1.-13. (canceled)
14. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a developing unit detachably attached to the image forming apparatus, the developing unit containing a developer;
a first member that includes a first electrode and is rotatable around a rotation axis in the developing unit;
a second member that moves around the rotation axis in the developing unit, wherein when the second member rotates, the first member temporarily stops;
a second electrode provided on an exterior of the developing unit;
an output section that detects an electrostatic capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode, and outputs data on the detected electrostatic capacitance; and
a determining section that determines an amount of developer in the developing unit based on the data output from the output section.
15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the first member follows rotational movement of the second member until the first member freely falls by its own weight.
16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the second member has a function of agitating the developer in the developing unit.
17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the first electrode is provided near a tip of the first member in a circumferential direction.
18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the output section includes a setting section that sets an amplification factor of the data, and an amplification unit that amplifies the data according to the amplification factor set by the setting section.
19. The image forming apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the output section changes the amplification factor of the data according to a remaining amount of the developer.
20. The image forming apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the output section changes the amplification factor of the data when rotation of the first member stops.
21. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a developing unit detachably attached to the image forming apparatus, the developing unit containing a developer;
a first member that includes a first electrode and moves around a rotation axis in the developing unit;
a second member that includes a second electrode and is provided on the rotation axis of the first member with a predetermined angle with respect to the first member;
a third electrode provided on an exterior of the developing unit;
an output section that detects electrostatic capacitance between the first electrode and the third electrode or between the second electrode and the third electrode, and outputs data on the detected electrostatic capacitance; and
a determining section that determines an amount of developer in the developing unit based on the data output from the output section,
wherein the determining section determines the amount of developer based on a difference between a time when the output section detects electrostatic capacitance between the first electrode and the third electrode and a time when the output section detects electrostatic capacitance between the second electrode and the third electrode.
22. The image forming apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the first member and the second member have flexibility, and
wherein the second member has a greater amount of deflection than the first member.
23. The image forming apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the first electrode is provided at a tip of the first member in a circumferential direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, and
wherein the second electrode is provided at a tip of the second member in the circumferential direction.
24. The image forming apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the first electrode is provided on a side of the rotation axis of the first member in a circumferential direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, and
wherein the second electrode is provided at a tip of the second member in the circumferential direction.
25. The image forming apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the second member has flexibility, and the second electrode is provided at a tip of the second member in a circumferential direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, and
the first member comprises the first electrode, has higher rigidity than the second member, and has a function of agitating the developer.
26. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a developing unit detachably attached to the image forming apparatus, the developing unit containing a developer;
a first member that includes a first electrode and moves around a rotation axis in the developing unit;
a second member that includes a second electrode and is provided on the rotation axis of the first member with a predetermined angle with respect to the first member;
a third electrode provided on an exterior of the developing unit;
an output section that detects electrostatic capacitance between the first electrode and the third electrode or between the second electrode and the third electrode, and outputs data on the detected electrostatic capacitance; and
a determining section that determines an amount of developer in the developing unit based on the data output from the output section,
wherein the determining section determines the amount of developer based on a difference between data on electrostatic capacitance between the first electrode and the third electrode output from the output section and data on electrostatic capacitance between the second electrode and the third electrode output from the output section.
27. The image forming apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the first member and the second member have flexibility, and
wherein the second member has a greater amount of deflection than the first member.
28. The image forming apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the first electrode is provided at a tip of the first member in a circumferential direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, and
wherein the second electrode is provided at a tip of the second member in the circumferential direction.
29. The image forming apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the first electrode is provided on a side of the rotation axis of the first member in a circumferential direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, and
wherein the second electrode is provided at a tip of the second member in the circumferential direction.
30. The image forming apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the second member has flexibility, and the second electrode is provided at a tip of the second member in a circumferential direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, and
wherein the first member comprises the first electrode, has higher rigidity than the second member, and has a function of agitating the developer.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of communicating among at least two tethered transportation units comprising:
exchanging identificationauthentication information between a first transportation unit and a second transportation unit using a wired connection therebetween, wherein the identificationauthentication information comprises a public key of the respective first and second transportation units; and
communicating wirelessly between the first and second transportation units via a session key encrypted with the identificationauthentication information.
