As computer systems having high availability, HA clusters (High Availability clusters) and FT servers (Fault Tolerant servers) of a hot standby structure have been known.
An HA cluster is intended to make a system redundant by connecting a plurality of servers with one another. If a failure occurs in the currently used (active) server, processing is taken over by another server prepared as a standby system, so it seems that the cluster operates normally as a whole. Main methods thereof include an active-standby method and a replication method.
In an HA cluster of an active-standby method, the active system and the standby system share a storage. The active system writes application-dependent information necessary for synchronizing the standby system in the shared storage, and the standby system performs recovery processing with use of such information at the time of failover. As such, it is impossible to achieve availability transparently, when viewed from the applications and the OS. Further, it takes time for failover, and the services cannot be provided during that time.
In an HA cluster of a replication method, each of the active system and the standby system has a storage, independently. A request which reaches the application of the working system is transferred to the standby system, causing the standby system to have state transition which is the same as the active system. In general, making the states of a plurality of systems conform with each other is called synchronization. When a failure occurs in the working system and the working system stops, as the application state of the standby system is synchronized with the active system, it is possible to separate the active system and switch the processing to the standby system to thereby continue the service. However, as the replication mechanism must be added to each of the applications to be clustered, it is impossible to achieve the availability transparently when viewed from the applications and the OS.
As described above, in an HA cluster, it is necessary to add availability-conscious mechanism to the applications and the OS. On the other hand, in the case of an FT server, it is possible to continue services transparently without the need for particular processing by the applications and the OS. The approaches to realize an FT server include a hardware approach and a software approach.
In an FT server of a hardware approach, main hardware components such as a CPU, a memory, and a storage are made redundant, and if a failure occurs in any of the components, such a component is separated so as to continue operation. Under a definition that a module including a CPU, a memory, and a chip set is a CPU subsystem, and that a module including various IO devices is an IO subsystem, in a typical FT server in which components are duplexed, the methods for duplexing the CPU subsystem and for duplexing the IO subsystem are different. In the CPU subsystems, the operations of the hardware are caused to conform with each other completely in clock units. This is called lock-step. As the duplex CPU subsystems perform completely the same operations, when a failure occurs, the CPU subsystem in which the failure has occurred is separated logically, and the operation is instantly switched to the normal CPU subsystem to continue operation. In the IO subsystems, although they do not operate in lock-step, when a failure occurs, the operation is immediately switched to the other IO subsystem. An FT server of a hardware approach is able to realize an extremely high availability. However, as it is configured of special hardware, it takes a higher introduction cost compared with general servers of similar performance.
On the other hand, an FT server of a software approach uses a virtual technique which enables one or a plurality of OSs to operate on a physical computer. A computer virtually constructed on a physical computer is called a virtual computer or a virtual machine. In an FT server of a software approach, physical computers are made redundant, and a virtual computer of an active system and a virtual computer of a standby system are arranged on different physical computers, respectively. When a failure such as a hardware error occurs on the physical computer to which the virtual computer of the active system belongs, the processing performed by the virtual computer is continuously performed by the virtual computer of the standby system on the other physical computer. In order to continue the service transparently when viewed from the application and the OS, the FT server of the software approach performs processing to conform the states of the virtual computers of the active system and the standby system with each other, namely, synchronization.
Methods for synchronizing the virtual computers of the active system and the standby system mainly include two methods, namely a virtual lock-step method and a checkpoint method. In a virtual lock-step method, an input to the virtual computer of the active system is also given to the virtual computer of the standby system so as to make the state of the virtual computer of the standby system transit in the same manner as that of the virtual computer of the active system. This method has an advantage that the quantity of data required for synchronization between the virtual computers is small. However, if the types of the CPUs of the active system and the standby system are different, there is a problem that the systems do not operate.
On the other hand, in a checkpoint method, images of the virtual computer of the active system (CPU, memory, storage, etc.) are periodically transmitted to the standby system so as to make the state of the virtual computer of the standby system conform with the state of the virtual computer of the active system. In the checkpoint method, implementation is relatively easy compared with the virtual lock-step method, and as it does not depend on a particular function of the CPU, there is an advantage that this method can be implemented in a variety of products. However, as images of the virtual computer have a large quantity of data, there is a problem that overhead for one time of synchronization is larger than that of the virtual lock-step method.
In order to solve this problem, a technique of transmitting only images of the virtual computer of the active system, which are updated after the previous checkpoint, has been proposed as first related art of the present invention (see Non-Patent Document 1 shown below, for example). In the first related art, when a checkpoint comes, the virtual computer of the active system is suspended so as to interrupt update to the main memory, and a local copy of all of the dirty pages, which are pages in the main memory having been updated after the previous checkpoint, is created in the buffer provided in the main memory. When a local copy has been created, the suspended virtual computer of the active system is restarted, and along with it, the copied dirty pages are transferred from the buffer to the standby system.    Non-Patent Document 1: Brendan Cully, and 5 others, “Remus: High Availability via Asynchronous Virtual Machine Replication”, [online], [searched on Sep. 5, 2012], Internet <URL: http://www.cs.ubc.ca/{tilde over ( )}andy/papers/remus-nsdi-final.pdf>
However, creating local copies of all of the pages to be transferred in the memory requires a reasonable processing time. In the above-described first related art of the present invention, updating of the memory must be suspended until the entire data to be transferred has been copied completely. As such, the performance of the computer deteriorates.


Chinese culinary art is extensive and profound and has a variety of cooking techniques, which mainly comprise: stir frying, stewing, deep frying, boiling, steaming, pan frying, grilling, etc. The essence of various cooking techniques is to cook ever-changing dishes with various tastes and flavors by changing food match and controlling heating. Up to now, cooking process involves a lot of manual labor and relies very much on the cooker's experience and skills.
There exists some automated cooking machines, however, they normally cannot realize fully-automatic operation from feeding raw ingredients into the wok till pouring the cooked food out of the wok. More particularly, existing automated cooking machines cannot automatically pour the cooked food out of the wok or put accessory ingredients and raw food easily, and thus manual operation is still required during the cooking process. In addition, existing automatic operation program only has single function to cook dishes with same flavor and cannot be popular used.


This invention relates in general to a mechanical governor for an internal combustion engine, and more particularly to a cam shaft torque controlling device for an all-speed type of mechanical governor for a Diesel engine fuel injection pump in which the engine speed control range is set or determined by the position of a movable control lever.
As is well known, in existing governor assemblies, especially those for Diesel engines adapted to construction vehicles, speed control is implemented in the same manner for lower loads or lower torque ranges as it is for maximum load and torque conditions during a construction operation.
FIG. 3 shows a plot of engine rotation speed N versus the position of the injection pump control rod R, which represents the amount of load exerted on or torque exerted by the engine. The rotation speed N.sub.B and the corresponding position of the control rod R.sub.B for a maximum engine output under full load setting is plotted, as is a predetermined low rotation speed N.sub.C, which is 50% lower than the rated speed, and the position of the control rod R.sub.C for a maximum engine output under full-load. In a conventional governor assembly, when the load is lower than R.sub.B speed control is effected as in an ordinal type of all-speed mechanical governor. If the load exceeds R.sub.B, however, the control rod must be shifted a distance Q (from R.sub.B to R.sub.C) in accordance with the speed deceleration curve from N.sub.B to N.sub.C in order to prevent the engine from suddenly stopping or stalling due to the increased (over capacity) load. This sharp speed slowdown alerts the operator to the overload, and enables him to back the machine off and/or shift to a lower gear ratio before the engine stalls. To implement this control function a torque spring is usually employed in the governor assembly. This presents a drawback, however, in that since the torque spring is operable or functioning at all times and for all load conditions, engine output shortages are unnecessarily caused thereby even during partial or reduced load operations.


This invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing waistband-equipped disposable diapers and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus wherein the usual processing steps performed or normal features added without having to go to extraordinary lengths to maintain the waistbands in their original tensioned condition. This has been a problem especially in diapers of the adult brief variety where the waistbands are much larger and stronger than in the infant variety.
Waistband application in disposable diapers has been addressed in a number of prior art patents. Co-owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,523,969 proved successful in commercially producing adult diapers but with complicated machinery and processing. In the '969 patent and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,520 there were vacuum drums which were expensive to maintain.
Another prior art approach is seen in co-owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,806. This featured the diapers of the adult brief variety and which include a novel waistband construction and method of providing the same.
The prior art relating to waistbands can be seen in co-owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,806. This featured the application of an elastic strand manufactured by E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company marketed under the trademark Lycra. As Lycra can be stretched to levels exceeding 400%, it was difficult to obtain accurate placement of tapes or diecutting symmetry. This is overcome by the instant invention. Another prior art use of elastic waistbands is in U.S. Pat. No. 5,004,466 which employed a tape transfer step prior to adhesion to the poly-nonwoven substrates. The drawbacks of this method were high cost, unattractive tails visible through the material and the inability to control the placement.
Still further, the prior art procedure was the use of a single strand elastic aligned on a drum-type former system. This left red lines due to concentrated elastic force to the wearer and the diaper had to be held in vacuum to remain aligned which resulted in a costly method as well as the elastic having to be rotated before application.
The shortcomings of the prior art are overcome by the instant invention which employs a center position nonwoven web to sandwich waistband material between the bottom moisture impervious sheet and the center nonwoven material. More particularly, the invention provides for applying spaced-apart longitudinally-extending webs of non-woven, performing the usual processing steps such as leg cutout and tape tab application, and then applying the waistbands. Other objects and advantages of the invention may be seen in the details of the ensuing specification.


