A novel reciprocating pump for cryogenic fluids. The pump has a cylinder sleeve, head, intake valve, discharge valve, and a reciprocating piston including a mechanical spring energized seal having a generally U-shaped jacket and a helical spring in the bight of the U.

Liquified natural gas (LNG) has been proposed as a fuel in transportation vehicles such as automobiles and buses. However, use of LNG in transportation vehicles presents a number of problems that have not previously been satisfactorily solved.
LNG is a cryogenic liquid stored under saturated conditions. Therefore, all materials in contact with it must be able to perform satisfactorily at cryogenic temperatures in the range of approximately 90 to 190 degrees Kelvin, depending upon the storage pressure. This includes the pump for transferring the LNG from the storage reservoir to the engine.
Although LNG pumps are well-known, such pumps are usually used in process plants where the pumps are under relatively continuous monitoring. By contrast, LNG pumps in transportation service must be able to perform reliably for long periods of time (up to several years) under start-stop conditions without continuous monitoring and without excessive maintenance. This is difficult since LNG pumps operate without lubrication other than the LNG, which has relatively low lubricity. Such pumps must also be able to operate at high discharge pressure but low flow rates, which increases the difficulty of maintaining low rates of leakage past the check valves and piston rings.
In addition, because LNG is a saturated liquid, pumps must have very low suction pressure requirements to prevent cavitation. These requirements are difficult to meet in any reciprocating pump and, in transportation vehicles, the available suction pressure may be particularly low due to the limitations of size and placement of the LNG storage reservoir.
Although some efforts have been made to meet some of the requirements of LNG pumps on transportation vehicles, such efforts have not satisfactorily solved all the problems in a cost-effective manner. For example, in one cryogenic pump, a ceramic coating on the inside surface of the cylinder sleeve has been proposed to minimize wear on the cylinder sleeve during use in an effort to meet the reliability requirements. However, ceramic coatings are relatively expensive. Furthermore, ceramic coatings can flake off, presenting problems.
Accordingly, there is a need for an LNG reciprocating pump that can meet high standards for reliability and performance, particularly under low suction pressure, high discharge pressure, low flow rate conditions, and can meet these standards in a cost effective manner.


A hermetically sealing member with an optical transmission means transmits an optical signal economically and practically between the inside and the outside of a shielding member covering a printed-circuit board while sustaining the hermetically sealed state certainly. An optoelectronic device and an optical transmission method are also provided. A hermetically sealing member with an optical transmission means includes a gasket body fixed between a printed-circuit board and a sealing face of a shielding member, and a tape fiber formed integrally with the gasket body.

Large scale integrated circuit may also be referred to as "LSI") modules generate a large amount of heat when reduced in size because the degree of integration and the operation speed are dramatically increased. In general, therefore, the LSI modules are cooled by using the forced cooling means.
As the forced cooling means, various cooling means such as the air cooling system and the water cooling system have been developed. As cooling means which is the most excellent in cooling capability among those forced cooling means, a liquid cooling system in which LSI modules are immersed in a liquid coolant and the liquid coolant is circulated is developed.
A technique of a heat generation element mounting semiconductor apparatus having a cooling liquid hermetically sealing case which serves as a shielding member mounted on a printed-circuit board is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Publication No. 3424717). In this heat generating elements mounting semiconductor apparatus, heat generating elements (for example, LSI modules) are accommodated in a cooling liquid hermetically sealing case, and the cooling liquid is circulated along a predetermined flow path by a partition wall provided in the cooling liquid hermetically sealing case to cool the heat generating elements.
According to this technique, efficient cooling can be conducted even if the mounting density of heat generating elements is increased.
As the capacity of data transmission becomes large, optical transmission systems are being researched, developed, and applied to practical use. In the above-described optical transmission system, optical elements (for example, light emitting elements and light receiving elements) which convert optical signals and electric signals to each other and optical transmission means (for example, optical waveguides and optical cables) which transmit optical signals are used. The optical elements are different from conventional electronic components which handle only electric signals. In other words, each of the optical elements includes external connection terminals to input and output electric signals and external optical signal connection means to input and output optical signals.
Various techniques for embedding optical transmission means in a substrate on which optical elements and electronic components are mounted mixedly are being developed.
A technique of a mixed optical and electrical wiring board having an optical fiber embedded layer obtained by embedding an optical fiber in a partial layer of an electric wiring board having an electric circuit mounted thereon is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 2(Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 10-126018). A technique of an optical waveguide formed in a substrate is disclosed in Patent Document 3(Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 7-114049) and Patent Document 4(Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 6-27334). According to these techniques, optical transmission means such as optical fibers and optical waveguides can be embedded in a printed-circuit board.
A printed-circuit board having optical transmission means embedded therein proposed in the conventional art will now be described with reference to the drawing.
FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) are schematic diagrams showing a printed-circuit board having optical transmission means embedded therein proposed according to a conventional art. FIG. 5(a) is a perspective view of a printed-circuit board having optical cables embedded therein, and FIG. 5(b) is a perspective view of a printed-circuit board having optical waveguides embedded therein.
In FIG. 5(a), an LSI module 91, a connector 98 and an optical element 92a are mounted on a printed-circuit board 90a. In addition, a (flat) land 93 described in Patent Document 1 is formed so as to correspond to a seal face shape of a shield case (not illustrated). An optical cable 95 connected at each end to an optical connector 94 is embedded in the printed-circuit board 90a. One end of the optical cable 95 is arranged from inside of the annular land 93 to the optical element 92a. The other end of the optical cable 95 is arranged from outside of the annular land 93 to the external of the printed-circuit board 90a.
Although not illustrated, in the printed-circuit board 90a, a shield case serving as a shielding member to be mounted on the printed-circuit board is attached onto the land 93 via an O ring. The optical connector 94 located inside the land 93 is connected to the optical element 92a.
Because of this arrangement, a liquid coolant (for example, FLUORINERT (registered trademark of the 3M Corporation) which is an inactive liquid) flows in the hermetically sealed shield case. As a result, the LSI module 91 is cooled effectively. Optical signals can be transmitted between the inside and the outside of the shield case via the optical cable 95 embedded in the printed-circuit board 90a.
In FIG. 5(b), a printed-circuit board 90b differs from the printed-circuit board 90a in that an optical waveguide 96 is embedded instead of the optical cable 95. Other structures of the printed-circuit board 90b are substantially the same as those of the printed-circuit board 90a.
One end of the optical waveguide 96 is located inside the annular land 93 and the other end of the optical waveguide 96 is located outside the land 93. One end of the optical waveguide 96 is connected to an optical element 92b via an opening (not illustrated) formed in the printed-circuit board 90b. The other end of the optical waveguide 96 is connected to an optical element (not illustrated) via an opening 97. Because of this arrangement, optical signals can be transmitted between the inside and outside of the shield case via the optical waveguide 96 embedded in the printed-circuit board 90b.

Hermetically sealing member having optical transmission means, optoelectronic apparatus, and optical transmission method


A system and method provide for transferring remote media from a remote media source to a communication or other end device at a time prior to a hold period, which media is usable as local MOH media during a hold period. A system and method further provide for responding to an initiated hold time by replacing remote MOH media with the local MOH media if remote MOH media is received in conjunction with the hold period.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of telephony. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods for providing media such as music-on-hold.
2. Description of the Background Art
Telephony interactions frequently include a party invoking a hold feature to place at least one other party on hold during the interaction, and often for an extended period of time. Placing a party on hold using earlier analog telephone systems interrupted the audio (voice) connection between the parties, exposing the holding party to an often long and monotonous period of silence. Modern music-on-hold systems, however, replace the silence with one of a hold tone, music or a generalized hold-initiator service message.
Current music-on-hold (MOH) systems provide, within a communication system, for a hold-initiator device, a hold-initiator PBX server or intermediary network MOH service to stream a fixed audio signal via a satellite, a computer, a PSTN, cellular or other network to the holding-party device during a hold period. The hold period is initiated by the MOH service detecting that a hold-initiating party has placed a receiving party on hold, and ends in response to the MOH service detecting that the hold-initiating party has terminated the hold feature. Upon termination, the MOH system returns the holding party to the telephony interaction, e.g., by re-initiating the voice connection or otherwise providing for continuing the exchange of voice audio signals of the parties that was interrupted by the hold period.
Unfortunately, current MOH systems provide either low-quality MOH audio, rendering the MOH audio unpleasant to the listener, or with newer systems, higher quality MOH audio than can be utilized by a receiving device. Current MOH also utilizes processing and network resources for providing the MOH audio during the telephony interaction, which resources might otherwise be available for other purposes. Furthermore, most MOH systems present a fixed one-size-fits all type music selections, such as so-called "elevator music" that is not desirable to many on-hold users. MOH has thus come to be considered an annoyance rather than a technological advance, resulting in further products targeted at either silencing the MOH audio (as with earlier analog systems) or attempting to select and stream higher quality audio from the MOH service to the holding-party device during the hold period. Accordingly, there is a need for systems and methods that provide for MOH while avoiding the problems encountered with existing communication systems employing MOH.

