A drum type washing machine with a laundry drying function and a method for controlling the same are disclosed, in which a ventilating function is carried out during a dehydrating stroke. The drum type washing machine with a laundry drying function, provided with a ventilating fan, includes a key input unit inputting user's request command, a memory storing a pattern for driving the ventilating fan, during a dehydrating stroke period, a controller controlling the washing machine to carry out a corresponding stroke per course selected through the key input unit and to drive the ventilating fan at a pattern previously stored in the memory when a dehydrating stroke starts, and a fan driver controlling driving of the ventilating fan in accordance with a control signal of the controller.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drum type washing machine, and more particularly, to a drum type washing machine with a laundry drying function and a method for controlling the same, in which a ventilating function is carried out during a dehydrating stroke.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In general, a washing machine rotates a rotating tub and a pulsator using a driving force of a motor to carry out a washing stroke, a rinsing stroke, and a dehydrating stroke. The washing machine is an apparatus for washing laundries using friction caused among laundries, washing water and the rotating tub by agitating the laundries and the washing water after drawing them into the rotating tub.
The washing machine is classified into a pulsator type washing machine, an agitator type washing machine, and a drum type washing machine depending on a washing manner.
The drum type washing machine washes laundries by rotating a drum using a driving force of a motor in a state that detergents, washing water, and laundries are thrown into the drum. The drum type washing machine has advantages in that damage of laundries and their entanglement little occur and a beating and scrubbing effect is obtained.
Hereinafter, a related art drum type washing machine with a laundry drying function will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating a related art drum type washing machine with a laundry drying function.
As shown in FIG. 1, the related art drum type washing machine with a laundry drying function includes a tub 20, a drum 30, a drying duct 40, and a condensing duct 50. The tub 20 is provided in a cabinet 10 to store washing water therein, and has a hot air inlet 20a formed at an upper portion on a front surface and a hot air outlet 20b formed at a lower portion on a rear surface. The drum 30 is rotatably provided inside the tub 20, and has a plurality of hot air through holes 30a formed with a predetermined arrangement on the front surface. The drying duct 40 is fixably provided on an outer circumference at a top of the tub 20, and has a heater 41 and a ventilating fan 42 to generate hot air. The drying duct 40 has one end connected to the hot air inlet 20a of the tub 20 to supply hot air generated inside the tub 20 into the drum 30. The condensing duct 50 is provided at the rear of the tub 20 so that its one end is connected to the hot air outlet 20b of the tub 20 and its other end is connected to the drying duct 40. The condensing duct 50 removes moisture contained in the air discharged from the tub 20 and transfers the moisture to the drying duct 40.
Preferably, the tub 20 is formed of plastic by injection molding, and the drum 30 is formed of stainless steel.
Meanwhile, the drying conduct 40 is fixed to the outer circumference at the top of the tub 20 by a fitting member such as a screw. A heat intercepting plate 43 is provided between the tub 20 and the drying duct 40 to prevent heat generated from the drying duct 40 from being transferred to the tub 20.
In other words, the heat intercepting plate 43 is fixed to the outer circumference of the tub 20 and then the drying duct 40 is fixed to the heat intercepting plate 43 by the fitting member such as a screw in a state that the heat intercepting plate 43 is fixed to the tub 20.
Meanwhile, the drum 30 is preferably rotated in a direct driving manner by an outer rotor type motor. However, rotation of the drum 30 is not limited to the above case. The outer rotor type motor includes a shaft 61 axially connected to the drum 30 by passing through the tub 20, a rotor 62 fixed to a rear end of the shaft 61, and a stator 63 positioned inside the rotor 62. Also, a radiating means such as radiating fins may be provided on an upper surface of the drying duct 40 to prevent the upper surface of the drying duct 40 from being overheated.
The operation of the aforementioned drum type washing machine will be described as follows.
First, the hot air inlet 20a is formed at the upper portion on the front surface of the tub 20, and the hot air outlet 20b is formed at the lower portion on the rear surface of the tub 20. This is to form an inlet direction of hot air flown into the drum 30 and an outlet direction of hot air discharged to the condensing duct 50 along a diagonal direction, thereby discharging the hot air after uniformly distributing the hot air to the whole portion inside the drum including a corner portion.
In other words, the hot air through holes 30a on the front surface of the drum 30 are formed to obtain a maximum sectional area of a passageway without deteriorating strength at the front surface of the drum.
The hot air through holes 30a are formed in an effective arrangement on the front surface of the drum 30 so that the hot air inlet 120 communicates with the hot air through holes 30a even in case where the drum 30 is rotated. Therefore, the hot air flown into the tub 20 through the hot air inlet 20a is desirably supplied into the drum 30 through the hot air through holes 30a provided on the front surface of the drum 30.
Meanwhile, the heat intercepting plate 43 is provided below the drying duct 40. The heat intercepting plate 43 prevents heat generated from the drying duct 40 from being transferred to the tub 20.
Since the drying duct 40 is fixed to the outer circumference of the tub through the heat intercepting plate, a gasket that absorbs vibration is not required at a portion where the drying duct 40 is connected with the tub 20. This is because that the drying duct 40 is moved or vibrated along with the tub 20 if the tub 20 is moved or vibrated as the drying duct 40 is fixed to the tub 20.
It is apparent to those skilled in the art that a sealing member may be provided at the portion where the drying duct 40 is connected with the tub 20, so as to prevent heat generated from the drying duct 40 from being leaked out.
Meanwhile, a gasket that absorbs vibration is not required at a portion where the condensing duct 50 is connected with the tub 20 as the condensing duct 50 is directly fixed to the rear surface of the tub 20.
However, the aforementioned related art drum type washing machine with a laundry drying function has the following problems.
First, the time required for the dehydrating stroke is increased as the dehydrating stroke is carried out by conditions previously set depending on each course.
Second, rumple of laundries occurs as the dehydrating stroke is carried out by conditions previously set depending on each course.
Finally, electric charges are increased as the dehydrating stroke and a drying stroke are successively carried out.

Drum type washing machine with laundry drying function and method for controlling the same


A flexible and configurable system for distributing media (or programming) to one or more distribution networks. The system includes a media server, at least one server interface unit, a first communications path coupling the media server and a server interface unit, distribution network interface unit(s), and a second communications path coupling a server interface unit and the distribution network interface unit(s). The media server stores files of encoded (e.g., compressed) media data and files of scheduling information. Each of the distribution network interface unit(s) conditions received media data for transmission over the distribution network(s) which may be analog and/or digital distribution networks.

a. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a hierarchical system for providing compressed and/or non-compressed digital and/or analog video signals to be broadcast, multicast, or transmitted point-to-point, to remotely located subscribers.
b. Description of the Prior Art
Over the past decade or two and continuing to the present, "off-the-air" communication systems, such as CATV for example, have become rather ubiquitous throughout most of the developed world and permit a wide diversity of programming and other broadcast information to be disseminated directly to subscribers. Through such systems, subscribers, typically residential customers, can select from among a number of program providers that offer far more diverse content than traditional "on-the-air" broadcast television channels. Given the richness of the available programming and its relatively affordable cost, the CATV industry has experienced significant historic growth.
Traditional cable distribution systems are entirely analog in nature. In essence, various program providers transmit their programming over distinct channels, via a satellite link or other dedicated long-haul communication paths, to a "cable headend" location. As determined by the program provider, each of these signals may be transmitted in scrambled form, particularly for so-called "premium" channels, or in non-scrambled form.
As shown in FIG. 1, equipment, such as a network feed downlink 102 and a group of integrated receiver/decoders (or "IRDs") 104, at a cable headend location receives the transmitted signals that appear on a variety of different channels, and appropriately amplifies and conditions each of these signals (not shown). Then, equipment, such as a plurality of remodulators 106 and a channel combiner 108, remodulate and frequency division multiplex each of the resulting signals into a single broadband, frequency division multiplexed signal. This broadband signal is further amplified and driven (e.g., by distribution fan-out nodes 110) onto a geographically dispersed hardwired coaxial cable network for distribution to individual subscribers 112. Each subscriber 112 utilizes a converter (also commonly referred to as a "set-top box") which terminates a so-called cable "drop" in the network. Hence, the cable television headend station is often referred to as a "community antenna."
The set-top box receives the broadband signal and, based on a subscriber selection generally entered through a remote control device, selects a given cable channel for display, demultiplexes a signal for that channel from the received broadband signal, descrambles that signal, if necessary and if authorized to do so, and applies a resulting baseband video signal to an input of a television receiver (or applies an RF input to channel 3 or 4 of the television receiver) for subsequent display and/or to an input of a video cassette recorder (VCR) for recording. Newly manufactured television receivers and VCRs possess so-called "cable-ready" tuners which provide this demultiplexing function, but which do not include descrambling circuitry.
Two fundamental technical limitations of the known CATV system have tended to limit viewer choice and hence the attractiveness of cable service; namely the limited bandwidth of coaxial cable and the lack of support for back-channel communications.
First, a traditional cable system is structured, as noted above, with a single point of signal origination (i.e., the headend) for all its subscribers. That is, a traditional cable system provides a so-called "one-to-many" (or "broadcast" or "multicast") distribution. While such a system advantageously provides a greater number of channels than does on-the-air television broadcasts, the number of cable channels is still quite restricted. As a consequence of a limited number of channels, many individual subscribers increasingly find that, at one time or another, an insufficient number of different programs on different channels are then available to satisfy their current interest.
To reiterate, in a conventional analog system, the same set of multiplexed channels is transmitted from a cable headend into a coaxial cable distribution network, through which this set of multiplexed channels is "fanned-out" (i.e., "broadcast") to all subscribers in the system. Thus, the number of channels that can be simultaneously transmitted is determined, in good measure, by the bandwidth of the physical coaxial cable used in the distribution network. Coaxial cable, as with any transmission media, has a limited bandwidth. In the context of frequency multiplexed analog video signals, coaxial cable typically has a capacity to carry approximately 50-70 analog frequency division multiplexed video channels over an appreciable distance without undue signal attenuation. These systems typically utilize a frequency band of approximately 5-400 MHz or so.
As the number of frequency division multiplexed video channels increases, the highest carrier frequency applied to the cable also increases. As transmitted cable carrier frequencies increase much above several hundred megahertz, cable losses, principally due to inductive "skin effect" as well as capacitive affects, increase substantially and, accordingly, greatly attenuate the transmitted signal at these high frequencies, thus frustrating the use of additional high frequency channels.
Broadband in-line repeaters are periodically placed in series with a distribution trunk to (e.g., at distribution or fan-out nodes 110) re-amplify and re-condition the multiplexed signal that propagates down the trunk to compensate for attenuation present in that trunk. Traditionally, one method to overcome this attenuation is to simply decrease the inter-repeater spacing in the network. However, doing so, particularly given the rather wide geographic coverage of a coaxial cable network and the number of distribution trunks used therein, often entails a substantial increase in the number of repeaters and thus, cost.
In addition to the increased cost associated with increasing the number of repeaters, the potential for adverse inter-modulation and cross-modulation products is also heightened. Such inter-modulation and cross-modulation products result from system non-linearities and the presence of numerous video carriers, and thus introduce noticeable distortion into a multiplexed cable signal. In that regard, so-called "composite triple beat" products (modulation products of the general type (2f.sub.1 .+-.f.sub.2) or (f.sub.1 +f.sub.2 .+-.f.sub.3)) can greatly degrade the performance of such a system. Coherent oscillators may be used to regenerate (and convert) carrier frequencies such that they are harmonically related thereby ameliorating these adverse modulation products somewhat. Nevertheless, adverse inter-modulation and cross-modulation products increase with increases in repeater output levels, as well as with increases in the number of repeaters cascaded along any distribution path in the cable network. The presence of these adverse inter-modulation and cross-modulation products effectively limits both the number of repeaters that can be cascaded and hence the length of an entire distribution path itself (i.e. an entire coaxial cable run from a headend location to a subscriber). If the number of channels were to increase, the repeater separation would have to be reduced to compensate for lowered output levels while avoiding adverse modulation products which, in turn, nevertheless increases system cost.
Hence, the above described phenomena intrinsic to analog co-axial cable distribution have effectively limited the number of channels simultaneously available in any conventional analog cable system to approximately 50-70. This limitation has been ameliorated somewhat, but only in newly constructed cable systems that utilize a low-loss optical fiber distribution network. Such low-loss optical fiber distribution networks possess an increased bandwidth (generally on the order of 1 GHz--two or three times that of a coaxial cable distribution network) over that of a traditional coaxial cable based distribution network. However, since most cable distribution networks have already been installed quite a few years ago, the vast majority of existing cable systems utilize a coaxial cable, rather than optical, based distribution network and are so limited to 50-70 simultaneous channels.
If, as often occurs, the subscriber is not interested in programming then being carried by any of the 50-70 cable channels, they will turn to other pursuits. If this occurs frequently enough, the subscriber, possibly out of repeated dissatisfaction or frustration, may terminate their cable service entirely.
Second, because traditional analog cable systems are unidirectional, the subscriber, even if they are interested in a particular program on any given cable channel, is relegated to a pre-defined broadcast schedule of a corresponding channel provider. Although the proliferation of VCRs has alleviated this concern by storing the channel broadcast for later viewing at a more convenient time, the inconvenience and complexity, as seen by many subscribers, in programming a VCR for recording and time-shifted viewing, also contributes to continued viewer frustration and dissatisfaction with cable systems.
The technical community serving the cable industry has grappled with these difficulties for some time but, as of yet, no effective global solution has been put forth in the art.
Continuing advances in digital storage technology and recent advances in video compression methods have led to a number of proposals for new video distribution systems. However, at the present time, each of these proposed systems includes serious drawbacks which preclude its current implementation on a large scale. The art has unequivocally recognized that digital signals are far less prone to noise, affects of attenuation and other adverse phenomena typically associated with analog signals and, through use of sophisticated error correction algorithms, can readily be corrected for artifacts and other transport errors. For those reasons, digital signals are routinely favored for transmitting information. Indeed, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,400,401 (hereinafter referred to as "the Wasilewski et al patent"), 5,410,343 (hereinafter referred to as "the Coddington et al patent"), 5,412,416 (hereinafter referred to as "the Nemirofsky patent"), 5,442,389 (hereinafter referred to as "the Blahut et al patent"), and 5,508,732 (hereinafter referred to as "the Bottomly et al patent"), each discuss video distribution systems which provide digital video signals to subscribers. Unfortunately, the systems discussed in these patents require large capital outlays for providing or upgrading the infra-structure of a distribution system and also require relatively sophisticated and expensive set-top boxes. Moreover, although, at first blush, enhancing a cable system by merely converting the system from analog to digital signaling appears attractive, doing so would necessitate replacement of much of the embedded analog circuitry in that system. In view of the enormous investment made over the past few decades in embedded physical plant, both at cable head-ends and in subscriber set-top boxes, for analog signal distribution and reception equipment, converting, at one time, a cable system to handle end-to-end digital signaling is prohibitively expensive and hence totally impractical. Furthermore, such a "one-shot" conversion would disrupt service to many, if not all, current subscribers. Therefore, any solution aimed at enhancing utility, functionality and subscriber attractiveness of a cable system should maintain compatibility with the existing analog plant to the fullest extent possible. However, given the advantages of transmitting signals digitally, such a system should permit a gradual and non-disruptive migration towards an all digital system. Further, such a system should, ideally, be configurable to serve various types of network, whether they are, for example, analog co-axial cable networks or digital optical fiber networks.
Starting in the early 1990s and continuing to the present, significant developments are appearing in the art of communication and digital data processing that, if utilized, hold great promise in overcoming the technical limitations, as discussed above, inherent in traditional analog cable systems. Moreover, these developments, if properly utilized, should profoundly enhance the utility, functionality and attractiveness of existing cable systems to both present and potential subscribers while advantageously maintaining full compatibility with these existing analog systems. Furthermore, these developments should make other distribution systems more attractive.
Currently, extremely fast and sophisticated digital processors are becoming commercially available along with high capacity low-cost digital storage mechanisms. Processors are evolving, both in terms of their continually increasing sophistication and decreasing cost, to a level at which these such processors may cost-effectively function as video servers to provide digitized video data at a sufficiently rapid rate to permit its near real-time or even real-time viewing.
Moreover, the streaming of more than one video file is now feasible. Furthermore, large-capacity magnetic hard disk drives, as well as optical disk drives, with an individual capacity in excess of several gigabytes are now available at a price of less than U.S. $1000/drive. Such drives may be arranged into high capacity disk farms, having a storage capacity of hundreds of gigabytes or several terabytes. Such disk farms could well store digitized video libraries of one sort or another. With further advances in storage technology, the price of such drives is only likely to fall while their capacity continues to rise.
Unfortunately, however, a digitized video image, let alone full motion video, can generate a rather large data file, often in excess of several megabytes of bit-mapped data per frame. Since full motion NTSC (National Television Standards Committee) video requires 30 frames/second, an advertisement lasting 30 seconds to one minute, a program lasting 30 minutes or more, or a movie lasting 1-2 hours or more, will require a corresponding video file that has an enormous amount of data, particularly if stored in simple bit-mapped form. Storage of such a bit-mapped file could still prove costly even at current and anticipated near term costs per megabyte.
Fortunately, occurring along with the above mentioned development in processor and storage technology is the rather recent emergence not only of a rather robust and highly accurate compression/decompression algorithm for full motion video (and associated audio), but also of rather inexpensive integrated circuits (ICs) that encode and decode video data in accordance with this algorithm. This algorithm is the MPEG-2 standard promulgated by the Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG) and jointly published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), in draft form on Nov. 11, 1994, as International Standard ISO/IEC 13818 (incorporated herein by reference). By exploiting the fact that high degrees of inter-frame and intra-frame redundancies are inherent in video, the MPEG-2 algorithm advantageously yields an extremely high rate of video compression. Consequently, the MPEG-2 compression algorithm drastically reduces the file size needed to store, as well as the bandwidth needed to transmit, an item of digitized full motion video.
Although the MPEG-2 standard is known to those skilled in the art, its relevant features are briefly described below for the reader's convenience. The MPEG-2 standard focuses on the encoding and transport of video and audio data. In general, the MPEG-2 standard uses compression algorithms such that video and audio data may be more efficiently stored and communicated.
The International Organisation for Standardisation (or the Organisation Internationale De Normalisation) (hereinafter referred to as "the ISO/IEC") has produced drafts of the MPEG-2 standard for the coding of moving pictures and associated audio. This standard is set forth in four documents. The document ISO/IEC 13818-1 (systems) specifies the system coding of the specification. It defines a multiplexed structure for combining audio and video data and means of representing the timing information needed to replay synchronized audio and video sequences in real-time. The document ISO/IEC 13818-2 (video) specifies the coded representation of video data and the decoding process required to reconstruct pictures. The document ISO/IEC 13818-3 (audio) specifies the coded representation of audio data and the decoding process required to reconstruct the audio data. Lastly, the document ISO/IEC 13818-4 (conformance) specifies procedures for determining the characteristics of coded bitstreams and for testing compliance with the requirements set forth in the ISO/IEC documents 13818-1, 13818-2, and 13818-3. These four documents, hereinafter referred to, collectively, as "the MPEG-2 standard" or simply "the MPEG standard", are incorporated herein by reference.
