Author: claimsbot

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a data storing unit configured to store data of a plurality of pages onto a plurality of storage devices;
a plurality of data processing units configured to perform parallel processing on the data of the plurality of pages, wherein the data for each of the pages is assigned to one of the plurality of data processing units; and
an assignment unit configured to assign the data of each of the pages to be processed by one of the plurality of data processing units, wherein the assignment of the data of each of the pages to one of the plurality of data processing units is determined by a transfer rate of each of the storage devices for the data of the plurality of pages stored on the plurality of storage devices.
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the assignment unit is further configured to assign the data of each of the pages to one of the plurality of data processing units in order of decreasing priority, wherein a priority for each of the storage devices is determined using the transfer rates of the storage devices containing the data of the plurality of pages.
3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:
a table creation unit configured to acquire the transfer rates of each of the storage devices and create a priority table, wherein the priority for each of the storage devices is determined in descending order of the transfer rates of the plurality of storage devices, and
wherein the assignment unit is further configured to assign the data of each of the pages to the plurality of data processing units based on the priority of each of the storage devices within the priority table.
4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:
a rate information retaining unit configured to retain the transfer rates of the plurality of storage devices; and
a rate measuring unit configured to measure the transfer rate of each of the storage devices,
wherein the table creation unit is further configured to create the priority table from the transfer rates retained in the rate information retaining unit and the transfer rates measured by the rate measuring unit.
5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
the plurality of storage devices includes a server connected to a network, wherein the server includes a server storage unit; and
the assignment unit is further configured to assign the data of the plurality of pages stored on the server storage unit to the plurality of data processing units, wherein the assignment of the data of each of the pages stored on the server storage unit is determined using a server transfer rate, wherein the server transfer rate is based on a combination of protocols used by the server storage device and the server.
6. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing an image processing program executable by a computer of an image processing apparatus, wherein the image processing program comprises:
a first program code that causes the computer to store data of a plurality of pages onto a plurality of storage devices;
a second program code that causes the computer to realize a plurality of data processing functions that perform parallel processing on the data of the plurality of pages, wherein the data of each of the plurality of pages is assigned to one of the plurality of data processing functions; and
a third program code that causes the computer to assign the data of each of the pages to be processed in parallel by one of the plurality of data processing functions, wherein the assignment of the data of each of the pages to be processed in parallel by one of the plurality of data processing functions is determined by a transfer rate of each of the storage devices for the data of the plurality of pages store on the plurality of storage devices.
7. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 6, wherein the third program code further causes the computer to assign the data of each of the pages to one of the plurality of data processing functions in order of decreasing priority, wherein a priority of each of the storage devices is determined using the transfer rates of the storage devices containing the data of the plurality of pages.
8. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 7, wherein the image processing program further comprises:
a fourth program code that causes the computer to acquire the transfer rates of each of the storage devices and create a priority table, wherein the priority for each of the storage devices is determined in descending order of the transfer rates of the plurality of storage devices, and
wherein the third program code causes the computer to assign the data of each of the pages to the plurality of data processing functions based on the priority of each of the storage devices within the priority table.
9. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 8, the image processing program further comprising:
a fifth program code that causes the computer to retain the transfer rates of the plurality of storage devices; and
a seventh program code that causes the computer to measure the transfer rate of each of the storage devices; and
the fourth program code further causes the computer to create the priority table from the transfer rates retained by the fifth program code and the transfer rates measured by the seventh program code.
10. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 6, wherein:
the plurality of storage devices includes a server connected to a network, wherein the server includes a server storage unit; and
the third program code further causes the computer to assign the data of the plurality of pages stored on the server storage unit to the plurality of data processing functions, wherein the assignment of the data of the plurality of pages stored on the server storage unit is determined using a server transfer rate, wherein the server transfer rate is based on a combination of protocols used by the server storage device and the server.
11. An image forming method, comprising:
storing, via a data storage unit, data of a plurality of pages onto a plurality of storage devices;
performing, via a plurality of data processing units, parallel processing on the data of the plurality of pages, herein the data for each of the pages is assigned to one of the plurality of data processing units; and
assigning, via an assignment unit, the data of each of the pages to be processed by one of the plurality of data processing units, wherein the assignment of the data of each of the pages to one of the plurality of data processing units is determined by a transfer rate of each of the storage devices for the data of the plurality of pages stored on the plurality of storage devices.
12. The image forming method according to claim 11, wherein the assignment unit assigns the data each of the pages to one of the plurality of data processing units in order of decreasing priority, wherein a priority for each of the storage devices is determined by the transfer rate of the storage devices is determined using the transfer rates of the storage devices containing the data of the plurality of pages.
13. The image forming method according to claim 12, further comprising acquiring, via a table creation unit, the transfer rates on each of the storage devices to create a priority table, wherein the priority for each of the storage devices is determined in descending order of the transfer rates of the plurality of storage devices, and
wherein the assignment unit assigns the data of each of the pages to the plurality of data processing units based on the priority of each of the storage devices within the priority table.
14. The image forming method according to claim 13, further comprising:
retaining, via a rate information retaining unit, the transfer rates of the plurality of storage devices; and
measuring, via a rate measuring unit, the transfer rate of each of the storage devices,
wherein the table creation unit creates the priority table from the transfer rates of retained in the rate information retaining unit and the transfer rates measured by the rate measuring unit.
15. The image forming method according to claim 11, wherein:
the plurality of storage devices includes a server connected to a network, wherein the server includes a server storage unit; and
the assignment unit assigns the data of the plurality of pages stored on the server storage unit to the plurality of data processing units, wherein the assignment of the data of each of the pages stored on the server storage unit is determined using a server transfer rate, wherein the server transfer rate is based on a combination of protocols used by the server storage device and the server.

