A method of controlling liquid and gaseous production within a plurality of air separation plants to produce and distribute gaseous and liquid products to a plurality of customers in which the electrical power costs involved in producing gaseous and liquid products is optimized to be at a minimum together with road shipping costs of liquid products by a real time optimization program.

Air separation plant networks include a number of pipeline distribution systems that connect multiple air separation plants to multiple customers. The air separation plants are known cryogenic distillation columns which typically separate air into oxygen and nitrogen. An auxiliary argon column can be included in such plants to also produce argon products. Liquid products, for instance, liquid oxygen and liquid nitrogen are the premium products in that energy must be expended in liquefaction and further, the liquid is typically distributed over the road by truck.
Determining production allocation of gaseous products feeding the pipeline networks is a complex decision in that the plants differ with respect to production capabilities, efficiencies, product mix and energy costs. The customer demand level is contractually based. Since the flow rate to the customer from any section of the pipeline can be correlated with the pressure measured within the pipeline, air separation production among the various plants is controlled to insure that the required pressure along pipeline sections is maintained.
Since the gas demand can change almost instantaneously, the first goal is to meet gas demand. The second goal is to insure a sufficient liquid inventory is maintained to meet local geographical liquid demand along with any liquid needed for pipeline backup.
While proper gas product allocation is limited to the plants feeding the physical pipeline, the proper decisions regarding liquid production must account for the broader liquid distribution network. Current liquid production decisions are made with the aid of modeling tools to determine the average liquid production requirements for each plant in a given region. The production target is based on current inventory, plant availability, expected energy costs and the region's expected customer demand. The decisions are reviewed daily or weekly and revised as necessary.
While the foregoing approach is adequate to make certain that customer demands are met, it does not necessarily guarantee that operating profits will be maximized. The decisions require a detailed knowledge of the performance and constraints of the plants and pipelines along with the knowledge of both the supplier and customer contracts. Furthermore, the people making the decisions are not available twenty-four hours a day to make and implement the required decisions.
Gas and liquid production needs drive the decisions around energy purchases. Air separation plants are driven by substantial amounts of electricity. In many cases, all or a portion of the required electricity must be purchased a day or more in advance. Once the power has been purchased for the next day, the operation of the particular plant must be done within the constraints of that purchase. Thus proper planning and deciding energy purchases is very important in optimizing the economics of the liquid distribution network. As a result, allocation and distribution decisions are made on short notice, with limited information regarding plant capability and efficiencies. While reasonable decisions are made, it is difficult to make the best decision all the time and profits are compromised.
In a recently published United States Application, Publication Number 20020017113, a method is provided for automatically setting a target level for at least one air separation unit in a network of air separation units. The network is controlled by a control system which generates production target levels that are representative of a network production target level and the network energy usage level. The production target level is one that minimizes the sum of the energy usage levels. The problem with this type of control system is that merely minimizing the energy usage level does not minimize the cost of energy because the cost of energy over a network can vary from plant to plant.
As will be discussed, the present invention provides a method of controlling production within a network or a plurality of air separation plants to produce and distribute liquid for a plurality of customers in such manner as the cost of energy is minimized.

Control of liquid production of air separation plant network


Aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for search space channel sensing in sidelink communication between one or more sensors/actuators (SAs) and programmable logic controller (PLC) in internet of things (IoT) applications. Particularly, the techniques described herein configure a search space (e.g., subset of all available sub-channels/resources) for transmission and reception of sidelink packets (e.g., physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) and physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH)) between the PLC from the one or more SAs. Thus, in some instances, the UE may perform congestion control metrics for a one or more search spaces in which the UE may transmit sidelink communications. The congestion control metrics that may be limited to the search space may preserve UE resources that would otherwise need to be expended to perform channel sensing on an entire resource pool prior to initiating sidelink communication.

Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various telecommunication services such as telephony, video, data, messaging, and broadcasts. Typical wireless communication systems may employ multiple-access technologies capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., bandwidth, transmit power). Examples of such multiple-access technologies include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems, and single-carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) systems.
These multiple access technologies have been adopted in various telecommunication standards to provide a common protocol that enables different wireless devices to communicate on a municipal, national, regional, and even global level. For example, a fifth generation (5G) wireless communications technology (which can be referred to as new radio (NR)) is envisaged to expand and support diverse usage scenarios and applications with respect to current mobile network generations. In an aspect, 5G communications technology can include: enhanced mobile broadband addressing human-centric use cases for access to multimedia content, services and data; ultra-reliable-low latency communications (URLLC) with certain specifications for latency and reliability; and massive machine type communications, which can allow a very large number of connected devices and transmission of a relatively low volume of non-delay-sensitive information. As the demand for mobile broadband access continues to increase, however, further improvements in NR communications technology and beyond may be desired.

Techniques for search space based channel sensing in sidelink


An external client securely accesses a private corporate network using a communications device, but without the communications device being required to communicate through the private corporate network when communicating with resources external to the private corporate network. The external client establishes a connection with the private corporate network over the public network such as the Internet using, for example, Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). The external client then provides security to the connection by running, for example, the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol over the TCP protocol. During the ensuing session with the private corporate network, the communications device establishes a subsequent connection(s) with the external resource.

1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of network communication. More specifically, the present invention relates to establishing a secure connection to a private corporate network over a public network without being restricted to communication through the private corporate network.
2. The Prior State of the Art
The Internet has transformed the way people communicate and do business. For example, electronic mail allows individuals to send electronic messages and attached documents world-wide in a matter of hours, minutes, or often even seconds. Information regarding an almost limitless amount of subjects may be retrieved from remote locations and presented to the user. Chat rooms and instant messaging allow individuals to electronically discuss various topics even though the participants are remotely located from each other.
In addition to the above forms of communication, it is often desirable for an authorized user of a private corporate network to obtain access to information in a private corporate network. For example, a user may typically use a client within a private corporate network, the corporate network being separated from the remainder of the Internet using a firewall or other security measures. That private corporate network may contain data that is interesting to the user such as documents, e-mails, and so forth. As the user travels, the user may desire to remotely access the data in the private corporate network using a client external to the private corporate network.
In order to access a private corporate network from outside of a private corporate network, one must typically establish a connection over a public network, such as, for example, the Internet. Since the data communicated between the private corporate network and the client outside the private corporate network is often sensitive in nature, the link over the public network should be secure so as to avoid eavesdropping.
One conventional protocol used to establish this secure connection over the public network is called Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP). PPTP allows an external client to establish a secure Virtual Private Network (VPN) link to a VPN access server within the private corporate network so as to guard against eavesdropping by those in the public network. Establishing a PPTP connection between a private corporate network and an external client is an effective and secure way to allow the external client access to resources within the private corporate network.
However, as long as the PPTP link is established using a communication device such as a network card or modem, any communication from the communication device must occur through the PPTP link. In a client that has only one active communication device, this means that the while the PPTP link is active, the client can only communicate through the PPTP link.
Thus, if the external client is to communicate with a Web site outside of the private corporate network, the client must either discontinue the PPTP link or else submit requests through the PPTP link to a VPN access server in the private corporate network (assuming the external client only has one active communications device). The VPN access server would supply the request to the proxy server in the private corporate network. The proxy server would then establish a connection to the desired Web site.
In the sense that all communications from the external client to resources outside of the private corporate network must pass through the proxy server of the private corporate network, it is as though the external client is part of the private corporate network. Thus, establishing a PPTP link to access a private corporate network restricts all communications going to and from the client to the PPTP link. This introduces inefficiencies in routing and causes the private corporate network to allocate memory and processing time to handling such requests even thought the desired resource and the external client are both outside of the private corporate network.
In addition, however, the communications going out of the private corporate network often open up the private corporate network to security breaches by individuals analyzing outgoing messages from the private corporate network. The use of PPTP forces communications from the communication device of the external client to pass through the private corporate network and possibly back out to the public network thus unnecessarily causing the private corporate network to establish communications outside of the private corporate network.
What is therefore desired are ways of allowing outside clients to establish a connection with their private corporate networks over a public network without restricting the client to communication through the private corporate network.

Establishing a secure connection with a private corporate network over a public network


In a hydraulic drive device for vertical pivoting movement of a load carrying platform, a first directional control valve has only three switchover positions, including a neutral position relating to operation of stopping and holding a load carrying platform, a switching position relating to operation of lifting the load carrying platform, and a switch over position relating to operation of forced lowering of the load carrying platform. A second directional control valve has only three switchover positions, including a neutral position, a switching position, and a switchover position relating to operation of allowing the load carrying platform to fall by its own weight. The device includes a first on-off valve, a second on-off valve, and a third on-off valve that are proportional control solenoid valves for switching an appropriate one of the first and second directional control valves.