System and method for local replacement of music-on-hold


A high-power LED lamp set is provided in the present invention. The high-power LED lamp set comprises: a power converting module; a power supply casing (2) for housing the power converting module; a light source casing (4), connected with the power supply casing; electrode rods (1), arranged at a rear end of the power supply casing (2) and connected with the power converting module; and LED lamps (7), mounted on a bottom surface of the light source casing (4); said light source casing (4) is provided with a lens board (5) at its opening end, wherein the lens board (5) is perforated with through holes at the positions corresponding to the LED lamps, and a high transmittance lens (8) is embedded in each of the through holes.

LED is a kind of green and environment-friendly light source with the advantages of high luminous efficiency, less power consumption, long life, high reliability, easy to control, etc. LED is commonly used as a backlight source in mobile phones or as an indicator light in other devices, but its applications are not limited to this. LED also has promising prospect for its development and presents big market potential in the aspect of lighting application. Recently, LED has obtained so great development as to start its commercial application in lighting field and will gradually replace the existing fluorescent lamps. That is, the high-power LED lamp will become a practical lighting equipment for a variety of applications as it is economical and stable.
However, most of the existing high-power LED lamps must be provided with an external or separate power and/or control device to protect the LED lamps from burning up due to insufficient heat dissipation or unstable driving voltage and inconstant current.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Generating natural language text from structured data using a fusion model is disclosed. Based on an input dictionary, a first sequence of vectors is generated by a first encoder and a second sequence of vectors is generated by a second encoder. The first and second sequences of vectors are provided to an attention function which generates a modified sequence of vectors. A decoder decodes the modified sequence of vectors to generate a plurality of ordered sequences corresponding to a target natural language sentence. A predetermined number of candidate sentences are determined based on the plurality of ordered sequences and are ranked to select a sentence as the target natural language sentence.

Data-to-text generation involves generating natural language text from non-linguistic structured abstract data (e.g., a table). Two major approaches are used conventionally: a template-based approach and a sequence-to-sequence with attention approach.
The template-based approach is based on generating sentence templates from a training data set. During inference, based on an input dictionary, one of the generated sentence templates is selected and a natural language sentence is generated by applying the input dictionary to the selected sentence template. The template-based approach suffers from various drawbacks. For example, the generated sentence may not be a fluent, grammatical sentence necessarily. Additionally, the approach is highly dependent on the use of a very large and diverse training data set and is therefore very laborious.
The sequence-to-sequence with attention approach trains a neural sequence to sequence model using a set of training input dictionaries and corresponding reference sentences. As such, the task is similar to a translation task where the goal is to generate a sequence of words from an input sequence. However, this approach suffers from a lack of user control and is computationally extensive.

Generation of natural language text from structured data using a fusion model


A scheme for data transfer among data communication devices on a network which is capable of reducing a cost required for maintaining the data packet order. Uniquely defined consecutive packet numbers are generated at one data communication device among those data communication devices which are in communication state, and a packet number for each data packet to be transmitted at each data communication device is obtained from that one data communication device. Then, each data packet is transmitted at each data communication device by attaching a corresponding packet number to each data packet. On the other hand, data packets are received at each data communication device, and received data packets are processed at each data communication device in an order of packet numbers attached to the received data packets.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a scheme for data transfer among data communication devices which are interconnected through a network.
2. Description of the Background Art
In the data exchange among data communication devices which are interconnected through a network, some data exchanges are strongly dependent on an arrival order of data to be exchanged, and there are cases in which it is required to uniquely specify an order of exchanges among a plurality of data communication devices.
For example, consider a case of a network system as shown in FIG. 1 which is formed by three data communication devices A, B and C interconnected through a network. In this network system of FIG. 1, the data communication devices A, B and C have data of identical contents which are copied at each device, and an updating of data is realized by rewriting data at one device and notifying entered modifications to other devices so that each of the other devices updates the own data according to the notified modifications. In this manner, the data contents owned by the data communication devices A, B and C are maintained consistently.
This scheme is widely used because an amount of data to be exchanged is rather small. FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrates this scheme. Namely, an event X: "write a circle" made by one user at the device A is transmitted to the other devices B and C as shown in FIG. 2A, so that data owned by all the devices A, B and C are updated as shown in FIG. 2B.
However, this data updating is carried out simultaneously in parallel at each data communication device so that if the updating is not carried out in a unique time order, that is, if the arrival order of packets indicating the modifications are different at different devices, the data contents owned by different devices may turn out to be different as illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B.
Namely, in FIG. 3A, an event Y: "move a region enclosing a circle" at the device A and an event Z: "write a cross on a current position of a circle" at the device B are simultaneously made and transmitted to the respective other devices. When the data representing these events are straightforwardly processed in their arrival order, since the locally received event arrives first, the arrival orders at the devices A, B and C are:
Event Y, Event Z at the device A,
Event Z, Event Y at the device B, and
Event Z, Event Y at the device C, for example, and therefore if these events are processed in such an arrival order at each device, the data at the device A would be different from the data at the device B and the device C as shown in FIG. 3B.
On the other hand, a method for updating the own data at each device can be largely classified into the following three types:
(i) a method for updating the own data first, and then transmitting modifications to the others (without confirming the transmission completion); PA1 (ii) a method for updating the own data first, and then transmitting modifications to the others. If the transmission completion is not confirmed, the own data is restored; and PA1 (iii) a method for transmitting modifications to the others first, and then the own data is updated when the transmission completion is confirmed. PA1 (I) a scheme for synchronizing time among the data communication devices and transmitting a data packet by attaching a transmission time thereto so that each data packet becomes unique in time; PA1 (II) a scheme in which a data packet is transmitted from each data communication device to a server once, and then data packets are ordered at the server and transmitted from the server to the data communication devices, so as to maintain the uniqueness; PA1 (III) a scheme in which a token is issued at each data communication device, and sequentially moved to another device at a constant time interval. Each data communication device can transmit a data packet only while it possesses the token, so as to maintain the uniqueness.
In the method (i), the data updating and the modifications transmission at the own device are given a priority, and states of the other devices are ignored.
In the method (ii), the data updating and the modifications transmission at the own device are given a higher priority, but invalidated when the other devices failed to receive the modifications.
In the method (iii), the updating becomes possible only after the receiving of the modifications by the other devices is confirmed, so that data arrives at every device, although the data arrival order is not certain. The examples illustrated in FIGS. 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B are based on the method (i), but even when the method (ii) or the method (iii) is employed, the similar situation as described above can happen.
As a scheme for preventing such a difference in data among a plurality of devices and maintaining the arrival order uniquely, various schemes have been proposed and utilized, including the following:
The scheme (I) is associated with the problems of: (1) how to synchronize time; and (2) how to handle data packets which are transmitted at the identical time by a plurality of different data communication devices (even when these data packets are transmitted at not exactly the same time, this situation also occurs if there is a delay in the actual transmission timing due to the re-transmission, etc.
The scheme (II) is associated with the following problems. (1) In view of the processing load on the server, the server is required to have a superior processing power than the data communication devices. (2) In a straightforward comparison with a case of transmission from a source device to the other devices, it is necessary to use a transmission path which is twice as long, and this straightforwardly implies that traffic becomes twice as large. (3) Information concerning the data packet order is centrally managed by the server, so that there is a need to provide a measure (such as saving of data managed by the server) for dealing with a trouble in anticipation of an accident such as a sudden loss of the server.
The scheme (III) is associated with the problems of: (1) a recovery processing in a case of token loss; and (2) an increase of communication cost due to communications for token exchange.
As a scheme for resolving these problems of these conventionally known schemes, the present inventor has previously proposed a scheme in which one device regularly transmits an information on an order of packets received at that device to the other devices, and these other devices rearrange the processing order for the respective received packets according to this packet order information before processing the packets, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 7-321871 (1995). However, according to this scheme, the received packet cannot be processed until the packet order information is obtained, so that it is necessary to obtain the packet order information even in an ordinary state in which the packet order variation is small. Consequently, although it is possible to deal with a sudden packet order variation by the handling similar to that in an ordinary state, it in turn causes the lowering of a response in an ordinary state.
Thus, the prior art schemes for maintaining the data packet order uniquely have been associated with various problems such as an increase of communication cost or response delay in an ordinary state, or a centralized processing load and a high cost required at a time of recovery from a trouble as a result of the centralized processing load.

Scheme for data transfer among data communication devices using data packet order control


When a zero run, which violating G constraint of a run-length-limited (RLL) code, is detected from the data stored in a first input register 1111 and a second input register 1112, bits before and after the zero run is transferred to a temporary register 1150 via a bus for zero run removal 1130 to be combined to each other. Thus, by effectively using the mechanism of bus transfer, a circuit can be simplified, thereby realizing a small circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an encoder and a decoder using a run-length-limited (RLL) code.
2. Description of the Related Art
For improvement of recording density, data to be stored in/read from a recording medium (such as a magnetic disk or an optical disk) is encoded/decoded according to run length limited (RLL).
There are several types of RLL scheme, each having its own characteristics. For example, an encoding/decoding method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-117239 (filed by the present applicant) realizes a high code rate without violating G constraint and I constraint.
The encoding/decoding method is simple, however, the size of a circuit executing the encoding/decoding method can become large. This is because the encoder/decoder has to process parallel data (for example, 10-bit parallel data) to be stored in/read from the recording medium, while RLL originally assumes a bit string with no structure. Specifically, the encoder/decoder needs to be provided with a plurality of circuits, each corresponding to each bit pattern included in the parallel data. Furthermore, the encoder/decoder needs to perform various types of processing to satisfy a plurality of constraints, thereby further increasing the circuit size.

