A system for electronic distribution of postage includes at least one secure central computer for generating postal indicia in response to postage requests submitted by end user computers, and at least one postal authority computer system for processing the postal indicia on mail pieces. A key aspect of the system is that all secure processing required for generating postal indicia is performed at secure central computers, not at end user computers, thereby removing the need for specialized secure computational equipment at end user sites. A secure central computer includes a database of information concerning user accounts of users authorized to request postal indicia from the secure central computer. A request validation procedure authenticates received postage requests with respect to the user account information in the database. A postal indicia creation procedure, applies a secret encryption key to information in each authenticated postage request so as to generate a digital signature and combines the information in each authenticated postage request with the corresponding generated digital signature so as to generate a digital postage indicium in accordance with a predefined postage indicium data format. A communication procedure securely transmits the generated digital postage indicium to the requesting end user computer. Each end user computer typically includes a communication procedure for sending postage requests to a secure central computer at which a user account has been established, and for receiving a corresponding digital postage indicium. A postage indicium printing procedure prints a postage indicium in accordance with the received digital postage indicium.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,562, entitled "System and Method for Purchase and Application of Postage Using Personal Computer," describes a cost-effective alternative to the classic mechanical or electromechanical postage metering devices used in the commercial business environment for the past 50 years.
The rental cost of conventional meters has impeded their widespread adoption. By way of example in the US market, as of 1997 there are only about 1.6 million postage meters in service. When compared to an estimated 20 million small businesses in the US, it is clear that conventional meters have never achieved the mass penetration that copy machines, FAX machines or PC's have. The primary reason is a perceived high (and recurring) cost which outweighs the convenience in the eyes of potential users.
In 1996 the US Postal Service published in the Federal Register draft specification for a system (coined the IBIP or Information Based Indicia Program) using the same basic concepts presented in U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,562. However, the USPS added a number of security and operational requirements that add substantially to the initial and ongoing cost of fielding a PC-based postage meter. The added USPS requirements have essentially priced the technology out of the reach of the small PC-based mailer, with monthly costs estimated to be more than a conventional entry-level mechanical or electro-mechanical meter.
This document describes a method of electronically dispensing postage using PC-based system that retains the cost viability of the original PC-based postage application system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,562, while simultaneously meeting the host of additional requirements imposed by the USPS. The present invention also provides the technical means for postal agencies such as the USPS, UK's Royal Mail, or France's La Poste, or the newly-formed Postage Fee-For-Service bureaus, to compete with conventional meter vendors by directly dispensing postage with integral, digitally signed indicia data to end users electronically on a mail piece-by-mail piece basis. The mail piece-by-mail piece disbursement approach has strong parallels to so-called "micro-transactions" or "milli-payments," which are the subject of considerable focus for Internet applications.
In addition to serving end user mailers, the present invention can be used to dispense postage strips at postal agency retail sites (e.g., Post Office counters). This technology could replace the expensive, non-IBIP meter strip technology which is currently in use at such locations.
Referring to FIG. 1, U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,562 describes a postage management and printing system using common personal computer components, including a printer 11b, modem 11c, and non-volatile local memory to store balance and other key data. U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,562 also presented a proposed postage mark of simple design that expressed the fundamental information required by the USPS--city and state of origin, date of issue, amount of postage and meter number. The '562 patent also proposed that each mail piece be assigned a unique serial number, and barcode representations of the postage amount and numerical identifiers.
The mail pieces produced by the system of the '562 patent would contain a complete and verified delivery address, a barcode for facilitating automated routing and sorting of mail pieces, and a postal indicium (i.e., a stamp or postal mark) that contains, at minimum, the following information:
Postage Amount PA1 Date PA1 City of Origin PA1 Postage Meter Number PA1 Piece Serial Number PA1 an entirely new generation of PC-based metering systems; as well as PA1 a technology replacement for conventional mail room electro-mechanical postage meters. PA1 secure balance storage; PA1 secure date/time maintenance (using an on board clock); PA1 creation of digitally signed indicia messages (to be represented in a 2-D barcode); PA1 management of secure transmissions between the user and the Vendor and/or USPS; PA1 multi-year battery lifetime; PA1 secure storage of encryption keys; PA1 storage of X.509 data certificates; PA1 a communications mechanism to interact with the host, and in turn with the USPS and Vendor; and PA1 compliance with FIPS-140 cryptographic and physical security standards.
The postal indicium information could take the form of human-readable text and/or a barcoded representation.
The fundamental anti-fraud mechanism taught in the '562 patent was premised on the mailing authority (e.g., the USPS) checking for uniqueness of the meter/serial number combination during automated processing of the mail. If a duplicate meter/serial number combination was detected, the mail piece could easily be intercepted, or at minimum, a graphic image of the mail piece could be captured.
The ultimate reliance on the aforementioned anti-fraud approach is mandated by the way in which indicia are created in this new venue--using commonly available desktop printers (e.g., with laser, inkjet, or matrix printers) using standard (typically black) inks. This type of mark is very easily replicated (e.g., by a conventional photocopier). In contrast, conventional postage meters produce a phosphor traced, red ink mark. In addition, conventional meters are required to slightly "emboss" the material on which they print. As a result, it is reasonably difficult to replicate the imprint of a conventional postage meter.
A facsimile of a test mail piece created on a personal computer and mailed by officials of the USPS on Sep. 12, 1996 appears in FIG. 2. The indicium includes all of the information discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,562, some in human readable form and some represented in a PDF-417 two dimensional barcode. The barcode contains a host of information, including the meter number and a unique serial number for the mail piece, as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,562.
The USPS specifications require use of the PDF417 indicium barcode, although other two dimensional barcodes such as the DataMatrix are also under consideration. The USPS is currently requiring that the barcode contain nearly 500 characters of information. Some of this data are attributable to an attempt to incorporate letter/parcel tracking information, and part is to accommodate an encryption signature and accompanying public key information which is used in combination to provide a "self-authenticating" feature to the mail piece.
The indicium encryption signature (and more specifically the associated FIPS-140-level secure hardware required to generate this signature at the user's PC), along with the USPS requirement to have a local CD-ROM subscription containing all USPS ZIP+4 address information, has driven the costs of a PC-based metering system beyond what can be reasonably tolerated by the marketplace.
The encryption signature in the proposed USPS IBIP indicium barcode can not prevent counterfeiting by simple duplication, and that fact is recognized by the USPS. The USPS states that the goal of using the IBIP indicium barcode is to produce an "indicium whose origin cannot be repudiated". It's intended use is for manual spot sampling of pieces in the mail stream for a period of up to 5 years. During this 5 year period, the USPS plans to simultaneously ramp up the necessary equipment to provide for 100% automatic scanning of these mail pieces.
Ironically, when the USPS achieves the 100 percent scanning capability, they will no longer need an encryption signature, because capturing the unique meter number and piece serial number and comparing that to a national database will immediately identify counterfeit or suspect pieces.
Following the "interim logic" of the USPS, using a barcode reader and a public decryption key, a Postal Inspector could examine a given mail piece and compare the printed destination address with the ZIP+4 embedded in the PDF417 barcode. This would insure, at minimum, that the indicia was properly synchronized with the actual delivery address printed on the mail piece. It would prevent counterfeiters from simply scanning (copying) an otherwise valid barcode and placing it on another mail piece which has a different destination ZIP+4.
However, until scanning and verification of the postal indicia on all mail pieces is available, the "interim logic" will not capture duplicate counterfeits which simply have the same destination address or even the same ZIP+4.

System and method for dispensing postage based on telephonic or web milli-transactions


The invention provides an optical mask (1) for use in blending overlapping tiled images, the optical mask comprising a base (2); an array of elongate sliding elements (10) arranged side by side on the support, each sliding element being independently slidable along an axis and being constrained against lateral translational movement; the mask having a transmission-modifying edge (22) for positioning in a beam of light to modify transmission of the light, the transmission-modifying edge (22) having a profile which is adjustable by moving one or more of the sliding elements (10) along their axes.