A bit stream, multiplexed in accordance with the MPEG-2 standard, is either a "transport stream" or a "program stream". Both program and transport streams are constructed from "packetized elementary stream" (or PES) packets and packets containing other necessary information. A "packetized elementary stream" (or PES) packet is a data structure used to carry "elementary stream data". An "elementary stream" is a generic term for one of (a) coded video, (b) coded audio, or (c) other coded bit streams carried in a sequence of PES packets with one and only stream identifier (or "ID"). Both program and transport streams support multiplexing of video and audio compressed streams from one program with a common time base.
Transport streams permit one or more programs with one or more independent time bases to be combined into a single stream. Transport streams are useful in instances where data storage and/or transport means are lossy or noisy. The rate of transport streams, and their constituent packetized elementary streams (PESs) may be fixed or variable. This rate is defined by values and locations of program clock reference (or PCR) fields within the transport stream.
FIG. 21 illustrates the packetizing of compressed video data 2106 of a video sequence 2102 into a stream of PES packets 2108, and then, into a stream of transport stream packets 2112. Specifically, a video sequence 2102 includes various header information 2104 and associated compressed video data 2106. The video sequence 2102 is parsed into variable length segments, each having an associated PES packet header 2110 to form a PES packet stream 2108. The PES packet stream 2108 is then parsed into segments, each of which is provided with a transport stream header 2114 to form a transport stream 2112. Each transport stream packet of the transport stream 2112 is 188 bytes in length.
Although the syntax of the transport stream 2112 and transport stream packets is described in the MPEG-2 standard, the fields of the transport stream packet pertaining to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. 22 for the reader's convenience. As shown in FIG. 22, a transport stream 2112 includes one or more 188 byte transport stream packets 2200, each of the transport stream packets 2200 having a header 2114 and an associated payload 2216.
Each header 2114 includes an eight (8) bit synch byte field 2218 and a thirteen (13) bit packet identification (or PID) field 2220. The synch byte field 2218 has a value of "01000111" (or 47 hex) and identifies the start of a 188 byte transport stream packet 2200. The PID field 2220 indicates the type of data (e.g., audio, video, secondary audio program (or "SAP"), private, etc.) stored in the payload 2216 of the 188 byte transport stream packet. Throughout this application, the term "private data" is often used to refer to a transport stream packet 2200 having a PID 2220 value which identifies data in the payload 2216 of the transport stream packet 2200 as proprietary data, for special use (e.g., on-screen displays) by the system of the present invention. In such instances, "private data" should not be confused with private data which may be carried in the transport private data field 2250 of the transport stream header 2114, which may also be used to carry proprietary data. In any case, the meaning of "private data" will be apparent based on the context in which it is used. Certain PID values are reserved.
The payloads 2216 of one or more transport stream packets 2200 may carry "packetized elementary stream" (or PES) packets 2300. To reiterate, a "packetized elementary stream" (or PES) packet 2300 is a data structure used to carry "elementary stream data" and an "elementary stream" is a generic term for one of (a) coded video, (b) coded audio, or (c) other coded bit streams carried in a sequence of PES packets with one and only stream ID.
FIG. 23 is a diagram which illustrates the syntax of a PES packet 2300. As FIG. 23 shows, a PES packet 2300 includes a 24 bit start code prefix field 2302, an eight (8) bit stream identifier field 2304, a sixteen (16) bit PES packet length field 2306, an optional PES header 2308, and a payload section 2106. Each of these fields is described in the MPEG-2 standard. However, for the reader's convenience, the fields particularly relevant to the present invention are described below.
The sixteen (16) bit PES packet length field 2306 specifies the number of bytes in the PES packet 2300 following this field 2306. A value of 0 in this field 2306 indicates that the PES packet length is neither specified nor bounded. Such an unspecified and unbounded PES packet 2300 is only allowed in PES packets whose payload is a video elementary stream contained in transport stream packets. As can be deduced from the description of the PES packet length field 2306, the PES packet 2300 can be much longer (e.g., 4000 bytes) than the length of the payload 2216 of a 188 byte transport stream packet. Thus, as shown in FIG. 1, a PES packet 2300 is typically carried in consecutive payloads 2216 of a series of transport stream packets 2200. The payload 2106 of a PES packet 2300 may carry a sequence of video frames or audio frames, for example.
FIG. 24 is a block schematic showing the steps of encoding, communicating (from location 2440 to location 2450), and decoding video and audio data in accordance with the MPEG-2 standard.
As shown in FIG. 24, at a first location 2440, video data is provided to a video encoder 2402 which encodes the video data in accordance with the MPEG-2 standard (specified in the document ISO/IEC 13818-2 (video), which is incorporated herein by reference). The video encoder 2402 provides encoded video 2404 to a packetizer 2406 which packetizes the encoded video 2404. The packetized encoded video 2408 provided by the packetizer 2406 is then provided to a first input of at least one of a program stream multiplexer 2410 and a transport stream multiplexer 2412. For the purposes of understanding the present invention, it can be assumed that program streams are not generated.
Similarly, at the first location 2440, audio data is provided to an audio encoder 2414 which encodes the audio data in accordance with the MPEG-2 standard (specified in the document ISO/IEC 13818-3 (audio), which is incorporated herein by reference). The audio encoder 2414 provides encoded audio 2416 to a packetizer 2418 which packetizes the encoded audio 2416. The packetized encoded audio 2420 provided by the packetizer 2418 is then provided to a second input of at least one of the program stream multiplexer 2410 and the transport stream multiplexer 2412.
The transport stream multiplexer 2412 multiplexes the encoded audio and video packets and transmits the resulting multiplexed stream to a second location 2450 via communications means 2422. At the second location 2450, on a remote end of the communications means 2422, a transport stream demultiplexer 2424 receives the multiplexed transport stream. Based on the packet identification (or PID) number 2314 of a particular packet, the transport stream demultiplexer 2424 separates the encoded audio and video packets and provides the video packets to a video decoder 2430 via link 2428 and the audio packets to an audio decoder 2434 via link 2432. The transport stream demultiplexer 2424 also provides timing information to a clock control unit 2426. The clock control unit 2426 provides timing outputs to the both the video decoder 2430 and the audio decoder 2434 based on the timing information provided by the transport stream demultiplexer 2424. The video decoder 2430 provides video data which corresponds to the video data originally provided to the video encoder 2402. Similarly, the audio decoder 2434 provides audio data which corresponds to the audio data originally provided to the audio encoder 2414.
This ability to compress video has led some to think about video distribution systems in which a number of full or feature length movies are actually stored on extremely large DRAMs in addition to, or instead of, storage on large magnetic or optical disk drives or on magnetic tape drives. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,343 (hereinafter referred to as "the Coddington et al patent") discusses a video distribution system having a DRAM storing 15 to 25 compressed feature length movies, each occupying approximately 1.2 gigabytes. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,442,389 (hereinafter referred to as "the Blahut et al patent") discusses a video distribution system having a 206 gigabyte memory for storing over 150 full-length movies. Unfortunately, however, DRAM fabrication and storage densities have not yet advanced to the point to which systems employing such large DRAMs are feasible economically.
All digital video distribution systems which utilize the public switched telephone network (or PSTN) have also been proposed. For example, the Coddington et al patent uses an asymmetrical digital service line (ADSL) interface over a twisted pair which is frequency division multiplexed into a 4 KHz wide voice channel, an 8 Kbps reverse digital channel centered on 95 KHz, and a 1.6 Mbps video channel from 100 to 500 KHz. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,508,732 (hereinafter referred to as "the Bottomley et al patent") uses a T1 (i.e., a 1.544 Mbps) link to a subscriber to provide near video-on-demand (or NVOD). Unfortunately, the telephone system was designed to handle voice traffic (for example, 8 bit samples at 8 Khz, or 64 Kbps voice traffic) for relatively short periods of time. For example, in a typical residential area, central offices are designed based on the expectation that an average telephone customer uses the network for 3 CCs (i.e., 3 hundred call seconds) or 5 minutes per hour. The telephone system, at this point, is not designed to handle 1.544 Mbps video signals on T1 links (equivalent to 24, 64 Kbps voice channels) occupying a line for 90 minutes without interruption. Thus, substantial capital expenditures are required before the telephone network can handle the substantial additional traffic introduced by such video delivery and video-on-demand services.
Thus, although emerging new digital technology, particularly in the areas of storage density and video compression, appears to provide several sorely needed building blocks for a video delivery system, proposed systems require substantial capital expenditures to improve existing distribution networks and to provide set-top boxes with sophisticated decoding and formatting chipsets. Hence, the proposed systems offer an "all or nothing" approach that requires a capital expenditure that is, frankly, unpalatable to many in the video distribution industry.
Thus, a substantial and crucial obstacle remains: integrating these emerging new digital technologies with existing video distribution networks, such as analog cable systems, in a way that maintains full compatibility with and thereby preserves, to the fullest extent possible, the existing investment made in all the existing analog physical plant, i.e., all the existing analog set-top boxes and head-end analog signal distribution equipment.
Ideally, the infusion of this technology into a cable system should occur in a manner that not only provides enhanced cable system functionality and increased viewer choice and satisfaction but also entails relatively minor changes, if any, to the existing analog physical plant.
In that regard and even with continued use of analog program signaling to the subscriber, we expect that a flexible digital video file server system could spawn a wide variety of new services heretofore not available on traditional analog cable systems. For example, one new class of cable services, collectively referred to herein as "targeted programming", could include the provision and selective distribution of customized video programming matched to the needs of a specific target audience. Different programming would be simultaneously provided, over the same cable system, to different subscriber audiences thereon.
Such targeted programming might be advertisements of high interest to, and directed to, a certain demographic and/or geographically located class of individuals--as pre-defined by an advertiser. Such targeted programming might include information, such as, e.g., a textual schedule of local events with accompanying "video clips" thereof, that is to be distributed to a local community of potential attendees and/or other interested parties that are presumed to be interested--all as predefined by an event promoter. For example, the delivery of a channel having video clips of nationally released movies with an overlay or on-screen-display (or OSD) of local theaters and play-times of the movie would be attractive. In each instance, the ensuing recipients would be much smaller than all the cable subscribers at large on the system. Hence, a system having multicasting, as well as broadcasting, functionality is needed.
Another new class of cable services, collectively referred to herein as "subscriber-initiated programming" or "requested programming", could be based on so-called "near video-on-demand" (or NVOD) through which each subscriber could choose specific programming for delivery by the cable system. Here, that subscriber would be allowed, through pre-defined interactivity with the video provider, to request, from a large archival library, just what video material, e.g. a particular movie, television show or documentary, that particular subscriber wants to view. The server would then inform the subscriber of the time and channel on which that material will be played. The cable system, in conjunction with the server, would then retrieve and play the material but with only a minimal, if any, delay from the time at which the subscriber entered his or her request. If this material is to be provided in a scrambled form, the server would provide appropriate commands to authorize the set-top box serving that subscriber to de-scramble the incoming signal as required for proper viewing of the requested material.
We anticipate that by providing targeted programming, whether it is relevant advertisements or other useful information distributed to specific cable subscribers along geographic and/or demographic boundaries, or subscriber-initiated (or requested) programming, such as entertainment, or even some combination of the two, cable systems can sharply increase their attractiveness to current and future subscribers with, concomitantly, the cable industry, as a whole, eventually experiencing sharply higher market penetration and revenue growth.
Thus, a need now exists in the art for a cost-effective digital video file server system that can be readily integrated, with minimal disruption, if any, into existing analog cable systems to greatly enhance the functionality and subscriber attractiveness of such systems. Such a file server system should preserve, to the extent possible, all the existing analog physical plant, thereby maintaining compatibility with existing analog signal distribution equipment and subscriber set-top boxes currently in use. Furthermore, such a file server system should provide archival storage of a substantial amount of video material and, for purposes of economic implementation, utilize video compression, particularly, though not exclusively, the MPEG-2 standard. To enhance subscriber attractiveness, such a video file server, when integrated into an existing cable system, should be able to provide services, such as targeted programming and subscriber-initiated (or requested) programming, currently not available on conventional analog cable systems.
The advantages of digitally transmitting any data, including video data, cannot be forgotten however. Although, as discussed above, the capital expenditures for providing an all digital video distribution network are indeed staggering, we expect that such networks will, inevitably, be built. Moreover, although prohibitively expensive now, we believe that the cost of sophisticated set-top boxes will continue to decrease and will inevitably reach a point of being economically attractive. Thus, the system of the present invention must be flexible to permit a migration to all digital distribution networks.