Conventional technologies of this sort include the hydraulic drive system disclosed in JP-A-2001-105954. This conventional technology is equipped with a pair of hoist cylinders for vertically pivoting a body, in other words, a load carrying platform, a hydraulic pump for feeding pressure oil that operates these hoist cylinders, and a hoist valve, specifically a directional control valve arranged between the hydraulic pump and the hoist cylinders to control an operation of the hoist cylinders.
Only one directional control valve is arranged as the directional control valve. This directional control valve has four switch positions, which are a switch position for performing a platform raising operation to pivot the load carrying platform in an upward direction, a switch position for performing a platform forced-lowering operation to forcedly pivot the load carrying platform in a downward direction by pressure oil delivered from the hydraulic pump, a switch position for performing a platform free-fall permitting operation to pivot the load carrying platform in a downward direction by its own weight, and a switch position for performing a platform stay holding operation to enable the holding of an aerial stay of the load carrying platform, in other words, a neutral position. It is to be noted that the switch position for performing the above-mentioned platform free-fall permitting operation is formed between the neutral position and the switch position for performing the above-mentioned platform forced-lowering operation.
The conventional technology is constructed to also include, as a switching control means capable of outputting a pilot pressure to switch this directional control valve, a solenoid proportional pressure control valve controllable in opening area responsive to an analog signal outputted from a controller and connected to an auxiliary hydraulic pump, i.e., a pilot pump and a directional solenoid valve switchable to one of two switch positions responsive to a digital signal outputted from the controller to feed a pilot pressure, which has been outputted from the solenoid proportional pressure control valve, to one of left and right control ports of the above-mentioned directional control valve.
In this conventional technology, the solenoid proportional pressure control valve is controlled by the analog signal outputted from the controller, and the directional solenoid valve is switched by the digital signal outputted from the controller. By the pilot pressure outputted from the directional solenoid valve, the directional control valve is switched to one of the above-mentioned switch position for performing the platform raising operation, the above-mentioned switch position for performing the platform forced-lowering operation and the above-mentioned switch position for performing the platform free-fall permitting operation, whereby the pressure oil delivered from the hydraulic pump is fed to the hoist cylinder via the directional control valve to perform the corresponding operation.
When the output of the pilot pressure from the solenoid proportional pressure control valve is stopped by control from the controller, the directional control valve returns to the neutral position to perform the above-mentioned platform stay holding operation.

Hydraulic drive device for vertical pivoting movement of load carrying platform

Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.


Techniques are disclosed for managing data storage in data storage systems. The techniques comprise providing a number of RAID groups. Each RAID group relating to a respective set of data storage drives that support RAID storage in the RAID group. The techniques also comprise monitoring I/O operations to identify read-active data stored by data storage drives of a RAID group. The techniques also comprise copying the read-active data from the data storage drives of the RAID group to data storage drives of another RAID group.

Data storage systems are arrangements of hardware and software that typically include one or more storage processors coupled to arrays of non-volatile data storage drives, such as magnetic disk drives, flash solid state drives, and/or optical drives. The storage processors service host I/O operations received from host machines. The received I/O operations specify one or more storage objects (e.g. logical disks sometimes referred to as logical units or "LUNs") that are to be written, read, created, or deleted in accordance with the received I/O operations. The storage processors run software that manages incoming I/O operations and performs various data processing tasks to organize and secure the host data that is received from the host machines and then stored on the non-volatile data storage devices.
Some previous data storage systems have provided traditional RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) technology. Traditional RAID is a data storage virtualization/protection technology that can be used to combine multiple physical drives into a single logical unit to provide data redundancy and/or performance improvement. Data may be distributed across the drives in one of several ways, referred to as RAID levels or configurations, depending on the required levels of redundancy and performance. Some RAID levels employ data striping ("striping") to improve performance. In general, striping involves segmenting received host data into logically sequential blocks (e.g. sequential blocks of a logical storage object), and then storing data written to consecutive blocks in the logical sequence of blocks onto different drives. A series of consecutive logically sequential data blocks that are stored across different drives is sometimes referred to as a RAID "stripe". By spreading data segments across multiple drives that can be accessed concurrently, total data throughput can be increased.
Some RAID levels employ a "parity" error protection scheme to provide fault tolerance. When a RAID level with parity protection is used, one or more additional parity blocks are maintained in each stripe. For example, a parity block for a stripe may be maintained that is the result of performing a bitwise exclusive "OR" (XOR) operation across the data blocks of the stripe. When the storage for a data block in the stripe fails, e.g. due to a drive failure, the lost data block can be recovered by performing an XOR operation across the remaining data blocks and the parity block.
One example of a RAID configuration that uses block level striping with distributed parity error protection is 4D+1P ("four data plus one parity") RAID-5. In 4D+1P RAID-S, each stripe consists of 4 data blocks and a block of parity information. In a traditional 4D+1P RAID-5 disk group, at least five storage disks are used to store the data and parity information, so that each one of the four data blocks and the parity information for each stripe can be stored on a different disk. A spare disk is also kept available to handle disk failures. In the event that one of the disks fails, the data stored on the failed disk can be rebuilt onto the spare disk by performing XOR operations on the remaining data blocks and the parity information on a per-stripe basis. 4D+1P RAID-5 is generally considered to be effective in preventing data loss in the case of single disk failures. However, data may be lost when two or more disks fail concurrently.
Other RAID configurations provide data protection even in the event that multiple disks fail concurrently. For example, 4D+2P RAID-6 provides striping with double distributed parity information that is provided on a per-stripe basis. The double parity information maintained by 4D+2P RAID-6 enables data protection for up to a maximum of two concurrently failing drives.
In order to provide high levels of system performance and increased lifetimes for solid state drives, I/O operations received by a data storage system should be balanced both across and within the data storage drives that are connected to and/or contained within a data storage system. In particular, solid state drives are sometimes made up of multiple, individually erasable cells, each of which can be put through only a limited number of program and erase cycles before becoming unreliable. The term "wear leveling" refers to techniques for distributing I/O operations (e.g. I/O write operations) evenly across the blocks of a data storage drive (e.g. a solid state drive), in order to extend the life of the drive.
However, some previous data storage systems that have used traditional RAID have exhibited significant limitations with regard to the ability to add new disks, and with regard to the amount of time required to rebuild data onto a replacement disk in the event of a disk failure. For example, traditional RAID systems have not supported the addition of new disks on an individual disk basis, but have instead required that new storage capacity be added only in increments equal to the minimum number of disks that is required to support the specific RAID configuration, i.e. a number of disks equal to the width of the RAID stripe being used. Accordingly, for 4D+1P RAID-5 configurations, new disks could only be added to a traditional RAID system in increments of five disks at a time. For 4D+2P RAID-6 configurations, new disks could only be added to traditional RAID systems in increments of six disks. As the capacity of individual disks has increased over time with the introduction of new storage technologies, this inflexibility in traditional RAID systems with regard to adding new capacity has become increasingly burdensome and impractical.
In another example, as the total capacity of individual disks has increased, the amount of time required by traditional RAID systems to rebuild data of an entire failed disk onto a single spare disk has also increased, and the write bandwidth of the single spare disk has become a significant performance bottleneck with regard to total rebuild time. Moreover, while data previously stored on the failed disk is being rebuilt onto the spare disk, concurrent failure of one or more additional disks in a traditional RAID system during the rebuilding process may introduce the risk of data loss.
In order to address at least these shortcomings, some data storage system have adopted mapped RAID technology to improve on traditional RAID technology. In the mapped RAID technology, each data storage drive is divided into multiple contiguous regions of non-volatile data storage referred to as "drive extents" that are allocated from a drive extent pool. A RAID extent table contains a number of RAID extent entries, each one of which indicates a set of drive extents that have been allocated to that RAID extent entry, and that are used to store host data written to a corresponding RAID extent located within a logical address space representing the non-volatile storage represented by the RAID extent table. Each RAID extent entry in the RAID extent table indicates a unique set of drive extents allocated from the drive extent pool, and each drive extent allocated to a given RAID extent must be located on a different data storage drive. In this way, the drive extents indicated by a RAID extent entry are used to store the blocks of data and parity information for a stripe of non-volatile data storage represented by the RAID extent entry. Accordingly, the total number of drive extents indicated by each RAID extent entry in the RAID extent table may be the same as the number of disks used in a traditional RAID system to store data blocks and parity information for the same RAID level. For example, in a mapped RAID system supporting a 4D+1P RAID-5 configuration, each RAID extent entry in the RAID extent table indicates a total of five drive extents that are used to store the four blocks of host data, as well as the parity information block of the stripe represented by the RAID extent. In a 4D+2P RAID-6 mapped RAID configuration, two parity information blocks are indicated by each RAID extent entry to provide an increased level of fault tolerance, and each RAID extent entry in the RAID extent table indicates a total of six drive extents.
As a result of the above approach, mapped RAID technology advantageously allows for the addition of individual non-volatile data storage drives to a data storage system in order to increase the storage capacity of the system. Also, in the event that a drive fails in a mapped RAID system, spare drive extents can be allocated that are located on multiple data storage drives that contribute to the drive extent pool in order to replace the drive extents from the failed drive, thus advantageously increasing parallel processing by spreading the rebuild read and write operations across multiple data storage drives, and effectively eliminating the write bandwidth bottleneck previously caused by traditional RAID's reliance on rebuilding to a single spare disk. In this way, mapped RAID can generally reduce rebuild time in the face of a single drive failure. Moreover, as the number of data storage drives being used increases, the amount of concurrent processing may also increase, generally resulting in progressive improvement in rebuild performance for increasing numbers of data storage drives that contribute to the drive extent pool.
Unfortunately, the RAID technology described above requires a relatively significant amount of storage to remain idle until one of the storage drives fails. As a result of being unable to use this storage, the ability of data storage systems to maximize performance may be impacted. This is undesirable.

