to overcoming the previously identified difficulties it has limitations of its own. The limited deformability of the two part seal effectively places very narrow limits on the working diameter of the apparatus. The manner in which the seal is thrust against a cam surface to deform its surface against the pipe can lead to it becoming effectively stuck in position when the axial force of the thrust member is removed.
It is an object of the present invention to provide pressure testing apparatus which addresses these identified difficulties.
According to the present invention there is provided pipe testing apparatus comprising an elongate tester body having resiliently deformable pipe sealing means at an end portion thereof and actuator means arranged to resiliently deform said sealing means radially outwardly on activation thereof characterised in that an outwardly angled thrust face on said actuator engages a co-operating inwardly angled thrust face on said seal means in operation and further characterised in that further resilient means are provided to bias said actuator axially away from said seal means on deactivation of said actuator means.
Preferably said sealing means is composed of a nitrile rubber compound.
Most preferably said nitrile rubber compound has a shore hardness in the range of 60 to 90.
Preferably also said actuation means is a hydraulically operated piston assembly.
Preferably also the thrust faces on said actuator means and said seal means are arranged at 45xc2x0 to the longitudinal axis thereof.
Preferably also the further resilient means is a rubber spring.
Alternatively the further resilient means may be a coil spring.
Preferably also said further resilient means acts between said actuator means and said seal means to bias them apart.
Preferably also a pair of said pipe sealing means are provided at either end of said tester body to form a pressure testing area.
Preferably means are provided for applying hydraulic pressure to said pressure testing area.


A turret journalled on a vertical axis has a plurality of vertically spaced pockets open at their upper and lower ends and spaced circumferentially around its outer periphery. A workpiece hopper has a downwardly extending outlet lying on the circle defined by the upper ends of the pockets so when a pocket registers with the outlet, a workpiece gravitates into the pocket. A motor driven worm gear which rotates about a horizontal axis is disposed adjacent the outer periphery of the pocket such that a workpiece deposited into the pocket registering with the hopper outlet is engaged by and between a pair of adjacent convolutions of the worm gear thread. That workpiece thus forms a driving connection between the worm gear and the turret to index the turret in a work-advancing direction to a position where the next upstream pocket on the turret registers with the hopper outlet to receive another workpiece and again index the turret in the work-advancing direction. The lower ends of the pockets are normally blocked by a stop plate that has a lost motion rotary driving connection with the turret. A proximity switch spaced circumferentially from the outlet senses the presence of a workpiece in an adjacent pocket to reverse the rotation of the worm gear and index the turret through a small arc relative to the stop plate which aligns the lower ends of the pockets with openings in the stop plate to discharge the workpieces thereform.

In the field of automation the art of separating a row of workpieces into individual units is usually known as escaping and the mechanism that does this is known as an escapement. The art of putting the individual pieces back into multiple rows or chutes is known as division and the mechanism that does this is known as a divider.
One of the problems encountered in escapements and dividers as conventionally designed resides in malfunctions resulting from non-removal of a workpiece from a row or the failure of a row of workpieces to receive an additional workpiece. Normally these malfunctions are detected by switches. Control intelligence is frequently furnished to command the mechanism to attempt to correct the malfunction until the necessary operating conditions are again met. Such detectors and controls are not only elaborate and expensive, but, in many instances, are not reliable because of the failure of the detectors themselves or the circuitry associated therewith. A failure of any kind can cause a near disaster in an automated manufacturing operation and result in the production of faulty parts.
The primary object of this invention is to provide an escapement and divider which overcomes the problems inherent with such devices of conventional design.
A further object of this invention is to provide an escapement and divider of economical design.
Another object of this invention is to provide an escapement and divider that is designed to avoid the possibility of malfunction thereof.


A dryer section in a paper machine for drying a paper web, having normal dryer groups with a single-wire draw in which drying cylinders are arranged in an upper row and reversing cylinders in a lower row. The dryer section has at least one inverted dryer groups in which drying cylinders are arranged in a lower row and reversing cylinders are arranged in an upper row. In view of making the dryer section more compact, intensifying the evaporation, reducing the transverse shrinkage of the web, and/or improving the runnability of the web, the drying cylinder and/or the reversing cylinder or roll placed in connection with the transfer over the gap between the groups is/are placed so that its/their height position is displaced as compared with the other cylinders in the same group. In an inverted group, an upper reversing cylinder is arranged in connection with blower devices for drying air for the web. The blowings directed from the blower devices increase the evaporation from the web and/or control the transverse moisture profile in the web.