Encoder and decoder using run-length-limited code


Apparatus and methods for treating obesity using chronic cervical vagal nerve stimulation (cVNS) of the left vagus trunk are disclosed. Four men and ten women, average age 46 years (SD±10) were treated with output current typically 0.75 mA, pulse frequency 30 Hz and width 250 or 500 μs, and duty cycle of 30 s power per five minutes. Mean intake weight was 91 kg (SD±27, range 46 to 137 kg) with body mass index (BMI) 43 kg/m2 (SD±5, range 18 to 49 kg/mn2). After 6-12 months, obese patients had marked weight loss while normal weights were maintained. Decrease in BMI was consistently proportional to initial BMI. Average weight loss at one year was 7 kg (SD±3, range −6 to +24) with mean drop in BMI of 2 kg/m2 (SD±3, range −2 to +8)k. All patients denied any major dieting or exercise.

Obesity is a major public health concern afflicting 300 million people worldwide. Serious and common complications from obesity include hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dyslipidernia, osteoartbritis, sleep apnea, etc. Standard treatments include diet, exercise, behavioral therapy, and medications. Most patients do not succeed at maintaining normal weight. In some with disabling and life-threatening obesity, gastric surgery provides a last resort, despite invasiveness, potential for serious complications, and cost. More effective and novel approaches to the treatment of obesity are needed. One largely untapped focus is the brain itself.
In animal studies, stimulation of the vagus nerve in the abdomen of healthy male rabbits, by electrical pacing during a month, reduces food intake and body mass. Sobocki. J., et al., Microchip vagal pacing reduces food intake and body mass. Hepatogastroenterology 48:1783-1787 (2001). Stimulation of the human vagus nerve to treat eating disorders also has been described. See, for instance, U.S. Pat. No. 6,609,025 ("the '025 patent") to Barrett et al., assigned to Cyberonics, Inc., and patents discussed therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,480 to J. Wernicke et al. ["the '480 patent," which issued on application Ser. No. 07/926,915, filed Aug. 7, 1992, which was a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/649,618 of the same inventors filed Feb. 1, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,104], assigned to the same assignee as [Barrett et al.], discloses treatment for eating disorders including obesity and compulsive overeating disorder by selectively applying modulating electrical signals to the patient's vagus nerve, preferably using an implanted neurostimulator. Modulating signals may be used to stimulate vagal activity to increase the flow of neural impulses up the nerve, or to inhibit vagal activity to block neural impulses from moving up the nerve, toward the brain, for producing excitatory or inhibitory neurotransmitter release.
Barrett et al. in the '025 patent further characterize the teachings of the '480 patent as follows:
Both of these cases of modulating the electrical activity of the vagus nerve have been termed vagus nerve stimulation, or VNS. The '480 patent theorized that VNS could be used for appetite suppression by causing the patient to experience satiety, a sensation of 'fullness' of the stomach which would result in decreased food consumption and consequent weight reduction. For example, the stimulus generator of the neurostimulator is implanted in a convenient location in the patient's body, attached to an electrical lead having a nerve electrode implanted on the vagus nerve or branch thereof in the esophageal region slightly above the stomach. If the patient's food consumption over a given period exceeded a predetermined threshold level, detected and measured for example by sensing electrodes implanted at or near the esophagus, the stimulus generator is triggered to apply VNS and thereby normal waking hours except in periods of prescribed mealtimes, or is applied as a result of patient intervention by manual activation of the stimulus generator using external magnet control.
Barrett et al. in the '025 patent also characterize the disclosure of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/346,396 ("the '396 application," filed Jul. 1, 1999 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,587,719 to Barrett et al., also assigned to Cyberonics, Inc.), as follows:
The aforementioned '396 application discloses a method of treating patients for obesity by bilateral stimulation of the patient's vagus nerve (i.e., bilateral VNS) in which a stimulating electrical signal is applied to one or both branches of the vagus. The parameters of the signal are predetermined to induce weight loss of the patient. The signal is preferably a pulse signal applied at a set duty cycle (i.e., its on and off times) intermittently to both vagi. In any event, VNS is applied at a supra-diaphragmatic position (i.e., above the diaphragm) in the ventral cavity. The electrical pulse stimuli are set at a current magnitude below the retching level of the patient (e.g., not exceeding about 6 milliamperes (mA), to avoid patient nausea) in alternating periods of continuous application and no application. Pulse width is set at or below 500 microseconds (μs), and pulse repetition frequency at about 20-30 Hz. The on/off duty cycle (i.e., first period/second period of the alternating periods) is programmed to a ratio of about 1:1.8. The neurostimulator, which may be a single device or a pair of devices, is implanted and electrically coupled to lead(s) having nerve electrodes implanted on the right and left branches of the vagus.
[i]n dog tests conducted by the applicants herein, the dietary pattern included twice-a-day feedings of approximately 400 grams of solid food with one scoop of soft meat product added to make the food more edible. During the surgical procedure, a threshold referred to herein as the retching threshold was documented while the animal was under anesthesia, based on the threshold value of the stimulus output current of the device at which the animal exhibited a retching or emetic response. The amount of current was adjusted to determine this threshold. Other parameters were left fixed at a frequency of 30 Hertz (Hz), a pulse width of 500 milliseconds (ms), and an on/off cycle of one minute on and 1.8 minutes off.
Barrett et al. in the '025 patent disclose yet another variation of treatment of obesity by vagus nerve stimulation, using bilateral sub-diaphragmatic stimulation, which the '025 patent characterizes as follows:
According to the present invention, a method of treating patients for obesity comprises unilateral or bilateral stimulation of the left and right vagi at a sub-diaphragmatic position (i.e., below the diaphragm) in the ventral cavity, rather than at a supra-diaphragmatic position as taught by the '396 application. The stimulating electrical signal is preferably applied to the vagus two to three inches below the diaphragm, and may be applied either synchronously or asynchronously to both the right and left branches, preferably in the form of a series of pulses applied intermittently to both branches according to a predetermined on/off duty cycle. The intermittent application is preferably chronic, rather than acute. However, continuous application or acute application by bilateral stimulation of the right and left vagi or unilateral contemplated.
The sub-diaphragmatic application of VNS may have an enhanced effect in inducing satiety in the patient, being in closer proximity to the stomach itself. Certainly, in the case of neurostimulator device implantation superficially in the abdominal region of the patient, the sub-diaphragmatic application has an advantage of enabling shorter leads for the nerve electrode(s). Additionally, application of the neurostimulator may be more easily accomplished with this approach as opposed to a supra-diaphragmatic approach which requires accessing the vagi in the chest cavity.
Accordingly, as taught, for instance, by Barrett et al. in the '025 patent, above, implantation of the devices used to provide the electrical pulses to the vagus nerve in abdomen, or supradiaphragmatically or sub-diaphragmatically, typically requires an invasive implantation procedure exposing the patient to risks associated with such invasive procedures. Thus, methods of inducing weight loss in a patient that do not require such invasive surgical implantation procedures are desired.
In addition, none of the patents discussed by Barrett et al. in the '025 patent, nor the '025 patent itself, discloses any clinical results of testing the disclosed methods on human subjects. Greene et al., Perspectives on the metabolic management of epilepsy through dietary reduction of glucose and elevation of ketone bodies, J. Neurochem. 86:529-537 (2003), discloses (at p. 533) that vagal nerve stimulation is a novel therapy that significantly reduces seizure frequency in patients with refractory seizures and asserts that "(the vagus nerve is also known to affect eating behavior and vagal nerve stimulation has been used to treat morbid obesity (Roslin and Kurian 2001)", where the full citation for the disclosure of "Roslin and Kurian 2001" is given as "Roslin M. and Kurian M. (2001) The use of electrical "Roslin M" is presumably Mitchell S. Roslin, one of the inventors of the '025 patent.
The above cited publication by Roslin and Kurian (Epilepsy Behav. 2, S11-S16, 2001) teaches that
[o]besity is actually defined as having excess adiposity or fat tissue. Since it is more practical to measure height and weight rather than amount of fat, determination of level of obesity is generated using these numbers. The most accurate numerical assessment is obtained by determining the body mass index (BMI). This number is derived by dividing weight in kilograms (or pounds) by height in meters squared (or feet). A BMI of more than 40 is considered morbidly obese. As an example, an individual who is 5 feet 10 inches tall (177.8 cm) and weighs 280 pounds (127 kg) has a body mass index of 40. A patient with a BMI of 25 to 30 is considered overweight; 30 to 35 corresponds to stage I obesity, 35 to 40 to stage II obesity, and >40 to stage III or morbid obesity.
Roslin and Kurian further disclose the basis for their approach toward developing a method of treating obesity using VNS, as follows:
The combination of the anatomic relationship of the vagus nerve to the GI tract and the above physiologic experiments provided the rationale for the investigation of electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve for obesity and development of a preclinical animal experimental program. Despite this appealing theory, one major factor needed to be considered prior to beginning investigation. During the numerous years of clinical experience with vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) for epilepsy, no weight loss was reported, other than a few anecdotal reports. Thus several modifications were necessary. Because we would be best to be in closer proximity to the gastroesophageal junction. Such positioning would avoid stimulation of fibers that join the trunk from the heart and lungs and, we speculated, have a greater likelihood of stimulating our target fibers. Additionally, positioning away from the neck and the recurrent laryngeal nerve would allow the delivery of higher levels of current that could be necessary to stimulate these unmyelinated fibers. Finally, because the right and left trunks have different distributions in the abdomen and the contribution of both could be essential, we chose to investigate bilateral stimulation of the vagus nerve.
Following a preclinical study which Roslin and Kurian considered to study suggest that the use of bilateral VNS is effective in changing eating behavior, with a corresponding weight loss in a canine animal model, the authors describe the initiation of a human "pilot" program, as follows:
The results of the canine study and the known safety of VNS in humans served as the basis for initiating a phase I study. Enrollment began during the summer of 2000, and clinical implantation has started. Thirty patients will be enrolled, all of whom will have their generators activated. To control for placebo, 60% of the patients will have their NCP systems activated 2 weeks after surgery, and those of the other 40% will be activated 14 weeks after surgery. Initial implantation has been performed with an open technique to ensure proper lead placement. Laparoscopic and thoracoscopic techniques will be used in future implants. Because obesity is a chronic disease, long-term data are mandatory before results can be analyzed. Preliminary data may be available late in 2001.
experience with vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) for epilepsy, the disclosure of Roslin and Kurian contemplates a need to stimulate the small unmyelinated C fibers of the nerve and, hence, that VNS stimulation for treating obesity would best be in closer proximity to the gastroesophageal junction, thereby avoiding stimulation of fibers that join the trunk from the heart and lungs and allowing the delivery of higher levels of current that could be necessary to stimulate these unmyelinated fibers. Finally, because the right and left trunks have different distributions in the abdomen and the contribution of both could be essential, these authors chose to investigate bilateral stimulation of the vagus nerve in an animal model and thereafter in human clinical testing.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,611,715 ("the '715 patent") to Boveja, issued Aug. 26, 2003, discloses apparatus and methods for neuromodulation therapy for obesity and compulsive eating disorders using an implantable lead-receiver and an external stimulator. According to Boveja in the '715 patent:
[a]system and method of neuromodulation adjunct (add-on) therapy for obesity and compulsive eating disorders, comprises an implantable lead-receiver and an external stimulator. Neuromodulation is performed using pulsed electrical stimulation. The external stimulator contains a power source, controlling circuitry, a primary coil, and predetermined programs which control the different levels of therapy. The primary coil of the external stimulator inductively transfers electrical signals to the lead-receiver, which is also in electrical contact with the left vagus nerve. The external stimulator emits electrical pulses to stimulate the vagus nerve according to a predetermined program. In a second mode of operation, an operator may manually override the predetermined sequence of stimulation. The protected. The external stimulator may also be equipped with a telecommunications module to control the predetermined programs remotely.
Further according to Boveja in the '715 patent:
Apparatus and method for neuromodulation, in the current application has several advantages over the prior art implantable pulse generator. The external stimulator described here can be manufactured at a fraction of the cost of an implantable pulse generator. The therapy can be freely applied with [sic, without] consideration of battery depletion. Surgical replacement of pulse generator is avoided. The programming is much simpler, and can be adjusted by the patient within certain limits for patient comfort. And, the implanted hardware is significantly smaller.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,449,512 ("the '512 patent") to Boveia, issued Sep. 10, 2002, discloses apparatus and methods for treatment of urological disorders using a "programmerless" implantable pulse generator system, which is characterized as follows:
System and method of neuromodulation therapy for urinary incontinence disorders comprises a lead to selectively stimulate the sacral plexus and an implantable pulse generator for providing the appropriate pulses. The implantable pulse generator having prepackaged/predetermined programs stored in the memory of the pulse generator, and means for accessing these with an external magnet. The pulse generator adapted to selectively activate predetermined programs with the external magnet, thereby eliminating the need for an external programmer. The elimination of the external programmer resulting in significant cost reduction with essentially the same functionality.
vagus nerve stimulation, Neurology 59:463-464 (2002) reported on weight loss in patients who underwent VNS implantation for treatment of epilepsy for up to two years, as follows:
Of the 27 patients for who complete data were available, 17 had lost weight. Weight in the remaining patients fluctuated, without a specific pattern toward weight gain.
Eight patients (25%) (four men, age range 18-41) had significant weight loss of more than 5% of body weight, and of these, five lost more than 10% of body weight. Two patients lost more than 5% of the weight in the first 6 months, four at 1 year, and six in 2 year. More than 10% of weight loss was seen in one patient after 6 months, in two patients after 1 year, and in three patients after 2 years of VNS (figure [captioned ""Percentage of weight loss vs months of follow-up for each patient found with this characteristic side effect."]). In none of our patients was VNS discontinued or the generator removed due to weight loss.
Burneo et al. concluded that,
"[a]lthough weight loss may be multifactorial, its occurrence in our patients undergoing VNS implantation appears causally related. This may be due to decreased appetite, resulting in changes in eating behaviors, or to gastrointestinal side effects, such as dyspepsia, previously reported as a side effect of VNS [citations omitted]. Even though this was not a control-case study, patients and physicians should be aware of weight loss as an associated phenomenon of VNS stimulation."
Accordingly, the report of Burneo et al. does not disclose whether the patients who lost weight in this epilepsy study were obese or of normal weight and does not teach or suggest should be aware of weight loss as an associated phenomenon [or "characteristic side effect"] of VNS stimulation."
It is known that, in the human body the innervation of the right and left vagus nerves is different. The innervation of the right vagus nerve is such that stimulating it results in profound bradycardia (slowing of the heart rate). The left vagus nerve has some innervation to the heart, but mostly innervates the visceral organs such as the gastrointestinal tract. It is further known that stimulation of the left vagus nerve does not cause substantial slowing of the heart rate or cause any other significant deleterious side effects.