Method, apparatus and computer program product for managing raid storage in data storage systems


A first piston (21) is coupled to an output rod (2) inserted in a housing (1). A second piston (22) is inserted in the housing (1) radially outside of the output rod (2). A force multiplier (36) has a wedge space (39) and a plurality of engaging balls (40). When force multiplication driving is started, the wedge space (39) is formed between a transmitting portion (37) provided in the output rod (2) and a receiving portion (38) provided in the housing (1) so as to get narrower as it extends radially inward. Before the force multiplication driving is started, the engaging balls (40) are brought into contact with an outer circumferential surface of the output rod (2), and when the force multiplication driving is started, the engaging balls (40) are pushed out toward the wedge space (39) to engage with the transmitting portion (37).

Such a type of conventional cylinder device with a force multiplier is disclosed in Patent Literature 1 (Japanese Patent Application Publication, Tokukai, No. 2007-268625 A). The conventional technology is configured as follows:
A clamping rod serving as an output rod is inserted in a housing so as to be movable vertically. A first piston for rod is inserted in an upper part of the housing, and is fixed to the clamping rod. A first lock chamber and a first release chamber are formed above and below the first piston, respectively. A second piston for force multiplication is inserted in a lower part of the housing, and is fitted on the clamping rod so as to be movable vertically. A second lock chamber and a second release chamber are formed above and below the second piston, respectively.
In a case where the clamping rod is subjected to lock driving, the first piston and the second piston are driven downward by supplying compressed air into the first lock chamber and the second lock chamber. This first causes the first piston to drive the clamping rod downward during a low-load stroke of the lock driving, and then causes the second piston to drive the clamping rod in a force-multiplying manner via a force multiplier during a high-load stroke that follows the low-load stroke.
Conventionally, the force multiplier includes: an engagement groove provided in a lower portion of the clamping rod; and a plurality of claw members swingably supported by the lower part of the housing. During the force multiplication driving, a tapered surface of the second piston, which has been driven downward, causes the claw members to swing radially inward, so that the claw members engage with the engagement groove.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Data may be managed by a mobile data management system. The system may receive data intended for a web service system location at a first location from an external source located at a second location. In some aspects, the data may be received via an application programming interface. The system may also cause storage of the received data in at least one memory while the system is at the second location. The system may further provide the received data to the web service system while at the first location.

With the growth of cloud computing, websites and other web services that manage user data have become ubiquitous. Such sites and/or services may provide various ways for users to interact with otherwise provide the data to be managed. For example, different upload, download, processing, storage, and/or management options may be provided to the users. These sites and/or services may also provide the ability for user's to manage uploading such data from multiple different locations and/or device types. In some cases, one or more application programming interface (API) method calls may be provided to facilitate the upload, storage, and/or management of such user data. However, providing such data management options, especially for large amounts of data and/or data collected at remote locations, may pose challenges to the service providers and/or the users.


A photolithographic mask is adapted for use in imparting a pattern to a substrate. The pattern comprises a plurality of features. At least one of the plurality of features (201) is implemented in the mask as a phase shifting structure (205) with a unitary layer of opaque material (207) disposed thereon. The mask is utilized to impart the pattern to a layer over a semiconductor substrate.

As a result of innovations in integrated circuit and packaging fabrication processes, dramatic performance improvements and cost reductions have been obtained in the electronics industry. The speed and performance of chips, and hence the computer systems that utilize them, are ultimately dictated by the minimum printable feature sizes obtainable through lithography. The lithographic process, which replicates patterns rapidly from one wafer or substrate to another, also determines the throughput and the cost of electronic systems. A typical lithographic system includes exposure tools, masks, resist, and all of the processing steps required to transfer a pattern from a mask to a resist, and then to devices.
Chromeless phase lithography (CPL) is a particular lithographic technique that utilizes chromeless mask features to define circuit features with pairs of 0-degree and 180-degree phase steps. These phase steps can be obtained, for example, by etching a trench in a quartz substrate to a depth corresponding to a 180-degree phase shift at the illumination wavelength of the lithography system. Alternatively, phase shift layers can be formed as mesas on a quartz substrate.
CPL mask designs can be created by assigning circuit features to different zones or groups, based on the physical attributes of those features. One example of such a system, which is known to the art, is depicted in FIGS. 1-2. The system illustrated therein utilizes three such zones. The boundaries of each zone are defined herein for illustrative purposes only. In the system of FIGS. 1-2, circuit features having widths of 90 nm or less are assigned to Zone 1. These features are constructed with 100% transmission phase-shifted structures and are printed utilizing adjacent phase edges. Hence, these features are chromeless features. Features having a width greater than 130 nm are deemed to reside in Zone 3, and are printed utilizing chrome features. Features having widths between 90 nm and 130 nm are deemed to reside in Zone 2. The features of Zone 2 are too wide to be defined using the 100% transmission of pure CPL and may be too narrow to be printed solely in chrome, and hence are printed using a so-called 'zebra' pattern treatment. The zebra pattern treatment employs a plurality of sub-resolution chrome patches which are formed on the chromeless feature pattern to be imaged and which are intended to reduce the average optical transmission of the otherwise chromeless feature. If correctly defined on the mask, the zebra pattern treatment can result in improved lithographic margins for features that reside in Zone 2 compared to either chromeless or chrome features.
While CPL processes of the type depicted in FIGS. 1-2 have some desirable attributes, the zebra pattern utilized in these processes contains structures that are sub-resolution. Moreover, the zebra structures are secondary features formed in a second writing step which typically involves use of an optical pattern generator (the first writing step being an electron beam pattern generator used to form the primary, chromeless features). Hence, the sub-resolution features in the zebra structure may not be formed using a high resolution pattern generator and must also be registered with the primary, chromeless features. Consequently, the mask utilized to take advantage of these structures is difficult to fabricate, inspect and repair. The zebra structures also significantly increase the size of the pre- and post-fracture database, hence making fabrication of the mask a computationally intensive undertaking. Moreover, in practice, critical dimension (CD) uniformity and control on zebra structures has proven to be less than desirable.
There is thus a need in the art for a CPL mask design that overcomes the aforementioned infirmities. In particular, there is a need in the art for a method for simplifying the fabrication of CPL masks, particularly for Zone 2 features. These and other needs are met by the devices and methodologies described herein.


A high responsivity thermochromic infrared detector which has an operating temperature that is established on the steepest part of the phase transition curve and is maintained there while the infrared detector is operated.

