The present invention provides a method of treating fungal infection by administering a pharmaceutical composition comprising an extract of the leaf of M. oleifera as the sole active component.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of treating fungal infection by administering a pharmaceutical composition comprising an extract of the leaf of M. oleifera.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many skin diseases such as tinea and ringworm, which are initiated by the infection of dermatophytes, popularly exist and cause serious problems in tropical and semitropical areas. Most people who live in these areas suffer from these diseases, which are difficult to remove permanently. In general, these fungi live in the dead, top layer of skin cells in moist areas of the body, such as between the toes, the groin, and under the breasts. These fungal infections cause only a small amount of irritation. Other types of fungal infections may be more serious. They can penetrate into the cells and cause itching, swelling, blistering and scaling. In some cases, fungal infections can cause reactions elsewhere in the body. For example, a person may develop a rash on the finger or hand after coming into contact with an infected foot. The dermatophytes, Trichophyton, Epidermophyton, and Microsporum canis are commonly involved in these infections. However, their clinical differentiation is difficult and therefore clinical care is required by a physician or other healthcare professional in the treatment of these diseases (Beentje, 1994). Furthermore, most antifungal creams used currently in the areas of Asia and Far East are imported and expensive. The development of new and cheaper anti-fungal agents from local raw materials, such as Moringa is therefore worthwhile and necessary.
Moringa oleifera (also called horseradish tree or drumstick tree) is a plant originally found in the Himalayan regions of India. The plant belongs to the family of Moringaceae. It is a shrub and small deciduous tree of 2.5 m to 10 m in height. When matured, the fruit becomes brown and has 10-50 seeds inside (Vlahof et al., 2002). This plant is popularly grown in Africa, the Middle East, southeastern Asia, the Pacific Islands, the Caribbean Islands, southern America and is now widely planted in Taiwan and China. In India, the leaf and fruit of M. oleifera were originally used as vegetables with the root acting as a substitute for horseradish in cooking. This plant was also reported to contain various amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, and nutrients (Nesamani, 1999). The constituents of the M. oleifera tree such as the leaf, flower, fruit, and bark have been anecdotally used as herbal medicines in treatments for inflammation, paralysis, and hypertension. Moreover, many reports indicate that M. oleifera has highly potent anti-inflammatory (Ezeamuzle et al., 1996), hepatoprotective (Pari and Kumar, 2002), antihypertensive (Faizi et al., 1995) and antitumor (Murakami et al., 1998) properties in humans. Also, its seed has strong coagulative and anti-microbial properties (Eilert et al., 1981). The seed oil has physical and chemical properties equivalent to that of olive oil and contains a large quantity of tocopherols (Tsaknis et al,. 1999). The leaf extracts in rats were found to regulate thyroid status and cholesterol levels (Tahiliani et al., 2000; Ghasi, 2000). Therefore it can be developed as a useful agent to treat high cholesterol.
In recent years, M. oleifera has been widely planted on a large scale in Taiwan and China and many people in these regions have been using the seed of Moringa as a herb in oral to treat athlete's foot and tinea and found that it is very effective. There are millions of people in Taiwan and China who have these foot diseases due to the humid weather and there are not many effective medicines used currently for curing these diseases. The demands on the production from this plant are therefore expected to increase in these regions. However, currently, there are no scientific reports relating this plant to foot-diseases. Here, for the first time, we provide evidence that certain extracts from this plant have anti-fungal properties. Therefore, it is possible that economic development of these extracts may lead to cheaper/easier to use oral anti-skin disease agents in the future.

Moringa crude extracts and their derived fractions with antifungal activities


This application discloses a method implemented of recognizing a keyword in a speech that includes a sequence of audio frames further including a current frame and a subsequent frame. A candidate keyword is determined for the current frame using a decoding network that includes keywords and filler words of multiple languages, and used to determine a confidence score for the audio frame sequence. A word option is also determined for the subsequent frame based on the decoding network, and when the candidate keyword and the word option are associated with two distinct types of languages, the confidence score of the audio frame sequence is updated at least based on a penalty factor associated with the two distinct types of languages. The audio frame sequence is then determined to include both the candidate keyword and the word option by evaluating the updated confidence score according to a keyword determination criterion.

In automatic speech recognition (ASR), a keyword is a word that is associated with a certain substantive meaning, and typically represented by a noun or phrase. Conversely, a filler word normally follows keywords and assumes no substantial and meaningful role. A keyword is detected when starting and ending time points of a keyword are identified in speech data that is received by an electronic device. As a result of keyword detection, the speech data are determined by a keyword detection system to include multiple keywords and filler words. Existing keyword detection systems are mainly implemented based on two models, i.e., a garbage model and a phoneme/syllable recognition model.
In a keyword detection system based on the garbage model, a decoding network is used to identify the keywords in the received speech data, and the words used in the decoding network includes keywords and filler words that are linked according to a predetermined network structure. In accordance with the decoding network, the keyword detection system recognizes each part (e.g., frame) of the speech data as being associated with either a keyword or a filler word. Each recognized part of the speech data is further associated with a confidence score, and the keyword detection system uses the respective confidence score to determine whether the keyword is properly detected. Keywords that are determined to be properly detected are then outputted with their position information within the speech data.
On the other hand, a keyword detection system based on the phoneme/syllable recognition model detects keywords in the received speech data based on entire context of the speech data. Specifically, a phoneme or syllable network is outputted for the received speech data, and the keywords of the speech data are detected from the phoneme or syllable network using a context search technique.
When more than one language is involved in speech recognition, existing keyword detection systems normally require two independent phases, i.e., a language recognition phase and a keyword detection phase. During the language recognition phase, a specific language is determined for the received speech data, and during the subsequent keyword detection phase, the keywords are then determined by a keyword detection engine associated with this specific language. The detected keywords are then combined and outputted as a recognition result from the keyword detection system.
However, performance of the existing keyword detection system involving two or more languages is oftentimes bottlenecked by the language recognition phase. An accuracy of recognizing languages during the language recognition phase directly impacts the results of keyword detection in the keyword detection phase. In particular, accurate language recognition generally requires speech data lasting an extended length (for example, 3 to 5 seconds), and this requirement inevitably creates some obstacles for streaming keyword for subsequent keyword detection. Moreover, the existing keyword detection system is particularly inefficient when keywords of multiple language are mixed up together in one sentence (e.g., in speech data associated with "highhigh"), and thereby causes inaccurate recognition of languages and keywords. Therefore, there is a need for accurately detecting keywords in speech that involves two or more languages.

Keyword detection for speech recognition

TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED


A resin material is brought into contact with a first solution containing ozone, and at the same time, ultraviolet rays are irradiated. The activation due to the treatment with ozone water and the activation due to the treatment with ultraviolet rays are synergistically operated to enable the formation of a plated coating having excellent adhesive strength by a short treatment. In addition, even by a long treatment, the adhesive strength can be restrained from lowering. Consequently, a plated coating having excellent adhesion can be formed without roughening the surface of the resin material by a short pretreatment.