Flexible, configurable, hierarchical system for distributing programming


An inbred maize line, designated HLA22ND, is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of inbred maize line HLA22ND, to the plants of inbred maize line HLA22ND and to methods for producing a maize plant, either inbred or hybrid, by crossing the inbred line HLA22ND with itself or another maize line. The invention further relates to methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic plants produced by that method and to methods for producing other inbred maize lines derived from the inbred HLA22ND.

Over the last fifty years, approaches toward providing animal nutrition have changed. No longer are the animals fed whatever grain or forage may be available. Instead, the diets of animals are closely monitored for total nutrition value, and for cost. The animal on the diet is monitored, for quality and performance characteristics, and for the environmental impact of the waste from the animal. The information gathered is employed to adjust the feed to increase nutrition value of the feed and the animal performance characteristics while decreasing the cost and environmental impact.
Cereals account for about half of all feed ingredients, primarily because they are good sources of energy. Maize tends to be the preferred feed grain because of its highly digestible carbohydrate and relatively low fiber content, which is particularly important for swine and poultry (Hard, Proc. Southwest Nutr. Conf. 43-54 (2005)). Because of the low protein content of maize, it is common practice to use feed additives and supplements, such as protein-rich feeds, amino acids, vitamins, minerals and fats in diets for swine and poultry. The ratio of cereals to supplements has changed through the years in an attempt to maximize feeding efficiency of the animals. The feeding efficiency (the feed conversion ratio or how much feed is required to produce one pound of animal weight) is determined by the genetic potential of the animal and by the nutrients supplied to the animal. As the feed conversion ratio has risen due to genetic enhancements, the mineral and nutrient requirements for feed necessary to assure a complete and healthy diet have risen. Since an animal's ability to feed limits the amount of nutrients and calories it can consume, the feed industry has had to develop ways to make feeds that have improved protein quality (improved balance of essential amino acids), digestibility (fiber, starch, anti-nutrients), and metabolizable energy (oil).
Sources of feed protein have come under global public scrutiny in recent years because of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease, crisis associated with the feeding of meat and bone meal as the primary protein source in animal diets in many parts of the world. Plant protein sources, especially soybean meal, a residual product of the oil extraction process from soybeans relatively high in protein, have become a dominant alternative protein supplement used in feed following bans on using meat and bone meal in many parts of the world.
Plant protein sources, however, may lack sufficient levels of essential amino acids required for adequate animal health, growth and performance. Requirements vary depending on the species and age of the animal. For example, the order of the top three limiting amino acids in feed composed of corn and soybean meal is lysine, threonine, and tryptophan for swine and methionine, lysine, and threonine for poultry. (FAO Animal Production and Health Proceedings, Protein Sources for the Animal Feed Industry, xi-xxv, 161-183 (2004)). These limiting amino acids must be available at specific minimum levels in order for the animals to use dietary protein efficiently. (Johnson et al. "Identification of Valuable Corn Quality Traits for Livestock Feed", Report from the Center for Crops Utilization Research, Iowa State University, 1-22 (1999)). Crude protein in feed ingredients is not totally digestible for any species, for example corn protein is approximately 84% digestible by poultry and 82% digestible by swine (Johnson et al. (1999)). To compensate for this inefficiency, feed often contains excess protein that then results in high nitrogen excretion. More stringent environmental regulations are being imposed because high nitrogen excretion poses serious concerns to human health through ammonia or nitrate/nitrite pollution in soil and water. One solution to the problems of nitrogen pollution associated with animal feeding is to decrease crude protein in feed and supplementing feed with amino acids. A one-percentage point reduction in crude protein content in feed can yield about eight to ten percent reduction in nitrogen excretion. (FAO Animal Production and Health Proceedings, Protein Sources for the Animal Feed Industry, 161-183 (2004)). Supplementing of feed with amino acids can provide the required nutrients while decreasing excessive crude protein and can provide limiting amino acids when they are not sufficiently available.
Additionally, animals lack the enzymes necessary to digest the non-starch based polysaccharides present in soybean meal, and corn/soybean feed mixtures resulting in high manure volume and environmental impact. Approximately 65 to 70% of the total phosphorous in cereal grains is organically bound in phytate phosphorous, which is relatively unavailable to poultry and swine because they lack the enzyme phytase required to digest phytate, thus requiring inorganic phosphorous supplements. (Knowlton, J. Anim. Sci. 82(E. Suppl.):E173-E195(2004)). The undigested phytate passes through the digestive system and leads to excretion of excess nutrients resulting in high manure volume and high levels of phosphorus in manure. Manure containing nitrogen and phosphorous at levels in excess of crop requirements results in environmental contamination especially of water resources caused by runoff. Enzymes, such as phytase, are commonly added to feed to increase digestibility. The addition of phytase can reduce the level of phosphorus released in animal waste to about half the previous level. However, the cost of phytase is about three times the cost of the conventional inorganic phosphorous supplements usually added to feed. ("Enhanced Animal Feed Will Be A Boon For The Environment," Economic Perspectives, Agricultural Biotechnology, An Electronic Journal of the U.S. Dept. of State, Vol. 8, No. 3, September 2003).
End-users of feed corn include livestock producer-feeders, feed manufacturers, corn millers and processors. Whether for a livestock producer-feeder who mixes and prepares their own feed or for a feed manufacturer who supplies a variety of feed products including complete ration feeds or nutrient supplements, each of the various ingredients necessary to produce the right combination of nutrients (i.e. protein, amino acids, enzymes, etc.) will need to be transported from site of production and/or processing to the site of the end-user. The availability, price, and transportation requirements and costs of each component of a particular feed will vary from year to year and in different geographical regions. Feed is usually formulated to meet nutritional requirements at a minimum dietary cost. The feed industry balances rations to supply nutrients at the least cost. Because of the variability of the supply and cost of nutrients and additives, livestock feeders and feed manufacturers would value corn traits that create substitutability for more expensive feedstuffs or additives.
Because feed is around 60% of animal production costs, any savings can be considerable, especially in large operations. Nutritionally enhanced corn which can deliver higher levels of important nutrients and metabolizable energy, and/or enhanced digestibility and bioavailability of nutrients would provide the following benefits: reduced feed costs per unit weight gain or production of eggs or milk; reduced animal waste, particularly nitrogen and phosphorous; reduced veterinary costs and improved disease resistance; improved processing characteristics to make the feed; and improved quality (Johnson, et al. (1999)). Cost savings can be achieved by using nutritionally enhanced corn through, for example, reduced cost for needed supplements and synthetic additives, reduced transportation costs associated with the shipping of each additive and ingredients to produce the additives, reduced cost in mixing numerous additives during feed processing, and reduced costs associated with disposal of excess volume of manure.
Both traditional plant breeding and biotechnology techniques have been used to develop maize plants with desired traits such as low-phytate, high-lysine, or high-oil maize. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,723,730 describes an inbred corn line used to produce a hybrid with elevated percent oil and protein grain.
Examples of grain-based feed that provide improved animal nutrition and can reduce environmental impact of animal production are described by Chang et al. in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,087,261 and 6,774,288 and in U.S. Publ. No. 2005/0246791.
There remains a need to develop inbred parental maize lines that contribute these desirable traits to the hybrids in which they are used. These traits may also include resistance to diseases and insects, tolerance to heat and drought, reducing the time to crop maturity, greater yield, and better agronomic quality. With mechanical harvesting of many crops, uniformity of plant characteristics such as germination and stand establishment, growth rate, stalk strength, root strength, ear retention, maturity and plant and ear height, are important. Selection of germplasm that possess the desired traits is required to develop novel, desirable plant germplasm for plant breeding.
Maize is an important and valuable field crop. Thus, a continuing goal of plant breeders is to develop stable, high yielding maize hybrids that are agronomically sound. The reasons for this goal are obviously to maximize the amount of grain produced on the land used and to supply food for both animals and humans. To accomplish this goal, the corn breeder must select and develop maize plants that have the traits that result in superior parental lines for producing hybrids and that provide end-user value.

