A bond test apparatus includes a test tool, a stage for mounting a bond for testing, and a drive mechanism comprising a voice coil. The voice coil is coupled to either the stage or to the test tool and is configured to provide relative movement between the stage and the test tool such that the bond applies a test force to the test tool. The bond test apparatus can also include a velocity sensor configured to sense an instantaneous relative velocity between the stage and the test tool, and a controller configured to control the drive mechanism in response to a signal from the velocity sensor. The bond test apparatus can also include a retarding mechanism coupled to the stage or the test tool and configured to apply, in response to relative movement between the stage and the test tool, a retarding force opposing the driving force.

Semiconductor devices are very small, typically from 5 mm×5 mm square to 50 mm×50 mm square, and typically comprise numerous sites for the bonding of electrical conductors to a semiconductor substrate. Each bond consists of a solder or gold ball deposit, known as a "bump", adhered to the substrate.
It is necessary to test the bond strength of the bonds, in order to be confident that a particular bonding method is adequate. Because of the very small size of the bonds, tools used to test the bond strength of these bonds must also be small and capable of measuring small forces.
There are several different types of bond tests that are used to test bond strength. For example, shear testing tests the shear strength of a bond by applying a shear force to the side of the bond and shearing the bond off the substrate. Pull testing tests the pull strength of the bond by pulling a ball deposit, or a wire embedded in a ball deposit, away from the substrate. In a push test, a force, or load, is applied in the vertical plane directly downward onto a bond.
Machines that perform these tests typically comprise a bond test tool, be it a shear test tool, push test tool or a pull test tool, that can be positioned relative to the bond under test and then either the bond or the tool is moved in order to perform the test by measuring the force needed to break the bond.
Solder joints, comprising a solder bump bonded to a bond pad on a substrate, can be thought of as a chain where the links of the chain represent the various materials that make up the joint. A simple solder joint on a printed circuit board comprises a number of links: bulk solder, an intermetallic layer at the interface with the bond pad, the bond pad, an adhesive layer between the bond pad and the organic substrate, and the substrate itself. The joint is only as good as its weakest link, so a bond test should reveal the link that is most likely to fail under given conditions.
There is a need to test components, materials and bonds under controlled conditions that generate failure modes similar to those observed during real-life use of those components. Typically, bond testing involves pulling or shearing a bond at relatively low strain rates, but this does not accurately reflect the way that the bond would behave if a load were applied to the bond more rapidly, for example if the bond were to experience a sudden impact, such as the impact that would occur if an electronic device were dropped.
It is well known that solders exhibit time dependent deformation and that their yield point increases with increasing strain rate. At low strain rates the bulk solder is often the weakest link in a solder joint, so that the solder joint is likely to fail by ductile fracture of the bulk solder. At higher strain rates, however, the solder joint may fail in a different way, such as by a brittle fracture. In order to test the behaviour of bonds when loads are applied at high strain rates, it is therefore desirable to perform high-speed bond tests.
High-speed bond tests must generate reliable high test speeds within short distances, and shear tests must also operate with sufficient accuracy for the test tool to impact a specific solder bump, which is typically in the size range of 50 to 800 microns in diameter. The distance needed to accelerate a test tool to high speeds is also a drawback when testing substrates that are densely-packed with components, as the substrate may need to be prepared by removing obstructing components along the tool's acceleration (and deceleration) pathway. These requirements mean that high-speed bond testing is less straightforward than low-speed testing.
The present invention seeks to overcome these deficiencies in the prior art, and to provide an improved bond test apparatus and a method of performing a bond test that are suitable for high-speed bond testing.

Bond test apparatus and method for testing the strength of bonds on electrical circuitry


In this printer, switching between a single-sheet form feed path and a continuous form feed path occurs by rotating a paper guide when feeding the forms. When the printed single-sheet form is to be discharged onto a table, the tail end of the form is detected by a first single-sheet form sensor. Form feed is stopped for a moment, and the paper guide is rotated toward the continuous form feed path. Reverse feed of the form is resumed and continued until the tail end of the form reaches approximate center of the paper guide. The paper guide is then rotated toward the single-sheet form feed path. The tail end of the form is bent toward the table, and the form is discharged onto the table. As a result, single-sheet forms fed from a manual insertion port or from an automatic paper sheet feeder can be conveyed after finishing printing to the position where the forms are inserted in a stabilized manner without causing the forms to jam on the discharge path.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printer capable of printing on either single-sheet forms or a continuous form. More specifically, the invention relates to a printer capable of discharging the printed single-sheet forms to a position where the single-sheet forms are inserted.
2. Description of Related Art
Printers capable of printing either on single-sheet forms or a continuous form are known as described in Japanese patent application No. 3-286670. As shown in FIG. 15, this printer comprises a printing area; feed and pinch rolls 110A, 110B and 112A, 112B; a table 104; paper guides 114, 116, and 118; a continuous form feed mechanism 120; and a paper guide 102. FIG. 15 shows major components only, omitting the casing and other known parts.
The printing area comprises a printing head 108 for printing on paper sheets and a platen 106. The feed and pinch rolls 110A, 110B and 112A, 112B are rotatably arranged to feed single-sheet forms to the printing area. The table 104 is designed for single-sheet forms to be placed thereon so that the single-sheet forms can be inserted into the printer. The paper guides 114, 116, and 118 guide paper sheet forms for printing to the printing area.
The continuous form feed mechanism 120 comprises a pin tractor feeder of a well-known type for feeding the continuous form to the printing area. The paper guide 102 is arranged for swinging in the directions of arrows X and Y, as shown in the drawing, to switch the paper sheet feed path to either one of two feed paths, a single-sheet form feed path and a continuous form feed path. Therefore, when printing is to be made on the continuous form, the paper guide 102 is swung in the Y direction so that the continuous form is fed by the continuous form feed mechanism 120 to the printing area. When printing is to be made on single-sheet forms, the paper guide 102 is swung in the X direction so that the single-sheet forms are fed from the table 104 or an automatic paper sheet feeder to the printing area. The printed single-sheet forms are selectively discharged onto the table 104. Namely, the printed single-sheet forms are conveyed by the feed and pinch rolls 110A, 110B and 112A, 112B, according to the instructions of an operator, in the direction opposite the feed direction. They are guided between the paper guides 102 and 114, between the paper guides 114 and 116, and discharged onto the table 104.
In the type of conventional printers described above, however, the path for discharging the single-sheet forms onto the table 104 is not straight but curved to some extent in the vicinity of the paper guide 102. This is because the same path is also used as the path for the continuous form. As a result, paper jamming occurs. When a plural number of top-end bound paper forms are inserted from the table 104, and discharged after printing to the table 104, the bottom unbound ends of the forms might jam if they are obstructed or caught by the paper guide 102 located in the X-position.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a printer capable of conveying paper sheets after printing back to the inserted position. They are conveyed in a stabilized manner without causing paper jamming along the reverse conveying path for discharge even when the printing is made on duplication slips.

Printer with reverse sheet feed path to sheet inlet


A product providing apparatus and display apparatus, and a method for providing a GUI using the same are provided. The product providing apparatus includes a display unit, a collecting unit and a control unit which controls an image based on user characteristic information to be displayed.

1. Field of the Invention
Apparatuses and methods consistent with the present invention relate to providing a product providing apparatus and a display apparatus, and providing a graphical user interface (GUI) using the same, and more particularly, to providing a product providing apparatus and a display apparatus, and providing a GUI, in order to display screens according to information on users' personal characteristics.
2. Description of the Related Art
Consumers buy products using vending machines by inserting coins, paper money or credit cards. Such vending machines have become increasingly widespread because of the shortage of human resources and of changes in the consumption environment and consumption patterns. Additionally, vending machines occupy a small space and can be set up with little capital, so users can be provided with various products in diverse locations.
Users manually input commands to vending machines to select means of payment and the desired product, and vending machines then provide the users with the selected product up to the limit of the input money. Accordingly, vending machines provide products and menus in a standardized manner without any information regarding users.
However, a related art vending machine provides a product without tacking into consideration characteristics of a user who desires to buy the product, which may cause user inconvenience. For example, the fixed positioning of menu buttons may cause inconvenience to some users. Additionally, a user who prefers a certain food, may need to search for a menu item indicating the food from among a plurality of menu items displaying a plurality of products regardless of his or her taste, so it may be impossible for the user to select a menu item intuitively.
Therefore, there is a need for methods for users to buy products more conveniently and more intuitively, taking into consideration users' personal characteristics.