The invention relates to infrared detection technology, and, more particularly, to a high responsivity thermochromic infrared detector and a mode of operation thereof.
Infrared (IR) sensors have been available since the 1940s to detect, measure, and image the thermal radiation emitted by objects. In general, infrared detectors operate by converting IR photons and energy to electrical signals. Detector requirements for missile seekers and forward looking infrared (FLIR) sensors led to high volume production of photoconductive (PC) HgCdTe arrays in the 1970s. However, size and performance limitations of first generation FLIRs required development of self-multiplexed focal plane arrays (FPAs) with on-chip signal processing. Second generation thermal imaging systems thus have used high-density FPAs with relatively few external connections. These second generation thermal imaging devices generally have been fabricated in monolithic and hybrid methodologies. In a monolithic FPA, the detector array and the multiplexing signal processor are integrated in a single substrate. In a hybrid FPA, the constituents, detector arrays and pre-amplifier/multiplexer, are fabricated on separate substrates and interconnected. Further, many detector and readout types are used in two basic FPA architectures of staring and scanning types. The simplest scanning device consists of a linear array in which an image is generated by scanning the scene across the strip. A staring array is the two-dimensional extension of a scanning array; it is self-scanned electronically, can provide enhanced sensitivity, and it is particularly suitable for lightweight cameras and infrared missile seekers.
In any event, FPAs use either photon or thermal detectors. Photon detection is accomplished using intrinsic or extrinsic semiconductors and either photovoltaic, photoconductive or metal insulator semiconductor technologies. Thermal detection relies on capacitive or resistive bolometers. In either case, the detector signal is coupled into a signal multiplexer and read out in video format.
Due to advanced detector materials and microelectronics, large scanning and staring FPAs are now readily available in the short wavelength infrared (SWIR; 1 to 3 .mu.m), medium wavelength infrared (MWIR; about 3 to 5 .mu.m), and long wavelength infrared (LWIR; about 8 to 14 .mu.m) spectral bands. The primary spectral bands for infrared imaging are 3-5 and 8-12 .mu.m, because atmospheric transmission is highest in these bands.
Also, with the more recent advent of inexpensive, uncooled infrared detectors, industrial and law enforcement applications of infrared cameras in particular have dramatically increased. FPA costs are currently relatively similar for all second generation, large format FPA technologies. Therefore, key factors which will determine which FPA technology will most succeed in the future likely will be improvements achieved in availability and cost.
One current vintage of IR detector type encompasses various bolometer detectors, of both resistive and capacitive varieties. Bolometers sense incident radiation via energy absorption and concomitant change in device temperature in both cooled and uncooled schemes. A microbolometer FPA for uncooled applications consists of thin-film semiconductor photoresistors micromachined on a silicon substrate. The uncooled IR FPA is fabricated as an array of microbridges with a thermoresistive element in each microbridge. The resistive microbolometers have high thermal coefficient of resistance (TCR) and low thermal conductance between the absorbing area and the readout circuit which multiplexes the IR signal. As each pixel absorbs IR radiation, the microbridge temperature changes accordingly and the elemental resistance changes. The most recent devices use semiconductor films of about 500 .ANG. thickness having TCR of 2 percent per .degree.C. The spacing between the microbridge and the substrate is selected to maximize the pixel absorption in the 8-14 .mu.m wavelength range. Standard photolithographic techniques are use to pattern the thin film to form detectors for individual pixels.
As the thermoresistive element material, suitable materials include several transition metal oxides and sulfides which exhibit thermochromic behavior, i.e., a reversible phase change from a low temperature semiconductor phase to a high temperature metallic phase. The crystal phase change occurs over a narrow temperature range (i.e., <2.degree. C.) starting at a characteristic transition temperature. The crystal phase change results in a several orders of magnitude change in electrical conductivity in the material. The crystal phase change can be very rapid, occurring within femtoseconds, and is totally reversible. However, there is usually some transition temperature hysteresis, which can be as much 10.degree. C.
A heavily investigated thermochromic material is vanadium oxide (VO.sub.2). Most frequently, its transition temperature is reported to be approximately 68.degree. C. Prior investigators have observed as much as a factor of 10.sup.5 decrease in the bulk resistivity (.omega..cm) of single crystal VO.sub.2 in a <1.degree. C. temperature interval as it transitions from a semiconductor to a metal at approximately 68.degree. C. as illustrated in FIG. 1. See, Kucharczyk, D. et al., J. Appl. Cryst., 12, 370 (1979); Paul, W., Mat. Res. Bull., 5, 691 (1970). Four orders of magnitude change in resistivity have been observed in polycrystalline thin films. See, De Natale, J. F., Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc., 374, 87 (1995); Case, F., Applied Optics, 30, 4119 (1991).
As described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,053 to Wood, a microbolometer infrared detector has been developed based on vanadium oxides, preferably VO.sub.2. A resonant cavity is formed between the detector element and the multiplexer beneath it. To accomplish this, a <1000 .ANG. thick vanadium oxide film is deposited on a thin dielectric film (e.g. a Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 film) suspended in air above a multiplexer chip by a dielectric bridge. The microbolometer FPAs are fabricated as an array of microbridges with a thermochromic material element in each microbridge. This provides good thermal isolation from the multiplexer so as not to limit the thermal responsivity of the detectors. The VO.sub.2 in such a microbolometer detector may not have a steep phase transition slope. In fact, U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,053 teaches a preferred operation of the VO.sub.2 detector in the semiconductor phase.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,976 to Cole teaches a microstructure design for high IR sensitivity having a two level infrared bolometer microstructure, the lower level having a reflective metal film surface to reflect IR penetrating to that level. The upper and lower levels are separated by an air gap of about 1-2 microns which allows the reflected IR to interfere with the incident IR and increase sensitivity to a higher level. The vanadium oxide bolometer of U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,976 is stated to be preferably operated in the semiconductor phase.
This circumstance of favoring operation of the vanadium oxide in the semiconductor phase in the above-mentioned prior art patents may be attributable, at least in part, to poor stoichiometry, poor crystalline quality (tending toward amorphous morphology), internal stress, or a combination of two or more of these factors which affect the phase transition characteristics. All of these factors are influenced by the method of deposition and post-deposition annealing.
For instance, Curve 2 in FIG. 1 of Begishev, A. R., et al., Sov. Phys. Tech. Phys., 24, (10), 1263 (1979), shows that the phase transition characteristics of oxygen deficient VO.sub.2, i.e., VO.sub.x where x<2, has a relatively small slope, and the transition temperature is shifted to approximately 25.degree. C. Based on this, the relatively low 2%/.degree.C. responsivity of a microbolometer detector device based on the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,053 indicates that the phase transition curve has a shallow slope, such as depicted in FIG. 2, or is operated in the semiconductor regime, as indicated as the preferred mode in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,286,976 and 5,450,053 themselves, where the TCR is relatively small.
An infrared camera marketed under the name of Sentinel IR camera, has been developed by Amber Engineering, a Raytheon Company, and is based on a 320.times.320 pixel focal plane array reportedly equipped with vanadium oxide microbolometer detectors of the type as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,976. The Sentinel IR camera produces nearly blemish free IR images (320.times.240 pixels) in the 8-12 .mu.m wave long-wavelength (LWIR) band. The approximately 38.7.times.38.7 .mu.m vanadium oxide detectors are integrated on a silicon CMOS multiplexer chip on 50.times.50 .mu.m centers. Since there are no indium bump-bonds in the FPA, high reliability is obtained, and the FPA is considered to be a monolithic device. The Sentinel IR camera's target detection and recognition range (kilometers) performance, however, may be limited by both resolution of its optics and low thermal responsivity (amps/watt) of the vanadium oxide detectors. A 2% change in responsivity per 1.degree. C. change in detector temperature has been reported for this camera by the manufacturer, which is consistent with the operation of its microbolometer focal plane arrays at approximately 20.degree. C., therefore, most likely in the semiconductor phase.
FIG. 3 depicts an IR detector 300 including a VO.sub.2 thermochromic detector 30, such as taught by U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,976, connected to CMOS multiplexer 31, including an intervening air gap 37, in a manner considered to be used in Amber's Sentinel IR camera. A thin film dielectric member 32 formed of Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 forms a microbridge structure that supports a vanadium oxide microbolometer detector element of approximately 38.7.times.38.7 .mu.m in an array. The detector pitch in Amber's 320.times.240 FPA is 50.times.50 .mu.m, and the fill factor is about 60%. Therefore, the detector dimensions are approximately 38.7.times.38.7 .mu.m. To connect the vanadium oxide film to a measuring circuit, the device circuitry shown includes contacts to pre-amp IC 34a, 34b, an aluminum address line 35, and a polysilicon address line 36. The thickness of the VO.sub.2 film 33 for Amber's Sentinel IR camera device is reportedly 500 .ANG. (500.times.10.sup.-8 cm). The detector is designed to have a nominal resistance of 10 K.omega.. From the detector dimensions and resistance mentioned above, one can calculate a resistivity of 5.times.10.sup.-2 .omega..cm for the vanadium oxide in the microbolometer in the Sentinel IR camera. That is comparable to the resistivity of the vanadium oxide in the phase transition region, as is evident in FIG. 1. Therefore, to achieve the nominal 10 K.omega. resistance necessary for low noise multiplexing, the VO.sub.2 detectors must be 500 .ANG. thick, which is not enough for complete absorption of incident 8-12 .mu.m IR energy in one pass. Either substantially thicker vanadium oxide material or a resonant cavity as taught by U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,976 needs to be used.
Additionally, currently used vanadium oxide based microbolometer detectors include those that are temperature stabilized at about 20.degree. C. by cooling or heating them, as appropriate, with a thermoelectric device on which the FPA is mounted. Since conventional vanadium oxide based microbolometer detectors are preferably operated in a semiconductor phase, as stated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,450,053 and 5,286,976, accurate stabilization ostensibly is not required.