The present invention relates to a dryer section in a paper machine, comprising so-called normal dryer groups provided with a single-wire draw and in which drying cylinders are arranged in an upper row and reversing cylinders or rolls are arranged in a lower row. The dryer section has at least one so-called inverted group, in which the drying cylinders and the reversing cylinders or rolls are arranged in rows in an inverted order with respect to the order of arrangement in the normal dryer groups. The present invention also relates to a method for improving the drying characteristics of a paper web in the dryer section.
In the prior art, in multi-cylinder dryers in paper machines, twin-wire draw and/or single-wire draw is/are employed. In a twin-wire draw, the groups of drying cylinders include two wires which press the web against heated cylinder faces, one wire from above and the other one from below. Between the rows of cylinders, which are usually horizontal rows, the web has free and unsupported draws which are susceptible of fluttering, possibly causing web breaks. For this reason, in recent years, increasing use has been made of the single-wire draw, in which there is just one drying wire in each group of drying cylinders. The web runs on support of the drying wire through the whole group so that, on the drying cylinders, the drying wire presses the web against the heated cylinder faces, and on the reversing cylinders arranged between the drying cylinders, the web remains at the side of the outside curve. Thus, in a single-wire draw, the drying cylinders are arranged outside the wire loop, and the reversing cylinders are arranged inside the loop of the drying wire.
In prior art normal dryer groups with a single-wire draw, the heated drying cylinders are placed in the upper row, and the reversing cylinders are placed in the lower row. The upper and lower rows are usually horizontal and parallel to one another. In the assignee's Finnish Patent No. 54,627 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,113, the specification of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein), an arrangement is described in which normal single-wire groups, such as those described above, and so-called inverted single-wire groups are arranged one after the other. In the inverted groups, the heated drying cylinders are placed in the lower row and the reversing suction cylinders or rolls in the upper row. As a result of this arrangement, the web is dried substantially symmetrically from both of its sides.
In the prior art, reference is also made to International Patent Applications WO 88/06204 and WO 88/06205 of Messrs. Beloit Corp. which describe a dryer section consisting of normal and inverted cylinder groups.
In the following description, the terms "normal (dryer) group" and "inverted (dryer) group" are used and generally connote the cylinder groups with a single-wire draw similar to those described above.
In the group gap draws between inverted and normal drying groups, various problems have occurred, for which the present invention offers novel efficient solutions. These problems include the large length of the dryer section, which increases the cost of the dryer section and of the machine hall. Problems have also occurred in the runnability of the dryer section and in the web transfer, problems arising from differences in speed between different wires, problems in the removal of broke, and problems related to transverse shrinkage of the web. Generally, these problems tend to become worse with increasing running speeds of the paper machines.


The template of this invention includes a flexible sheet with indicia thereon to identify the proper sites and instruction of the proper technique of insertion of an injection device, such as a needle, for medical injection into the human knee. The sheet is flexible so that it may be folded for storage and shipment and then unfolded for placement over the human leg. The template is universal in that it may be used on either the left or right leg on either a male or female patient and may be used on human legs of many different sizes.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a template and cannulated needle for use in the medical arts to identify proper hypodermic insertion sites and technique, specifically as a guide to identify proper insertion sites and technique for knee injections.
2. Description of the Related Art
Presently there is no known existing apparatus to guide in the medical injection of a human knee. A physician faced with a patient requiring a medical injection in the knee must know the sites on the leg for hypodermic insertion of the injection apparatus in order to properly inject the knee. A need has therefore developed in the medical community for a device which indicates these proper sites and technique.
General Practice or Emergency Room physicians generally have little, or no, training in the proper technique or a location of insertion of injection apparatus for injection into the knee of a patient. Presently, a needle is the commonly used apparatus for administering medical injections into the human knee. It is often not known where around the perimeter of the patella the needle should be inserted, to what depth, or at what angle. This uncertainty causes attempts to inject at various improper locations which are ineffective and cause extreme discomfort to the patient. Under the present system in medical schools, there is no practical method of teaching physicians in training the proper sites and techniques of insertion of a needle for injection into the knee. In training, medical students frequently learn anatomy from cadavers. Injection of the knee is carried out with the patient sitting in the upright position and the knees bent at 90.degree.. This position is impossible with a cadaver which is very stiff and unyielding. Therefore, proper injection techniques and locations are generally not practiced. In addition, body fluids are drained from cadavers, which renders the experience much different than with a live patient in a clinical setting. The only way to properly learn is on a patient who is awake who would experience the pain and discomfort from the procedure. Generally, therefore, the technique for proper injection into the knee is taught by demonstration by an experienced physician rather than hands-on training by the student. Consequently, trained physicians frequently have little knowledge of the proper sites, the best technique, or proper angles of insertion of a needle for injection into the knee of a patient.