The electroless plating has been known as the method for giving electric conductivity and metallic luster to a resin material. This electroless plating is the method of chemically reducing metal ions in a solution, and depositing a metal coating on a surface of a material, and with this method, a metal coating can be formed on an insulator such as resins, too, as is different from electroplating of depositing a metal coating by electrolysis with electric power. In addition, electroplating can be carried out on the resin material on which a metal coating has been formed with electroless plating, thereby enlarging the use of the resin material. For these reasons, the eletroless plating has been widely used as the method for giving metallic luster and/or electric conductivity to the resin material for use in various fields such as parts of motor vehicles, household electric appliances, etc.
The plated coating formed with electroless plating, however, has the problems that it takes a considerable time to form the coating, and the adhesion of the coating against the resin material is not sufficient. In order to solve these problems, there has been generally carried out the process of chemically etching the resin material to roughen the surface thereof before electroless plating.
Japanese unexamined patent publication No. Hei 1-092377, for example, discloses the method of previously treating a resin material with an ozone gas, and then electroless plating the treated resin material. In accordance with this publication, unsaturated bonds in the resin material are cut by the ozone gas to be changed to low molecules, and consequently, molecules having different chemical compositions coexist on a surface of the resin material, whereby the smoothness thereof is lost, and the surface is roughened. Accordingly, the coating formed with electroless plating tightly enter the roughened surface to prevent the coating from readily peeling off therefrom.
Furthermore, Japanese unexamined patent publication No. Hei 8-092752 discloses the method of previously roughening polyolefin as a resin material by etching, bringing the roughened polyolefin into contact with an ozone water, and then treating the roughened polyolefin with a solution containing a cationic surface active agent.
In the above-described related methods, the adhesion of the plated coatings is enhanced with a so-called anchor effect by roughening surfaces of the resin materials. With these methods, however, the surface smoothness of the resin material decreases. Accordingly, in order to obtain metallic luster giving good appearance to the resin material, the plated coating must be thick to cause the defect of an increment of the number of man hour.
In addition, in the method of roughening the surface of the resin material by etching, hazardous substances such as chromic acid, sulfuric acid, etc. must be used, and accordingly, there arise problems in the treatment of resultant liquid waste, etc. Furthermore, this method cannot solve the problem that the surface smoothness of the resin material decreases.
Under the above circumstances, Japanese unexamined patent publication No. Hei 10-088361 and Japanese unexamined patent publication No. Hei 8-253869 disclose the method of irradiating a resin material with ultraviolet rays, and treating the obtained resin material with electroless plating. By the ultraviolet irradiation, the surface of the resin material is activated, and active groups on the activated resin material chemically bond to active metal particles as a plating material, thereby forming a plated coating having excellent adhesion.
The method of irradiating ultraviolet rays, however, requires a large amount of energy for activating the surface of the resin material, and accordingly, there occurs the case where the resin material is degenerated with thermic rays from a light source.
Furthermore, it has been difficult to activate the resin material such as polypropylene (PP) or a polymer alloy containing elastomer and PP with only the method of treating with an ozone gas or the method of irradiating ultraviolet rays. In addition, it has been clarified that where the treating time is too short or too long, the adhesive strength of a plated coating lowers, but, the border of the treating time is unclear so that it is difficult to determine the treating time. And the treating time required for effecting a sufficient adhesive strength of the plated coating is generally long, and the productivity is low. Accordingly, it has been desired to shorten the treating time therefor.
The present invention has been made considering these problems of the related methods, and has an object of obtaining the method capable of forming a plated coating exhibiting excellent adhesion by a short pretreatment without roughening a surface of a resin material.
The pretreatment method for an electroless plating material in accordance with the present invention is characterized by an ozone solution-ultraviolet irradiation treating process of irradiating a resin material with ultraviolet rays in the state where the resin material is in contact with a first solution containing ozone being carried out.
It is preferable that an alkali treating process of bringing a second solution which contains an alkaline component into contact with the resin material treated with the ozone solution-ultraviolet irradiation treating process is further carried out. And it is preferable that at least one of an anionic surface active agent and a nonionic surface active agent is further included in the second solution. And it is preferable that the first solution contains a solvent composed of an organic or inorganic polar solvent.
In addition, the method for producing a member having a plated coating in accordance with the present invention is characterized by an ozone solution-ultraviolet irradiation treating process of irradiating a plating material with ultraviolet rays in the state where the resin material is in contact with a first solution containing ozone, and an electroless plating process of subjecting the resin material after the ozone solution-ultraviolet irradiation treating process to electroless plating being included.
It is preferable that an alkali treating process of bringing a second solution which contains an alkaline component into contact with a resin material is further included between the ozone solution-ultraviolet irradiation treating process and the electroless plating process. In addition, it is preferable that at least one of an anionic surface active agent and a nonionic surface active agent is further included in the second solution. And it is preferable that the first solution contains a solvent composed of an organic or inorganic polar solvent. Furthermore, it is preferable that an electroplating process of further subjecting the resin material after the electroless plating process to electroplating is included.

Pretreatment method for electroless plating material and method for producing member having plated coating


A fuel pressure sensor diagnosing device for diagnosing a fuel pressure sensor for detecting pressure in a common rail in which a high-pressure fuel to be supplied to an engine is accumulated, the device comprising: fuel temperature detection for detecting fuel temperature; and failure determination, provided with the fuel temperature detection for detecting fuel temperature via subsequent to stopping of the engine, for obtaining a resting and stabilization time between when the pressure in the common rail drops and when the pressure stabilizes on the basis of this detected fuel temperature, detecting a stabilized fuel pressure via the fuel pressure sensor subsequent to lapse of the resting and stabilization time, and determining a failure of the fuel pressure sensor when the detected stabilized fuel pressure exceeds a predetermined upper limit threshold value or is less than a predetermined lower limit threshold value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device and method for diagnosing a fuel pressure sensor for detecting common rail fuel pressure.
2. Description of the Related Art
A control computer of pressure-accumulating type fuel injection control devices comprising a so-called common rail uses a regulating valve to execute a feedback control on the discharge quantity of an injection pump (supply pump) based on fuel pressure sensor (common rail pressure sensor) information obtained while the engine is running in such a way as to ensure a target common rail pressure value established in accordance with the engine revolutions and load and so on is produced. To that end, a common rail pressure sensor serves a very important function.
If a characteristic shift (drift) in the output voltage of this common rail pressure sensor occurs, the feedback control executed on the common rail pressure while the engine is running will be based on an erroneously perceived value and, in turn, the actual pressure will be higher or lower than the virtual pressure (pressure detected by the common rail pressure sensor).
As a result, when characteristic shift of a common rail pressure sensor occurs, irrespective of the injector and so on being instructed by the control computer to generate an identical target injection quantity, the actual injection quantity changes due to the abnormal common rail pressure and, as the desired fuel injection quantity cannot be produced, leads to exhaust emission and performance deterioration.
A method based on detecting short-circuiting or disconnection of a sensor circuit is conventionally used as a method for monitoring and diagnosing the normality/abnormality of a common rail pressure sensor.
In another method for indirectly diagnosing a common rail pressure sensor, because the common rail pressure limit value in terms of feedback control is reached and, in the end, compliance therewith is impossible when a marked characteristic shift (drift) in the output value of a common rail pressure sensor occurs while an engine is running, the diagnosis utilizes a virtual increase or reduction in the real common rail pressure as detected by the common rail pressure sensor with respect to a target common rail pressure value.
In addition, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 2001-173507 proposes a means for detecting the occurrence of offset of a fixed level or greater of a common rail pressure sensor characteristic value. In Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 2001-173507, common rail pressure sensor characteristic detection is performed when the common rail pressure drops to atmospheric pressure such as when the vehicle is stationary. More specifically, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 2001-173507, engine stoppage for a fixed time is evaluated on the basis of a drop in water temperature, and the common rail pressure sensor is diagnosed as abnormal when, in a state in which sufficiently rest and stabilization of the common rail pressure has occurred, the ignition key is ON, and the engine rotation is stopped prior to it being started, the common rail pressure, which should be essentially equivalent to the atmospheric pressure, is high.
However, the following problems are inherent to the diagnosing method described above.
First, in the conventional method for indirectly diagnosing a common rail pressure sensor, because the diagnosis is performed while the supply pump is being actuated, aside from simple disconnection/short-circuiting failure, both failure of the common rail pressure sensor and failure of the supply pump must be considered as causes of a lack of equivalence between a target common rail pressure and common rail sensor detected pressure and, as a result, it is difficult to specify which component part is the cause thereof and vehicle inspection takes a significant amount of time.
Furthermore, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 2001-173507, because the diagnosis is performed when the ignition key is ON subsequent to a sufficient stabilization having elapsed, the engine rotation must be stopped for at least the time required for the diagnosis even though the ignition key is ON. For this reason, there is a concern that diagnosis will be precluded from being performed when a driver switches ON the ignition key and immediately thereafter actuates the start causing the engine to rotate.
Furthermore, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 2001-173507, because the engine cannot be started when a shift in the common rail pressure sensor characteristic occurs and the shifted characteristic is voltage offset to the high side and fixed, this presents an opportunity for a diagnosis to be performed. On the other hand, when the shifted characteristics are offset to the low side, there is a possibility that the engine will be started and run in an abnormal state and, in turn, a concern that a diagnosis will not be able to be performed.

Fuel pressure sensor diagnosing device and method


An image forming apparatus includes a communication interface and a processor. The communication interface is configured to transmit data to and receive data from a cloud server that provides a cloud service. The processor is configured to receive a token from the cloud server via the communication interface, transmit a request including the token to the cloud server via the communication interface, receive a response including user information from the cloud server via the communication interface, and shift to a login state based on the user information.

Some image forming apparatuses authenticate a user in cooperation with a cloud service. If the user is authenticated by the cloud service, such an image forming apparatus is shifted to a state in which the user is logged in.
In the related art, the image forming apparatus requires a cloud portal to cooperate with the cloud service.
In order to solve the above problem, an image forming apparatus capable of independently cooperating with the cloud service, and a controlling method are provided.

