Author: claimsbot

What is claimed is:

1. A single-stage impeller for automatically producing and maintaining a constant length of an extended whirling filament comprising:
a length of filament having a proximal and distal end;
a rotatable cylindrical spool of the appropriate diameter, about which the length of filament is wound, to produce the length of extended whirling filament such that said extended whirling filament length extends tangentially from the cylindrical surface of the spool and remains constant even as the filament is consumed by use at the distal end.
2. A filament cartridge for fast and simple reloading of an automatic spool filament impeller comprising:
a quantity of filament formed into coils of an appropriate diameter; and
a means for preventing unwanted uncoiling but which does not prevent undesired uncoiling in use.

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 system comprising:
a network interface configured to download segments of an original media file from a server via multiple download operations, each download of a subsegment of a segment encoded at a first quality;
a client buffer for storing the subsegments;
a bandwidth monitoring module, stored on a memory device, configured to:
perform a READ function of a Fetch File portion of HTTP code to download each subsegment, where a first number of subsegments per segment are read for a first bandwidth and a second number of subsegments per segment are read for a second bandwidth, the second bandwidth being greater than the first bandwidth and the first number being greater than the second number;
at or after a start of each download of a subsegment, determine a bandwidth of a network connection between the network interface and the server; and
determine, based on the bandwidth of the network connection, whether a current one of the segments should be downloaded at a second quality different from the first quality, and if so:
discard downloaded subsegments of the current one of the segments from the client buffer; and
download the current one of the segments encoded at a second quality.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein encoding at the second quality generates a smaller file size than encoding at the first quality.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the determine operation is performed while the current one of the segments is partially downloaded.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the bandwidth monitoring module is further configured to determine that a predicted time to discard the downloaded subsegments of the current one of the segments and restart the download and reading of the current one of the segments encoded at the second quality is less than a predicted time to complete a download of the current one of the segments encoded at the first quality.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the bandwidth monitoring module looks to a header of incoming data packets to determine a bandwidth of the network connection.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the bandwidth monitoring module includes a segment size calculating module configured to determine or estimate a size of the current one of the segments.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the segment size calculating module looks to a content-length field of an HTTP-request for the original media file to determine the segment size.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the determine operation involves determining if download of the segment can be completed in less time if the downloaded subsegments of the current one of the segments are discarded, and the current one of the segments encoded at a second quality is downloaded.
9. A method for streaming an original media file using adaptive bandwidth switching, the method comprising:
performing a READ function of a FetchFile portion of HTTP code to download, via multiple read operations, into a client buffer, subsegments of a segment of the original media file, the segment being one of a plurality of segments in a first variant, the first variant referencing a first quality encoding of the original media file;
determining that a bandwidth of the network has decreased, where the determining occurs at or after a start of each read operation; and subsequently
selecting a number of subsegments to be downloaded for the segment, where the number of subsegments is inversely related to the bandwidth;
predicting, based on the bandwidth, that switching to a second variant referencing a second quality encoding of the original media file will enable a faster download of the segment;
discarding from the client buffer, subsegments of the segment that have already been downloaded;
selecting a second variant, the second variant referencing a second quality encoding of the original media file, the second quality being less than the first quality; and
downloading, via multiple read operations, into the client buffer, subsegments of the segment of the original media file, the segment being one of a plurality of segments in a second variant.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining the bandwidth includes estimating the bandwidth.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the estimating the bandwidth includes taking a weighted average of previous bandwidths and a current bandwidth to determine the bandwidth.
12. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining includes deciding that discarding all downloaded subsegments of the segment and fetching the segment starting with a first subsegment of the segment via a different variant is better for the user experience than continuing to download the segment via the current bandwidth.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining includes estimating a time remaining to complete downloading the segment.
14. A non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium, encoded with processor readable instructions to perform a method for adaptive bandwidth switching, the method comprising:
performing a READ function of a FetchFile portion of HTTP code to download, via multiple read operations, into a client buffer, subsegments of a segment of the original media file, the segment being one of a plurality of segments in a first variant, the first variant referencing a first quality encoding of the original media file;
determining that a bandwidth of the network has decreased, where the determining occurs at or after a start of each read operation, where the determining is based on samples of the bandwidth taken at or after download of each subsegment;
adjusting a number of subsegments per segment that are downloaded as an inverse function of the bandwidth; and subsequently
predicting, based on the bandwidth, that switching to a second variant referencing a second quality encoding of the original media file will enable a faster download of the segment;
discarding from the client buffer, subsegments of the segment that have already been downloaded;
selecting a second variant, the second variant referencing a second quality encoding of the original media file, the second quality being less than the first quality; and
downloading, via multiple read operations, into the client buffer, subsegments of the segment of the original media file, the segment being one of a plurality of segments in a second variant.
15. A method comprising:
downloading from a server, via a network interface, segments of an original media file from a server via multiple download operations, each download of a subsegment of a segment encoded at a first quality;
storing the subsegments in a client buffer;
performing a READ function of a FetchFile portion of HTTP code to download each subsegment, where a first number of subsegments per segment are read for a first bandwidth and a second number of subsegments per segment are read for a second bandwidth, the second bandwidth being greater than the first bandwidth and the first number being greater than the second number;
at or after a start of each download of a subsegment, determining a bandwidth of a network connection between the network interface and the server; and
determining, based on the bandwidth of the network connection, whether a current one of the segments should be downloaded at a second quality different from the first quality, and if so:
discarding downloaded subsegments of the current one of the segments from the client buffer; and
downloading the current one of the segments encoded at a second quality.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein encoding at the second quality generates a smaller file size than encoding at the first quality.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein the determining operation is performed while the current one of the segments is partially downloaded.
18. The method of claim 15, further comprising: determining that a predicted time to discard the downloaded subsegments of the current one of the segments and restart the download and reading of the current one of the segments encoded at the second quality is less than a predicted time to complete a download of the current one of the segments encoded at the first quality.
19. The method of claim 15, further comprising: looking to a header of incoming data packets to determine a bandwidth of the network connection.
20. The method of claim 15, further comprising: estimating a size of the current one of the segments.