Cervical vagal stimulation induced weight loss

The United States of America as represented by the Department of Veterans Affairs


The present invention concerns a high-speed personalization machine comprising a personalization station for personalizable documents and a computer system, the machine being characterized in that a personalizable document comprises information, whether visible or not corresponding to an identification, an electronic chip and contactless communication means of transmitting/receiving antenna type connected to the electronic chip, the electronic chip and the communication means being incorporated in the document, and in that the personalization machine comprises a reading device to read the document identifier, this identifier being associated with data memorized in a database of the computer system, at least some of this data to be recorded by the personalization machine into the electronic chip of the document.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a high-speed personalization machine, more particularly a personalization machine for documents, such as passports, containing an electronic chip.
2. Related Art
Personalization machines are known for portable items such as chip cards and in particular so-called "smart" cards, i.e. which incorporate a microprocessor or microcomputer. With these machines it is possible to record information derived from a computer system into the memory of a card microprocessor, the chip card before personalization being blank without any marking and not being pre-selected. After personalization, the machine conducts a follow-up operation of the personalized card to print or mark the card plastic with detector information. These chip cards communicate with the outside world via contact or contactless terminals depending upon applications requiring greater or lesser security. However, these high speed personalization machines do not allow personalization of electronic chips incorporated in an identity document such as a passport, whose personalization information is directly related to masked or printed information already contained in the document. In this case, the personalization machine must conduct an identification operation of the item incorporating the electronic chip before personalization to avoid any writing error of personalization data in an electronic chip not corresponding to the content of the document in which the chip is inserted.


A recording device includes a head unit that ejects ink onto a target recording medium, and transport units that transport the target recording medium. The transport units are provided with driving rollers that are provided so as to come into contact with a first surface of the target recording medium, and that generate a delivery power in the target recording medium, and air delivery units that push the target recording medium against the driving rollers by applying air pressure to the driving rollers from a side of a second surface of the target recording medium.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a recording device.
2. Related Art
Recording devices that transport a target recording medium using a transport unit that includes a driving roller are used in the related art. For example, in JP-A-2007-152785, a recording device that transports a target recording medium using a transport unit that is configured with a pair of rollers that have a driving roller and interposes the target recording medium.
Accordingly, in the recording devices of the related art, common recording devices transport a target recording medium using a transport unit that is configured by a pair of rollers that has a driving roller and interposes the target recording medium. In particular, among these kinds of roller pairs, a typical pair of rollers has a driven roller disposed on a recording surface side of the target recording medium, and the driving roller is disposed on a side that is opposite to the recording surface side.
However, in a recording device of the related art such as that mentioned above, there are cases in which transport defects (such as roller tracks) becoming imprinted onto the target recording medium, which arise as a result of the target recording medium being interposed by the pair of rollers.
In particular, there were cases in which the recording quality decreases as a result of the trail of the driven roller appearing on a side of the recording surface of the target recording medium.


