A tape cassette has a substantially rectangular, box-shaped casing with a recess in a front portion of the casing having openings facing forwardly and downwardly, respectively, and with a bottom wall of the casing having an undersurface including cassette height determining portions adjacent the front and back of the casing and a slide surface portion therebetween which is planar and recessed relative to at least the cassette height determining portions adjacent the back of the casing. A lid is pivotally mounted on the casing for movements between a closed position extending across the opening facing forwardly from the recess and a raised opened position uncovering the forwardly facing opening, and a tape is wound about reels rotatable in the casing and extends between the reels in a path including a run extending across the forwardly facing opening so as to be disposed in back of the lid in its closed position. A shutter includes a lateral portion extending across the undersurface of the bottom wall and being slidable relative to the slide surface portion between a closed position in which the shutter closes the opening facing downwardly from the recess and a rearwardly displaced opened position uncovering such opening. The lateral portion of the shutter is dimensioned to be contained within the recessed slide surface portion in at least the opened position of the shutter so as to avoid any interference with access to the cassette height determining portions of the undersurface.

Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to tape cassettes and, more specifically, is directed to a tape cassette of the type in which the cassette casing has a recess in a front portion thereof with openings therefrom facing forwardly and downwardly, respectively, a lid is pivotally mounted on the casing for movement between a closed position extending across the forwardly facing opening and a raised opened position uncovering the forwardly facing opening, a tape is wound about reels rotatable in the casing and extends between the reels in a path including a run extending across the forwardly facing opening so as to be disposed in back of the lid in its closed position, and a shutter is slidable relative to a bottom surface of the cassette casing between a closed position in which the shutter closes the opening facing downwardly from the recess and a rearwardly displaced opened position in which the downwardly facing opening is uncovered for providing access to the tape run.
Description of the Prior Art
Tape cassettes are known for digitally recording and reproducing data or information. Such cassettes generally include a casing having a recess at the front of the cassette casing with openings facing forwardly and downwardly, respectively, from such recess, a tape wound about a pair of reels rotatable within the casing and extending between such reels in a path having a run extending across the forwardly facing opening so as to be disposed in back of the lid in its closed position, and a shutter slidable relative to the bottom surface of the casing between a closed position in which the shutter closes the downwardly facing opening and a rearwardly displaced opened position uncovering the downwardly facing opening so that, with the lid also in its opened position, access may be had to the tape run so as to make possible recording or reproducing operations thereon.
More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, a so-called digital audio tape (DAT) cassette 100 includes a substantially rectangular, box-shaped casing 101 which may be formed of upper and lower shell portions joined by adhesive, ultrasonic welding or the like. A pair of reels 102 shown in dotted lines on FIG. 22 are rotatable within the casing 101, and a magnetic tape (not shown) is wound about the reels 102 and extends therebetween in a path having a run that extends across an opening facing forwardly from a recess 101b formed in the front portion of the casing 100. A lid 103 is pivoted on the casing 101 for movements between a closed position shown on FIGS. 21 and 22 in which the lid 103 covers the tape run extending across the forwardly facing opening from the recess 101b and an opened position swung upwardly from the position shown on FIG. 21, and in which the tape run extending across the forwardly facing opening of the recess 101b is uncovered or exposed. With the lid 103 in its opened position, access may be had to the tape run through a downwardly facing opening from the recess 101b for effecting digital recording and reproducing operations on the exposed tape.
In order to close the downwardly facing opening of the recess 101b and thereby protect the tape when the cassette 100 is not in use, the illustrated cassette according to the prior art is further shown to include a channel-shaped shutter 104 which is slidable relative to the bottom surface 101a of the casing 101 between a closed position shown on FIGS. 21 and 22 and an opened position (not shown) in which the shutter 104 is displaced rearwardly away from the front of the casing 101 so as to uncover the downwardly facing opening of the recess 101b. The shutter 104 is shown on FIG. 22 to have a pair of laterally spaced apart reel access openings 104a which, in the opened position of the shutter 104, register with corresponding reel access openings 102a formed in the bottom 101a of the casing 101, as shown in broken lines on FIG. 22. The undersurface of the shutter 104 is shown to have two laterally spaced apart grooves 104b formed parallel to the direction of movement of the shutter in the forward portion of the latter so as to be disposed laterally outward in respect to the recess 101b in the casing. As shown on FIGS. 22 and 23, each of the grooves 104b has a keeper opening 104c formed therein adjacent the back end of the respective groove, while a similar keeper opening 104d is formed in each groove 104b adjacent the forward end thereof. The front portion of the lid 103 has laterally spaced apart cut outs 103a formed in its lower edge so as to be aligned with the forward ends of the grooves 104b, respectively, when the lid 103 and shutter 104 are in their respective closed positions. At laterally spaced apart positions corresponding to the locations of the grooves 104b, the bottom 101a of the casing 101 has slots 101c for defining the sides and free ends of resilient latch fingers 101c. Each latch finger 101c has, at its free end, a depending locking nose or projection 101d which, in the closed position of the shutter 104 shown on FIG. 23, extends through the keeper opening 104c into the respective groove 104b for holding the shutter in its closed position. On the other hand, when the shutter is moved to its opened position, each nose or projection 101d extends through the keeper opening 104d into the respective groove 104b for holding the shutter 104 in its opened position against the force of a spring or other resilient means (not shown) providing for biasing the shutter 104 toward its closed position. Each locking nose or projection 101d is shown to have a beveled lower end so that a releasing element (not shown), when moved through the cutout 103a and along the respective groove 104b, can act on the beveled lower end of the nose or projection 101d for deflecting the latter upwardly out of the keeper opening 104c or 104d so as to permit movement of the shutter 104 between its closed and opened positions.
Although the resilient fingers 101c formed as integral parts of the bottom 101a of the casing 101 yeildably urge the respective locking noses or projections 101d to remain engaged in the keeper openings 104c or 104d until displaced upwardly therefrom by respective releasing elements, as described above, the known digital tape cassette described with reference to FIGS. 21-23 has a disadvantage in that vibrations generated during loading of the cassette into a recording and/or reproducing apparatus, such as, a DAT deck, a digital VCR, or the like, may cause the locking noses or projections 101d to become disengaged from the respective keeper openings 104c or 104d. Further, the shutter 104 must be thick enough to allow for the formation therein of the elongated grooves 104b, which thereby limits the extent to which the thickness of the shutter 104 may be reduced. Further, the need to provide the shutter 104 with a substantial thickness limits the designers freedom of choice in producing the described cassettes. For example, if it is desired to form the shutter 104 of metal, such metal would have to be undesirably thick so as to accommodate the grooves 104b therein. Further, if the shutter 104 is formed of metal while the casing 101 is molded of a synthetic resin, the hard metal of the shutter may scratch or scrape material from the casing during repeated movements of the shutter between its opened and closed positions. On the other hand, limiting the choice of material for the shutter 104 to a synthetic resin also restricts the designers freedom in producing the tape cassette.
The known digital tape cassette described above with reference to FIGS. 21-23 is further disadvantageous in that, when the shutter 104 is closed, the condition of the tape extending across the opening facing forwardly from the recess 101b cannot be readily determined by a user. In other words, with the lid 103 and the shutter 104 in their closed positions, the user cannot determine whether the tape extending between the reels 102 is slack.

Tape cassette having a rockable finger for latching a slidable shutter


A purge head is provided for use with an integrated circuit test system to direct purge gases, such as nitrogen, to a circuit board on which a device under test is mounted while the device is subjected to below freezing temperatures. The purge head fits into the inner ring or aperture of the product load board to dispense the purge gases directly onto the circuit board on which the device under test is mounted to prevent moisture buildup during cold testing of the device under test.

Integrated circuits, such as large scale integrated circuits and very large scale integrated circuits typically are tested under various conditions prior to the marketing and incorporating of such circuits into expensive electronic systems. To accomplish the testing, the integrated circuit device under test (DUT) is mounted on a circuit board, which in turn is mounted on and electrically interconnected with a product load board connected to a tester. Signals from the tester are applied through the load board to the circuit board on which the DUT is located to operate the DUT for the purpose of determining whether the various circuits of the DUT are functioning properly.
For some integrated circuit devices, the operating environment in which the device ultimately will be used may be subject to extreme temperatures, either very hot or very cold. Some fabrication defects or operation failures are manifested at only one or both of these extremes; so that it is necessary to test the operation of such devices at the temperature extremes which may be encountered in the subsequent utilization of the devices.
To test integrated circuit devices at cold temperatures, a freezer chamber which has an opening in a side wall with a collar around the opening is employed. The circuit board on which the DUT is mounted is firmly placed against the collar of the freezer to place the DUT in the interior freezer environment. The temperature of such a freezer for cold testing of integrated circuit devices may be -40.degree. C. to -57.degree. C. The opposite side of the circuit board on which the DUT is mounted, as well as the load board and the rest of the test apparatus, is located outside the freezer chamber, and, consequently, is exposed to significantly higher ambient temperatures. The interface between the below freezing temperatures applied to the DUT on the circuit board and ambient room temperatures on the other side of the circuit board frequently causes moisture condensation on the circuit board, as a result of the humidity in the ambient air in the test room. Obviously, moisture buildup can cause device test failures, since the moisture creates short circuits in the various circuit interconnections on the circuit board and between the circuit board and the load board of the test apparatus.
In the past, efforts have been made to direct a drying purge of nitrogen or other suitable gas through the inner ring or central opening of the load board onto the circuit board on which the DUT is mounted. Typically, a hose from a suitable utility monument for supplying the nitrogen purge is held in place in the test head by a foam wadding, with the expectation that the nitrogen then will pass through the test head, the ring or central opening in the load board, and from there onto the circuit board. If the hose is not accurately positioned in the center of the test head, however, the purge gases may be unequally applied to the circuit board of the DUT, and result in only drying of a part of the circuit board. Thus, device test failures and down time still are incurred. Even for a set up which operates acceptably for a period of time, misalignment through jarring of the hose carrying the purge gases or other parts of the apparatus, subsequently may lead to failure of a complete purge of the circuit board.
It is desirable to provide a purge director apparatus which directs the purge gases through the load board in an efficient and controlled manner to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.