As the typical process of fluorination for introducing fluorine atom into a substrate, heretofore, the direct fluorination using fluorine gas (F2) has been known (for example, refer to Patent Reference 1). When the substrate has a functional group such as oxygen, sulfur and halogen, processes in which the functional group is replaced with fluorine atom using an inorganic fluorinating agent such as hydrogen fluoride (occasionally referred to as HF, hereinafter) and sulfur tetrafluoride or an fluorinating agent other than inorganic fluorinating agents such as pyridine-9HF (the Olah reagent), a Yarovenko reagent of the fluoro-alkylamine type, a modified Ishikawa reagent of the fluoro-alkylamine type or diethylamionosulfur trifluoride (DAST), have been known (for example, refer to Non-Patent References 1 and 3).
When the substrate is a halogen compound, the halogen-fluorine exchange reaction is the most convenient means for introducing fluorine. In the halogen-fluorine exchange, alkali metal salts of fluorine are used frequently. For example, sodium fluoride and potassium fluoride have little toxicity or possibility of causing corrosion unlike HF and can be handled easily. Potassium fluoride (occasionally referred to as KF, hereinafter) prepared in accordance with the spray drying process is frequently used recently (for example, refer to Non-Patent References 2 and 4).
As the agent other than those described above, molecular compounds of HF and a Lewis base such as pyridine or triethylamine, or ammonium fluoride salts can be used for the halogen-fluorine exchange reaction (for example, refer to Non-Patent References 3 and 4 (page 178)).
The processes for fluorination described above have a problem in that fluorine gas, hydrogen fluoride and sulfur tetrafluoride have toxicity and may cause corrosion and explosion, and special apparatuses and technologies are required for the handling.
To overcome the above problem and introduce fluorine safely and easily, various nucleophilic and electrophilic fluorinating agents have been developed (for example, refer to Patent References 2 and 3 and Non-Patent Reference 1). Patent Reference 3 relates to α,α-difluoro-amines proposed by the present inventors which are represented by the following general formula (1), can overcome the above problem of conventional processes, exhibit excellent heat stability and can be handled easily:
wherein R0, R1 and R2 each represent hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, an aryl group, an alkylamino group or an arylamino group, which may have substituents, atoms and groups represented by R0, R1 and R2 may be same with or different from each other, and a ring may be formed by bonding of two or more groups represented by R0, R1 and R2.
The α,α-difluoroamine represented by general formula (1) can be produced in accordance with a conventional halogen-fluorine exchange reaction using as the precursor a halogen compound of an amide which is an α,α-dihaloamine represented by the following general formula (2):
wherein R0, R1 and R2 each represent hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, an aryl group, an alkylamino group or an arylamino group, which may have substituents, atoms and groups represented by R0, R1 and R2 may be same with or different from each other, a ring may be formed by bonding of two or more groups represented by R0, R1 and R2, and X represents chlorine atom, bromine atom or iodine atom.
The α,α-difluoroamine represented by general formula (1) of the object compound can be obtained by the halogen-fluorine exchange reaction of the α,α-dihaloamine represented by general formula (2) using HF or an alkali metal salt of fluorine such as NaF and KF prepared in accordance with the spray drying process as the fluorine source.
The process for producing a fluorine compound by the fluorine exchange using HF or an alkali metal salt of fluorine such as NaF and KF has heretofore been known widely. The condition of the reaction can be decided with reference, for example, to Non-Patent Reference 3. However, occasionally, the reaction rate is insufficient, and it takes a long time to complete the reaction.
For example, when the reaction of N,N-diethyl-α-chlorometatoluoyl-amidium chloride is conducted using KF, which is prepared in accordance with the spray drying process, has a relatively great specific surface area and exhibits a great activity, in acetonitrile as the solvent under the refluxing condition (82° C.) for 24 hours, the yield is at most 70%. A long processing time not only lowers productivity of the object fluoroamines, but also results in an increased cost, and thus is a problem as an industrial process.
As described above, when an α,α-difluoroamine is produced in accordance with the halogen-fluorine exchange reaction using KF, the relatively great cost of KF prepared in accordance with the spray drying process and the long time required for the reaction are the major causes of the increase in the cost of production, and a further increase in the productivity and a further decrease in the cost are required from the standpoint of the industrial production.
Some of the above problems can be overcome by using a molecular compound of HF and a Lewis base (occasionally referred to as “HF-Lewis base”, hereinafter) for the halogen-fluorine exchange reaction.
However, few examples of the application of HF-Lewis base to the production of the α,α-difluoroamine represented general formula (1) can be found. In particular, no references clearly describe that triethylamine-3HF comprising HF and triethylamine in relative amounts by mole of 3:1 (causing no corrosion and enabling to use a glass vessel; occasionally referred to as “Et3N-3HF”) exhibits a greater nucleophilicity than that of other HF-Lewis bases such as pyridine-9HF (the Olah reagent) and is advantageously used for the halogen-fluorine exchange reaction since the reaction is rapidly completed.
More specifically, in conventional processes, no examples can be found on the production of N,N-diethyl-α,α-difluoro(3-methyl)benzylamine using HF-Lewis base such as Et3N-3HF in the chlorine-fluorine exchange reaction of N,N-diethyl-α-chlorometatoluoylamidium chloride. No examples can be found on the production of similar α,α-difluoroamines using HF-Lewis base, either.
When the use, for example, of Et3N-3HF is applied to the production of α,α-difluoroamine, an unexpected difficulty arises as described in the following. When HF-Lewis base such as Et3N-3HF is used for the halogen-fluorine exchange reaction, the ratio of the amounts by mole of HF and the Lewis base is not always 1:1, and HF derived from HF-Lewis base used for the reaction is left remaining after the halogen exchange reaction is completed. This causes a serious problem in that separation of the product becomes difficult since molecular compounds are formed due to the interaction between HF and the nitrogen atom in the substrate or the product. Moreover, there is the possibility that the remaining HF causes corrosion. The process becomes complicated since steps for separation and purification must be added for obtaining the product.
No patents or references which mention the problems described above such as the problems in the industrial production of α,α-difluoroamine using Et3N-3HF or the means for solving the problems can be found.
[Patent Reference 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Showa 63 (1988)-25570
[Patent Reference 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-1477
[Patent Reference 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-64034
[Non-Patent Reference 1] Yuki Gosei Kagaku Kyokaishi, 37, 1979, p. 606
[Non-Patent Reference 2] Yuki Gosei Kagaku Kyokaishi, 47, 1989, p. 258
[Non-Patent Reference 3] Journal of Organic Chemistry, 44, 1979, p. 3872
[Non-Patent Reference 4] Chemistry of Organic Fluorine Compounds II, Monograph, American Chem. Soc., 1995, p. 187


The present invention relates to selected metabolites of pirmenol, i.e., (+,-)-cis-.alpha.-[3-(2,6-dimethyl-1-piperidinyl)propyl]-.alpha.-phenyl-2- pyridinemethanol or N-[4-phenyl]-4-(2-pyridyl)-4-hydroxybutyl]-cis-2,6-dimethylpiperidine. The pharmacological activity of both pirmenol and the metabolites that are the present invention is antiarrhythmia. Thus, pharmaceutical compositions and use therefor comprising an antiarrhythmic effective amount of the metabolites are also within the scope of the invention.
Pirmenol is the starting material for synthetic preparation of the present invention metabolites. Therefore, U.S. Pat. No. 4,112,103, describing pirmenol, is incorporated by reference herein.
Precursors for pirmenol are disclosed in CA 97(11):92158m. These include .alpha.-[3-(2,6-dimethyl-1-piperidinyl)-1-propenyl]-.alpha.-phenyl[1(Z),2. alpha.,6.alpha.]-2-pyridinemethanol and .alpha.-[3-(2,6-dimethyl-1-piperidinyl)-1-propynyl]-.alpha.-phenyl[1(Z)-2. alpha.,6.alpha.]-2-pyridinemethanol. These disclosed precursors are different from the present invention because each precursor includes an unsaturated hydrocarbon chain. Also, the present compounds differ from both pirmenol and these precursors in the 2,6-dimethylpiperidine moiety.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a zoom lens suitable for a television camera, a motion-picture camera, a video camera, a photography camera, and a digital camera, and more particularly, to a zoom lens having a high magnification, a small size and light weight, and little aberration deviation due to focus adjustment, and to an image pickup apparatus including the zoom lens.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as for a zoom lens in which focus adjustment is performed by a lens unit disposed closer to an object side with respect to a magnification-varying lens unit, there are proposed various types of systems.
For instance, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-309761 discloses a zoom lens in which a focus lens unit having positive refractive power as a whole includes, in order from an object side, a first lens unit having negative refractive power, a second lens unit having negative refractive power, and a third lens unit having positive refractive power. In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-309761 proposes a method in which the second lens moves to the object side in focus adjustment to an object at a short distance.
In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-85846 discloses a zoom lens in which a focus lens unit having positive refractive power as a whole includes, in order from the object side, a first lens unit having positive refractive power, a second lens unit having negative refractive power, and a third lens unit having positive refractive power. Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-85846 proposes a method in which the third lens unit moves to the object side in focus adjustment to an object at a short distance.
The zoom lens used for a television camera, a motion-picture camera, or the like is desired to achieve a higher magnification as well as a small size and light weight in order to secure mobility and to improve flexibility of photography. In addition, the zoom lens is required to have high performance with little aberration deviation due to focus adjustment.
The focus adjustment method of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-309761 is suitable for a wide-angle zoom lens, but is difficult to achieve a high magnification. In the disclosed embodiment, a zoom ratio is approximately three. In order to achieve a high magnification, a diameter or an entire length of the first lens unit is increased.
The focus adjustment method of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-85846 is suitable for a telephoto zoom lens, but is difficult to achieve a high magnification. In the disclosed embodiment, a zoom ratio is approximately 2.5. In order to achieve a high magnification, a diameter or an entire length of the first lens unit is increased.


