All The Claims

1. A sensor system that comprises a set of sensors for measuring motion of a user’s body, which set of sensors includes one or more gyroscopes and one or more accelerometers, wherein the sensor system is configured:
(a) to make estimations of one or more physiological parameters of a user, based on data from the set of sensors,
(b) to assign different weights to data from different sensors when making the estimations, such that
(i) for at least one estimation, a weight assigned to data from at least one gyroscope is different than a weight assigned to data from at least one accelerometer;
(ii) for at least one estimation, a weight assigned to data from a first sensor located in a first region relative to the user’s body is different than a weight assigned to data from a second sensor located in a second region relative to the user’s body, which first and second regions do not intersect, the first and second sensors being a single type of motion sensor; and
(iii) a weight assigned to data from at least one sensor changes from at least one estimation to another estimation.
2. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein a weight assigned to a sensor depends at least in part on whether a user is standing, sitting or lying down.
3. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein a weight assigned to data from a specific sensor depends at least in part on periodicity of a signal measured by the specific sensor.
4. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein a weight assigned to data from a given sensor depends at least in part on magnitude of the highest magnitude frequency component of the data from the given sensor.
5. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein a weight assigned to data from a sensor depends at least in part on identity of the user.
6. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein a weight assigned to data from a sensor depends at least in part on physiological gender of the user.
7. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein a weight assigned to data from a sensor depends at least in part on age of the user.
8. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein a specific weight assigned to data from a sensor depends at least in part on what is being calculated, in a calculation that involves a multiplication of a term by the given weight.
9. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein a weight assigned to data from a particular sensor depends at least in part on magnitude of linear acceleration measured by the particular sensor.
10. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein the first and second regions are selected from a set of regions that includes (a) a region adjacent to the user’s head, and (b) a region that is adjacent to the user’s wrist and that does not intersect the region adjacent to the user’s head.
11. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physiological parameters include cardiac pulse rate.
12. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physiological parameters include respiratory rate.
13. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physiological parameters include heart rate variability.
14. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein the sensor system is configured:
(a) to make a biometric identification of the identity of the user, based at least in part on measurements taken by the one or more accelerometers and one or more gyroscopes; and
(b) to assign different weights to data from different sensors, when making the biometric identification.
15. The sensor system of claim 14, wherein the sensor system is configured to assign different weights to data from different sensors, such that, when making the biometric identification, a weight assigned to data from at least one gyroscope is different than a weight assigned to data from at least one accelerometer.
16. The sensor system of claim 14, wherein the sensor system is configured to assign different weights to data from different sensors, such that, when making the biometric identification, a weight assigned to data from a sensor (Sensor A) located in a first region relative to the user’s body is different than a weight assigned to data from a sensor (Sensor B) located in a second region relative to the user’s body, which first and second regions do not intersect, Sensor A and Sensor B being a single type of motion sensor.
17. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein:
(a) the sensor system includes one or more optical sensors for measuring light that reflects from or is transmitted through skin; and
(b) the sensor system is configured to assign different weights to data from different sensors when making the estimations, such that for at least one estimation, a weight assigned to data from at least one optical sensor is different than a weight assigned to data from at least one accelerometer or from at least one gyroscope.
18. The sensor system of claim 17, wherein at least one optical sensor is a photoplethysmographic sensor.
19. The sensor system of claim 17, wherein at least one optical sensor is a camera that measures motion of a scene relative to the user.
20. A method comprising, in combination:
(a) a set of sensors measuring motion of a user’s body, which set of sensors includes one or more gyroscopes and one or more accelerometers; and
(b) one or more computers making estimations of one or more physiological parameters of a user, based on data from the set of sensors, such that
(i) for at least one estimation, a weight assigned to data from at least one gyroscope is different than a weight assigned to data from at least one accelerometer; and
(ii) for at least one estimation, a weight assigned to data from a first sensor located in a first region relative to the user’s body is different than a weight assigned to data from a second sensor located in a second region relative to the user’s body, which first and second regions do not intersect, the first and second sensors being a single type of motion sensor; and
(iii) a weight assigned to data from at least one sensor changes over time.