Nutritionally enhanced inbred maize line HLA22ND


A device holder and storage compartment for use in a motor vehicle. The device holder and storage compartment are in the form of a slidable drawer that is concealed within a dashboard when in a closed position and extended from the dashboard when in an open position. The drawer has a generally horizontal bottom surface, a front end wall, a back end wall oppositely disposed from the front end wall, a first side wall and a second side wall adjoining the front end wall and the back end wall. All the walls are generally vertical in orientation. The drawer also has a generally vertical dividing wall spaced apart from the front end wall. The dividing wall defines a front region between the dividing wall and the front end wall and a rear region between the dividing wall and the back end wall. A front cover can be moveably attached to the drawer proximate the front end wall and move between a closed position and an open position. When in the closed position, the front cover is generally vertical and adjacent to the front end wall. In the open position, the front cover is spaced apart from the front end wall and affords viewing of a front surface of a device held in the front device holder region of the drawer. The front end wall of the drawer can have a cut-away portion which allows viewing of a bottom portion of the front display of the device.

The use of storage compartments within motor vehicles can take the form of a glove compartment, also known as a glove box, in-dashboard recesses and compartments within consoles. Although a glove compartment provides a convenient area to store items out of sight, access to the items can be difficult to reach by a driver or back seat occupant of the motor vehicle. In addition, although in-dashboard recesses and compartments within consoles can provide storage spaces and areas for which devices can be held, they typically do not allow for convenient viewing of a device while the motor vehicle is in operation. As such, there is a need for a device holder and storage compartment that can be used during the operation of a motor vehicle and placed out of sight when the device holder is not needed.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.


Embodiments of the specification provide an image search method, an apparatus, and a device. The method includes: obtaining an input image associated with an image search, wherein the input image includes a plurality of first text blocks; selecting a to-be-processed image from a target database, wherein the to-be-processed image includes a plurality of second text blocks; and generating a first graph structural feature based on the plurality of first text blocks; generating a second graph structural feature based on the plurality of second text blocks; determining that the first graph structural feature and the second graph structural feature satisfy a condition; and in response to determining that the first graph structural feature and the second graph structural feature satisfy the condition, outputting the to-be-processed image as a search result.

As image processing technologies are applied to more and more fields of applications, the quantity of images that need to be processed has also been increased. During the image processing, searching for a desired image from a database that stores various images often occurs (e.g., searching for ID card images from a database that stores images including train tickets, ID cards, and orders). The more images are stored in a database, the more difficult it is to search for a given category of images in the database.
Therefore, how to accurately search out desired images of a given category from various images has become a technical problem to be resolved.

Image search method, apparatus, and device


A cable terminal includes: a crimped portion crimped to a cable body; an extending piece provided integrally with the crimped portion to extend forward in an insertion direction; and a conductor conducting piece provided integrally with the crimped portion to face an end face of the cable body. An end of the extending piece abuts on an inner surface of a plug cap made of an elastic body to determine a position in terms of the insertion direction. The extending piece is provided with a springy press piece that projects to a plug terminal of an ignition plug inserted into the plug cap and contacts an end face of the plug terminal. The conductor contacting piece is sandwiched between a portion of an outer circumference of the plug terminal and a core exposed from the end face of the cable body. The plug terminal is disposed to be in tight contact with the inner surface of the plug cap.

A typical tension cable (also called as a high-tension cord) mounted on an internal combustion engine (e.g., an engine) is attached with a metallic cable terminal by a method such as crimping, in order to establish conduction between the cable and a plug terminal of an ignition plug.
A known exemplary arrangement of such a cable terminal includes: a pair of gripping portions for radially gripping an end of a cable body from both sides; an insertion portion curved to be substantially annular, the pair of gripping portions being respectively provided on ends of the insertion portion; and an acicular portion provided integrally with the insertion portion and the gripping portions (Patent Document 1).
When such a cable terminal is used, the cable terminal is brought into conduction with a core inside the cable body by thrusting the acicular portion into the cable body from an end face of the cable body, and the entirety of the cable terminal is crimped to the cable body by making the gripping portions partially cut in a coating provided on an outer circumference of the cable body with the acicular portion being thrust into the cable body. Then, by inserting the cable terminal into a plug cap while the plug cap covers a plug terminal, an end of the plug terminal is inserted into the insertion portion of the cable terminal, such that an inner surface of the insertion portion partially contacts a contact provided on an outer circumference of the plug terminal, thereby establishing conduction between the cable terminal and the plug terminal.
Patent Document 1: JP-A-2001-313147


A new class of initiators for inducing the cationic polymerization of olefins was discovered. These initiators, in conjunction with Lewis acids as coinitiators, effectively initiate the carbocationic polymerization of olefins. The new initiators are epoxides with the general formula