A bearing arrangement comprises at least one bearing ring and at least one machine part with which the bearing ring is connected. The bearing arrangement is equipped with a device for detecting relative movement between at least one of the bearing rings and one of the machine parts. To facilitate the measurement of creep between one of the bearing rings and one of the machine parts, the device for detecting relative movement is located in or at the machine part and has a contact element which contacts the bearing ring, wherein a sensor element is arranged in or at the device to detect the relative movement between the device and the contact element.

A bearing arrangement of this type is disclosed in US 2004/0074315 A1. This document suggests a method for determining bearing parameters like radial load or interference fit of a bearing. The bearing has an inner and an outer ring which are secured by an interference fit with the machine parts which bear them. Angular rotation of the bearing rings relative to the machine parts can occur (creep) in response to the radial load. The measurements of the angular velocity of the bearing ring and the mounting component are compared to determine the creep rate between the ring and the mounting component.
The observed creep rate and angular velocity measurements are utilized with either measured radial load data or interference fit data for the bearing to extrapolate a curve fit for either the interference fit or the radial load experienced by the bearing. To determine the creep two Hall effect sensors are arranged at the face side of the bearing ring and the machine part respectively. By comparison of the detected pulses of both Hall effect sensors by a computer an information can be generated with respect to the occurring creep of the bearing ring relatively to the machine part which bears it.
The proposed pre-known arrangement allows the detection of creep in a bearing arrangement but demands not only a certain space for positioning the necessary sensors but also a quite high expenditure. Consequently, the known creep detection system is not applicable for all bearing arrangements. Especially problems occur when the available space is not sufficient to arrange the necessary sensors and when the creep has to be measured between the stationary parts.


A method for reducing multiple access interference (MAI) in a code division multiple access (CDMA) spread spectrum receiver assigned a number of codes which also despreads the received signal with the remaining codes of the same spreading factor. For forward link transmission with orthogonal codes, as in 3GPP and 3GPP2, interferers using larger spreading factors than the one used by the referenced mobile will have codes that are formed from the orthogonal codes of the same spreading factor as the multicodes corresponding to the referenced mobile. As a consequence, in a multipath environment, the output of a despreader using any of these remaining orthogonal codes will provide an estimate of the composite interference attributed to signals, if any, using codes that partly comprise the corresponding orthogonal code. No decisions are made for the previous despreader's output because it corresponds to a sum of interferers with unknown powers. However, this soft output can be re-spread and subtracted from the received signal prior to despreading, thereby removing the corresponding composite interference. This can significantly improve the performance of a receiver performing interference cancellation of both assigned and interfering signals, especially when the interfering signals have a substantial total power.

The invention relates to electronic devices, and more particularly to coding, transmission, storage, and decoding/synthesis methods and circuitry as is useful in spread spectrum systems.
Code division multiple access (CDMA) has been extensively used in such applications as satellite and cellular communications. CDMA signals increase the spectrum required for the transmission of a particular data rate by modulating each information symbol with a spread spectrum code having a rate larger than the data rate. The same spreading code is used for each information symbol. Typically, the spreading code comprises a few tens or a few hundreds of elements, called chips. To decrease the correlations among spreading codes assigned to different users, and thereby reduce the interference among different users, the data stream after spreading is typically scrambled with a pseudo-noise (PN) code that is generated serially and cyclically and has a larger period than the spreading code. Examples of such CDMA signal spreading are the schemes used by the IS-95/CDMA2000 and 3GPP systems. With CDMA, the signals from all users simultaneously occupy the same frequency band. The receiver discriminates the multiple signals by exploiting the properties of the spreading and scrambling codes that are applied to the signal of each user. The receiver attempts to match in time the codes of the desired signal with a replica of those spreading and scrambling codes. Only then is the demodulation result meaningful; otherwise it appears noise-like. Thus, if the arriving signals have different codes or different code offsets, they can be discriminated at the receiver.
In the forward link (downlink) of cellular communication systems (the communications from base stations to mobile terminals) the wireless channel may introduce multipath propagation. Even if the signals transmitted by the base station are spread using orthogonal codes (Walsh codes), the multipath propagation will destroy the orthogonality and produce multiple-access interference (MAI). That is, a code may not be orthogonal to a delayed version of another code. Interference cancellation (IC) attempts to suppress the MAI by estimating and subtracting the interference from the received signal. Because the capacity of CDMA systems is MAI-limited, estimating and canceling the MAI will increase the capacity. Alternatively, IC can reduce the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) required to achieve a specific symbol-error-rate (SER) or frame-error-rate (FER) value for a specific number of users, thereby increasing mobile terminal battery life and decreasing transmission power. The implementation alternatives for IC are the parallel IC (PIC) and the serial IC (SIC). With PIC, all users are simultaneously demodulated, a tentative decision is made for their information symbols, the MAI is regenerated and the process is iterated a number of times until all significant improvements in the SER performance are achieved. With SIC, a similar process is performed with the exception that a decision on the stronger user is first made, the interference from that user on the decision statistic of the next stronger user is subsequently removed and a decision for the next stronger user is made, etc. The main advantage of SIC relative to PIC is that the decisions for the stronger users are more reliable than the decisions for the weaker ones and therefore, the MAI removal of the stronger users is reliable and this benefits the weaker users. The main disadvantage of SIC relative to PIC is the decision delay associated with SIC because of its serial nature and the architecturally difficult reordering of the detection process each time the relative signal strengths change. There are also several modifications that can be applied to the IC process. For example, the decisions made at each IC stage can be hard or soft, clipped or threshold-based or unmodified, the estimated IC can be weighted to account for the bias that exists in the decisions depending on the IC stage and for the reliability of the individual decisions depending on the signal strength.

Interference cancellation system and method


A soil infiltration irrigation system includes a plurality of water-permeable containers and a water-feeding pipeline communicating with each of the containers. The containers are provided with connectors for connecting to the water-feeding pipeline and are also provided with an air-relieving pipe connected to the container. The water-feeding pipeline supplies water from a water supply reservoir which can feed the water-feeding pipeline either by gravity or by a booster pump in the pipeline. The air-relieving pipe has an air outlet installed at an elevation that maintains a water level in each container. The containers may be double-layered, with the air pipe communicating with an inner layer and the outer layer communicating with the water-feeding pipeline.

Sprinkling irrigation and micro irrigation are two common examples of employing advanced technology in water conservation and high efficiency irrigation. In China, only 2% of the total irrigation area benefits from this technology whereas the developed countries apply this technology to over 80% of their total irrigated areas. The need for China's agriculture to implement water conservation technology is quite obvious, especially in regions that have a shortage of water resources. However, sprinkling irrigation has some problems, such as blind spots that do not get irrigated, susceptibility to the influence of wind velocity and direction, loss of water by evaporation, and insufficient supply of water to the deep soil layers. In micro irrigation systems, the water outlets are so small that they easily get clogged with mineral or organic particles in the water. Water pressure in the feeding lines is often affected by the terrain, causing an uneven supply of water in the system and thus reducing the effectiveness of irrigation.
In the conventional technology, there is a system called "Underground Infiltration Irrigation Device with Water Replenishment and Storage Capabilities" (Patent Application No. 00268186.2), which consists of a water permeable storage container, a lid, a water supply pipe, a water-feeding and air-relieving pipe, and a plug. The lid is installed on the container. The water-feeding and air-relieving pipe is connected to the lid at one end and to the water supply pipe at the other end. The water-feeding and air-relieving pipe contains two parallel hoses inside: one for water feeding and the other for air relieving. When the container is filled with water, the water replenishment process is halted. Then, it is necessary to disconnect the water supply pipe from the water-feeding and air-relieving pipe and also insert a plug to stop the opening of the latter pipe. That process is very time-consuming and labor-intensive. In addition, the water supply pipe takes up some space that might be used for growing plants. What's more, the water supply pipe is not easy to use, thus adversely affecting the irrigation efficiency.
Another example of the conventional technology is a small irrigation device called "Root Infiltration Irrigation Cup" (Patent Application No. 99246573.7), which consists mainly of a cylindrical cup of a specific volume. The said cup has 1-4 groups of infiltration holes on the side walls of the bottom section. Each group has 1-4 directional holes, which are covered with a screen made of non-woven cloth, embedded steel wool and sand filtration material or stainless steel composite filtration meshes. The cup has a lid with a water feeding pipe attached and an air relieving hole in it. Once the lid is placed over the upper opening of the cylindrical cup, a water supply pipe is connected to the water feeding pipe. The cup is buried near the roots of the plant, with the lid a little over the ground. In actual application, water has to be transported to each individual cup. Liquid fertilizers may be mixed with water so that irrigation and fertilizer application are achieved at the same time. This "Root Infiltration Irrigation Cup" also has problems such as the need to feed water to each individual cup, the occupation of space that might be used for growing plants, and the difficulty with maintenance.
All in all, the applications of the conventional technology discussed above have the common problems of time-consuming and labor-intensive operation, high maintenance cost, short life time, low recovery rate of used materials, frequent assembly and disassembly requirements, possibility of damage to plants, ineffective use of water resources, high evaporation loss rate, low irrigation efficiency, occupation of plant growth space, and adverse effect on the natural growth of plants.