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 electrical machine, comprising:
a stator;
a rotor having a hollow shaft configured to have a closed hollow space to accept a fluid; and
two three-dimensional transport structures provided in the closed hollow space to transport the fluid and rotatable about a longitudinal axis of rotation, wherein said three-dimensional transport structures include a first three-dimensional transport structure and a second three-dimensional transport structure and constructed so that due to their rotation in a specified direction said first three-dimensional transport structure transports the fluid in a first aggregate state close to the axis of rotation in a specified direction along the axis of rotation and said second three-dimensional transport structure transports the fluid in a second aggregate state remote from the axis of rotation, in an opposite direction, wherein said first and second three-dimensional transport structures are located radially one inside the other and extend substantially over the same length in the axial direction, wherein the first three-dimensional transport structure and the second three-dimensional transport structure correspondingly have a first plurality of vanes assuming a first vane position to transport the fluid in the first aggregate state in the specified direction and a second plurality of vanes assuming a second vane position to transport the fluid in the second aggregate state in the opposite direction.
2. An electrical machine, comprising:
a stator;
a rotor having a hollow shaft configured to have a dosed hollow space to accept a fluid; and
two three-dimensional transport structures provided in the closed hollow space to transport the fluid and rotatable about a longitudinal axis of rotation, wherein said three-dimensional transport structures include a first three-dimensional transport structure and a second three-dimensional transport structure and constructed so that due to their rotation in a specified direction said first three-dimensional transport structure transports the fluid in a first aggregate state close to the axis of rotation in a specified direction along the axis of rotation and said second three-dimensional transport structure transports the fluid in a second aggregate state remote from the axis of rotation, in an opposite direction, wherein said first and second three-dimensional transport structures are located radially one inside the other and extend substantially over the same length in the axial direction, wherein the first three-dimensional transport structure and the second three-dimensional transport structure correspondingly have a first helical structure having a first coiling direction to transport the fluid in the first aggregate state in the specified direction and a second helical structure having a second coiling direction to transport the fluid in the second aggregate state in the opposite direction.
3. The electrical machine of claim 1, wherein each of the three-dimensional transport structures is a member selected from the group consisting of a microscale structure, a nozzle-type grating structure, an open pore foam structure, and a spiral-shaped channel structure.
4. A method for the manufacture of three-dimensional transport structures to transport a fluid of a thermosiphon of an electrical machine, comprising an additive material coating step to form the two three-dimensional transport structures including a first three-dimensional transport structure and a second three-dimensional transport structure rotatable about longitudinal axis of rotation and constructed so that due to their rotation in a specified direction of rotation said first three-dimensional transport structure transports the fluid in a first aggregate state close to the axis of rotation in a specified direction along the axis of rotation and said second three-dimensional transport structure transports the fluid in a second aggregate state remote from the axis of rotation, in an opposite direction, and wherein said first and second three-dimensional transport structures are located radially one inside the other and extend substantially over the same length in an axial direction, wherein the first three-dimensional transport structure and the second three-dimensional transport structure correspondingly have a first plurality of vanes assuming a first vane position to transport the fluid in a first aggregate state in the specified direction and a second plurality of vanes assuming a second vane position to transport the fluid in a second aggregate state in the opposite direction, or have a first helical structure having a first coiling direction to transport the fluid in the specified direction and a second helical structure having a second coiling direction to transport the same another fluid in the opposite direction.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the material is a metallic material.
6. The method of claim 4, wherein the additive material coating step is executed by a beam-based powder bed process.
7. The method of claim 4, wherein the additive material coating step is executed by a selective laser melting to be employed.
8. The method of claim 4, wherein the additive material coating step is executed on a shaft of an electrical machine.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the additive material coating step is executed in a hollow space of the shaft.