Product providing apparatus, display apparatus, and method for providing GUI using the same


A musical instrument including a housing, a keypad having a plurality of push buttons arranged in a three-dimensional array of horizontal rows and vertical columns disposed within the housing and a CPU with MIDI and USB processing coupled to the keypad to manipulate and control a sound generated with signals from the plurality of push buttons, wherein the horizontal rows of push buttons are arranged in tiers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates generally to electronic musical instruments and more particularly to electronic musical instruments operating within the musical instrument digital interface ("MIDI") protocol which incorporate at least one keyboard having push buttons arranged in a three-dimensional array. Additionally, the present general inventive concept relates to computer software to help users learn to play the musical instrument according to the present general inventive concept.
2. Description of the Invention
Conventional keyboards for piano, accordion, organ and other musical instruments are made having an interface with discrete divisions capable of being individually actuated by human fingers. A standard piano keyboard has a generally linear arrangement with the tones arranged in a chromatic musical scale ascending from left to right.
This arrangement is similar on a piano accordion, with the keyboard tilted vertically and played with a user's right hand only. On the piano accordion, the user's left hand plays push buttons that are in a two dimensional array rather than in a simple linear arrangement. On other accordions, the linear, piano keyboard is abandoned altogether and there is a two dimensional arrangement of push buttons for either hand to play.
A compact, equal interval keyboard of the present general inventive concept offers considerable improvement over conventional keyboards. It is remarkably compact in that all of the notes of the chromatic scale are presented to the player on push buttons in an exceptionally efficient arrangement. The spacing is similar to that in a computer keyboard, except that all of the push buttons are arranged in straight columns as well as straight rows, that is, in a checkerboard pattern. It is like the nine equally sized and equally spaced push buttons of the numeral entry keypad that the larger computer keyboards have, expanded to cover the whole keyboard area.
On this keyboard, a typical adult's hand can comfortably span three octaves. On a standard piano, a comfortable span is only one octave, and even on a reduced size keyboard of a piano accordion, the span is only about an octave and a half.
The tonal relationship of the push buttons on this keyboard offers an important opportunity to develop advanced musical instruments. From left to right, the push buttons are arranged in an ascending chromatic scale. Going from row to row, out from the player's body, each push button is a musical perfect fourth above the preceding push button. This is similar to the tonal arrangement on a bass guitar, if the guitar were flat on a table in front of the player, with the tuning pegs to the left and the body of the guitar to the right.
To play this keyboard, the five fingers of the hand naturally rest upon five adjacent push buttons in a row. They are positioned to play the first five notes of a chromatic scale. If, for instance, the user's thumb of the right hand were on "C," then the index finger would be on "C#," the middle finger on "D," the ring finger on "D#" and the pinky on "E." The next note to be played in the chromatic progression is "F," but with the this keyboard it is unnecessary to move one's hand sideways out of position in order to play "F." The arrangement of push buttons allows the thumb to play "F" simply by lifting the thumb off of the "C" push button and moving it straight up to the "F" push button in the next row, and so on.
Thus, in this geometric arrangement, most of the movement of the player's hands is directly out and back from the front of his body, rather than laterally as in a conventional piano keyboard. With a keyboard more than five columns wide, the user's hand is still free to move laterally, which is particularly advantageous in playing chords and changing keys. However, in most melody playing situations, the hand settles into a very simple pattern where each finger need only play the notes in its one column. There is very little crossing-over of fingers, jumping about or reaching to be concerned with. The task of planning how to finger complicated runs of notes is practically eliminated.
The symmetrical, equal interval pattern of the push buttons on this keyboard affords an advancement not achieved in virtually any other musical instrument. In moving from one note to another, the physical relationship between the two notes always exactly matches the musical relationship.
All of the musical relationships between any two notes on the chromatic scale have been given a label. For instance, the musical relationship between "C" and "E" is called a major third. It is played on the piano with the two white notes "C" and "E". If one were to maintain the same spanned distance with two fingers on a hand and move up the keyboard to the next white notes, one would be playing "D" and "F". This is not a major third, but a minor third. There is one less half-step between "D" and "F" than there is between "C" and "E." If one would want to maintain the same musical interval while moving the lower finger from "C" to "D," the upper finger would have to move from "E" to "F#", not only a change in span between the two fingers, but also a change in direction. Similar unsymmetrical arrangements on many other conventional musical instruments make playing music unnecessarily complex.
On this keyboard, for any musical interval one may choose, the two notes in the interval, beginning on any note of the chromatic scale, are always exactly the same physical distance apart for that interval and in the same direction. Basically, what one hears musically is matched by what physical movements the user is required to make in order to play.
Once one learns how to play a musical interval, it does not change. There is no need to learn other physical arrangements if one starts from different notes. One result of this is if one learns a song in one key, one can play it in any other key with exactly the same fingering by merely shifting the hand to start on a different note. There is no need to learn different fingering directions and distances for each key.
The second result is that specified chords are fingered exactly the same way in any key, that is, a "C" major chord is fingered exactly the same as an "F#" major chord. One merely shifts the hand and starts it on a different note.
Once a musician acquaints himself with the pattern of notes on this keyboard, playing a musical piece is almost as easy as singing a melody that one hears in one's head. Improvization is simplified.
An important requirement to have a viable professional musical instrument based upon this keyboard is to have a separable keyboard for each hand. In trying to position the hands to play on a single keyboard of this form, not only do the hands interfere with one another but neither hand is ergonomically situated relative to the keyboard for ease of play.
Although the keyboard proposed in the present inventive concept could be incorporated into non-MIDI enabled musical instruments, the addition of elements from the MIDI protocol immensely expands the capabilities of the keyboard and provides opportunity for an interactive computer tutorial that greatly simplifies the learning of music on the keyboard.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a MIDI controller in the form of compact, equal interval musical keyboards which optimize the capabilities of the musical instrument by allowing musicians to use both hands and all fingers, unencumbered.

MIDI controller keyboard, system, and method of using the same


Disclosed herein is a straddle type vehicle that uses resin seat rails, and in which attachment parts of footrests for an occupant of a rear seat of a tandem seat are provided to fastening parts of a member connecting right and left seat rails. The straddle type vehicle may include: resin right and left seat rails extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction; a middle connection member connecting the seat rails to each other; a tandem seat assembled to the seat rails and footrests for an occupant of the tandem seat respectively coupled to the right and left seat rails. A connection part of the middle connection member of the seat rails is provided within a range obtained by vertically extending an outer edge of an attachment part of the footrest coupled to each of the seat rails in side view.

The present invention relates to a straddle type vehicle such as a motorcycle that adopts a rear frame in which resin seat rails are mutually connected by a connection member, and to a straddle type vehicle in which a load applied on the seat rails from footrests for an occupant riding behind a driver can be distributed to the connection member to reduce the load on the seat rails.
Japanese Patent Publication No. JP S58-49581 ("the '581 Publication") discloses a motorcycle that uses synthetic resin for a rear frame. However, the '581 Publication does not clarify whether the synthetic resin rear frame is a structure that can withstand a large load applied thereon from an occupant or luggage when running on a bad road, for example.


An image decoding apparatus is provided, including a parser and an AC decoder. The parser is provided for parsing a bit stream to acquire a first unit. The first unit includes a DC code and a plurality of AC codes respectively corresponding to a DC coefficient and AC coefficients for a first block of the image. The AC decoder generates a plurality of first AC coefficients for the first block by decoding the plurality of AC codes of the first unit, and determines whether the number of the plurality of first AC coefficients exceeds a predetermined parameter. If so, the AC decoder obtains a second unit of the bit stream corresponding to a second block following the first block by performing an AC bypassing process on the first unit. Each AC code comprises a Huffman code and a VLI code.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to image decoding, and more particularly to an image decoding apparatus and method for performing high-speed processing for low display resolutions.
2. Description of the Related Art
The Joint Photographic Expert Group (JPEG) format is a commonly used image compression format. The JPEG format benefits multimedia communications, as images with large number of pixels can be compressed using the JPEG format to be compatible with digital cameras, mobile phones or computers. Although the JPEG format advantageously reduces storage facility requirements for images, enormous amounts of computations and time are required for encoding and decoding, especially for high throughput demands.
To decompress a JPEG compressed bit stream, the ordinary decoding process includes header parsing, Huffman decoding, de-quantization, Inverse Discrete Cosine Transform (IDCT), downscaling, and color space converting. In general, the resolution of images captured and pre-stored by digital cameras is significantly larger than the resolution for display devices, such as televisions or printers. While being converted or decoded to a lower resolution from a higher resolution, unnecessary detailed information is dropped from the original images. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. H1684, 6,067,384 and 7,050,656 disclose some techniques for improving decoding efficiency during the IDCT and the downscaling process.
Additionally, various techniques, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. RE039,925, 6,798,365 and 5,825,312, have been proposed to improve the decoding efficiency during the Huffman decoding process. However, all encoded data for a unit block of an original image, such as DCT coefficients for an 8 by 8 block, still need to be fully derived or decoded during the Huffman decoding process.
FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a conventional Huffman decoding process 10 illustrating operations of decoding an 8 by 8 block. Generally, each 8 by 8 block of an original image is transformed into sixty-four frequency coefficients, called DCT coefficients, consisting of one DC coefficient and subsequently sixty-three AC coefficients. When a specific unit of a bit stream corresponding to the block is acquired, a DC decoding process is first performed on the specific unit to obtain a DC coefficient for the block (step S102). Further, an AC decoding process is implemented to decode the remaining specific unit and generate AC coefficients for the block (step S104). Meanwhile, a determination process is provided for determining whether all AC coefficients for the block have been decoded (step S106). That is, the conventional Huffman decoding process 10 is only completely finished when sixty-three AC coefficients for the block are generated. Since the operation of the AC decoding process is redundant and time-consuming, it becomes impractical when used for low display resolutions, wherein a limited number of AC coefficients are required and the specific unit may be only partially decoded to generate sufficient AC coefficients for retaining acceptable fidelity.
Thus, a need exists for an improved decoding method and apparatus capable of instantaneously bypassing unnecessary AC coefficients for a block during the Huffman decoding process, thereby improving the overall decoding efficiency.