Producing a large image over a large field-of-view generally requires more image data and light output than can be provided by a single projector. Consequently, it has long been standard practice to use multiple projectors to form large scale composite images.
A problem facing designers of multiple projector systems is how to ensure that the composite image appears as a single continuous image and not as a mosaic. There are essentially two main methods of forming a composite image, namely edge-matching and overlapping. Edge-matching involves masking the image to form an image with a hard-edged shape. The hard-edged image is then abutted to an adjoining image. However, it has proved very difficult in practice to achieve an unobtrusive join between adjacent images, particularly when the projection surface is double curved such that the shapes of each projected image are non-orthogonal. Frequently edged-matched composite images contain some bright areas of overlap and/or other dark areas with no image. Mainly for these reasons, edge-matched techniques have been largely abandoned in recent years and have been superseded by overlapping image methods in which adjoining images are deliberately overlapped by an area equal to about 10 to 25% of the width of the image. The brightness of each sub-image is then made to taper off throughout the overlap region so that the sum of the brightness of the overlapping images is nearly constant.
Overlapping image tiling methods are well established but there have nevertheless been many problems with such methods. A particular problem has been in the controlling the uniformity of the image across the overlap regions. When the projectors are set to dark field there is still some residual light output. In the overlap regions this unwanted illumination is provided by more than one projector so the corresponding dark field light level is multiplied. Uniformity can be restored by increasing the light levels in other areas of the image but this has the disadvantage of reducing the contrast of the image.
Optical shadow masks have therefore been used to suppress black levels in the overlap region. The masks can either be manufactured in a fixed configuration or they can be designed to be adjustable so that the necessary profile can be imparted to the mask during installation. A problem with manufacturing the masks in a fixed configuration is that once installed, the masks cannot thereafter be adjusted to compensate for any movement in the projection surface or projection equipment. In particular, if the initial measurements used as the basis for the manufacture of the masks are insufficiently accurate, or there is movement in the surface onto which the images are to be projected, or if the projection surfaces are uneven or are of variable curvature, the resulting mask may give very poor results.
A preferred approach is therefore to manufacture an adjustable curve which is then calibrated in situ. This approach requires the mask to be made from a material which is flexible enough to be formed into the correct shape, but is thereafter stable enough to maintain that shape. Previous approaches have made use of flexible materials including polymers and polymer foams but these materials are known to exhibit creep when left under load for protracted periods. In addition they are typically subject to expansion and contraction as a consequence of thermal cycling due to heat from the projector and diurnal effects. A further problem is that some installations are vulnerable to interference by customers or other personnel who may inadvertently dislodge the masks.
Canadian patent application CA 2227920 (Chun-shan Institute of Science and Technology) discloses a projection system making use of multiple projectors in which a frame holding a plurality of sharp-edged sliders is mounted in front of each projector lens. Diffraction of light at the sharp edges of the sliders is said to enable the brightness of overlapping images from adjacent projectors to be adjusted in order to improve overall picture quality. However, the device disclosed in CA 2227920 would appear to suffer from a number of disadvantages and is unlikely to be suitable for use with modern digital projection apparatus. Because the sharp edges are integrally formed with the sliders, they are of necessity somewhat large. As a consequence, the rather coarse profile created by the sharp edges will provide only a very crude means for adjusting brightness levels in the areas of overlap between adjacent images. Furthermore, the arrangement of the sliders in the Chun-shan device would most cause shadowing and light leakage between the sliders, leading to further loss of resolution of the images in the area of overlap. A further drawback to the device disclosed in CA 2227920 is that, so far as it is possible to tell, the device is only capable of manual adjustment and the arrangement of the frame and sliders does not readily lend itself to automation.

Optical mask for blending overlapping tiled images


Disk brake friction element mounting system provides spaced mounting elements or guides for the friction elements, the spacing of the mounting elements permitting at least one friction element to be located in its working position by insertion edgewise through the space between the mounting elements without removing the brake discs or disc. The friction element is supported and guided by laterally extending shoulder having downwardly facing receptors for the mounting elements. In this way friction element insertion and removal for servicing purposes is greatly simplified.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a method and apparatus applicable to the mounting of friction elements in disc brakes. An example of the application of the invention is to spot-type automotive disc brakes of the kind employing at least one axially slidable brake disc. However, certain aspects of the invention are more widely applicable, although the specific embodiments described below relate to disc brakes of this kind.
2. Related Art
The mounting of friction elements in relation to disc brakes is of practical significance in relation to not only the original assembly but also the routine replacement of the friction elements after a period of service and wear of the friction pad surfaces. In the past it has been usual for friction elements to be mounted and guided for axial sliding movement (where appropriate) by means of various guide structures which are straight forward to assemble when initially assembling the brake, but which do not lend themselves readily to subsequent removal of individual parts such as the friction elements. Accordingly, removal of the friction elements usually entails a substantial disassembly operation.
There is disclosed in WO98/25804 a disc brake assembly of the sliding-disc and fixed-caliper kind in which (see FIG. 1) the friction elements are arranged to be hooked over slide structures at the lateral edges of the fixed caliper. Accordingly, such an arrangement requires insertion and removal of the friction elements in a generally axial direction, with consequential axial removal of at least one brake disc in most cases. Therefor, it remains a fact that some significant improvement in accessibility of friction elements for servicing purposes would be of considerable importance for cost effective disc brake utilisation.

Mounting friction elements to disc brakes


As an autonomously guided industrial vehicle travels through a facility images of the adjacent environment are acquired, by either a still camera or a video camera. An image file containing a plurality of the images is stored onboard the vehicle. During that travel, the location of the vehicle is determined. Upon occurrence of a predefined incident, such as encountering an obstacle or impacting an object, an incident message is transmitted wirelessly from the vehicle to a remote management computer. The incident message contains an indication of the type of incident, an indication of a location of the vehicle, and the plurality of the images. The remote management computer responds to the incident message by providing a notification about the incident to one or more persons. The contents of the incident message enables the person notified to take corrective action.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to industrial vehicles, such as material handling vehicles, and more particularly to operating autonomously guided industrial vehicles.
2. Description of the Related Art
Industrial vehicles of various types, including lift trucks, are used to move items at a facility such as a factory, a warehouse, a freight transfer station, or a retail store. Traditionally these vehicles were controlled by an on-board human operator. As industrial vehicles became more sophisticated, a new category of autonomous guided vehicles evolved. An autonomous guided vehicle (AGV) is a form of mobile robot, that without a human operator, transports goods and materials from one place to another in a constrained environment, such as a factory or a warehouse.
Some AGV's followed a wire buried in the floor and thus were limited to traveling along a fixed path defined by that wire. Guidance technology developed further so that the vehicle did not have to be confined to a fixed path. Here reference markers, referred to as fiducials, were placed at various positions in the facility. In one implementation, each fiducial had a unique appearance or an optically readable element, e.g., a unique barcode. An AGV that needed to travel to a certain location would determine a sequence of fiducials to that location and then travel from one fiducial to the next one in that sequence. An optical sensor on the AGV sensed adjacent fiducials as the vehicle travelled and the unique appearance or code of each fiducial enabled the vehicle to determine its present location and the travel direction along the desired sequence. Even more sophisticated navigation systems have been developed that employ a video camera and image recognition software to guide the AGV along a desired path that was previously learned by the navigation system.
Regardless of the particular navigation system that was used, an AGV often had difficulty when an obstacle blocked the desired path. For example, an employee might leave a pallet of goods in an aisle being travelled by the AGV. Sensors on the AGV detected the obstacle and the controller stopped the vehicle before striking the obstacle. The AGV, however, remained stopped as long as the obstacle blocked the desired path, as the navigation system lacked the intelligence to determine another path that avoided the obstacle. The vehicle remained stationary until an employee happened to notice the event and either removed the obstacle or manually guided the vehicle around the obstacle.
Thus it is desirable to provide a mechanism for handling incidents in which the AGV is unable to continue operating along an intended path.

System and method for gathering video data related to operation of an autonomous industrial vehicle


The present invention relates to a new method of preparation of the polymorph form 1 of methyl (S)-(+)-(2-chlorophenyl)-2-(6,7-dihydro-4H-thieno[3,2-c]pyridine-5-yl-acetate hydrogensulfate of the formula (I)