System for infiltrating and irrigating water into soil


The invention is directed to a method and an apparatus for measuring the edges 13 of a workpiece 5 with an optical probe 4. The probe 4 measures the distance values (a) between the probe 4 and an adjustable scanning point 15. In the method, the scanning point 15 is moved along a loop path (36a, 36b, . . . , 36n) over the edge 13 of the workpiece 5 to be measured in order to obtain more exact values for measured points of the edge at a higher measuring speed. During the method, distance values (a) are measured by the probe 4 and a point P of the edge 13 is determined from the course of the measured values.

One method is, for example, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,291,270. This method is especially provided to determine edges and bores of workpieces to be measured such as parts of a vehicle chassis. For this purpose, an optical triangulation probe is suggested in this patent which measures the spacing of the probe to the workpiece surface and moves over the edge to be measured for measuring a point thereof. If a sudden jump results in the measured distance values, then this indicates that the optical probe passed over an edge at this point in time so that the position of a point of the edge can be determined from the corresponding distance values and the machine positions.
The optical probe is suspended from a mechanism of a coordinate measuring apparatus in order to be able to suitably move the optical probe over the surface of the workpiece. With the mechanism, the optical probe can be moved in three mutually perpendicular directions. Additionally, the optical probe is connected to the mechanism via a rotation-pivot unit so that the optical probe can be additionally rotated about two mutually perpendicular axes. In this way, the scanning beam of the probe can always be suitably adjusted to the surface of the workpiece to be measured.
What is distinctive about this method is that the accuracy of the determined point of the edge is dependent upon how close the sequentially recorded scanning points lie next to each other. The optical probe must record measuring points lying very close to each other in order to achieve a high accuracy. The central computer of the coordinate measuring apparatus assumes the entire evaluation of the measured values recorded by the probe. For this reason, only a relatively low measuring speed is possible for high measuring accuracy. Furthermore, nonuniformities in the edge can greatly alter the measuring result. If, for example, the path of the scanning point is guided over a location at which a nonuniformity in the form of a ridge is located, then this can greatly alter the result of the measured point of the edge.
From the state of the art, so-called linear probes are known which are utilized in a manner similar to the triangulation probe known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,291,270. The difference in this linear probe compared to the triangulation probe is that the scanning point in the linear probe is continuously moved back and forth along a straight line. The detection of the edge then takes place in that the scanning point of the linear probe is guided perpendicularly over the edge in its linear direction. Similarly, the edge is detected in that an abrupt change is detected for the first time in the scanned distance values.
The same characteristics apply to the disclosed linear probe as applied to the triangulation probe disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,291,270.
Furthermore, a probe is known from German patent publication 2,405,102 with which edges can likewise be measured. The probe is here so configured that a light beam is guided on a circular path over the edge of the workpiece to be measured. A photodetector is mounted rearward on the opposite lying end of the workpiece. The intercept point of the circular path of the light point with the edge, and therefore the position of the edge, can be determined from the measured brightness and darkness times of the photodetector.
The characteristics of the method described in German patent publication 2,405,102 apply as already explained in connection with U.S. Pat. No. 5,291,270.

Method and apparatus measuring edges on a workpiece


An automated microwave oven configured to autonomously determine a duration of time for heating an object based on a location of the object in a microwave cavity. The heating duration may be a function of cumulative energy estimated to be experienced by the object due to the object location, e.g., radial distance from center, under rotational motion of the rotating tray. A concentric energy visualization is provided on an interior surface of the microwave cavity, representing a function of cumulative energy experienced under rotational motion of a rotating tray about its center-line. The visualization may comprise a plurality of rings concentric about the center-line, each concentric ring representing a constant value of the function of cumulative energy, oscillating in value along the radial length of the rotating tray.

Cavity resonators, such as microwave ovens, emit waves in an enclosed three-dimensional (3D) space that interfere to form standing waveforms. The waveforms have stationary regions of minimal oscillation referred to as "nodes" in which the waves cancel by destructive interference as well as regions of maximal oscillation referred to as "anti-nodes" in which the waves amplify by constructive interference oscillating between peaks and troughs. At nodes, stagnant waves transfer minimal energy to particles forming "cold-spots," while at anti-nodes, amplified waves excite particles by maximal energy forming "hot-spots." These nodes and anti-nodes are arranged in a 3D pattern that provides non-uniform energy and heat distribution throughout the cavity resonator. FIG. 1 shows a thermal pattern across a 2D horizontal cross-section of a microwave. The thermal pattern has an array of cold-spots and hot-spots formed by a corresponding array of respective nodes and anti-nodes throughout the microwave.
Such non-uniform heat distribution causes microwaves to undercook in some regions (at nodes) and overcooked in other regions (at anti-nodes). This irregular heating degrades the taste of food and may even be hazardous to health, e.g., due to bacteria in under-heated food or carcinogens in over-heated food.
To solve this problem, microwave ovens typically use a revolving tray to rotate food in concentric circles across microwave nodes and anti-nodes to more evenly distribute microwave energy. However, even under rotation, highly non-uniform heat patterns remain. For example, the cold-spot formed at the center of the microwave cross-section in FIG. 1 is not eliminated under concentric rotation by the microwave tray. Some microwave designs include additional motors to glide the microwave tray laterally from side-to-side, to translate as well as rotate food. Other designs add a stirring mechanism to distribute heat in liquid samples. However, the machinery necessary to implement these manual corrections is generally too complicated and too expensive for practical use.
Accordingly, microwave design has remained essentially the same since its inception in the 1950s. There is therefore a longstanding need inherent in the art to provide a cost-effective solution to the problem of uneven heating in microwave ovens.

Autonomous cavity resonator and heat map


A bouncer seat assembly generally has a wire frame structure and a seat suspended from the wire frame structure. The wire frame structure includes a seat section and a base section resiliently and flexibly coupled to and supporting the seat section above the base section. The wire frame structure is configured so that any gap between parts of the bouncer seat assembly is either sized small enough to prohibit a head of a child from fitting between any adjacent parts or sized large enough to prevent a head of a child from being entrapped or pinched between any adjacent parts.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The invention relates to bouncer seats, and more particularly to bouncer seat with a wire frame configuration that is formed to avoid entrapment or pinch zones, and that optionally can be attached to and detached from a child swing frame.
2. Description of Related Art
Various types of child bouncer seats are known in the art. Child bouncer seats include a support frame and a seat that fits onto the support frame. A child can bounce up and down on the support frame to provide the child with some amusement. Some bouncer seats also can vibrate or play music.
Various types of child swings also are known in the art. These include both open top child swings and closed top child swings. Typically, child swings include a support frame, hanger arms pivotally attached to the support frame, and a seat attached to the hanger arms. Electrically or mechanically powered drive mechanisms are utilized to supply energy to the swing to move the swing seat in a reciprocal motion back and forth.
Children need constant supervision and may fall asleep when placed in a swing. Most commercially available child swings are cumbersome and too large to be easily moved from room to room. To avoid leaving a child unattended in the swing, a caregiver must either remain in one location with the swing or must remove the child from the swing and carry the child as the caregiver moves from one location to another. If the child has fallen asleep in the swing, removing the child may wake up the child and cause the child to cry.
Child swings have been developed that include detachable swing seats so that a parent can transport a sleeping child in the swing seat to a different location without disturbing the child. Once the swing seat is set on the ground or other stationary surface, however, the child generally wakes up due to the abrupt disruption of movement.
Bouncer seats typically have a wire frame construction. There are areas within the frame where a child can become pinch or entrapped, which can cause harm or even death to the child. These problems may be magnified if the bouncer seat is one that can be lifted up off the ground and suspended in a child swing frame. With the bouncer seat suspended above the floor, another child roaming beneath the seat may be at greater risk of becoming caught in a portion of the bouncer seat frame, particularly if the seat is moving in a swinging.


A video management device includes a storage processing unit configured to store video data received through a network in a storage unit, a calculation unit configured to classify a video data group stored in the storage unit based on combinations of imaging locations and content of video data, and to calculate a frequency of appearance of each of the combinations, and a selection unit configured to select video data to be deleted from the storage unit based on the frequency of appearance, thereby increasing a possibility that the deletion of a high-value video will be avoided.

As video Internet of Things (IoT) becomes widespread, monitoring cameras are being disposed for various purposes such as crime prevention in stores and ecological records of animals, and video files generated by the monitoring cameras are stored in storages through a network for a long period of time, whereby it is possible to view and analyze videos at remote locations.
When a video is recorded for 24 hours by a monitoring camera, the amount of data becomes enormous, and it is not possible to easily extract a necessary video. In response to this, a monitoring camera that responds to only a moving object using a "moving object detection" function, acquires only necessary video data by performing imaging for a fixed period of time, and suppresses the amount of data has already been manufactured.
Even when the amount of data is suppressed using the "moving object detection" function, a storage capacity is limited, and thus new video files may not be able to be stored due to insufficient capacity as the operation thereof continues. For this reason, it is necessary to delete unnecessary video files in accordance with a trigger to secure a required storage capacity.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example in which video data generated by monitoring cameras having a "moving object detection" function is stored in a storage through a network. In FIG. 1, when an individual monitoring camera detects an object, the monitoring camera images the object for a fixed period of time to generate a video file (S1). The monitoring cameras transmit the generated video files to the storage through a network (S2). As a result, the video files are stored in the storage (S3). Here, a storage capacity is limited, and thus it is necessary to delete unnecessary video files stored in the storage in accordance with a trigger (S4).
In the related art, a technique for adding a priority related to deletion to data on the basis of a time and a frequency and performing deletion from video data with a high priority (hereinafter referred to as "the related art") has been proposed.