Invention is based upon the use of a unique chemical blend for an environmentally safe cleaner/degreaser. This chemical blend comprises d-limonene and SIMPLE GREEN. Both d-limonene and SIMPLE GREEN have been shown to be effective as cleaners and degreasers, but their use in combination has been shown to be synergistic. The components of the synergistic combinations show rapid biodegradation rates (>90% in 30 days), with minimal environmental impact. The chemical blend has a pH of 7.0 plus or minus 0.2 and does not entail special handling procedures or discharge requirements. Also, the use of my invention will not cause any adverse effects to the hard surfaces being cleaned, in comparison to other cleaner/degreasers that utilize a pH near 9.0.

On the industrial marketplace, the current state of the art for cleaners and degreasers usually involves 1 sometimes 2 of the following:
Trichloroethylene PA0 Methylene chloride PA0 Phenol PA0 Ethanol 2-amino PA0 Ethylene glycol monobutyl ethyl PA0 Polyoxyethylene decyl phosphate.
These agents are usually mixed with sodium hydroxide to bring the pH above 9.0 to facilitate cleaning. While these agents may be effective as cleaners or degreasers, they require special handling procedures and/or special discharge requirements. Some of these agents have been pointed out to have carcinogenic qualities. Others like phenol, for example, have maximum allowable discharge limits as set by the EPA for the industrial user.
As the EPA and OSHA look closer at the chemical products being used in the industrial workplace, my invention can fulfill a need by providing an effective cleaner/degreaser with minimal environmental impact. The use of my invention does not entail special handling procedures or discharge requirements. Also, it can be considered as an innocuous agent to the end user.

Hard surface cleaner with d-limonene, ethylene slycolbutyl ether, nonylphenol ethoxylate, and phosphate


Power-efficient health affliction classification. A method controls execution of a set of health affliction classification applications on a wearable device of a user. The controlling includes monitoring device notifications on at least one mobile device of the user for health affliction information. The controlling further includes invoking an analysis of one or more notifications of the monitored device notifications, the analysis attempting to ascertain a health affliction and an afflicted individual having the health affliction. Based on the analyzing being initially unable to ascertain a health affliction, the controlling initiates execution of the set of health affliction classification applications in a prioritized order of execution.

Mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and wearable mobile devices ("wearables") have limited battery life and therefore must behave in a power-efficient manner. Wearable devices are especially susceptible to battery power depletion because they tend to be smaller devices with much smaller batteries than other types of mobile devices. Smartwatches, an example type of wearable device with limited battery life, are computerized wrist-watches that can run/execute mobile apps and collect motion sensor data, among other activities. However, it becomes increasingly difficult to leverage smartwatches and other wearables to their full potential when hindered by inefficient approaches to app execution and battery consumption resulting therefrom.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


An on-press ink and/or fountain solution developable lithographic printing plate comprising a photosensitive layer over an electrochemically grained, anodized, hydrophilically treated aluminum substrate with a reflection optical density of at least 0.30 is disclosed. The photosensitive layer is soluble or dispersible in ink and/or fountain solution and capable of hardening upon exposure to a laser having a wavelength of from 200 to 1200 nm. The plate is exposed with the laser off press or on press, and then on-press developed with ink and/or fountain solution. Such darker aluminum substrate in combination with the hydrophilic treatment allows fast press roll up, clean background, and good printing durability of the plate.

Lithographic printing plates (after process) generally consist of ink-receptive areas (image areas) and ink-repelling areas (non-image areas). During printing operation, an ink is preferentially received in the image areas, not in the non-image areas, and then transferred to the surface of a material upon which the image is to be produced. Commonly the ink is transferred to an intermediate material called printing blanket, which in turn transfers the ink to the surface of the material upon which the image is to be produced.
At the present time, lithographic printing plates (processed) are generally prepared from lithographic printing plate precursors (also commonly called lithographic printing plates) comprising a substrate and a photosensitive coating deposited on the substrate, the substrate and the photosensitive coating having opposite surface properties. The photosensitive coating is usually a photosensitive material, which solubilizes or hardens upon exposure to an actinic radiation. In positive-working systems, the exposed areas become more soluble and can be developed to reveal the underneath substrate. In negative-working systems, the exposed areas become hardened and the non-exposed areas can be developed to reveal the underneath substrate.
The exposed plate is usually developed with a liquid developer. On-press developable lithographic printing plates have been disclosed in the literature. Such plates can be directly mounted on press after exposure to develop with ink and/or fountain solution during the initial prints and then to print out regular printed sheets. No separate development process before mounting on press is needed. Among the patents describing on-press developable lithographic printing plates are U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,258,263, 5,516,620, 5,561,029, 5,616,449, 5,677,110, 5,811,220, 6,014,929, 6,071,675, 6,482,571, 6,737,220, 6,994,028, 6,969,575, and 6,949,327.
Conventionally, the actinic radiation is from a lamp (usually an ultraviolet lamp) and the image pattern is generally determined by a photomask that is placed between the light source and the plate. With the advance of laser and computer technologies, laser sources have been increasingly used to directly expose a lithographic printing plate that is sensitized to a corresponding laser. This allows the elimination of the photomask film, reducing material, equipment and labor cost. Among the lasers used are infrared lasers (about 830 nm or 1064 nm), FD-YAG laser (about 532 nm), argon ion laser (about 480 nm), and violet laser (about 405 nm). Laser diodes (such as violet laser diode of about 405 nm, and infrared laser diode of about 830 nm) are especially useful because of their lower costs.
Among the laser sensitive plates proposed (including silver halide plates, positive plates, and negative plates), photopolymerizable composition based (also called photopolymer) laser sensitive plate is the most desirable because of the high durability of conventional photopolymer plate and its negative-working characteristics (no coated edge on the developed plate when imaged on external drum). However, because the energy output of a laser diode is quite limited and the exposure time of laser for each area is extremely short, it is very difficult to design a laser sensitive photopolymer plate with sufficient photospeed and press durability suitable for commercial applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,689,537 describes a violet photopolymer lithographic printing plate wherein a grained and anodized aluminum with higher reflection optical density (from 0.3 to 0.5, by using no or less desmut treatment) is proposed for achieving higher photospeed and improved printing durability. The aluminum substrate is electrochemically grained and anodized, with no or less desmut treatment, and then directly coated with the photosensitive composition. While such a substrate gives higher photospeed and improved press durability, it has the tendency of background toning (inked non-imaging areas) on press, compared to typically clean background for substrate with typical optical density (such as 0.20 to 0.28, with typical desmut treatment). Hydrophilic treatment after the anodization is not used apparently because the hydrophilic treatment generally reduces the photospeed and press durability.
The inventor has found, surprisingly, laser sensitive lithographic plate based on hydrophilically treated electrochemically grained aluminum substrate with an optical density of at least 0.30 can give excellent photospeed and press durability while having clean background. Such a substrate is also found to give excellent performance for laser sensitive on-press developable plate. The combination of higher optical density and hydrophilic treatment is unexpected for laser sensitive plate, because higher optical density is expected to increase photospeed and press durability while hydrophilic treatment is expected to reduce photospeed and press durability.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

On-press developable lithographic printing plate having darker aluminum substrate


A new type of liquors are provided which can be appreciated as liquors having a unique feature that they are frozen into a sherbet-like form in a moment when poured into a glass or the like, at the time of drinking. The liquors of the present invention cannot be frozen until they are poured into a glass because they are maintained in the supercooled state below the freezing point in a bottle or the like which is kept under a pressure of not more than 0.9 kg/cm.sup.2 or 1.5 to 5 kg/cm.sup.2, as measured under the condition that atmospheric pressure is defined to be 1 kg/cm.sup.2.