1. A replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller, comprising:
a bearing housing having an internal bearing seat and an outer retaining flange, the bearing seat having a bearing cap passage disposed therethrough and an elongate, externally threaded bearing holder sleeve extending therefrom;
a bearing installed within the bearing housing adjacent the bearing seat, the bearing having an inner surface and an outer surface;
a bearing cap having a hollow stem, the stem being removably installed through the bearing cap passage of the bearing seat and through the inner surface of the bearing; and
a bearing retainer disposed upon the stem of the bearing cap, the bearing retainer capturing the bearing upon the stem of the bearing cap between the bearing seat of the bearing housing and the bearing retainer, and retaining the stem of the bearing cap and the bearing installed thereon within the bearing housing.
2. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller according to claim 1, further including a tubular roller insert having an internally threaded portion, the externally threaded bearing holder sleeve of the bearing housing being removably threaded into the internally threaded roller insert.
3. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller according to claim 1, further including:
a hollow tubular conveyor roller, the bearing housing being removably disposed within the conveyor roller;
an axle disposed concentrically within the conveyor roller, the axle passing through the bearing housing and the bearing cap; and
bearing housing retention means permanently disposed within the conveyor roller for retaining the bearing housing.
4. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller according to claim 3 wherein the conveyor roller is internally threaded, the bearing housing being removably threaded directly into the conveyor roller.
5. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller according to claim 1 wherein the bearing holder sleeve of the bearing housing has an unthreaded portion adjacent the bearing seat, the bearing being seated within the unthreaded portion of the bearing holder sleeve.
6. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller according to claim 5, wherein the unthreaded portion of the bearing holder sleeve has a smaller diameter than the threaded portion thereof.
7. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller according to claim 1, wherein the outer retaining flange of the bearing housing has an outer face having a plurality of circumferentially disposed notches therein, the bearing further comprising a bearing housing installation and removal tool, the tool having a bearing housing engagement face having a plurality of teeth extending therefrom, the teeth being adapted to engage the notches of the outer retaining flange of the bearing housing.
8. A replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller, comprising:
a bearing housing having an internal bearing seat and an outer retaining flange, the bearing seat having a bearing cap passage disposed therethrough and an elongate, externally threaded bearing holder sleeve extending therefrom;
a tubular roller insert having an internally threaded portion, the externally threaded bearing holder sleeve being removably threaded into the internally threaded roller insert; and
a bearing installed within the bearing housing adjacent the bearing seat, the bearing having an inner surface and an outer surface.
9. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller according to claim 8, further including:
a bearing cap having a hollow stem, the stem being removably installed through the bearing cap passage of the bearing seat and through the inner surface of the bearing; and
a bearing retainer disposed upon the stem of the bearing cap, the bearing retainer capturing the bearing upon the stem of the bearing cap between the bearing seat of the bearing housing and the bearing retainer, and retaining the stem of the bearing cap and the bearing installed thereon within the bearing housing.
10. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller according to claim 8, further including:
a hollow, tubular conveyor roller, the roller insert being permanently affixed within the conveyor roller, the bearing housing and bearing being removably disposed within the roller insert; and
an axle disposed concentrically within the conveyor roller, the axle passing through the inner surface of the bearing.
11. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller according to claim 8 wherein the bearing holder sleeve has an unthreaded portion adjacent the bearing seat, the bearing being seated within the unthreaded portion of the bearing holder sleeve.
12. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller according to claim 11, wherein the unthreaded portion of the bearing holder sleeve has a smaller diameter than the threaded portion thereof.
13. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller according to claim 8, wherein the outer retaining flange of the bearing housing has an outer face having a plurality of circumferentially disposed notches therein, the bearing further comprising a bearing housing installation and removal tool, the tool having a bearing housing engagement face having a plurality of teeth extending therefrom, the teeth being adapted to engage the notches of the outer retaining flange of the bearing housing.
14. A replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller and a conveyor roller, comprising in combination:
a hollow, tubular conveyor roller;
an axle disposed concentrically within the conveyor roller;
a bearing housing removably disposed within the conveyor roller and about the axle, the bearing housing having an internal bearing seat and an outer retaining flange, the bearing seat having a bearing cap passage disposed therethrough and an elongate, externally threaded bearing holder sleeve extending therefrom;
a bearing installed within the bearing housing adjacent the bearing seat thereof, the bearing having an inner surface and an outer surface; and
bearing housing retention means permanently disposed within the conveyor roller for retaining the bearing housing.
15. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller and conveyor roller combination according to claim 14, further including:
a bearing cap having a hollow stem, the stem being removably installed through the bearing cap passage of the bearing seat and through the inner race of the bearing; and
a bearing retainer disposed upon the stem of the bearing cap, the bearing retainer capturing the bearing upon the stem of the bearing cap between the bearing seat of the bearing housing and the bearing retainer, and retaining the stem of the bearing cap and the bearing installed thereon within the bearing housing.
16. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller and conveyor roller combination according to claim 14 further including a tubular roller insert permanently disposed within the conveyor roller, the roller insert having an internally threaded portion, the externally threaded bearing holder sleeve of the bearing housing being removably threaded into the internally threaded roller insert.
17. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller and conveyor roller combination according to claim 14 wherein the conveyor roller is internally threaded, the bearing housing being removably threaded directly into the conveyor roller.
18. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller and conveyor roller combination according to claim 14 wherein the bearing holder sleeve has an unthreaded portion adjacent the bearing seat, the bearing being seated within the unthreaded portion of the bearing holder sleeve.
19. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller and conveyor roller combination according to claim 18, wherein the unthreaded portion of the bearing holder sleeve has a smaller diameter than the threaded portion thereof.
20. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller and conveyor roller combination according to claim 14, wherein the outer retaining flange of the bearing housing has an outer face having a plurality of circumferentially disposed notches therein, the bearing further comprising a bearing housing installation and removal tool, the tool having a bearing housing engagement face having a plurality of teeth extending therefrom, the teeth being adapted to engage the notches of the outer retaining flange of the bearing housing.