High responsivity thermochromic infrared detector


The present invention relates to foodstuffs which are prepared by adding konjak paste having a pH value of 9.0 to 10.3 and relates to the process for preparing the same.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for preparing foodstuffs to which konjak is added.
More particularly, the present invention relates to a process for preparing hamburgers or the like to which konjak is added without injuring the taste of resultant foodstuffs.
According to the present invention, konjak can be added to foodstuffs without injuring its flavor by using konjak paste prepared in a pH range of from 9.0 to 10.3, preferably a pH range of 9.5,to 10.2. Such a prepared konjak additive greatly contributes to rendering foodstuffs low calorie.
2. Statement of the Prior Art
Konjak has been utilized as food from antiquity. In recent years, attention has been focused on its usefulness as a dietary product because of its non-calorie property and its ability to add dietary fibers.
However, until recently konjak has been used mostly in a board-like form provided as daily food but it has been difficult to make use of konjak as a material for processed foodstuffs, for example, to add konjak to other foodstuffs thereby to impart its peculiar texture to the foodstuff, to improve physical properties of foodstuffs or to use for calorie control.
The development of technology for adapting konjak raw materials such as konjak powders, etc. for processed foodstuff materials or foodstuff additives has heretofor been retarded.
Thus, in a conventional method for preparing konjak, 900 to 1200 liters of water is added to about 30 kg of konjak powder, the resulting mixture is swollen to make konjak paste and 3 to 6% of lime is then added to and mixed with the konjak paste.
Subsequently, the mixture is filled up in a container, a molding box or the like and heated at a temperature of about 80.degree. C. for about 60 minutes to obtain the conventional konjak product in board form. This process has been used from antiquity.
Therefore, in the case of using konjak powders as food materials for other processed foodstuffs, etc., there have been adopted techniques of finely dividing konjak into powder and adding such fine konjak powder, or swelling konjak in water and adding the konjak as konjak paste, or adding lime to konjak and adding the resulting konjak paste, etc.
However, these techniques involve a problem that konjak mannan is not gelled even at the stage of final products so that the paste state remains, a problem that a smell of slaked lime used as a solidifying agent for konjak remains, a problem that taste is deteriorated because the pH is inclined toward an alkaline side, and the like.
Accordingly, the amount of konjak to be added has been greatly limited under the actual situation though it is wished to add a much greater amount of konjak for purposes of improving physical properties or controlling the calories of the loose foodstuff.
As a result of extensive investigations to add konjak to foodstuffs without injuring the taste of such foodstuffs, the present inventors have found that by adjusting a pH value of konjak paste in a range of from 9.0 to 10.3, the alkali taste or paste-like texture can be prevented.

Process of making konjak-added foodstuffs


There are provided an artificial joint device that can realize an artificial limb enabling twisting motion without a drive source, and when with the drive source, reduce the size and costs of the device, and a parallel linkage that can realize the device. The linkage connects a foot portion and a mounting plate spaced from each other. A fixed link has one end fixed to the plate, and the other end connected to the foot portion via a ball joint, making the angle of the fixed link relative to the foot portion changeable in any direction. Expansible links extend between the foot portion and the plate in an expansible/contractible manner and each have opposite ends connected to the plate and the foot portion via respective upper and lower ball joints, making respective angles thereof relative to the foot portion and the plate changeable in any direction.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an artificial joint device and a parallel linkage, which are applied to an artificial limb, such as a prosthetic limb or a limb of a robot.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, an artificial joint device of the above-mentioned kind has been disclosed e.g. in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 11-345. The artificial joint device is applied to an ankle joint for connecting between a foot portion of an artificial leg and a leg portion of the same. The foot portion of the artificial leg has an upper end portion thereof formed with a through hole extending laterally. On the other hand, the leg portion of the artificial leg has a lower end thereof bifurcated into two arms to form a bracket with each arm having a hole formed therethrough at a location corresponding to an opening of the through hole extending laterally through the foot portion. In this artificial joint device, a shaft is fitted through the holes of the bracket and the through hole of the foot portion, which are aligned with each other, whereby the foot portion and the leg portion are capable of performing pivotal motion with respect to each other about a horizontal axis, only in the front-rear direction.
According to the above conventional artificial joint device, since the foot portion and the leg portion are allowed to perform pivotal motion with respect to each other about the horizontal axis, only in the front-rear direction, even when a person wearing the artificial leg tries to turn left or right while walking, the ankle joint portion cannot be twisted, which makes the turning motion difficult to perform. A combination of a serial linkage having three or more degrees of freedom and electric motors, used as a joint portion of a limb of a robot, is known as an artificial joint device capable of performing the twisting motion. However, this kind of artificial joint device needs at least three electric motors so as to ensure the three or more degrees of freedom and at the same time support the weight of the components of the robot. This increases the size of a power supply and that of the whole device, resulting in increased manufacturing costs of the device. Further, the increased device size and the necessity of the power supply make it difficult to apply the device to a prosthetic limb.

Parallel linkage and artificial joint device using the same


This invention provides Cephem compounds having the formula:

To date, a variety of beta-lactam drugs have been developed and beta-lactam drugs have become clinically extremely important antimicrobial drugs. However, there are increasing number of bacterial types which have obtained resistancy against beta-lactam drugs by producing beta-lactamase, which degrade beta-lactam drugs. According to the Ambler molecular classification, beta-lactamase are largely classified into four classes. Specifically, those are Class A (TEM type, SHV type, CTX-M type and the like), Class B (IMP type, VIM type, L-1 type and the like), Class C (AmpC type) and Class D (OXA type and the like). Amongst these, Classes A, C and D types are largely classified into serine-beta-lactamase, and on the other hand, Class B type is classified into metallo-beta-lactamase. It has been known that both have respectively different mechanisms to each other in terms of hydrolysis of beta-lactam drugs.
Recently, clinical problem has been occurring due to the existence of Gram negative bacteria which have become highly resistant to beta-lactam drugs including Cephems and Carbapenems by production of Class A (ESBL) or D types serine-beta-lactamase and Class B type metallo-beta-lactamase which have extended their substrate spectrum. Particularly, metallo-beta-lactamase is known to be one of the causes of obtaining multi-resistancy in Gram negative bacteria. Cephem compounds which exhibit intermediate activity against metallo-beta-lactamase producing Gram negative bacteria are known (e.g., Patent Document 1 and Non-Patent Document 1). However, there is a demand for development of Cephem compounds which exhibit more potent antimicrobial activity, in particular effectivity against a variety of beta-lactamase producing Gram negative bacteria.
One of the known antimicrobials having high anti-Gram negative bactericidal activity is Cephem compounds having a catechol group intramolecularly (e.g., Non-Patent Documents 2-4). The action thereof is that the catechol group forms a chelate with Fe3+, thereby the compound is efficiently incorporated into the bacterial body by means of Fe3+ transportation system on the cellular membrane (tonB-dependent iron transport system). Therefore, research has been conducted on compounds having catechol or similar structure thereto, on the 3-side chain or 7-side chain on the Cephem backbone.
Patent Documents 8 and Non-patent Documents 2-11 and 16 disclose compounds having a catechol or a structure similar thereto on the 3-side chain of the Cephem backbone.
Patent Document 9 and Non-patent Documents 12-15 disclose compounds having a catechol or a structure similar thereto on the 7-side chain of the Cephem backbone.
Non-patent Documents 7, 9, 10 and 12-15 describe Cephem compounds which have been stabilized against beta-lactamase.
However, these references do not disclose the compounds of the subject invention. Furthermore, these references, which describe Cephem compounds having catechol group intramolecularly, have no specific description regarding metallo-beta-lactamase of Class B type, or antibacterial activity against wide spectrum of Gram negative bacteria including Class B type.
Patent Documents 10 and 11 do not specifically disclose Cephem compounds having catechol type substituents. However, the present applicant filed a patent application for Cephem compounds having catechol type substituents (Patent Document 12).

Abstract: or an ester, a protected compound at the amino on the ring in the 7-side chain, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, or a solvate thereof, a pharmaceutical composition thereof, and a method for treating a bacterial infectious disease with the compound, the ester, the protected compound, the salt, or the solvate thereof, wherein the symbols in the formula are defined in the specification. The compounds exhibit potent antimicrobial spectrum against a variety of bacteria including Gram negative bacteria and/or Gram positive bacteria, preferably beta-lactamase producing Gram negative bacteria, more preferably, multi-drug resistant microbials, in particular, Class B type metallo-beta-lactamase producing Gram negative bacteria, and still preferably extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing bacteria. The compounds most preferably do not exhibit cross-resistance against known Cephem drugs or Carbapenem drugs.


A system and method for a multi-function remote ambulatory cardiac monitoring system. The system includes a microprocessor for controlling the remote ambulatory cardiac monitoring system and a non-transitory computer readable medium associated with the microprocessor. The non-transitory computer readable medium includes instructions to perform one of the following modes: EKG mode, ECG Holter mode, or MCT/Event mode. The system also includes a controller connected to the microprocessor. The controller initiates or switches the functionality of the remote ambulatory cardiac monitoring system by causing the microprocessor to initiate one of the EKG mode, ECG Holter mode, or MCT/Event mode.