2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said transportation units consist of a tractor, a container, a trailer, a dolly or a combination thereof.
3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said wired connection uses a conductor within a 7-pin connector.
4. The method as recited in claim 3 wherein said identificationauthentication information is modulated on said conductor.
5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said communicating occurs using mobile communication terminals, each associated with the first and second transportation units.
6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said encrypted session key is decrypted with a private key associated with the respective first and second transportation units.
7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein exchanging identificationauthentication information between the first transportation unit and the second transportation unit using the wired connection is accomplished when said first and second transportation units are substantially still.
8. A method of communicating comprising:
receiving a public key of a transportation entity over a wired connection;
generating a substantially random session key;
encrypting, according to said public key, said session key;
wirelessly sending said encrypted session key to said transportation entity for decryption by said transportation entity; and
wirelessly communicating with said transportation entity using messages encrypted according to said session key.
9. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein receiving said pubic key of said transportation entity over said wired connection occurs when said transportation entity is substantially still.
10. A method of communicating comprising:
requesting, via a network management facility (NMF), a session key in order to communicate with a mobile communication terminal (MCT) of a transportation entity;
receiving a first copy of a session key encrypted according to a secret key associated with said NMF and a second copy of said session key encrypted according to a secret key associated with said MCT;
decrypting said first copy of said session key according to said secret key associated with said NMF;
sending said second copy of said session key to said MCT over a wired connection for decryption by said MCT according to said secret key associated with said MCT; and
communicating wirelessly with said MCT using messages encrypted according to said session key.
11. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein said transportation entity is associated with a transportation unit consisting of a trailer, a container or a dolly.
12. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein sending said second copy of said session key to said MCT over said wired connection occurs during a time said transportation entity is substantially still.
13. A first mobile communications terminal associated with a vehicle comprising:
a transmitterreceiver;
a memory for storing identificationauthentication data of said first mobile communications terminal; and
a processor programmed to permit exchanging, over a wired connection and only when said vehicle is substantially stationary, said identificationauthentication data with identificationauthentication data of a second mobile communications terminal associated with said vehicle, wherein said identificationauthentication data comprises a public key of said respective first and second mobile communications terminals, and to permit communication over a wireless communication link with said second mobile communications terminals via a session key encrypted with said identificationauthentication information of said second mobile communications terminal.
14. A system for communicating between a tractor and a hauled transportation unit comprising:
a mobile communication terminal for said tractor;
a mobile communication terminal for said hauled transportation unit;
a wired connection coupling said mobile communication terminal of said tractor with said mobile communication terminal of said hauled transportation unit;
a network management facility operable to dispatch a session key, wherein communications between said mobile communication terminal of said tractor and said mobile communication terminal of said hauled transportation unit occur in connection with messages encrypted according to said session key after said session key has been forwarded by said mobile communication terminal of said tractor to said mobile communication terminal of said hauled transportation unit using said wired connection.
15. The system as recited in claim 14 wherein said transportation unit consists of a container, a trailer, or a dolly.
16. The system as recited in claim 14 further including a satellite network through which communications between said network management facility and said mobile communications terminal for said tractor occur.
17. The system as recited in claim 14 further including a terrestrial network through which communications between said network management facility and said mobile communications terminal for said tractor occur.
18. The system as recited in claim 17 wherein communications between said network management facility and said mobile communications terminal for said tractor occur using one consisting of GSM, CDMA, or UTMS.
19. The system as recited in claim 14 wherein said mobile communication terminal for said hauled transportation is communication enabled according to one consisting of GSM, CDMA, UTMS, Wi-Fi, ZigBee, or a combination thereof.
20. An apparatus for communicating among at least two tethered transportation units comprising:
means for exchanging identificationauthentication information between a first transportation unit and a second transportation unit using a wired connection therebetween, wherein the identificationauthentication information comprises a public key of the respective first and second transportation units; and
means for communicating wirelessly between the first and second transportation units via a session key encrypted with the identificationauthentication information.