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. An optical detection device for detecting an intensity of a light beam in a detection window and for detecting data transmitted by the light beam, comprising
an array having a plurality of first detection diodes in the detection window;
an array having a plurality of second detection diodes in the detection window;
a first readout circuit connectable to the first detection diodes, for reading out the first detection diodes at a first readout speed to yield the data; and
a second readout circuit connectable to the second detection diodes, for reading out the second detection diodes at a second readout speed lower than the first readout speed, to determine the intensity of the light beam, wherein the array of first detection diodes is an n\xd7n array, and the array of second detection diodes is an (n+1)\xd7(n+1) array, both arrays being arranged such that the first detection diodes are arranged in the gaps of the array of second detection diodes.
2. The optical detection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of first detection diodes are connected in parallel to be jointly read out by a first evaluation circuit.
3. The optical detection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of second detection diodes are connected in parallel.
4. The optical detection device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
an evaluation circuit for determining an actual position of the light beam from the intensity, detected in the detection window, of the light beam at the second detection diodes.
5. The optical detection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first detection diodes has an area structured in a comb-like manner, with a first kind of doping, and a trough with a second kind of doping, wherein the area structured in a comb-like manner is embedded.
6. The optical detection device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the area structured in a comb-like manner has an n+-doped area, and the trough is p\u2212-doped.
7. The optical detection device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second detection diodes have an n\u2212-doped area formed in the same trough.
8. The optical detection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the array of first detection diodes is an n\xd7n array, and the array of second detection diodes is an (n+1)\xd7(n+1) array, wherein the two arrays are arranged such that the first detection diodes are arranged in the gaps of the array of second detection diodes, and wherein the n\u2212-doped area of each second diode is formed in a cross shape with four arms, each of which projects into an area between two adjacent first detection diodes to separate them in terms of diffusion current.
9. The optical detection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first readout circuit comprises a transimpedance amplifier.
10. The optical detection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second readout circuit comprises:
a connector for serially connecting every second detection diode to a supply voltage to charge a diode junction capacitance of the second detection diode so that a voltage across the second detection diode corresponds to the supply voltage, and for subsequently separating the second detection diode from the supply voltage, and for serially outputting the voltage applied across every second detection diode once an integration period has expired after the separation from the supply voltage.
11. An optical scanning device for reading out a track of an optical plate by detecting the light beam reflected from a track and modeled in accordance with data stored on the track, comprising
an optical detection device for detecting an intensity of a light beam in a detection window and for detecting data transmitted by the light beam, comprising
an array having a plurality of first detection diodes in the detection window;
an array having a plurality of second detection diodes in the detection window;
a first readout circuit connectable to the first detection diodes, for reading out the first detection diodes at a first readout speed to yield the data; and
a second readout circuit connectable to the second detection diodes, for reading out the second detection diodes at a second readout speed lower than the first readout speed, to determine the intensity of the light beam, wherein the array of first detection diodes is an n\xd7n array, and the array of second detection diodes is an (n+1)\xd7(n+1) array, both arrays being arranged such that the first detection diodes are arranged in the gaps of the array of second detection diodes; and

