A diamond Schottky diode including an electrically conductive substrate, a multi-layer structure of a semiconducting diamond layer and an insulating diamond layer, and a metal electrode. This diode has a greater potential barrier under a reversed bias and hence exhibits better rectifying characteristics with a smaller reverse current.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a diamond Schottky diode to be used for a rectifying device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Diamond has a high thermal conductivity, an excellent stability against heat, and a large band gap. It is electrically insulating but becomes semiconducting upon doping. By the advent of the synthesis of diamond films by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), it has now become possible to grow B (boron)-doped p-type semiconducting diamond films and Si-doped n-type semiconducting diamond films.
Research and development efforts have been made to develop semiconductor devices employing such semiconducting diamond films, for example, a diamond Schottky diode used for a rectifying device which can be operated in a high electric power/high temperature region. A diamond Schottky diode is composed of a semiconducting diamond layer and a metal electrode. It has a higher Schottky barrier of 1.1 eV than the conventional one (0.8 eV) composed of a semiconducting silicon layer and a metal electrode made of aluminum or the like. Consequently, in the diamond Schottky diode, the reverse current due to thermionic emission is small under a reversed bias.
A diamond Schottky diode having such a cross-sectional structure as shown in FIG. 7 is disclosed in the literature (G. Sh. Gildenblat et al., Technical Digest of 1988 Int. Electron Device Meeting). It consists of a low-resistance silicon substrate 51 (resistivity: less than 1 .OMEGA..multidot.cm), a B-doped p-type semiconducting diamond layer 52, and a metal electrode 53 made of Au or Al.
The diamond Schottky diode is fabricated in the following procedure. A silicon substrate 51 is cut in adequate size and is then polished for about 30 minutes by diamond paste having an average particle diameter of about 1 .mu.m. A B-doped p-type semiconducting diamond layer 52 is formed on the silicon substrate 51 by microwave CVD. As a reaction gas, there is used a source gas of CH.sub.4 --H.sub.2 mixture (CH.sub.4 concentration: 0.5%) added with a doping gas of diborane B.sub.2 H.sub.6 diluted by H.sub.2. It takes about 7 hours to form the p-type semiconducting diamond layer 52 of about 2 .mu.m thick.
The conventional diamond Schottky diode fabricated as mentioned above is disadvantageous in that the reverse current is mainly due to recombination current and is greater than that due to thermionic emission. Thus it needs improvement in the reduction of reverse current.