The present invention relates in general to an adjustable supporting structure and, more particularly, to one which comprises adjustable flexible platform means capable of supporting heavy articles in different positions. Portions of the flexible platform means are carried by laterally spaced, longitudinal rolls the distance between which may be varied to vary the position in which a heavy article is supported.
An adjustable supporting structure of the foregoing general character is disclosed in Japanese Pat. No. 47-46421. More particularly, this patent discloses a slab turning device which includes two longitudinally spaced sets of flexible belts carried by laterally spaced, longitudinal rolls the distance between which may be varied to vary the position of the slab, the two sets of belts being driven by the rolls to turn the slab.
The present invention relates to an adjustable supporting structure of the foregoing general type, but one which can be used to support articles of different shapes and/or sizes in various positions so that any desired operations can be performed thereon. For example, the present invention may be utilized to support engines of different shapes and/or sizes in various positions for repair purposes, or the like, thereby providing a universal engine repair stand.


Prior analog to digital conversion techniques have used various methods. FIG. 1A represents a typical periodic sampling technique where an analog signal 10 is sampled every Tsample, so that the sampled values 12 may then be converted to a digital representation. FIG. 1B represents an alternative level-crossing technique where an input signal 14 is compared to a multiplicity of reference values 16, and the time periods, Dti, between reference level crossings of input signal 14 are recorded along with the specific level crossings.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a technique for rapid program compilation, and more particularly to a method for providing accurate floating-point computation.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a floating-point computation in Java® (a registered trademark of Sun Microsystems Incorporated), precisions for a single precision computation and a double precision computation are defined by a language specification (24 bits mantissa and 8 bits exponent for the single precision computation, and 53 bits mantissa and 11 bits exponent for the double precision computation, respectively).
With CPUs of IA32 (Intel Architecture-32) architecture (the x86 family of Intel Corporation and compatible CPUs), it has been required to take either of the following approaches in order to execute both single precision computations and double precision computations:
(Approach 1) switching the CPU's floating-point computation mode by setting the floating-point control word (hereinafter, referred to as FCW); or
(Approach 2) executing the computation in the double precision mode, and if a computation result is to be obtained in single precision, storing the value on a floating-point register into a memory in single precision and reading it to degrade the computation precision.
A method executing the single precision computation is considered by way of example. Generally, this method may be called in the double precision computation CPU mode (hereinafter, referred to as a double precision mode) or in the single precision computation CPU mode (hereinafter, referred to as a single precision mode). If the method is called in the single precision mode, it is more efficient to execute the code assuming the single precision mode. If the method is called in the double precision mode, it is necessary to prevent loss of computation precision according to Approach 1 or Approach 2 described above. One means of improving efficiency is to analyze the program to compare execution costs for the case using Approach 1 and for the case using Approach 2, and to execute the faster Approach, i.e. the one with less overhead (this analysis is hereinafter referred to as an inter-method analysis).
In a separate compilation environment for compiling a method having a high execution frequency, as in a dynamic compiler such as a JIT (Just In Time) compiler for Java®, it is not known whether the method being compiled will be called in the single precision mode or in the double precision mode. Therefore, for example, the precision mode is fixed as double precision at method boundaries (that is, all methods are called in the double precision mode), and if the single precision computation is executed, a code is generated according to the above described cost calculation.
A technique for the above described cost calculation and code generation is described in the following prior art document, incorporated here by reference:
M. Paleczny, C. Vick, and C. Click. The Java® HotSpot Server Compiler. The USENIX Association: Proceedings of the Java® Virtual Machine Research and Technology Symposium (JVM '01).
The above described prior art has a disadvantage in that the execution cost is high in either Approach 1 or Approach 2 and large overhead is incurred.
Specifically, in the case of Approach 1, a switch instruction for the FCW, with a form of, for example, (fldcw word ptr [mem]), is a high cost instruction. In addition, once the FCW is switched, it is necessary to switch the FCW again before and after a method call in that range and return the mode to the double precision mode as a standard, which may cause further overhead.
In the case of Approach 2, instructions for writing into and reading from a memory are executed whenever the single precision computation is executed; memory access may cause overhead and degrade overall execution performance.
In addition, in the dynamic compilation environment, an inter-method analysis may, for example, have excessive compilation time overhead, and so may not be effective for choosing a calculation Approach. Moreover, since new classes can be loaded dynamically, an analysis result may become invalid later, thus wasting computation resources.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an efficient mechanism for preventing loss of precision for both a single precision computation and a double precision computation in a floating-point computation, while avoiding execution overhead and invalidation of the analysis result.


With the continuous economic development and the growth of the financial industry, there are higher and higher requirements on the general performance, such as the quantity, the quality and the safety, of automatic teller machines applied in the financial industry. To adapt the rapid development of the financial industry, corresponding improvements are made to the automatic teller machines applied in the financial industry to satisfy the future development of the financial industry. However, a banknote picking up device of the automatic teller machine in the market generally has the following disadvantages.
At present, a banknote picking up mechanism and a banknote separating mechanism in the banknote picking up device of the automatic teller machine in the market are driven by a same banknote separating and picking up motor. In the case that a customer puts a stack of banknotes in the automatic teller machine but only wants to deposit 100 pieces of banknotes, when the hundredth banknote enters into a banknote separating wheel of the banknote separating mechanism, on one hand, if the banknote separating and picking up motor is stopped, the hundredth banknote will lose the power and stay in the banknote separating wheel, which will lead to banknotes loss and bring risk to the property of the customer; on the other hand, if the banknote separating and picking up motor still operates, extra banknotes will enter the banknote separating mechanism, thus a specific number of banknotes cannot be deposited, thereby the individual requirement of the customer cannot be satisfied.
Likewise, as to other self-service equipment for processing sheet medium, it also cannot provide the service of depositing a specific number of sheet medium and suspending deposit for the customer.
Therefore, there is an urgent need to provide a displaceable banknote picking up device being capable of depositing a specific number of banknotes to satisfy the individual requirement of the customer on one hand and suspending banknote deposit to ensure the safety of property on the other hand.


Ways to store objects that are frequently used and/or need to be easily accessible are known, but tend to require a good deal of installation hardware, work, and lack flexibility. For example, it is frequently desirous to store tools in a way in which they can be seen and easily accessed for use.
Typically, a rack or pegboard is used, into which a set of hooks or is screwed. However, this storage solution requires a good deal of hardware and can be difficult to install. Further, once hooks or other tool fastening devices are screwed in or otherwise set, changing their configuration on the pegboard or rack to accommodate different tools or arrangement of tools can be difficult and take a good deal of effort. If the hooks or other holders are secured firmly, removing them to change their location may damage them or board, wall or rack they are secured to.
Visible storage for toys is even more problematic. Currently, toys, such as, for example, toy guns that fire foam projectiles are typically stored in a box or other container. This can make them difficult to see or find. A child may forget what toys they have or at the least, have difficulty locating them. This can mean toys to not get used as they should, or even are purchased multiple times. Toys can also become damaged as children search containers for them, pull them out as they collide with other toys within the container, or even turn over the container, scattering toys, to locate a particular toy. If toys, tools or other objects that are accessed routinely, quickly or both are left out for easier access (or simply because there is no suitable place for them), the space around them can quickly become cluttered and annoying or difficult to navigate.
What is needed is a system and method that addresses these issues, providing storage of items in a new and novel way that makes the items visible and easily accessible, yet is flexible enough to allow a user to easily change the configuration of storage.


Turbine shroud segments are exposed to hot gases and, thus, require cooling. Cooling air is typically bled off from the compressor section, thereby reducing the amount of energy that can be used for the primary purposed of proving trust. It is thus desirable to minimize the amount of air bleed of from other systems to perform cooling. Various methods of cooling the turbine shroud segments are currently in use and include impingement cooling through a baffle plate, convection cooling through long EDM holes and film cooling.
Although each of these methods have proven adequate in most situations, advancements in gas turbine engines have resulted in increased temperatures and more extreme operating conditions for those parts exposed to the hot gas flow.