Image forming apparatus and controlling method


There is provided a tool for efficiently cutting a face gear to be meshed with a helical gear. When a circular tooth thickness of a tooth tip of a cutting edge portion is represented as SatSC, a circular tooth thickness on a virtual outside diameter of a tooth profile of the helical gear in a cross-sectional view perpendicular to an axis is represented as Sat, a helix angle on the virtual outside diameter of the tooth profile of the helical gear in a cross-sectional view by a plane perpendicular to the axis is represented as βa, and a face width of the cutting edge portion is represented as bsc,

Face gears (Crown gears), which are one kind of gears, are widely used in the field of driving wheels mainly used in spinning reels for fishing in Japan. However, in recent years, usefulness of the face gears has been widely regarded, and the face gears have been developed or used also in the field of gearboxes with orthogonal axes and the field relating to aircrafts.
As methods for machining a face gear, the following three methods can be mainly taken by way of example. Namely, there are: (1) forging or casting by means of a female die tooth profile manufactured by an electrode; (2) gear cutting by means of a shaper cutter (pinion cutter); and (3) machining cutting for directly cutting teeth by means of a machining center, with the aid of a ball end mill and theoretical tooth profile coordinates.
The forging or casting of item (1) is a machining method suited for mass production, but an achievable precision differs depending on a precision and a manufacturing technique of a male die electrode for manufacturing the female die. In order to improve a meshing precision, a pair of gears have to be sometimes lapped after being forged.
The gear cutting by means of a shaper cutter of item (2) is not often utilized at present, because its machining efficiency is unsatisfactory, a tooth flank modification is difficult, only few suitable machines (shaper machines) are present, manufacture and management of a tool (helical pinion cutter) are difficult, and so on.
The machining cutting of the item (3) can manufacture a tooth profile whose tooth flank has been modified, so that a high transmission precision can be obtained. However, since it takes a long time for machining, the machining cutting is not suited for mass production.

Tool for cutting gear and method for cutting gear

Abstract: b    SC    ≦                    s        at            -              s        atSC                    tan                                              β        a            is satisfied.


The present application relates to a sub-pixel structure, a liquid crystal display device and a method for reducing color shift, the sub-pixel structure comprises a main area, a sub area and a signal wire, and the sub-pixel structure further comprises a first voltage dividing unit, the signal wire is connected to the main area and is connected to the sub area via the voltage dividing unit; the signal wire respectively provides different driving voltages for the main area and the sub area for reducing color shift in a liquid crystal display device. The present application has advantages on solving the color shift in relation to viewing angle in LCDs and greatly reducing cost.

LCDs (Liquid crystal displays) are widely used as a kind of flat panel displayer, and most of the LCDs realize image display by using a liquid crystal switch to adjust the light intensity of a backlight. LCD has multi display mode, wherein, VA mode is a kind of common display mode which has high contrast, wide viewing angle, no need to rub and other advantages. However, since the VA mode using vertical rotating liquid crystal, and the liquid crystal molecules have big birefringence difference, result in serious color shift problem in a large viewing angle. Low color shift is always a pursuit of the VA mode.
A popular way to solve the color shift problem is eight domains improving technology which makes the liquid crystal molecules of two sub-pixel structures in a same pixel structure have different rotation angles, thus to reduce the color shift. The designs to improve the color shift mainly comprise condenser coupling CC technology, 2D1G/2G1D technology, charge sharing CS technology, Vcom voltage modulating technology and so on. Among these designs, the 2D1G technology use two signal wires which have different voltages provided for the sub-pixel structures in a same row, thus to realize eight domains display. But this design needs to double the number of the signal wires, and accordingly need to double the number of conversion chips connected to the signal wires, which will increase cost of panel.

Sub-pixel structure, liquid crystal display device and method for reducing colour shift

SHENZHEN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


The invention relates to a device for controlling the locking of the opening of a door preferably located between the stationary part and the rotary part of a wind power plant. According to the invention, means are provided for immobilizing or stopping the rotary part, and the door between the rotary part and the stationary part of the wind power plant comprises a lock that allows unlocking and then if required opening the door when the immobilizing or stopping means have immobilized or stopped the rotary part of the wind power plant.

1. Technical Field
Wind power installations regularly have a pylon, a machine housing, a generator, and a rotor, in which the rotor carries the rotor blades of the wind power installation. In that case the rotor is a rotating part of the installation and the rotor generally also has a hub in addition to the rotor blades and is coupled to the rotor member or rotating part of the generator.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such wind power installations are typically subjected to maintenance and for that purpose maintenance personnel go into the interior of the wind power installation. That is without any problem when the maintenance personnel go into the part of the wind power installation in which the stationary parts of the wind power installation are disposed, such as for example, in the pylon or in the machine housing above the pylon where the stator of the generator is disposed together with the corresponding control devices and also switch cabinets, rectifiers and the like.
If however the maintenance personnel have to go into the rotating part of the wind power installation, the rotating part of the wind power installation is usually braked and/or stopped so that the maintenance personnel can go into that part of the wind power installation to be able to carry out maintenance or service operations there.
A state of the art reference is directed generally to the following document: US No 2010/0232978 A1.


Methods and systems for distributed detection of road conditions and damage are described. In one embodiment, a method for distributed detection of road conditions and damage is provided. The method includes receiving, from one or more mobile devices, a plurality of reports of anomalies associated with roads in a geographic area. The method also includes storing the received reports of anomalies in a database and comparing each report of an anomaly to stored reports of previous anomalies in the database. The method further includes determining whether each report of an anomaly indicates road damage or a temporary problem. The method includes generating a prioritized list of locations of anomalies associated with one or more roads that have been determined to have road damage that needs maintenance and/or repair.

The present embodiments relate to road maintenance in general, and more particularly, to methods and systems for distributed detection of road conditions and damage.
Drivers on roads can encounter a variety of detrimental road conditions and damage that can be potentially hazardous to vehicles or occupants, such as potholes, objects on the road, uneven road surfaces, etc. Conventionally, awareness of these dangerous road conditions only occurs when a driver or other person calls a government or municipal agency to report the road condition. Maintaining roads in a large metropolitan area poses several challenges. In particular, in areas with many roads of various types, assessing and locating problem areas on those roads can be time consuming. Potholes or other road damage that is severe enough to require immediate attention or repair must first be identified and located. Drivers who report potholes or other dangerous road conditions may be unable to provide accurate descriptions or identification of the location of the road damage.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a system and method that addresses these shortcomings discussed above.

Method and system for distributed detection of road conditions and damage

United Services Automobile Association (USAA)


The present invention is directed to a rotary object feeder, which feeds objects from a first location to a second. The object feeder feeds the object from a pick-up location to an off-loading location, by moving an object pick-up member along a trajectory formed by rotating the object pick-up member about a first axis of rotation; rotating this first axis of rotation about a second axis of rotation substantially parallel to the first axis of rotation and spaced therefrom; rotating the second axis of rotation about a third axis of rotation substantially parallel to the second axis of rotation and spaced therefrom. The invention is particularly suited for use in a rotary carton feeder having numerous suction cup pick-up members, used to feed cartons from a pick-up location, through an operating location to a drop-off location. The relative rates of rotation of the pick-up members may be chosen to minimize their tangential velocities at the pick-up, operating or drop-off locations. The invention is particular well suited for use as a rotary carton feeder.

Numerous rotary object feeders are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,301 issued May 21, 1985 to R. A. Jones & Co. Inc., discloses an orbital feeder suited for picking up folded cartons from a storage magazine, unfolding them and transporting them to a conveyor, where they are released.
The difficulties with rotary feeders are numerous. The objects to be picked up, such as folded cartons in a magazine, are stationary. It is therefore not possible to simply wipe past the cartons with a pick-up member, typically a suction cup, rotating past the object, with any degree of reliability. Accordingly, a solution to overcome this problem is to alter the path of the pick-up members so that they make contact with the object as they are travelling in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane of the cartons. Rotary carton feeders implementing this solution are known, and incorporate suction cups used as pick-up members mounted on planetary elements. The suction cups move along a hypocycloidal path, and will pick-up objects at points along their path where the suction-cups are travelling in a direction which is perpendicular to the objects. However, because the additional rotation of a planetary element, the perpendicular movement may be somewhat abrupt. Additionally, the object to be picked up is rotated about an additional axis, which may significantly increase the net velocity of the object at certain points along its path. Accordingly, object feeders using this solution do not lend themselves to operation at high speeds. Furthermore to achieve the desired movement, the object is rotated inwardly toward a central axis. This restricts the size and number of objects that can be handled simultaneously by the object feeder.


Refrigeration systems and appliances are provided. A refrigeration system includes a refrigerant, the refrigerant including a working fluid and an electrochemically active fluid. The refrigeration system further includes a condenser, an evaporator, and an electrochemical compressor in fluid communication with the condenser and the evaporator. The refrigeration system can further include various components which advantageously reduce the energy consumption and increase the predicatability and efficiency of the refrigeration system.