Apparatus for use with an autofocus adjusting device which has a focus detecting circuit for detecting a focus state of an imaging optical system, and a driving circuit for driving the imaging optical system in accordance with the detected focus has a calculation circuit for performing a first calculation in which imaging plane positions at a plurality of points of time in the past and in the present time are determined on the basis of a signal representing a focusing state in the past and a signal representing a focusing state at the latest time to determine coefficients of a predetermined higher order function. The calculation circuit also performs a second calculation in which an imaging plane position at a time after a predetermined period of time has past is determined on the basis of the higher order function. A regulation circuit regulates the signal representing the focusing state detected by the focus detecting circuit when the second calculation is performed, and causes the second calculation to be performed on the basis of the regulated signal. A control circuit is provided for transmitting the signal representing the imaging plane position obtained by the calculation circuit to the driving circuit for driving the imaging optical system. This allows proper focus point prediction even when the zoom state of a zoom lens changes.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an auto focus adjusting device for use in a camera or the like.
2. Background
Many of the auto focus adjusting systems of single-lens reflex cameras intend to focus the lens on an object to be photographed by repetitively effecting the cycles of "focus detection (sensor signal input and focus detection calculation) and lens driving". The amount of lens driving in each cycle is based on the defocus amount at a point of time whereat focus detection is effected in that cycle, and this presumes that the defocus amount during focus detection is eliminated when the lens driving is terminated.
As a matter of course, a considerable time is required for focus detection and lens driving, but in the case of a stationary object to be photographed, the defocus amount does not vary as long as the lens is not driven and therefore, the defocus amount to be eliminated at the point of time whereat lens driving is terminated is equal to the defocus amount at the point of time whereat the focus is detected and thus, correct focus adjustment is accomplished.
However, in the case of an object to be photographed which is rapidly moving, the defocus amount varies during focus detection and lens driving and said defocus amount to be eliminated sometimes differs remarkably from the detected defocus amount and as a result, there arises the problem that the lens is not focused on the object to be photographed when lens driving is terminated.
Auto focus adjusting methods which intend to solve the above-noted problem are disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Applications Nos. 62-125311, 62-139512 and 62-139511.
The gist of the methods disclosed in the abovementioned patent applications is that in view of the variation in the detected defocus in each said cycle and the time interval between said cycles, the variation in defocus attributable to movement of the object to be photographed is foreseen and correction is exerted on the amount of lens driving, and from the viewpoint of the accuracy of the focus at the end of lens driving, the above-noted problem is expected to be solved by the same methods.
However, if zooming is effected when the auto focus adjusting operation by the above-described correcting method is performed with a zoom lens mounted as a photo-taking lens, there will arise the following problem.
In the above-described correcting method, the variation in defocus attributable to movement of the object to be photographed is foreseen from a plurality of defocus amounts detected in the past, but if zooming is effected, the focal length changes and therefore, the variation in defocus changes even for the same movement of the object to be photographed, and proper correction cannot be accomplished.
FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a graph for illustrating the method of correcting the amount of lens driving shown in the assignee's prior U.S. application filed on Oct. 19, 1988. In this graph, the abscissa represents time t and the ordinate represents the imaging plane position d of the object to be photographed.
The locus f(t) indicated by the solid line means the imaging plane position of the object to be photographed, and the locus l(t) indicated by the broken line means the imaging plane position of the lens.
More particularly, f(t) means the imaging plane position, at time t, of an object to be photographed which approaches the camera in the direction of the optic axis when the focus adjusting optical system of the photo-taking lens is at a position for forming the focus at infinity, and l(t) means the imaging plane position of the same object to be photographed at the position of the focus adjusting optical system at time t. The section [t.sub.1, t.sub.1 '] corresponds to the focus detecting operation, and the section [t.sub.i ', t.sub.i+1 ] corresponds to the lens driving operation.
Accordingly, the difference in the direction of the vertical axis d between f(t) and l(t) at the same time t is the so-called defocus amount. DF.sub.i represents the detected defocus amount at time t.sub.i, DL.sub.i represents the amount of lens driving as converted into the imaging plane position which has been executed from the result of the focus detection at time t.sub.i-1, and TM.sub.i represents the time interval between the focus detecting operations.
In the example shown in FIG. 1, it is assumed as a premise for effecting the correcting calculation that the imaging plane position of the object to be photographed varies in accordance with a quadratic function. That is, it is assumed that if the current and past three imaging plane positions (t.sub.1, f.sub.1), (T.sub.2, f.sub.2) and (t.sub.3, f.sub.3) are known at time t.sub.3, the imaging plane position f.sub.4 at time t.sub.4 can be foreseen.
However, what the camera can detect in reality is not the imaging plane positions f.sub.1, F.sub.2 and f.sub.3, but the defocus amounts DF.sub.1, DF.sub.2 and DF.sub.3 and the amounts of lens driving DL.sub.1 and DL.sub.2 as converted into the amounts of movement of the imaging plane. Time t.sub.4 is strictly a future value, and actually is a value which varies with a variation in the accumulation time of an accumulating type sensor caused by the brightness of the object to be photographed, but when determining f.sub.4, it is assumed as known in the relation that t.sub.4 -t.sub.3 =t.sub.3 -t.sub.2, for simplicity.
Under the above-described assumption, the lens driving as converted into the amount of movement of the imaging plane when lens driving is effected toward t.sub.4 at time t.sub.3 ' from the result of the focus detection at time t.sub.3 is found in the following manner. EQU a.multidot.t.sup.2 +b.multidot.t+c=f(t) (1) EQU a.multidot.t.sup.2.sub.1 +b.multidot.t.sub.1 +c=f(t.sub.1) (2) EQU a.multidot.t.sup.2.sub.2 +b.multidot.t.sub.2 +c=f(t.sub.2) (2') EQU a.multidot.t.sup.2.sub.3 +b.multidot.t.sub.3 +c=f(t.sub.3) (2")
When, in FIG. 1, the point l.sub.1 is considered to be the origin, EQU f.sub.1 =DF.sub.1 (3) EQU f.sub.2 =DF.sub.2 +DL.sub.1 (3') EQU f.sub.3 =DF.sub.3 +DL.sub.2 +DL.sub.1 (3") EQU t.sub.1 =O (4) EQU t.sub.2 =TM, (4') EQU t.sub.3 =TM.sub.1 +TM.sub.2 (4")
If equations (3), (3'), (3"), (4), (4') and (4") are substituted into equations (2), (2') and (2") to find said a, b and c, ##EQU1## EQU c=DF.sub.1 (7)
Consequently, the amount of lens driving DL.sub.3 as converted into the amount of movement of the imaging plane at time t.sub.4 is: ##EQU2##
Here, on the assumption that as previously described, TM.sub.3 is known in the relation that TM.sub.3 =TM.sub.2, DL.sub.3 is found from equation (8). The amount of lens driving at t.sub.n after time t.sub.4 can likewise be found from the past three detected defocus amounts DF.sub.n-2, DF.sub.n` and DF.sub.n, the past two actual amounts of lens driving DL.sub.n-2 and DL.sub.n-1 and the past two time intervals TM.sub.n-2 and TM.sub.n-1. ##EQU3##
If in accordance with equations (9), (10) and (11), the defocus amount DL.sub.n for effecting lens driving is found from the detected defocus amount DF.sub.n and lens driving is effected, proper focusing will always become possible at the end of lens driving.
In the above-described correcting method, the imaging plane position is extrapolated by a quadratic function and therefore, the data of the past two focus detecting operations are necessary However, data is deficient at the first two times after focus adjustment is started and therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, in the first two focus adjusting operations, the lens is driven on the basis of the detected defocus amount itself Accordingly, the actual correcting calculation is effected from the third lens driving on, and as expressed in FIG. 1, the effect of correction presents itself from time t.sub.4 on.
Now, the change in the imaging plane position shown in FIG. 1 is that in the case of a particular focal length, and even for the same movement of the object to be photographed, the aspect of the change in the imaging plane position will change if the focal length of the photo-taking lens changes. Assuming that FIG. 1 is the case of the relatively telephoto side of a zoom lens, the movement of the imaging plane position on the wide angle side is as shown in FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawings. Even for the same movement of the object to be photographed, the variation in defocus becomes smaller on the wide angle side than on the telephoto side.
The actual locus f(t) in FIG. 3 of the accompanying drawings shows the change in the imaging plane position when the zoom position moves from the telephoto side to the wide angle side at time t.sub.x1 to time t.sub.x2. That is, before time t.sub.xl, the imaging plane position was as shown in FIG. 1, but from time t.sub.x2 on, it shifts to the imaging plane position shown in FIG. 2. At the same time, the imaging plane position l(t) of the lens also changes from time t.sub.x1 to time t.sub.x2. Therefore, the lens driving DL.sub.2 based on the detected defocus amount DF.sub.2 at time t.sub.2 is as shown in FIG. 3 and the imaging plane position of the lens is l3.
That is, the detected defocus amount DF.sub.2 at time t.sub.2 is the defocus amount on the telephoto side and thereafter, the zoom position is set to the wide angle side and therefore, the amount of lens driving in this case is DL.sub.2 differing from DL.sub.2 ' corresponding to said defocus amount DF.sub.2 detected on the telephoto side, and the imaging plane position of the line is l3.
On the other hand, as regards the imaging plane position of the lens found by calculation, the imaging plane position of the lens at time t.sub.2 is l.sub.2, and the defocus amount at time t.sub.2 is DF.sub.2 and the amount of lens driving corresponding to the then DF.sub.2 (telephoto side) is DL.sub.2 ' and therefore, the calculation of l.sub.2 +DL.sub.2 '+l.sub.3 ' is effected.
Also, assuming that the defocus amount detected at time t.sub.3 is DF.sub.3, the imaging plane position at time t.sub.3 is f.sub.3 =l.sub.3 +DF.sub.3, but the imaging plane position based on the imaging plane position l.sub.3 ' of the lens found by said calculation is f.sub.3 '=l.sub.3'+DF.sub.3 ' (DF.sub.3 =DF.sub.3 '). Consequently, the imaging plane position f.sub.4 ' at time t.sub.4 found from these calculated data by the correcting calculation differs from the imaging plane position f.sub.4 at the actual time t.sub.4, and this results in the occurrence of an inconvenience.