Disclosed is a system for controlling a water turbine generator for waterworks, which monitors and controls a plurality of water turbine generators, provided in a water pipe, for waterworks in real time to integratedly operate the water turbine generators, contributes to stably generate and secure power, and increases an efficiency of the water turbine generators through integrated management. The system for controlling a water turbine generator for waterworks includes an integration control system configured to establish a power generation driving plan, based on a target amount of energy collected by a plurality of water turbine generators and a driving range of each of the plurality of water turbine generators, and a power generation unit configured to generate power through generation of power by a water turbine according to control based on the power generation driving plan, measure an amount of generated power, an amount and a pressure of water flowing into the plurality of water turbine generators, and an amount and a pressure of water flowing out from the plurality of water turbine generators, and supply a result of the measurement to the integration control system.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to a system for controlling a water turbine generator for waterworks, and particularly, to a system for controlling a water turbine generator for waterworks, which monitors and controls a plurality of water turbine generators, provided in a water pipe, for waterworks in real time to integratedly operate the water turbine generators, contributes to stably generate and secure power, and increases an efficiency of the water turbine generators through integrated management.
2. Background of the Disclosure
Waterworks are facilities that are essential city-based facilities and supply drinking water or industrial water through a pipe. A hydroelectric power generation system for waterworks generates energy of water, flowing in a water pipe, through a water turbine.
Patent documents of hydroelectric power generation systems for waterworks include Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2009-0065502 disclosing "infinite hydroelectric power generator using large water pipe" and Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2001-0000350 disclosing "electrical product system exploited flowing water of water pipe"
In a related art hydroelectric power generation system for waterworks, a water turbine is simply provided in a water pipe and generates electricity. However, water supplied from a purification plant is distributed to homes, and thus, a water pressure desired by each home is not considered at all. For this reason, the related art hydroelectric power generation system for waterworks cannot actually be used.
This is because a pressure of water passing through a water turbine is rapidly reduced, and for this reason, it is unable to satisfy a water pressure desired by each home.
Waterworks start from each purification plant and are connected to each home like a spider's web.
To describe a general water pipe provided in each home with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, the general water pipe includes a branch pipeline 10 that branches from a purification plant to each home and is connected to each home, a pressure reducing valve 11 that reduces a pressure to be suitable for a water pressure desired by each home, a first opening/closing valve 12 that connects and blocks a flow of water, a bypass pipeline 20 in which both ends of the bypass pipeline 20 are disposed in the branch pipeline 1 so as to bypass the first opening/closing valve 12 and the pressure reducing valve 11, and a second opening/closing valve 21.
Generally, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the second opening/closing valve 21 disposed in the bypass pipeline 20 is in a blocked state, and the first opening/closing valve 21 disposed in the branch pipeline 10 is in an open state.
Therefore, when it is assumed that water flows through the branch pipeline 10, a pressure of water before passing through the pressure reducing valve 11 is 5 kfg/cm2, and a water pressure desired by each home is 2 kgf/cm2, the pressure reducing valve 11 reduces the pressure of the water by 3 kgf/cm2 and supplies the pressure-reduced water to each home.
Here, the bypass pipeline 20 is provided for responding to a case in which water cannot be transferred to the branch pipeline 10 due to a breakdown or a damage of the pressure reducing valve 11. In this case, as illustrated in FIG. 3, water flows through the bypass pipeline 20 instead of the branch pipeline 10.
If a configuration of the general water pipe is ignored and a water turbine is simply provided in a water pipe as disclosed in the above-described patent documents, a pressure of water passing through a water turbine is rapidly reduced, and for this reason, water passing through the branch pipeline 10 cannot be supplied at a water pressure desired by each home.
As a related art for solving the above-described problem, there is a hydroelectric power generation system for waterworks disclosed in Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1307656.
In the hydroelectric power generation system for waterworks disclosed in Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1307656, a pressure control value and an additional pipeline are provided in a related art water pipeline, and a water turbine power generator is provided in the additional pipeline, thereby supplying water at a water pressure desired by each home through the pressure control valve. Also, the hydroelectric power generation system for waterworks generates power by collecting surplus energy in which a pressure is reduced by a pressure reducing value which is provided in waterworks.
Since a related art is designed to operate within a specific range of a water pressure or an amount of water, a driving range of a water turbine in a waterworks network is limited to a design specification range.
Under a condition out of a driving range of a water turbine of a water pressure/water amount condition, the water turbine is physically damaged, and an amount of collected energy lacks. In a related art, it is difficult to collect certain energy at a point where the water pressure/water amount condition is largely changed.
Moreover, waterworks are provided in a complicated network form in a city. Recently, with the unmanned/automated trend, it is required to establish a system which is integratedly operated and managed at a long distance.