Video management apparatus, video management method and program

NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION


A micromachined integrated opto-thermal sensor having a rapidly intensity varying or pulsing light source, an interference filter, shadow masking or reflective blocking of light from thermal sensors, or differential operation, a gas cavity into which the detected gas can flow into via a channel or filter, and a thermal detector elements to sense the heating of the gas caused by the absorption of light at a particular wavelength by the specific gas to be detected. Another version of the sensor is one with a dual cavity. One cavity contains the gas to be detected and the other cavity is sealed from the ambient environment and contains no gas. Signals from the detectors from the cavities are subtracted from each other resulting in the elimination of a fixed signal due to radiation impinging the detectors.

The invention pertains to gas sensors and particularly to toxic gas sensors. More particularly, the invention pertains to micromachined integrated circuit gas and fluid sensors.
Related art devices for sensing toxic gases such as CO, CO.sub.2, NO, NO.sub.2 and VOCs generated by combustion processes have been based on sensors indicating changes in metal oxide film conductivity, chemiluminescence, fluorescence, various forms of IR absorption, and so forth. These sensors have been either too costly, unstable, or insensitive to meet the requirements of a low-cost, reliable toxic gas sensor. Their sensing such toxic gases in concentrations that are commensurate with the levels at which they can be harmful to health and life is difficult, especially if it is to be done via low-cost, affordable and reliable sensors. Often the older gas engines or heaters, operated by budget-minded users, are most likely to be a source of toxic gases which endanger these users and others. These users are the ones most unlikely to buy toxic gas indicators, unless someone manages to bring affordable and appropriate technology to them.
Optoacoustic gas sensors sense low concentrations of gases by inducing a gas temperature variation by narrow-band modulated illumination at a wavelength which the gas absorbs. The modulated temperature signal is not sensed directly, but a closed or nearly-closed gas sample cell is used which converts the small gas temperature signals into a pressure signal, which is detected by a microphone. A closed or nearly-closed gas cell makes it difficult for gas to enter and exit the gas cell.

Micromachined inferential opto-thermal gas sensor


In an absorption type multi-layer film ND filter having a thin substrate and provided thereon first and second absorption type multi-layer films which attenuate transmitted light, the first and second absorption type multi-layer films are constituted of multi-layer films each consisting essentially of dielectric layers formed of SiO2, Al2O3 or a mixture of these and metal film layers formed of Ni alone or an Ni alloy; the layers being alternately layered on the substrate; and the first and second absorption type multi-layer films are so formed on one side and the other side, respectively, of the substrate as to have a film structure in which they are symmetrical to each other interposing the substrate between them, and the warpage of the substrate has been controlled at a curvature of radius of 500 mm or more.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an absorption type multi-layer film ND filter which attenuates transmitted light in the visible spectral range. More particularly, it relates to an improvement of an absorption type multi-layer film ND filter making use of a thin substrate such as a resin film, a resin sheet or a thin glass sheet.
2. Description of the Related Art
As ND filters (neutral density filters) of this type, a reflection type ND filter which reflects incident light to attenuate it and an absorption type ND filter which absorbs incident light to attenuate it are known in the art. Then, where an ND filter is set in a lens optical system in which the reflected light comes into question, the absorption type ND filter is commonly used. This absorption type ND filter includes a type in which the substrate itself is incorporated with an absorptive substance (a color glass ND filter) or coated with it, and a type in which the substrate itself does not absorb light and a thin film formed on its surface does. Also, in the case of the latter, in order to prevent reflection at the thin-film surface, the thin film is constituted of a multiple layer so that it can have the function to attenuate transmitted light and also have the effect of preventing reflection.
As an absorption type multi-layer film ND filter in which such a thin film is constituted of a multiple layer, a multi-layer film formed of combination of a dielectric layer and a titanium oxide layer and a multi-layer film formed of combination of a dielectric film layer and a niobium film layer are disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3359114 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-350610, respectively.
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H10-133253, further disclosed is a technique in which a hard film layer of a dielectric is formed on at least one outermost surface so as not to be scratched because of some mechanical contact.
Now, in an absorption type multi-layer film ND filter used in compact thin-type digital cameras, its substrate itself must be thin because the camera has a narrow set-in space, and a very thin glass sheet or resin sheet or a resin film is used as the substrate.
However, where such a very thin glass sheet or resin sheet or a resin film is used as the substrate, a problem peculiar thereto as shown below may come about.
That is, the problem is that, if a multi-layer film having a different structure is formed for each side of the very thin glass sheet or resin sheet or the resin film the substrate may warp toward one side because of the film stress of each multi-layer film formed thereon. In such a case, the substrate does not warp even when the multi-layer film is formed on each side, as long as films are formed under ideal conditions that the overall film stress is cancelled for each one-side multi-layer film, i.e., under conditions such that the substrate does not warp even when the film is formed on the former's one side only. Then, as methods by which the overall film stress is cancelled, available are a method in which the film stress is made not to exist for each layer and a method in which a film with tensile stress and a film with compressive stress are alternately formed to cancel the film stress. It, however is difficult in fact to make zero the film stress of a multi-layer film.
For example, in the case of a commonly available absorption type multi-layer film ND filter in which, as shown in FIG. 1, an absorption type multi-layer film 1 is formed on one side of a substrate 3 and a reflection preventive film 2 is formed on the other side, the substrate may warp if the absorption type multi-layer film 1 and the reflection preventive film 2 are poorly balanced in film stress and where the substrate is constituted of a very thin glass sheet or resin sheet or a resin film. Then, in the case of the absorption type multi-layer film 1 shown in FIG. 1, in which metallic films are so thin as to be almost constituted of SiO2, the above method in which a film with tensile stress and a film with compressive stress are alternately formed to cancel the film stress can not be employed because the metallic films are thin, and the film stress of the SiO2 film must be controlled to be zero. However, it is difficult in fact to set film forming conditions under which the film stress of the SiO2 film can be made zero.
There is also a problem that, if the substrate has warped, it is difficult to handle such an ND filter when it is bonded or welded, and also a difficulty that images may come distorted when it is used in the vicinity of an imaging element is also a matter of concern.

Absorption type multi-layer film ND filter


One or more methods for multiplexed determination and deconvolution of complex mass spectra, using quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometry.

Quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometers (QITMS) are used to provide rapid and sensitive analyses of a wide range of chemical and biochemical compounds. QITMSs and related spectrometric methods are known in the art and are as provided in U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,884, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. Such instruments have begun to play a particularly important role in proteomics research as their favorable characteristics are applied to the identification, quantitation, and structural elucidation of peptides and proteins. One limitation with the QITMS, however, is that the structural analyses provided by this instrument is performed in a serial manner in the context of tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) experiments. With the emerging importance of proteomics the need for more rapid analyses are being realized.
A range of ions with different mass-to-charge (m/z) values can be trapped simultaneously in a quadrupole ion trap by the application of a radio frequency (rf) voltage to the ring electrode of the device. The trapped ions all oscillate at frequencies that are dependent on their m/z, and these frequencies can be readily calculated. MS/MS is then performed by carrying out three steps. First, the analyte ions having the single m/z of interest (parent ions) are isolated by changing the rf voltage applied to the ring electrode and by applying waveforms (i.e. appropriate ac voltages to the endcap electrodes) with the appropriate frequencies that resonantly eject all the ions but the m/z of interest. Second, the isolated parent ions are then resonantly excited via the application of another waveform that corresponds to the oscillation frequency of the parent ions. In this way, the parent ions' kinetic energies are increased, and they undergo energetic collisions with the background gas (helium), which ultimately result in their dissociation into product ions. Third, these product ions are then detected with the usual mass analysis techniques in QITMS. It is the mass differences between these product ions and their incipient parent ions that provides the structural information during this MS/MS experiment. This method of performing MS/MS is the current state-of-the art in commercial QITMS, and referred to as serial MS/MS.
Multiplexed MS/MS refers to performing MS/MS on ions of multiple m/z ratios simultaneously. A primary concern, however, is that upon isolation and dissociation of several compounds simultaneously, the product ions that are formed need to be associated with the correct parent ions in order for structural information to be gathered for each parent ion. During serial MS/MS this is accomplished by isolating and dissociating only one parent ion at a time so that the resulting products necessarily come from that parent ion. When one isolates and dissociates multiple parent ions all at once, the normal manner of relating which product ions dissociate from each parent ion is lost.
Several protocols for multiplexed MS/MS on Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometers have been reported. Comprehensive 2-dimensional (2-D) methods analogous to 2-D NMR were used to simultaneously dissociate a collection of parent ions. Attributing the resulting product ions to the appropriate parent ions relies on a sinusoidal pattern of excitation waveforms that produces a modulation in the product ion abundances that can be later deconvoluted. Hadamard transform methods have also been used, but like the comprehensive 2-D approach multiple spectra are acquired in which different subsets of parent ions are simultaneously dissociated. The drawback to both the Hadamard method and the comprehensive 2-D approach is that these methods provide little to no timesavings as compared to the analogous serial approaches. Further, parent ion dissociations and product ion abundances do not always vary in the expected manner. Encoding is dependent upon known changes in parent ion kinetic energy, but product ion abundances do not necessarily change in a direct manner as parent ion kinetic energies (and, thus, collision energies) are changed. The net result is that product ions may be associated with incorrect parent ions.
Another approach developed recently allows product ion spectra to be obtained from multiple parent ions in a single mass spectrum, which significantly enhances the throughput. Because MS/MS analyses on FTICR mass spectrometers are inherently slower than MS/MS analyses on QITMS, this method is noticeably slower. Furthermore, this approach relies on the high mass accuracy of the FTICR to identify product ions from different parent ions by exact mass and database searching. Consequently, this method necessitates the high performance capabilities offered only by FTICR spectrometers, and therefore is not suitable for cheaper and more widely accessible mass spectrometers like QITMS. Further, this method depends upon the compound of interest present in an accessible data base and effective search capabilities—without which the analysis is unworkable.