10. The method of claim 4, wherein the additive material coating step is executed on a body provided for introduction into a hollow shaft of an electrical machine.
11. The electrical machine of claim 1, further comprising a filler provided in the hollow space of the hollow shaft and including the first and second three-dimensional transport structures.
12. The electrical machine of claim 1, wherein the hollow shaft includes the first and second three-dimensional transport structures.
13. The electrical machine of claim 1, further comprising a filler provided in the hollow space of the hollow shaft, wherein the hollow shaft includes the first three-dimensional transport structure, and the filler includes the second three-dimensional transport structure.
14. The electrical machine of claim 2, wherein each of the first and second helical structures is a member selected from the group consisting of a screw-type structure and a worm-type structure.
15. The electrical machine of claim 2, wherein each of the three-dimensional transport structures is a member selected from the group consisting of a microscale structure, a nozzle-type grating structure, an open pore foam structure, and a spiral-shaped channel structure.
16. The electrical machine of claim 2, wherein the hollow shaft includes the first and second three-dimensional transport structures.
17. The electrical machine of claim 2, further comprising a filler provided in the hollow space of the hollow shaft, wherein the hollow shaft includes the first three-dimensional transport structure, and the filler includes the second three-dimensional transport structure.

1. An image recording apparatus comprising:
a housing;
a medium supply cassette open upward which accommodates a stack of recording media each in the form of a sheet, and is inserted into and removed from the housing substantially horizontally in a cassette movement direction, the medium supply cassette including:
a substantially horizontal bottom plate; and
a slant separator plate extending obliquely upward from an edge of the bottom plate;

a medium pickup device which includes a medium pickup roller which gives a feeding force in a first direction to a topmost one of the stack of the recording media, and cooperates with the slant separator plate to separate the topmost recording medium from the rest of the recording media to feed in the separated recording medium;
a U-shaped guide which changes a feeding direction of the recording medium as fed in by the medium pickup device, from the first direction to a second direction opposite to the first direction;
an image recording portion which records an image on the recording medium as has been passed through the U-shaped guide; and
a restricting member which defines a part of a feed path along which the recording medium is fed, which part extends between the medium pickup roller and the U-shaped guide,
wherein the restricting member is configured to contact at least a part of the stack of recording media which ascends upward along the slant separator plate by continuing to move, by inertia, in a cassette insertion direction in which the medium supply cassette is inserted, in order to restrict the continuing movement of the at least a part of the stack.
2. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the restricting member is an elastic member at least a lower portion of which is located in a path of movement of the slant separator plate of the medium supply cassette when the medium supply cassette is inserted into the housing such that each time the medium supply cassette is inserted into the housing, the restricting member is pushed away by the slant separator plate and restores to an original position after passage of the slant separator plate.
3. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the restricting member and the medium pickup roller are arranged at different positions in a lateral direction substantially perpendicular to the cassette movement direction, in plan view.
4. The image recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the restricting member is disposed on each of opposite sides of the medium pickup roller in the lateral direction, at least one on each side.
5. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the restricting member has an antistatic property.
6. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the restricting member includes an elastic film curved in a U-like shape including a curved portion which is convex downward and contacts the at least a part of the stack of recording media.
7. The image recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein an inner surface of each of two upper end portions of the film that are opposed to each other is fixed to a stationary holding member with an adhesive, and the image recording apparatus further comprises a deformation restrictor which restricts deformation of two portions which are adjacent to the respective two upper end portions of the film and deform in the cassette movement direction when the medium supply cassette is inserted or removed.
8. The image recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the deformation restrictor includes a deformation restricting sheet which has two through-holes through which the two upper end portions of the film to be fixed to the holding member are respectively passed, and inner surfaces of the respective through-holes contact the two adjacent portions of the film, respectively, thereby restricting deformation of the adjacent portions.