Disclosed is an apparatus for generating a stable clock signal having a Long term jitter noise removed therefrom. In a mobile communication terminal having a power management chip for converting a sinusoidal wave oscillated in a crystal into a clock signal of square wave, the sinusoidal wave is converted into a square wave clock signal by the stabilized driving power having no alternating current components, and thus a power noise of the square wave clock signal is removed. Then, the square wave clock signal having the power noise removed therefrom is outputted after a predetermined delay time. Accordingly, it is possible to supply the clock signal having the Long term jitter noise removed therefrom and synchronized to each device in the mobile communication terminal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for generating and supplying clock signal having a Long term jitter noise removed therefrom to each device in a mobile communication terminal containing the apparatus and having a power management chip mounted thereto for converting a sinusoidal wave oscillated in a crystal to generate a clock signal of square wave.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A jitter noise occurring in a wireless circuit is meant by a kind of distortion phenomenon that an output signal vibrates for a time axis. Due to the jitter noise, an output signal in a time area is outputted after a predetermined delay time. In addition, a waveform of the output signal in a frequency area is dispersed to the neighborhood of a specific frequency, instead of being formed sharply in the specific frequency. The jitter noises can be classified into a Cycle to cycle jitter noise as shown in FIG. 1(a), a Period jitter noise as shown in FIG. 1(b) and a Long term jitter noise as shown in FIG. 1(c) according to shapes of an output signal distorted due to the jitter noise.
In the mean time, in mobile communication terminals of GSM (Global System for Mobile communication)/CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access)/WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) types, most of power management chips use a crystal as an oscillator. At this time, the jitter noises as shown in FIGS. 1(a) to 1(c) can occur in a clock signal outputted from the power management chip. In particular, the 'long term jitter noise' as shown in FIG. 1(c) which is mainly induced in a power supply of the oscillator using the crystal causes a time difference in the waveform of the clock signal. Owing to the time difference, the clock signal supplied to each device, such as baseband processor, memory and the like in the mobile communication terminal is not synchronized, so that there may occur a driving error in each device.