Various types of refrigeration systems are utilized in a variety of settings for a variety of purposes, including for example cooling chambers of appliances. For example, refrigeration systems are utilized in water heaters such as heat pump water heaters, and to cool fresh food chambers and freezer chambers of refrigerator appliances. In general, a refrigeration system removes heat from a heat source and rejects that heat to a heat sink. While many thermodynamic effects have been exploited in the development of refrigeration systems, one of the most popular today utilizes the vapor compression approach. This approach is sometimes called mechanical refrigeration because a mechanical compressor is used in the cycle.
However, the vapor compression approach to a refrigeration system has disadvantages. For example, mechanical compressors can account for a significant portion of a household's energy consumption. Any improvement in efficiency related to compressor performance can have significant benefits in terms of energy savings and thus have significant positive environmental impact.
Accordingly, electrochemical refrigeration systems, which utilize electrochemical compressors, have recently been developed. Electrochemical compressors generally utilize electrochemical cells for compression purposes, and are typically more efficient that mechanical compressors. However, presently known electrochemical refrigeration systems can also have disadvantages. For example, the refrigerant utilized in an electrochemical refrigeration system typically includes a working fluid and an electrochemically active fluid. The energy required to move both components of the refrigerant within the system is relatively significant, with a significant amount of this energy wasted relative to the amount of work produced. Further, during expansion of the refrigerant in a typical electrochemical refrigeration cycle, the behavior of the electrochemically active fluid can be difficult to predict and control.
Accordingly, improved refrigeration systems are desired in the art. In particular, more efficient and predictable electrochemical refrigeration systems would be advantageous.

Electrochemical refrigeration systems and appliances


A plasma emitter apparatus and method for using the same that includes a primary electrode and a secondary electrode. The secondary electrode is porous, that is, it is configured to permit the passage of plasma discharge therethrough. Accordingly, the plasma is received at one side of the secondary electrode and emitted from its opposing plasma exiting side. The secondary electrode may be a laminate of multiple insulating material layers with at least one conductive layer sandwiched therebetween. A plurality of apertures are defined through the laminate and a dielectric sleeve is inserted into and retained in the aperture. The generated plasma passes through one or more holes defined in each of the dielectric sleeves. Alternatively, the secondary electrode may be formed as a plurality of unidirectional high voltage wires strung substantially parallel across a frame or a plurality of bidirectional high voltage wires interwoven and secured by a perimeter frame.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a novel electrode for use with atmospheric pressure plasma emitter apparatus and method for using the same and, in particular, to a plasma emitter apparatus in which the plasma generated passes beyond the secondary electrode.
2. Description of Related Art
A "plasma" is a partially ionized gas composed of ions, electrons, and neutral species. This state of matter is produced by relatively high temperatures or relatively strong electric fields either constant (DC) or time varying (e.g., RF or microwave) electromagnetic fields. Discharged plasma is produced when free electrons are energized by electric fields in a background of neutral atoms/molecules. These electrons cause atom/molecule collisions which transfer energy to the atoms/molecules and form a variety of species which may include photons, metastables, atomic excited states, free radicals, molecular fragments, monomers, electrons, and ions. The neutral gas becomes partially or fully ionized and is able to conduct currents. The plasma species are chemically active and/or can physically modify the surface of materials and may therefore serve to form new chemical compounds and/or modify existing compounds. Discharge plasma can also produce useful amounts of optical radiation to be used for lighting. Many other uses for plasma discharge are available.
Heretofore, conventional plasma discharge reactors, for example, that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,872,426, have been designed to include an upper electrode plate and a lower electrode plate displaced a predetermined distance therefrom to form a channel therebetween in which the plasma is generated. Both electrode plates are solid prohibiting the passage of the plasma therethrough so that the plasma is restricted to the channel defined between the two electrodes. As a result, the surface of the object to be treated by the plasma must be passed through the channel itself thereby severely limiting the size of the object to be treated to have a width less than that of the channel.
It is desirable to solve the aforementioned problems associated with conventional reactors and develop a portable plasma emitter apparatus and method for using the same that allows the plasma to pass through or beyond the second electrode.

Electrode for use with atmospheric pressure plasma emitter apparatus and method for using the same


A cooling system for a computer includes a cam-actuated cold plate. Compliant, thermally conductive pins on the cold plate contact electronic heat generating electronic components when the cold plate is moved toward a circuit assembly that includes the electronic components. Optionally, the cold plate may be cooled by circulating coolant through it.

Designers of computer systems face many competing objectives. In order to achieve maximum computational performance, electronic computer components such as processor chips are often very complex and are operated at high clock speeds, resulting in significant power dissipation. In order to prevent physical damage from high temperatures that would otherwise be generated, special attention is paid to cooling these components. Natural and forced convection with air may be inadequate, so various devices and techniques have been developed for removing heat from electronic components by thermal conduction. In some systems, a conformable array of thermally conductive pins contacts components on a printed circuit board and conducts heat generated by the components into a heat dissipating object. The heat dissipating object may be further cooled by convection in air, by having a chilled fluid circulated within it, or by a combination of such methods.
At the same time, it is desirable that a computer system be small. The goal of small size competes with the goal of maximum performance. To achieve maximum performance, it is desirable to include many heat-generating components and to operate them at their extreme capabilities, but enclosing them in a small space can result in the interior of the space rising to a temperature significantly above the ambient environment. Furthermore, the goal of small size makes it difficult to include components designed to cool the electronics inside the computer. The small size may also hinder convenient service and maintenance of the computer.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A newborn transfusion cell washing device generally comprising a disposable, graduated test tube shaped container having a cap with an inlet port, an injection/sampling port, a suction port, and a vent. The container is capable of being inserted into a conventional clinical centrifuge. The device requires a relatively small volume to operate, 25 ml or less per procedure, and can be performed easily by any hospital blood bank technologist without any special skills. Washed RBCs can be provided to the patient in a timely manner, without the need for “fresh blood.” Any in-dated RBCs can be washed to remove excessive potassium and other toxins. The main RBC aliquot can be saved and repeatedly sampled until the unit is expired or exhausted. This provides a cost savings to the hospital and more importantly, minimizes the recipient's donor exposure.

The early stages of infancy, and in particular, the neonatal period, are periods of rapid cell growth and proliferation. Consequently, oxygen consumption is high compared to that of older children and adults. During these early stages, there is a limitation on the infant's ability to increase stroke volume; thus, cardiac output and oxygen delivery are dependent on heart rate.
In the newborn infant, cerebral blood flow is pressure-passive; as a result, cerebral blood flow tracks perfusion pressures more closely than older patients. In addition, the circulatory system of the developing brain has watershed areas that are particularly vulnerable to ischemia and/or hypoxia. Inadequate oxygen delivery can result in the development of hypoxic/ischemic encephalopathy, the major cause of long-term neurological disorders in children.
With regard to oxygen carrying capacity, the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve of fetal hemoglobin is shifted to the left; this provides a physiologic advantage to the fetus but may be disadvantageous in post-natal life since oxygen release at the tissue level may be impaired. Neonatal transfusions are often performed in critically ill newborns to increase tissue oxygen delivery by decreasing the P50 (oxygen tension at half saturation of blood) and improving release at the tissue level.
To further complicate the neonatal period, the increase in arterial oxygen partial pressure (PaO2) that occurs following the initiation of air breathing is sufficient to shut down erythropoietin synthesis and release. In the normal term infant, significant red cell production will only resume after "physiologic anemia" develops between 6-12 weeks after birth.
For premature infants, anemia may have more immediate and deleterious significance. In the first few weeks of embryogenesis, fetal erythrocytes are produced in the yolk sac. This site is succeeded by the fetal liver, which, by the end of the first trimester, has become the primary site of erythropoiesis. Bone marrow then begins to take on a more active role in producing erythrocytes. By approximately 32 weeks' gestation, the burden of erythrocyte production in the fetus is shared evenly by the liver and bone marrow. By 40 weeks' gestation, the marrow is the sole erythroid organ. Premature delivery does not accelerate the ontogeny of these processes.
Shortened red blood cell life span or hemolysis also contributes to premature neonatal anemia. The average life span of a neonatal RBC is only one half to two thirds that of the RBC life span in an adult. Cells of the most immature infants may survive only 35-50 days. The shortened RBC life span of the neonate is a result of multiple factors, including diminished levels of intracellular ATP, carnitine, and enzyme activity; increased susceptibility to lipid peroxidation; and increased susceptibility of the cell membrane to fragmentation.
Finally, blood loss may contribute to the development of premature neonatal anemia. If the neonate is held above the placenta for a time after delivery, a fetal-placental transfusion may occur. More commonly, because of the need to closely monitor the tiny infant, frequent samples of blood are removed for various tests. Because the smallest patients may be born with as little as 40 mL of blood in their circulation, withdrawing a significant percentage of an infant's blood volume in a short period is relatively easy. Taken together, the premature infant is at risk for the development of anemia because of limited erythrocyte synthesis, diminished RBC life span, and increased loss of RBCs. With regard to treatment, packed red blood cell (PRBC) transfusions continue to be the mainstay of therapy for premature neonatal anemia.
In addition to anemia, hyperkalemia may also complicate the first few days in very low birth weight infants. Hyperkalemia (serum potassium level>6 mEq/L) usually presents within the first 72 hours of life and is the result of immature distal tubular function and a state of relative hypoaldosteronism with a compromised ability to excrete potassium. It may also be due, in part, to a shift of potassium from the intracellular space to extracellular space associated with a decrease in Na+−K+−ATPase activity. In sick newborn infants with renal dysfunction, hyperkalemia may occur, particularly when combined with metabolic acidosis and a hypercatabolic state. Rarer causes of hyperkalemia include hypoadrenal crises, massive hemolysis, tissue damage or excessive administration of potassium as drugs or intravenous fluids. Doctors often request washed red blood cells for patients with hyperkalemia.