9. The image recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the holding member is a beam supported by the housing and extending in a lateral direction substantially perpendicular to the cassette movement direction, in plan view.
10. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the restricting member includes a contact member which contacts the at least a part of the recording media, and a spring member whose lower end is connected to the contact member and whose upper end is connected to a stationary holding member.
11. The image recording apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the contact member is a contact roller which rotates around an axis substantially perpendicular to the cassette movement direction, in plan view.
12. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the restricting member includes a film curved in a U-like shape including a bottom portion, and an elastic member which is disposed inside the film and contacts an internal surface of at least the bottom portion of the film, the at least a part of the stack of the recording media at an external surface of the bottom portion while the elastic member giving an elastic deformation resistance to the film.
13. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a pickup arm pivotable around a first axis substantially perpendicular to the cassette movement direction, the pickup arm rotatably holding at a free end thereof the medium pickup roller, and wherein the restricting member includes a movable restricting member which is mechanically coupled, and moved, with the pickup arm.
14. The image recording apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the movable restricting member is a pivotable restricting member disposed to be pivotable around a second axis which is parallel to the first axis and extends at a position remote from the first axis, the pivotable restricting member being engaged with the pickup arm at a position remote from the second axis such that the pivotable restricting member is pivoted in accordance with pivoting of the pickup arm.
15. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a register roller which is disposed on the downstream side of the U-shaped guide with respect to the feeding direction in which the recording medium is fed, in order to engage a leading edge of the recording medium to correct skew of the recording medium, and wherein the restricting member includes a buckling limit determiner which allows, on the upstream side of the U-shaped guide, buckling of the recording medium whose movement is being inhibited by the register roller, while placing a limit to the buckling.
16. The image recording apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the restricting member includes a feed path defining portion, which is opposed to the slant separator plate at least while the medium pickup roller contacts the bottom plate, in order to cooperate with the slant separator plate to define a feed path along which the recording medium is fed, the feed path defining portion serving as the buckling limit determiner.
17. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the restricting member is disposed at a position not to contact the topmost one of the stack of the recording media when the recording media are stacked in a maximum amount in terms of a capacity of the medium supply cassette.
18. An image recording apparatus comprising:
a housing;
a supply cassette having an upper opening which is configured to accommodate a stack of recording sheets, and is inserted into and removed from the housing substantially horizontally in a cassette movement direction, the supply cassette comprises:
a substantially horizontal bottom plate; and
a slant separator plate extending obliquely upward from an edge of the bottom plate;

a pickup device having a pickup roller which is configured to apply a feeding force in a first direction to an uppermost sheet of a stack of recording sheets disposed in a supply cassette, the pickup device is configured to cooperate with the slant separator plate to separate an uppermost sheet from a stack of the recording sheets for feeding in a first feeding direction along a sheet feed path;
a U-shaped guide which changes the feeding direction of the recording sheet from the first feeding direction to a second direction opposite to the first direction;
an image recording portion which records an image on the recording medium as has been passed through the U-shaped guide; and
a restricting member defining a part of the feed path between the pickup roller and the U-shaped guide, the restricting member is configured to contact at least a part of the stack of recording sheets ascending upward along the slant separator plate,
wherein the restricting member is configured to move in a cassette insertion direction when the supply cassette is inserted to restrict the continuing movement of the at least a part of a recording sheet stack disposed in a supply cassette in the cassette insertion direction.

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 image forming apparatus comprising:
a transfer unit configured to transfer a toner image to a sheet;
a fixing unit configured to fix the toner image transferred to the sheet on the sheet;
a conveyance unit disposed between the transfer unit and the fixing unit to convey the sheet;
a moving unit configured to move the conveyance unit; and
a control unit configured to controls the moving unit to move the conveyance unit so that a speed of a leading edge of the sheet conveyed from the transfer unit to the fixing unit is reduced, when the leading edge of the sheet reaches the fixing unit.