Purge apparatus for integrated circuit test system


The glide runner support of the present invention is comprised of a pair of longitudinal members, spaced apart and aligned parallel with one another, each one being formed having a centrally located longitudinal interior channel extending the length thereof with a stop at one end. A holding bracket forming "C-shaped" flanges is integrally formed on each end of the longitudinal members for attachment of a support frame. A container such as a drawer, wire basket, or other organizer container having a pair of support members extending therefrom, such as a pair of support rods or lips, slidably engage the longitudinal interior channels of the longitudinal members.. The glide runner support is designed with the longitudinal members being bowed slightly inward so that the application of external pressure, such as is generated by a heavy object held within the organizer, creates tension between the container support members and the longitudinal interior channels; thereby resulting in a trussing effect by the support members against the longitudinal interior channel walls to control the sliding movement of the container. Interaction of the stop member within the longitudinal interior channels of the longitudinal members limit the reciprocating movement of the container within the glide runner support.

Conventional cabinet and closet drawer organizers have relatively long carriers for containers, such as drawers or wire baskets to hold objects for storage. Items placed at the back of the organizer drawers are often difficult to reach, and sometimes items within the drawer must be removed to reach a particular item, or a drawer must be removed in order to remove the item. Shelving manufacturer's have attempted to solve the problem by installing complicated rail and roller systems to support and guide the container within a support frame so that an upper drawer may be slidably moved to expose the contents of the lower drawer. Existing systems usually consist of track elements integrally formed within the sides of the drawers. These conventional systems are designed for a particular drawer or frame, noninterchangeable, and usually consists of several moving parts which wear out causing binding of the movable support system. Replacement of a track system, or installation of a track system within a drawer having no track system requires precise measurement and location of the track components.
Hence, the shelving and drawer industry has for many years attempted to provide a solution to provide easier access for the user to hard to reach storage areas. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 2,946,458 shows a reciprocating tray unit in the form of a wire basket made from rods, wherein the tray or basket is mounted on loops which pass over and around the rails of base member so as to reciprocate thereon. U.S. Pat. No. 4,025,013 shows a base support platform having an extension leg for a dish drainer. U.S. Pat. No. 5,367,218 shows a basket frame formed of wire members adapted to rest in and slide along L-shaped tracks. U.S. Pat. No. 3,082,879 shows a receptacle of wire rod construction forming a tray wherein the bottom of the receptacle has wire rod loops welded to the under side of rods. Moreover, U.S. Pat. No. 3,114,459 teaches a record holding file having an open framework formed of rods and a bottom rail supported on tracks. Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,298 shows an extractable carriage formed of a tray mounted on supporting frames which slide on tracks. Yet another reference, U.S. Pat. No. 2,971,655 shows a conventional reciprocating tray formed of wire elements and adapted to slide in a guide via rollers.
The glide runner support system of the present invention provides a means for reciprocal movement of a containers or other such organizers closer to the user with a minimum of effort, and to hold the organizer at a desired location without the user having to engage any type of special stop or latch means. Moreover, the present invention can be utilized in existing frame support systems or with simple and inexpensive tubular frames. Furthermore, the present support glide runner system has interchangeable members and is readily adaptable for supporting multi-layer container units.


An information storage medium is designed to assure stable continuous recording without adverse effect, even when many defective areas are present on the information storage medium. To record information onto the information storage medium, a file unit is defined as a first unit. A contiguous data area unit to be treated as a continuous recording area is defined as a second unit. Furthermore, recording is done in the contiguous data area units and a collection of the contiguous data area units is organized into the file unit. In addition, an information recording place is provided in such a manner that the contiguous data area unit is so set that it extends over the recording area of another file already recorded on the information storage medium and a defective area on the information storage medium.

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Applications No. 10-265270, filed Sep. 18, 1998; No. 10-292819, filed Sep. 30, 1998; No. 10-292821, filed Sep. 30, 1998; No. 10-292823, filed Sep. 30, 1998; No. 10-292826, filed Sep. 30, 1998; and No. 10-292827, filed Sep. 30, 1998, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
This invention relates to an information recording method, an information recording device, an information reproducing device, and an information storage medium which are suitable for recording various types of information, including video information and/or audio information, and further computer data, onto a recording medium.
In the information recording method and device, various types of information are recorded continuously onto an information storage medium without logical intermission. In the information storage medium, the recorded information includes information about a data structure that enables the recorded information to be managed effectively and reproduced continuously.
There are laser disks (LDS) and digital video (DVD) disks used as information storage mediums on which video information or audio information has been recorded. The information storage mediums, however, are only for playback use and have no defective area thereon.
There are DVD-RAM disks used as mediums for storing computer information. This type of medium enables additional recording. In addition, a method of replacing a defective area occurring on the information storage medium has been established.
One known method of replacing a defective area occurring in recording computer information on a RAM disk is a linear replacement process.
This process is a method of, when a defect has occurred, securing a replacement area in a spare area secured in another area physically separate from a user area and setting a logical block number (LBN) in the replacement area. In this method, when a defective area has occurred in the middle of recording or reproducing information onto or from a disk, the optical head has to record the data in the spare area in a physically separate position and thereafter return to the position where it interrupted the recording and resume recording the subsequent data. This results in the frequent movement of the optical head.
In the computer system, the control hierarchy is divided into a video recording and reproducing application software (hereinafter, abbreviated as recording/reproducing application) layer, a file system layer, and an optical disk drive (ODD) layer in the section for processing information and recording and reproducing information.
Commands acting as interfaces have been defined between the layers. Addresses dealt with at each layer differ from one level of hierarchy to another. Specifically, the recording/reproducing application layer deals with audio and video addresses (commonly known as AV addresses), the file system layer deals with logical sector numbers (LSN) or logical block numbers (LBN) on the basis of AV addresses, and the optical disk drive layer deals with physical sector numbers (PSN) on the basis of logical sector numbers (LSN) or logical block numbers (LBN).
Now, consider a case where video information or audio information according to the recording format of a DVD video disk is recorded on a DVD-RAM disk. As described above, when the linear replacement process is performed as a method of processing (replacing) a defect, each time a defective ECC block is encountered in recording, the head has to move back and fourth between the user area explained later and the spare area.
Such frequent access of the optical head in recording permits the amount of video information stored in the buffer memory to exceed the memory capacity because of the transfer speed and data amount of the input data, the access time in recording, the buffer memory capacity, and others, which makes continuous recording impossible.
Although it is hoped that video information to be recorded is managed in the video recording and reproducing application software layer without the burden of managing defects on the information storage medium, if many defective areas have occurred on the information storage medium, a conventional method permits the influence of defects in the information storage medium to extend even to the video recording and reproducing application software layer, which makes stable video information management difficult.
Furthermore, in the case of recordable and reproducible disks, there has been a desire that they should be used for not only AV data but also various types of information recording.
(1) It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide an information recording method, an information recording device, an information reproducing device, and an information storage medium which have specific recording units set therein and enable environmental setting to achieve stable video information management (specifically, a video information recording, reproducing, and editing method in a system) even if a defective area or another data area exists in the specific recording units. According to the present invention, there are also provided an information recording device and an information reproducing device which have a most suitable system for realizing the above environment.
(2) Another object of the present invention is to provide an information recording method, an information recording device, an information reproducing device, and an information storage medium which improve the method of managing AV file identification information to make it easier to identify and manage different types of data.
(3) Another object of the present invention is to provide an information recording method, an information recording device, an information reproducing device, and an information storage medium which maintain the boundary between specific data block units (for example, ECC units) using unused extents, thereby facilitating the error correction management of data and the additional recording process and management of subsequent data, when AV data is recorded.
(4) Another object of the present invention is to provide an information recording method, an information recording device, an information reproducing device, and an information storage medium which not only search in advance for a place where AV data is to be recorded to prevent data from being recorded in another data area or a defective area, but also have the function of securing a recording area to prevent errors in recording.
(5) Another object of the present invention is to provide an information recording method, an information recording device, an information reproducing device, and an information storage medium which always write data in, for example, error correction codes (ECC) block units in recording data in such a manner that they perform reading control at the beginning of writing, search for the recorded state of the error correction codes, and write data while maintaining the block units of the error correction codes, thereby improving the data writing efficiency and assuring the reliability of the error correcting process of data.
(6) Another object of the present invention is to provide an information recording method, an information recording device, an information reproducing device, and an information storage medium which are additionally provided with a file partial delete command, thereby enabling editing to be done more easily.
The foregoing objects are accomplished as follows:
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information recording method for recording information on an information storage medium as (i) an AV file storing audio data or video data and (ii) file management information for managing at least the AV file by recording the audio data or video data in the AV file as a plurality of extents that continuously store the audio data or the video data in the AV file with an empty extent provided at the end of the AV file and by recording the file management information including file entry information which includes information of entry positions of the AV file and another file. The file entry information includes information on an information length of audio data or video data indicating a length from a top point of the AV file to a top point of the empty extent and file type information.
A second aspect of the present invention includes an information recording apparatus that is provided that includes a head providing recording information to an information storage medium, a head moving mechanism configured to move the head relative to the information storage medium, and a control section configured to control the head moving mechanism to control movement of the head, and having a portion configured to provide the recording information to the head. The information storage medium is recorded to include (i) an AV file for storing audio data or video data that includes a plurality of extents that together continuously record the audio data or video data and an empty extent that is in an end region of the AV file, and (ii) file management information for managing at least the AV file, the file management information including file entry information which includes information of entry positions of the AV file and another file, and information of an information length of the audio data or video in the AV file, the information of an information length indicating a length from a top point of the AV file to a top point of the empty extent.
A third aspect of the present invention includes an information storage medium including (i) an AV file configured to store audio data or video data, the AV file including a plurality of extents that together continuously store the audio data or video data and an empty extent which is located in an end region of the AV file and (ii) file management information for managing at least the AV file. The file management information includes file entry information which includes information of entry positions of the AV file and another file, and information of an information length of the audio data or video data in the AV file. The information of an information length indicates a length from a top point of the AV file to a top point of the empty extent.
These three aspects of the present invention all include a size of the AV file being a total size of the length indicated by the information length and a size of the empty extent.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.