It is well known to freeze a liquor, such as Japanese "sake" (refined sake), in a vessel and serve the liquor for drinking in its frozen state. Such a liquor is widely referred to as a "frozen liquor". In order to obtain a homogeneously-frozen liquor, the liquor in the liquid state should be rapidly frozen because it has some alcoholic content and various essences are contained therein.
In general, the freezing temperature in a freezer for ordinary business use or in a home freezer is about -20.degree. C. At this temperature, for example, Japanese "sake" can be frozen but cannot be brought into the homogeneously-frozen state because the cooling performance of the freezer is insufficient for this purpose. Therefore, in order to bring a homogeneously "frozen liquor" on the market, it is necessary to convey the liquor in the frozen state after rapid freezing, which causes a considerable increase in the cost.
Moreover, in cases where a liquor has already been frozen in a vessel, much labor is required at the time of drinking to transfer the frozen liquor into a glass by means of a spoon or the like. In particular, if the frozen liquor, is hard, it requires a great deal of labor and time in order to wait until the frozen liquor softens to such a degree that it becomes suitable for drinking.

Liquor capable of being frozen when poured

52-9, Shichiku Higashikurisu-cho, Kita-ku


Methods are disclosed for producing acyloxyacyl hydrolase. The protein is produced from eukaryotic host cells transformed or transfected with DNA construct(s) containing information necessary to direct the expression of acyloxyacyl hydrolase. The DNA constructs generally include the following operably linked elements: a transcriptional promoter; DNA sequence encoding acyloxyacyl hydrolase, the small subunit of acyloxyacyl hydrolase or the large subunit of acyloxyacyl hydrolase; and a transcriptional terminator. In addition, isolated DNA sequences encoding acyloxyacyl hydrolase and isolated DNA sequences encoding the small or large subunit of acyloxyacyl hydrolase are disclosed.

Gram-negative septicemia, the clinical consequence of gram-negative bacterial invasion into the blood stream or tissue, occurs at a frequency of between 71,000 and 300,000 cases annually in the United States. Approximately forty percent of septicemia cases are associated with septic shock, a serious and rapidly developing complication of septicemia. Septic shock is characterized by hypotension, oliguria, coagulation defects, respiratory failure, and death.
The complex array of inflammatory responses in animals elicited by gram-negative bacteria is believed to be provoked by lipopolysaccharides (LPS) present in the outer membranes of these bacteria. Typically, an LPS molecule consists of an O polysaccharide, an R-core oligosaccharide, and lipid A. The structure of lipid A is highly conserved across a wide range of bacterial genera and is generally believed to be responsible for most of the biological activities of LPS. LPS is believed to provoke a number of both toxic and beneficial inflammatory responses and is believed to be responsible for the interaction of bacteria with target cells, which include macrophages, neutrophils and endothelial cells. While the toxic responses include hypotension, coagulation disturbances and death, beneficial responses include enhanced antibody synthesis, mobilization of phagocytes and acute phase protein synthesis.
Presently, there are no vaccines to immunize at-risk populations against septicemia. Current treatment of septicemia relies heavily on early diagnosis followed by antibiotic therapy. Septic shock patients are treated symptomatically with concurrent antibiotic therapy because of the rapid onset and severity of the symptoms associated with gram-negative septicemia. Current treatments consist of first administering a best guess antibiotic followed by identification through blood cultures and adjustment of antibiotic treatment; however, such a treatment regime does not inactivate the LPS which continue to induce their toxic effects.
Immunotherapy has been suggested as a treatment for gram-negative septicemia. Ziegler et al. (New Eng. J. Med. 307: 1225-1230, 1982) conducted a randomized, controlled trial using human anti-core LPS antiserum which demonstrated that immune serum reduced bacteremic mortality. The use of a human polyclonal antisera has significant drawbacks. In addition, the standardization of such preparations is difficult and there is the risk of transmitting viral infections such as HIV or hepatitis. Preparations of monoclonal antibodies have been used to treat septicemia, but the efficacy of such treatment is not undisputed.
Neutrophils have been shown to contain an enzyme, acyloxyacyl hydrolase (AOAH), that partially deacylates the lipid A portion of Salmonella typhimurium LPS by removing secondary fatty acyl chains (Hall and Munford, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 80: 6671-6675, 1983). AOAH has been shown to contain two disulfide-linked subunits with apparent molecular weights of 50,000 and between 14,000-20,000 (Munford and Hall, J. Biol. Chem. 264: 15613-15619, 1989). The large subunit has been shown to be glycosylated. Munford and Hall (Science 234: 203-205, 1986) showed that when rabbits were injected intradermally with AOAH-treated LPS, and subsequently challenged with an intravenous injection of untreated LPS there was little or no hemorrhagic necrosis of the skin at the intradermal injection site. In contrast, rabbits that were initially injected with untreated LPS exhibited necrosis. AOAH-treated LPS, while reducing the LPS toxicity 100-fold, was found to reduce stimulation of mitogenesis of .beta.-lymphocytes by only a factor of 12. Munford and Hall (U.S. Pat. No. 4,929,604) have suggested that AOAH may be useful in treating/preventing septic shock caused by gram-negative bacteria.
The purification of AOAH from neutrophils as reported by Munford and Hall (J. Biol. Chem., ibid.) has a number of disadvantages. Although AOAH has been purified from a cultured human premyelocytic cell line, HL-60, and peripheral blood monocytes and neutrophils, it is only a trace protein, accounting for less than 0.001% of the protein in cell lysate. The purification method is a labor intensive, multi-step protocol that does not lend itself to commercial scale-up. A preparation of 9.5 .mu.g of AOAH, accounting for 7.8% of the original activity, was purified from approximately 5.times.10.sup.11 cells grown in 150 liters of media over a period of 2 months (Munford and Hall, ibid.). In addition, not all HL-60 cell lines are inducible to produce AOAH and AOAH specific activity fluctuates 2-3 fold as the cells are passaged. Purification of AOAH from peripheral blood neutrophils and monocytes has the risk of co-purifying infective agents such as the hepatitis viruses, HIV-1 and other viral agents, and the availability of large amounts of blood is not always assured.
There is therefore a need in the art for a method of producing relatively large amounts of pure preparations of AOAH, which would be useful as, inter alia, a therapeutic agent in the treatment of septic shock and for producing LPS vaccines. The present invention fulfills these and other related needs through the use of recombinant DNA technology, thus eliminating the problem of viral contamination and providing commercially feasible quantities of biologically active recombinant AOAH.

Method for producing acyloxyacyl hydrolase

Board of Regents University of Texas System


The present invention relates to a non-aqueous electrolyte additive for improving safety and a lithium secondary battery comprising the same, and more particularly to a non-aqueous electrolyte additive that can improve cycle life and safety properties of a lithium ion secondary battery.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a non-aqueous electrolyte additive for improving safety and a lithium ion secondary battery comprising the same, and more particularly to a non-aqueous electrolyte additive that can improve cycle life and safety properties of a lithium ion secondary battery.
(b) Description of the Related Art
In concert with the development of the information electronics industry, studies regarding batteries, which are referred to as the heart of all electronic equipment, are actively in progress. Specifically, a lithium ion secondary battery with a light weight and a high capacity has attracted attention as one of the essential parts of electronic equipment with the miniaturization of high-technology electronics equipment.
The lithium ion secondary battery uses a transition metal complex oxide such as lithium, cobalt, etc. as a cathode active material; a crystallized carbon such as graphite as an anode active material; and an aprotic organic solvent in which lithium salts such as LiClO4, LiPF6, etc. are dissolved as an electrolyte. Such a battery has high performance and a light weight, rendering it suitable as a battery for miniature electronic equipment such as cellular phones, camcorders, notebook computers, etc. However, this battery has many safety problems since it does not use an aqueous electrolyte but instead uses a highly flammable organic solvent as an electrolyte. Safety is the most important aspect of a lithium ion secondary battery using a non-aqueous electrolyte, and specifically, preventing short circuits and overcharging problems are very important factors thereof.
In the lithium secondary battery, the method of stopping a fire of the battery due to a short circuit of the battery have not been well known except a design aspect of the battery. As the capacity of the battery increases, the discharge current increases, and therefore the dangerousness due to a short circuit becomes more serious.
Recently, in order to prevent overcharge, a various additive is developed. This is method that an organic materials added as an additive is decomposed on electrode surface to intercept a current by forming a polymer insulating film on the electrode when reaching fixed overvoltage. However, although the method has superior effect on overcharge, it has a problem reduced cycle life of the battery due to a necessity a many additive in order to reveal its effect.
In addition to, a method involves using electronic circuit shch as the method a mechanically intercepting a current by aggravating the occurrence of gas when overcharging, or the method shutting down a circuit by melting a separator.
As a further method, it is the use of a chemical reaction using a suitable redox shuttle additive in the electrolyte of the lithium battery. However, the method may be effective since overcharge current between a negative electrode and a positive electrode can be consumed, only on condition that reversibility of oxidation-reduction reaction is excellent.
In relation to this method, Japanese Patent Publication No. 1-206571 (1989) discloses that ferrocene compound is applied in the 3 Voltage class batteries, which can be a useful method in terms of cost efficiency. However, because the practical lithium secondary battery has the voltage of about 4V region, the battery needs oxidation-reduction agent un-decomposed in the voltage region.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-302614 (1995) proposes a new redox shuttle additive applicable in 4V grade, which combines the alkyl group (R: CnH2n+1) or the methoxy group (OCH3) as the electron-donating group of benzene ring. However, because the amperage capable of reversible redox shuttle is low, the effect has been defective in case of high amperage.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,968 (1998) discloses that the capability of a redox shuttle in the battery of 4V grade is improved largely by combining benzene with halogen. However, as amperage inflicted in case of overcharge increases with a high capacity of battery, a concentration of additive capable of consuming a current also increases as an adverse effect in a cycle life etc.