There exists a critical need to provide very large capacity rechargeable battery systems to the electrical utilities. This need comes about because the Nation's electrical generating capacity is frequently insufficient to provide peak power requirements. Storage batteries of the type described in this invention can be charged during off-power periods or during the night and then utilized to supplement the peak power demands. This application of very large capacity batteries is referred to in the electrical utility industry as load leveling or peak shaving. Batteries for this type of application must provide energy storage capacity at an economical price so as to be able to compete with alternate storage or peak power systems. As examples, compressed air and pumped water are alternate approaches to satisfying the peaking energy demand. It is generally accepted that a battery system with preferred features will utilize inexpensive constructional materials, will have very long-term cycling capability, will be environmentally harmless, will be inherently safe and because of real estate costs, will have a minimal size. Of great importance is the turnaround energy conversion efficiency which, as is generally accepted, should be 70 percent or greater.
Certain efforts have already been made to develop systems which satisfy these requirements. The traditional lead-acid battery has been improved so as to be able to provide a minimum of 2500 cycles without deterioration. Even although these efforts have been partially successful, the cost figures of such batteries indicate that they will greatly exceed $30/kW-hr, which has been specified by the utility industry as the maximum allowable cost. Also, because of the nature of lead-acid batteries wherein the electrodes themselves are constantly being changed in composition over each charge-discharge cycle, it is difficult to accomplish very many cycles without some irreversible morphological change. To overcome this disadvantage, investigators have been developing a new type of battery referred to as a circulating electrolyte redox battery. In a redox battery the electrodes do not change in composition; they merely act as sites at which the electrochemical reduction and oxidation (redox) reactions of selected ions in solution can occur. Typical ion pairs may comprise titanium plus three ions and titanium plus four ions (Ti.sup.3+ /Ti.sup.4+) on one side of the battery and on the other, iron plus two ions and iron plus three ions (Fe.sup.2+ /Fe.sup.3+). In these redox cells, a corrosive acid supporting electrolyte is generally used, such as hydrochloric acid, and a separator which has ion selective properties is essential. The separator allows a common ion, such as the hydrogen ion, to transport the electrical charge from one side of the battery to the other while, at the same time, preventing the titanium ions and iron ions from mixing. If such mixing occurs, the cell becomes chemically short-circuited and the products of such mixing cannot be economically separated for reuse. Separators of the required degree of cationic discriminations suitable for this application have not yet been developed.
The open circuit voltage of redox cells is generally quite low, usually less than 1 volt, and during discharge this voltage is degraded by polarization. This polarization or degradation of potential is characteristic of many electrochemical systems, but in the redox system it increases with time as the ratios of the ion concentrations on each side of the battery change during discharge or charge. Because of the corrosive electrolyte, need for an ion selective membrane, and high chemical costs, it is unlikely that a redox system will satisfy the economic or durability requirements of electric utilities. Characteristics of redox load leveling battery systems are described in two recent publications; see, L. H. Thaller, Proceedings of the Symposium on Load Leveling, V 77-4, p. 353; N. P. Yao and J. R. Selman, Eds., The Electrochemical Society, Inc., Princeton, N.J., 1977; and J. Giner, L. Swette and K. Cahill, "Screening of Redox Couples and Electrode Materials," Final Report, Contract NAS 3-19760, Sept. 1, 1976, CR 134705. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,553,017, sealed storage batteries based on selected pairs of redox couples are described. All of these couples require acidic electrolytes for proper functioning.
Another approach to development of load leveling batteries utilizes a zinc electrode as the negative electrode and a chlorine/chloride cell as the positive electrode. This system is illustratively described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,713,888; 3,935,024; 3,940,283; 3,954,502; and 4,001,036 and utilizes a circulating acid electrolyte. This zinc-chlorine system has several advantages: (1) mixing of the electrolyte adjacent to the electrodes does not degrade performance as happens with the aforementioned redox battery; (2) the voltage of the cell is quite high, i.e., 2.0 V; (3) the cell voltage does not change with state of charge or discharge because the chemical composition at the electrodes remains constant; and (4) relatively inexpensive reactants are utilized. Nevertheless, the system suffers from a number of disadvantages such as the corrosive nature of the acid electrolyte, self-corrosion of the zinc electrode in the acid electrolyte and generation of explosive hydrogen gas, polarization of the chlorine gas/chloride ion positive electrode, and the requirement for a refrigeration system to store the chlorine reactant as its hydrate in a low temperature aqueous solution.


The invention relates to communication between processors.
Multi-processor computer systems have more than one processor. Each processor executes a separate stream (xe2x80x9cthreadxe2x80x9d) of instructions. It is sometimes necessary for two processors of a computer system to communicate data between themselves.
In one general aspect of the invention, a method of communicating between a first and a second processor includes the first processor sending a datum over a common control bus, and the second processor receiving the datum from the common control bus.
Advantages and other features of the invention will become apparent from the following description and from the claims.


1. Field
This application relates generally to wireless communication and more specifically, but not exclusively, to controlling access point transmissions.
2. Introduction
A wireless communication network may be deployed over a geographical area to provide various types of services (e.g., voice, data, multimedia services, etc.) to users within that geographical area. In a typical implementation, macro access points (e.g., each of which provides service via one or more cells) are distributed throughout a macro network to provide wireless connectivity for access terminals (e.g., cell phones) that are operating within the geographical area served by the macro network.
As the demand for high-rate and multimedia data services rapidly grows, there lies a challenge to implement efficient and robust communication systems with enhanced performance. To supplement conventional network access points (e.g., to provide extended network coverage), small-coverage access points (e.g., low power access points) may be deployed to provide more robust indoor wireless coverage or other coverage to access terminals inside homes, enterprise locations (e.g., offices), or other locations. Such small-coverage access points may be referred to as, for example, femto cells, femto access points, home NodeBs, home eNodeBs, or access point base stations. Typically, such small-coverage access points are connected to the Internet and the mobile operator's network via a DSL router or a cable modem. For convenience, small-coverage access points may be referred to as femto cells or femto access points in the discussion that follows.
When a femto cell is deployed on a carrier frequency that is different from the carrier frequencies used by neighboring macro cells, the femto cell may radiate beacons on the macro cell carrier frequencies. In this way, the femto cell may attract an access terminal that is in the vicinity of the femto cell to the femto cell coverage (i.e., cause the access terminal to move off of the macro cell coverage). Thus, through the use of this beacon scheme, a user coming home (e.g., approaching a home femto cell) from outside the coverage of the femto cell will be able to readily discover the femto cell and obtain service from the femto cell. Though such beacons are useful in terms of femto cell discovery, they may create interference on the macro network since the beacons are transmitted on the same carrier frequency that is used by neighboring macro cells. This interference may affect the voice call quality of active macro cell users (i.e., users actively receiving service from one or more macro cells on a macro cell frequency) and may also lead to call drops if the macro cell user happens to be very close to the femto cell. Therefore, there is a need to protect active macro cell users from interference from femto cells.


Recently, Scanning Electron Microscopy (hereinafter referred to as “SEM”), Transmission Electron Microscopy (hereinafter referred to as “TEM”), or Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (hereinafter referred to as “STEM”) are often used to analyze a sample having a fine structure. Before introducing a sample into these observation devices, it is necessary to prepare a cross section or thin film of the sample, and thus a Focused Ion Beam (hereinafter referred to as “FIB”) device is used. A method for FIB processing an observation portion into a thin film shape is called FIB microsampling, and this is the most suitable sample preparation method when using electron microscopy and the like to analyze the condition/structure on the order of several nm, which is the subject of recent nanotechnology research (PTL 1).
In processing or observation of a sample using a charged particle beam device, the temperature of the sample rises due to the energy of the charged particle beam, and there are cases in which it can be difficult to analyze the original structure of the sample. Thus, a method of processing or observing a sample using a charged particle beam device while cooling the sample has been proposed (PTL 2).
Further, in the procedure for preparing a thin film sample in order to observe the cooled sample with a TEM device or STEM device, a method of using a cooled manipulator to remount a sample with a thin film shape prepared on a base material onto a cooling sample holder has been proposed as disclosed in PTL 4.
In addition, among methods for preparing a cross section of a material that is sensitive to heat such as a liquid sample, a biological sample, or a polymer material without using a FIB device, a method of cutting a frozen sample with a cooled knife such as freeze etching is known (NPL 1).


Glass substrates may be coated, for example, to provide a decorative effect or to enhance substrate properties. For instance, glass substrates may be coated to provide anti-shattering properties, abrasion resistance, increased elasticity, and solvent resistance. Glass containers, for example, may benefit from clear coatings that provide mechanical protection to the external surfaces to help minimize mechanical damage, such as scuffing or marring, to the containers during transportation, storage, filling operations, and distribution.


This invention relates to apparatus which uses flowable nanoparticles for printing images.
Ink jet printheads are used to selectively eject ink droplets onto a receiver to form an image. Within the printhead, the ink may be contained in a plurality of channel members and energy pulses (either piezo or heat) are used to actuate the printhead channel members or the ink orifices causing the droplets, which form the reservoirs, of ink to be ejected on demand or continuously, through an orifice plate which is placed over the channel members.
In one representative configuration, a piezoelectric ink jet printing system includes a body of piezoelectric material defining an array of parallel open topped channel members separated by walls. In the typical case of such an array, the channel members are micro-sized and are arranged such that the spacing between the adjacent channel members is relatively small. The channel walls have metal electrodes on opposite sides thereof to form shear mode actuators for causing droplets to expel from the channel members. An orifice defining structure includes at least one orifice plate defining the orifice through which the ink droplets are ejected, and is bonded to the open end of the channel members. In operation of piezoelectric printheads, ink is directed to and resides in the channel members until selectively ejected therefrom. To eject an ink droplet through one of the selected orifices, the electrodes on the two side wall portions of the channel in operative relationship with the selected orifice are electrically energized causing the side walls of the channel to deflect into the channel and return to their normal undeflected positions when the applied voltage is withdrawn. The driven inward deflection of the opposite channel wall portions reduces the effective volume of the channel thereby increasing the pressure of the ink confined within the channel to force few ink droplets, 1 to 100 pico-liters in volume, outwardly through the orifice. Piezoelectric ink jet printheads are described in detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,598,196; 5,311,218; 5,365,645, 5,688,391, 5,600,357, and 5,248,998. Alternative ink jet print head configuration utilizes thermal energy to eject ink droplets from the orifices onto the receiver. Thermally activated ink jet print heads are described in details in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,849,774; 4,500,895; and 4,794,409. This process of forming channel members, particularly in piezoelectric materials, is not only time consuming and expensive, but also is amenable to many defects generated during cutting the channel members or forming the channel members thereby reducing the throughput and increasing the unit manufacturing cost. Furthermore, mechanical damages caused during sawing or laser cutting also are detrimental to the piezoelectric characteristics of the material.
Another significant problem encountered in ink jet printing is the drying of the ink either inside the channels or at the orifice plates or at the orifices. To overcome this problem the ink formulators routinely compromise in ink formulations and the system designers incorporate wiper blades at the orifices or depend on ultrasonic devices to clean and remove the dried ink. Again, this introduces additional complicated system architecture and consequently increases the unit manufacturing cost.
Inks provide their own set of problems in ink jet printing, they are at all times flowable, thus subject to leakage, and may have storage problems, including limited shelf life. They also have a problem of drying and difficulty maintaining uniform viscosity since they can be temperature sensitive. Inks have been formed which have numerous ingredients such as dyes, pigments and colorants and nanoparticles (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,679,138). But, in all cases, the ink remains flowable in all states and subject to problems.
It is an object of the present invention to proved an improved apparatus which makes use of material having nanoparticles which is not a flowable ink for forming images on receivers.
This object is achieved in an apparatus for printing an image using image forming materials having nanoparticles less than an average diameter of 500 nm, the apparatus defining a plurality of printing nozzles each of which prints a pixel on a receiver, the nanoparticles being effective in two states, in a first state it aggregates and will not flow through an ink jet printer nozzle and in a second state when subject to a force is flowable so as to be deposited on the receiver, such nanoparticles being bound to each other by Van der Waals forces in the first state and after deposition on the receiver comprising:
(a) a hopper for receiving the nanoparticles and defining a cavity into which the nanoparticles aggregate in the first state; and
(b) means for applying a force to the nanoparticles disposed in the hopper to cause them to be effective in the second state and deliver them to the nozzles where such nanoparticles flow and are deposited on the receiver.
It has been discovered that nanoparticles which are effective in two states can be used to form images on receivers. Nanoparticles having an average diameter of less than 500 nm aggregate because of Van der Waals forces and are not flowable past an orifice in a first state but are flowable in a second state when a force as been applied to overcome the Van der Waals forces. A feature of the invention is that a stream of gaseous material, such as air, can be directed so as to cause the flow of such nanoparticles towards the receiver.
The nanoparticle imaging materials used with this system have no vapor pressure and hence will not dry out and clog, eliminating the need for such complexity in the print head. The present invention provides a simple solution to ink clogging problems and facilitates the use of smaller orifices. Smaller orifices can provide greater resolution. Additionally, the speed of the ink jet printer system can be increased because there is no fluid component to the nanoparticle imaging materials which eliminates the need to wait for solvent drying on the receiver, a major limitation in ink jet printers.


The replacement plate of the invention replaces the damaged lock opening in the trunk of a vehicle. The replacement plate of the invention restores a car trunk to its original appearance. The plate is affixed to the body of the vehicle over the opening left by the previous lock, which was removed or broken out, so that a new replacement lock may be installed. This restores the trunk to a lockable condition. The keyway slots of the protruding center of the escutcheon plate permit the mounting of a replacement lock with facility and rapidity.


In recent years, wireless communication systems have emerged as an important alternative to wireline communications in the United States. These systems offer users the convenience of mobility and personal services, as well as significant cost savings over traditional wireline systems in the installation and relocation of telecommunications equipment. The use of wireless systems is also proliferating in remote areas of the world due to the ease of installation of such systems as compared to wired communications.
One type of wireless communications system, cellular telephone systems, uses radio communications between a plurality of subscriber units with in the wireless system and between subscriber units and the Public Switched Telephone Network ("PSTN") for calls to or from outside the wireless system.
In cellular systems, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a geographical area is divided into cells covered by the radio system at the base station. The cells are connected via a respective base station (B1-B7) to a Mobile Services Switching Center ("MSC"). The MSC, in turn, is connected to the PSTN. The telephone users (mobile units) communicate with the MSC through the base stations. The MSC switches calls between wireline and mobile subscribers, controls signaling to the mobile stations, compiles billing statistics, and controls the overall operation of the system.
Cellular systems overcome many of the problems associated with traditional wireline communications. These systems, however, still require the installation of expensive infrastructure equipment (i.e., base stations B1-B7, and MSC's) to provide system functionality and the necessary switching capabilities.
Other wireless communications systems overcome the need for expensive infrastructure equipment by using point-to-point radio communications. However, these systems do not provide the extensive switching capabilities provided in cellular and PCS systems. For example, multiple-user radio transceiver communication systems exist in which squelching circuits are used to limit communications between selected radio transceivers within a group of transceivers. In one such system described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,358, a first transceiver sends an origination address and a destination address. The transceivers within the broadcast area receive these addresses. When the received destination address corresponds to the address of the second transceiver, the second transceiver turns off its squelch circuit in order to receive the communications from the first transceiver. Any transceiver that receives the radio broadcast and does not have a corresponding destination address leaves its squelch circuit on so that the received signal cannot be heard by the user.
The second transceiver then communicates with the first transceiver by sending its address and the origination address of the first transceiver with a broadcast communication. When the first transceiver receives the broadcast communication with its address, the first transceiver turns off its squelching circuit in order to receive the communications. Thus, two transceivers may establish communications in a broadcast radio communications system. In operation, the system requires that all signaling between transceivers include both the address code of the originating station and the address code of the destination station. However, this system suffers from several disadvantages. For example, because origination and destination addresses must be sent with all communications, the likelihood of coding and transmission errors increases. Therefore, if an origination address is incorrectly received, stored, or retransmitted, the intended transceiver may not receive the communication.
In another system using squelching circuits, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,205, the origination transceiver only transmits the address with the initial message transmission. Once communication is established between two transceivers, a responding transceiver does not send its own address nor does the originating transceiver send its own address again during two-way communications between the two transceivers. Instead, the only address information required to be sent between the transceivers is the destination address of the communications.
These point-to-point radio communication systems, however, do not provide the capabilities associated with traditional wireless systems. In particular, these systems do not permit these transceivers to send and receive calls via the PSTN, maintain billing information, or provide switching capabilities associated with cellular telephone systems.
Thus, a need has arisen for an improved wireless communication system that eliminates the problems of existing systems, while maintaining the convenience of mobility and personal services provided by traditional wireless systems.


The present invention relates generally to refrigerators, and, more specifically, to icemakers therein.
A typical refrigerator includes a cool compartment for keeping cool frozen food and beverage products, and a freezer compartment for storing frozen products.
A common feature located in modern refrigerators is an automatic icemaker built into the freezer compartment. The icemaker includes an ice tray having several compartments in which individual ice cubes are formed. The frozen ice cubes are mechanically dispensed from the ice tray into an ice bin from which the ice may be conveniently dispensed through a chute and outlet typically formed in the freezer door.
The empty ice tray is then refilled with water for the next batch of ice cubes. This is automatically done by the timed opening of a solenoid-actuated valve.
However, accurately controlling the volume of water delivered to the ice tray by timing water flow is dependent upon water pressure. Timed filling of the ice tray must therefore be selected to accommodate maximum expected water pressure without overfilling the ice tray, which will result in underfilling the ice tray for water pressure levels therebelow.
Furthermore, competitive pricing of icemakers requires simplicity of design, few components, and compact elements for minimizing space requirements within the cabinet of the refrigerator. And, electrically operated components, such as solenoids, should be configured for reducing heat generation therefrom which adversely affects performance of the refrigerator.
Accordingly, it is desired to provide an improved dispenser for accurately filling icemaker trays without regard to variation in water pressure.


1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device to secure articles to a bag, hook, item of clothing or other item. More particularly, this invention relates to a holder having a hook or loop type fastening surface for retaining articles, and a snap-hook type fastener for securing the holder to a golf bag or other item.
2. Description of the Related Art
Numerous means for holding gloves and other articles to a golf bag or other item are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,881 discloses a device that holds a golf glove using Velcro® type (hook and loop type) fasteners. Two straps are attached to either side of a decorative plate-like element, with one strap holding the glove via hook and loop type fasteners and the other strap attached to the golf bag via a hook type fastener. The device can be hung from a golf bag.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,864,925 discloses a device that holds a golf glove to a belt or other item using a plastic card having a patch of hook and loop type fasteners. The glove is attached to the patch of hook and loop fasteners, and the card is suspended from a belt via a metal clip.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,546,599 discloses a device for carrying a golf glove from a back pocket. The device is a foldable rectangular panel having a surface partially covered with hook and loop type fastening material. The panel can be folded and one half inserted into the back pocket of the user while the part covered with hook and loop type fastening material hangs outside the back pocket. Magnets may be used to secure the half of the panel inside the pocket to the half outside the pocket.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,694,575 discloses a flat, rectangular sports holder that attaches to a belt. The holder includes a patch of facing hook and loop type fastening material for securing the glove to the holder and slits threw which the belt is threaded.
While each of these inventions may be suitable for its intended purpose, none of these inventions provides a holder having two rigid halves hingedly attached by a connecting strap such that the holder can be folded and unfolded to hold not only items having a hook and loop type fastening surface, but also items having straps or other means for draping the item over the connecting strap. It is an object of the present invention to provide a holder having these features. Another object of the present invention is to provide a device that can hold a glove or other item and is easy to use and attractive in appearance. Further and additional objects will appear from the description, accompanying drawings, and appended claims.


Options for accessing and listening to digital audio in an out-loud setting were limited until in 2003, when SONOS, Inc. filed for one of its first patent applications, entitled “Method for Synchronizing Audio Playback between Multiple Networked Devices,” and began offering a media playback system for sale in 2005. The Sonos Wireless HiFi System enables people to experience music from many sources via one or more networked playback devices. Through a software control application installed on a smartphone, tablet, or computer, one can play what he or she wants in any room that has a networked playback device. Additionally, using the controller, for example, different songs can be streamed to each room with a playback device, rooms can be grouped together for synchronous playback, or the same song can be heard in all rooms synchronously.
Given the ever growing interest in digital media, there continues to be a need to develop consumer-accessible technologies to further enhance the listening experience.
The drawings are for the purpose of illustrating example embodiments, but it is understood that the inventions are not limited to the arrangements and instrumentality shown in the drawings.


Hydrocracking refers to a process in which hydrocarbons crack in the presence of hydrogen and catalyst to lower molecular weight hydrocarbons. Depending on the desired output, the hydrocracking unit may contain one or more beds of the same or different catalyst. Hydrocracking is a process used to crack hydrocarbon feeds such as vacuum gas oil (VGO) to diesel including kerosene and gasoline motor fuels.
Mild hydrocracking (MHC) is generally used upstream of a fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) or other process unit to improve the quality of an unconverted oil that can be fed to the downstream conversion unit, while converting part of the feed to lighter products such as diesel. As world demand for diesel motor fuel is growing relative to gasoline motor fuel, mild hydrocracking is being considered for biasing the product slate in favor of diesel at the expense of gasoline. Mild hydrocracking may be operated with less severity than partial or full conversion hydrocracking to balance production of diesel with the FCC unit, which primarily is used to make naphtha. Partial or full conversion hydrocracking is used to produce diesel with less yield of the unconverted oil which can be fed to a downstream conversion unit.
Due to environmental concerns and newly enacted rules and regulations, saleable diesel must meet lower and lower limits on contaminates, such as sulfur and nitrogen. New regulations require essentially complete removal of sulfur from diesel. For example, the ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) requirement is typically less than 10 wppm sulfur.
Hydrotreating refers to a process in which olefins and aromatics are saturated and heteroatoms, such as sulfur, nitrogen and metals are removed from the hydrocarbon feedstock over catalyst in the presence of hydrogen. Hydrotreating is an essential step in the production of ULSD.
Hydroprocessed streams are typically stripped with an inert gas such as steam to remove volatile ammonia and hydrogen sulfide to reduce sulfur and nitrogen concentration in the product fuel stream. Stripped hydroprocessed streams are then fractionated to provide product fuel streams.
MHC reactors are typically operated at low to moderate conversion and lower pressures than higher conversion hydrocrackers, so the distillate produced from MHC units can be high in sulfur, such as 20 to 150 wppm sulfur, because the environment in the MHC reactor has a high concentration of hydrogen sulfide. In addition, the high concentration of ammonia in the MHC reactor reduces hydrocracking activity requiring higher operating temperatures further limiting organosulfur conversion. As a result, diesel from the MHC reactor must be also treated in a hydrotreating unit to achieve ULSD.
There is a continuing need for improved methods of producing more diesel from hydrocarbon feedstocks than gasoline. Such methods must ensure that the diesel product meets increasingly stringent product requirements.


It is necessary that an anchoring device settled in the ground be capable of bearing a pulling load as large as possible when it is adapted for supporting a standing object.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel anchoring device capable of exhibiting an increased resistance to pulling loads exerted on the device on the surface of the ground, and a method for rigidly settling the device in the bottom of a deep shaft in the ground in a manner such that the settled device cannot be pulled out of the shaft.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel anchoring device provided with means for ascertaining that the device is appropriately settled in the ground.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an anchoring device provided with means for bearing compression exerted on the device, and a method for settling the device in the ground so that the anchoring device can bear the compression applied from above the ground.
In accordance with one of the features of the present invention, an anchoring device comprises
A VERTICAL TUBULAR ROD; A PLURALITY OF SUPPORT ARMS, ONE END OF EACH SUPPORT ARM BEING CONNECTED WITH A LOWER PART OF THE TUBULAR ROD SO THAT SAID SUPPORT ARM IS TURNABLE ABOUT THE CONNECTED END IN A VERTICAL PLANE INCLUDING AN AXIS OF SAID TUBULAR ROD; A PLURALITY OF FLUKE BLADES ONE OF WHICH IS MOUNTED ON EACH SUPPORT ARM, TO CONSTITUTE CUTTING ARMS; MEANS FOR URGING SAID CUTTING ARMS TO OUTWARDLY TURN ABOUT SAID CONNECTED ENDS OF SAID SUPPORT ARMS FROM A FOLDED STATE IN WHICH SAID CUTTING ARMS ARE BROUGHT TOGETHER ABOUT SAID TUBULAR RODS; MEANS FOR STATIONARILY SUPPORTING ONE END OF SAID URGING MEANS ON A PART OF SAID TUBULAR ROD; HOLDING MEANS FOR RELEASABLY RESTRAINING SAID CUTTING ARMS IN THE FOLDED STATE, SAID HOLDING MEANS HAVING A LINE MEANS TO RELEASE THE RESTRAINT OF SAID CUTTING ARMS ABOVE THE GROUND SURFACE, AND; MEANS FOR LIMITING THE TURN OF SAID CUTTING ARMS TO A SELECTED AMOUNT OF ANGLES FROM SAID FOLDED STATE.
Further, in accordance with another feature of the present invention, a method for settling the anchoring device of the present invention into a shaft bored in the ground comprises at least the processes of:
I. FOLDING THE CUTTING ARMS BY MEANS OF THE HOLDING MEANS HAVING THE RELEASE LINE;
II. PULLING SAID RELEASE LINE OF SAID HOLDING MEANS WHEN SAID ANCHORING DEVICE REACHES A BOTTOM OF SAID SHAFT;
III. PROVIDING ROTATIONAL MOTION TO SAID CUTTING ARMS LYING AGAINST THE INNER WALL OF SAID SHAFT FROM ABOVE THE GROUND BY MEANS OF AN ORDINARY BORING MACHINE FOR A PREDETERMINED TIME, AND;
IV. LIFTING SAID ANCHORING DEVICE WHILE SAID CUTTING ARMS ROTATE AT A PRESELECTED HEIGHT SO THAT A CAVITY ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID CUTTING ARMS OF SAID ANCHORING DEVICE IS FORMED IN SAID BOTTOM OF SAID SHAFT.
The other features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the ensuing description with reference to the accompanying drawings.


This invention relates to battery plates and method for making same and, more particularly, to rechargeable battery plates in which the active material is impregnated in a sintered porous plaque.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,790,408 assigned to the assignee of this invention, there is described a battery coil in which one of the longitudinal edges of the negative plate is extended transversely beyond one longitudinal edge of the positive plate at one end of the coil and the other longitudinal edge of the positive plate is extended beyond the other longitudinal edge of the negative plate at the opposite end of the coil. This construction permits the easy attachment of positive and negative plate current collectors to the extended edges of the respective plates by welding of the current collectors to the extended edges at a plurality of contact points. The plates are comprised of a thin metal substrate with a sintered porous plaque coating both major surfaces of the substrate. The active material of the battery is impregnated in the pores of the porous plaque. A small region adjacent one longitudinal edge of each plate which forms the extended edge is free of the porous plaque and active material for, among other reasons, assuring the formation of a good weld between the plate edge and the current collector. At the opposite longitudinal edge of each plate, the porous plaque extends to the substrate edge and terminates in a flat edge coplanar with the substrate edge (hereinafter referred to as "flat edge termination"). The principal reasons for flat edge termination is that it is important to maximize the volume of porous plaque per unit cell volume in order to maximize the energy density of the cell. This is particularly important in small rechargeable cells such as nickel-cadmium.
In the method for making such plates, an elongated metal substrate is used which has a width dimension such that a plurality of strips of plates can be formed by longitudinally severing the substrate into a plurality of strips. The substrate is coated on both major surfaces with a slurry comprised of a metal powder. The slurry coating is then divided into continuous strips by forming longitudinally slurry-free channels by using doctor blades to wipe the channels free of slurry. Also, a region adjacent each edge of the substrate is wiped free of slurry. The edge regions of the substrate eventually form the extended edge of each plate which is to be formed adjacent thereto.
Each continuous strip of slurry is dimensioned to be approximately equal either to the sume of the widths of two battery plates or to the width of a single battery plate (hereinafter referred to as "double width" and "single width" strips). For example, when using a substrate of 20.32 cm width, three double width strips of slurry are defined by two channels by running longitudinally of the substrate. The double width strips eventually form plates of 3.2 cm width used in a sub-C cell. A variation to accommodate plates of other widths is to form, on a substrate of 18.0 cm width, one double width strip and one songle width strip. The double width and single width strips are used to form plates of 4.7 cm used in D cell. Other variations are also possible. After the slurry strips are formed, the substrate is passed through a sintering furnace in which the slurry is transformed into a porous plaque. The porous plaque coated substrate is then severed into strips of plate of the finished width. The strips of plate cut from the double width strips have a slurry-free edge region along one longitudinal edge which is formed from the slurry-free channel or edge region of the substrate and the opposing longitudinal edge of the plate strip has a flat edge termination. Similarly, the single width strips are cut so that one longitudinal edge has a slurry-free edge region formed by the slurry-free edge of the substrate and the opposing longitudinal edge has a flat edge termination. The strips are then impregnated with active material and transversely severed into a plurality of plates.
While this construction has been found to be generally advantageous, it has been noted that there is a tendency for the cells to become shorted during cell assembly and testing. Cell shorting is also one of the major problems which will cut short the expected life of such cells.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved porous plaque plate construction which is less subject to shorting during assembly into battery coils and during their subsequent use as cells.
Another object of the invention is to provide a porous plaque battery plate which is less subject to flaking and chipping of the porous plaque during assembly.


Clothes washing machines can either be vertical or horizontal axis for moving clothes during the washing operation. In the horizontal washing machine, the drum or basket rotates either in one direction or intermittently in both directions causing the clothes therein to tumble during the washing operation in the soap and water cleaning solution. In the vertical washing machine, the agitator reciprocates or oscillates to continually change its rotation direction for moving the clothes to effect cleaning thereof in the soap and water solution.
In order to improve clothes moving in the vertical washing machine, it is known to also include an auger having a spiraling vane or screw disposed coaxially atop the agitator. Disposed between the auger and the agitator is a conventional ratchet mechanism which converts the oscillating, bidirectional rotation of the agitator into unidirectional rotation of the auger so that the auger screw is rotated for pulling the clothes downwardly in operation in the cleaning solution for improving the effectiveness of the washing operation.
A typical ratchet mechanism includes a disk attached to the top of the agitator from which extends radially outwardly therefrom a plurality of ratchet pawls. A cooperating ratchet wheel in the form of a ring having a plurality of radially inwardly facing ratchet teeth attached to the bottom of the auger is disposed in a common axial (horizontal) plane with the pawls. Oscillation of the agitator in turn imparts force on the pawls which intermittently are driven radially outwardly for engagement with the cooperating ratchet teeth. As the agitator rotates in one direction, the pawls are driven radially outwardly and engage the ratchet teeth for also rotating the auger in the same direction. However, when the agitator rotates in the opposite direction, the pawls disengage the ratchet teeth and are indexed to succeeding teeth without imparting additional rotation to the auger. In the next cycle, the ratcheting action is repeated so that the auger rotates solely in one direction as the agitator oscillates in two directions.
Since the pawls and teeth are disposed in a common horizontal plane and require initial pivoting of the pawls to engage the teeth, lost motion occurs therefrom. Accordingly, optimum efficiency of conversion of the oscillating agitator rotation to the unidirectional rotation of the auger is not achieved, which correspondingly decreases the efficiency of the washing operation.


The semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) industry has experienced rapid growth. Technological advances in IC materials and design have produced generations of ICs where each generation has smaller and more complex circuits than the previous generation. However, these advances have increased the complexity of processing and manufacturing ICs and, for these advances to be realized, similar developments in IC processing and manufacturing are needed. In the course of IC evolution, functional density (i.e., the number of interconnected devices per chip area) has generally increased while geometry size (i.e., the smallest component (or line) that can be created using a fabrication process) has decreased.
To achieve the shrinking geometry sizes, advanced lithography processes have been developed. During the lithography process, a general purpose (GP) nozzle is used to dispense a developer solution on a semiconductor wafer. Over time, the tip of the GP nozzle may have a buildup of water drop or water residue, which can adversely affect the intended operation of the GP nozzle. Consequently, semiconductor fabrication performance may be degraded.
Therefore, while existing lithography processes have been generally adequate for their intended purposes, they are not entirely satisfactory in every aspect.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is broadly concerned with an improved hydraulic portioning assembly designed to facilitate precise portioning of fluid or semi-fluid products such as meat in order to deliver successive portions to the filling or packaging device. More particularly, it is concerned with such a portioning assembly making use of hydraulic control means comprising a double-acting piston and cylinder assembly coupled via valve means with a hydraulically powered product dispensing device such that stroke length of the hydraulic control means controls the portions dispensed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the production of meat products such as hamburger or sausage, it is often desirable to deliver precisely metered or portioned quantities to a filling or packaging station. As can be appreciated, if underweight portions are dispensed, the ultimate consumer suffers. By the same token, if portions are overweight, the seller is at a disadvantage. Thus, it is very desirable in automated meat handling operations to provide a portioning assembly which gives precise, repeatable portions.
By the same token, however, modern day automated processing demands a given portioning assembly be adaptable for high speed operation and be extremely reliable in use. These requisites are of course inimical to precision portioning, and thus there has been a real need in the art for a simplified, rugged, yet highly precise portioning assembly useful in conjunction with hydraulic food pumps or similar devices.


The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and are not admitted as prior art.
Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) and Video Coding Experts Group (VCEG) have developed video compression technology that is superior to the existing MPEG-4 Part 2 and H.263 standard. This new standard is called H.264/AVC (advanced video coding) and was jointly announced as MPEG-4 Part 10 AVC and ITU-T Recommendation H.264.
In H.264/AVC (hereinafter, simply referred to as H.264) standard, a residual signal is generated by performing an intra/inter prediction process in units of macroblocks having various types of sub-blocks, and encoding is performed by frequency transform, quantization, and entropy encoding in frequency transform units of 4×4 units with respect to the generated residual signal.
Video compression technologies are currently in development to meet the needs for ultra-high video resolution. The international standard organizations, MPEG and VCEG have jointly developed HEVC moving picture encoding standard in the name of JCT. In the ultra-high-resolution compression, experiments have proved that, in addition to 4×4 and 8×8 frequency units having been widely used in the existing video compression technologies, large frequency transform unit such as 16×16 is helpful to improve video compression efficiency. However, if such 16×16 unit is scanned and encoded at a time in the existing method, devising and implementing efficient frequency coefficient encoding is difficult.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tag structure for attachment to an article cast from molten material, to a method for labeling an article cast from a molten material and to an article cast from molten material including a tag having human or machine readable markings relative to the article, such as article identification.
Upon completing the manufacture of an article cast from a molten material, there is a need to provide the subsequent user with a clear identification and other information relating to the article. For example, if the article is in its usable final form, product information such as price and weight may be useful. If the article is utilized in combination with various other items, a clear description of its individual function may be required. Further, production schedules may require inventory information to be displayed on the article. If the article is simply in an intermediate form to be subjected to further processing, information regarding the individual article's composition may be required for the final processing steps.
2. Description of The Prior Art
Certain methods are known for providing a display of information on articles in general. One method, perhaps the most common method, includes the application of a label coated with an adhesive backing which is adhered to the article. Unfortunately, many of these labels lack sufficient adherence to provide a reliable bond between the label and the article for extended periods of time.
Another method includes the attachment of a label in the form of a structural tag to the article by physically driving retaining projections which are integral with the tag into the article. An example of such a tag and process is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,673,717. Use of tags with these projections in such a process may subject the article to unwanted damage or at least create stresses within the article. Further, the hardness of the article to be labeled may preclude use of this method. This is especially likely in articles which are cast from molten material, such as aluminum, for example.
Another method, specific to cast molten material articles, includes the attachment of a label or tag before solidification of the molten material. An example of such a process is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,561,427. The process disclosed in this patent includes assembling individual characters on a strip to form a number or word, embedding the entire strip into a mold and casting the metal in the mold.
Regarding this process, it should be noted that a number of individual characters must be arranged to create the marking. This may be time consuming and laborious, especially if much information is to be conveyed. Further, computer bar codes which are often used in many of today's products cannot be embedded in this manner. Also, repeated impression of the markings into the mold may eventually cause damage to the mold surface.
Stenciling and riveting are also known methods used with cast articles after the articles are made.
It can be seen that labeling an article can proceed during the making of the article or after the article is made, with the latter being the predominate mode.


As a boat is connected to a mooring buoy there are conditions where the boat can come into contact with the mooring buoy. This contact, depending on the conditions, can cause significant damage to the boat. For example, there may be damage caused by impact and abrasion between the boat and mooring buoy. It is also possible to encounter this same damage as one is attempting to dock at virtually any type of buoy.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to minimize the potential damage caused by contact between the vessel and the buoy.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a mooring buoy cover that prevents damage to the vessel, that can be applied easily to the buoy and that can be fabricated relatively inexpensively.


1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for determining the location of a point and more particularly to a method and apparatus for determining the coordinates of a contact point on a resistive type semianalog sensitive surface.
2. Discussion of Background:
There are known, such as shown by French Pat. No. 2,520,498 sensitive surfaces of the type consisting of a support, generally of a glass plate, on which are placed a grid consisting of two terminals between which a certain number of emitting resistant strips are connected in parallel. Also placed on the support are conductive detecting strips placed between the resistant strips and connected separately to a selecting switch so that the voltage of each conductive strip is sampled indidually in successsion. The emitting resistance strips and the conductive detecting strips, which can also have some resistance, most often consist of a thin conductive enamel deposited on the glass plate. When a conductive object, for example an ordinary finger, comes to rest on this sensitive surface, it forms an electrical connection between at least one detecting strip and at least one emitting strip of the grid. By scanning the various strips with a selector, it is possible to digitally determine the coordinates, which are determined by the number of the detecting strip where a voltage is detected, and an analog determination of the other coordinate by the value of this voltage.
Preferably, as described in said French patent application, said emitting strips are alternately polarized in opposite directions. For each direction of polarization, a certain number of measurements are made of the voltage of each detecting strip whose averages are computed separately, and the coordinates of the finger are deduced by comparing the averages obtained.
Although such a process makes it possible to solve a great number of problems presented by the use of sensitive surfaces of this type, some difficulties in practical use still remain, such as are listed below.
The electrical contact resistance of the skin at the end of the operator's finger is highly variable and most often large (50 k.OMEGA. to 1M.OMEGA.) and would allow only the passage of a current of very small intensity between the grid and the detecting strip. Therefore, only a detector with very high impedance can be used.
For obvious reasons of user safety, only very low excitation voltages can be used. The user's body conducts direct voltages through the fingertip not only from contact with another point of the circuit, but also by static electricity, and especially alternating voltages by an antenna effect with ambient spurious signals. The combination of these two effects makes it difficult to obtain a favorable signal/noise ratio, and consequently, precise measurements.
The variability of the useful signal in relation to a constant background noise leads to extremely variable relative variations over the extent of the surface, particularly in the direction of the analog measurement nearing zero.
Finally, scanning the various strips by the selector and taking various measurements can take considerable time, which is impractical for the user if standard filtering techniques are used.
The present invention aims at providing a method and apparatus that make it possible to overcome the above difficulties which are encountered in scanning of sensitive surfaces of this type, i.e., which meet all the requirements of safety, precision and speed.


1. Field of the Disclosure
The disclosure relates to a driving assistance apparatus for a vehicle, the driving assistance apparatus executing following control, which is control for causing a host vehicle to follow a preceding vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
As proposed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-2456 (JP 2008-2456 A), a drive mode can be switched between a plurality of modes including a normal mode, an eco-mode, and a sport mode. The drive modes specify output characteristics of an engine relative to accelerator depression amounts. In the eco-mode, the engine output relative to the accelerator depression amount is limited in comparison with the normal mode in order to conserve fuel. In the sport mode, on the other hand, the engine output relative to the accelerator depression amount is set to be slightly larger than in the normal mode so as to improve a responsiveness by which the engine output responds to an accelerator operation. The drive mode is switched by a selection operation performed by a driver (i.e., in accordance with preferences of the driver).
Incidentally, a driving assistance apparatus that causes a host vehicle to travel so as to follow a preceding vehicle travelling in front of the host vehicle may be employed in a vehicle to lighten a driving operation load of the driver. This control for causing the host vehicle to follow the preceding vehicle will be referred to as following control. During the following control, a target acceleration that enables the host vehicle to follow the preceding vehicle is calculated such that a vehicle-to-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle is maintained at a distance within a predetermined range, whereupon an engine or a brake apparatus is controlled on the basis of the target acceleration.
In a vehicle having both switchable drive modes and a following control function, however, the drive mode selected by the driver is not reflected during execution of the following control. In other words, the target acceleration calculated during the following control is calculated without taking the drive mode into account, and therefore the following control cannot be implemented in accordance with the preferences of the driver.


Electron emission devices are key components of many modern technological products. For example, focused "beams" of electrons produced by such devices are used in X-ray equipment, high-vacuum gauges, televisions, large-area stadium-type displays, and electron beam analytical devices such as scanning electron microscopes.
Standard electron emission devices operate by drawing electrons from a cathode formed from a material that readily releases electrons when stimulated in a known manner. Typically, electrons are drawn from the cathode by the application of either a thermionic stimulus or an electric field to the cathode. Devices operating through application of an electric field are said to operate by field emission. Cathodes used in field emission devices are accordingly known as field emission cathodes, and are considered "cold" cathodes, as they do not require the use of a heat source to operate.
Field emission offers several advantages over thermionic stimulus in many electron emission applications. A field emission device (which creates an electric field) will typically require less power than a thermionic device (which creates a heat source) to produce the same emission current, respectively. Field emission sources are typically on the order of 1000 times brighter than comparable thermionic sources. The added brightness can be highly advantageous in lighting applications, such as stadium displays, or in applications which require the use of electron beams operating at intense focus, such as microscopes.
Further, the heat sources used in thermionic electron emission devices eventually damage them, leading to relatively quick "burnout." In applications requiring the use of many electron emission devices, such as in large area collective usage television screens, use of thermionic emission devices is very expensive because of the need to replace frequently devices suffering from rapid burnout.
Additionally, thermionic electron emission devices are not feasible for some applications. Thermionic devices are temperature dependent, and thus cannot be used in applications operating in extreme temperatures or where the ambient temperature conditions vary substantially over time. For example, thermionic devices will not work properly in motors or engines where temperature conditions may swing from 70.degree. Fahrenheit to -60.degree. Fahrenheit within a few minutes. In contrast, field emission devices, which operate relatively independently from temperature conditions, can be used in such applications. Thermionic devices are also inappropriate for use where the heat used to draw the electron beam may damage the environment within which electron emission is to occur. For example, in X-ray applications focused near a human body, thermionic emission of electrons is undesirable as the heat source applied could cause pain or damage to the subject. Field emission devices avoid these concerns as they apply and generate relatively little heat.
Among various materials known to be suitable for the construction of field emission cathodes, carbon-based materials have proven to be capable of producing significant emission currents over a long lifetime in relatively low-vacuum environments (10.sup.-7 Torr or less). Cathodes utilizing diamond films, bulk carbon, and graphite have been developed, but have required the application of substantial voltages to the cathode before generating significant electron emission. Other cathodes having regular, defined surface structures created from carbon materials include cathodes constructed from individual carbon fibers bundled together, cathodes machined from carbon rods, and matrix cathodes with carbon surfaces formed by photolithography and thermochemical etching procedures. While these cathodes can produce high current density upon application of low voltages, they are expensive to produce, as they require sophisticated fabrication procedures and/or manual assembly in their production.
It is an object of the current invention to provide an efficient and durable field emission cathode which may be manufactured simply and inexpensively.
Another object of the current invention is to provide a field emission cathode comprising an emissive member formed of a porous carbon foam material having an emissive surface which defines a multiplicity of emissive edges.
Other objects and advantages of the current invention will become apparent when the field emission cathode of the present invention is considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, specification, and claims.


1. Field
The invention relates to a method of flying an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in response to emergency conditions.
2. Background
UAVs are typically controlled by a remote operator via wireless communication. It is often the case that when a component of the UAV fails, or some functionality is lost, the unmanned aerial vehicle is unable to carry out a suitable change to its flight plan.
Furthermore, nothing in the prior art considers the possibility of multiple failures occurring.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a method and apparatus that takes into account at least some of the issues discussed above, as well as other possible issues.