Device and method for preparing washed red blood cells for newborn transfusions

The Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College


The invention relates to a driving axle for electric motor-driven vehicles provided with at least one electric motor mounted on the axle and drive shafts driven by the motor shaft thereof with a planetary gear step inserted therebetween, connected to the output shafts bearing the wheels resting on the drive axle with a braking device and another planetary gear inserted therebetween. The invention is characterised in that two controlled asynchronous motors (10, 11) are disposed on the axle, said motors working separately and being controlled by a common control in the working functions thereof. The motor shafts (13) of both asynchronous motors (10, 11) are connected respectively by the planetary gear step (15, 16, 17) to the drive shaft (19) driving the downstream output shaft (24).

The invention relates to a drive axle for electric motor driven vehicles having at least one electric motor disposed on the axle and having drive shafts that are driven by the motor shafts thereof accompanied by interposition of a planetary gearing stage, which drive shafts are connected with the output shafts that carry the wheels seated on the drive axle, accompanied by the respective interposition of a brake assembly as well as a further planetary gearing.
A drive axle having the aforementioned features is disclosed in DE 200 10 563 U1. With the known axle a single three-phase motor is provided as a drive for both drive shafts, and the output shafts that are coupled thereon accompanied by the interposition of a brake assembly and a planetary gearing, and which drive the wheels seated on the axle; the single motor shaft of the three-phase motor is connected with the two drive shafts, accompanied by the interposition of a differential gearing, whereby one of the two drive shafts is guided through a bore formed in the motor shaft on that side of the three-phase motor that is opposite the motor shaft. With the known axle, inserted between motor shaft and the two drive shafts is a planetary differential gearing stage that combines a gearing stage and the necessary differential, in a special structural embodiment, in a structural unit.
The known drive axle has the drawback that the differential, required due to the drive concept using a single three-phase motor, despite the approach proposed in DE 20 10 563 U1, limits the output of the drive axle with regard to torque and final speed of the driven wheels, and in addition causes high operating noises during the operation of the axle. The planetary differential gearing stage that is combined in a structural unit additionally has a complicated design and manufacture. Furthermore, since a differential lock is dispensed with, the vehicle comes to a stop if a wheel loses traction. To the extent that this drawback can be avoided by the additional installation of a differential lock, such a differential lock signifies a further manufacturing and assembly effort, and hence an increase in costs. In addition, the overall size of the drive axle is increased.
It is therefore an object of the invention to avoid the aforementioned drawbacks of a drive axle having the aforementioned general features.

Directly driven driving axle having two drive motors


A system and method is provided for wireless remote control of the operation of vehicle components such as a door lock or an entertainment system. An electronic host device, such as a PDA or a mobile telephone, is coupled to a vehicle-specific transponder, and a user interface program executed on the host device allows a user to select a desired vehicle component operating command for execution. The selected operating command is sent to the transponder for transmission to the vehicle, and a vehicle receiver forwards the selected command to the target component for execution. The transponder may contain vehicle-specific authorization information which the vehicle receiver may use to verify authorization to operate the vehicle. Additionally, information stored on the host device such as telephone numbers and addresses may be transferred via the transponder to vehicle components which may use such information for task such as navigation of initiating telephone calls.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for remote wireless control of components of a vehicle using a combination of a programmable electronic host device with a vehicle-specific transponder.
New vehicles are typically delivered to customers with a number of physical (metal) keys and, with well-equipped vehicles, one or more wireless remote control units for operating vehicle features such as door locks. These wireless units usually employ either RF (radio frequency) or infrared transmissions to send signals to a vehicle receiver unit.
A problem with these known remote control units is their limited functionality. For example, many remote control units only permit operation of vehicle locks and actuation of alarm systems. Further, the functionality of these units is typically fixed, with no provision for altering the vehicle function to be controlled when a particular remote unit button is actuated.
In contrast to the lack of programmability of most remote control units, programmable hand-held electronic devices have become very popular with consumers. This is due in part to the inherent flexibility of these devices, where new functionality may be added merely by downloading and executing new programs on the devices, in part to the large amount of information that can be stored therein and rapidly accessed by a user, and in part to the intuitive nature of user interfaces which often permit user interaction by pointing at objects displayed on a touch-sensitive screen.
Many different types of programmable electronic devices exist, including programmable personal digital assistants ("PDAs"), which can accept and execute a program, programmable cellular telephones, and portable computers. Hand-held electronic devices recently have been further enhanced by the development of removable cartridges containing wireless transmitters and receivers. These cartridges allow the device operator to communicate with other hand-held devices or, for example, to receive and/or send information over networks such as the Internet.

Wireless vehicle control system and method

Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft


A single chip operational amplifier wherein the gain is programmable by means of a digitally controlled feedback loop wherein the parameters of the feedback circuit are digitally programmable under control of a microprocessor, microcontroller, control logic and the like. There is provided an operational amplifier with a feedback loop from output terminal to input terminal. The feedback loop contains components which are switched into the feedback loop circuit under control of digital signal provided by an external device, such as, for example, a microprocessor, microcontroller, control logic and the like. The digital signals from the external device cause the appropriate resistors and/or capacitors and/or other components, as may be required, to be switched into the feedback loop of the operational amplifier to provide the desired gain. These digital signals can be derived from a monitoring source which is designed to provide automatic gain control (AGC) or the like.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to operational amplifiers and, more specifically, to an operational amplifier having selectively programmable digitally operated gain circuitry on the same chip.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Programmable operational amplifiers in accordance with the prior art have typically been programmed with resistor selection that requires a physical change to the circuitry involved, the resistors being disposed external to the chip containing the amplifier circuitry. In such prior art programmable operational amplifiers, current has been passed through a resistor that must be physically changed in the circuit to change the gain of the amplifier. The major problem with this approach is that the resistors are selected in a non-programmable manner external to the chip containing the operational amplifier. It is desired to provide the same type of function on a single chip.

Operational amplifier with digitally programmable gain circuitry on the same chip


The measurement method of the displacement speed of a moving element with respect to a fixed element is performed by means of an optic measuring device comprising a first reference sensor and a plurality of distinct second measurement sensors substantially aligned along the axis of movement of the moving element. The measurement method comprises determination of estimated speeds by correlation of the signals supplied by the reference sensor and each of the measurement sensors, and calculation of a mean speed of said estimated speeds.

The invention relates to method for measuring the displacement speed of a moving element with respect to a fixed element by means of an optic measuring device fixed to one of the two elements and comprising means for emitting at least one incident light beam in the direction of the other element, first and second sensors detecting the light diffused by the other element, and processing means connected to said sensors, the measurement method comprising at least:                emission of the incident light beam,        detection of the light diffused by said first and second sensors,        determination, by the processing means, of the position of the maximum correlation peak by correlation of the signals supplied by the first and second sensors,        determination of an estimated speed according to the predetermined distance between the first and second sensors and said position of the maximum correlation peak.