Non-aqueous electrolyte additive for improving safety and lithium ion secondary battery comprising the same

Abstract: According to the present invention, an organometallic compound represented by the Chemical Formula 1 is added to a non-aqueous electrolyte of a battery as an additive, and thus if a battery voltage is out of normal operation voltage range due to a short circuit and overcharge of a battery, etc., the non-aqueous electrolyte additive decomposes and a part of the decomposed additive polymerizes to form an insulating film on a cathode surface, and a part of the metal reacts with an insulating film formed on a cathode surface to improve thermal stability of the battery, thereby improving safety of the battery. Furthermore, in case of a short circuit a part of the metal oxide of the additive is removed an activity of lithium or is reduced movement speed of lithium by reacting with lithium rushed from an anode to a cathode, and thus safety of the battery can be obtained on a short circuit by delaying a flow of current.


A digital to analog converter comprising: a digital to analog conversion core adapted to receive at least one reference voltage and a digital word to be converted, and to output an analog voltage as a function of the digital word and the at least one reference voltage; a sensing circuit for sensing a difference between a first ground voltage associated with an output of the digital to analog converter and a ground reference voltage occurring at the digital to analog converter; and a compensation circuit for applying a compensation voltage to the at least one reference voltage used by the conversion core of the digital to analog converter.

There has been an increasing requirement to provide digital to analog converters with increasing resolution. As a result, 16 bit digital to analog converters are now commercially available at relatively inexpensive prices. Simultaneously there remains a desire to reduce the component count within a circuit and this has resulted in multi-channel digital to analog converters becoming popular. Placing multiple digital to analog converters within a single chip is relatively simple to do whilst the resolution of the converter remains relatively low, for example 8 bits. However as the resolution of the converter is increased problems such as accurately defining a ground voltage can arise. Normally a multi-chip digital to analog converter produces multiple outputs with voltages with respect to a single "ground" reference. However the circuits being driven by the outputs of the digital to analog converter may not be tightly grouped together on the circuit board and, as a consequence, each circuit may experience a slightly different "ground" voltage due, for example, to current flow through the conductors defining the ground path. Thus, whilst the ground voltages of various circuits may approximately the same, they may not be exactly at the same voltage as a "reference ground" voltage experienced at the digital to analog converter. To put this in perspective, if a 16 bit digital to analog converter has an output range spanning between zero and 10 volts then the size of one least significant bit (LSB) is only 150 μV. For a device having an output between −10 and +10 volts the LSB would become 300 μv. It can be seen that current flows occurring within the conductors defining the ground voltage could easily give rise to voltage drops significantly greater than 150 μV, and in some situations the local ground voltage at a device receiving an output from the DAC could differ from the local ground voltage at the DAC by the equivalent of 100 or so least significant bits. Thus the use of an assumed ground voltage occurring in each circuit driven by the multi-channel digital to analog converter is incorrect and may significantly degrade the performance of the circuit away from its nominal 16 bit resolution and associated accuracy.

Digital to analog converter and a ground offset compensation circuit


The present invention supports a scheduling protocol on a wireless communication network to transmit data packets stored in a queue from a user. Two performance metrics are generated and summed to provide a priority. The performance metrics are based on the delay for the data packets stored in the queue and the rate that the data packets can be transmitted on the network. The user with the higher calculated priority for the current time slot has its data packets transmitted.

The Internet, like so many other high tech developments, grew from research originally performed by the United States Department of Defense. In the 1960s, the military had accumulated a large collection of incompatible computer networks. Computers on these different networks could not communicate with other computers across their network boundaries.
In the 1960s, the Defense Department wanted to develop a communication system that would permit communication between these different computer networks. Recognizing that a single, centralized communication system would be vulnerable to attacks or sabotage, the Defense Department required that the communication system be decentralized with no critical services concentrated in vulnerable failure points. In order to achieve this goal, the Defense Department established a decentralized standard communication protocol for communication between their computer networks.
A few years later, the National Science Foundation (NSF) wanted to facilitate communication between incompatible network computers at various research institutions across the country. The NSF adopted the Defense Department's protocol for communication, and this combination of research computer networks would eventually evolve into the Internet.
Internet Protocols
The Defense Department's communication protocol governing data transmission between different networks was called the Internet Protocol (IP) standard. The IP standard has been widely adopted for the transmission of discrete information packets across network boundaries. In fact, the IP standard is the standard protocol governing communications between computers and networks on the Internet.
The IP standard identifies the types of services to be provided to users and specifies the mechanisms needed to support these services. The IP standard also specifies the upper and lower system interfaces, defines the services to be provided on these interfaces, and outlines the execution environment for services needed in the system.
In a typical Internet-based communication scenario, data is transmitted from an originating communication device on a first network across a transmission medium to a destination communication device on a second network. After receipt at the second network, the packet is routed through the network to a destination communication device using standard addressing and routing protocols. Because of the standard protocols in Internet communications, the IP protocol on the destination communication device decodes the transmitted information into the original information transmitted by the originating device.
The IP-based Mobility System
The Internet protocols were originally developed with an assumption that Internet users would be connected to a single, fixed network. With the advent of cellular wireless communication systems using mobile communication devices, the movement of Internet users within a network and across network boundaries has become common. Because of this highly mobile Internet usage, the implicit design assumption of the Internet protocols (e.g. a fixed user location) is violated by the mobility of the user.
In an IP-based mobile communication system, the mobile communication device (e.g. cellular phone, pager, computer, etc.) can be called a mobile node or mobile station. Typically, a mobile station maintains connectivity to its home network while operating on a visited network. The mobile station will always be associated with its home network for IP addressing purposes and will have information routed to it by routers located on the home and visited networks.
Packet-based Communication Systems
In Internet Protocol (IP) networks, the communication process is very different from prior conventional telecommunication systems. In an IP network communication, there is no open switched connection established between the caller and recipient devices. The information being transmitted between the caller and recipient devices is broken into packets of data, and each packet of data is transmitted to the recipient device in pieces. The data packets individually contain routing information to direct each packet to the recipient device. These packets are then reassembled into a coherent stream of data at the recipient device.
Current Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) is an evolving third generation communication system standard for wireless communication systems that can transmit multimedia services using the packet-based Internet protocol. These CDMA mobile communication systems support multimedia telecommunication services delivering voice (VOIP) and data, to include pictures, video communications, and other multimedia information over mobile wireless connections.
As the capability of the various communication standards have improved, there has been an increasing need for high-speed transmissions and increased user capacity. A new CDMA packet air interface has been developed that offers improvements over earlier CDMA systems by implementing high-speed shared-traffic packet data channels on the forward air-link connection. Recent developments include CDMA-based 1xEVsystems operating at 1.25 MHz. The 1.25 MHz carrier delivers high data rates and increased voice capacity. I xEV is a two-phase strategy. One phase is designated 1xEV-DO, which handles data only. The 1xEV-DO standard provides user with peak data rates of 2.4 Mbits/s. The other phase is 1xEV-DV, for data and voice. Other standards are evolving that also make use of the shared packet channel and multiplex packet communication for high-speed data and voice communication.
The common shared packet channel approach used in these standards permits efficient multiplex packet communications to/from applications with bursty traffic. Using the new interface improves downlink transmission speed by ˜500%, increases available applications (such as multi-user gaming and downloads of music and films), and increased cell user capacity by ˜1000%. Earlier embodiments use a "best effort" operational approach to provide acceptable service for all applications. However, the newer real-time, multimedia, and multicasting applications fail to function adequately under the "best effort" method.
In the high-speed, shared-traffic packet channel systems, packet allocation (e.g. bit and time) requires a packet scheduler. A packet scheduler operates to allocate available resources of time, code, or power to the packet data users, determine bit rate and duration of the allocation, determine the transport channel, monitor the packet allocations and the system loads, allocate the shared channels, and regulate the network load by increasing or decreasing the bit rates. The shared channels use a single orthogonal code shared with other packet users to establish a dedicated channel in a time division approach.
In order to maximize capacity for a fixed outage criterion, the appropriate scheduler must be implemented. In general, delay-sensitive traffic, such as VoIP, possesses certain outage criteria associated with the traffic load in the network. For example, the greater the number of VoIP users that are actively served per sector, the greater the delay in serving the users due to the heavier traffic load and the employed scheduling methodology. Consequently, optimizing the scheduler is important for efficient utilization of the air-link spectrum by a maximum number of users while meeting the pre-defined delay bounds specified by the operator.
As the frame end-to-end delay increases in the system, the quality of service degrades for time sensitive applications such as VoIP. At some point, the system blocks access for new users to ensure that current active users in the system maintain a specified quality of service grade. Several approaches have been used in the past to allocate system resources that have not proven entirely satisfactory.
In the round robin approach, each user with available packets in the buffer is served one at a time. If the user does not have packets in the buffer, then that user is skipped. While no user is left without any allocation, no channel conditions are used for the allocation. Therefore, when a user's turn approaches, irrespective of the channel rate the user can get, the packet scheduler transmits as many bits out of the buffer as possible. However, if the rate scheduled is low due to the channel condition, relatively few bits are transmitted. By the time the user's turn comes around again, the packet delay bound (e.g. QoS criteria) may have been exceeded. Consequently, this type of scheduler cannot maximize the capacity for a give QoS or outage criterion.
In the maximum granted rate approach, the user with the maximum rate is assigned a highest priority. This maximizes the sector throughput and quality for a select few users in good channel conditions. However, the majority of users will not receive adequate resource allocation and capacity will be minimized for a given QoS and outage criterion.
The proportional fair approach scheduler makes allocations based on fairness without attempting to meet a delay bound criterion. The scheduler selects the user with data in the buffer and with the highest priority based on the ratio of R(t)/RR(t); where R(t) is the rate that can currently be granted to the user, and RR(t) is the average rate of the user over a period of time. Therefore, if a user fails to receive adequate allocation for sufficient time, then RR(t) reduces and the ratio of R(t)/RR(t) increases so there is a higher likelihood that the user will be selected. However, the scheduler does not take delay into consideration, so the capacity cannot be maximized for a given QoS or outage criterion.
The proportional plan scheduler is designed to allocate resources by combining proportional fair concepts in addition to delay concepts. However, this method fails to maximize capacity for a given QoS criterion and does achieve any better results than the others described above.
There is a need for a packet scheduler that takes the channel conditions of what one user may observe compared to another user into account to leverage the inherent multi-user diversity that exists with a large pool of users. Such an approach can considerably improve the capacity for a fixed outage criterion.