In a valve operating system for an internal combustion engine with overhead valves and a camshaft supported by a bearing bracket mounted on the cylinder head for the actuation of the valves via a rocker arm arrangement comprising for at least one of the valves a main rocker arm and adjacent thereto an auxiliary rocker arm adapted to be coupled to the main rocker arm for superimposing its movement as controlled by its associated cam structure onto the main rocker arm which operates the associated valve, a spring supporting element which engages the auxiliary rocker arm so as to maintain it in contact with the associated cam structure engages with its one end the auxiliary rocker arm and is supported with its other end on said bearing bracket.

The invention relates to a valve operating system for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine with at least one intake and exhaust valve per cylinder, with a camshaft, having cams and being supported in bearing brackets mounted on the cylinder head, for the actuation of the valves via a rocker lever arrangement.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,438,734, for example, discloses an internal combustion engine with an overhead camshaft which operates the cylinder valves via rocker arms all supported by bearing support structures which are interconnected by an integral connecting structure.
The related U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,887,563 and 4,907,550 show a valve actuating structure for an internal combustion engine with overhead valves operated by an overhead camshaft via a rocker arm arrangement which includes for one valve two parallel rocker arms, a main rocker arm and an auxiliary rocker arm which are actuated by different cams, a main cam actuating the valve and providing appropriate valve timing for relatively low engine speed and an auxiliary cam actuating the auxiliary rocker arm and providing appropriate valve timing for high engine speeds. By pressurized oil supplied through passages in the rocker arm support shaft the auxiliary rocker arms are coupled with the main rocker arms during high engine speeds so that the valve timing of the auxiliary rocker arms is superimposed on the main rocker arms. The auxiliary rocker arms are held in contact with the cams via a spring structure disposed below the auxiliary rocker arm, that is, between the auxiliary rocker arm and the engine cylinder head.
The Honda publication, CIVIC, Technology and Data, List 4, Page 8, as of August, 1991, "design of a valve operating system", describes a valve operating system with a spring support element disposed between the upper side of an auxiliary rocker arm and the cylinder head cover and presses the auxiliary rocker arm against an associated cam of the camshaft in order to keep the auxiliary rocker arm in contact with the associated cam when the auxiliary rocker arm is decoupled from the main rocker arm.
The object of the present invention is to provide a considerably more compact valve operating system which facilitates assembly of the valve operating mechanism.

Valve operating system for an internal combustion engine


A shutter device having a first light blocking member which travels from a closed state to a fully open state for making exposure, and which is driven by a first motor. A second light blocking member travels from a predetermined position to a closed state for making exposure, and is driven by a second motor. A control circuit controls the driving actions of the first and second motors, and a varying mechanism varies, according to a set condition, the predetermined position at which the second light blocking member starts travelling for making exposure.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a shutter device and more particularly to a shutter device of the kind arranged to perform opening and closing actions respectively with different shutter blades.
2. Description of the Related Art
The shutter devices of cameras include a kind having two light blocking members which are arranged to open and close an aperture of a lens respectively with a plurality of shutter blades, for example, as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/287,846, filed Aug. 9, 1994. The shutter device of this kind is arranged as follows. In response to a shutter release operation on a camera, the shutter blades of one (first) light blocking member are moved from their closed positions at which a lens aperture is closed to their fully open positions at which the lens aperture is fully opened, and the shutter/diaphragm blades of the other (second) light blocking member are moved from their fully open positions to their closed positions. Compared with a case where a single light blocking member is to be moved in such a way as "the closed position.fwdarw.the fully open position.fwdarw.the closed position" and particularly where the light blocking member is to be moved by causing a stepping motor to make normal rotation.fwdarw.to stop rotating.fwdarw.to make reverse rotation, this arrangement permits an increase in shutter speed. The increased shutter speed makes it possible, for example, to sufficiently blur a background in contrast with a main object of shooting or to bring the exposure interlocking range of daylight synchronized flashing closer to that of flash photography for a dark place.
In the case of the above-stated shutter device, the opening action of the first light blocking member and the closing action of the second light blocking member are arranged to be almost simultaneously carried out. The acting positions of the two light blocking members are controlled in such a way as to have their positions come to coincide with each other at a point where the aperture area of the lens corresponds to an aperture value set beforehand. In addition to that, exposure time is controlled by varying the acting speeds of the two light blocking members. The so-called aperture priority exposure control is thus carried out.

Shutter device of camera having a light blocking member with a variable starting position


There is provided a sports equipment rack which has a central post, a plurality of outwardly extending hanger members to receive an article of clothing or piece of sports equipment, with at least one of the hanger members being moveable between a first storage position wherein the member lies adjacent the central post and a second garment or equipment hanging position wherein the hanger member extends outwardly to receive the piece of clothing or sports equipment. An elasticized member preferably extends around the post and the moveable hanger members to retain the same in a storage position when not wanted. There is also provided a portable sports equipment rack.

The present invention relates to equipment for the storage of sports accessories and more particularly, relates to a sports equipment rack which may be utilized for sports equipment including articles of clothing.
Some sports and particularly contact sports such as hockey and football utilize a great deal of equipment which must be stored. The equipment can not be stored immediately after use as generally it must be aired and dried. This is also the case even in some non-contact sports such as skiing and the like.
If the equipment and clothing is not properly dried, mold and mildew and unpleasant odors can result.
The use of various types of racks for sports equipment is known in the art. One such sports equipment rack is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,849. In this patent, there is taught a sports equipment rack which may be utilized for supporting different types of sports equipment in a spaced apart relationship. The rack is comprised of various support members which are interconnected together. The patentee teaches that the rack may be transported without disassembly. As shown in FIG. 3 of this patent, a number of different pieces or components are utilized in the assembly of the rack rendering it relatively complex and expensive.
Other devices for the purpose of supporting pieces of sports equipment are shown in Canadian Industrial Design Registrations 355,288, and 354,654. These devices show the use of a central support and fixed arms for the support of sports equipment.
There are also a number of different types of clothes stands or display racks which are designed for displaying equipment and/or clothing. Generally, each one of the display racks is designed for a particular type of clothing and is not adaptable for the drying and airing of sports equipment.


A firearm display device comprises a body and a mounting rod projecting from the body. The mounting rod comprises a first diameter configured to accept a firearm muzzle bore of a predetermined firearm caliber. A caliber identifier corresponds to the predetermined caliber. A first hole in the body comprises a second diameter, wherein the second diameter comprises a diameter that accepts the caliber identifier.

Firearm collections are often stored or displayed on shelving, cabinets, wall hooks, etc. This is especially true for firearms dealers, gun ranges, and individual firearm owners and collectors. Cabinets are often cumbersome for removing and placing firearms therein, and typically only shelves are available onto which firearms may be horizontally placed. In large collections or commercial displays, wall mounting may be far more convenient.
Locking racks often physically restrain firearms with cables or other locking mechanisms, which may prevent theft or unauthorized use, but are a hindrance in cases where firearms must be accessed quickly, such as in an armory, walk-in safe, or sales display.
Furthermore, typical storage solutions fail to identify firearms. This may be especially important in a situation where a firearm must be acquired from storage quickly. However, there are often a number of visually similar, yet different, firearms available, and a particular firearm or caliber must be chosen from one of many confusingly similar firearms. For example, a display having a variety of Glock® pistols may contribute to a time-consuming effort to choose an appropriate model, due to visual similarity between models. By way of example only, Glock® models G17, G22, G20, G21, G37, and G31 are all different calibers—i.e. 9×19 mm, 0.40, 10 mm Auto, 0.45 Auto, 0.45 G.A.P., and 0.357, respectively—yet are all full sized pistol frames that are virtually visually indistinguishable from each other without close inspection.
What is needed is a firearm display apparatus that provides instant access to a firearm and additionally provides fast visual identification. The embodiments provided herein fulfil these needs, and an advance in the art is realized.

Firearm display and storage device and method