Apparatus for generating clock signal in mobile communication terminal


A method for producing a carbon electrode which includes directly depositing a carbon material on an electroconductive electrode substrate by chemical vapor deposition using hydrocarbons and/or their derivatives as a starting material, and subjecting the substrate coated with the carbon material to an electrochemical treatment so that the carbon material is doped with a charge carrier material capable of being reversely intercalated therein and deintercalated therefrom. Thereafter, the electrochemically treated substrate is compressed, and a thin plate-shaped carbon electrode with a high density results.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for producing of a carbon electrode that is useful for thin-type batteries which are suitable as power supplies for various thin and minaturized equipment. More particularly, it relates to a method for producing a thin-type carbon electrode having a high density and a high capacity.
2. Description of the Related Art
For conventional batteries used in electronic equipment, a battery structure is widely used wherein an electroconductive material, such a graphite, and a binding agent are admixed with an electrode active material. The mixture is coated on a current-collector such as a metal net so as to form a thin-type electrode. This electrode is disposed opposite to a counter electrode in a battery can and a separator is interposed between these electrodes. The battery contents are impregnated with an electrolytic solution, and sealing up of the battery can follows.
However, the electrode manufactured by the above-mentioned method is disadvantageous in that the electric contact of the electrode active material with the electroconductive material or the current-collector is poor, and an increase in the internal resistance of the battery fabricated with the electrode results. Moreover, the electroconductive material and the binding agent are required in addition to the electrode active material, so that the electrode active material is limited in its amount, which causes a decrease in the battery capacity.
In order to solve the problems of the conventional electrodes mentioned above, a method for producing a carbon electrode in which a three-dimensionally structure, substance such as a porous substance or the like, is used as an electrode substrate. A carbon material (i.e., an electrode active material) is directly deposited on the surface of the substrate by chemical vapor deposition, and the substrate coated with the carbon material is compressed to a predetermined thickness. Thereby, a thin-type carbon electrode with a high density results (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 63- 245858).
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,931,240 a method for producing a carbon electrode is disclosed which is similar to the above-mentioned method. The production exception is carbon material directly deposited on the electrode substrate is filled with a charge carrier material before compressing the electrode substrate.
For the purpose of further improving the electrode activity, the conventional electrode for batteries is often subjected to an electrochemical treatment in advance of fabricating the battery. Whereby the electrode active material contained in the electrode is electrochemically doped with a charge carrier material in a given electrolytic solution. In particular, when a carbon material (e.g., graphite) is used as the electrode active material, the electro-chemical treatment is performed. Thereby, the carbon material is doped with a charge carrier material capable of being reversibly intercalated therein and deintercalated therefrom.
However, when the thin-type electrode, which has been obtained by compressing the three-dimensionally structured substance coated with the carbon material, is electrochemically treated in an electrolytic solution, a significant change in the dimensions of the electrode will occur, which arises from a change in the volume of the electrode active material or from the relaxation of compressive stresses during the formation of the electrode. Thus, in some cases, there are many disadvantages in the fabrication of batteries that the electrode used may be cracked easily or get out of shape. Moreover, even after fabricating the battery with such an electrode, the mechanical strength of the electrode used is insufficient to keep its shape. Thereby, it is difficult to obtain a battery with satisfactory durability.