If you or your doctor have concerns about the function of your heart or other similar organ you may embark on a multi-step evaluation that may include many different tests for example a resting 12-lead EKG test, an EKG stress test, a 24-hour Holter monitor evaluation and or a 30-day MCT/Event monitoring. These tests and others utilize many different and specialized tools due to some of the conflicting requirements of the tests or the equipment. For example, some of the tests must be done in a doctor's office or a hospital or lab because of the cost and power consumption of the test tools and it would be unrealistic to conduct a 30-day MCT analysis with the patient confined to the hospital, or worse, the doctor's office.
Some of the evaluation tests are also challenging because of the limitations enforced by the ability of the medical system to derive adequate compensation for the work necessary. For example, an MCT monitor analysis of a patient may be conducted for up to 30 days. The equipment to perform this monitoring and analysis must be portable, low-power, durable and accurate. The necessity of low-power and durable equipment forces the equipment designers to cut corners on real-time data analysis. As a result, many false positive events generate excessive data that requires expensive medical professional time to review. Thus, the doctor ordering the test (and the insurance company looking over his shoulder) must be cognizant that the test, and the analysis of the resulting data could cost more than anyone will be paid to perform the test.


A method is provided for coupling a shoe worn by a user onto a coupling mount on a wakeboard by a step-in action. A binding comprises a coupler on either the shoe or wakeboard and a corresponding coupling mount on the other of the shoe or wakeboard to receive the coupler.

Wakeboarding is a sport which combines aspects of surfing, water skiing, skateboarding, and snowboarding. The wakeboard is longer than a skateboard but shorter than a surfboard and is used as a single water ski. Typically, boots which receive the rider""s feet are mounted to the wakeboard and require the rider to strap his or her feet into the boots.
The stance position of a rider""s feet on the wakeboard refers to the angular relationship formed between the midline (lengthwise) of the rider""s foot and the midline (lengthwise) of the wakeboard itself. The stance position is selected by the rider setting the boots in a particular fixed relationship to the wakeboard during downtime of the wakeboard.
The wakeboard binding of the invention permits quick coupling and release of the rider""s shoe to and from the wakeboard at the rider-selected angular stance position. The binding comprises a coupler for attachment to either a shoe or a wakeboard, a corresponding coupling mount attached to the other of the shoe or wakeboard. Either the coupler or the coupling mount includes a locking member, and the other includes an opening for receiving the locking member. The coupling mount and coupler are configured to engage with each other to lock the shoe onto the wakeboard while the user is wearing the shoe by a step-in motion. When engaged the locking member received within the opening prevents rotation of the shoe relative to the wakeboard. A method is provided for attaching a shoe to a wakeboard comprising the step of lockingly engaging a coupler attached to a user""s shoe to a coupler mount attached to a wakeboard by the act of the user wearing the shoe stepping onto the coupling mount on the wakeboard.


A method to initialize information disposed in an information storage and retrieval system comprising a data cache and one or more information storage media comprising a plurality of addresses. The method receives an initialization command, where that initialization command comprises a range of addresses and, optionally, an initialization pattern, where the plurality of addresses includes the range of addresses. The method forms and saves state information, where that state information includes the initialization pattern, and generates and saves a plurality of indicators, where that plurality of indicators includes an indicator for each track comprising the range of addresses. The method sets each of those indicators to a first value thereby indicating special handling, and provides an ending status signal, such that the receiving step, forming step, generating step, setting step, and providing step are performed substantially synchronously.

Information storage and retrieval systems are used to store information provided by one or more host computer systems. Such information storage and retrieval systems receive requests to write information to one or more information storage devices, and requests to retrieve information from those one or more information storage devices. Upon receipt of write request, the system stores information received from a host computer in a data cache. In certain implementations, a copy of that information is also stored in a nonvolatile storage device. Upon receipt of a read request, the system recalls information from the one or more information storage devices and moves that information to the data cache.
Thus, the system is continuously moving information to and from storage devices, and to and from the data cache. One or more communication links interconnect one or more device adapters and the one or more information storage devices.
Over time, some of the information written to the one or more information storage devices is changed, i.e. updated, and revised files are separately saved. Thus, an information storage and retrieval system may, at certain times, store both historical data, i.e. superceded data, along with current data. To free up storage space in the information storage and retrieval system, the historical data may be erased.
Using prior art methods, erasing data may require a lengthy interconnect time interval for a host computer. With the need for "24×7" data processing, what is needed is a method to erase data, where that method does not tie up host computer resources.

Apparatus and method to initialize information disposed in an information storage and retrieval system

Inernational Business Machines Corporation


A developer supply container supplies developer to a developer receiving portion of a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The container includes a developer accommodator, a discharge opening, a stirring member, a first receiver receiving a stirring member driving force from a first transmitter in the main assembly, a member opening and closing the opening, a second receiver receiving a force moving the openable member, and a second transmitter transmitting a force to the second receiver through a main assembly relay. By mounting the container to the main assembly, engagements are established between the first transmitter and the first receiver, between the second transmitter and the relay, and between the relay and the second receiver, so that a force is transmittable from the first transmitter to the first receiver, and a is transmittable from the second transmitter to the second receiver.

Here, an electrophotographic image forming apparatus means an apparatus which forms an image on recording medium, with the use of an electrophotographic image forming method. As examples of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer (for example, laser beam printer, LED printer, etc.), a facsimileing machine, a wordprocessor, etc., can be included.
An image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine, a laser beam printer, etc., records an image by selectively exposing numerous points of the uniformly charged photosensitive drum, forming thereby a latent image; developing the latent image with the use of developer, forming an image of the developer; and transferring the image formed of the developer, onto recording medium. This type of image forming apparatus must be supplied with developer each time it runs out of developer. There are roughly two types of a developer supply container for supplying an image forming apparatus with developer: the so-called dumping type, and the cartridge type, that is, the type which is left in the main assembly of an image forming apparatus until it runs out of the developer therein. In the case of the dumping type, the entirety of the developer in the developer supply container is emptied all at once into the buffer portion of the main assembly of the image forming apparatus. In the case of the cartridge type, the developer supply container is mounted into the main assembly of the image forming apparatus to be left therein, and the developer in the developer supply container is gradually released to be supplied to the developing apparatus until the developer supply container becomes depleted of the developer therein.
In recent years, various developer supply containers of the latter type, or the cartridge type, have been proposed from the standpoint of the prevention of the contamination which is liable to occur while supplying an image forming apparatus with developer, and the operability of an image forming apparatus. Some of them are provided with a shutter which is opened or closed to seal or unseal the opening, as the developer outlet, of the container while the container is in the main assembly, and some of them are provided with a stirring member which is disposed in the container to internally convey the developer therein and discharge it while the container is in the main assembly (Patent Document 1).
These proposals make it possible to provide a developer supply container of the cartridge type, which is superior in operability. They also make it possible to prevent the main assembly of an image forming apparatus from being subjected to an excessive amount of load when the main assembly is supplied with developer. Further, they make it possible to simplify a developer supply container itself in structure.
[Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 3408166]
In recent years, however, not only has a compact image forming apparatus main assembly been increasing in demand, but also, the need has been increasing for making compact the developer supplying unit which is for mounting a developer supply container into the main assembly, and also, has the function of supplying the main assembly with the developer in the developer supply container.
However, a developer supply container of the cartridge type, and the developer supplying unit in which a developer supply container of the cartridge type is mounted, are given the function of opening or closing the shutter while the developer supply container is in the main assembly of an image forming apparatus, and the function of moving the stirring member by receiving driving force from the main assembly of an image forming apparatus. Therefore, they are more complicated in mechanical structure, being more difficult to reduce in size, and also, in the space occupied, compared to a developer supply container of the dumping type.
Further, they are limited in terms of the direction from which a developer supply container can be mounted into the main assembly of an image forming apparatus, because of the restrictive relationship between the developer supplying unit and the other units in the internal space of the main assembly, and also, the restriction arising from the limitation in the size of the space necessary to set the main assembly (which includes not only the actual size of the main assembly, but also, the size of the space necessary for opening or closing the cover thereof, space necessary for replacing a disposable member, for example, a developer supply container, etc.). Moreover, there is the restriction regarding the visibility of a developer supply container and the developer supplying unit during the mounting of the developer supply container, and/or the posture which an operator is required to assume to mount a developer supply container into the main assembly, or remove it therefrom, that is, whether or not a user can replace a developer supply container while standing upright. In other words, there are various restrictions regarding the design of the main assembly of an image forming apparatus, in particular, the direction from which the main assembly of an image forming apparatus can be accessed for the mounting of a developer supply container. From the standpoint of being superior in the posture which a user is required to assume to operate an image forming apparatus, there is high demand for such a design that allows a developer supply container to be mounted into the image forming apparatus main assembly from above.
In other words, the employment of a developer supply container of the cartridge type and the developer supplying unit therefore tends to reduce the main assembly of an image forming apparatus in terms of the latitude in its design: a designer of the main assembly of an image forming apparatus is forced to design the main assembly so that the main assembly can be accessed from above for the installation and replacement of a developer supply container.
Thus, there have been designed various developer supply containers of the cartridge type, which can deal with the concerns regarding the direction from which a developer supply container can be mounted into the main assembly of an image forming apparatus while meeting the above described demands. However, it has been found that they suffer from the following problems.
The first problem is: In order to position the portion of the driving force transmitting mechanism for transmitting the force for opening or closing the aforementioned shutter, and the portion of the driving force transmitting mechanism for receiving the force for driving the aforementioned stirring member, on the same side (surface) of a developer supply container, it is necessary for the two driving transmitting mechanisms of the main assembly of an image forming apparatus to be placed close to each other. Thus, this design is limited in terms of the extent of size reduction, in consideration of the interference among the driving force transmission mechanisms on the main assembly side, and the like factors. Further, the developer supply container side has a problem similar to the above described problem of the main assembly. That is, it is extremely difficult to position the two driving force transferring portions, that is, the stirring member driving force receiving portion and shutter driving force transmitting portion, of a developer supply container, on one of the surfaces of the developer supply container designed for compactness, while taking into consideration the interference between the stirring member driving force receiving portion and shutter driving force transmitting portion of the developer supply container, and the driving mechanism on the main assembly side, which is likely to occur during the installation or removal of the developer supply container.
The second problem is: The image forming apparatus and developer supply containers were structured so that the developer supply containers are mounted into the main assembly of an image forming apparatus from such a direction that as they are mounted into the main assembly, they are subjected to the reactive forces which occur in each of the driving portions. Therefore, in order to prevent such operational errors as pulling a developer supply container out of the main assembly when opening or closing the shutter after the mounting of the developer supply container into the main assembly, or while the stirring member is receiving the force for driving it, it was necessary to provide an independent means for regulating the movement of a developer supply container in the direction in which a developer supply container is to be removed from, or mounted into, the main assembly. In particular, in the case that the transmission of driving force is accomplished by the meshing of the meshing of the gears, as the driving force is transmitted from one gear to the other, reactive force is generated in the direction to separate the two gears (in the direction to increase the distance between the rotational axes of the two gears). Therefore, unless the shifting of the two gears is regulated, it is possible that tooth skipping or the like occurs between the two gears, inviting such problems as unsatisfactory stirring of the developer, unsatisfactory opening of the shutter, or the like.
For example, in the case of a developer supply container such as the one disclosed in the referential document quoted in the background technology section of this document, when the stirring member is rotationally driven, and also, when the shutter is opened or closed, a developer supply container is subjected to the reactive force which is generated by the driving portions in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which a developer supply container is mounted into the main assembly. However, this movement of a developer supply container, which is likely to be caused by the abovementioned reactive force from the driving portion as soon as the developer supply contain is mounted, can be prevented by the guides or the like, with which the developer supply container accommodating portion of the main assembly is provided. Therefore, problems such as the above described ones did not occur.