The carbocationic polymerization of olefins is well-known and has been studied in detail. These processes can be initiated by systems producing carbocations. These initiating systems include Lewis and Bronsted acids, organic compounds such as halides in conjunction with Lewis acids, etc. (J. P. Kennedy: Cationic Polymerization of Olefins: A Critical Inventory. Wiley-Intersci). These processes produce high or low molecular weight polymers with various halide or olefinic functional groups, and can be further functionalized by post-polymerization reactions.
The living carbocationic polymerization of olefins such as isobutylene and styrene is a relatively new development. Prior art describes living carbocationic polymerizations producing polymers with controlled molecular weights and molecular weight distributions as low as Mw/Mn=1.05 (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,914). Suitable initiators include compounds with tertiary functional groups of the general formula shown below:
where R1, R2 and R3 can be hydrogen or aliphatic or aromatic alkyl groups, or aralkyl groups, and X can be a halogen, hydroxyl, ether or ester groups, or peroxides. These initiators, in conjunction with Lewis acids, Electron Pair Donors and Proton Traps, have successfully been used to produce homopolymers and random or block copolymers. The prior art has recently been reviewed in detail (Rubber Chem. Techn. 69, 462 (1996). Multifunctional initiators carrying the above described tertiary functional groups have also been used to produce multiarm-star branched polymers (J. Polymer Sci., Chem. October 1997).
The above discussed living initiating systems produce halide-functionalized polymers, which can be further modified to yield other functional groups such as hydroxy- or ester. Unfortunately, these initiators are usually not available commercially and have to be synthesized by multistep synthetic routes.
The inventor has discovered that epoxides, when reacted with Lewis acids in the presence of olefins such as isobutylene and styrene, effectively initiate the carbocationic polymerization of those olefins. Epoxides are commercially available or can be synthesized by oxidizing olefins by a simple and fast process (e. g., reacting the olefin with m-Cl-perbenzoic acid in a polar solvent at room temperature, completing the reaction in a few minutes. P. Dreyfuss and J. P. Kennedy: Analytical Chem. 47(4), 771 (1975)). Epoxides are known to undergo polymerization themselves, by cationic, anionic or coordination mechanism, to yield polyethers containing oxygen in the main chain. Epoxi-ethane undergoes living anionic polymerization yielding a polyether, but substituted epoxides suffer side reactions. (Encyclopaedia of Polymer Science and Engineering, 2nd Ed., Mark, Bikales, Overberger, Menges Eds., 14, 634, John WileyandSons, 1985). In the present invention, epoxides, preferably substituted epoxides, initiate the living polymerization of olefins yielding hydrocarbon polymers, instead of undergoing self-polymerization. Thus the epoxide initiating systems of the present invention produce hydrocarbon polymers with hydroxy functionality; multifunctional epoxides will produce multiple hydroxy functionalities. There is no prior art for using epoxides as initiators for the cationic polymerization of olefins.
Thus according to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a carbocationic polymerization process for producing a polyolefin polymer or copolymer carrying oxygen-containing functional group(s) (e.g., hydroxy or aldehyde) group(s), which comprises introducing a monomer charge, a Lewis acid as coinitiator and an organic epoxide compound as initiator into a suitable reaction vessel and polymerizing the monomer charge at a temperature of from about 0 degrees to about xe2x88x92120 degrees centigrade to form the terminally functional polymer. The monomer charge comprises the concurrent and/or sequential addition of isobutylene and a second monomer selected from the group consisting of conjugated diolefins and vinylidene aromatic compounds, and the epoxide initiator is charged in an amount of from 10xe2x88x926 to about 10xe2x88x921 moles per mole of the isobutylene.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a living carbocationic polymerization process for producing a polyolefin polymer or copolymer carrying oxygen containing functional groups (e.g., hydroxy or aldehyde group(s)), which comprises introducing a monomer charge, a Lewis acid as coinitiator and an organic epoxide compound as initiator, a proton trap to prevent protic initiation, and an electron pair donor which may or may not be necessary to achieve living conditions, into a suitable reaction vessel and polymerizing the monomer charge at a temperature of from about 0 degrees to about xe2x88x92120 degrees centigrade to form the terminally functional polymer. The monomer charge comprises the concurrent and/or sequential addition of isobutylene and a second monomer selected from the group consisting of conjugated diolefins and vinylidene aromatic compounds and the epoxide initiator is charged in an amount of from 10xe2x88x926 to about 10xe2x88x921 moles per mole of the isobutylene.
Another view of the invention is that it provides a new class of initiators for inducing the cationic polymerization of olefins. These initiators, in conjunction with Lewis acids as coinitiators, effectively initiate the carbocationic polymerization of olefins. The new initiators are epoxides with the general formula
where R1, R2and R3 are hydrogen, alkyl, aryl or aralkyl groups, and can be the same or different, and i is a positive whole number. The Lewis acid has the general formula of MtXn where M is titanium, aluminum, boron or tin, X is a halogen, an alkyl or an alcoxy or a mixture thereof. The process is a carbocationic process, which can be living or non-living, at a temperature of from about 0 to xe2x88x9280 C. The polymer produced can be a homo- or copolymer (random or block) carrying hydroxy functional groups.
Further aspects of the invention and additional details and examples will be provided or will become apparent in the detailed description which follows.
Tertiary carbocations that are formed by the interaction of an initiator carrying a tertiary functional group, and a Lewis acid such as BCl3 or TiCl4, were shown to be effective initiators for the carbocationic polymerization of olefins. Such an initiator is 2,4,4-trimethylpentyl chloride in conjunction with TiCl4. In her search for commercially available initiators the inventor has theorized that substituted epoxides may be effective initiators for living carbocationic polymerizations. It is taught that epoxides may undergo cleavage under acidic or basic conditions, and the cleavage is oriented in substituted epoxides: (MorrisonandBoyd: Organic Chemistry, 6th Ed., 483 Prentice Hall, 1992)
Epoxides are also known to polymerize to form polyethers. This polymerization reaction forms the base of commodity bonding compounds such as epoxy resins. The challenge was to find conditions under which tertiary carbocations forming from a substituted epoxide in conjunction with a Lewis acid would initiate the carbocationic polymerization of olefins instead of undergoing self-polymerization.
The inventor has found that compounds such as 2,4,4-trimethylpentyl-1,2-epoxide, as 2,4,4-trimethylpentyl-2,3-epoxide, alpha-methylstyrene epoxide and squalene epoxide in conjunction with a Lewis acid such as TiCl4 are effective initiators for the polymerization of olefins such as isobutylene.
Without wishing to be bound by the theory, initiation is proposed to take place by the following sequence of reactions:
The carbocation initiates the polymerization of the olefin, or may undergo competitive self-polymerization. This latter side reaction may decrease the initiator efficiency, but the side product was found not to influence the living nature of the polymerization. Since opening the epoxi ring requires at least one TiCl4 per epoxide ring, effective initiation was found to require the use of excess Lewis acid. Upon termination of the polymerization by methanol, the following reaction is proposed to take place:
The polymer formed will then contain one hydroxy head group and one chlorine end group. By the use of di- or multifunctional initiators, polymers carrying multiple hydroxy groups can be prepared in one step.
The carbocationic polymerization of olefins is carried out at low temperature (xe2x88x9230 to xe2x88x92100 C.) in a single solvent or solvent mixture of suitable polarity. Single solvent can be n-butylchloride, while mixed solvents contain a nonpolar component such as hexane and a polar component such as methylchloride. It is also taught by the prior art that internal or external electron pair donors have beneficial effects on the polymerization such as narrowing the molecular weight distribution or preventing side reactions. Without wishing to be bound by the theory it is proposed that the epoxide-based initiating systems behave like internal electron pair donors due to the presence of the oxygen. However, the addition of external electron pair donors such as DMA may be beneficial, but will slow down the polymerization.
The epoxide initiators of the present invention can easily be synthesized from commercially available olefins, polyolefins or terpenes. For instance, 2,4,4-trimethylpentyl-1,2-epoxide was synthesized by reacting m-chloroperbenzoic acid with 2,4,4-trimethylpentene for 10 minutes at room temperature in methylene chloride solvent. Similarly, epoxidized alpha-methylstyrene and hexaepoxy squalene were synthesized by reacting alpha-methylstyrene and squalene with m-chloroperbenzoic acid for 10 minutes at room temperature in methylene chloride solvent. The products were characterized by NMR spectroscopy and were found to be fully epoxidized. The epoxides were found to be stable for a few months when stored in a refrigerator; after 4 months only one epoxide ring cleaved in the hexaepoxy squalene.
These initiators then were used to initiate the carbocationic polymerization of isobutylene.
The following examples describe the present invention. All polymerizations were carried out in a dry box under dry nitrogen, in a three-neck flask equipped with an overhead stirrer, immersed in a cooling bath at xe2x88x9280 C.

Initiators for carbocationic polymerization of olefins

Abstract: where R1, R2 and R3 are hydrogen, alkyl, aryl or aralkyl groups, and can be the same or different, and i is a positive whole number. The Lewis acid has the general formula of MtXn where M is titanium, aluminum, boron or tin, X is a halogen, an alkyl or an alcoxy or a mixture thereof. The process is a carbocationic process, which can be living or non-living, at a temperature of from about 0 to xe2x88x9280 C. The polymer produced can be a homo- or copolymer (random or block) carrying hydroxy functional groups.


A mat is used as a ground engagement platform for supporting heavy equipment or as a road surface for supporting vehicular traffic. The use is intended to be temporary, with the mats being reusable. The mat, in its basic construction, includes a flat plate-like structure having a thickness and planar extent and an opening defined in the flat plate-like structure which extends in the thickness direction and is dimensioned to receive a lifting device for lifting and transporting the mat.