Method for the production of a carbon electrode


The invention relates to a straightener with rollers, that can be used in particular for straightening steel bars for concrete. It includes in combination several plates which can be moved while remaining perpendicular to the axis of the product to be straightened, each plate having on both of its working faces, articulated at one of its points a pivoting roller-bearing arm the other extremity of which is maintained so that it can move in the vicinity of the adjacent plate when the distance separating the two plates in question is varied, this arm having a straightening roller situated essentially at a quarter of the distance between the point of articulation of the arm onto the plate and the extremity of the arm which is situated near the neighboring plate, a means such as an eccentric enabling the position of the axis of the roller relative to the axis of the product to be straightened to be preset and a means enabling the plates to be moved parallel to the axis of the product to be treated so that equal distances are maintained between them, the axis of the product to be straightened being situated at equal distances from the points of articulation of the arms onto the plates.

The present invention relates to a straightener with rollers designed in particular for the straightening of steel bars for concrete.
It is known that elongated metal products obtained by rolling and in particular steel bars for concrete, require straightening before use to bring them into true.
In practice it is difficult to achieve perfect straightening because of constraints of all kinds which exists in the product to be straightened before being introduced into the straightener.
Straighteners which operate by alternating flexion in the same plane are already known. The straighteners circulate the wire to be straightened between rollers which are on either side of the axis of the machine which causes alternating flexion resulting in the elastic limit of at least part of the section of the product to be straightened to be exceeded by subjecting it to permanent deformations which diminish progressively to reach a virtually nil value as the product to be straightened passes through the straightener.
It is also known that to achieve satisfactory straightening it is necessary to regulate precisely the position of the various rollers relative to the axis of the progress of the product to be straightened, and also the distance separating the various rollers along the axis of the straightener.
The result is a considerable waste of time and considerable difficulty in adjustment when the straightener has to deal successively with products of different diameter.
This disadvantage is particularly serious in the case where the product to be straightened consists of steel bars for concrete which have dimensional characteristics that can vary quite considerably in the same lot.
Devices known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,719,781 permit the simultaneous displacement and adjustment of several rollers in order to adapt the straightener to the dimensional characteristics of the product to be straightened, but to date these devices do not give complete satisfaction because they do not take into account all the adjusting required to obtain satisfactory straightening.
Furthermore, these known devices do not in general permit the axis of the straightened product to be kept in a fixed position when the setting of the rollers is modified to take into account the dimensional variations of the product that is to be straightened, when entails adjustment of the devices upstream and downstream of the straightener, or failing this an alteration of the straightness of the product.
It is also known that to obtain correct straightening it is necessary to apply successive alternating flexion in at least two different planes.

Roller straightening device for steel bars for concrete

Residence Crespy 2, Batiment 11 Appartement 332


A hot air drying apparatus for noodles which makes possible steady production of high quality instant noodles by blowing hot air at an optimal velocity and in an optimal flow rate all over noodle ribbons to be dried in a short period of time and thereby makes a texture of noodle ribbons uniform and fine is to be provided. In a hot air drying apparatus, a conveyor runs from one end of a lengthwise direction of this apparatus to the other, and noodle ribbons carried from a preceding step riding on this conveyor move within an apparatus at a prescribed speed. The apparatus includes a plurality of drying chambers D1, D2, D3, D4, D5 and so forth into which it is divided in the lengthwise direction. Each drying chamber is provided with a heater for heating air in the chamber to a set temperature, a blower fan for feeding the resultant heated air flow as a hot air flow to a lower part of the chamber where the conveyor is arranged, an air duct for guiding the hot air flow from the blower fan upwards or downwards in a widthwise direction of the conveyor, and a streamlining section for streamlining the hot air flow moving above or underneath the conveyor so that the hot air be blown down or up towards the conveyor.