(S)-(+)-(2-chlorophenyl)-2-(6,7-dihydro-4H-thieno[3,2-c]pyridine-5-yl-acetate hydrogensuifate is a known platelet aggregation inhibitor drug, having INN clopidogrel hydrogensulfate.
Clopidogrel hydrogensulfate is described first in European Patent Specification No. 281 459. Hungarian equivalent of this patent is Hungarian patent No. 197 909.
The product is characterized by its melting point and optical rotation, which are 182° C. and [α]D20=+51.61 (c=2.044 g/100 ml, methanol) respectively. Crystal form of the product is not mentioned.
Polymorph forms of clopidogrel hydrogensulfate are described first in the French Patent Application No. 98/07464. Polymorph form 1 is specified as a monocline crystal form, characterized by X-ray diffraction pattern and infrared spectrum.
Melting point and the optical rotation of the form 1 are 184° C. and [α]D20=+55.1° (c=1.891/100 ml, methanol respectively. On the basis of these data, authors state that the polymorph form described in the European patent specification No. 281 459 is identical to polymorph form 1. The orthorhombic polymorph form 2 is characterized by its melting point of 176° C. in the specification of French Patent Application No. 98/07464.
Polymorph form 1 is prepared according to cited specification by dissolving clopidogrel base in acetone and adding 80% sulfuric acid in an equimolecular amount to the solution at 20° C. The solvent is evaporated partly, the residue is cooled to 0-5° C. and the precipitate is filtered.
Polymorph form 2 is precipitated out of the filtrate, which is obtained in the process of the preparation of polymorph form 1 and stored for 3-6 months below 40° C.
According to this patent specification, polymorph form 2 can also be prepared by adding equimolar amount of 80% sulfuric acid to a solution of clopidogrel base in acetone at 20° C. without or in the presence of seeding crystals. Subsequently the reaction mixture is boiled for two hours, the solvent is evaporated partly, the residue is cooled to −5° C., and either the precipitated product is filtered, or seeding crystals are added, the reaction mixture is stirred at 20° C., then the product is filtered.
According to the specification of the International Patent Application No. 02/059128, polymorph form 1 of clopiodogrel hydrogensulfate is prepared by the reaction of the solution of clopidogrel sulfate in threefold amount of acetone calculated based on the amount of clopidogrel base with concentrated sulfuric acid between 0-5° C. After addition of sulfuric acid, one more part of acetone is added, then the reaction mixture is stirred for 4 hours. Then polymorph form 1 is isolated with a melting point of 185° C.
According to the specification of International Patent Application No. 03/051362, amorphous form or several polymorph forms of clopidogrel hydrogensulfate are obtained by recrystallisation of clopidogrel hydrogensulfate using different solvents, or by the precipitation with anti-solvents from its solutions.
Amorphous clopidogrel hydrogensulfate is prepared according to International Patent Application No. 03/051362 by dissolution of clopidogrel hydrogen sulfate in methanol or ethanol, then to the obtained solution are diethyl ether or methyl tert-butyl ether added, the solubility of clopidogrel hydrogensulfate is reduced in the mixture and clopidogrel hydrogensulfate is precipitated out of the solution in amorphous form.
In another case, solution of clopidogrel hydrogensulfate in ethanol is added to boiling toluene, then the solution is cooled, yielding the amorphous product. The disadvantage of this process is the use of toluene being an aromatic solvent which is avoidable in the synthesis of a pharmaceutical drug, especially in the last step of the process.
In case of using an ether type solvent to precipitate out the product from its solution prepared in an alcohol or acetone, polymorph form 1 or amorphous form is formed according to the reaction conditions.
Moreover, the mixture of the amorphous and polymorph form 1 can be produced as well. In presence of ether type solvents, the amorphous product can be converted into polymorph form 1. Examples of the International Patent specification No. 03/051362 demonstrate the strong tendency of clopidogrel hydrogensulfate to crystallise.
Data summarised in the Table 1 demonstrate that the precipitation of clopidogrel hydrogensulfate results in different crystalline polymorph forms.
TABLE 1SolventAntisolventMorphologyAcetonitrileDEEPolymorph form 2methanolDEEAmorphousethanolMTBE or DEEPolymorph form 1methanolMTBE or DEEPolymorph form 1ethanolMTBEPolymorph form 1 + AmorphousmethanolDEEPolymorph form 12-butanolMTBEPolymorph form 5DEE: diethyl etherMTBE: methyl-tert.-butyl ether
According to the Table 2, further polymorph forms are formed by triturating the evaporated residue of a solution of clopidogrel hydrogensulfate with solvents in which the solubility of clopidogrel hydrogen sulfate is very low or the product is immiscible with.
TABLE 2Solvent used forSolutiontriturationMorphology1-butanolDEE or MTBEPolymorph form 32-butanolDEE or MTBEPolymorph form 51-propanolMTBEPolymorph form 6Acetone—AmorphousDEE: diethyl etherMTBE: methyl-tert.-butyl ether
The polymorph forms of the evaporated residues before the trituration are not mentioned in the specification. Although the amorphous form of clopidogrel hydrogensulfate can be produced by evaporation of the solution of clopidogrel hydrogensulfate in acetone to dryness, the process can not be accomplished easily on industrial scale.
It can not be predicted whether the amorphous product obtained after trituration in a suitable solvent remains amorphous form, since it may easily transform into different polymorphous forms spontaneously, for example into polymorph form 1.
According to the examples above, it is impossible to predict which polymorph form will be precipitated or transformed into other form by the interaction of clopidogrel hydrogensulfate and a selected solvent.
It is very important that the amorphous form can be changed into polymorph form 1 by triturating with ethers. In the same process, the trituration with ether results the polymorph form 2, while in other cases, polymorph forms depicted in Table 2 are formed.
Official requirements defined in Pharmacopoeias are ever increasing with regard to the purity and morphological uniformity of pharmaceutical active ingredients. Requirements towards morphological uniformity of a substance are justified by the fact that biological availabilities of different polymorph forms may be different.
According to the International Patent Application No 02/59087, the solubility and the biological availability of the amorphous form of the active agent having INN name atorvastatine calcium is better then its morphologically uniform crystalline forms.
Properties of different polymorph forms may be different from the pharmaceutical technology point of view. The use of amorphous form can be advantageous either from the economical or the technological point of view as well.

Process for the preparation of amorphous form of a platelet aggregation inhibitor drug


This invention relates to an electrode arrangement (1), in particular for electroimpedance tomography, having multiple electrodes (4) for electric contacting of measurement object and a belt-shaped electrode carrier (3.1-3.4) for encompassing the measurement object, with the electrodes (4) being attached to the belt-shaped electrode carrier (3.1-3.4). It is proposed that the electrodes (4) be positionable on the belt-shaped electrode carrier (3.1-3.4) in the longitudinal direction of the belt-shaped electrode carrier (3.1-3.4). In addition, this invention relates to a method for applying such an electrode arrangement to a measurement object.

To perform so-called electroimpedance tomography on a patient, several electrodes must be attached to the patient's chest, where accurate positioning of the electrodes and constant contact with the skin are important.
Therefore, there are known electrode arrangements with which the electrodes are attached to a belt-shaped electrode carrier consisting of an elastic material; to perform the measurement, the belt is wrapped around the patient's chest. The electrodes are attached to the patient's skin mechanically or with adhesive on the electrodes.
However, one disadvantage of this known electrode arrangement is that the individual electrodes cannot be positioned freely in the circumferential direction because it is difficult to adjust the positions of the individual electrodes due to the elasticity of the belt-shaped electrode carrier and the cross-sectional shape of the chest and it is difficult for the person performing the test to move them. In particular, with the known electrode arrangement it is impossible to adjust constant distances or angular distances between the individual electrodes, although that is important in electroimpedance tomography.


A speech information processing apparatus which sets the duration of phonological series with accuracy, and sets a natural phoneme duration in accordance with phonemic/linguistic environment. For this purpose, the duration of a predetermined unit of phonological series is obtained based on a duration model for an entire segment. Then, duration of each of phonemes constructing the phonological series is obtained based on a duration model for a partial segment. Then, duration of each phoneme is set based on the duration of the phonological series and the duration of each phoneme.

Recently, a speech synthesis apparatus has been developed so as to convert an arbitrary character string into a phonological series and convert the phonological series into synthesized speech in accordance with a predetermined speech synthesis by rule.
However, the synthesized speech outputted from the conventional speech synthesis apparatus sounds unnatural and mechanical in comparison with natural speech sounded by human being.
For example, in a phonological series "o, X, s, e, i" of a character series "onsei", the accuracy of a rule for controlling the duration of generating each phoneme is considered as one of the factors of the awkward-sounding result. If the accuracy is low, as appropriate duration cannot be assigned to each phoneme, the synthesized speech becomes unnatural and mechanical.

Speech information processing method, apparatus and storage medium performing speech synthesis based on durations of phonemes


A manifold for a liquid dispensing system has at least two layers. The first layer has multiple through holes along its thickness direction, and one or more fluid channels perpendicular to the thickness direction. The second layer has one or more through holes along its thickness direction, each communicating with one of the through holes of the first layer. The second layer also has one or more fluid channels perpendicular to the thickness direction. The fluid channels each have an inlet at the edge of the respective layer and an outlet at one of the through holes. The second layer also has one or more holes defining valve bores. A valve in each of the valve bores controls flow of a liquid to a respective one of the fluid channels of the second layer. Also provided are a liquid dispensing system and a method of manufacturing a manifold.