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 photoelectric conversion device comprising:
a pixel,
the pixel including
a photoelectric conversion unit, and
an amplification unit configured to output a signal generated by the photoelectric conversion unit,

the photoelectric conversion unit including a first electrode, a second electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, and an insulating layer disposed between the photoelectric conversion layer and the second electrode,
the photoelectric conversion layer including quantum dots.
2. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the photoelectric conversion layer further includes a member formed of a material different from a material of the quantum dots, and
wherein the quantum dots are dispersed in the member.
3. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 2, wherein the material of the member has a larger band gap than the material of the quantum dots.
4. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 2, wherein the material of the quantum dots absorbs light having a longer wavelength than light having a longest wavelength that the material of the member absorbs.
5. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the photoelectric conversion layer further includes a cover layer configured to cover the quantum dots, and
wherein a material of the cover layer has a larger band gap than a material of the quantum dots.
6. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the photoelectric conversion layer further includes a cover layer configured to cover the quantum dots, and
wherein a material of the quantum dots absorbs light having a longer wavelength than light having a longest wavelength that a material of the cover layer absorbs.
7. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the photoelectric conversion layer further includes a buried layer in which the quantum dots are buried, and
wherein a material of the buried layer has a larger band gap than a material of the quantum dots.
8. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the photoelectric conversion layer further includes a buried layer in which the quantum dots are buried, and
wherein a material of the quantum dots absorbs light having a longer wavelength than light having a longest wavelength that a material of the buried layer absorbs.
9. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the quantum dots include a quantum dot having a particle size in a range of 1 nm to 20 nm.
10. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the photoelectric conversion layer further includes a shell configured to surround the quantum dots.
11. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 10, wherein a ratio of a lattice constant of a material of the quantum dots to a lattice constant of a material of the shell member is in a range of 0.9 to 1.1.
12. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the quantum dots is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of PbS, PbSe, PbTe, CdS, CdSe, CdTe, C, Si, and Ge.
13. A photoelectric conversion device comprising:
a pixel,
the pixel including
a photoelectric conversion unit, and
an amplification unit configured to output a signal generated by the photoelectric conversion unit,

the photoelectric conversion unit including a first electrode, a second electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, and an insulating layer disposed between the photoelectric conversion layer and the second electrode,
the photoelectric conversion layer including a first member, and a plurality of particles arranged in the first member and having a particle size in a range of 1 nm to 20 nm.
14. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, further comprising:
a reset unit configured to supply a reset voltage to the second electrode;
a first capacitor including a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal being electrically connected to the second electrode; and
a voltage supply unit configured to supply at least a first voltage and a second voltage different from the first voltage to the second terminal,
wherein the amplification unit is electrically connected to the second electrode, and
wherein the following relationship is satisfied:
C
\ue89e
\ue89e
1
C
\ue89e
\ue89e
1

+

C
\ue89e
\ue89e
2
>
Vs
–
Vres
Vd
\ue89e
\ue89e
2

–

Vd
\ue89e
\ue89e
1
,
where Vs denotes a voltage supplied to the first electrode, Vd1 denotes the first voltage, Vd2 denotes the second voltage, Vres denotes the reset voltage, C1 denotes a capacitance value of the first capacitor, and C2 denotes a capacitance value of a second capacitor formed by the first electrode and the second electrode.
15. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 14, wherein the first voltage is supplied to the second terminal to accumulate signal charge in the photoelectric conversion layer, and
wherein the second voltage is supplied to the second terminal to discharge the signal charge from the photoelectric conversion layer.
16. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, further comprising:
a reset unit configured to supply a reset voltage to the second electrode;
a first capacitor electrically connected to the second electrode; and
a voltage supply unit configured to supply at least a first voltage and a second voltage different from the first voltage to the first electrode,
wherein the amplification unit is electrically connected to the second electrode, and
wherein the following relationship is satisfied:
C
\ue89e
\ue89e
1
C
\ue89e
\ue89e
2
>
Vres
–