a controller for outputting control signals for tracking andor focus control depending on the detected intensity of the light beam at the second detection diodes.
12. The optical scanning device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the controller further comprises:
a determinator for determining a deviation of an actual position of the light beam in the detection window from a target position in the detection window from the detected intensity of the light beam at the second detection diodes; and
a calculator for calculating a control signal for tracking andor focus control from the deviation, such that the deviation is reduced.
13. The optical scanning device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the deviation determined is established in two dimensions.
14. The optical scanning device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the controller comprises:
a determinator for determining an extent of a simultaneous readout of two adjacent tracks from the detected intensity of the light beam at a part of the first detection diodes; and
a determinator for determining a control signal for setting the threshold value for digitalizing the data detected from the extent determined, such this bit errors in the digitalization are reduced.
15. An optical storage device, comprising
an optical plate having an optical track which has data stored thereon;
a light-beam generator for generating the light beam;
an optical scanning device for reading out a track of an optical plate by detecting the light beam reflected from a track and modeled in accordance with data stored on the track, comprising
an optical detection device for detecting an intensity of a light beam in a detection window and for detecting data transmitted by the light beam, comprising
an array having a plurality of first detection diodes in the detection window;
an array having a plurality of second detection diodes in the detection window;
a first readout circuit connectable to the first detection diodes, for reading out the first detection diodes at a first readout speed to yield the data; and
a second readout circuit connectable to the second detection diodes, for reading out the second detection diodes at a second readout speed lower than the first readout speed, to determine the intensity of the light beam, wherein the array of first detection diodes is an n\xd7n array, and the array of second detection diodes is an (n+1)\xd7(n+1) array, both arrays being arranged such that the first detection diodes are arranged in the gaps of the array of second detection diodes; and

a controller for outputting control signals for tracking andor focus control depending on the detected intensity of the light beam and the second detection diodes;

optics for focusing the light beam onto the track and for directing a light beam which has been reflected from the track to the detection window of the optical detection device;
a carrier for carrying the first and second detection diodes of the optical detection device, the light-beam generator and the optics; and
a servo for setting a distance between the carrier and the track, and a lateral position of the carrier in relation to the track, depending on the control signal for tracking and focus control from the optical scanning device.
16. A method of operating an optical detection device for detecting an intensity of a light beam in a detection window and for detecting data transmitted by the light beam, the optical detection device having an array having a plurality of first detection diodes and an array having a plurality of second detection diodes in the detection window, wherein the array of first detection diodes is an n\xd7n array, and the array of second detection diodes is an (n+1)\xd7(n+1) array, both arrays being arranged such that the first detection diodes are arranged in the gaps of the array of second detection diodes, the method comprising:
reading out the first detection diodes at a first readout speed to yield the data; and
reading out the second detection diodes at a second readout speed, smaller than the first readout speed, to determine the intensity of the light beam.