Information recording method apparatus and storage medium for recording information length as part of file entry information


Cosmetic compositions are provided containing a thickening system that includes a heterobiopolysaccharide gum such as xanthan gum, an inorganic thickening agent such as magnesium aluminum silicate and a polyacrylamide. These compositions are particularly effective with thickening C.sub.1 -C.sub.25 .alpha.-hydroxy carboxylic acids and salts thereof, especially at low pH. Furthermore, the combination thickening system functions to stabilize the compositions against phase separation.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to improved thickening systems for cosmetic compositions, particularly those in lotion and cream form.
2. The Related Art
Aqueous cosmetic compositions often require thickeners to achieve an aesthetically pleasing viscosity. Fluids that flow with a watery consistency too rapidly run off the treated skin areas. For a cosmetic to be effective, it often must have substantivity. Thickeners provide this substantivity. Furthermore, low viscosity formulas which may be skin effective nevertheless through their wateriness signal ineffectiveness to the consumer. Products of watery consistency are also aesthetically displeasing to consumers with expectations of rich and creamy products.
Countless numbers of thickening agents are known in the literature. Perhaps this plethora intimates that not all thickening agents are equally effective for any particular type of formulation.
Indeed, there are some formulations which are extremely difficult to thicken, and even if initially thickened may have storage stability problems. Low pH systems are particularly sensitive and difficult.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a thickener system and thickened cosmetic compositions of sufficiently aesthetically pleasing viscosity.
It is another object of the present invention to provide thickening systems for cosmetic compositions that are effective at low pH.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide thickening systems for water and oil emulsion cosmetic compositions that also function as stabilizers preventing phase separation.
These and other objects of the present invention will more readily become apparent from the description and examples which follow.

Chesebrough-Pond's USA Co., Division of Conopco, Inc.


A single-heating stage method for reclaiming or recovering metals like nickel and vanadium from a petroleum waste byproduct has three steps: melting the petroleum waste byproduct in a reducing atmosphere, generating agglomerated metal in the melted byproduct, and lifting the agglomerated metal to an exposed surface of the melted byproduct. The metal precipitates out of the molten byproduct, agglomerates into a separate portion, and rises to an exposed surface of the melted petroleum waste byproduct even though the metal may have greater density than the molten petroleum waste byproduct. The original petroleum waste byproduct stratifies into a byproduct remnant and the agglomerated metal disk. The agglomerated metal disk is separable from the byproduct remnant and may be additionally separated into constituent metals in those embodiments with multiple metals in the disk.

Gasification is a process that converts carbon-based materials and water into hydrogen and carbon monoxide from a controlled reaction of the carbon with oxygen and water at elevated temperatures. The resulting synthesis gas may be used to generate electric power or produce chemicals. However, the process also generates petroleum waste byproducts, including petroleum coke ash and petroleum coke slag. In most cases, the petroleum waste byproducts contain valuable metals such as nickel, vanadium, and iron.
Conventional methods have been used to extract metals from petroleum waste byproducts, but these methods typically require leaching (acid and/or base leaching.) The leaching is, in general, a lengthy and less ecological process that generates additional waste products and may require additional processing to remove the metals from the leachate, extractant, and/or sorbent.
Therefore, a need exists for a simplified process with no leaching requirements for recovering metals from source materials like petroleum waste byproducts and ore.

Method for recovering target materials from source materials


Magnesium and aluminum impurities may be removed from wet process phosphoric acid by adding a fluoride ion donating compound, such as hydrofluoric acid, for example, to thereby provide about four fluoride ions for each aluminum ion. Also, preferably, an aluminum ion donating compound, such as alum is added to the wet process acid to bring the aluminum ion to magnesium ion ratio up to about two to one to facilitate formation of crystalline compounds having the general stoichiometry MgAl.sub.2 F.sub.8. The treated filter grade acid is then further treated in a crystallizer to form large crystals which will readily precipitate so the purified liquid phase, low in magnesium and aluminum containing impurities, may be separated from the crystalline phase.

One process for the preparation of phosphoric acid is known as the "wet process". This process involves the acidulation of phosphate rock with a mineral acid such as sulfuric, phosphoric or nitric to produce the phosphoric acid. During acidulation of the rock there will be formed, in addition to the phosphoric acid, a solid precipitate. If sulfuric acid is the digesting acid the precipitate will include gypsum as its major constituent. In the conventional dihydrate process the aqueous phosphoric acid may be separated from the precipitate by filtration to produce a dilute or unconcentrated filter grade phosphoric acid product usually containing from 25-33% P.sub.2 O.sub.5. The resulting filter cake is countercurrently washed and eventually discharged. The filtrate from the cake washings are used as future cake washing solutions or are returned to the reaction section.
Phosphate rock contains various amounts of impurities and the level of impurities found in many remaining phosphate deposits is increasing. Among the increasing impurities are magnesium and/or aluminum containing compounds. When the phosphate rock is digested with sulfuric acid, as discussed above, the metal compounds (usually salts and oxides of the metal) may readily go into solution. These impurities may then form precipitates and settle out as solids or sludge over a period of many days or even months. The filtration rate of liquids containing dissolved metal ions and finely divided solids is low and the filter media is easily clogged. The metal ion containing impurities are difficult and costly to remove from the phosphoric acid because when precipitated they may carry with them very appreciable quantities of valuable P.sub.2 O.sub.5 which is so combined that it cannot be effectively removed by leaching with water or dilute acid.
Further, when the phosphoric acid (25-33% P.sub.2 O.sub.5) is concentrated the solubility of many of the initially soluble impurities may be exceeded and further precipitation occurs. Also problems may exist when the phosphoric acid is neutralized, or otherwise treated, as for example in the manufacture of liquid plant food, wherein wet process phosphoric acid and ammonia are reacted to produce a substantially neutral solution for use as a liquid plant food base. During the neutralization of the acid which contains the dissolved impurities the precipitation of sludge, especially magnesium containing salts, can occur. These impurities act to form deposits which may clog the transfer and distribution equipment. These impurities also result in loss of P.sub.2 O.sub.5 values and these sludges may hinder the removal of other types of impurities.
Various methods have been suggested in the prior art to obtain a more pure form of phosphoric acid. According to U.S. Pat. No. 3,935,298 iron impurities can be removed by mixing an alkali metal halide with the starting phosphate rock and firing the mixture at a temperature of 300 to 1100.degree. F. of before acidulation. U.S. Pat. No. 3,562,769 teaches the use of alkali metal salts as disintegration-preventing agents which can be used to retain impurities in a solid state while phosphoric acid is extracted, while U.S. Pat. No. 3,408,162 discloses that by adding a relatively small amount of an alkaline salt of lignosulfonic acid to the wet process phosphoric acid solid impurities may be maintained in suspension and crystal growth may be inhibited. U.S. Pat. No. 3,554,694 discloses use of a sodium salt addition in order to remove the fluorine present and obtain a commercially pure sodium fluosilicate.
Other methods exist for the removal of aluminum. U.S. Pat. No. 3,843,767 shows treatment of the original ore with pure phosphoric acid to obtain a low concentration of aluminum and iron impurities. U.S. Pat. No. 2,954,287 shows the use of sulfuric acid in combination with alkali salts in order to keep free aluminum concentration low. In another process, shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,494,736, silicon is first removed and then fluorine and sodium are added to form a crystalline sodim/aluminum/fluorine salt that is easily separable. One other process deals with the recovery of fluorine from phosphate ore which involves precipitating aluminum and fluorine in the form of fluoaluminate. See, for details, U.S. Pat. No. 3,512,927.
German Patent Application No. 2,046,295, based on U.S. patent application Ser. No. 866,752, recommends the addition of a source of soluble fluoride to wet process acid to precipitate magnesium impurities as magnesium-aluminum-fluoride salts. It proposes that the precipitation be induced in concentrated (45-53% P.sub.2 O.sub.5) wet process acid to avoid competition between silicon and aluminum for the added fluoride ion. However, the high viscosity of concentrated wet process acid makes phase separation difficult. Further, the process recommends adjustment of the aluminum to magnesium mole ratio to at least 1.11 and preferably 2.37 to 9.48. The fluoride to magnesium mole ratio is recommended to be at least 4.67 and preferably between 6.37 and 25.5.
It is believed that the foregoing processes have not obtained a high efficiency and that they tend to be heavily burdened with capital expense necessary for production equipment. The techniques involving precipitation of impurities have advantages over other potential purification techniques due to the simplicity and compatibility with existing phosphoric acid facilities. However, precipitated impurities within the acid can settle out to damage equipment and clog filters and they are responsible for a substantial loss of P.sub.2 O.sub.5 values.
It is therefore desired to obtain better quality phosphoric acid, and it is also desired to be able to remove the impurities in as large a quantity and as early in the process as is possible, without encountering substantial processing problems.