The present invention relates to a hot air drying method and apparatus for noodles.
In a usual manufacturing method for instant noodles, first, a raw material such as wheat flour, buckwheat flour or starch is put into a kneading machine such as a mixer or the like and, after adding pre-conditioned kneading water, the flour and the water are kneaded for a prescribed period of time. Then, the resultant dough (noodle dough) is taken out of the kneading machine and is formed with a noodle ribboning machine into noodle ribbons, which are cut to a prescribed length. Next the cut noodle ribbons are conveyor-fed to an impasting apparatus, in which they are steamed for a prescribed length of time in a vaporous ambiance, and fed to a drying process to be deprived of their moisture. Immediately after the drying process, the noodle ribbons, after quick cooling, are put into containers, to which accompanying items are added.
As an apparatus for accomplishing the drying process, a hot air drying apparatus is known, which brings hot air of about 70 to 90xc2x0 C. into contact with noodle ribbons to bring down the moisture of the noodle ribbons to about 8 to 12%. Instant noodles manufactured using this hot air drying apparatus are known as xe2x80x9cnon-fried noodles,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9ca(alpha) noodlesxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9calphaized noodles,xe2x80x9d which, taking a little longer than other instant noodles to be restored to an edible state, taste plainer.
However, with the conventional hot air drying apparatus, it is difficult to blow hot air uniformly on the noodle ribbons which are successively fed from the steaming process. Thus, as hot air in a turbulent state comes into contact with noodle ribbons, they tend to be dried unevenly and may partly become squeezed to one another while being dried. Therefore, it is difficult to keep the drying conditions of noodle ribbons constant with any conventional hot air drying apparatus, and this difficulty poses a problem in stabilizing the quality of the instant noodles that are produced.
It is conceivable to set the drying period for noodle ribbons long enough to avoid uneven drying, but this would invite workability and productivity problems in the manufacturing process of instant noodles.
In view of these problems, the present invention is intended to provide a hot air drying method and apparatus for noodles which make possible steady production of high quality instant noodles by blowing hot air at the optimal velocity and in the optimal flow rate all over the noodle ribbons to be dried in a short period of time and thereby make the texture of the noodle ribbons uniform and fine.
In order to attain the above described object, according to a hot air drying method for noodles, there is provided a hot air drying method for noodles whereby the drying temperature, air flow rate and air velocity are set optimally, a laminar flow of hot air is generated, and a step to blow the hot air flow so generated uniformly on the noodle ribbons to be dried from above and a step to blow the hot air uniformly on the noodle ribbons from underneath are alternately repeated to dry the noodle ribbons for a prescribed drying period.
According to a hot air drying method for noodles as set forth in claim 2, there is provided a hot air drying apparatus for noodles wherein a plurality of drying chambers which conveyor-fed noodle ribbons consecutively pass are arrayed, each drying chamber being provided with a heater to heat air therein to generate a heated air flow, a blower for feeding the heated air flow so generated as a hot air flow, and a hot air flow streamlining device for streamlining the hot air flow fed by the blower into a laminar state, setting it to the optimal air flow rate and velocity for drying and blowing the flow uniformly on the noodle ribbons, in each pair of adjacent drying chambers the hot air flow streamlining device of one drying chamber blowing the hot air flow on the noodle ribbons from above and that of the other drying chamber blowing the hot air flow on the noodle ribbons from underneath.
According to the invention as a set forth in claim 3, there is provided a variation of the hot air drying apparatus for noodles as set forth in claim 2 in which each hot air flow streamlining device is provided with an air duct for streamlining the hot air flow fed by the blower into a primary laminar state and leading it towards above or underneath the widthwise direction of the conveyor, and a streamlining section for setting the hot air flow led by this air duct towards above or underneath the widthwise direction of the conveyor to the optimal air flow rate and velocity for drying, and controlling it into a laminar flow to be uniformly blown on the noodle ribbons.
According to the invention as set forth in claim 2, there is provided a variation of the hot air drying apparatus for noodles as set forth in claim 3 in which the air duct is a box-shaped body having an inlet for taking in the hot air flow from the blower and an outlet opening to above or underneath the widthwise direction of the conveyor, this box-shaped body having within it stratifying plates extending from the inlet to the outlet.
According to the invention as set forth in claim 3, there is provided a variation of the hot air drying apparatus for noodles as set forth in claim 3 or 2 in which the streamlining section has an air velocity control plate in which a plurality of slits are formed in parallel to one another in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the conveyor and a plurality of fixed air flow receiving plates rising from the air velocity control plate and spanning over the plurality of slits, wherein the plurality of air flow receiving plates are so shaped that the air receiving area of the air flow receiving plate in the closest position to the air duct be made the smallest by reducing its height and the air receiving area of each succeeding air flow receiving plate be gradually expanded as the distance of the plate from the air duct increases by gradually increasing its height, so that the hot air flow from the air duct, as it hits each air flow receiving plate, be set to the optimal flow rate, uniformly led towards the face of the air velocity control plate and, by passing the slits, controlled to the optimal velocity to be blown on the noodle ribbons.