Optimized scheduling method for delay-sensitive traffic on high speed shared packet data channels


A removable video safety system for a moving vehicle comprising: a display device and a video device, both adapted to be removably mounted on the moving vehicle, and an audio device in proximity to the display device. The video device and audio device are in communication with the display device. Computer instructions and data storage in the display device instruct a processor to receive a video stream from the video device, display the video stream on the display device, prevent operation of the audio device while the display device is not displaying the video stream, and permit operation of the audio device while the display device is displaying the video stream.

A need exists for a video system that can be removably mounted on all types of moving vehicles to provide continuous video displays depicting rear views and blind spots.
A further need exists for a video system that can be integrated with an audio device to allow safe use of the audio device during operation of a moving vehicle.
The present embodiments meet these needs.
The present embodiments are detailed below with reference to the listed Figures.

Removable video safety system for a moving vehicle


Discrete bands (60) are applied to switchback regions (50) of stranded cable cores (10) to secure the stranded tubes (20) prior to jacketing. The bands (60) obviate the need for complex processes such as the application of binder threads.

S-Z stranded cables, also known as reverse oscillating lay cables, include a group of buffer tubes helically stranded about a central strength member. The S-Z stranding of buffer tubes in an optical fiber cable may take several forms. Each 'S' turn may be followed immediately by a reversal to a 'Z' stranding direction. Alternatively, there may be several helical turns between reversals. The average lay length can be defined by the distance between reversal points divided by the number of turns between reversals. The direction or lay of the tubes periodically switches at reversal points or "switchback" locations. S-Z stranding facilitates access to the tubes at the reversal points in that there is more excess tube length to access at the reversal points.
S-Z cables are typically manufactured by stranding a plurality of dielectric buffer tubes around a strength member to form a cable core. The S-Z stranded cable core can then be forwarded to a jacketing line where a polymer jacket can be extruded over the core. Before jacketing, however, the core requires some means to secure the buffer tubes in their stranded position. The most common solution is to contrahelically wrap a pair of binder threads around the stranded core. The inclusion of contrahelically wrapped binder threads add cost and complexity to cable manufacture, as well as potentially reducing manufacturing line speeds. The binders must also be removed from an accessed section of the cable jacket in order to access a buffer tube.
Use of an adhesive central member to secure the buffer tubes in place has also been proposed, although this solution also increases complexity of manufacture.

Optical fiber cables having reversal point banding and methods of making thereof


A self-contained gas spring or die cylinder including a cylindrical housing having a closed end, an open end and a cylindrical bore. A cylindrical sleeve extends into the bore of the housing and has at least a portion thereof forming an internal cylindrical surface. A piston rod extends through an opening in the sleeve and has a piston thereon contacting the cylindrical surface. The piston rod is hollow and has a closed end in the portion thereof external of the cylindrical housing. The sleeve supports a first seal assembly adjacent the inner end of the rod and engaging the external surface of the rod, an intermediate slide ring on the sleeve and a secondary seal assembly on the sleeve positioned such that the slide ring is between the primary seal and the secondary seal. The primary seal assembly is of the pressure relieving type so that on the inward movement of the piston rod a portion of the pressure within the housing passes to an intermediate area between the primary seal assembly and the secondary seal assembly such that the secondary seal assembly shares the sealing action with the primary seal. In a modified form, a third primary seal is provided on the sleeve between the sleeve and the cylindrical housing.

In presses and dies, it has been common to utilize die cylinders which communicate with a manifold and function as die springs. It has also been suggested that self contained gas springs be provided as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,742,997 and 4,741,518.
A major consideration in connection with a design of self-contained gas springs or die cylinders is that when charged with a gas such as nitrogen at high pressures on the order of 2000 psi, the normal stroke of the piston substantially increases the pressure and the construction must be such as to withstand such high pressures. A further and important factor is the nature of the seals. Heretofore, it has been common to utilize U-shaped cross section seals which are subject to wear and leakage.
Among the objectives of the present invention are to provide a self-contained gas spring or die cylinder which is functional and operates at relatively high pressures; which includes a novel arrangement of seal assemblies; which is dependable, reliable and can be readily manufactured; which requires a minimum of maintenance, and which can be readily maintained and repaired.
In accordance with the invention, a self-contained gas spring or die cylinder, includes a cylindrical housing having a closed end, an open end and a cylindrical bore. A cylindrical sleeve extends into the bore of the housing and has at least a portion thereof forming an internal cylindrical surface. A piston rod extends through an opening in the sleeve and has a piston thereon contacting the cylindrical surface. The piston rod is hollow and has a closed end in the portion thereof external of the cylindrical housing. The sleeve supports a first seal assembly adjacent the inner end of the rod and engaging the external surface of the rod, an intermediate slide ring on the sleeve and a secondary seal assembly on the sleeve positioned such that the slide ring is between the primary seal and the secondary seal. The primary seal assembly is of the pressure relieving type so that on the inward movement of the piston rod a portion of the pressure within the housing passes to an intermediate area between the primary seal assembly and the secondary seal assembly such that the secondary seal assembly shares the sealing action with the primary seal. In a modified form, a third primary seal is provided on the sleeve between the sleeve and the cylindrical housing.

High pressure self-contained gas spring or die cylinder and sealing arrangement therefor


A vehicle control apparatus configured to selectively establish one of a first drive state in which a vehicle drive force is generated primarily by a second motor/generator operated with an electric energy supplied from an electric-energy storage device while an engine is placed in a rest state, and a second drive state in which a first motor/generator is operated with a drive force of the engine, to generate an electric energy and in which the vehicle drive force is generated primarily by the second motor/generator operated with at least the electric energy generated by the first motor/generator. The vehicle control apparatus is further configured such that the vehicle drive force generated in the second drive state at a given value of an accelerator pedal operation amount θacc is larger than that generated in the first drive state.