Removal of magnesium and aluminum impurities from wet process phosphoric acid


An information processing apparatus includes an authenticator that authenticates a user, an operation acceptor that, during a period in which an operating user is logged in, accepts an operation by the operating user, a setter that sets a setting value, a log-out detector that detects log-out of the operating user, a setting value maintainer that, in the case where the log-out is detected, associates a setting value, which is set at a time point at which the log-out is detected, with the operating user, and a recoverer that, in the case where the operating user associated with the setting value stored is authenticated, sets a setting value to the setting value stored in the setting value maintainer, wherein the setting value maintainer, in the case where a user different from the operating user associated with the setting value stored is authenticated, does not delete the stored setting value.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a setting continuation method and a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium encoded with a setting continuation program. More specifically, the present invention relates to an information processing apparatus that automatically detects the log-out of a user, a setting continuation method performed in the information processing apparatus and a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium encoded with a setting continuation program.
Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a technology for authenticating a user based on authentication information received from a portable device when an information processing apparatus becomes communicable with the portable device carried by the user has been known, and this technology can be applied to an information processing apparatus such as an MFP (Multi Function Peripheral). Because the user is authenticated by the MFP only by being close to the MFP 100 while carrying the portable device, an operation performed by the user for authentication can be simplified.
However, the user sometimes moves away from the MFP temporarily in the middle of an operation of the MFP. For example, it includes the case where the user carries sheets of paper to fill a tray in the MFP from another location or the case where the user forgets to bring a document for copying and returns to a desk to fetch the document. In this case, at a time point at which the MFP can no longer communicate with the portable device carried by the user, the MFP determines that the user is logged out and executes a log-out process. Generally, when executing the log-out process, the MFP changes a setting value, which is set by that time point, to a default value, so that the user must restart settings from the beginning at a time point at which the user logs in again.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2014-191402 discloses an information processing apparatus including a pseudo-log-out execution means that, in the case where a user requests to log out, cancels a process of log-out and creates a pseudo-log-out state by preventing an user operation and viewing of a screen while maintaining a log-in session, and a log-in request process means that, in the case where the user requests to log in after pseudo-log-out, confirms whether a pseudo-logged-out user matches the user who requests to log in, characterized in that the log-in request process means, in the case where the pseudo-logged-out user and the user who requests to log in are different from each other, requests an OS to execute a log-out process of the pseudo-logged-out user and a log-in process of the user who requests to log in.
However, in the case where another user logs in, the information processing apparatus described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2014-191402 executes the log-out process. Thus, in the case where the other user logs in, there is a problem that the setting value is erased. Meanwhile, in the case where the user sets the setting value and then allows the MFP to execute a process, the setting value is no longer necessary. In the case where the user allows the MFP to execute a process and then requests to log out, the unnecessary setting value is kept stored. Thus, there is a problem that a default setting value is not displayed in the case of the next log-in request.

Information processing apparatus, setting continuation method and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium encoded with setting continuation program


In an electronic musical instrument, two or more pulse signals different in phase are generated each having a frequency corresponding to the tonal pitch of an operated key, an envelope waveshape is read out upon every key operation, sampling is executed on the envelope waveshape by means of these pulse signals, and polarities of sample values are converted in reference to these pulse signals for generation of a corresponding musical tone waveshape. Minimized use of arithmetic circuits such as adders and multipliers greatly reduces production cost whilst assuring generation of a wide variety of colorful, noise-free musical tones. By addition of a slope conversion circuit, abrupt shift in the generated musical tone waveshapes can well be disappeared.

The present invention relates to an electronic musical instrument, and more particularly relates to an electronic musical instrument which is capable of generating musical tones without use of any intricate arithmetic circuit or circuits including a number of multipliers and/or adders.
A wide variety of electronic musical instruments have been proposed in order to carry out various arithmetic operations and they in general include very complicated arithmetic circuits made up of a number of multipliers and/or adders. Inclusion of such intricate arithmetic circuit naturally causes enlargement in construction and, consequently, increase in production cost.


A heater coil for an electron tube includes a spiral wire which is double wound to be cylindrical, and a connection wire which is formed on an upper face of the spiral wire in a horizontal plane. The connection wire is shaped to have at least two bent portions on the same plane.

Recently, an indirect heated cathode is used for an electron tube such as a TWT (travellingwave tube) an a klystron. The cathode is usually heated by a heater coil positioned thereunder. In the electron tube, when the cathode is heated to a predetermined temperature, thermionics are emitted from an emission face of the cathode.
A first conventional heater coil of a side-cross-single-spiral type is made of a single wire including a spiral wire double wound to be cylindrical and lead wires extending to a vertical direction for being connected to a power supply. The heater coil is provided with a U shaped bent portion at a top thereof.
In the conventional electron tube, when a predetermined voltaghe is applied to the lead wires, the cathode pellet is heated, and thermionics are emitted from the emission face of the cathode pellet.
A second conventional heater coil of top-cross-single-spiral type is made of a single wire including a spiral wire double-wound to be cylindrical, a connection wire extending in a diametral direction of the spiral wire, and lead wires connected to a power supply.
A third conventional heater coil of top-cross-double-spiral type is shaped to be top-cross-single-spiral shape in the same manner as the second conventional heater coil by using a spiraled wire.
According to the first to third conventional heater coils, however there is a disadvantage in that electrons emitted from the cathode are disturbed by a magnetic field generated to be changed around the heater coil heated by an AC power supply. Therefore, a noise is included in an output signal amplified by the electron tube.


Data is written into a circular buffer at an address pointed to by a write pointer. A number is written into the address with the data. Each time the circular buffer is traversed by the write pointer this number increments modulo a predetermined number. This number makes the circular buffer appear longer than it really is and can be used to identify underruns. The buffer has application in a segmentation and reassembly device for ATM constant bit rate services.

