Abstract: In an image reading device, a movable part provided below a document platen in a housing is moved in a sub scanning direction. A reflection control part extending along a movement range of the movable part is fixed to the housing near the movable part. The reflection control part has first reflection parts having a relatively large reflectance and second reflection parts having a relatively small reflectance arranged along the movement range. A detection light irradiation part provided in the movable part irradiates the reflection control part with detection light. A detection light reception part receives the detection light reflected by the reflection control part. A signal generating part generates a binary signal corresponding to the detection light received by the detection light reception part. A movement deciding part decides movement state of the movable part according to the binary signal generated by the signal generating part.

Abstract: A call revenue enhancement system for a prison telephone system allows prisoners to make and initial call to a dialed number, and automatically prompts the called party to set up a credit card to be billed for future calls from the inmate. Additional phone numbers may also be specified to which the inmate may make calls which will be automatically charged to the credit card provided by the called party.

Abstract: In some embodiments, the instant invention provides a programmed system having a computer programmed with software instructions that include at least: code to receive an electronic Tender voting request to conduct a Tender voting; where the Tender voting is limited to a plurality of employees who has owned shares of an issuer at a record date via at least one of: i) at least one 401K plan, and ii) at least one employee stock ownership plan (ESOP); where the Tender voting is selected from the group of Tender voting types consisting of: i) a Tender offer, ii) an All-or-None Tender offer, and iii) a Dutch Tender auction; code to identify the plurality of employees; code to generate a plurality of programmed visual computer screens to allow the plurality of employees to submit Tender votes; and code to dynamically output a report identifying a progress of the Tender voting.

Abstract: Systems and methods for improving thermal performance, such as thermal dissipation, of flip chip packages that include one or more flip chip dies are disclosed. In some embodiments, a thermal collection layer can be formed on a surface of a flip chip die. The thermal collection layer can be configured to dissipate heat generated by the flip chip die. In some variations, the thermal collection layer can be constructed using materials having high thermal conductivity.

Abstract: A gas separator for separating gas from a fluid in a production stream in a producing hydrocarbon well is described. The gas separator includes a central tube sized to fit into a well casing of the producing hydrocarbon well and having an input at its lower end for receiving the production stream and perforations at its upper end to allow the production stream to flow into the space between the central tube and the well casing. A suction tube is located inside the central tube, the suction tube is operable to draw fluid from the space between the central tube and the well casing and to deliver the fluid to an artificial lift mechanism.

Abstract: Systems, methods and computer program products for assigning tasks to threads in a server process, where many threads require access to limited resources, are described herein. The system includes one or more programmable queues. Enqueued in each queue are a plurality tuples that correspond to tasks. The invention attempts to match the tuples with command processing resources and database command resources, as needed and available. Once a tuple is fully populated, the tuple is dequeued and assigned to a thread for processing. After processing of the tuple is complete, its command processing resource and any database command resource are enqueued to make them available to other tuples.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image reading portion, an image processing portion, a storage portion, a storage selector portion, an image forming portion, and a control portion. The storage portion includes a first storage portion and a second storage portion with greater vibration resistance than the first storage portion, and stores image data scanned by the image reading portion and processed by the image processing portion. The storage selector portion selects one of the first storage portion and the second storage portion based on the strength of mechanical vibrations during an operation of the apparatus, and a data size of the image data. The control portion causes the image data to be stored in the storage portion selected by the storage selector portion, and controls the image forming portion to read the stored image data and form an image.

Abstract: A recording medium storage cassette includes a recording medium loading plate and a rear end cursor. The rear end cursor aligns rear end positions of recording media. The rear end cursor includes a cursor main body portion, an abutting portion that abuts rear ends of the recording media, a lock portion having a protrusion for engaging with a rack, and a biasing member disposed between the abutting portion and the lock portion so as to bias the abutting portion and the lock portion in a direction away from each other.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus 1 includes an image forming portion 12, a setting acceptance portion 101, an identification information acquisition portion 92, and a control portion 100. The setting acceptance portion 101 accepts a job setting content from a user. After the job setting content is accepted by the setting acceptance portion 101, the identification information acceptance portion 92 acquires identification information of the user through communication with a key card 8. When the acquired identification information is authentic and the key card 8 is incommunicable with the identification information acquisition portion 92, the control portion 100 executes a job according to the job setting content.

Abstract: A touch sensing circuit includes an alternative current (AC) source, a voltage division circuit, and a processing circuit. The voltage division circuit receives an AC signal outputted from the AC source and includes a first branch and a second branch on a touch sensing glass, wherein the first and second branches are adjacent to each other. The processing circuit is connected to the voltage division circuit for determining position of a touch point according to the voltages of the first branch and the second branch. In a preferred embodiment, the first branch comprises a first capacitor and a first voltage division resistor connected to the first capacitor, and the second branch comprises a second capacitor and a second voltage division resistor connected to the second capacitor.