System for controlling water turbine generator for waterworks


A floor drain assembly including a collar, a shank coupled to the collar, a frame, an insert coupled to the shank and capturing the frame between the insert and the shank, a strainer coupled to the frame, a protective cover coupled to the strainer, and a sleeve surrounding the collar, the shank, the frame, the insert, the strainer, and the protective cover. The shank is moveable relative to the collar and includes a spherically shaped shank surface. The frame includes a lower frame surface shaped to engage the shank surface and an upper frame surface. The insert is moveable relative to the shank and includes a spherically shape insert surface engaged with the upper frame surface such that the frame is captured between the insert and the shank.

Floor drains are installed in buildings to provide drainage of liquids that are deposited on a floor. Typical floor drains provide a rigid housing that must be accurately set when pouring a concrete floor to ensure that the drain is aligned with the finish grade of the floor. Additionally, inconsistencies in the concrete pour or out of level flooring situations must be accounted for or adjusted when the finished floor surface is installed.

Drain assembly with adjustable spherical frame


Disclosed herein is a method for applying metals to clay. More particularly, the present invention relates to applying malleable metals, such as silver, to clay, such that the metal attaches to the clay and as an added feature forms beads on the surface of the clay.

Previous attempts to add metal direction, such as silver, to clay has either required that the metal be fastened to the metal or applied during baking. However, malleable metal that is applied during baking in a kiln has led to later slippage of the metal, thus altering the artists intended design. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to present a method for applying malleable metal to clay which does not suffer from later slippage.