A toner including toner particles including a colorant; a binder resin; and a release agent, wherein the binder resin includes a polyester resin (A) having a crystallinity and a specific formula (1), wherein a molar ratio of the ester bond of the crystalline polyester resin to total ester bonds included in the binder resin is not less than 0.60, and wherein the toner has a weight average particle diameter of from 3.0 to 9.0 μm, and includes toner particles having a particle diameter not greater than 5 μm in an amount of from 60 to 90% by quantity. A fixing method in which a toner image of the toner is fixed with a fixing device including a fixing roller having a thickness not greater than 1.0 mm and a pressure roller, wherein the fixing pressure is not greater than 1.5×105 Pa. An image forming method and a process cartridge using the toner are also provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toner for use in developing electrostatic images formed by a method such as electrophotography. In addition, the present invention also relates to a fixing method for fixing toner images, and an image forming method and a process cartridge in which visual images are produced using a toner.
2. Discussion of the Background
Electrophotographic image forming methods typically include the following processes:    (1) an electrostatic latent image is formed on an image bearing member such as photoreceptors (electrostatic latent image forming process);    (2) the electrostatic latent image is developed with a developer including a charged toner to form a visual toner image on the image bearing member (developing process);    (3) the toner image is transferred onto a receiving material optionally via an intermediate transfer medium (transfer process); and    (4) the toner image on the receiving material is fixed upon application of heat and/or pressure thereto, resulting in production of a hard copy (fixing process).
Among the methods for use in the fixing process, heat fixing methods are widely used. Recently, in order to save energy, toner images are fixed at a low temperature and therefore the heat energy applied to the toner images becomes smaller and smaller. In addition, it is needed to decrease the warm-up time of image forming apparatus, while the electric power consumption of the apparatus is decreased in a waiting state to protect environment. Requirements for next generation image forming apparatuses are described in the DSM (Demand-side Management) program of IEA (International Energy Agency). There are several requirements therein such that the warm-up time should not be greater than 10 seconds and the power consumption in a waiting state should be not greater than 10 to 30 watt (which changes depending on the copying speed) in copiers having a copy speed not less than 30 cpm (copies per minutes). In order to fulfill these requirements, the power consumption of copiers must be dramatically reduced. In attempting to fulfill the requirements, the following methods have been studied:    (1) to provide a fixing device using a fixing element which has a relatively low thermal capacity and which has a quick temperature rising property while reducing the power consumption in a waiting state; and    (2) to develop a toner having a good low temperature fixability so as to be used for low temperature fixing devices.
Heat fixing methods are broadly classified into contact heat fixing methods and non-contact heat fixing methods. Specific examples of the contact heat fixing methods include heat roller fixing methods, belt fixing methods, etc. Specific examples of the non-contact heat fixing methods include flash fixing methods, oven fixing methods, etc. Among these heat fixing methods, the heat roller fixing methods are widely used because of having the following advantages:    (1) the heat roller fixing methods have good heat efficiency because a heat roller therein is contacted with toner images to be fixed; and    (2) the fixing devices for use in the heat roller fixing methods are small in size.
In attempting to quickly raise the temperature of a heat roller, which results in reduction of the waiting time, published unexamined Japanese patent applications Nos. (hereinafter referred to as JP-As) 09-222750 and 2002-82474 have disclosed methods in which a roller having a thickness not greater than 1.0 mm is used as a fixing roller which heats toner images while contacting the toner images. By using such a thin fixing roller, the fixing temperature can be raised to a predetermined temperature in a very short period of time. However, such a heat roller has a low mechanical strength, and therefore a high load cannot be applied to the heat roller to avoid deformation of the heat roller. Since a high load cannot be applied to the heat roller (i.e., since it is impossible for the fixing method using such a thin fixing roller to decrease the lowest fixable temperature while applying a high load to toner images), it is necessary to develop a toner having a relatively low temperature fixability for the fixing method.
In attempting to prepare a toner having a low temperature fixability, a method in which polyester resins, which have relatively good low temperature fixability and good high temperature preservability, are used as binder resins instead of styrene-acrylic resins which have been typically used as binder resins. In order to further decrease the lowest fixable temperature of a toner, it is necessary to control the thermal properties of the binder resin itself of the toner. However, when a resin having a low glass transition temperature (Tg) is used as a binder resin, the high temperature preservability of the resultant toner deteriorates. When a resin having a low softening point [T(F1/2)] is used as a binder resin, the hot offset generating temperature of the resultant toner decreases. Therefore, a toner having a good low temperature fixability and a high hot offset temperature cannot be produced at the present time even when one or more polyester resins are used for the toner while the thermal properties of the resins are controlled.
In attempting to solve the problem, JP-A62-63940discloses a method in which a specific non-olefin type crystalline polymer having a sharp melting property at its glass transition temperature is included in a toner. JP-A2003-167384 discloses a crystalline polyester resin an example of the specific non-olefin type crystalline polymer. However, even when these resins are used, the low temperature fixability of the resultant toners is not fully satisfactory.
Therefore, in order to fulfill the requirements in the DSM Program, a further improved low temperature fixing technique has to be established.

Toner for developing electrostatic image, fixing method for fixing image formed of the toner, and image forming method and process cartridge using the toner


A surface treatment device includes a belt member having a surface layer in which plural kinds of rubbers having a different hardness mixedly exist. In the device, a press/heat unit presses a recording medium with a toner image formed against the belt member such that the toner image contacts with the surface layer, and heats the recording medium to melt at least a surface of the toner image.

(i) Technical Field
The invention relates to a surface treatment device for subjecting a toner image to a surface treatment, an image forming apparatus for forming a toner image on a recording medium, a belt member with a surface of which a toner image is pressed to contact to be heated, and an image forming method of forming a toner image on the recording medium.
(ii) Related Art
In recent years, an image forming apparatus typified by a printer, a copy machine has become widespread and technologies relating to various elements constituting the image forming apparatus also have become widespread. Recently, technologies for easily taking a photograph such as a technology of a digital camera, and the like have become widespread, and a request for creating a high quality image like a photograph has been increased in the field of the image forming apparatus. Of image forming apparatuses employing an electrophotography system, an image forming apparatus for forming a high quality image specific to a photographic image by subjecting a toner image to a surface treatment at a final stage of image formation appears. Such surface treatment is carried out by applying heat to the toner image in a state in which a surface treatment belt member is pressed to contact with the toner image on the recording medium. In such surface treatment, a toner containing a wax with a low melting point is used. When the toner image is heated, the wax is melted prior to the other components (resins containing colorants and the like) of the toner and adhered to the surface of a belt member, and the resins containing the colorants and the like are melted on the wax. The toner image can be easily separated from the surface of the belt member by the use of the wax. However, as the toner images are subjected to a fixing treatment repeatedly, the wax is adhered on the surface of the belt member as it is, and thus irregularities are formed on the surface of the belt member. When many irregularities are formed on the surface of the belt member, many irregularities are also formed on the surface of an image subjected to the surface treatment by reflecting the surface shape of the belt member. As a result, an image which lacks glossiness and whose quality as a photographic image is deteriorated is formed. To cope with the above problem, recently, there is proposed a belt member whose surface is covered with fluorocarbon siloxane rubber that is a material to which wax is unlikely to adhere.

Surface treatment device, image forming apparatus, belt member, and image forming method


A ceramic electronic element having improved the continuity of inner electrode layers while suppressing the decrease in adhesion between its dielectric layers and inner electrode layers and the deterioration in functions of the inner electrode layers, and a method of making the same are provided. In the method of making a ceramic capacitor (10) in accordance with the present invention, an electrode paste (22) is applied to a surface (20a) of a green sheet (20) and fired, so as to form a dielectric layer (12) laminated with an electrode layer (14). Since the electrode paste (22) is doped with a BaTiO3 powder, the adhesion between the dielectric layer (22) and inner electrode layer (14) after firing is significantly restrained from lowering, and the sintering start temperature of the electrode paste (22) is close to that of the green sheet (20). Since the electrode paste (22) is doped with a metal resinate, functions of the inner electrode layer (14) are significantly restrained from deteriorating when the insulating BaTiO3 powder is added to the electrode paste (22), and the sintering start temperature of the electrode paste (22) approaches that of the green sheet (20).