A number of beverage dispenser designs are well known in the art. These include carbonated beverage dispensers, non-carbonated beverage dispensers, beverage brewing systems, and liquor distribution systems. Many beverage dispenser designs have separate nozzles to pour (dispense) different beverages. Some beverage dispensers are capable of dispensing a variety of beverages out of a single nozzle.
One common type of a beverage dispenser with a single nozzle is a beverage gun (commonly referred to as a bar gun). A beverage gun typically includes a hand-held beverage dispensing head with a number of buttons, each corresponding to a different beverage. One example of a beverage gun is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,692 to Valiyee et al, assigned to the assignee of the instant application, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
Another common type of beverage dispenser is a beverage tower. A beverage tower is typically set on a countertop or table top. Rather than being handheld and moved to the beverage cup, as is the case with the beverage gun, the beverage tower is maintained in a generally stationary position, and the beverage cup is held or set down underneath the tower's nozzle. An example of a beverage tower is shown in the parent application Ser. No. 12/611,788, and shown in FIG. 1. Some beverage towers have one nozzle at the dispense point, as shown in FIG. 1, and some others have multiple nozzles, one for each type of beverage.
Both of these types of dispensers are generally fed by a number of beverage tubes, which in turn are connected to remotely located containers of soda water, non-carbonated water, concentrated soft drink syrups, and the like. Depending on the user-selected beverage, one or more beverage components are dispensed out of the nozzle (or one of the nozzles) simultaneously. For example, soda water and a concentrated soft drink syrup are dispensed simultaneously to serve a soft drink.
The containers of beverage components are generally located at least somewhat remotely from the beverage dispenser, so the beverage tubes are sometimes quite long, and thus have a large amount of beverage components stored within them when not in use. In addition, the beverage tubes are usually controlled by flow control valves and shutoff valves located some distance upstream of the nozzle, so some of the beverage components that remain within the tubes are located downstream of the valves. This can lead to beverage components dripping from the nozzle when the beverage dispenser is not in use, which is wasteful and messy.
This is of particular concern for beverage towers, which are often used in convenience stores and the like, and operated directly by customers rather than staff members, but it is of some concern for all beverage dispensing systems.


The present application provides a method and device for random access. The method includes: receiving, via a terminal device, N groups of random access-related information sent by a network device, wherein the N groups of random access-related information are determined by the network device according to a network deployment and optimization policy, and the ith group of random access-related information is used by the terminal device for determining a random access preamble set i and a time-frequency resource corresponding to the random access preamble set i, N being a positive integer greater than or equal to 1, i=1, . . . N; and sending, via the terminal device, a random access preamble to the network device according to the N groups of random access-related information.

In the random access procedure in the Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, the user equipment (User Equipment, referred to as "UE") generates a corresponding preamble (Preamble) at a corresponding time-frequency location according to a random access parameter of the network, and then waits for a response of the network. If the UE can detect its own Random Access Response (RAR) in a specified time window, it enters the next step of the random access procedure; and if the UE does not detect its corresponding RAR, then it sends the Preamble again according to a specified time sequence and method.
Different from the LTE system using one beam (Beam) to cover one cell, in future communication systems, it is common to implement coverage of one cell by using time sweeping (Sweeping) by a plurality of Beams. This communication system may be called as "multi-beam system". In the multi-beam system, the UE may use different Beams for information transmission and reception. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a random access method suitable for the multi-beam system.

GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP., LTD.


A positioning device aligns first and second mold segments moving from an opened position to a closed position. The device includes a female member for connecting to one of the mold segments and for receiving a male member connected to the other of the mold segments. A bearing mechanism is coupled to the female member for receiving the male member and reducing friction between the male member and the female member. One of the female member and the bearing mechanism includes a post extending transversely to the alignment axis and the other of the female member and the bearing mechanism defines a groove receiving the post as the bearing mechanism moves relative to the female member. The engagement between the groove and the post retains the bearing mechanism in the female member when the first and second mold segments move between the opened and closed positions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a positioning device for aligning first and second mold segments as the mold segments move from an opened position to a closed position.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a typical molding process, e.g., a mold cavity and core, are closed together to define a cavity therebetween and material is injected into the cavity to form a part. During the molding process, the mold cavity and core are repeatedly opened and closed to form multiple parts. Molding processes are used in many industries. In several of these industries, the products being formed must meet rigorous standards and specifications. Hence, the tolerance for misalignment between the first and second segments during the molding process is generally small.
In addition to the mold cavity and core, the mold can also include an intermediate segment that moves relative to the mold cavity and core when the mold is opened and closed. This intermediate segment is configured to engage the part to strip the part from the cavity. In industry, the intermediate segment can be referred to as a stripper plate or a floating plate.
Positioning devices are used to reduce tolerances between the mold cavity and core to form products that meet the appropriate standards and specifications for each industry. The positioning device can include a first member attached to the mold cavity and a second member attached to the mold core. The mold cavity and core are typically spaced from each other when the molds are open and come together to engage each other and align the mold cavity and core as the mold cavity and core close together. Specifically, one of the first and second members can be a male member and the other of the first and second members can be a female member that receives the male member. In a design where the mold includes the intermediate segment, the positioning device can include a third member disposed between the first and second members for engaging the first and second members as the first segment, second segment, and intermediate segment of the mold close together.
The fit between the male member and female member determines the magnitude of potential misalignment between the mold segments. The male and female members typically include bearing surfaces that slide against each other as the first, second, and third members come together as the mold cavity and core close. As a result, these bearing surfaces are susceptible to wear. For example, the mold is typically arranged horizontally such that the segments move relative to each other along a horizontal axis as the mold is opened and closed. Over repeated cycles, gravity can misalign the members of the positioning device thereby increasing the wear of these members. Consequently, as demand for higher productivity increases, the speed of the molding process increases thereby increasing the wear along the bearing surfaces of the positioning device.
Traditionally, when the bearing surfaces became worn, the positioning devices must be replaced in order to maintain proper tolerances. This results in increased cost and unacceptable delays in production. There remains opportunity to improve the positioning device in order to properly align the segments of the mold while also extending the life of the positioning device.


Methods, systems, and computer-readable storage media for proxy re-encryption of encrypted data stored in a first database of a first server and a second database of a second server. Implementations include actions of receiving a first token at the first server from a client-side computing device, providing a first intermediate re-encrypted value based on a first encrypted value and the first token, transmitting the first intermediate re-encrypted value to the second server, receiving a second intermediate re-encrypted value from the second server, the second intermediate re-encrypted value having been provided by encrypting the first encrypted value at the second server based on a second token, providing the first encrypted value as a first re-encrypted value based on the first intermediate re-encrypted value and the second intermediate re-encrypted value, and storing the first re-encrypted value in the first database.

Encrypted databases provide data protection (security) in cloud platforms and/or database-as-a-service settings. In encrypted databases, data (plaintext) can be encrypted at the client to provide encrypted data (ciphertext), which can be provided to the database for storage. In some examples, a third-party provides and maintains the database. That is, the database is outsourced to the third-party. For example, a client encrypts data using one or more encryption keys to provide encrypted data, which the client sends to the third-party for storage in the database.
Outsourcing a database offers efficient resource management and low maintenance costs for clients, but exposes outsourced data (client data) to a service provider (the third-party providing the database and its agents). One issue is periodically re-encrypting the database (e.g., changing the encryption key(s)), because it may be difficult to determine whether an encryption key has been compromised and data is at risk. In one traditional approach, the entire database is downloaded, is rekeyed using a different encryption key, and is uploaded back to the database. This download, rekey, and upload implies huge communication costs and often a significant downtime.


A digital write-and-read method and a signal processing apparatus wherein a write encoder includes a bit distribution circuit for dividing an input data block into n (n: 2 or more) series of bit strings and outputting them in parallel, a first coding circuit for executing predetermined coding for each of data series so distributed and a second coding circuit for converting the output bit series D1 to D3 of the first coding circuit to an n-bit channel code by looking up the previous channel code information, and wherein the second coding circuit executes coding by using a combination having a large Euclidean distance in a partial response equalization output taking inter-symbol interference of at least three bits into consideration as a pair.