Vs
\ue89e
\ue89e
1
Vs
\ue89e
\ue89e
2

–
Vres
,
where Vs1 denotes the first voltage, Vs2 denotes the second voltage, Vres denotes the reset voltage, C1 denotes a capacitance value of the first capacitor, and C2 denotes a capacitance value of a second capacitor formed by the first electrode and the second electrode.
17. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 16, wherein the first voltage is supplied to the first electrode to accumulate signal charge in the photoelectric conversion layer, and
wherein the second voltage is supplied to the first electrode to discharge the signal charge from the photoelectric conversion layer.
18. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 14, wherein the first capacitor includes two electrodes facing each other.
19. An imaging system comprising:
the photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1; and
a signal processing device configured to process a signal from the photoelectric conversion device.
20. The imaging system according to claim 19, wherein two photoelectric conversion units, each comprising the photoelectric conversion unit, are disposed for each pixel, and
wherein the signal processing device processes a signal based on electric charge generated by the two photoelectric conversion units, and obtains information on a distance from the photoelectric conversion device to an object.

1. A method of assembling a coupling arrangement, the method comprising:
providing a coupling housing including a sleeve extending from a first end to a second end, each end of the coupling housing defining a sleeve opening;
obtaining a connection piece having an inner surface;
coupling a leaf spring to the connection piece, the leaf spring being moveable within the connection piece from a first position to a second position, the leaf spring being planar when moved into the second position, the leaf spring including wings that extend from the leaf spring over the inner surface of the connection piece to secure the leaf spring to the connection piece, wherein the wings include tabs that are coplanar therewith, and wherein the wings define cutouts between the leaf spring and the tabs such that the tabs are coupled to the leaf spring by reduced width planar extensions; and
coupling the connection piece to the first end of the coupling housing at the sleeve opening, wherein the leaf spring covers the sleeve opening at the first end when the leaf spring is arranged in the first position.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the leaf spring to the connection piece comprises hot stamping the leaf spring to the connection piece.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the leaf spring to the connection piece comprises injection-molding plastic around the leaf spring to form the connection piece.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the connection piece comprises forming the connection piece from sheet-metal.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the leaf spring to the connection piece comprises coupling a bent metallic leaf spring to the connection piece.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the leaf spring is biased into the first position when the connection piece is coupled to the coupling housing until the leaf spring is subjected to loading.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the tabs of the wings extend toward the second end of the coupling housing when the connection piece is coupled to the coupling housing.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the connection piece to the first end of the coupling housing comprises latching the connection piece to the first end of the coupling housing.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein latching the connection piece to the first end of the coupling housing comprises latching a latching nose of the coupling housing through a through-passage defined in a latching tongue of the connection piece.
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising inserting a plug-in connector into the sleeve opening of the coupling housing through the connection piece, wherein the plug-in connector moves the leaf spring to the second position in which the leaf spring releases the sleeve opening, and wherein a ferrule of the plug-in connector does not come into contact with the leaf spring as the leaf spring is moved to the second position.
11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
obtaining a second connection piece having an inner surface;
coupling a second leaf spring to the second connection piece, the second leaf spring being moveable within the second connection piece from a first position to a second position, the second leaf spring being planar when moved into the second position, the second leaf spring including wings that extend from the second leaf spring over the inner surface of the second connection piece to secure the second leaf spring to the second connection piece, wherein the wings of the second leaf spring include tabs that are coplanar therewith, and wherein the wings of the second leaf spring define cutouts between the second leaf spring and the tabs such that the tabs are coupled to the second leaf spring by reduced width planar extensions; and
coupling the second connection piece to the sleeve opening at the second end of the coupling housing, wherein the second leaf spring covers the sleeve opening at the second end when the second leaf spring is arranged in the first position.
12. A coupling arrangement comprising:
a coupling housing configured to accommodate a first plug-in connector at a first end of the coupling housing and a second plug-in connector at a second, opposite end of the coupling housing, each plug-in connector including a ferrule through which light can be emitted; and
a first connection piece configured to couple to the second end of the coupling housing, the first connection piece having an inner surface from which a first portion of a covering curves upwardly in a first position and along which a second portion of the covering extends from a first distal end to a second distal end to secure the covering to the first connection piece, the second portion of the covering being planar from the first distal end to the second distal end, the first portion of the covering being moveable from the first position, in which the first portion inhibits light emitted from the first plug-in connector from reaching the second end of the coupling housing, to a second position, in which the first portion of the covering does not inhibit light emitted from the first plug-in connector from reaching the second end of the coupling housing, the second portion of the covering including a first reduced width planar section coupling a first tab to the first portion of the covering, and the second portion of the covering including a second reduced width planar section coupling a second tab to the first portion of the covering.
13. A connection piece for coupling to a coupling housing, the coupling housing configured to accommodate a first plug-in connector at a first end of the coupling housing and to accommodate a second plug-in connector at a second, opposite end of the coupling housing, the connection piece comprising:
a body including two spaced-apart sides interconnected by a base, the base having an inner surface and an opposite outer surface, the body defining an open front and an open rear, the open rear of the body being configured to couple to a first end of the coupling housing;
a covering coupled to the body, the covering being configured to inhibit light emitted from the second plug-in connector from exiting the adapter when the covering is arranged in a first position, the covering being configured to enable optical communication between the second plug-in connector and the first plug-in connector when the covering is arranged in a second position; and
first and second wings extending from the covering, the first and second wings being coupled to the inner surface of the body, the first wing extending from the covering along the inner surface of the body to a first of the spaced-apart sides, the second wing extending from the covering along the inner surface of the body to a second of the spaced apart sides, the first and second wings including tabs coupled to the swing by reduced-width extensions, wherein the first and second wings are coplanar with the tabs and reduced-width extensions.