21. The apparatus as recited in claim 20 wherein said transportation units consist of a tractor, a container, a trailer, a dolly or a combination thereof.
22. The apparatus as recited in claim 20 wherein said wired connection uses a conductor within a 7-pin connector.
23. The apparatus as recited in claim 22 wherein said identificationauthentication information is modulated on said conductor.
24. The apparatus as recited in claim 20 wherein said means for communicating comprises mobile communication terminals, each associated with the first and second transportation units.
25. The apparatus as recited in claim 20 further comprising decrypting the encrypted session key with a private key associated with the respective first and second transportation units.
26. The apparatus as recited in claim 20 further comprising means for exchanging identificationauthentication information between the first transportation unit and the second transportation unit using the wired connection when said first and second transportation units are substantially still.
27. An apparatus for communicating comprising:
means for receiving a public key of a transportation entity over a wired connection;
means for generating a substantially random session key;
means for encrypting, according to said public key, said session key;
means for wirelessly sending said encrypted session key to said transportation entity for decryption by said transportation entity; and
means for wirelessly communicating with said transportation entity using messages encrypted according to said session key.
28. The apparatus as recited in claim 27 further comprising means for receiving said pubic key of said transportation entity over said wired connection occurs when said transportation entity is substantially still.
29. An apparatus for communicating comprising:
means for requesting, via a network management facility (NMF), a session key in order to communicate with a mobile communication terminal (MCT) of a transportation entity;
means for receiving a first copy of a session key encrypted according to a secret key associated with said NMF and a second copy of said session key encrypted according to a secret key associated with said MCT;
means for decrypting said first copy of said session key according to said secret key associated with said NMF;
means for sending said second copy of said session key to said MCT over a wired connection for decryption by said MCT according to said secret key associated with said MCT; and
means for communicating wirelessly with said MCT using messages encrypted according to said session key.
30. The apparatus as recited in claim 29 wherein said transportation entity is associated with a transportation unit consisting of a trailer, a container or a dolly.
31. The apparatus as recited in claim 29 further comprising means for sending said second copy of said session key to said MCT over said wired connection during a time said transportation entity is substantially still.
32. A computer readable storage medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method of communicating among at least two tethered transportation units, said method comprising operations of:
exchanging identificationauthentication information between a first transportation unit and a second transportation unit using a wired connection therebetween, wherein the identificationauthentication information comprises a public key of the respective first and second transportation units; and
communicating wirelessly between the first and second transportation units via a session key encrypted with the identificationauthentication information.
33. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 32 wherein said encrypted session key is decrypted with a private key associated with the respective first and second transportation units.
34. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 32 wherein exchanging identificationauthentication information between the first transportation unit and the second transportation unit using the wired connection is accomplished when said first and second transportation units are substantially still.
35. A computer readable storage medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method of communicating, said method comprising operations of:
receiving a public key of a transportation entity over a wired connection;
generating a substantially random session key;
encrypting, according to said public key, said session key;
wirelessly sending said encrypted session key to said transportation entity for decryption by said transportation entity; and
wirelessly communicating with said transportation entity using messages encrypted according to said session key.
36. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 35 wherein receiving said pubic key of said transportation entity over said wired connection occurs when said transportation entity is substantially still.
37. A computer readable storage medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method of communicating, said method comprising operations of:
requesting, via a network management facility (NMF), a session key in order to communicate with a mobile communication terminal (MCT) of a transportation entity;
receiving a first copy of a session key encrypted according to a secret key associated with said NMF and a second copy of said session key encrypted according to a secret key associated with said MCT;
decrypting said first copy of said session key according to said secret key associated with said NMF;
sending said second copy of said session key to said MCT over a wired connection for decryption by said MCT according to said secret key associated with said MCT; and
communicating wirelessly with said MCT using messages encrypted according to said session key.
38. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 37 wherein sending said second copy of said session key to said MCT over said wired connection occurs during a time said transportation entity is substantially still.