This invention relates to a digital write-and-read method and an apparatus thereof. More specifically, it relates to a write-and-read method of digital signals which will be suitable for magnetic disk systems for writing digital data in a high density, a signal processing method and an apparatus applying the method.
Recently, requirements for high density recording and high speed operation have become eager for magnetic recording media, particularly those having a diameter of not greater than 3.5 inches. One of the reasons is that large capacity storage systems have mainly shifted to a RAID (Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disks) systems and performance of high-end small magnetic disks directly affect system performance.
On the other hand, large scale softwares taking a human interface into consideration such as a GUI (Graphical User Interface) have become inevitably necessary for personal computers as the principal application of small magnetic disks, and the target of a disk capacity in 1995,for example, is said to be about 1 G byte in the case of 2.5-in disk systems.
To satisfy such requirements, two to three 2.5-in disks (recording on four to six surfaces) are necessary in the maximum recording density (800M bit/in..sup.2) at the present product level. To attain such a recording density on one disk (two surfaces), high density recording of about 1.5 G bit/in..sup.2 is necessary.
The operation speed of the personal computers has almost reached 300 MIPS (Million computer Instructions Per Second) in 1995, and a higher operation speed of the small magnetic disk has been required, as well. The write-and-read speed inside the present high-end magnetic disks is 80 to 120M bit/sec.
To support such a progress of the magnetic disks, signal processing technique of the write-and-read systems, too, has made progress to cope with high density recording and high speed recording. As to channel codes, for example, a channel code having a code rate of 8/9 has become predominant from a run-length limited code having a code rate of 2/3. On the other hand, because the length between the adjacent recording bits has become smaller so as to attain high density recording, interference between the signals for each bit has become greater, the specification of the signal-to-noise ratio necessary for playing back and detecting the original recording signals has become higher by a peak-detection method according to the prior art. Therefore, PR4ML (Partial Response class 4 with Maximum Likelihood decoding) system which employs partial response equalization which takes inter-symbol interference into consideration and which can detect maximum likely signal strings from the playback signals has been examined. An LSI for this system has been developed already and are being packaged to products. One of the prior art references associated with this system is U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,384.
In a write-and-read system with greater inter-symbol interference, the equalization method of the partial response must be changed from PR4 to EPR4 (Extended PR4), and along with this change, an ML (Maximum Likelihood decoding) circuit must be made more complexed from the 2-state to the 8-state. In this case, the number of the states may be interpreted as the number of candidates necessary for finding out the most likely signals. The application of the EPR4ML circuit to the magnetic disks is described, for example, in JP-A-7249998.
In high density recording by increasing a track density, on the other hand, the signal-to-noise ratio of the write-and-read system drops. To overcome this drop has become a critical problem. One of the methods for solving this problem is the utilization of trellis codes. Since the ML circuit executes digital processings, its LSI configuration can be attained relatively easily. Therefore, trellis codes can cope with a low signal-to-noise ratio by providing those characteristics which are suitable for the ML processing to the channel codes themselves on the premise of the use of a complicated ML processing.
Since the ML processing deals with the transition state of the codes, that is, a trellis diagram, the channel codes premised on the ML processing are referred to as the "trellis codes". The study of this processing was started in the mid of '80 by researchers of a communication theory and in order to establish a practical channel coding technology, matching with a playback equalization system, limit of the number of continuation of the same codes, counter-measures for error propagation, the removal of DC components, and so forth, have been examined.
For example, "IEEE Transactions on Information Theory", Vol. 37, No. 3, pp. 818-855, 1991 reports a theoretical study of the trellis codes called "MSN (Matched Spectral Null) codes" characterized by the DC-free code, and represents that a bi-phase MSN code having a code rate of 1/2 can be applied to EPR4 equalization. The term "bi-phase code" represents the system which generates a recording signal (C') by causing "10" or "01" to correspond as the channel code (C) to "1" of a data bit (D) and "11" or "00" to "0" of the data bit (D) as shown in FIG. 21 of the accompanying drawings.
Further, "IEEE Transactions on Magnetics", Vol. 31, No. 2, pp. 1208-1213, 1995 reports a tentative production of an LSI for the MSN codes having a code rate of 8/10 on the assumption of PR4 equalization.
To accomplish a large improvement of the signal-to-noise ratio by ML decoding, an Euclidean distance in an equalization output code string of the channel codes must be increased. The square of the Euclidean distance, i.e. dE.sup.2, is defined by the following formula between two code strings "u=u.sub.1, u.sub.2, . . . , u.sub.n " and "v=v.sub.1, v.sub.2, . . . , v.sub.n " the with length n. ##EQU1##
The received signal is the sum of the original correct decoded value and the noise. When the channel code group having a large dE value is selected in the original equalization output series free from the noise, the influences of the noise on the received signal become weak and the maximum likely codes can be decoded more easily.
One of the methods for holding dE is a so-called "set partition method", which uses a plurality of sets of channel codes holding dE in the equalization output series. FIG. 22 shows an example of this set partition.
In this example, the input data bit D is divided into every 2 bits, and the channel code C is allocated to four kinds of bit patterns ranging from "00" to "11". Each channel code is magnetically recorded on a magnetic disk through a magnetic head and receives PR(1, -1) equalization at the time of playback. The anticipated output by this equalization is represented by symbol E in FIG. 22. In this example, the data D is represented by the sets of two bit patterns, the second bit of which is different.
The channel codes "00" and "10" are allocated to the set of "00" and "01", for example. When the channel codes "00" and "01" are played back, the PR(1, -1) equalization outputs are given by "0, 0" and "2, -2" and the Euclidean distance dE.sup.2 is given by "2.sup.2 + (-2).sup.2 =8".
FIG. 23 shows the case where the PR (1, -1) equalization output become "2, -2" when the state of the previous channel code is "*0" (where symbol * means that it may be either 0 or 1) and is represented as the state so.
In PR(1, -1) equalization, equalization is so made as to provide a response expressed by "1, -1" to the channel code "1" in consideration of the inter-symbol interference. In other words, this equalization assumes the inter-symbol interference of one other bit in addition to the bit output. The equalization system with little noise emphasis and suitable for magnetic recording can be thus obtained by employing the response system which takes the inter-symbol interference suitable for magnetic recording into consideration. When the channel code is "0", a "-1, 1" response is obtained by the inversion output of "1". The sum of the PR(1, -1) equalization output of each channel code is the equalization output. The output of the channel code as shown in FIG. 23 is "2, -2". The expected outputs can be calculated similarly for other channel codes, and the Euclidean distance can be determined from the difference of the expected equalization outputs of the two channel codes. When the combination of the set partition by PR(1, -1) equalization is considered in this way, its Euclidean distance dE.sup.2 is "8".
Similarly, if a set partition having a large Euclidean distance and suitable for EPR4 can be constituted and the trellis codes can be constituted by using the channel code group, channel codes more resistant to the noise than in the prior art system can be constituted. Because EPR4 is the system which takes the 3-bit inter-symbol interference into consideration for the channel codes, however, selection of the channel codes depends not only the input data bit D but also on the previous channel code C. No proposal has yet been made on the construction of the set-partition for EPR4 which takes these points into consideration.
Since the conventional trellis code suitable for EPR4 equalization is based on the bi-phase code, etc., it has a low code rate, whereas the trellis code having a high code rate is not the system suitable for EPR4 equalization.

Digital write-and-read method and signal processing apparatus


A process is indicated for the bidirectional transmission of digital data through a glass fiber, whereby the bits from data to be transmitted are compressed by a factor >2 into bursts, in packages of equal quantities, without changing the transmission rate. The bursts in one direction of the transmission are sent by an emitter station through a glass fiber to the other station, during the pauses between the bursts in the other transmission direction. Independent external pulse generators are used at both ends of a glass fiber to determine the transmission rates of the stations. If the frequencies of the two pulse generators deviate from each other, the bursts of the data flowing at the lower transmission rate are displaced with respect to the bursts of the other flow of data, by the width of one bit of the pertinent continuous flow of data. The displacement of the bursts is communicated to the respective receiver by at least one information bit corresponding to the burst preceding the first burst to be displaced.

The invention concerns a process for the bidirectional transmission of digital data through glass fibers, with which the data from the emitter in one station are transmitted to the receiver in a station at the other end of the glass fibers, whereby the bits from continuously transmitted data are compressed by a factor >2 in bursts, in packages of equal quantities, without changing the transmission rate, where the bursts in one of the transmission directions are transmitted by the respective emitter through the glass fibers, during the pauses between the bursts in the other transmission direction, and with which the continuous flow of data is recovered from the bursts received by the respective receiver (DE-Book "Pulstechnik", Holzler & Holzwarth, volume II, published in 1984 by Springer, pages 402 to 412).
The bidirectional transmission of data through glass fibers permits to make better use of existing transmission paths. The transmission of signals by an emitter in a station that is connected to the glass fibers, to the receiver of the opposite station, is only possible without additional measures, when the emitter of the opposite station is not transmitting. The waiting time of the other station is measured as a function of the length of the transmission time of the sending station, during which the waiting station cannot transmit any data. The data flowing to the forcibly passive receiving station must be stored during the receiving operation, which represents a relatively large expense. Furthermore, important communications may be blocked for too long if one of the stations is not able to transmit for a long time. To this must be added that a (digitalized) telephone conversation via such a transmission path is nearly impossible.
This deficiency is corrected by the burst operation according to the DE-Book "Pulstechnik", described above. With this known process, both stations can transmit at the same time and also receive at the same time, if it is assured that the bursts do not collide in the two transmission directions. This is achieved by transmitting the bursts in one transmission direction during pauses between the bursts in the other transmission direction, created by compressing the bits of the continuous flow of data. The transmission rates of the flow of data to be transmitted are determined by pulse generators. To prevent displacements causing collisions between the two opposing flows of data, one of the stations in the known process operates as a "master" station, while the pulse is supplied to the other, the "slave" of the master station. The cost is correspondingly high.
The invention has the task of developing the process described earlier, so that the pulse supply to the two stations can be simplified, and the existing devices and components of the stations can still be utilized.

Process for bidirectional transmission of data


There is described a method and an installation for lubricating cylinder surfaces 6 in large diesel engines. The installation includes a lubricating apparatus 3 with a number of piston pumps 4 which via connecting lines 5 are connected with lubricating points 6 in the cylinder walls 7. In order to enable electronically controlled regulation of the lubricating oil portion, there is provided an electronic control unit 9 which is connected with a flow regulator 8. The flow regulator includes redirecting valves 12 which are inserted in connecting lines 5 between the lubricating apparatus 3 and the lubricating points 6.