Device and method for drying noodles by hot air


A structural subassembly provided to produce an aquatic gliding board. The subassembly includes a hollow inner shell which is covered with a casing made of foam capable of being machined. The invention also relates to a method of making such a subassembly and to a board made by covering the preceding subassembly with a layer of resin-coated fibers.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a subassembly which is used in the production of an aquatic gliding board, especially a surfboard.
The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing such a subassembly and to a board manufactured using the subassembly.
2. Description of Background and Relevant Information
Conventionally, a surfboard is made from a foam blank, especially polyurethane foam blank, that is made in a mold. The foam blank is machined by planing and sanding over a small thickness to locally customize its shape, then it is covered with a casing made of resin-impregnated glass fibers that forms a reinforcing outer shell and provides the board with its final shape. A decoration and a glassing provide the board with its final appearance.
In certain cases, the foam blank is cut longitudinally into two portions that are then glued to a wooden stringer that reinforces its structure and imparts a predetermined longitudinal camber thereon.
The disadvantage of such a construction technique is the weight of the final board. Indeed, the foam is relatively thick; typically, its density is about 50 kg/m3. In addition, it is a priori not possible to reduce the density of the foam without negatively affecting the mechanical properties of the board.
According to another construction technique derived from the sailboard, one begins with a relatively low density foam blank that is machined to shape. This blank is covered with a layer of resin-impregnated glass fibers. A casing made of a higher density foam is attached around this subassembly. Layers of resin-impregnated glass fibers are then applied in order to form the outer shell.
Such a construction mode enables a savings in weight of about 20% or more while maintaining a good rigidity beneath the feet. However, its implementation is relatively complex. Moreover, the central foam blank is generally made of polystyrene foam. This material has the flaw of taking in water. Over the course of its lifetime, the board sometimes hits a reef or a rock. If the outer shell is damaged, there is a risk of water penetration, the water weighing down the board and being particularly difficult to evacuate.
Finally, it is known to make hollow boards with sandwich layers. Alternatively, two half-shells are made and then assembled to one another, or yet the assembly is made in a closed mold with an inner bladder that is inflated to push and press the sandwich layers against the walls of the mold.
This manufacturing technique makes it possible to make lightweight boards. However, it is not possible to customize the shape of the board. In this case, the shape of the outer shell depends exclusively upon the shape of the mold.
An object of the invention is to propose an improved subassembly, which makes it possible to make surfboards that are lighter while preserving a shape that can be customized, or more voluminous for an equal weight.
This object is achieved by a structural subassembly which, according to the invention, includes a hollow inner shell covered with a casing made of foam capable of being machined.
The board is characterized in that it includes the predefined assembly coated with at least one layer of resin-impregnated fibers.

Subassembly designed to produce an aquatic gliding board


A liquid crystal display device is provided with: a liquid crystal display panel (10), a light guide plate disposed on the rear surface side of the liquid crystal display panel; light sources disposed on the side surfaces of the light guide plate and applying light to the liquid crystal display panel through the light guide plate; a reflective sheet (60) disposed on the rear surface side of the light guide plate; and a reflection sheet moving unit (65) that movably holds the reflection sheet.

Examples of the application of liquid crystal display panels include amusement products and digital signage. In those applications, a liquid crystal display device is configured such that an image is displayed on a liquid crystal display panel thereof and an object placed behind the liquid crystal display device can be viewed from the front side of the liquid crystal display panel. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique relating to such a display configuration, in which an opening is formed in a portion of a component that has a low transparency such as a reflective sheet of a liquid crystal display device, and through the opening, an object placed behind the liquid crystal display device can be viewed from the front side of the liquid crystal display device.