Conventionally known in general as methods of making a ceramic electronic element such as laminated ceramic capacitor are those of sheet process and of printing process. Each of these methods forms a laminate in which a plurality of layers made of a ceramic dielectric powder constituting dielectric layers and a plurality of layers made of a metal paste (electrode paste) constituting inner electrode layers are alternately stacked, fires the laminate, and then providing the laminate with outer electrodes, thereby making a ceramic electronic element.
Employed for forming the dielectric layers is a ceramic article made by mixing the ceramic dielectric powder and an organic binder so as to form a slurry, shaping the slurry into a sheet by a method such as doctor blade method, and drying the sheet as appropriate. The electrode paste used for forming the inner electrodes, on the other hand, is formed by dispersing a metal powder such as nickel powder into an organic binder and an organic solvent so as to yield a paste.
A laminated ceramic capacitor is usually obtained by screen-printing the above-mentioned electrode paste onto a surface of the sheet-like ceramic article, drying the organic solvent contained in the electrode paste, then stacking a plurality of such articles, press forming the articles so as to yield a laminate, forming the laminate into a chip, and firing the chip.
Meanwhile, the electrode paste has a sintering start temperature lower than that of the ceramic article and dielectric paste. Therefore, when the laminate is heated for firing, the electrode paste starts sintering earlier than the ceramic article does. As a result, the electrode paste is fired in excess, and thus aggregates in a state where metal components of the electrode paste are unevenly distributed. Therefore, many discontinuous parts occur in the inner electrode layers in the fired laminate, whereby the continuity of layers may deteriorate remarkably. This may reduce the substantial opposing area between the inner electrode layers, thereby decreasing the electrostatic capacity of the laminated ceramic capacitor produced from the fired laminate.
Therefore, it has generally been practiced that a powder material (common material) of the same species as that of the ceramic powder contained in the dielectric paste is added to the electrode paste, so as to allow the firing start temperature of the electrode paste approach that of the ceramic article, and the shrinkage ratio of the electrode paste at the time of firing to approach that of the ceramic article. Since the common material is an insulating material, however, the function of the inner electrode layer as an electrode deteriorates more as a greater amount of the common material is added to the electrode paste. Therefore, from the viewpoint of electrode characteristics of the inner electrode layer, it is preferred that the amount of addition of the common material be as small as possible.
A technique in which a metal resinate is added to the electrode paste in order to suppress the above-mentioned decrease in electrostatic capacity is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. HEI 7-176448, for example. In the technique disclosed in the above-mentioned publication, fine metal particles of the metal resinate are generated between the metal components of the electrode paste at the time of firing the laminate, whereby the electrode function of the inner electrode layer hardly deteriorates even when the metal resinate is added to the electrode paste. Also, adding the metal resinate to the electrode paste can raise the sintering start temperature of the electrode paste. Therefore, the use of the electrode paste to which the metal resinate is added as disclosed in the above-mentioned publication can improve the continuity of the inner electrode layers while restraining the function of the inner electrodes as an electrode from deteriorating.
However, the following problem exists in the above-mentioned electrode paste employed in a ceramic electronic element. Namely, the metal resinate greatly shrinks at the time of firing, since the volume ratio of metal components is low therein. The shrinkage ratio of the metal resinate is much greater than that of the ceramic dielectric powder. Therefore, when only such a metal resinate is added to the electrode paste by a large amount in order for the sintering start temperature of the electrode paste to approach that of the ceramic article, the above-mentioned difference in shrinkage ratio lowers the adhesion between the dielectric layers and inner electrode layers, thereby deteriorating characteristics of the electronic element.
In view of the problem mentioned above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a ceramic electronic element having improved the continuity of inner electrode layers while suppressing the decrease in adhesion between its dielectric layers and inner electrode layers and the deterioration in functions of the inner electrode layers, and a method of making the same.

Method of making ceramic electronic element


There is described discovery of a plurality of audio devices, and for the discovered audio devices are determined relative positions thereof and distances therebetween. The determined relative positions and distances are used to select a constellation of audio devices from the discovered plurality. This constellation is selected for playing or recording of a multi-channel audio file so as to present an audio effect such as a spatial audio effect. Channels for the multi-channel audio file are allocated to different audio devices of the selected constellation, which are controlled to synchronously play back or record their respectively allocated channel or channels of the multi-channel audio file. In a specific embodiment the determined distances are used to automatically select the constellation and include distance between each pair of audio devices of the plurality. Several embodiments are presented for determining the distances and relative positions.

The related US patent application mentioned above generally concerns capture of different audio channels by different and independent devices, for example capture of left, right and center channels by microphones on multiple different mobile handsets to record audio. These different channels may then be combined into a surround sound audio file. For a subjectively good and spacious-sounding audio recording, it is generally preferred that at least some of the microphones be spaced apart by up to several meters, and for surround sound the spacing should further be in more than one direction. Audio richness due to microphone spacing is especially improved if the microphones are omni-directional rather than directional. That co-owned patent application similarly discloses using cameras on two different mobile handsets to record left and right video channels for stereo video recordings; widely spaced cameras enable a better video depth and different handsets can provide a wider video base for capturing 3D video.
Now consider that there is a multi-channel audio file which a listener seeks to play back. Like spacing of the recording microphones, richness when playing back the multi-channel audio file is enhanced by having the loudspeakers also properly placed, but the audio file is of course not tied to any particular set of loudspeakers. Unlike for example fixed-location speakers in a home or commercial theater system which are set up with spatial relations in mind, the physical location of portable wireless speakers can be arbitrary. This can prevent the listener from experiencing an aimed spatial audio experience. Regardless of the listener's familiarity with specifics of audio technology, an aimed spatial experience is what people have come to expect from a 5:1 or even 7:1 arrangement for multi-channel audio related for example to watching movies. Hardwired speakers are typically spatially situated purposefully to achieve a proper surround sound. A similar spatial pre-arrangement of wireless loudspeakers with assigned audio channels tends to lose effectiveness over time when individual wireless loudspeakers are relocated away from the position designated for the surround-sound channel provided to it. The teachings herein address that deficiency.
Additionally, whether the loudspeakers are wired or wireless those previous audio systems that rely on pre-arranged spatial positioning of the speakers had the centralized host device that is handling the audio file (e.g., a conventional stereo amplifier or a host/master mobile phone) output different ones of the audio channels to different speakers or different speaker-hosting devices. These teachings also overcome that prior art feature, which is limiting if the speakers cannot be assumed to always remain in the same spatial position relative to one another.

Device discovery and constellation selection


An opening-sealing apparatus for a honeycomb molded body comprising:                a paste filling device equipped with a paste filling unit having an opening-sealing mask in which a number of openings are formed at predetermined positions and a paste supplying unit;        an image pickup device for picking up an image of the end face of the honeycomb molded body; and        an image analyzing device for analyzing the image obtained by the image pickup device, wherein        the image analyzing device analyzes the positions of the cells based upon the image of the end face picked up by the image pickup device; the opening-sealing mask is made in contact with the end face of the honeycomb molded body in such a manner that the positional error between the openings of the opening-sealing mask and the cells of the honeycomb molded body is reduced to a minimal level; and the plug material paste, which has been supplied from the paste supplying unit to the paste filling unit, is injected through the opening-sealing mask and filled in the end portion of the cells.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an opening-sealing apparatus for a honeycomb molded body, an opening-sealing apparatus for a honeycomb fired body, a method of filling a plug material paste, and a method of manufacturing a honeycomb structured body.
2. Discussion of the Background
In recent years, particulates such as soot and the like contained in exhaust gases discharged from internal combustion engines of vehicles, such as buses and trucks, and construction machines, have raised serious problems as those particulates are harmful to the environment and the human body.
There have been proposed various honeycomb filters using a honeycomb structured body comprised of porous ceramics, which serve as filters capable of capturing particulates in exhaust gases to purify the exhaust gases.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view that schematically shows one example of such honeycomb filters; FIG. 2A is a perspective view that schematically shows a honeycomb fired body that constitutes the honeycomb filter; and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 2A.
In a honeycomb filter 130, a plurality of honeycomb fired bodies 140 as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B are bonded to one another by interposing sealing material layers (adhesive layers) 131 to form a ceramic block 133, and a sealing material layer (coat layer) 132 is formed on the periphery of this ceramic block 133.
Moreover, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the honeycomb fired body 140 has a structure in which a number of cells 141 are placed in parallel with one another in the longitudinal direction and a cell wall 143 interposed between the cells 141 is allowed to function as a filter.
In other words, as shown in FIG. 2B, each of the cells 141, formed in the honeycomb fired body 140, is sealed by an opening-sealing material layer 142 at either one end of its exhaust gas-inlet or exhaust gas-outlet sides so that exhaust gases that flow into one of cells 141 are discharged from another cell 141 after surely passing through a cell wall 143 interposed between cells 141, and accordingly, when exhaust gases pass through the cell wall 143, particulates are captured by the cell wall 143 portion so that the exhaust gases are purified.
Conventionally, in order to manufacture a honeycomb filter 130 of this type, first, for example, ceramic powder, a binder, a dispersant solution and the like are mixed to prepare a wet mixture. This mixture is then continuously extrusion-molded through a die, and the extruded molded body is cut into a predetermined length to manufacture a pillar-shaped honeycomb molded body.
Then, end portions of this honeycomb molded body are sealed, in a checkered pattern, with a plug material paste mainly comprising the above-mentioned ceramic particles, and the resulting product is subjected to degreasing and firing processes to manufacture a honeycomb fired body 140 (see FIGS. 2A and 2B). With respect to the method of filling the cells of the honeycomb molded body with the plug material paste, for example, methods disclosed in JP-A2000-190312, JP-A2001-1332, and JP-A2001-1326 may be used.
Thereafter, a sealing material paste is applied to side faces of the honeycomb fired bodies and the honeycomb fired bodies are bonded to one another by an adhesive to manufacture an aggregated body of honeycomb fired bodies in which a number of the honeycomb fired bodies are bonded to one another by interposing a sealing material layer (adhesive layer). Next, the resulting aggregated body of the honeycomb fired bodies is cut and machined into a predetermined shape such as a cylindrical shape and a cylindroid shape by using a cutting machine and the like to form a ceramic block, and lastly, a sealing material paste is applied to the periphery of the ceramic block to form a sealing material layer (coat layer), thereby completing the manufacturing process of a honeycomb filter.
With respect to a method of filling predetermined cells of the honeycomb molded body with the plug material paste in a manufacturing method of this type, for example, a method disclosed in JP-A 2003-285313 may be used, in addition to the above-mentioned method. JP-A 2003-285313 has disclosed a method of filling cells with a plug material paste in which: a reference cell having a different opening shape is preliminarily formed in a honeycomb molded body and the image of the end face of the honeycomb molded body is picked up to specify the position of the cell opening based upon the reference cell, and a plug material paste is filled in through an opening-sealing mask.
The contents of JP-A 2000-190312, JP-A 2001-1332, JP-A 2001-1326 and JP-A 2003-285313 are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Opening-sealing apparatus for honeycomb molded body, opening-sealing apparatus for honeycomb fired body, method of filling plug material paste, and method of manufacturing honeycomb structured body