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 computer-implemented method for a highly automated media analysis of influencer networks, comprising:
defining, by an application of a computerized selection process of a computer that considers user-entered criteria, one or more scopes of media content to be included in an analysis project;
retrieving, by the computer, relevant media content from a plurality of providers as defined by the one or more scopes of the analysis project, the media content including published text articles and a body of text for each of the text articles;
extracting, by an application of an automatic computerized, linguistic-based and statistically-supported entity extraction process, entities from the text articles, the entities being data including names of people, organizations, locations, and brands recited in the body of text of the text articles in the retrieved media content;
manually associating, selectively and with the aid of the computer, for each of the entities, a functional role of each of the entities for each text article of the retrieved media content;
manually associating, selectively and with the aid of the computer, for each of the entities, a favorability score for each of the entities for each text article of the received media content;
storing the entities in a relational database, where the entities that are co-cited in a body of text of the text articles are linked to each other for an associated text article;
performing, by the computer, a first computation characterizing a network of influence relationships between each of the entities and each text article of the retrieved media content based on the extracted information and the manually associated functional role and favorability of each of the entities; and
performing, by the computer, a second computation characterizing connection properties of individual entities with respect to the other entities;
performing, by the computer, a third computation characterizing connection properties of at least a portion of the overall network of influence, the third computation to include a value for the network’s cohesion property and density property; and
outputting a result of the first, second, and third computations to produce a graphical, interactive representation of the network of influence in which a user may select individual entities to examine their associated connection properties, link to other documents, and link to web pages related to the entities, and combinations thereof.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said entity extraction process can handle a very high volume media content data.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the third computation includes determining an Influence Influence ranking property for each of the entities.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the manually associating of the functional role and the favorability score for each of the entities for each text article of the retrieved media content is based on a reading of each text article by a human user.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the defining of the one or more scopes of media content to be included in the analysis project includes defining a first duration of time and a second duration of time, and the retrieving of media content, the extracting of information, the manually associating, the first, second, and third computing of a characterization, and the outputting of a result of the computation to provide the indication of influencers associated with the network is performed for each of the first and the second durations of time.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the favorability score associated with each of the entities for each text article of the retrieved media content is determined independently for each text article.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the text articles are not limited to a specific format or structure.
8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising reformatting the retrieved media content for further processing by the method.
9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a series of network plots for a sequence of subperiods are produced, which can be visualized consecutively, to produce an effect of showing the periodic changes in the network.
10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising outputting a result of the first, second, and third computations to produce a series of graphical representations of the network of influence representing inter-relationships between the entities for several chronological sub-periods, the images of which can be presented consecutively as a movie to visualize a transformation over a period of time.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving is performed by a streaming process.
12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising an automatic computerized process to associate the functional role and the favorability score for each of the entities for each text article of the retrieved media content.
13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising extracting values for structured fields associated with each text article of the retrieved media content, including values associated with at least one of the structured fields of: an author, a title, a date of publication, and a name of a publication associated with each text article.