Method for applying metals to clay with colored slip and uncolored clay


A signal processing circuit capable of preventing illicit copies, preventing the circuit from being unable to discriminate a plurality of cipher mode and unable to decipher, and correctly decipher received data at the reception side, configured to be provided with a cipher mode continuity discrimination circuit which confirms the continuity of a cipher mode at the time of reading transmission data from an FIFO when transmitting a plurality of packets, stops the transmission when a discontinuity is confirmed even if there is room in a band enabling transmission in the transmission cycle of the 1394 standard, and instructs a link core to transmit the packet enciphered by a different cipher key at the next cycle, so that only the data enciphered by one cipher mode is transmitted within one cycle of the 1394 standards, and the data enciphered by a different cipher mode is transmitted in the next cycle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a signal processing circuit used for a digital serial interface, more particularly relates to a data cipher circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an interface for multimedia data transfer, an IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) 1394 high performance serial bus which realizes high speed data transfer and real-time transfer has recently been standardized.
The data transfer by the IEEE 1394 serial interface includes the conventional asynchronous transfer for making requests, acknowledging requests, and acknowledging receipt and isochronous transfer wherein data is always sent once per 125 μs from a certain node.
In the IEEE 1394 serial interface having such two transfer modes, data is transferred in units of packets.
FIGS. 10A and 10B are views of a byte size of one source packet in the isochronous transfer. FIG. 10A shows the packet size in a digital video broadcast (DVB) specification and FIG. 10B shows the packet size in a digital satellite system (DSS) specification.
The source packet size in the DVB specification is, as shown in FIG. 10A, 4 bytes of a source packet header (SPH) plus 188 bytes of transport stream data, that is, 192 bytes.
The source packet size in the DSS specification is, as shown in FIG. 10B, 4 bytes of a source packet header (SPH), 10 bytes of added data, and 130 bytes of data, that is, 144 bytes.
The added data is inserted between the source packet header and the data. Note that since the unit of maximum data to be handled is 1 quadlet (=4 bytes=32 bits) in the IEEE 1394 standard, it is necessary to set things to enable the sum of the transport data and the added data to be configured in units of 32 bits.
Note that it can be set without the added bytes at default.
FIG. 11 is a view of an example of the correspondence of original data at the time of transferring data by isochronous communication of the IEEE 1394 standard and packets actually transferred.
As shown in FIG. 11, a source packet of the original data is given 4 bytes of the source packet header and padding data for adjusting the data length, then is divided into a predetermined number of data blocks.
Note that since the unit of data at the time of transferring a packet is 1 quadlet (4 bytes), the byte length of the data block and a variety of headers are set to be multiples of 4.
FIG. 12 is a view of the format of a source packet header.
As shown in FIG. 12, a time stamp used for controlling jitter is written in 25 bits in the source packet header, for example, when MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group)-TS (transport stream) data used in digital satellite broadcasts etc. of the above DVB mode is transferred by isochronous communication.
Then, data such as the packet header, common isochronous packet (CIP) header, etc. is added to a predetermined number of data blocks to generate a packet.
FIG. 13 is a view of an example of the basic configuration of a packet in isochronous communication.
The packet in isochronous communication is configured, as shown in FIG. 13, of a first quadlet comprising a 1394 header, a second quadlet comprising a header-CRC, a third quadlet comprising a CIP header 1, a fourth quadlet comprising a CIP header 2, a fifth quadlet comprising a source packet header (SPH), and a sixth quadlet on comprising a data region. The last quadlet comprises a data-CAC.
The 1394 header is composed of a data-length region indicating the data length, a channel region indicating the number of the channel to which the packet is transferred (one of 0 to 63), a tcode region indicating a processing code, and a synchronization code sy region defined by the application.
The header-CRC is an error detection code of the packet header.
The CIP header 1 is configured by a source node ID (SID) region for a transfer node number, a data block size (DBS) region for a data block length, a fraction number (FN) region for a fraction number of data in making a packet, a quadlet padding count (QPC) region for a quadlet number of padding data, an SPH region for a flag indicating an existence of a source packet header, and a data block continuity counter (DBC) region for a counter for detecting a number of isochronous packets.
Note that the DBS region indicates the number of quadlets to be transferred in one isochronous packet.
The CIP header 2 is composed of an FMT region for a signal format indicating a kind of data to be transferred and a format dependent field (FDF) region used corresponding to a signal format.
The SPH header includes a time stamp region in which is set a value for giving a fixed delay value at the time when a transport stream packet arrives.
The data-CRC is an error detection code of a data field.
A signal processing circuit of the IEEE 1394 serial interface for transfer of a packet having the above configuration is composed of, as shown in FIG. 14, a physical layer circuit 1 for directly driving an IEEE 1394 serial bus and a link layer circuit 2 for controlling the data transfer of the physical layer circuit 1.
In the above isochronous communication system of the IEEE serial interface, for example as shown in FIG. 14, the link layer circuit 2 is connected to the serial interface bus BS via the physical layer circuit 1.
Also, the link layer circuit 2 is connected to an application side circuit 3 such as an MPEG transporter, a digital video cassette recorder (DVCR), etc.
Currently, video data of movies and TV broadcasts is made unable to be freely, digitally recorded in the home etc. in order to prevent illicit copying infringing copyrights etc. Therefore, for example, a set-top box for receiving digital satellite broadcasts is not provided with a digital output terminal.
However, an IEEE 1394 serial interface is an interface for transmitting digital data of video, music, etc. between separate apparatuses. Furthermore, with home use digital recording apparatuses being actively developed and offered for practical use, an increase of opportunities for digital recording at the home etc. is inevitable.
Therefore, considering such a situation, a function for effectively preventing illicit copying is thus necessary. No configuration provided with this function has yet been realized in signal processing circuits of IEEE 1394 serial interfaces.
Also, when realizing such encipher functions, it is necessary to prevent the problem, at the time of successively transmitting a plurality of packet data, of the receiving side becoming unable to discriminate the cipher mode and unable to decipher when data enciphered in different cipher modes exist together in one transmission cycle.