Developer supply container and image forming apparatus


A carrying and storage case for fishing rods with attached reels and accessories is disclosed. The case is comprised of a durable fabric substantially rectangular in shape, the case has a plurality of adjacent elongate pockets which extend from one end of the case to the other end with the opening for each sequential pocket located on alternating ends of the case. The pockets are widest at the opening and narrow towards the opposite end of the pocket. The pocket and openings are sized to permit insertion of a fishing rod with attached reel into the pocket. Flaps on each end of the case fold over the openings of the pockets. The case has a plurality of straps with interlocking fabric extending from the top of the case whereby the case may be rolled up and secured by the straps in the rolled-up position with rods and attached reels in the pockets. The case has a handle and/or shoulder strap for carrying.

Transportation and storage of fishing rods and reels typically requires disassembly of the rods from the reels, enclosing the rods in rigid tubes and putting the reels in separate cloth bags or boxes. Typically, the tubes, bags, or boxes only accommodate a single rod or reel.
The time and inconvenience of disassembly often means that the rods and reels are transported or stored without disassembly. This can subject the equipment to entanglement or damage. Also, failure to enclose the equipment in cases can lead to damage from moisture, accumulation of dirt and dust on the equipment, and the fading of coloring or graphics on the equipment.


The present invention is a webbing take-up device in which the pulling out amount of the webbing can easily be ensured during an emergency of a vehicle. During an emergency of the vehicle, the webbing take-up shaft (16) in the webbing take-up device (10) is locked by a pair of energy absorbing gears (22). When winding/tightening load of a webbing (14) increases, the fastening force by which a male thread (46) of the energy absorbing gear (22) is screwed into a female thread (44) of an energy absorbing ring (34) increases. Accordingly, when force of a predetermined value or more has been applied to a shear pin (50) and the shear pin (50) is bent in a direction of arrow H, the energy absorbing gear (22) can rotate in a fastening direction so that the webbing (14) is fed out.

A conventional example of the so-called Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR), a webbing take-up device with a locking mechanism for locking a webbing when acceleration of a predetermined value or more has been applied to a vehicle during an emergency, or the like is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-101310 and is known.
As shown in FIG. 6, in this webbing take-up device, a wheel shaped member 72 is formed by effecting a curving process on a steel plate having a plurality of circular flanges 71 which can be deformed due to winding/tightening load of the webbing 70. This wheel shaped member 72 is fitted onto the outer circumferential portion of a webbing take-up shaft 74, and the webbing 70 is taken up around the outer circumferential portion of the webbing take-up shaft 74. Accordingly, when the webbing take-up shaft 74 is locked and the winding/tightening load of the webbing 70 increases and becomes a predetermined value or more, the circular flanges 71 deform or collapse due to the winding/tightening load of the webbing 70. The diameter of the webbing take-up portion gets smaller and the webbing 70 is fed out. For this reason, it is possible to feed out a predetermined amount of the webbing 70 without increasing the winding/tightening load of the webbing 70, during which an optimal state of the webbing 70 can be maintained.
However, in this webbing take-up device, a feeding amount of the webbing 70 is determined by a variation amount of the diameter of a take-up portion of the webbing 70, i.e., a collapsing amount of each of the circular flanges 71 in a height H direction thereof. For this reason, in order to increase the feeding length of the webbing 70, the height H of the circular flange 71 must be increased. However, because the whole size of the webbing take-up device is restricted, the height H of the circular flange 71 cannot be increased to a large degree. As a result, it is difficult for the webbing take-up device to obtain an optimal webbing pulling out amount.
In the related art, Japanese Patent Application Laid Open (JP-A) No. 3-159842 discloses an example of a webbing take-up device in which, when the value of load which has been applied to the webbing is high, energy is absorbed by moving a mounting bracket for mounting the webbing take-up device to an inner panel of the device, toward the inner panel. Japanese Patent Application Laid Open (JP-A) No. 64-32260 discloses an example of a webbing take-up device in which, when the value of impact force which has been applied to the webbing is large, the webbing is steadily fed by impact damping means.
In view of the aforementioned facts, it is an object of the present invention to provide a webbing take-up device in which the optimal pulling out amount of the webbing can easily be ensured during an emergency of a vehicle.


The present invention relates to a solar power generation apparatus, which comprises: torque tubes which are arranged to form a plurality of columns; a plurality of solar panels which are installed along each torque tube; posts which rotatably support each torque tube; lever arms which are coupled with each torque tube; a linkage which is disposed on the lower side of the torque tubes and is connected to each lever arm; an actuator which reciprocates the linkage in the longitudinal direction of the linkage, thereby rotating the torque tubes around an axis based on the longitudinal direction of the torque tubes; and a bed frame which is installed between some of the plurality of posts, wherein the actuator is supported thereon.