Mats are used as a platform and/or as a road surface. Mat configurations vary in size and shape. Some mats are discrete units, which when assembled form the platform and/or the road surface. The most common configuration comprises a series of logs attached laterally by cables, bar stock or ropes. FIG. 1 shows such a configuration. The logs 1 are connected by cables, bar stock or ropes 2. A transport cable or rope 3 is provided for positioning the assembled logs.
The discrete unit configuration is popular as it is readily adaptable to many situations. Terrain and work conditions may vary widely [i.e., mud versus rocks and/or soft soil, hills, valleys, short versus long traverses with various widths in the platform or road, etc . . . ]. Therefore, the discrete unit configuration is more adaptable than other configurations, such as the surfacing or the track-way system described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,488,833 issued to Perry, et al., showing a plurality of rectangular planks joined to each other by hinge members so that the system may be stored by folding the planks in an accordion fashion. The discrete unit configuration has an individual, modular-like capability, making it more versatile and more easily changeable to meet the many unique terrain and surface conditions.
In the past, the most desirable material used for constructing discrete unit configuration mats has been wood since it is readily available and is easy to work with. Other materials have been introduced, but, these are more difficult to handle when forming the desired configuration. Durability is also an important consideration. With mats made of wood, the problem of durability becomes especially acute because over time the wood is subject to deterioration due to weather and other environmental conditions. This adverse effect can be somewhat mitigated by specially treating the wood. However, this adds considerably to the cost of fabricating the mats. Additionally, the mats are easily cracked and gouged by the steel tracks of the equipment using them.
Since these mats are often somewhat large in dimension [some averaging up to 40 feet by 10 feet], heavy lifting and moving equipment is typically necessary to transport and then arrange the mat at the site where it is to be used. Also, since construction of the mat at the site where it is to be used is practically impossible, transporting the mat to the site is a factor which must be addressed.
Prior discrete mat inventions require manual labor to some extent when they are being moved and arranged. Typically, workers must physically attach a cable or other pulling mechanism from the mat to the moving equipment, creating an unsafe working condition. The attached cable may break causing a lifted mat to fall, damaging or possibly destroying the mat and anything in its path.
It would be desirable, therefore, to have a mat which possesses a number of capabilities, one of which is that each mat should be readily transportable in a safe manner from the fabrication site to the use site, and then easily and safely arranged in assembly with other mats to form the completed platform and/or road surface. Also, the mat must be made of durable material, capable of withstanding the heavy loads required by its use as a platform and/or road surface. It should also be capable of being made of material which is not significantly impacted by environmental conditions and is relatively inexpensive to fabricate.

Ground pressure distribution mat and method of use


An aromatic vinegar is produced from wine or fruit vinegar and cooked or concentrated musts, by freeze concentrating the vinegar in a freeze concentration system (1) and mixing it together with concentrated must to obtain an aromatic vinegar with an acidity of at least 6 g/100 ml and high sugar content without the addition of additives.

In a known process to increase the aroma of vinegar, this is aged in wooden casks of oak, chestnut, juniper and similar to enhance the vinegar with the aroma that can be extracted naturally from the wood. Prolonged ageing is required to obtain appreciable aromas and this process is thus lengthy and costly and, owing to the high final cost of the product, can only be used for limited productions.
Aromatic vinegars obtained by using "cooked" or concentrated musts of grapes are known. These vinegars are known as "balsamic vinegar of Modena" and "traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena" and are essentially produced in the area of the Italian provinces of Modena and Reggio Emilia.
Traditional balsamic vinegar is produced by almost simultaneous alcoholic and acetic fermentation of grape musts previously cooked and concentrated over a direct flame. The musts are inoculated with yeasts, for alcoholic fermentation, and with bacteria, for acetic fermentation, and let to ferment in wooden containers until reaching the maximum degree of acidity obtainable from bacteria and yeasts. The steps of development and aging will then continue for at least 12 years; the steps require partial transferring of the product from one container to the other, with the dimensions of the containers decreasing as the product being processed ages. This process and the product obtained are particularly costly.
To obtain aromatic vinegars at lower costs processes have been developed in which aromatic compounds are added to a base vinegar; namely compounds able to give an aroma to vinegar; an example of this process is the production of (so-called industrial) balsamic vinegar of Modena in which cooked and concentrated musts are added to the vinegar to provide a product with an acidity (expressed in acetic acid) of at least 6% (grams per 100 ml) and a sugar content generally of at least 100-110 g/l. The quality of the product obtained can be improved by ageing and refining in wooden casks, to increase the concentration of sugars, aromatic compounds and density of the product; the known procedure of adding caramel to the product allows the desired colour to be obtained, but does not to improve the organoleptic properties of the product nor does it increase the content of sugar or aromatic compounds; and it also decreases the acidity of the product to the detriment of taste.
Another problem of this technique is the inevitable decrease in the acidity of the product during ageing or heating; in particular, it was found that an increase in the content of sugar and aromatic compounds corresponds to an acidity decrease from 6% to 4-4.5%. A balsamic vinegar with reduced acidity is less acceptable compared to a vinegar with an acidity of at least 6%.
Fruit aromatic vinegars (namely not wine vinegars) such as for instance apple, raspberry and similar vinegars are known as well. The aromatic component of these vinegars is given substantially by ester type compounds contained in fruits, therefore, in order to upgrade their organoleptic properties, even the aromatic component of these vinegars must be increased and improved.
The aim of the present invention is to solve the problems above mentioned and to provide a low-cost and quick process for the production of aromatic vinegars, especially balsamic or balsamic type vinegars of Modena, capable of providing products with an acidity of at least 6 g/100 ml and a high content of sugar and aromatic compounds, without adding sugar, alcohol or artificial aromas during acetic fermentation or the production process.
This aim is obtained by means of the present invention that relates to a process for the production of aromatic vinegar comprising the steps of mixing vinegar with must and characterised in that said vinegar is subjected to freeze concentration before mixing it with must.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, wine vinegar is concentrated and then assembled to, that is to say mixed together with, concentrated grape musts. The product thus obtained may then be used as it is, or submitted to a subsequent slow partial evaporation process while being heated under slow stirring.
According to another aspect of the invention, concentrated vinegar is produced without adding alcohol before, during or after the freeze concentration step.
The product obtained can reach high concentrations of sugars and natural aromatic products (esters and similar) and has exceptional organoleptic properties which can otherwise be obtained only by means of lengthy ageing processes.
Therefore, a further object of the invention is an aromatic vinegar as obtainable through the process described above and in particular an aromatic vinegar of the (industrial) "balsamic of Modena" type with an acidity of at least 6% and a sugar content of at least 400 g/l.
Another object of the invention is a freeze concentrated vinegar with an overall acidity expressed in acetic acid of at least 15% and preferably within the range between 18% and 25% (g/100 ml).
As mentioned, the invention has numerous advantages over the known techniques. In fact, it allows a product with high concentrations of sugar and aromatic compounds to be obtained in a very short time, when with traditional methods these concentrations can only be obtained with prolonged ageing of the product. Therefore, the costs are much lower compared with those of traditional products.
Another advantage lies in the fact that, with the same content of sugar and aromatic compounds as traditional aged products, aromatic vinegar according to the invention has an acidity of at least 6% or more and, therefore, a full and particularly pleasant taste. In particular, by performing freeze concentration of the wine vinegar alone and using concentrated musts available on the market it is possible to produce a vinegar according to the processes currently used to produce (industrial) balsamic vinegar of Modena and to obtain a product with much higher organoleptic characteristics than (industrial) balsamic vinegars of Modena available on the market.
Another advantage lies in the fact that the process is also suitable for the production of aromatic fruit vinegars. Yet another advantage lies in the fact that, thanks to freeze concentration, the contents of acidity and aromatic compounds in the initial vinegar remain essentially intact and, after freeze concentration, it has much greater concentrations of total acidity and aromatic compounds; this fact means that no additives of any type are required during production or fermentation of the initial vinegar.
Another advantage lies in the fact that freeze concentration causes a stabilization of the product due to a strong decantation of the substances that precipitate upon cooling.

Process for the production of aromatic vinegar


A tool for use in wells to maintain a tubed pipe filled with drilling fluid supplied by a well and to circulate the fluid through a well-pipe space, the tool facilitating sliding of tubes and producing cementation of the space. The tool can be intercalated with drilling equipment between a block and a pipe elevating arrangement for tubes that are gradually coupled to make up the casing pipe. The tool is placed between amelas extending from a rig support to adjacent the pipe elevating arrangement, the tool including a support array for positioning the tool in the drilling equipment, a positioning dynamic array to move the tool upward and downward to mate the tool on, and decouple it from, a tube, and a packaging array to, during the matings, establish a hermetic, self-adjustable elastic seal for the passage of well fluid to the inside of the tube.