There is known a hybrid vehicle provided with an engine, a first electric motor connected to the engine, a second electric motor connected to wheels, and an electric-energy storage device for supplying an electric energy to the above-indicated first and second electric motors. For such a hybrid vehicle, there has been proposed a control technique for changing output characteristics of a vehicle drive force corresponding to an operation amount of an accelerator pedal, depending upon a running state of the hybrid vehicle. Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a control apparatus for the hybrid vehicle. This control apparatus is configured to selectively establish one of a first drive state in which the vehicle drive force is generated by only the electric motor, and a second drive state in which the vehicle drive force is generated by both the electric motor and the engine. The output characteristics in the first and second drive states are changed such that the vehicle drive force generated for an operating amount of the accelerator pedal in the second drive state is larger than that generated for the operating amount in the first drive state, so that starting of the engine can be effectively restricted according to a requirement for driving the vehicle with the electric motor.


When display data for both odd-numbered and even-numbered scan electrodes in an electroluminescent display are both actuating data, the brightness of electroluminescent elements connected to the odd-numbered electrode is adjusted by adjusting the timing for starting the application of the actuating voltage and the brightness of electroluminescent elements connected to the even-numbered electrode is adjusted by adjusting the timing for terminating the application of the actuating voltage. Moreover, electric charge in the EL elements is retained by maintaining the application of the actuating voltages during scanning operations.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electroluminescent display device which includes a plurality of electroluminescent elements arranged as a matrix.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional electroluminescent display devices include a plurality of scan electrodes and data electrodes arranged as a matrix. These display devices perform matrix display by sequentially applying scan voltage to the plurality of scan electrodes and by applying actuating and deactuating display voltages to data electrodes to light up and put out EL (electroluminescent) elements provided at intersections of the scan electrodes with the data electrodes.
It must be noted here that EL elements are capacitive elements and so, electric charge stored by the EL elements during display along a scan electrode must be released before the display along the next scan electrode. However, if the electric charge of the EL elements is discharged for every scan electrode, then there will be a need for more charging and discharging circuits which, in turn, results in increased energy consumption.
Accordingly, Japanese Patent Laid open Publication No. Hei-2-103590 proposes the curbing of energy consumption by maintaining the charge of the EL element by continuing the application of display voltage when the display data for the present and the next scanning operation are the same.
Moreover, one type of EL display device performs pulse width brightness control by adjusting the application period of the actuating voltage during the application of the scan voltage.
In this way, it might be considered plausible to perform brightness control with the device disclosed in the above-described JP-A Hei-2-103590. However, the device disclosed in the same reference performs the application of only actuating and deactuating voltages and so, it cannot perform brightness control.

Electroluminescent display device for performing brightness control


A system and method for tracking and synchronizing related data elements in disparate storage systems is provided. More particularly, the present invention provides a hub system for cross-referencing and maintaining storage system information for the efficient synchronization of related data elements in disparate storage systems.

1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to a system and method for tracking and synchronizing related data elements in disparate storage systems. More particularly, the present invention provides a system and method for dynamically tracking and synchronizing related data elements stored in disparate storage systems of an enterprise system.
2. Background Art
The efficient and consistent storage of data is a necessary component of successful business. It is common for companies to have large enterprise systems having many storage systems with data replicated there between. Accordingly, when data must be treated (created, moved, modified or deleted) or referenced in one system it is necessary for the data to be similarly treated or referenced in other systems. For example, an insurance company may maintain the name and addresses of its customers in an customer storage system as well as in billing and claims storage systems. As data is created, modified or deleted in the customer storage system, the same changes often have to be propagated in the billing and claims storage systems so the data and storage systems are "synchronized."
Heretofore, several techniques have been implemented to help solve this problem. One example is known as a "publish and subscribe" mechanism in which one storage system will treat a data element and then instruct other storage systems about the treatment. However, under the "publish and subscribe" mechanism, upon receiving an instruction to treat a data element, the receiving storage system must still locate the data element within its own system. For example, if the claims storage system receives an instruction to modify a particular customer's address, the claims storage system must first determine the location of the particular customer's address within the claims database. Without system-specific identifiers, it may be impossible to locate the storage location of the particular data element. Hence, an additional technique is required to map between system identifiers of the various storage systems.
Another technique is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,061, to Gupta et al., which teaches a collaboration system for defining interaction between applications. The system of Gupta et al. requires that a connector communicate with each application to serve as an intermediary between the application and the collaboration system. However, each connector must store mapping information for its corresponding application, thus, fragmenting the storage of the mapping information among the multiple locations (connectors). By distributing the mapping function to each connector, more burden is placed upon the builder of the connector, and the ability to reuse mapping code (across multiple collaborations) is diminished. Additionally, storing this information in each connector requires that each connector be stateful (have persistent storage associated with it). This also complicates the building and maintenance of connectors. Additionally, the approach of Gupta et al. requires a two step mapping process, first mapping the identifiers from the sending application to the collaboration and then mapping the identifiers from the collaboration to the receiving application. This is less efficient than directly mapping sending application identifiers to receiving application identifiers. Additionally, the system of Gupta et. al. requires that all communication between applications be reformatted by the connectors into the format of the collaboration system. This can be redundant and inefficient if the systems to be integrated and synchronized already make use of a standard protocol and the only translation needed is to map application identifiers from one application to another.
Still other systems have used a cross-reference facility whereby each data element is associated with a record identifier for each system in which the data element is stored. Thus, when a change is made at one system, the system will inform the other systems of the change. However, this requires that all systems maintain a table or the like indicating where the data element is stored on all other systems. Moreover, complications can arise when there is not a one-to-one correspondence between records in each system. For example, a customer's contact information may be stored in one record in the claims storage system, but in three records in the billing storage system. Thus, the amount of information that each storage system must maintain is increased.
In view of the above, there exists a need for a system and method for dynamically tracking/synchronizing related data elements in disparate storage systems. Moreover, there exists a need for such a system and method that does not require each storage system to maintain high volumes of storage information for the other systems. In addition, there exists a need for such a system and method that does not require re-formatting of communication between storage systems. There also exists a need to provide these functions as a re-usable centralized service that is efficient and avoids multiple translations between identifiers.

System and method for synchronizing related data elements in disparate storage systems

International Business Machines Corporation


The invention relates to a loudspeaker (1) for filling a room with sound, having a tweeter (2) with a high-frequency diaphragm (12), which generates a high-frequency sound cone (22) with a high-frequency main radiation direction (13) during operation, and having at least one further tweeter (3) with a further diaphragm (8) and a further main radiation direction (7), wherein the high-frequency main radiation direction (13) is arranged transversely with respect to the further main radiation direction (7) in such a manner that the high-frequency diaphragm (12) is arranged opposite a reflection wall (14) spaced apart from the latter by a clearance (9), and the high-frequency main radiation direction (13) is directed towards the reflection wall (14) during operation, and the clearance (9) has openings (16, 17, 18) for the exit of high-frequency sound waves towards the room to be filled with sound.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a loudspeaker according to the preamble of Claim 1.
2. Description of the Related Art
Loudspeakers, in particular multiple-way loudspeakers, have naturally long been known in the prior art. By way of example, a multiple-way loudspeaker is known from DE 10 2008 016 570 A1.
A loudspeaker with a plurality of individual loudspeakers, which are directed towards one another inside a loudspeaker housing in such a way that the direction of the sound radiation of each loudspeaker is directed towards a centre axis of a funnel neck, is known from DE 30 37 496 A1. In this case all the loudspeakers nevertheless radiate only towards the front side through the funnel neck.
A loudspeaker arrangement in a multiple-way system is known from DE 40 36 152 A1, in which loudspeakers for low frequency and mid-range frequency are directed rigidly forwards, whilst the loudspeaker for high frequency is mounted in a rotatable manner. In this case too, the sound cone of the tweeter is kept narrow.
A loudspeaker box with an active auxiliary loudspeaker is known from DE 21 09 758 A1. The two loudspeakers are connected to each other by way of a continuous volume, the compression—generated inside the volume—of one loudspeaker being compensated by the diaphragm movement of the other loudspeaker.
A loudspeaker system is known from EP 0 204 106 A1, in which two individual loudspeakers are arranged at an angle to each other on a front side of a box and radiate towards the front side.
A loudspeaker arrangement with individual loudspeakers arranged around a housing on the outside is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,006,308.
An omnidirectionally radiating horn, which is rotationally symmetrical about a vertical axis of rotation and which has an upper part and a lower part which together have a sphere as an envelope, is known from DE 10 2007 019 450 A1.