An autocalibrated voltage reference includes a continuous time reference and a switched calibration reference where continuous time reference is dynamically adjusted to match the switched reference such that the temperature drift and long term drift of the continuous time reference is matched to the low temperature drift of the switched reference and further resulting in improvement of the long term drift of the switched reference and of the entire system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to voltage references. More particularly, the present invention relates to autocalibrated voltage references which improves long term drift performance and optimizes reference performance characteristics without compromising reference voltage temperature drift and accuracy.
2. Description of the Related Art
The design of bandgap voltage references generally entails a series of trade offs of several different characteristics of the voltage references against accuracy and temperature drift. Often, the design of a voltage reference is optimized to consume the minimum amount of power supply current. With this optimization goal, however, it is difficult to maintain low temperature drift. The same is true when the design of the voltage reference is optimized for output voltage noise. In the latter case of output voltage noise, the core elements of the bandgap voltage reference is the major source of the output voltage noise. Thus, bandgap voltage references are not well suited for applications particularly sensitive to high levels of noise.
Other approaches, including operating metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) devices in the sub-threshold region to create a bipolar-like bandgap voltage reference, have higher temperature drift. On the other hand, while a buried zener does not exhibit a high temperature drift, it is not suited for a power supply of less than 5 volts. This is due to the fact that the normal operating voltage of a P-N junction operating in the zener breakdown region is approximately 6.5 volts. In addition, diodes are stacked on top of a zener such that the combined temperature coefficient is close to zero. Moreover, buried zener references commonly require a power supply in excess of 12 volts.
The change in semiconductor components, otherwise known as long term electronic ("voltage") drift, occurs during normal operation. This is a known accuracy limitation for a MOS voltage reference. For example, the gate-to-source voltage V.sub.gs, of an N-channel metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) can change as much as 10mV for the same drain current I.sub.d over a 1000 hour HTB reliability test. For MOSFETs, this drift is predominantly due to charge accumulation in the gate oxide as well as due to changes in the surface/oxide interface charge. The changes to the surface/oxide interface charge do not occur without power being applied to the gate and drain terminals of the MOSFET. Furthermore, measurements indicate that a MOS device with no power applied thereto does not experience voltage drift other than those shifts in threshold voltage and .beta. (beta) that are due to relaxation from packaging stress. In turn, this packaging stress can be significantly reduced by several unpowered post-packaging temperature cycles prior to initial testing and calibration.
Even when the voltage reference is trimmed at the time of manufacturing to reduce or minimize the error from the desired ideal voltage, its output voltage drift as a function of time (referred to as long term stability) is approximately 100 parts per million (PPM) per volt for 1000 hours of operation over the operating life of the voltage reference.

Methods and apparatus for providing an autocalibrated voltage reference


The invention relates to an apparatus for checking bank notes, having a linear sensor and a linear light source wherein the bank notes are moved past between the sensor and the light source for the check, and the sensor detects light from the light source transmitted by the bank notes.

Such apparatuses are known for example from DE 198 40 482 A1 and normally referred to as transmission sensors since light from a light source transmitted by the bank notes to be checked is detected by a sensor and evaluated. A distinction can be made here between light-field and dark-field measurement, depending on whether the illumination is so disposed that the light from the source hits the detector (light-field) or not (dark-field). With dark-field illumination the detector detects only light scattered by the bank note, i.e. changed in its direction.
Known light-field apparatuses are frequently used for recognizing the format of bank notes and/or defects, e.g. tears or holes, by the shadow cast in the bank notes. For this purpose the light background is imperative, on the one hand, to permit e.g. the defects of areas with dark printing to be reliably distinguished. On the other hand, the shadow itself should be as dark as possible. In particular for recognizing small defects (such as pinholes or only slightly open tears) or laser-produced perforations with diameters in the order of magnitude of 0.05 mm, the contrast of the bank notes with the background must be as high as possible. This must also apply to areas with maximum transmission, e.g. areas without printing, or even to transparent areas such as see-through registers on bank notes with a plastic substrate.
Further, in conventional bank note processing systems the transport plane of the bank notes is only imprecisely defined; the bank notes can flutter around a target plane, thereby causing changes in the image distances from illumination and imaging optics. To prevent this flutter from leading to fluctuations in intensity and scale, both optics must be of sufficiently telecentric design, i.e. they may only use light beams that deviate only a few degrees from the parallels to the optical axis.
In known apparatuses for checking bank notes in the light field, the background used is as a rule a line of chip LEDs or backlit surface. This causes the contrast to be adjusted to a lower value than can be obtained with optimal illumination, because the bank note is also illuminated by light beams that, because of their direction relative to the optical axis, can contribute to scattered light but not to the background.

Abstract: The invention starts out from the consideration of equipping the linear sensor and the linear light source each with an aperture such that the aperture of the light source is equal to or smaller than the aperture of the sensor.


Systems, methods, and computer-readable media that improve flow of a multiphase mixture in a fluid transport system by determining pressure drop of low-liquid loading flows are provided. The method includes obtaining physical dimensions of a pipe that transports a multiphase flow. The method also includes obtaining physical parameters of the multiphase flow in the pipe. The method further includes determining an effective toughness of a liquid film of the multiphase flow on an interior wall of the pipe using the physical dimensions of the pipe and the physical parameters of the multiphase flow. Additionally, the method includes determining a pressure drop in the pipe using the effective roughness of the liquid film. Moreover, the method includes determining operating parameters of the system based on the pressure drop in the pipe.

Multiphase flow occurs when separate phases of gases, liquids, and/or solid particles flow simultaneously as a mixture. Multiphase flow may involve complex irregular interactions between the flowing phases inducing pressure drops, deposits, liquid accumulation, and unstable flows. These phenomena may occur in a wide range of applications ranging from large scale industrial processes (e.g., pharmaceutical, paper, food, metallurgical industries, and the like) to small scale applications (e.g., cooling systems, combustion engines, etc.).
One particular area where understanding and managing multiphase flow is important is transportation of hydrocarbons in pipelines. Fluid flow in pipelines of oil and gas reservoirs typically involves simultaneous flows of water, oil, and gas. Low-liquid-loading flow is a flow condition that may occur in pipelines when the flow rate of the liquids (e.g., water and oil) is very small compared with the flow rate of the gas. For example, low-liquid-loading flow commonly occurs in wet-gas and gas-condensate pipelines. Even though the pipeline is fed with single-phase gas, the condensation of heavier components of the gas phase, along with traces of water, results in a multiphase flow. Furthermore, the risk of water being present means that operators may choose to add MEG (methylene glycol), a hydrate inhibitor, to the flow, increasing the volume and viscosity of the aqueous phase. The presence of the liquids in the pipeline, although in very small amounts, can significantly influence flow characteristics, such as pressure drops and liquid accumulation. Therefore, understanding of the flow characteristics of low-liquid-loading flows is of great importance in transportation of wet gases. It follows that it is important to understand and predict possible multiphase behavior and complex fluid-related effects which may occur in the pipelines during design and operation of oil and gas transportation lines.
Current techniques for predicting pressure drop in multiphase flows involve collecting flow data from a pipeline system, and using such data to predict pressure variations using models (e.g. a stratified flow model). However, the current techniques inaccurately estimate the pressure drop. The inaccuracies may be worse in the case of deep reservoirs and long pipelines. Accordingly, in an attempt to account for the inaccuracies, an individual analyzing the reservoir and pipeline system (e.g., a geophysicist, a geologist, a pipeline engineer, or a reservoir engineer) may apply unrealistically large friction parameters in a model of the system in an attempt to make the output of the model better reflect actual pressure drop in the system. This can produce inaccurate results that can reduce the efficiency and safety of operations at the reservoir.

Pressure drop in low liquid loading flows