As is well known, a well must always be filled with fluid during drilling. These fluids are referred to as "drilling muds" in that they have special characteristics and are of major importance during the entire drilling process. In effect, it is known that the hydrostatic pressure, through the drilling mud, creates a drive towards the well walls that prevents collapses or falls. This hydraulic action also results in the formation of water-proof plasters in high porosity areas, removing undesirable volume and level losses, and also mitigating the occurrence of spontaneous upwelling springs.
Also, these muds are useful for lubricating and refrigerating the drill bit and the tube column. In addition, when this fluid circulates during drilling, in its way up the well/drilling column annular space, it carries over detritus produced by the action of the drill bit and deposits them on the surface. On the other hand, its great gelation capacity prevents solid particles from falling over the drill bit and undesirable blocking and clogging when circulation must be interrupted for any reason. In bottom engine drilling systems, mud is responsible for transmitting the hydraulic energy necessary to drive the hydraulic engine and the drill bit. The mud is even used to transmit signals that allow tool remote control. Controlling and managing the parameters of this fluid allow for controlling of the development of operations, and to that end, it is of paramount importance to permanently maintain the continuity of the injection circuit.
In the event of contingencies, such as circulation losses caused by the admission of permeating layers, or appearance of layers with high reservoir pressure, or even the blockage of the tube column with the ring blockage, etc, when the mud injection circuit is active, the problem is generally readily solved by changing the mud parameters and the hydraulic conditions, without requiring to interrupt circulation.
However, if the contingency occurs while the circulation circuit is open or discontinued, the time required for its start-up is highly critical, and the ensuing problems typically require additional high risk/cost tasks.
In effect, as is well known, it is after the drilling and assessment of the well that the tubing job is performed. The aim is to install a pipe column of special strength and structure to supply the well with the necessary stability for post-exploitation tasks.
This installation operation is currently performed with the pipe open, on a pipe per pipe basis, which are joined by threading. The well is kept open for the duration of the tubing operation, and the mud circuit is discontinued.
As indicated above, it is desirable that, during tubing, the drilling fluid should be circulated from the deposit pools to the inside of the pipe, from its lower end to the well-pipe annular space and from the latter to the mud pools, to be re-pumped.
The purpose is that the fluid move forward through the mentioned annular space, so as to fill, wash or condition the well-pipe annular space at different depths.
The fact is that in order to complete the aforementioned circuit, the circulation head must be assembled during tubing.
This is not a complicated task under normal operating conditions, in which case the necessary assemblies can be done quickly and the required time is not critical.
But in the event of any contingencies, such as the blockage of the pipe at any lower section, so that the open upper end, where the circulation head must be threaded, is far from the work floor, installation turns considerably difficult, and contingent risks increase.
It is also known that, in addition to pipe blockage, the incorporation of fluid that produces a weak layer decreases the level and results in differential pressure loss over strong layers, increasing the possibility of spring occurrences.
Evidently, as no drilling mud circulates through the circuit, there will be clogging and/or well shutdown due to solid deposits. It is therefore crucial to avoid delays under these circumstances.
Indeed, isolation cementation is of paramount importance in the construction of oilfield wells since the productive life of the well depends on its result.
If the cementation if flawed, it is more difficult to obtain accurate assessments that might lead to the abandonment of the well, and even of the field when the latter is exploratory.
Isolation cementation is the last phase in the drilling of an oil well. After drilling and tubing, the mentioned created annular space must be cemented.
This important operational stage is called "primary or isolation cementation" because the injected cement must fill the whole existing annular space defined between the well itself and the pipe external wall with which it is tubed to isolate the layers from one another and to affix the pipe to the assembly.
It is known that, in order to achieve effective cementation, it is necessary to prepare the well and pipe walls, ensuring that the cement that is to be injected, after hardening, has good adhesion properties, both to the pipe and the assembly, without creating undesirable interstices that might affect the perfect isolation required.
The preparation for the mentioned annular space is provided by the water cushions that are injected before the main cementing slurry.
That means that after tubing and before starting cementation, in normal conditions, the pipe and the well are filled with drilling fluid. To cement, it is previously necessary to wash the inside of the pipe to avoid the contamination of the cement fluids.
These fluids, which are injected through the inside of the pipe towards its lower end and then move up the well-pipe annular space, are: the water cushion, the removing slurry and the main or cementing slurry itself.
The separation or removal of the drilling fluid from the pipe inside is provided by a first lower plug, usually called a "fuse plug" that is located and acts before the mentioned cushions. The cement head is essentially a lower plug bearing device as well as an upper block plug bearing device, which will be launched eventually to implement the aforementioned task, that is, to prepare the annular space and then inject the water cushion and the removing and main slurries.
In known installations, the cement head must be attached to the tubing pipe through the threaded joint offered by the last coupling, and must also become integrated into the fluid injection circuit by means of a communications pair, namely: one disposed over the lower fuse plug, and the other, over the upper plug.
It is common for these derivations from the main injection circuit to include selective valves that first direct fluid circulation towards the lower fuse plug that is displaced to the lower drilling end through the pumping of the mentioned cushion and slurry.
Then, the same selective valves switch position so that the displacement fluid can be introduced over the upper block plug that presses the mentioned cement fluids contained between both plugs.
The generated hydraulic pressure causes the breakage of the fuse plug located at the pipe lower end (the fuse membrane bursts), so that the mentioned fluids contained between them are displaced from the inside of the pipe to the well-pipe annular space.
Since the mentioned displacement fluid injected behind the upper or block plug pushes the latter until it reaches the fuse plug, it can be inferred that, at that time, all the cement fluid volume is occupying said well-pipe annular space.
After hardening, the cement will isolate the productive and non-productive layers from one another and will maintain the pipe stable and fixed to the assembly.
The cement heads currently known in the art adequately perform the process explained above and can satisfy the operational requirements presented because each of the plugs can be launched at the corresponding time.
However, it is always necessary to have two inlets or connections with the fluid feed circuit to ensure that no air reaches the inside.
In all cases, the presence of operators is required at the wellhead, with the risks involved in working with the pressurized circuit.
The most modern cementation equipment includes up to three connections with the fluid inlet and two or three special compartments designed place the standby plugs until the moment of their launching.
They are very simple, effective, and easy to operate devices, but all of them are designed to be installed at the time of cementation.
Their collocation is performed once tubing is completed and after the mentioned previous drilling fluid circulation for the cleansing and conditioning of the well and the pipe.
These heads are mounted on the last pipe coupling, allowing the introduction of the mentioned cement plugs.
The most remarkable problem arising is that the fluid supply must invariably be discontinued and the circuit must be shut down in order to mount the cement head.
This is a manual mounting operation that requires the shutdown of the feed circuit, the installation of the cement head and its connections, and the installation of the plugs, after completing the tubing.
The time required by these tasks is crucial and it has been long determined that it is at this stage that contingencies are produced.
These devices invariably require the presence of operators at the wellhead to install the cement head, so that, once the latter has been installed, they can open the corresponding valves for the launching of the plugs.
This post-tubing assembly prevents the use of remote controls, which are extremely useful in centralizing operational controls, and the plug launching operation is not plotted in any graph. In this sense, it should be highlighted, for instance, that the valve change required to launch the block plug, the depression produced by the free-falling cement creates an undesirable entry of air to the circuit, that later makes flow and pressure readings more difficult, with undesirable volume returns after arrival of the block plug due to the compression of the confined air, which forces to keep the cement head closed.
This action later produces a volume increase due to the heating of the displaced fluid, contained inside the tubed pipe, which expands the latter while the cement is hardening.
When said pipe decompresses to perform the tasks subsequent to well finishing, a micro annular space is formed between the outer pipe wall and the body of the hardened cement that creates a communication between the layers, which may cause problems that might require highly complicated and costly supplementary repair works.
With respect to the self-adjustable annular seal used to contain the pressures generated from the well, it can be said that a considerable number of checks and elastic joints that serve as fluid retention devices, whether pressurized or not, in hydraulic or pneumatic mechanisms. The most used devices are the elastic toroidal joints commonly known as "O-rings". They are placed in an annular encasement or throat which size and format are usually determined by standards established by the manufacturer itself.
When the pressure affects one of the seal faces, the confinement by contact with the encasement bottom and the surface to be sealed, it pushes the sealing ring towards the back wall or bottom of said encasement; consequently, the elastic ring is deformed in the space between the axis and the bushing, efficiently closing the way to pressure.
The mechanical retention capacity of this type of joint is determined by the quality of the elastomer it is made of, based on its resistance to temperature and chemicals, hardness, machinery tolerance, etc.
Another known sealing means is the one known as "V" or "Multi V" type. These seals are not typically built with pure elastomers; they are semi-rigid and are characterized by their special shape, since they feature wings that are adjusted on the wall of the encasement bottom, so that the pressure in this case affects the inside of the wings, pushing them towards the walls to be sealed.
These seals are generally used to withstand high pressures and axial or rotational movements. Said sealing elements with "V" lips, combined with "O" rings, are commonly used to seal larger spaces and less polished surfaces.
The physical and chemical characteristics of the compounds with which these seals are built are directly related to the intended mechanical response, and to the environment to which they will be exposed.
With respect to the so called elastic checks, they generally combine a metallic structure associated to an elastomer. They are commonly used to contain fluids over rotational movements, are not capable of containing high pressures.
The self-adjustable annular ring used by the tool of the invention features considerable differences over the typical models currently in use, in that the expansible chamber connected to the contained pressure provides an additional automatic adjustment, which can be useful to perform a regulating blockage action, which, in addition to the natural elastic capability of the contact lips, increases the blockage and/or restraint action on the surface to be sealed, directly related to the tolerated pressure.
It is precisely called "dynamic pressure self-adjustable annular seal" because the blockage action increases or decreases with the increase or decrease of the pressure of the fluid contained by means of the seal.
It is a hermetic sealing means that can be used in hydraulic and/or pneumatic mechanisms, in static and/or dynamic mechanisms, sealing and/or outer blocking an axis.
This functional principle increases the blockage pressure, using the contained fluid's own pressure.

Tool for fluid filling and circulation during oilfield well tubing