This invention relates to digital communications, and more particularly to a method of managing a circular buffer.
Circular buffers are used in many applications where, for example, data may arrive at a varying rate and need to be read out at a constant rate. A particular application of circular buffers is in ATM circuit emulation services, where cells carrying constant bit rate data arrive at varying times determined by CDV (Cell Delay Variation), and the data contained in the cells has to be read out onto a TDM bus at a constant rate.
In a circular buffer, it is of course possible for the incoming data to get too far ahead of the reading of the outgoing data for the size of the buffer, in which case unread data will be overwritten by new data and an xe2x80x9coverrunxe2x80x9d will occur. Similarly, if the new data arrives at an insufficient rate to replenish the data in the buffer, the read-pointer will re-read old data, and in this case an xe2x80x9cunderrunxe2x80x9d occurs. It is important to be able to identify buffer underruns and overruns.
Mitel Corporation makes a SAR (Segmentation and Reassembly) device sold under product number MT90500 for creating TDM data streams from incoming ATM cells, which are written into circular buffers (one for each TDM channel). A single-bit flag in the data circular buffer is used to indicate whether the data in a memory location has been read. This bit is cleared upon data writes and is set (written to xe2x80x981xe2x80x99) after the data is read, to indicate that the data has been read.
Additionally, the MT90500 and other devices overwrite the circular buffer data itself with FFh (or some other pre-specified pattern) to indicate that the data has been read.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,038 discloses a method of using wrap bits in a circular buffer to indicate whether a queue of the circular buffer has been traversed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,978,868 discloses a system for generating buffer status flags by comparing read and write pointers and determining direction of progression of a read-pointer with respect to a write pointer.
An object of the present invention is to permit the identification of read underruns without the need for semaphore flags.
According to the present invention there is provided a method of managing a circular buffer, comprising writing data into said circular buffer at an address pointed to by a write pointer, and writing into said address a first number that increments modulo a predetermined number each time said circular buffer is traversed by the write pointer.
The number is preferably in the form of a most significant bits (MSB) extension of the write pointer. It typically consists of two extra bits, which permit four distinct rotations 0, 1, 2, 3, 0, 1, 2, 3, 0, 1, 2, etc. These two extra bits are written into the circular buffer alongside the circular buffer data. The two extra bits are called xe2x80x9cturnsxe2x80x9d. The number could also consist of a single bit.
A similar number is incremented each time the read pointer traverses the circular buffer. When data is read from the circular buffer, the number associated with the read pointer is compared to the number associated with the data in the buffer. This enables the validity of the data to be checked (i.e., to determine whether or not an underrun has occurred). Typically, the number associated with the read pointer is also in the form of an extension to the read pointer, typically two extra most significant bits.
This technique permits the system to distinguish between a short-duration underrun and a long-duration underrun or between an overrun and an underrun by the magnitude of the difference in the xe2x80x9cturnsxe2x80x9d bits associated with the data in the buffer address being read and the read pointer.
In another aspect the invention provides a circular buffer comprising a plurality of address locations for storing data; a write pointer for pointing to an address in said circular buffer where incoming data is to be written; a read pointer for pointing to an address in said circular buffer from which data is to be read out; and each of said buffer addresses including a register portion storing a first number associated with said write pointer, said first number incrementing modulo a predetermined number each time said circular buffer is traversed by the write pointer.

Method of validating data in circular buffers


A lens barrel includes: a lens holding frame holding a lens; a mounting member to which the lens holding frame is mounted; an inclination regulating member regulating a position of the lens holding frame with respect to the mounting member, thereby regulating inclination of the lens holding frame with respect to an optical axis; and an eccentricity regulating member regulating the position of the lens holding frame with respect to said mounting member, thereby regulating eccentricity of the lens holding frame with respect to the optical axis, in which the eccentricity regulating member is supported by said inclination regulating member.

The present disclosure relates to a lens barrel and an image pickup apparatus including the same. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a lens barrel in which miniaturization and facilitation of a regulating work can be realized in such a way that an eccentricity regulating member for regulating eccentricity of a lens holding frame with respect to an optical axis is supported by an inclination regulating member for regulating inclination of the lens holding frame with respect to the optical axis.
Various kinds of image pickup apparatuses such as a still camera include first type one in which a lens barrel in which various kinds of optical parts and optical elements such as lenses are disposed is built in an apparatus main body, second type one in which an interchangeable lens functioning as a lens barrel is made detachable for an apparatus main body, third type one, that is, so-called retractable type one in which a lens barrel is extensively provided, and the like.
In an optical system in a lens barrel of such an image pickup apparatus, in recent years, merely simply assembling the lenses (lens group) result in that it has been very difficult to ensure the excellent optical performance.
In order to cope with such a situation, after the whole of or a part of the lens barrel has been assembled, a part of the lenses (lens group) disposed inside the lens barrel is inclined, and a regulating mechanism which is capable of eccentrically moving the lenses (lens group) is provided. Thus, there is carried out the optical regulation (inclination regulation and eccentricity regulation) for ensuring the excellent image quality.
In addition, after such optical regulation has been carried out, for the purpose of preventing the optical performance from being changed after completion of the regulation, a lens holding frame for holding the lenses for which the regulation has been carried out is fixed to a mounting member such as a guide tube or a movement ring by, for example, using an ultraviolet cure adhesive agent or the like.
An existing image pickup apparatus in which the optical regulation as described above for the lenses (lens group) is carried out includes an example as will be described below (refer to FIG. 2 of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-219405 (Patent Document 1), for example).
In an image pickup apparatus described in Patent Document 1, a five-group holding plate provided with a regulating mechanism is fixed to a head portion of an extension portion of a three-group holding frame. Also, a five-group holding frame for holding a fifth lens group is held in the three-group holding frame through the five-group holding plate by both of a first regulating member and a second regulating member.
The first regulating member is an eccentric member, and thus regulation for eccentricity of the fifth lens group with respect to an optical axis can be carried out by regulating a rotational direction of the eccentric member. In addition, the second regulating member is also an eccentric member, and thus regulation for inclination of the fifth lens group with respect to the optical axis can be carried out by regulating the rotational direction of the eccentric member.


A low population, drought-tolerant annual soybean (Glycine max) variety, in one example known as soybean variety ‘210197’, seed used to produce the soybean, and methods of using the soybean plant and the seed are provided.

The soybean (Glycine max) is a species of legume native to East Asia and widely grown for its edible bean. Varieties of soybeans are used for many purposes, including being processed into soybean meal and vegetable oil. Traditional fermented food uses of soybeans include soy sauce, fermented bean paste, natto, and tempeh, among others. Examples of non-fermented food uses include soy milk, tofu and tofu skin. Soybeans are thus a globally important crop, providing oil and protein. To maximize crop yield plant population and soil conditions including adequate water supply must be controlled.

Low population, drought tolerant soybean variety


A light emitting diode can emit light along an axis. An optic can be positioned to direct the emitted light off of the axis. The optic can comprise a base and a projection that rises from the base towards the light emitting diode. The projection can comprise a cavity that is oriented to receive the light emitted by the light emitting diode. The cavity can be slanted relative to the axis of the light emitting diode. A convex surface disposed at the bottom of the cavity can condense, focus, or collimate light. The projection can further comprise sides that totally internally reflect light.

As compared to incandescent and fluorescent light sources, light emitting diodes (LEDs) offer substantial potential benefit associated with their energy efficiency, light quality, and compact size. However, to realize the full potential benefits offered by light emitting diodes, new technologies are needed.
For instance, there are needs in the art for technology to utilize light emitting diodes for illumination. Need exists for optics and light-emitting-diode-based systems that can direct light laterally. Need exists for an optic or an optical system that can receive light from a light source that has an axis and steer the received light off of the axis. Further need exists for an improved wall wash lighting system. A capability addressing one or more such needs, or some other related deficiency in the art, would support improved illumination and more widespread utilization of light emitting diodes in lighting applications.

Apparatus for providing off-axis illumination


A socket wrench has a rotatable cylindrical body with an elongated interior channel for storing a plurality of nuts. The channel has a nut opening at a first end for receiving and removing nuts from the channel. A longitudinally slidable and axially rotatable roller grip assembly is provided on the exterior of the body. The roller grip assembly is attached to an interior backplate that moves longitudinally within the body channel. The roller grip assembly allows an operator both to urge the stored nuts toward the nut opening of the wrench, eject the nuts from the chamber, and to hold the wrench while the body is rotating.

The present invention relates to multiple nut capacity socket wrenches.
Standard impact socket wrenches are currently used to attach and remove nuts on automobile wheels by placing the socket over the nut, unscrewing the nut, and then removing the nut from the tool. Using currently available socket tools, nuts are attached by initially screwing on the nut by hand and then using the socket tool to completely screw on the nut. This process currently used to change nuts on automobile tires and other devices requires much handling and is thus time consuming, and there is a risk that a nut, after being unscrewed, will be lost.
In addition, the entire standard impact socket wrench usually must be replaced after 8 to 12 months of continuous use. Because a wheel lug nut is recessed into the rim of the tire, only the "hex" part of the nut protrudes for the wrench to access. Therefore, when the nuts are unscrewed using an impact gun, all of the "breaking" impact force of the wrench is applied to the tip of the nut barrel, causing the very tip of the nut barrel to receive extreme wear during use.
It therefore an object of the present invention to provide a multiple nut socket tool that automatically stores each nut as it is unscrewed and then either allows all of the nuts that are stored in the tool to be ejected from the tool or allows the nuts to be attached to studs on the wheel by positioning the tool against the stud and spinning on the nut.
It is an additional object to provide a socket tool that has a roller grip assembly that moves longitudinally along the body of the tool and rotates relative to the tool body, allowing an operator to grip the tool and to control the movement of nuts into and out of the tool.
It is a further object to provide a multiple nut socket tool that has a replaceable insert tip, allowing the area of extreme wear to be replaced without replacing the entire tip.