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the conveyance unit conveys the sheet in a state that the conveyance unit suctions the sheet to a conveyance surface of the conveyance unit; and
wherein the control unit controls so that the leading edge of the sheet reaches the fixing unit while moving the conveyance surface of the conveyance unit in the thickness direction of the sheet by the moving unit.
3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a fixed guiding member disposed between the conveyance unit and the fixing unit to guide the sheet,
wherein a leading edge side of the sheet guided by the guiding member is deformed by moving a downstream side of the conveyance surface of the conveyance unit in a sheet conveyance direction downward by the moving unit.
4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a guiding member disposed between the conveyance unit and the fixing unit to guide the sheet,
wherein the moving unit moves the conveyance unit so that a portion of a downstream side of the conveyance surface of the conveyance unit in a sheet conveyance direction is separated from the sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit by guiding a leading edge side of the sheet by the guiding member.
5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2,
wherein the control unit controls the moving unit to move, when a thickness of the conveyed sheet is equal to or more than a predetermined thickness, the conveyance surface of the conveyance unit while the conveyance unit conveys the sheet; and
wherein the control unit controls, when the thickness of the conveyed sheet is less than the predetermined thickness, not to move the conveyance surface of the conveyance unit while the conveyance unit conveys the sheet.
6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the moving unit moves a downstream side of the conveyance unit in a sheet conveyance direction down or up.
7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2,
wherein the moving unit swings the conveyance unit between a first position where a sheet conveyance direction by the conveyance unit becomes a first direction and a second position where a sheet conveyance direction of the conveyance unit becomes a second direction downward more than the first direction; and
wherein the control unit performs control in so that, before the leading edge of the sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit set in the first position reaches the fixing unit, the moving unit starts swinging of the conveyance unit from the first position to the second position, and the leading edge of the sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit reaches the fixing unit during the swinging of the conveyance unit from the first position to the second position.
8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2,
wherein the moving unit swings the conveyance unit between a first position where a sheet conveyance direction of the conveyance unit becomes a first direction and a second position where a sheet conveyance direction of the conveyance unit becomes a second direction upward more than the first direction; and
wherein the control unit performs control so that, before the leading edge of the sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit set in the first position reaches the fixing unit, the moving unit starts swinging of the conveyance unit from the first position to the second position, and the leading edge of the sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit reaches the fixing unit during the swinging of the conveyance unit from the first position to the second position.
9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a sheet detection unit configured to output a signal in response to detection of the leading edge of the sheet,
wherein when the leading edge of the conveyed sheet is determined to have reached a predetermined position on an upstream side of the fixing unit according to the signal output from the sheet detection unit, the control unit controls the moving unit to start movement of the conveyance unit.
10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a loop detection unit configured to output a signal according to a loop amount of the sheet between the transfer unit and the fixing unit in a state where the sheet is sandwiched by the transfer unit and the fixing unit,
wherein a sheet conveyance speed by the fixing unit is changed according to the signal output from the loop detection unit.
11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10,
wherein a relationship of V1<V2 is satisfied, where V1 is a sheet conveyance speed at the transfer unit and V2 is a sheet conveyance speed by the conveyance unit, and
wherein the control unit switches, based on the signal output from the loop detection unit, setting of a sheet conveyance speed V3 at the fixing unit between a speed higher than V1 and a speed lower than V1.
12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the moving unit moves the conveyance unit so that distortion in the sheet conveyed from the transfer unit to the fixing unit is generated; and
wherein the control unit controls so that the leading edge of the sheet reaches the fixing unit while moving the conveyance unit to generate distortion in the conveyed sheet.
13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the conveying unit has a conveying belt onto which a sheet is suctioned by a suctioning portion and which conveys the sheet by rotating,
the moving unit swings the conveying belt around a swinging center provided on an upstream side of the conveying belt in a sheet conveyance direction, and
the control unit controls so that the leading edge of the sheet reaches the fixing unit while swinging the conveying belt around the swinging center by the moving unit.