A metal delivery nozzle (19) for delivery of molten metal to the nip between casting rolls in a twin roll caster to establish a casting pool supported above the nip. The trough (19) defines an open topped trough (61) to receive molten metal from a distributor. The bottom of the trough (61) is closed and the nozzle has side openings (64) and two large end openings (71) for delivery of molten metal from the trough (61) into the casting pool. The side openings (64) are longitudinally spaced circular holes disposed between unperforated end regions (72) of the nozzle.

This invention relates to the casting of metal strip. It has particular but not exclusive application to the casting of ferrous metal strip.
It is known to cast metal strip by continuous casting in a twin roll caster. Molten metal is introduced between a pair of contra-rotated horizontal casting rolls which are cooled so that metal shells solidify on the moving roll surfaces and are brought together at the nip between them to produce a solidified strip product delivered downwardly from the nip between the rolls. The term "nip" is used herein to refer to the general region at which the rolls are closest together. The molten metal may be poured from a ladle into a smaller vessel from which it flows through a metal delivery nozzle located above the nip so as to direct it into the nip between the rolls, so forming a casting pool of molten metal supported on the casting surfaces of the rolls immediately above the nip. This casting pool may be confined between side plates or dams held in sliding engagement with the ends of the rolls.
Although twin roll casting has been applied with some success to non-ferrous metals which solidify rapidly on cooling, there have been problems in applying the technique to the casting of ferrous metals which have high solidification temperatures and tend to produce defects caused by uneven solidification at the chilled casting surfaces of the rolls. Much attention has therefore been given to the design of metal delivery nozzles aimed at producing a smooth even flow of metal to and within the casting pool. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,178,205 and 5,238,050 both disclose arrangements in which the delivery nozzle extends below the surface of the casting pool and incorporates means to reduce the kinetic energy of the molten metal flowing downwardly through the nozzle to a slot outlet at the submerged bottom end of the nozzle. In the arrangement disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,205 the kinetic energy is reduced by a flow diffuser having a multiplicity of flow passages and a baffle located above the diffuser. Below the diffuser the molten metal moves slowly and evenly out through the outlet slot into the casting pool with minimum disturbance. In the arrangement disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,050 streams of molten metal are allowed to fall so as to impinge on a sloping side wall surface of the nozzle at an acute angle of impingement so that the metal adheres to the side wall surface to form a flowing sheet which is directed into an outlet flow passage. Again the aim is to produce a slowly moving even flow from the bottom of the delivery nozzle so as to produce minimum disruption of the casting pool.
Japanese Patent Publication 5-70537 of Nippon Steel Corporation also discloses a delivery nozzle aimed at producing a slow moving even flow of metal into the casting pool. The nozzle is fitted with a porous baffle/diffuser to remove kinetic energy from the downwardly flowing molten metal which then flows into the casting pool through a series of apertures in the side walls of the nozzle. The apertures are angled in such a way as to direct the in-flowing metal along the casting surfaces of the rolls longitudinally of the nip. More specifically, the apertures on one side of the nozzle direct the in-flowing metal longitudinally of the nip in one direction and the apertures on the other side direct the in-flowing metal in the other longitudinal direction with the intention of creating a smooth even flow along the casting surfaces with minimum disturbance of the pool surface.
After an extensive testing program we have determined that a major cause of defects is premature solidification of molten metal in the regions where the pool surface meets the casting surfaces of the rolls, generally known as the "meniscus" or "meniscus regions" of the pool. The molten metal in each of these regions flows towards the adjacent casting surface and if solidification occurs before the metal has made uniform contact with the roll surface it tends to produce irregular initial heat transfer between the roll and the shell with the resultant formation of surface defects, such as depressions, ripple marks, cold shuts or cracks.
Previous attempts to produce a very even flow of molten metal into the pool have to some extent exacerbated the problem of premature solidification by directing the incoming metal away from the regions at which the metal first solidifies to form the shell surfaces which eventually become the outer surfaces of the resulting strip. Accordingly, the temperature of the metal in the surface region of the casting pool between the rolls is significantly lower than that of the incoming metal. If the temperature of the molten metal at the pool surface in the region of the meniscus becomes too low then cracks and "meniscus marks" (marks on the strip caused by the meniscus freezing while the pool level is uneven) are very likely to occur. One way of dealing with this problem has been to employ a high level of superheat in the incoming metal so that it can cool within the casting pool without reaching solidification temperatures before it reaches the casting surfaces of the rolls. In recent times, however, it has been recognised that the problem can be addressed more efficiently by taking steps to ensure that the incoming molten metal is delivered relatively quickly by the nozzle directly into the meniscus regions of the casting pool. This minimises the tendency for premature freezing of the metal before it contacts the casting roll surfaces. It has been found that this is a far more effective way to avoid surface defects than to provide absolutely steady flow in the pool and that a certain degree of fluctuation in the pool surface can be tolerated since the metal does not solidify until it contacts the roll surface. An example of this approach is to be seen in Japanese Patent Publication No 64-5650 of Nippon Steel Corporation.
Although the direction of molten metal from the delivery nozzle directly to the meniscus regions of the casting pool allows casting with molten metal supplied with relatively low level of superheat without the formation of surface cracks, problems can arise due to the formation of pieces of solid metal known as "skulls" in the vicinity of the pool confining side plates or dams. These problems are exacerbated as the superheat of the incoming molten metal is reduced. The rate of heat loss from the melt pool is greatest near the side dams due primarily to additional conductive heat transfer through the side dams to the roll ends. This high rate of local heat loss is reflected in the tendency to form "skulls" of solid metal in this region which can grow to a considerable size and fall between the rolls causing defects in the strip. Because the net rate of heat loss is higher near the side dams the rate of heat input to these regions must be increased if skulls are to be prevented. There have been previous proposals to provide an increased flow of metal to these "triple point" regions by forming galleries in the upper part of a delivery nozzle which receive a separate flow of metal from the tundish as seen for example in the delivery nozzle disclosed in our granted U.S. Pat. No. 5,221,511. However, this requires the formation of complex gallery passages and a high level of superheat of the molten metal because of cooling of the metal in the galleries. By the present invention the necessary increase in net heat input can be achieved by the simple expedite of increasing the supply of molten metal to the end regions of the roll by flow of molten metal through outlets formed in the two ends of the nozzle.

Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Company Limited


An apparatus (2) for user exercise monitoring is disclosed. The apparatus (2) comprises a frame (4), a motion sensing unit (10) and a user input unit (12) supported by the frame (4), and a harness (6) configured to secure the frame (4) to a user body part. The user input unit (12) comprises a continuous input device (72). Also disclosed is a method for monitoring user exercise via a monitoring apparatus (2) secured to the user. The method comprises sensing user motion with the monitoring apparatus (2) and receiving, via the motioning apparatus (2), user input during exercise. The user input is received via a continuous input device (72) on the monitoring apparatus.

Patients suffering from injury or recovering from medical procedures or surgical interventions typically undergo a period of recovery and rehabilitation. Joint replacement surgery is one example of a medical procedure following which a period of rehabilitation is necessary. Following initial in-patient assessment and rehabilitation treatment, a patient is typically prescribed a series of exercises in order to continue the rehabilitation process in their own home. Away from the close medical supervision provided in a hospital environment, many patients struggle with the completion of such exercise programs, failing to conduct the exercises correctly, if at all. The supervising medical practitioner, typically a physiotherapist, is reliant upon the patient for information concerning how the exercises have been performed in order to monitor and tailor the exercise program to the patient's progress. Information provided by the patient may in some cases be incomplete or inaccurate, complicating the task of the supervising practitioner. Similar difficulties may be experienced during rehabilitation following a stroke or other illnesses or medical procedures.
Personal monitoring devices are well known in the fitness industry, enabling the capture of relevant information during or after performance of certain activities. The information captured may concern a user's physical state, as in the case for example of heart rate and breathing monitors, or may relate to the activity conducted, as in motion trackers such as pedometers. Advances in sensing and communications technology have resulted in considerable expansion of this market, and in the development of a new generation of high performance activity trackers, designed to be continuously worn by a user. Activity trackers track the movement of a user and connect over wired or wireless links to a user's computer, Smartphone or other device in order to display the captured information. Such devices are primarily targeted towards the active adult population, providing insight for a user into their fitness and activity levels and acting as a motivational tool in achieving increased activity levels.
Activity trackers developed for the fitness market are generally unsuitable for the more targeted monitoring that would be useful for a rehabilitation patient. While activity trackers provide insight into general levels of activity, they are typically unable to provide information of the detail required for a medical practitioner to monitor completion of a specific exercise program. In addition, their correct operation requires certain levels of dexterity and computer literacy, as well as ownership of a compatible computing device. Joint replacement surgery, stroke illness and similar events prompting a period of rehabilitation generally affect an older population, amongst whom levels of computer literacy and Smartphone or laptop ownership are considerably lower than in the general adult population.

Apparatus and method for user exercise monitoring