This application claims the benefit of Danish Application No. PA 2004 03035filed Jun. 30, 2004and PCT/DK2005/000445filed Jun. 30, 2005, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The present invention concerns a lubricating system that includes a method and an installation for lubricating the cylinder faces in large diesel engines, particularly marine engines, including at least one lubricating apparatus with a number of piston pumps which via connecting lines are connected with and feed various lubricating points disposed in the walls of the cylinders.
The lubricating apparatuses are traditionally designed as pumping units which are mounted in close association with respective cylinders, and which are connected with a feeding reservoir for lubricating oil and with lubricating points in the form of oil injection nozzles at different points on the cylinder wall. Each pump unit includes a plurality of piston pumps that feed various lubricating points with oil, and which are driven by a common rotating control shaft with cams applied thereon. At the rotation of the shaft, the cams with pressing heads act on respective axially displacing pistons which are spring biased in direction towards the control shaft, so that the pistons at the rotation of the shaft will perform reciprocating movements for activating the pistons of the piston pumps.
For many years, lubricating apparatuses have operated under the condition that the discharge pressure from the piston pumps was not to be very great, as it is a fixed standard that the oil is to be injected into the cylinder during the upwards return stroke of the engine piston, i.e. during the compressing action, however before the subsequent power stroke by the ignited combustion. Hereby, it has been necessary to operate with injection or pump pressures of the magnitude 10 bar.
In recent years it has been proposed to increase the efficiency of the lubrication by injecting the oil through pressurised atomising nozzles for achieving oil mist lubrication during the upwards movement of the piston. However, hereby the oil is applied a far higher pressure for ensuring fine atomisation through atomising nozzles, e.g. a pressure up to 100 bar or more.
Lubricating points will thus, as mentioned in the present application, include oil injecting nozzles and/or pressurised atomising nozzles.
In both systems, the control shaft is driven through a direct or indirect mechanical coupling with the crankshaft of the engine, whereby it is possible to provide power for the activation of pumps and at the same time to achieve synchronisation between the crankshaft of the engine and the control shaft of the lubricating apparatus.
A pump unit may e.g. include a box-shaped apparatus housing, from where connecting pipes extend to the lubricating points on the associated engine cylinder, e.g. in a number of 6-24.
The pistons are traditionally operated by means of activation cams/rocker arms on a through-going control shaft which is rotated synchronously with the crankshaft of the engine. The pistons are spring biased towards the activation cams. There is provided a set screw defining the extreme position of an associated activation cam. The set screws may be operated for determining individual operative strokes of the pistons and thereby the associated yield of the individual piston pumps.
By lubrication according to the invention, it is possible for the user to operate with controlling injection timing for a synchronised lubrication, which is timed according to the rotation of the crank, or unsynchronised cylinder lubrication, i.e. a cylinder lubrication that does not depend on the rotation and angular position of the crank.
Furthermore, there is an increasing demand for a flexible and easy adjusting of the controlled feeding cylinder lubrication oil portion for the immediate demand of the engine depending on diverse measurable engine parameters. It is also desirable to adjust the timing concurrently with the actual operating situation of the engine in a flexible way. All these adjustments are preferably to be controlled centrally.
Driving the lubricating apparatuses synchronously with the engine speed is electronically feasible, but extensive and costly. With such a system, the timing can be changed immediately. Changing the fed cylinder lubricating oil portion is, however, more difficult to control.
As the cylinder lubricating oil is to be dosed with one portion per engine revolution, the only possibility of adjusting the dosage is to change the stroke of the pumps. A system for this purpose is e.g. described in DK patent application 4998/85. This system is operated by a cam disk mechanism for adjusting the pump stroke in dependence on the engine load. Changing this dependence may only be effected by changing the cam disks with other cam disks with a different transfer function.
It has also been proposed to adjust the pump stroke by means of a controllable motor, e.g. a step motor. This has been used for point lubrication, but it is difficult to establish in connection with conventional lubricating apparatuses. Such a system is e.g. disclosed in International Patent Application no. WO 02/35068 A1.
Moreover, from DE 28 27 626 is also known a lubricating system based on lubricating oil being supplied in measured quantities at predetermined time intervals through apertures in the cylinder wall. There is no indication here of stepless control of the dosage to be performed at individual lubricating points.
In connection with traditional cylinder wall lubrication, it has hitherto been the practice to use simple spring-biased check valves that can resist the internal pressure in the cylinder, but which yield to a slightly higher external injection pressure. However, in connection with pressurised atomised injection, it is desirable and necessary that the valve system opens only at a much higher oil pressure in order that the oil injection can assume the character of a pressurised atomising injection right from the beginning. We are hereby speaking of a pressure differential factor of up to several hundred percent.

Method and apparatus for lubricating cylinder surface in large diesel engines


A cellular radiotelephone (user terminal) (10) includes a keypad (22) having a plurality of keys (22a, 22b) and a display device (20) for displaying information, including messages, to a user. A method includes the steps of registering the user terminal with one of a plurality of networks, such as one of a first network or a second network, and receiving a signal at the user terminal indicating that at least one message is stored in a storage device associated with a message station within the network. The storage device stores voice messages for the radiotelephone. In response to receiving the signal, a step is performed of notifying the user that at least one message is stored in the storage device of the network with which the radiotelephone is registered. The user can request to retrieve the stored messages by depressing at least one predetermined key on the keypad. The user terminal responds to the user's request by determined the network with which the user terminal is registered, and then communicating with this network to retrieve the messages. Also, in accordance with the invention, the user can specify access codes for the storage device of each network. Identifier tags may also be employed to further identify the storage device of each network. The first and second networks include an autonomous network and a public network, respectively.

The use of so-called voice mail message services in a communications (cellular) network is known. Voice mail message services enable users of radiotelephones (also referred to as user terminals or mobile terminals or stations), to receive voice messages left by calling parties when, by example, the user terminal is powered off or is otherwise not available, or if for some reason the user desires not to receive a call at a certain time. The voice messages are stored in pre-assigned storage locations typically referred to as "voice mailboxes". A message switching center is generally employed for controlling the forwarding of the voice messages to the user terminal from the voice mailbox. Typically, a user of a terminal can retrieve voice messages stored in a particular voice mailbox by operating a keypad of the terminal to enter appropriate information into the terminal. By example, the user may retrieve the voice messages stored in a particular voice mailbox by depressing multiple predetermined keys of the keypad to specify an appropriate access code for the voice mailbox, or by depressing a single predetermined one of the keys of the keypad which causes the terminal to automatically dial the access code. In either case, the terminal responds to this information by communicating with the message switching center to retrieve the messages from the voice mailbox. Thereafter, the messages are provided to the user.
At least some conventional cellular systems include both public networks (or systems) and private or autonomous networks (or systems). Autonomous networks include private and residential networks, and provide service to users located within a small, generally confined geographical area such as, for example, a house or a building. Public networks provide service to users located within a large geographical area relative to the area serviced by a private network.
At least some conventional networks provide a convenient mechanism whereby a user of a user terminal can be notified if there are one or more messages stored in a particular voice mailbox upon the terminal becoming registered with a network. This is accomplished by providing a notification message from the message switching center of the network to the user terminal, in response to the terminal becoming registered with the network. By example, in response to a user terminal registering with the network, the message switching center may provide a Message Waiting indicator (MWI) message to the terminal, in accordance with standard IS-136 section 22.214.171.124. The MWI message indicates that there are messages stored in the voice mailbox. The messages stored in the voice mailbox can be retrieved by the user by operating the user terminal in the manner described above. For example, assuming that the terminal is preprogrammed to access a particular voice mailbox within a public network in response to the user depressing a specific, single key of the terminal keypad, the user can retrieve messages stored in this voice mailbox by simply depressing this single key.
Unfortunately, however, conventional user terminals do not have the capability of automatically determining which network the terminal is registered with in response to a user of the terminal requesting that messages be retrieved from a voice mailbox, so that the terminal can automatically access messages in the voice mailbox of the network with which the terminal is registered. As a result, a user may be required to enter specific access codes into the terminal when attempting to retrieve messages from voice mailboxes within particular networks. As can be appreciated, this may be burdensome to the user.
It can be appreciated that it would be desirable to provide a user terminal which overcomes this problem.

Automatic public/autonomous system message waiting indicator (MWI) recognition


Different circuit-based implementations of stochastic anti-windup PI controllers are provided for a motor drive controller system. The designs can be implemented in a Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) device. The anti-windup PI controllers are implemented stochastically so as to enhance the computational capability of FPGA.