A display panel includes: a substrate on which a plurality of feed terminals corresponding to a plurality of pixels are provided; a plurality of pixel electrodes corresponding to the respective pixels; a common electrode common to the pixels; and a plurality of light-emitting layers corresponding to the respective pixels and provided between the pixel electrodes and the common electrode. In plan view, within each of the pixels, the light-emitting layer and the feed terminal do not overlap, feed terminals of each column of pixels are provided in a column, and the common electrode is electrically connected to conductive layers, the conductive layers each having a shape of a line that overlaps a corresponding one of the columns of feed terminals. Accordingly, the display panel achieves a high aperture ratio even with the conductive layers formed therein.

One example of an EL display panel is an organic EL display panel that uses the phenomenon of electroluminescence occurring in an organic material. In a top-emission type organic EL display panel, a plurality of pixels that each include a pixel electrode, an organic light-emitting layer, and a common electrode are arranged in a matrix, for example. In such an organic EL display panel, in order to prevent a voltage drop that occurs in a common electrode with increasing size of a screen of the panel, a conductive layer (so-called busbar) electrically connected to the common electrode is formed in a region that does not overlap the pixels. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, a conductive layer 902 is formed to have the shape of a line extending row-wise (in the X-axis direction). Specifically, the conductive layer 902 is formed row-wise between lines that are each made up of a plurality of pixels 901 arranged row-wise (in the X-axis direction).


High concentration-low viscosity polymer-polyols are prepared by polymerizing mixtures of acrylonitrile and styrene in polyols, which are free of any polymerizable carbon-carbon double bond, in the presence of alkyl-substituted tertiary amines. Without use, as a dispersion stabilizer, of organic compounds which have a polymerizable carbon-carbon double bond and terminal hydroxyl groups, there can be obtained polymer-polyols which have a concentration of the polymer of 33-60 wt % and a glass transition temperature of the polymer of 90.degree.-120.degree. C.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for preparing polymer-polyols, polymer-polyols obtained by the process and polyurethane foams using the polymer-polyols. More particularly, the invention relates to a process for preparing polymer-polyols by polymerizing ethylenically unsaturated monomers in polyols free of any polymerizable carbon-carbon double bond in the presence of alkyl-substituted tertiary amines, to the polymer-polyols obtained by the process. and to polyurethane foams which are obtained by reaction between the polymer-polyols and polyisocyanates in the presence of foaming agents. catalysts, foam stabilizers and other additives.
2. Description of the Related Art
Processes for preparing polymer-polyols by polymerizing ethylenically unsaturated monomers in polyols are known in the art. Polymer-polyols are generally poor in dispersion stability and high in viscosity. To solve this, it is known to use chain transfer agents. There have been proposed processes wherein alkyl mercaptans are used as the chain transfer agent to obtain polymer-polyols with a low viscosity (U.S. Pat. No. 3,953,393 and Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 01-221403).
However. the polymer-polyols obtained by these processes have the problem of offensive odor. Moreover, because the rapid rise of viscosity cannot be suppressed when the concentration of the polymer is increased, it is difficult to obtain polymer-polyols of practical value.
Further, there has also been proposed a process which makes use of the chain transfer agents including mercaptans, ketones, alcohols, aldehydes, halogen compounds, benzene derivatives and, particularly, isopropyl alcohol (Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 58-210917). However, this process has to use large amounts of isopropyl alcohol in order to reduce the viscosity of a highly concentrated polymer-polyol. This leads to the problem that a large amount of energy is required for removing, purifying or collecting the alcohol.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Applications Nos. 50-149778 and 51-17924 set forth the use of organic compounds having a polymerizable carbon-carbon double bond and terminal hydroxyl groups as a dispersion stabilizer, which are apparently different from the present invention. Alternatively, there has been proposed a process wherein amines such as morpholine are used as a reaction regulator (Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 63-146912). In this process, however, a macromer containing an unsaturated bond consisting of a fumarate group is used as a dispersion stabilizer. This is completely different from the present invention. Although the use of the macromer is effective in stabilizing particles, there arises a problem of increasing the viscosity of the polyol. If morpholine which is a secondary amine is used, it is not possible to obtain polymer-polyols having good reaction curability.

Polyurethane foam prepared from high concentration-low viscosity polymer-polyol


The electron gun includes a pair of electrodes between which a resistive lens structure comprising a stack of alternate apertured plates and resistive blocks is disposed. The stack comprises a first section which has two resistive blocks between each adjacent pair of electrode plates and a second section which has one resistive block between each adjacent pair of electrode plates. The lens is thereby adapted to operate with a potential profile which comprises a compound linear slope in a 1:2 ratio.

This invention relates to electron guns for television picture tubes and particularly to electron guns which include extended focus lenses of the resistive type.
As used herein, the term resistive lens means an electrostatic focus lens in which the potential profile of the lens is established by a resistive voltage divider along the length of the lens. One type of such lens disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,932,786, issued to F. J. Campbell on Jan. 13, 1976, comprises a series of apertured metal plates which are connected to spaced taps along the voltage divider. The apertured plates are supported in fixed relationship by embedding their edges along a glass support rod which also serves as a substrate for the voltage divider resistor deposited thereon.
A modification of the Campbell-type of resistive lens is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,091,144, issued to J. Dresner et al on May 23, 1978, and in a copending application, Ser. No. 51,400, filed June 25, 1979 by B. Abeles. In this modification, the apertured plates are alternately stacked with a plurality of insulator blocks, e.g. ceramic, which are coated on at least one face with a resistive material. The plates and blocks are so arranged that a high resistance continuity is established along the stack of blocks and plates from one end to the other. When a potential difference is applied across the stack, current flow is created which results in each electrode plate of the stack having a different voltage applied to it.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,124,810, issued Nov. 7, 1978 to D. P. Bortfeld et al, teaches the desirability of the potential profile of a focus lens being exponential-like along the beam path. This can be achieved in the Abelestype resistive lens simply by grading the resistance values of successive blocks along the lens stack. However, such a procedure is costly and complex in that each resistive block must be pretested and selected as to its specific resistance, and then these blocks must be carefully handled so that the blocks are correctly assembled in their proper order in the resistive stack.
For purposes of simplicity herein, no distinction is made herein between axial potential profile of a lens, i.e., the potential profile along the electron beam axis through the lens, and surface potential profile of a lens, i.e., the potential profile along the surfaces of the electrode elements of the lens in the axial direction. In practice they differ slightly, the axial profile usually being a smoothed art replica of the surface profile.
We have discovered that the optimum exponential-like voltage profile of a lens can be closely approximated by two linear slopes (i.e., linear voltage gradients) without greatly increasing lens aberrations. Furthermore, we have discovered that the values of these two linear slopes can be established, preferably with a 1:2 ratio, either in a preferred tripotential type of lens system or, in its simpliest form, in a conventional bipotential type lens or modifications thereof, such that a resistive lens according to the Abeles teaching can be constructed using only one value of resistive block, thereby greatly simplifying and cost-reducing the construction of such lenses.
As used here, the term "tripotential" describes a lens system comprising at least three electrodes, the first of which along the beam path is operated at an intermediate potential, the second at a minimum potential, and the third at the ultor or screen potential of the electron tube incorporating the lens. Electron guns having axial potential profiles of this general class are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,995,194, issued to A. P. Blacker, Jr. et al on Nov. 30, 1976.
The terms "resistive lens stack" and "resistive lens structure" are used interchangeably herein, and mean either:
(a) a portion of a total lens stack comprising a series of electrode plates and one aligned row of resistive blocks, or PA1 (b) the entire lens stack comprising a series of electrode plates and all resistive blocks thereof including those situations where a portion of the stack has two or more resistive blocks in each stage thereof.

Simplified resistive lens electron gun with compound linear voltage profile


The invention relates to bulk polyurethane ionomers prepared by the reaction (A) an isocyanate terminated ionic prepolymer with (B) a hydrocarbon polyol chain extender, said prepolymer having been prepared from (i) an excess of diisocyanate, (ii) a mixture comprising a diol and an organic polyol having three or more reactive hydroxyl moieties each having a molecular weight of from about 250 to about 6,000 and (iii) a difunctional isocyanate-reactive component containing an ionic group or potential ionic group.

This invention relates to a bulk polymerized ionic polyurethane and is more particularly concerned with improved bulk polymerized ionic polyurethanes whose soft segment polyol component comprise high levels of triols along with the conventional diols.
Bulk polymerized polyurethanes are prepared in the absence of solvents. Such polyurethanes may be polymerized by an oneshot process wherein all of the ingredients are contacted under polymerization conditions. Alternatively, such polyurethanes may be prepared by a prepolymer process, wherein the polyol and isocyanate components are reacted such that an excess of isocyanate groups are present. Thereafter the prepolymer is reacted with a chain extender to form the polymer. The bulk polyurethanes may be polymerized into a final shape or processed into another form after polymerization. The bulk polyurethanes are useful in preparing shaped articles, films and in laminates.
Bulk polyurethanes do not exhibit the toughness which is required for some uses. Further, bulk polyurethanes do not demonstrate the adhesion properties desired for certain laminate applications.
What is needed is a bulk polyurethane with improved toughness and adhesion properties.