Abstract: A developer conveying device includes a housing, a developer conveyance path and a conveying member. The developer conveyance path extends between the pair of wall portions of the housing. The conveying member conveys developer from one wall portion toward the other. The conveying member includes a spiral member, shaft portions, a rib member, a supporting member and a projecting portion. The spiral member is formed by connecting spiral pieces in a conveying direction of the developer and includes a hollow interior formed by the connected spiral pieces. The rib member extends in the conveying direction and bridges adjacent ones of the spiral pieces of the spiral member. The supporting member connects an end part of the rib member in the conveying direction and the shaft portion. The projecting portion projects from the end part of the rib member more toward the wall portion than the supporting member.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for automated control of application of fluid to a surface. A surface map is annotated with shapes designating zones for spraying, and excluding others. A control system in a vehicle uses the annotated map and GPS to assist the operator of the vehicle avoid spraying on excluded zones, and provides a record of the spraying operation including locations sprayed and fluid spray rates. The control system operates valves to control spraying from a container on the vehicle, based on several parameters, so as to avoid spraying excluded zones and steep slopes, to avoid overlaps, and to limit fluid spray rates below pre-determined maximums. The system further assists the operator by providing a visual guide on a display. A kit can be provided to retrofit a vehicle for landspraying.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the rate of flow of mold material to a mold cavity, including a valve system in fluid communication with an actuator to drive the actuator at one or more rates of travel, the valve system having a start position, one or more intermediate drive rate positions and a high drive rate position, the start position holding the valve pin in a gate closed position; a controller that instructs the valve system to move from the start position to the one or more intermediate drive rate positions and to remain in the one or more intermediate drive rate positions for one or more corresponding predetermined amounts of time and further drives the valve system to move from the one or more intermediate drive rate positions to the high drive rate position on expiration of the one or more predetermined amounts of time.

Abstract: The present invention is a headset holder coupled with indicia of stored value. The indicia of stored value may be printed or painted on, or otherwise permanently coupled to, the holder itself, or may be included in a stored value or gift card that is attached to the holder. The headset holder and the stored value card may be constructed from a single sheet of plastic; in such embodiments, separation of the stored value card from the headset holder may be supported by a scoreline in the plastic material. The headset holder may have a spool and two grips. One grip may be configured to secure earphones and the other grip may be configured to secure a jack of the headset. The spool may be configured for winding headset wire. The holder may be configured to hold primarily an earbud headset. The grips may extend or protrude from a central portion, or body of the holder. The spool may also extend from the body. The holder may display an image, such as the image of a creature or plant.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided that allows a technician to retrieve diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) and remove any duplicates. The diagnostic tool can retrieve DTCs from the various diagnostic systems in the vehicle, remove any duplicates and display a unique list of DTCs. The diagnostic tool can also erase all DTCs including any duplicates from the vehicle after repairs have been completed. The tool can retrieve the DTCs without the user selecting the system to retrieve from.

Abstract: A nonvolatile memory apparatus includes a control unit, a main storage medium with an electrically reloadable nonvolatile memory adapted to be operable even when faulty memory cells exist therein, and a storage region storing registered address values of faulty regions of the main storage medium containing the faulty memory cells. Data which is stored in the electrically reloadable nonvolatile memory is divided into blocks, each block having a plurality of data to be administrated and which is assigned an access address by the control unit. An administrative information region is provided in each block. The control unit carries out access requests of the main storage medium and the administration of faulty regions and the number of occurrences of reloading of respective memory cells of the main storage medium.

Abstract: A wireless communication system is provided that comprises a base station (BS) serving a subscriber unit (SU) in a Public Safety Narrowband (PSNB) network, an eNodeB serving the SU in a broadband data network, and a network element of the PSNB network that is in communication with the BS and that identifies the eNodeB to the BS. In response to the identification of the eNodeB, the BS informs the eNodeB, via an interface between a radio access network (RAN) of the PSNB network and a RAN of the broadband data network, of an initiation of a voice session in the PSNB network involving the SU and of PSNB network resources allocated to the session. In response to being informed of the initiation of the session and the allocated PSNB network resources, the eNodeB avoids allocation of resources to the SU that are spectrally proximate to the allocated PSNB network resources.

Abstract: An image forming device includes: a secondary transfer roller configured to secondarily transfer a toner image transferred to an intermediate transfer belt, to a transfer paper; separating plates; and a power supply circuit configured to apply bias voltages to the separating plates. The separating plates are configured to separate the transfer paper from the intermediate transfer belt when the bias voltages are applied to the separating plates. The separating plates include two or more separating plates installed along a direction perpendicular to the transfer paper conveying direction. The bias voltages are applied to the separating plates independently of each other depending on a toner amount distribution of the toner image transferred to the transfer paper, in the direction perpendicular to the transfer paper conveying direction.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to modular demountable wall systems and more particularly, to a flexible and versatile demountable wall system for where control of air pressure and contaminants may be required.

Abstract: Methods are provided for isolating and using a whole-saliva leech extract. The methods can include feeding a phagostimulatory agent to a leech; inducing a regurgitation in the leech, the inducing including placing the leech in an environment having a temperature of less than about 0° C.; and, collecting an unrefined, whole saliva in the regurgitation of the cooled leech. The methods can include revitalizing the leech by warming it at a temperature ranging from about 5° C. to about 40° C. Stable, lyophilized, whole-saliva extracts of a leech are also provided, the extract having a stable activity when stored for use at a temperature below about ?20° C., the extract maintaining at least 70% of the activity for at least 6 months. The extracts can be used to treat solid tumors, treat liquid tumors, treat diabetes, treat a viral disease, treat a parasitic disease, treat an antibacterial disease, or serve as an anti-oxidant.