A command signal intended to induce a large step change in the speed of a variable-speed motor drive typically causes the generated current command from a PI speed controller to exceed the prescribed maximum value, which is limited by the converter protection, the magnetic saturation, and the motor overheating. Thus, a saturator is usually applied, which introduces non-linearity into the system. This phenomenon is referred to as integrator windup. The phenomenon can result in a reduction in performance owing to the fact that the parameters of the PI speed controller are normally designed to operate in a linear region without regard to the nonlinearity that typically results from saturation.
A number of anti-windup techniques have been proposed in an attempt to overcome the windup phenomenon. One drawback of these conventional methods, however, is the complexity of the hardware implementation. Solutions for motor driver controllers implemented in circuits such as Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) offer advantages in terms of price, execution speed, and flexibility. FPGAs, moreover, can perform rapid close-loop tasks without interfering with other tasks. Nonetheless, FPGAs are encumbered by relatively poor calculation capabilities and the relatively low number of available logic gates. Accordingly, there is a need for devices and techniques that more efficiently and effectively implement PI controllers, especially those utilizing FPGAs.

Stochastic anti-windup proportional-integral (PI) controller

Florida State University Research Foundation, Inc.


A new garden type Chrysanthemum plant named ‘CIDZ0107’ particularly distinguished by its medium sized lavender double-type inflorescences, compact strong and uniform plant habit, and a flowering response time of 7.5 weeks.

The present invention comprises a new Chrysanthemum, botanically known as Chrysanthemum x morifolium, and hereinafter referred to by the variety name 'CIDZ0107'.
'CIDZ0107' is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivar has medium sized lavender double-type inflorescences, compact strong and uniform plant habit, and a flowering response time of 7.5 weeks.
'CIDZ0107' originated from a hybridization made in October 2009 in a greenhouse in Gilroy, Calif. The female parent was the unpatented, proprietary plant designated as 'B1182', having bronze double-type inflorescences, a larger flower size and slower flowering response when compared to 'CIDZ0107'.
The male parent of 'CIDZ0107' was the unpatented, proprietary plant designated as 'B3019', having purple semi-double type inflorescences and more vigorous growth habit than 'CIDZ0107'.
The seed was sown in March 2011 and the resulting plants were grown in pots in a greenhouse in Gilroy, Calif. 'CIDZ0107' was selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in August 2011.
The first act of asexual reproduction of 'CIDZ0107' was accomplished when vegetative stem cuttings were propagated from the initial selection in December 2011, in Gilroy Calif.


The present invention includes improved RFID antennae and tags and methods of manufacturing the RFID antennas. The RFID tags of the present invention include a substrate that comprises an antenna assembly. A radiofrequency integrated circuit is in electrical communication with a portion of the antenna assembly. The RFID tag may include a structure, such as a lid element, that clamps and/or compresses the radiofrequency integrated circuit into contact with the antenna assembly, without the need for a conductive adhesive. In some embodiments, the antenna assembly is vacuum metallized or otherwise applied onto the substrate through patterned openings in a mask, such as a patterned masking cliché or a patterned polymer layer.

The present invention relates generally to radio frequency identification (RFID) antennas and tags, and methods of manufacturing RFID antennas and tags. More specifically, the present invention is directed toward vacuum metallized antennas for RFID tags and enclosures for protecting an integrated circuit of the RFID tag.
RFID tags are currently used to track and monitor inventory locations and communicate information and data about the product, substance, or person, they are attached to such as part number, descriptions, lot codes and other pertinent product information similar to information currently contained within a standard universal product (UPC) bar code. However, UPC bar code technology is an optical technology and is limited to line of site orientation. This limitation requires that the bar code reader which scans the bar code must be able to visually see the bar code label applied to the product in order to scan and read/record information. The advantage RFID tags have over bar code is that RFID technology is radio frequency based and does not require any visual line of site between the product ID tag and the reader or scanner. This allows the RFID tag and the reader to exchange information freely, regardless of the orientation of the ID tag, as long as the tag is within the readers scanning range. RFID tags can be read through packaging, containers, or through other products. In addition, RFID readers can read and identify any RFID tag that is within its scanning range all at once, without having to scan each individual item as is currently required with UPC bar codes. For example, while shopping in a grocery store, if all items were to have individual RFID tags, theoretically, the shopper would be able to simply walk through a scanner in a check out line and all items in their cart would be scanned and the customer charged accordingly without having to remove a single item from their cart. Other advantages for RFID tags would be for use with inventory management, automatic reordering when inventory levels fall below a set level, or security alerts for when items are removed from a particular location without authorization.
RFID is based upon using radio frequency (RF) signals to communicate information between small (generally less 25 mm to 300 mm on the largest side) RF receiver/transmitter devices and other electronic equipment used for "reading" the information contained in the memory circuitry of the small electronic device (the RFID tag). RFID tags are used to track and monitor the location of objects located in inventory and communicate information such as part number, descriptions, lot codes and other pertinent product information similar to information currently contained within a standard universal product (UPC) bar code. Additional electronic equipment (a.k.a., "reader") is used to both detect and collect information from the RFID tag. Typically, the reader will poll the RFID tag by sending an RF signal containing short instructions that ask the RFID tag to respond. The RFID tag, using either its own energy or the energy contained in the polling RF signal, to respond to the reader with the requested information. In current practice, an RFID device is placed onto a carrier medium, which is subsequently adhered to the object to be tracked.
While the possibilities for using RFID tags are ever increasing, the manufacturing costs for generating these RFID tags has to be addressed. The cost for manufacturing the tags has currently limited the use of RFID tags to pallets of products or to high dollar items such as compact discs, DVD's, or to high theft items such as Gillette razor blades where the cost of the tags are justifiable. This particular invention pertains to various methods and devices for manufacturing low cost RFID tags suitable for use on inexpensive everyday items.
RFID tags generally include a small passive integrated circuit chip attached to a thin polymer substrate that has been screened (similar to silk-screening) with a metal layer, the metal layer comprising an antenna sub-assembly. The RFID tag may be completed with an overlay of thin polymer film (or in some cases nothing is provided) as a means of providing minimal protection from the environment. As can be appreciated, the RFID tag is subject to mechanical abuse and or tampering and is exposed to environmental conditions that may impede the longer term performance of the RFID tag.
An important aspect of the antenna sub-assembly is the quality of the metal conductive layer in terms of electrical performance, as measured by antenna gain. Presently, a number of different methods may be used to accomplish a metalized shape on a substrate. For instance, a copper cladded foil can be etched to reveal an antenna shape. This process requires that a film material be first metalized completely, a mask applied (in the form of a deposition of another material in a prescribed shape, and subsequent etching to remove unwanted material. This process has the obvious cost disadvantages; however, the resulting metal layer (typically several micrometers of copper) provides adequate performance and reasonable adhesion to the film, albeit at a relatively high cost.
Film materials can be metalized using both conductive ink and conductive paint; however, the disadvantages of conductive paint (tendency to crack, environmental issues, need for relatively high conductive particle loading to achieve low resistance, etc.) dictate against its use for RFID tag sub-assemblies. Conductive ink can readily be applied to film materials to provide the required conductivity and performance. While the conductive particles are still suspended in a carrier matrix, the overall performance is adequate and the primary cost driver is the conductive ink. Conductive ink layers are on the order of tens of micrometers thick, though thinner depositions may be possible.
While the conventional methods of manufacturing RFID tags have proven adequate, as the need for these tags increases, there are concerns that the metal screening process will be limited in its cost reduction potential. The current estimated need for RFID tags is in the billions of tags per year and growing to perhaps trillions of tags per year with continued cost reductions. Consequently, what are needed are methods and RFID tags that may be manufactured cheaply and when necessary provide for a robust construction sufficient to be withstand the environment.

Radiofrequency antennae and identification tags and methods of manufacturing radiofrequency antennae and radiofrequency identification tags


The present invention relates to novel, highly mobile small robots called “Mini-WHEGS™” that can run and jump. They are derived from our larger WHEGS™(“wheel-like lecis”) series of robots, which benefit from abstracted cockroach locomotion principles. Part of their success is derived from the three spoked appendages, called “WHEGS™”, which combine the speed and simplicity of wheels with the climbing mobility of legs. To be more compact than the larger WHEGS™ vehicles, Mini-WHEGS™ uses four wheel-like legs in an alternating diagonal gait. These 9 cm long robots can run at sustained speeds of over 10 body lengths per second and climb obstacles that are taller than their leg length. They can run forward and backward, on either side. Their robust construction allows them to tumble down a flight of stairs with no damage and carry a payload equal to twice their weight. A jumping mechanism enables Mini-WHEGS™ to surmount much larger obstacles such as stair steps.