A method for authenticating a user transaction based upon scanned wireless signals is disclosed and includes receiving a wireless fingerprint from a mobile unit associated with a transaction by a user at a location, determining if the received wireless fingerprint matches a stored wireless fingerprint associated with the location, and authorizing the transaction if the received wireless fingerprint matches the stored wireless fingerprint associated with the location. If the location is not known or known as a “bad” location, additional information to authenticate the user or transaction can be requested from the user via a phone call, push notification within an application or a text message.

Systems exist for allowing for third party or second factor authentication by using a software application or proprietary hardware device like a USB dongle with an electronic connection or key fob token which displays a rolling code. This data is augmented with traditional security methods such as a user name and password to ensure that a person logging into a secure network or system is who they say they are, via the presence of this second factor. Called TFA, T-FA or 2FA, this requires the server to be presented with of "two or more" of the three authentication "factors" before allowing access or a transaction. The security model employs "something the user knows", "something the user has", and "something the user is" and is more secure than just a username and password combination.

Automatication of a user transaction based upon scanned wireless signals


Classification preprocessing is provided for medical ultrasound shear wave imaging. In response to stress, the displacement at one or more locations in a patient is measured. The displacement over time is a curve representing a shift in location. One or more characteristics of the curve, such as signal-to-noise ratio and maximum displacement, are used to classify the location. The location is classified as fluid or fluid tissue, solid tissue, or non-determinative. Subsequent shear imaging may provide shear information for locations of solid tissue and not at other locations.

The present embodiments relate to ultrasound imaging. In particular, ultrasound shear wave imaging may be improved.
Shear wave velocity information may be useful for diagnosis. Shear wave information may indicate tissue characteristics in addition to acoustic impedance (e.g., B-mode) and Doppler (e.g., flow mode) imaging. However, the complexity of shear wave propagation in tissue may result in significant errors. For example, shear wave velocity may be less accurately determined for fluid or fluid tissue, resulting in seemingly arbitrary values.
To remove the effects of fluid from shear wave images, fluid regions may be separated from solid tissue regions by measuring the flow after stirring. For stirring, acoustic energy is used to generate streaming in fluid. A correlation coefficient between successive or sequential echo signals is computed to distinguish solid tissue from the stirred fluid. However, in live scanning, the motion of solid tissue may produce the same magnitude of decorrelation as fluid motion induced by the acoustic energy stirring. The ability to distinguish may be limited.

Classification preprocessing in medical ultrasound shear wave imaging


An apparatus and method for managing a memory is disclosed. A discharging unit discharges overcharged bit lines in memory. The discharging unit discharges the bit lines after a predetermined time after the last memory access. The discharging unit also discharges the bit lines after a microprocessor comes out of a low power mode.

Static memories, whether implemented as stand alone memory units or used in a processor register file or cache, typically comprise an array of memory cells arranged in rows and columns. In one such memory unit, the CMOS SRAM comprises two conductors called bit lines. The contents of memory cells are read by applying an input voltage to a selected word line, or row, and sensing which bit line experiences a change in voltage. The bit lines act as capacitors and are typically precharged to a predetermined voltage prior to reading the memory location. The state assumed by a selected memory cell determines which bit line, the true bit line or the complement bit line, will be discharged toward ground when the cell is read.
Typical prior art memories use a sense amplifier coupled to the bit lines to sense the state of the selected bit lines. One type of sense amplifier is a differential sense amplifier that has the bit lines as its inputs. The sense amplifier amplifies the voltage difference between the true and complement bit lines. If the difference between the bit lines is a positive value, the sense amplifier indicates that the memory cell is programmed to a first logical state. If the difference between the bit line voltages is a negative value, the sense amplifier indicates that the memory cell is programmed to a second logical state. The sense amplifiers are designed to sense within a narrow active range.
With increased performance requirements of computer systems, memory units with enhanced performance are required.
Thus, what is needed is a memory unit with faster access time.


Residua comprises upgraded by first partitioning a hydrocracked residua into a vapor fraction and a liquid fraction. The vapor fraction is hydrotreated forming a first hydrotreated product. The liquid fraction is partitioned into a residua fraction and a light liquid fraction. The light liquid fraction can be hydrotreated or hydrocracked to form a hydroprocessed product. The hydrotreated product and the hydroprocessed product are then combined forming a substantially upgraded synthetic crude product refinable as a routine crude in a refinery into products that meet stringent specifications. In particular, residua can be upgraded to make a quality jet fuel fraction and a naphtha fraction containing less than 1 ppmw sulfur and nitrogen.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to methods of upgrading the products derived from the cracking of residua in petroleum refining, particularly methods involving upgrading non-catalytic hydrocracked residua, and especially methods of hydroprocessing hydrocracked residua.
2. State of the Art
Modern requirements for petroleum products place a premium on light, clean burning transportation fuels. Such fuels should be low in sulfur, metals, nitrogen, and aromatic compounds. New requirements place limits on the concentrations of sulfur that can be present in diesel fuel, and requirements for a low smoke point place restrictions on total aromatic compounds allowed in jet fuel. A continuing problem for refiners is producing as much valuable light transportation fuels from crude as possible that meet all relevant specifications.
A particular problem has always been the treatment of residua, the portion of a distilled crude left in the pot after distillation, residua usually being defined as the portion that boils at greater than 560.degree. [C. (1050.degree. F.). Residual are heavy and contain most of the material that degrades the quality of petroleum, for example, metals and sulfur, as well as high molecular weight polynuclear aromatic compounds. High quality light crudes that produce less residua are becoming more scarce in the world, and the heavy crudes remaining tend to make more residua when refined. For example the tar sands of Canada, heavy Mayan crude, Venezuelan crude, and Arabian heavy all produce an abundance of residua when processed. Consequently, refiners increasingly have to face the problem of how to upgrade more residua into a commercial product. It is important that as much residua be turned into naphtha, jet fuel, diesel, and other light transportation fuels as possible.
One method for upgrading residua is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,851,107 issued to Kretschamar et al. That process teaches that a fuel, for example, jet fuel (boiling range 150.degree. C.-355.degree. C. (300.degree. F.-520.degree. F.)), is produced by catalytically hydrocracking the entire residua fraction and then subjecting most of the hydrocrackate product to hydroprocessing under severe conditions. The heaviest portion of the hydrocrackate is not hydroprocessed at all, but is combined with the treated lighter portion. Then the combined product is refined as a synthetic crude to produce the fuel products.
However, the treatment described in U.S Pat. No. 4,851,107 presents several problems. First, the heavier portion of the hydroprocessed fraction tends to be cracked during hydroprocessing under severe conditions. This results in the production of large concentrations of light sulfur, nitrogen, and aromatic components, fragments derived from the heavier components of the feed, being included in the lighter boiling fractions. Therefore, the final jet fuel product may not meet the quality jet fuel specification of including no more than 20 vol.% aromatic content. If the hydrotreating conditions are severe enough the quality jet fuel specification may be met, but at the price of creating a naphtha fraction that has too much sulfur and nitrogen to be a suitable reformer feedstock. A reformer feedstock should have less than one part per million of both sulfur and nitrogen.
Second, the hydrocrackate contains components of widely varying molecular weights and boiling points. Therefore, the conditions for hydroprocessing most of the various components of the hydrocrackate cannot be optimized. Consequently, portions of the hydrocrackate feed can be "over" processed, destroying desired components, whereas other portions may not be processed enough to produce the desired products. Furthermore, the extremely severe temperatures and pressures required to upgrade the hydrocrackate to meet the quality jet fuel specification are generally expensive, making the process less economical. Finally, combining an unhydrotreated fraction with a hydrotreated fraction tends to introduce more aromatic components into the final products.
Accordingly catalytically hydroprocessing the entire hydrocracked residua has many drawbacks. It results in an expensive process that yields a product that, while boiling in the jet fuel range, does not meet quality jet fuel aromatic specifications. Clearly, a process that produces a better quality jet fuel from residua is needed, preferably one that is more economical to operate.


An image processing apparatus and an image processing method which can transmit/receive or display a high-dynamic-range image suitably are provided. An image transmission apparatus transfers, as metadata of content, luminance conversion information, which is for conversion of HDR content (for example, with maximum luminance 2000 nit) into SDR content (having, for example, 100 nit), or differential information. Based on the metadata, an image reception apparatus generates luminance conversion information, in which received HDR content is adapted to a capability of a display (for example, with maximum luminance 500 nit or 1000 nit) in an output destination, and realizes display mapping which is not against an intention of a producer.