In order to achieve said technical challenges, the present invention is a synthetic resin bearing for a photovoltaic tracking system including the first and second bearing members coupled with each other for forming a bearing assembly, wherein each of the first and second bearing members comprises of a pair of side plate members facing each other; a friction member positioned between the outer peripheral portions of the pair of side plates and having an arc shaped section; and a reinforcement member for connecting the pair of side plates and the friction member, and the first and second bearing members have a coupling protrusion and a concave portion for receiving the coupling protrusion at the coupling surfaces thereof.
Accordingly, the present invention is to provide the bearing with synthetic resin instead of a metal material and maintaining the proper friction coefficient which made it unnecessary for the addition of a lubricant. The said synthetic resin includes polyamide, PTFE or PEEK material. In addition, the interior of said bearing assembly is not fully filled but is composed of plates such as reinforcement members linked with said plates and friction members and partially empty spaces inside. By doing this, it can reduce the overall weight and reduce the usage of material. It can also prevent molding defects such as shrinkage during the molding process.
On the other hand, in terms of a power generation system using solar energy, a large number of solar panels are generally installed on a vast area of flat land and as it is impossible to install more than 2 panels of solar panels to overlap, a vast space of land is required. Because of this, the power transmission structure to deliver a power generated from an actuator to each solar panel is complex and the power loss during the transmission is increased as well.
In addition, if you consider the cost of installation, a large number of solar panels must be installed in the limited land space but since separate space for an actuator is necessary, the usage of the space becomes low.
In addition, said torque tube is a type that extends to one direction, as deformation during the installation and transportation stage can be possible, it is not easy to correctly couple with said post. As the solar power generation apparatus is generally installed outside area which is not flat, it is very difficult to install each component as it is designed.

Solar power generation apparatus capable of tracking sunlight


An optical apparatus for ranging and communication in free space comprises a rangefinder comprising a device for transmitting an optical signal to a target and a device for receiving the signals backscattered by the target. A system for optical communication in free space comprises a device for transmitting an optical signal to a remote optical receiving device. The transmitting device of the rangefinder and transmitting device of the communication system is a transmitting device common to the rangefinder and communication system and transmitting pulses of peak power greater than 50 W and shape factor less than 0.01 or a modulated continuous signal of peak power less than 10 W and shape factor equal to approximately 0.5 and the apparatus comprises a supervisor controlling the common transmitting device according to two modes, the pulse mode to perform the ranging function, or the modulated continuous mode to perform the optical communication function.

A rangefinder is used to measure the distance separating it from a target. An optical rangefinder uses the propagation of the light as a measurement means. It comprises a transmitter and a receiver. It transmits light toward the target and detects a fraction of this light returned by the target. The distance is obtained based on the propagation time back and forth of the light from the transmitter to the receiver. The transmission is modulated in time. The transmitted light transports this modulation to the target. The light is absorbed by the atmosphere along the outward path. It is then absorbed and reflected or backscattered by the target and then absorbed by the atmosphere on the return path; it is diluted along the return path by a factor proportional to the square of the distance. A fraction of this returned light transports the modulation to the receiver of the rangefinder. This time modulation makes it possible to identify the start of the pulse and identify its return by the receiver. The elapsed time between these two events makes it possible to calculate the distance between the rangefinder and the target based on the speed of propagation of the light in the media that are passed through.
When the distance increases, the quantity of light detected decreases rapidly. To increase the ranging distance despite these atmospheric losses, the following ways are possible:                increasing the energy per pulse, but this increase is limited by the constraints of ocular safety and by the volume of the transmitter which increases with the energy per pulse,        increasing the dimension of the receiving pupil but this increases the dimensions of the system,        increasing the sensitivity of the receiver with multipulse systems using micro-lasers or fiber optic lasers. This makes it possible to use post-integration. There is increase in the mean power (energy per pulse×rate) without increasing the energy per pulse.
Currently there are three main categories of laser rangefinders.                Rangefinders having a modulated continuous transmission        Multipulse rangefinders        Monopulse rangefinders
The rangefinders having a modulated continuous transmission are used with cooperative targets of which the measurement time is not critical. A cooperative target is for example fitted with a back reflector, and therefore returns the light in a narrow cone in the direction of the transmitter. The system is designed so that reception is possible and during transmission.
For noncooperative targets situated at long distances of the order of several tens of km, the rangefinders usually use a single pulse of great energy limited by ocular safety in the conditions of use: the integrated exposure over 10 seconds, for a wavelength of between 1.5 and 1.8 μm, must remain below 10 000 J/m2. This limit, depending on the applications, allows energies per pulse of from a few millijoules to several tens of millijoules. To achieve good distance accuracy, the pulses have a very short duration: of the order of 10 ns. Detection of the echoes is not possible during the transmission of the pulses.
For short distances (<10 km), it is possible to use laser diodes as a transmitter. The energy per pulse is very low. The performance is obtained by multiple pulses with detection with post-integration. The pulse duration of the order of 10 to 50 ns is very low compared with the period between the pulses which is of the order of 1 to 50 μs. During transmission, reception is blind. The diffusion of the transmitted light by the atmosphere over a short distance (from a few meters to a few tens of meters) blinds reception. Beyond this, detection takes place during the period between the pulses. Detection of the echo is a detection of energy.
Post-integration has certain drawbacks.
Specifically, note that:
if, for a transmitted pulse, there is for the echo a signal-to-noise ratio S/B,
therefore n transmitted pulses gives (nS)/(n1/2 B), or (n1/2 S)/B, hence an improvement of factor n1/2.
But in the case of post-integration, the frequency of repetition of the pulses (or rate) limits the distance that can be achieved because of the ambiguity concerning the distance. This ambiguity occurs when a detected pulse originates either from the last transmitted pulse, returned by a close target, or from a pulse transmitted earlier and returned by a distant target, without it being possible to determine between these 2 alternatives which target is measured. By accepting a larger timescale of blind reception, each pulse can be replaced by a pulse train.
An optical system for high bit-rate communication in free space also comprises a laser transmitting device for an optical signal and if the communication is two-way, it also comprises a device for receiving the optical signals transmitted by another communication system. The optical signal transmitted is a rapid succession of pulses at a period of repetition typically between 1 ns and 20 ms. The gaps between the pulses have periods similar to the pulse widths. Digital data consist of 0s and 1s. Each data bit is associated with a unitary period: a pulse during this unitary period represents a 1, no pulse during this period represents a 0. The data sequences are also usually encoded by successions of pulses and by periods between the pulses. The peak power of the communication pulses is on average double the mean power of the communication transmission. The transmission is of the modulated continuous type on two levels 0 and 1. In the rest of the description, such a succession of pulses modulated in this way is called the optical communication signal. Several examples (16 examples) of high bit-rate communication signals are shown in FIG. 3b. Over the first 10 ns, the example of the 4th channel corresponds to the following digital sequence: 00100110010.
The transmitting device of the rangefinder and that of the communication system therefore obey contradictory constraints, and their receiving devices. Hence the use of two independent devices for performing the functions of long-range ranging and of high bit-rate optical communication in free space.
Such apparatus are then bulky and heavy. The object of the invention is to alleviate these drawbacks.

Apparatus and optical method of ranging and of high bit-rate communication


A method of controlling a function of a surgical instrument of a surgical robot with a input of a user interface includes selecting a function of a surgical instrument to link a input of the user interface with the function of the surgical instrument, actuating the input to activate the function of the surgical instrument, and delinking the input from the surgical instrument in response to an event of the surgical robot or the user interface.

Robotic surgical systems have been used in minimally invasive medical procedures. During such a medical procedure, the robotic surgical system is controlled by a surgeon interfacing with a user interface. The user interface allows the surgeon to manipulate a surgical instrument that acts on a patient. The user interface includes a handle or gimbal that is moveable by the surgeon to control the robotic system. In some instances, an input of the user interface controls a function of a surgical instrument associated with one of the handles such as clamping of jaws, firing fasteners, firing a knife, delivering electrosurgical energy, etc. The input can be a foot pedal, a trigger, a button, or another suitable input.
During a medical procedure surgical instruments associated with each handle can be swapped such that it may be difficult to know which function is linked with a particular input. In addition, after a period of time has elapsed, a surgeon may not realize that a function is still linked with an input such that a function of the surgical instrument is inadvertently activated.
There is a continuing need for improved linking, safeguards, and control of inputs with surgical instruments of robotic surgical systems.

Event initiated release of function selection control for robotic surgical systems


A method for producing a methanol solvate of D-tartrate of (R)-1,1,3-trimethyl-4-aminoindane, the method comprising steps (a), (b), and (c) below, and comprising adding water to a reaction system before step (c):                step (a) of mixing 1,1,3-trimethyl-4-aminoindane, D-tartaric acid, and methanol to provide a mixture containing a methanol solvate of D-tartrate of (R)-1,1,3-trimethyl-4-aminoindane;        step (b) of cooling the obtained mixture; and        step (c) of retrieving the methanol solvate of D-tartrate of (R)-1,1,3-trimethyl-4-aminoindane.

Patent Document 1 describes that (R)-1,1,3-trimethyl-4-aminoindane represented by formula (1)
is a useful synthetic intermediate of an agricultural and horticultural fungicide having a plant disease-control effect and describes, and a production method thereof, which is a method of optically resolving 1,1,3-trimethyl-4-aminoindane (racemate) represented by formula (2)
with D-tartaric acid in methanol. Patent Document 1, however, does not mention addition of water for the production of (R)-1,1,3-trimethyl-4-aminoindane.

Method for producing (R)-1, 1, 3-trimethyl-4-aminoindane