Highly mobile small vehicles, sometimes called micro-robots, are better suited for certain missions than larger vehicles. For example, they can aid in search and rescue because their diminutive size enables them to fit into tight spaces, such as those found in rubble and in caves. As another example, a group of small robots provide robustness through redundancy for remote missions such as extraterrestrial exploration. Mobile small robots also are appropriate for insect inspired research because their scale is similar to that of the insect models.
A variety of such relatively small robots have been developed, but the majority of them have limited mobility. For example, some use small wheels and can move only on very smooth, flat surfaces. Others use relatively large wheels as compared to the size of the robots for improved mobility, but they still suffer from the limitations of wheels on complex terrain. Still others use tracks but at a relatively small scale it is difficult to implement a modern track suspension.
It is difficult for small robots to move through real-world terrain because of the relative size of the obstacles they must overcome. Therefore, there is a need for efficient locomotory appendages for relatively small robots. For example, for a given vehicle size, legs may provide the greatest mobility because they enable discontinuous contact with the substrate, which is advantageous for travel on uneven terrain. Insects are excellent examples of highly mobile legged vehicles.
Some robots have their basis in insect mobility. For example, RHex disclosed a simple and highly mobile insect-based hexapod robot. Int. J. Robotics Research, 20(7): 616-631. WHEGS™ ("wheel-like legs") also disclosed insect-based robots in: Improved Mobility Through Abstracted Biological Principles, 2002 IEEE International Conference On Intelligent Robots and Systems, Lausanne, Switzerland. The disclosures of RHex and WHEGS™ robots are good examples of relatively large (e.g. on the order of about 50 cm long) hexapods that use abstracted cockroach locomotion principles to great effect. RHex uses six motors to independently rotate its legs. WHEGS™ robots, however, may use one propulsion motor and rely on preflexes to adapt their gaits to different terrain. Their driving appendages are sometimes called "WHEGS™" wheel-like legs, one example of which has three spokes and combines the speed and simplicity of wheels with the climbing mobility of legs. The "WHEGS™" equipped robots are several times faster, for example on the order of three (3) body lengths per second, than other legged robots of similar size and can climb obstacles that are relatively tall, e.g. on the order of about 1.5 leg lengths tall.


A turbine blade which is provided for use in a wet steam region of penultimate and ultimate stages of turbines and is subject to erosive wear caused by impinging water droplets, is treated in a region of leading edges and parts of a blade leaf in such a way as to reduce the erosive wear. In order to reduce the erosive effect of the water droplets, the blade leaf has a surface roughness in the region of its leading edge and its blade back or in at least a partial region thereof. The surface roughness is markedly increased in comparison with the surface roughness of a front side of the blade leaf.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a turbine blade which is provided for use in a wet steam region of penultimate and ultimate stages of turbines, which is subject to erosive wear caused by impinging water droplets and which is treated in a region of leading edges and parts of a blade leaf in such a way as to reduce the erosive wear.
In the region of the ultimate stages of a steam turbine or even before they are reached, the expansion of steam has progressed to such an extent that so-called wet steam is generated, that is to say steam which is mixed with very small droplets of condensed water. At the high rotational speed of the turbine, such water droplets impinge on the moving blades at a correspondingly high velocity and lead to highly undesirable erosive wear at their leading edges and on the blade back. Under adverse conditions of use, the maximum permissible stripping of material caused by erosion is reached quickly, so that the useful life of the blades and consequently the service life of the turbine are greatly reduced. At the same time, however, there are also losses of efficiency, since the profile geometry changes. The initially ground relatively smooth surface of the blade leaf is increasingly transformed by erosion into an extremely rough surface which is formed essentially of hard martensite needles that are left standing. The profile and shape of the leading edge are also markedly changed as a result of the erosive stripping. Reliability also drops due to weakening of the cross-section and notches which are made.
In order to alleviate the problems mentioned, the leading edge and parts of the blade leaf of moving blades of the penultimate and ultimate stages are flame-hardened and laser-hardened as a function of the calculated thermal dynamic conditions of use. The purpose of such hardening is to improve the material properties by changing the structural state in such a way that stripping of material caused by impinging water droplets is reduced. Although that has mitigated the relevant problem, it has still not been solved satisfactorily at all.

Turbine blade for use in the wet steam region of penultimate and ultimate stages of turbines


A method and system for computing an expert point value of a user for each keyword is provided, including: a first step of assigning a first knowledge-based expert rating value associated with a keyword to a user identifier of a user which enters the keyword into an expert field; a second step of assigning a second knowledge-based expert rating value associated with the keyword to the user identifier when another user stores the keyword to correspond to the user identifier; a third step of assigning a third knowledge-based expert rating value associated with the keyword to the user identifier when the user of the user identifier performs an answer activity for the keyword; and a fourth step of computing the knowledge-based expert rating value of the user identifier for the keyword based on at least one of the first, the second, and the third knowledge-based expert rating values.

A query and answer method using a network includes a method in which a user having knowledge related to a query gives an answer when a questioner selects a directory associated with the query and then enters a title and contents on a service webpage associated with the directory. However, in this case, the answerer's expertise may not be identified.
To solve the above-described problem, the conventional art utilizes a method of computing only total expert point values of a user based on the users answer activities and the like in a network and thereby identifying the user's expertise.
However, in the conventional art, although a user performs huge amounts of answer activities and thereby maintains greater expert point values, it may be impossible to identify whether the user has knowledge associated with a query of a questioner. Accordingly, in this case, although a questioner selects an answerer by considering only expert point values and receives an answer from the selected answerer, the questioner may be unsatisfied with the answer.

Method and system for rating expert classified by keyword


An object of this invention is to provide a convenient printing system applicable not only to the office environment but also to the POD environment. To accomplish this, a printing system capable of supplying a print medium to a printing apparatus from a plurality of feeding apparatuses each having a feeding unit for feeding a print medium, a multi feed detection unit for detecting occurrence of multi feed of overlapping print media, and a multi feed discharge unit for discharging multi-fed print media includes a multi feed discharge destination setting unit for, when the multi feed detection unit detects occurrence of multi feed, setting which of multi feed discharge units is to accept multi-fed print media, and a control unit for controlling the feeding apparatus to discharge the multi-fed print media to the multi feed discharge unit set by the multi feed discharge destination setting unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing system capable of accepting a plurality of jobs, and a control method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional printing industry, a publication is issued through various work steps such as entry of a document, designing of the document, layout editing, comprehensive layout (presentation by printing), proofreading (layout correction and color correction), proof (proof print), block copy preparation, printing, post-processing, and shipping.
In the conventional printing industry, an offset reproduction printing press has been used in the printing step, requiring the block copy preparation step. However, once the block copy is prepared, it is difficult to correct the block copy. If the block copy is corrected, the cost rises. In block copy preparation, therefore, careful proofreading (i.e., careful layout check and color confirmation) is indispensable. Some period of time is generally taken until a publication is issued.
Most apparatuses used in respective work steps are bulky and require expert knowledge, and know-how of experts is indispensable.
In this situation, POD (Print On Demand) printing systems using electrophotographic and inkjet printing apparatuses are proposed recently.
(See Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 2004-310746 and 2004-310747).
The POD printing system does not require the above-mentioned block copy preparation and other complicated work steps.
As for sheets (print media) used in the POD market, the printing system may process various types of sheets in order to receive a variety of printing orders from customers. In this situation, an operation to separate and convey a print medium from a feeding apparatus serving as an example of a print medium supply source may change from that for a general sheet. For example, the printing system can process a print medium of a type different in surface property, glossiness, and thickness from a print medium such as plain paper. For this reason, print media which should be separated and fed one by one from a feeding apparatus may be conveyed simultaneously. A state in which print media are conveyed while at least partially overlapping each other is defined as "multi feed (double feed)". If multi feed occurs, problems such as a fixing error, a jam in the printing apparatus, and mixing of a blank sheet arise. It is desirable to detect multi feed before conveying multi-fed sheets into the printing unit of the printing apparatus, and discharge the multi-fed sheets outside the apparatus.

Printing system and control method thereof


A purge stocker has a plurality of shelf zones each including a plurality of purge shelves each configured to purge inside of a storage container placed thereon with purge gas. The purge stocker includes: a flow-rate adjusting unit configured to adjust the flow rate of purge gas supplied to the purge shelves for each shelf zone; a conveying device configured to convey the storage container; and a control unit configured to control conveyance of the storage container by the conveying device. When the number of scattered empty shelves is equal to or larger than a predetermined shelf count that is the number of the purge shelves included in each shelf zone, the control unit performs shelf-changing control of causing the conveying device to transfer the storage container such that an empty shelf zone in which all of the purge shelves included therein are empty is newly formed.

A purge stocker including: a plurality of purge shelves each configured to purge inside of a storage container placed thereon with purge gas; a flow-rate adjusting unit configured to adjust a flow rate of the purge gas; a conveying device configured to convey the storage container; and a control unit configured to control conveyance of the storage container by the conveying device is conventionally known (see WO 2015/194255, for example). Such a purge stocker has a plurality of shelf zones each including a plurality of purge shelves. The flow-rate adjusting unit adjusts the flow rate of purge gas supplied to the purge shelves for each shelf zone.
In such a purge stocker, it is desired that the amount of purge gas used be reduced to reduce running costs, for example.
It could therefore be helpful to provide a purge stocker that reduces the amount of purge gas to be used.