Recently, the number of bits of an imaging element (image sensor) is increased and an image comes to be in a dynamic range. Generally, a dynamic range of an image can be expressed by a ratio between minimum luminance and peak luminance. In an HDR image, a contrast ratio between a color with a maximum color value and a color with a minimum color value is, for example, 10000:1 or higher. Thus, the HDR image can express an actual world realistically. The HDR image can record luminance in a whole visible range and can support a dynamic range and a color gamut which are equivalent to those of a visual characteristic of a human. The HDR image has an advantage that shading can be expressed realistically, exposure can be simulated, and brightness can be expressed.
As described above, while an HDR image is photographed on a content production side, displays with various kinds of performance such as a display corresponding to a standard dynamic range (SDR) which is compressed into about one fortieth of the dynamic range and a display, peak luminance of which is 500 nits or 1000 nits and which corresponds to an HDR, are used in houses in which content is viewed. Thus, processing to adapt a dynamic range of original content to performance of a display in an image output destination (hereinafter, also referred to as "display mapping") is necessary (see, for example, Patent Literature 1).
However, in the display mapping, when conversion of a dynamic range is performed simply by linear scaling, it is concerned that a great amount of information is lost and a visual effect, which is seen by a human, of an image becomes greatly different before and after the conversion. Such a loss of information is not intended by a content producer.

Image processing apparatus and image processing method for display mapping


A method and machine for selectively manufacturing wire springs from two different wires by feeding the wires through a pair of continuously rotatable opposed feed rollers, which rollers are operative to feed only one of the wires at a time into engagement with a coil forming mechanism having a pair of coil forming tools. The tools are selectively positionable for engagement with one or the other of the two wires depending upon which of the two wires is being fed into the coil forming mechanism.

It is common practice in the mattress and furniture industry for bedding springs to be manufactured on a so-called coiler and fed directly from that coiler into an assembly machine whereat the springs are assembled into rows and columns and joined together to create a mattress spring core. Such a machine is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,492,298 and 4,111,241.
Recently, mattresses have been designed which utilize multiple differing springs of differing firmness throughout the spring core. In some cases, springs of one firmness are used on one side of a mattress, and springs of a different firmness on the other side to accommodate two persons who prefer mattresses of differing firmness. Such a mattress is illustrated and described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,678. In other cases, springs of differing firmness are located around the edge of a mattress to impart a firm edge to the mattress. And, in still other cases, springs of differing firmness are located in differing longitudinal sections of the mattress to vary the firmness over the length of the mattress. These later varying firmness mattresses are identified as so-called xe2x80x9cposturizedxe2x80x9d mattresses. Such a posturized mattresses is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,383.
The advent of these multiple spring mattresses has given rise to the need for machinery for manufacturing those springs of differing firmness and supplying them to an assembly machine in a predetermined order or sequence. To that end, mattress making machinery has been created which utilizes two coilers to supply two different springs to a single assembly machine in a prescribed sequence. This requires, though, that there be two coilers and a complex transport system, as well as a complex control system, for feeding springs from the two different coilers in a prescribed sequence to the mattress spring core assembly machine. Such a machine is illustrated and described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,810.
The machines which have been heretofore available for supplying springs of differing firmnesses to an assembly machine in a prescribed sequence or order are very expensive and complex. It has therefore been an objective of this invention to provide a spring coiler which is less expensive and less complex than machines heretofore available for supplying springs of two differing firmnesses to an assembly machine in a prescribed sequence.
It has been another objective of this invention to provide a spring coiler which is capable of forming springs at high speeds from two different wires into coil springs capable of being fed directly into a spring assembly machine in a prescribed order.
The coiler of this invention is operative to selectively manufacture coil springs from two different wires, usually one of lighter gauge for making coil springs of relatively light firmness, and a second heavier gauge wire for making more firm coil springs. This machine comprises a pair of opposed feed rollers which are continuously rotatable without interruption in one feed direction during manufacture of coil springs from each of the two different wires and during the changeover from one wire to the other. From the opposed wire feed rollers, the two wires extend into a wire guide from whence the one or the other of the two wires is fed by the opposed feed rollers into a coil forming mechanism. That coil forming mechanism comprises a pair of coil forming tools and at least one pitch determining tool, which coil forming tools are selectively movable into alignment with one or the other of the two different wires, such that one coil forming tool is engageable with and operative to form one wire into the coil, and the other coil forming tool is engageable with and operative to form the other wire into a coil.
The method practiced according to the invention of this invention is operative to form coil springs of differing firmnesses from two different wires. This method comprises the steps of locating the two wires between opposed wire feed rollers, continuously rotating the opposed wire feed rollers without interruption in one wire feed direction, supporting the two wires upon a wire guide positioned adjacent the output side of the wire feed rollers, positioning a first coil forming tool in alignment with the first one of the two wires supported upon the wire guide, moving the rotating opposed feed rollers into driving engagement with a first one of the two wires so as to feed that first wire into engagement with the first coil forming tool, and into engagement with a pitch determining tool so as to create a helically formed coil spring at the end of the first wire, moving the rotating opposed feed rollers out of driving engagement with the first wire to terminate feed of the first wire between the feed rollers, cutting the helically formed coil spring from the end of the first wire, moving a second forming tool into alignment with the second of the two wires supported upon the wire guide, moving the rotating opposed feed rollers into driving engagement with the second wire so as to feed that second wire into engagement with the second coil forming tool and into engagement with a pitch determining tool so as to create a helically formed coil spring at the end of the second wire, moving the opposed feed rollers out of driving engagement with the second wire to terminate feed of that second wire between the opposed feed rollers, and cutting the helically formed coil spring from the end of the second wire.
The principal advantage of the invention of this application is that it provides a very high speed and relatively inexpensive machine for manufacturing coil springs of differing firmnesses from two different wires. Preferably, but not necessarily, the coil springs are of substantially the same dimension, but of differing firmness as a consequence of their having been manufactured from wires of differing diameter.

Two wire spring making machine and method


An image sensing apparatus comprises a color image sensor which produces a time-sequential image signal which sequentially includes a plurality of color components, and a color temperature sensor which is independent of the color image sensor and produces a time-sequential sensed signal which sequentially includes a plurality of color components corresponding to the plurality of color components of the time-sequential image signal produced by the image sensor. A processor selectively processes the time-sequential image signal produced by the color image sensor and the time-sequential sensed signal produced by the color temperature sensor. White balance control circuitry controls the white balance of color signals output from the color image sensor which have been obtained through the processing means on the basis of outputs of the color temperture sensor which have been obtained through the processing means.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to white balance correcting devices for video cameras, electronic still cameras or like image sensing apparatuses.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, solid-state image sensors such as a CCD, from the output of which are obtained a luminance signal and color signals, i.e., so-called color solid-state imaging techniques, are coming into ever wider use. With this it is of great importance to insure establishment of the white balance so that regardless of any light source under which a white object is imaged, as the image signal of that object is separated into three primary colors, the ratio of the three color signals, i.e., the R (Red), G (Green) and B (Blue) ones, becomes 1:1:1.
It is known to provide a method of obtaining this white balance by making use of a sensor for detecting the color temperature of the light source, that is, for producing white balance information, as arranged in separation from the sensor which produces image information of the object so that the white balance of the object image can be controlled in accordance with the output of the white balance sensor. Because both sensors differ from each other, the spectral characteristic of the three colors obtained from the white balance sensor does not match with that of the three colors obtained from the solid-state image sensor. This discrepancy must be perfectly removed. Otherwise, the correct white balance could not be made under any type of light source. The color filters to be used with the solid-state image sensor, however, are, for example, ones of four colors including the complementary colors, as is often the case. Therefore, the same dyes as those used in the sensor for white balance cannot be used. Hence, it is quite difficult to match the aforesaid two spectral characteristics with each other. For this reason, it has been difficult to insure that the white balance is maintained with high accuracy over a wide variety of types of light sources.
It is also known to provide another method of obtaining white balance information, which method obviates the necessity of using the additional sensor for white balance by regarding the average value of the image information obtained from the image sensor as white. In this case, there is no problem of the aforesaid discrepancy of the spectral characteristics. But, of the objects which may be encountered, there are some which do not allow the average value to be regarded as white. Thus, the intrinsic color of the object has a large influence on the error of white balance.

White balance correcting device for an image sensing


A pecan tree distinguished by the following unique combination of characteristics: Large nut size, good kernel quality, moderately early harvest date, and excellent resistance to the scab fungus (Fusicladosporium effusum).

In 2000 the cross of 'Barton' x 'Gloria Grande' was made by Patrick Conner at the University of Georgia-Tifton Campus. 'Barton' is the male pollen parent and is a 1953 USDA release which is notable for a thin shell, early harvest, and strong resistance to pecan scab [Fusicladium effusum (syn. Cladosporium caryigenum)]. 'Gloria Grande' is the female seed parent and is a selection from Orangeburg, S.C. with unknown parentage. 'Gloria Grande' was recommended for planting in Georgia for many years because of its stable and high yields and strong resistance to pecan scab. 'Barton' and 'Gloria Grande' are both unpatented cultivars. 141 nuts were collected from this cross and they produced 79 seedlings. These seedlings were grown in a seedling nursery for two years and then they were planted for observation into a seedling orchard at a farm in Tift County, Ga. One of these seedlings is identified by the cultivar name 'Ga. 00-7-75'. 'Ga. 00-7-75', a tree produced from one of the nuts of this cross, first fruited in 2007, and has fruited every year since. 'Ga. 00-7-75' was selected for trial in 2009 because of its lack of scab infection, large nut size, good kernel quality, and moderately early harvest.

University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc.