A driveshaft containment system and a method of its use. In preferred embodiments, the invention takes the form of a two component system including a first component mounted to a device such as a differential housing, coupled to driveshaft, and a second component comprising a tubular driveshaft containment housing. A driveshaft containment ring is preferably mounted to the forward end of the tubular housing which in turn is provided with a mechanism at its rearward end for rotationally engaging and disengaging the first component. The first and second components are also provided with a mechanism for preventing relative rotational movement of the first and second components while engaged with one another.

A rotation transmitting apparatus includes a first shaft on which multiple external teeth are formed so as to be arranged in a circumferential direction, and a second shaft in which multiple internal teeth are formed so as to be arranged in the circumferential direction, the second shaft being fitted to the first shaft so as to be slidable relative to the first shaft in the axial direction and so as to be engageable with the first shaft in a rotational direction through the use of the external teeth and the internal teeth. A protrusion is formed on the tooth flank of one of the external tooth and the internal tooth, the protrusion being projected toward the corresponding tooth flank of the other of the external tooth and the internal tooth. The protrusion is made of a resin that is more elastically deformable than the tooth flank.

A joint in the form of a counter track joint is disclosed that comprises a joint outer part with first outer ball tracks and second outer ball tracks; a joint inner part with first inner ball tracks and second inner ball tracks; wherein first aperture angles are respectively formed between tangents to contact points of a ball with the first outer ball track and with the first inner ball track, and second aperture angles are respectively formed between tangents to contact points between a ball with the second outer ball track and with the second inner ball track. The first aperture angles of the first track pairs open towards a first side of the joint, and the second aperture angles of the second track pairs open towards a second side of the joint. Outer axial play is provided between the joint outer part and the ball cage. Inner axial play is provided between the ball cage and the joint inner part. Axial play permits relative axial displacement of the joint inner part with respect to the joint outer part.

A device for generating limit torque with a function of yielding a torque change in real time includes a spring, a rotating portion having a cam surface formed therein, a transmitting portion transmitting an elastic force of the spring to the cam surface, a fixed portion with respect to which the relative rotation of the rotating portion is generated, and a limit-torque control portion provided to the fixed portion so as to control limit torque of the rotating portion by adjusting the elastic force of the spring. In the device, the limit-torque control portion controls the limit torque of the spring by changing the elastic force of the spring in real time.

A phase control apparatus in a variable cam timing (VCT) system of an engine is described herein. The phase control apparatus includes a locking pin coupled to a vane, the locking pin extending into a locking pin recess in a cover plate in a locked configuration, the locking pin and locking pin recess having a backlash and a housing at least partially enclosing the vane and spaced away from the vane forming a gap in the locked configuration.

An in-line coupling device for a motor driven agricultural system utilizes less metal components while optimizing torque transfer. The device comprises a puck having a plurality of outwardly extending arms, a first shaft hub having outwardly extending flanges adapted to seat between a pair of the plurality of outwardly extending arms, and a second shaft hub having outwardly extending flanges adapted to seat between a pair of the outwardly extending arms.

An electro-mechanical energy conversion device is provided having an armature with a central cavity. The armature is rotatably mounted in a frame. A torsion bar is positioned within the armature with one end connected to the armature and the other end connected with an energy source or consuming device.

An arrangement transmits a torque between a shaft and a hub. The hub has at least approximately the interior geometry of an equilateral n-sided polygon, the side surfaces of which at least approximately bear against a clutch portion, which is of circular overall cross section, of the shaft, and wherein the shaft has at least one driver portion which is rotationally conjoint with respect to the clutch portion and which extends in the direction of a corner of the n-sided polygon.

A system and methods are provided for controlling a motor of a rod pumping system using previous RPMs of the motor and predicting an RPM of the motor; correcting a power factor of a motor of a rod pumping system; allocating energy consumption and allocating energy generation for a set of wells connected to an electricity meter using an amount of energy generated by each well; and generating an alert if a set of data is beyond a threshold for the set of data.

An audio navigation device comprising an input means for inputting two or more audio pieces into the navigation device; a spatialization means for allocating a position in the form of a unique spatial co-ordinate to each audio piece and arranging the audio pieces in a multi-dimensional arrangement; a generating means for generating a binaural audio output for each audio piece, wherein the audio output simulates sounds that would be made by one or more physical sources located at the given position of each audio piece; an output means for simultaneously outputting multiple audio pieces as binaural audio output to a user; a navigation means for enabling a user to navigate around the audio outputs in the multi-dimensional arrangement; a selection means for allowing a user to select a single audio output.

A method models a defect management routine. Both the modeling and a handling are executed within a manufacturing execution system. During an engineering phase: modeling the production process and creating a library of possible defect types which may occur; assigning the defect types to at least one defect group; creating a library of defect specifications; creating a library of defect type specification details; creating at least one runtime defect criteria that is used to link the defect type to a certain production volume; and creating a runtime defect measurement routine that monitors a corrective measure. During a runtime production phase evaluating the product produced; identifying the respective defect type out of the library of defect types; and using the identified defect type to determine a corrective measure, a runtime defect criteria identifying the resource causing the defect type, a production volume, and to run the respective runtime defect management routine.

Shed formation on a weaving machine (2), which is driven by a main motor (3), with a shedding device (4), which is driven by a shedding motor (5), wherein in each motion cycle (N) of the weaving machine (2), a loom shed (7) formed by warp threads (8) of the weaving machine (2) is opened and closed dependent on a weave pattern, and wherein the synchronicity of the two motors (3, 5) is controlled by signals (10) of a control device (9). During a partial number (Tn1, Tn2) of motion cycles (N), the synchronicity of the two motors (3, 5) is changed in such a manner so that plural shed closure angles (FSW) at which the loom shed (7) in the respective motion cycles (N) is closed, form an increasing or decreasing sequence.

A robotic apparatus for machining tenons on turbine buckets of a steam turbine machine is disclosed. The robotic apparatus includes a machining device having a spindle head. A robotic arm is coupled to the machining device and a base member is coupled to the robotic arm. The base member is mounted independently of the machine element. A vision system is provided for locating the tenon on the turbine bucket. A control system is coupled to the vision system, the machining device and the robotic apparatus. The control system is configured to control movement of the robotic apparatus and the machining device based upon vision system data and spatial information about the tenon and the turbine bucket.

Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for assisting sort operators in identifying the appropriate location to sort an item. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a system for identifying a particular bin from a plurality of bins for sorting a package is provided. The system includes a plurality of bins configured to receive sorted packages; an optical reader positioned to capture destination indicia associated with the package; a keypad comprising a plurality of keys, where in at least some of the keys are associated with individual bins of the plurality of bins and at least some of the keys include lights; and a control system. The control system is configured to: receive data from the optical reader relating to the destination indicia; identify a particular bin within the plurality of bins associated with the received data; and trigger illumination of one or more lights on the keypad.

Apparatus, and an associated method, for generating a trouble ticket related to an IT incident. When an IT incident occurs, a worklog is formed by a reporter that enters information associated with the incident. Successive inputs, made by appropriate personnel, are made to update the status of the incident. A table-of-contents is formed, associated with the collection of entries of information. And, each entry of information is categorized, to identify the entry by an associated category.

Present invention discloses a dispenser having means to dispense desired number of pills from a bulk supply of pills contained in the dispenser. The dispenser comprises of storage compartment having bulk supply of pills and having a discharge port emptying into counting compartment The counting compartment contains first and second conveyors moving at first and second speed; wherein the second speed is greater than the first speed thereby enabling pill separation; the second conveyor discharges pills into dispensing compartment. Sensors are strategically placed along the conveyors to count pills discharged into dispensing compartment. A pill recovery system and apparatus is disposed inside the dispenser having means to recover pills remaining on conveyors upon completion of a dispensation cycle and deposit recovered pills back into the storage compartment for use in future dispensation cycles. A docking station having receptacles to accommodate dispenser is provided. Docking station has communication ports enabling two-way communication with personal computer.

Provided are a home network system and a method for an autonomous mobile robot to travel along a shortest travel route. The home network system capable of home automation includes a plurality of beacons for sensing a user located in a cell coverage area and for transmitting resulting sensing information of the user; an autonomous mobile robot for executing travel to reach the user based on provided travel route information; and a home server for calculating a travel route along which the autonomous mobile robot can easily reach the user based on the sensing information of the user transmitted from the beacons, and for providing the travel route to the autonomous mobile robot. Therefore, the autonomous mobile robot may reach the user by the shortest travel route and thus reducing energy loss.

Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with swarm management are described. One example system comprises a communication component configured to establish a communication link with at least one element, where the at least one element is part of a swarm. The example system also comprises a management component configured to manage performance of a task list by the swarm through the communication link.

A robot system, including an arm capable of controlling a position and orientation of an arm tip portion, a hand, which is attached to the arm tip portion and which includes a grasping mechanism configured to grasp an operation target, capable of controlling a relative position and orientation from the arm tip portion of the grasped operation target, and a position and orientation measurement apparatus configured to perform relative position and orientation measurement from the arm tip portion of the grasped operation target, wherein measurement of the relative position and orientation from the arm tip portion of the operation target is performed after the operation target is grasped by the grasping mechanism, while the arm tip portion is still moving, and correction of the relative position and orientation from the arm tip portion of the hand is performed based on a result of the position and orientation measurement so that the arm tip portion takes a predetermined relative position and orientation from the arm tip portion.

A vision correction method for establishing the position of a tool center point (TCP) for a robot manipulator includes the steps of: defining a preset position of the TCP; defining a preset coordinate system TG with the preset position of the TCP as its origin; capturing a two-dimensional picture of the preset coordinate system TG to establish a visual coordinate system TV; calculating a scaling ratio λ of the vision coordinate system TV relative to the preset coordinate system TG; rotating the TCP relative to axes of the preset coordinate system TG; capturing pictures of the TCP prior to and after rotation; calculating the deviation ΔP between the preset position and actual position of the TCP; correcting the preset position and corresponding coordinate system TG using ΔP, and repeating the rotation through correction steps until ΔP is less than or equal to a maximum allowable deviation of the robot manipulator.

In various embodiments, safe collaboration between a robot and humans is achieved by operating the robot continuously at or below a first threshold speed at which any collisions with a person's arms do not cause harm, and, upon detection of the person's torso or head within a danger zone around the robot, reducing the speed to or below a second threshold at which any collisions with the person's torso or head do not cause harm.

There is provided a method for actuating a first key of a keyboard with a tracer finger of a robot. An exemplary method comprises acquiring parameters of the keyboard and determining a position of the first key as a function of the acquired parameters using a model of the keyboard. The exemplary method also comprises guiding the tracer finger of the robot to the determined position of the first key. The exemplary method additionally comprises actuating the first key with the tracer finger of the robot.

A method of controlling an operation of a robotically-controlled surgical instrument can include receiving a first input signal at a controller indicative of a user's readiness to actuate the surgical instrument to perform a surgical procedure, outputting an output signal from the controller to provide feedback to the user in response to the received first input signal, receiving a second input signal at the controller confirming the user's readiness to actuate the surgical instrument, outputting an actuation signal from the controller in response to receiving the second input signal, and actuating the surgical instrument to perform the surgical procedure based on the actuation signal.

A walking robot having joints which move using a torque servo, a posture of the robot being stably controlled, and a method of controlling a posture of the robot. It is possible to maintain a stable angle of the upper body while keeping an erect posture and balance using the COG of the robot and the inclination and the direction of the upper body and the pelvis of the robot, even in an external variation including external force or an inclination angle of the ground. Even in a state in which terrain information is not known in advance, the robot may keep an erect posture in a direction of gravity. Even when a plane where the robot stands is gradually inclined, the postures of the upper body and the legs of the robot may be kept while actively changing the angle of the ankle joint.

A verification and control method for at least one water purification system is described, which includes a step of supplying, by a server embedded with the water purification system, an editing interface comprising a zone for selecting items of exploitation information representing physical quantities associated with the water purification system, a step of selecting, via the first remote browser, at least one item of exploitation information to constitute at least one exploitation interface page, a step of sending a request to access the exploitation page, by a second remote browser, to the server, a step of collecting the value of each physical quantity represented by a selected item of information to constitute the page, and a step of supplying, by the server, the page comprising each collected value.

A network system may be provided that includes an electronic product, a recognition target, a recognition device, a setting program and a display unit. The electronic product may operate to manage or process a target. The recognition target may include information relating to the target. The recognition device may recognize information listed on the recognition target. The setting program may convert information recognized by the recognition device into setting information. The display unit may display the setting information converted by the setting program.

An energy-reducing method and apparatus for retrofitting a single zone, constant volume HVAC system, with or without an economizer, that provides heating, cooling, and ventilation to occupants within a building space. The present invention includes the introduction of a programmable logic controller and variable frequency drive (VFD) that takes control of the existing fan, heating, cooling, and optional economizer operation. The reduction of the fan speed in the ventilation mode when the 100% operation is not needed saves significant energy of the existing constant volume HVAC system where the fan motor is designed to run 100% of the time.

An automatic-adjustable stacker for controlling the movement of a media, such as cardboard, through a media handling system. The stacker includes a media receiver positioned proximate a feed of the media that receives a leading edge of the media and a controller that causes the media receiver to move from a first position for receiving the media, to a second position for depositing of the media at a desired location. The media receiver is configured to prevent the media from coming into contact with other media already located at the desired location until the media has arrived at the desired location, while creating a concave-like shape to the media while conveying it.

An information processing apparatus for performing recognition processing by a recognizer for a position and orientation of a work subject to undergo work by a working unit of a robot arm. The information processing apparatus including an obtaining unit adapted to obtain, for each of a plurality of positions and orientations of the work subject, a position and an orientation of the working unit in which the working unit can perform the work, and a restriction unit adapted to restrict a position and an orientation of the work subject used in the recognition processing by the recognizer to a position and an orientation of the work subject corresponding to the position and the orientation of the working unit that have been obtained by the obtaining unit.

A work hanging apparatus includes a hanger line continuously conveying hangers each having a hook, a robot that has a hand with which a work having a hole is held and transfers the held work to a hanging location set in the hanger line, a controller controlling a movement of the hand to catch the hook of one of the hangers with the hole of the held work at the hanging location, a hole deviation detector that detects a positional deviation of the hole of the work, an attitude deviation detector that detects an attitudinal deviation of the hanger, and a corrector that corrects the movement of the hand according to the positional and attitudinal deviations.

The present invention relates to a novel polymeric composition comprising a novel polymer having two or more repeat units and a terminus having the structure (1): wherein R1 represents a C1-C20 substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, w is a number from 1-8, X is oxygen (O) or nitrogen (N), and Rd is a reactive group. The invention also relates to a process for forming a pattern using the novel polymeric composition. The invention further relates to a process of making the novel polymer.

Complexes of heterocyclic radionuclides are prepared based upon ligands having substituted pyridyl and imidazolyl groups. The ligands are bifunctional, having amino acid residues that may act as a linker to a bioactive molecu le, and a tridentate chelator that may complex the radionuclide. The bioactive molecule may be a peptide or somatostatin.

The present invention relates to lithium salt-containing rare earth halide solutions in aprotic solvents, processes for production thereof and also use thereof.

Methods and compositions for the deposition of a film on a substrate. In general, the disclosed compositions and methods utilize a precursor containing calcium or strontium.

The invention relates to a bonding product suitable as a carrier for medicinal substances and to the compound derived therefrom that carries medicinal substances. The invention further relates to a process and device for preparing such bonding products and compounds. Further, the invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition containing such bonding products and compounds, and to the use thereof for preparing an infusible medicament for treating a disease.

The presently disclosed subject matter provides compositions that selectively bind cyclooxygenase-2 and comprise a therapeutic and/or diagnostic moiety. Also provided are methods for using the disclosed compositions for diagnosing (i.e., by imaging) a target cell and/or treating a disorder associated with a cyclooxygenase-2 biological activity.

The present invention relates to an (amide amino alkane) metal compound represented by the formula (1): wherein M represents a metal atom;R1 represents a linear, branched or cyclic alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms;R2 and R3 may be the same as, or different from each other, and each independently represents a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, or R2 and R3 may form a substituted or unsubstituted 5- or 6-membered ring together with the nitrogen atom to which they are bound;Z represents a linear or branched alkylene group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms (a part of which may optionally form a ring); andn represents a number of the ligands, which is equal to the valence of the metal (M), and represents an integer of from 1 to 3; with the proviso that the metal compounds in which M is Li (Lithium), Be (Beryllium), Ge (Germanium) or Nd (Neodymium) are excluded;the metal compounds in which M is Mg (Magnesium) and R1 is methyl group are excluded;the metal compounds in which M is Zn (Zinc) and R1 is methyl group are excluded;the metal compounds in which M is Bi (Bismuth) and R1 is t-butyl group are excluded; andin cases where n is two or greater, two or more ligands may be the same as, or different from each other; and a method of producing a metal-containing thin film using the metal compound.

A cycloalkyl triamine pentacarboxylate compound coordinating to a metal ion to form a high stability metal complex in serum is provided. The metal complex of the present invention can be used as a contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Disclosed is a spectrofluorimetrically detectable luminescent composition consisting essentially of at least one energy transfer acceptor lanthanide(III) complex having an emission spectrum maximum in the range from 300 to 2000 nanometers and a luminescence-enhancing amount of at least one energy transfer donor selected from the group consisting of a fluorophore, a lumiphore, an organic compound, a salt of an organic ion, a metal ion, a metal ion complex, or a combination thereof. Such energy transfer donor enhances the luminescence of at least one energy transfer acceptor lanthanide(III) complex, with the conditions that the emission spectrum of any energy transfer donor differs from that of its energy transfer acceptor lanthanide(III) complex; and such energy transfer donor can be dissolved to form a unitary solution in a solvent having an evaporation rate at least as great as that of water.

A light absorption anisotropic film, having at least one dichroic dye, in which the light absorption anisotropic film shows a diffraction peak derived from a periodic structure in a direction in a plane of the light absorption anisotropic film in X-ray diffraction measurement and the diffraction peak has a half width of 1.0 Å or less.

A coloring matter which exhibits excellent (ozone) gas resistance, high print density, low color rendering properties, low color saturation, and high-quality black hue when is recorded on a paper only for inkjet exclusive use, i.e., an azo compound represented by formula (1), a tautomer of the azo compound, or a salt of the azo compound or the tautomer; and an ink composition containing the coloring matter, particularly a black ink composition for inkjet recording applications.

The new metal azo pigments comprising the adduct of a) at least two metal azo compounds of the formula (I) or their tautomeric forms in which the substituents have the definition indicated in the description,and b) at least one compound of the formula (II) in whichR6 has the definition indicated in the description, are characterized in that in the X-ray diffractogram with a lattice constant of d=10.3 (±0.2) Å the metal azo pigment has a signal S1 with an intensity I1 and in the lattice constant range from d=16.05 Å to d=11.78 Å has no signal S2 whose intensity I2 in relation to the intensity I1 of signal S1, expressed as ratio I2/I1 of the background-corrected intensities, exceeds a value of 0.02,and are outstandingly suitable for producing pigment preparations and especially for producing color filters.

It is an object of the present invention to provide antimicrobial metallodrugs comprising an antimicrobial peptide (“AMP”) and/or an antibiotic covalently bound to a metal binding moiety. These metallodrugs combine a metal binding domain which typically catalyzes oxido-reductase chemistry or acts as a Lewis-Acid catalyst, with a member of a diverse class of antimicrobial agents currently validated in preclinical and clinical settings for the treatment of a broad spectrum of pathogenic organisms.

Disclosed is an azo compound represented by the formula (1) below, a salt thereof, or a copper complex salt compound thereof. (In the formula, R1 and R2 independently represent a hydrogen atom, a sulfonic acid group, a lower alkyl group or a lower alkoxyl group; R3-R6 independently represent a hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group or a lower alkoxyl group; R7 represents a lower alkyl group or a lower alkoxyl group; and n represents 0 or 1.)

The present invention relates to compounds suitable as modulators of protein misfolding and/or protein aggregation. The compounds are particularly suitable as inhibitors of amyloid aggregate formation and/or modulators of amyloid surface properties, and/or as activators of degradation or reduction of amyloid aggregates.

Provided, amongst other things, are dyes of formula II: wherein R1, R2, R3 and R4 are independently H or alkyl, so long as one or more is alkyl, and salts of the compound of formula II. Methods of making, inks, surgical markers and methods of marking tissue and the like are further provided.

Disclosed herein is a GO-Gd-DTPA (gadolinium-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic-graphene oxide) complex, which is formed by an ester bond of graphene oxide (GO) and gadopentetic acid (Gd-DTPA). Since the GO-Gd-DTPA can stably exist in the body because it has high stability in water, it is expected that it can be effectively used as an MRI contrast agent.

The present disclosure provides a photoreactive synthetic regulator of protein function. The present disclosure further provides a light-regulated polypeptide that includes a subject synthetic regulator. Also provided are cells and membranes comprising a subject light-regulated polypeptide. The present disclosure further provides methods of modulating protein function, involving use of light.

The present invention is directed to novel organometallic complexes as catalysts for the reaction of compounds with isocyanate and hydroxyl functional groups to form urethane and/or polyurethane and the process employing such catalysts. More particularly, the present invention is directed to novel complexes of zinc(II) with substituted amidines. These novel catalysts are useful for the production of urethanes and polyurethanes which are important in many industrial applications.

An organic compound has the following chemical structure: wherein R is different from R*; R and R* are independently hydrogen, halogen, nitro or methoxyl; and R1 is a C1-C6 alkyl or a phenyl group. A quaternary data storage device includes a bottom electrode, a top electrode, and the organic film layer sandwiched between the bottom electrode and the top electrode.