Liquid crystal display device having movable reflecting and transmitting screen


SAR imaging may be performed with range-resolved reflection data, where a spread-spectrum signal, such as a code division multiple access (CDMA) signal, is transmitted instead of a simple frequency chirp. The reflected spread-spectrum signal may be analyzed to gather range-resolved reflection data. Range-resolved reflection data may be gathered at each angular view. This data may be used to construct a more accurate approximation of the Fourier transform of the desired image than can be done by a conventional SAR approach. The image may be reconstructed from this Fourier transform using Fourier inversion techniques similar to those used in conventional SAR approaches. The range-resolved reflection scheme generally requires somewhat more processing to recover the image as compared with conventional SAR systems, but provides a significantly more stable image with less degradation from effects that plague conventional SAR systems. This can eliminate the need for phase coherency altogether and also eliminate “phase drift,” which leads to image distortion. This may be especially well suited for high resolution imaging of relatively large targets.

The most common form of imaging radar is SAR. Carl Wiley of the Goodyear Corporation, a legacy company of Lockheed Martin, invented the SAR concept in 1952. The first airborne SAR was flown on a DC-3 in 1953. Since then, SAR has become a ubiquitous imaging technique, capable of all-weather sub-meter resolution imaging.
In conventional SAR systems, the radar generates radio frequency (RF) images with near-optical quality by coherently integrating the return of a frequency-chirped radar as it travels over some distance in order to form a synthetic aperture for the antenna. Conventional SAR employs a transmitted radio frequency (RF) signal with a frequency chirp to interrogate a target region (i.e., a patch) at different angular views. Target reflections (i.e., a reflected RF signal) lead to a received signal, and the image is formed from the phase information from the received signal. Basically, the bandwidth B of a SAR resolves range, with a resolution of
                              s          range                =                  c                      2                                                                          B                                              (        1        )
where c is the speed of light.
In the case of a conventional "spotlight-mode" SAR, the radar stays pointed at the center of a target patch. The different views typically result from the radar traveling by the target on a path, as shown in FIG. 1, which is a schematic diagram 100 illustrating spotlight-mode SAR parameters and definitions using a plane-based SAR. A target patch on the ground is interrogated at some distance orthogonal to a flight path. The direction away from the flight path is called "down-range" and the direction on the ground parallel to the flight path is called "cross-range." The SAR transmits at a frequency that chirps through a frequency bandwidth. Each chirp occurs very fast, and for simplicity, the plane can be considered stationary during the chirp since the distance traveled between chirps is very small. These chirps are repeated as the plane moves through discrete angular positions along the flight path relative to the target patch center, with a chirp and the associated reflected signal received at these specific angular locations.
For a conventional spotlight mode SAR, phase interferometry is used to resolve cross-range, with a cross-range resolution of
                              s                      cross            -            range                          =                              λ                                                                          R                    S                                    (        2        )
where λ is the wavelength of the SAR's center frequency, S is the distance along the path over which the different angular views are taken, and R is the distance from the path to the target (known as the offset). Phase interferometry requires that there is a negligible phase drift in the carrier frequency over the entire viewing path with length A, on the order of 45° or less.
In a conventional spotlight mode SAR, at each angular location, the received data is mixed with the transmission signal (i.e., a carrier) as a function for the chirped frequency, both in-phase (resulting in the in-phase signal I) and out-of-phase (resulting in the quadrature signal Q). In other words, the radar return is mixed with the in-phase and out-of-phase transmit signal, which gives I and Q. A key aspect of SAR is that the constructed quantity I+jQ is very nearly the two-dimensional Fourier transform G(kx,ky) of the target's scattering function (also known as the reflection function), defined as g(x,y), where (x=0,y=0), defines the center of the target, since the angular frequency divided by the speed of light, 2πf/c, is the wavenumber k (the Fourier transform of real space).
The quantity I+jQ can be inverted to approximately find the reflection function g(x,y) within the target patch. Importantly, this inversion can be thought of as first integrating along the direction of view (known as "de-ramping" because the Fourier integral is over the frequency chirp) and then integrating along the angular spread of the wavenumber (which, from a fundamental theory of Fourier transforms, is the same angle as the physical viewing angle). The first de-ramping integral identifies the distance to the reflectors in the target patch, but cannot resolve their relative cross-range positions.
The de-ramping process bins down-range locations into "range cells", shown as lines along the target patch in FIG. 1. These cells are the width of the SAR's range resolution. For example, points A and B in FIG. 1 would be indistinguishable from the de-ramping process. Importantly, each return signal from each range cell has a phase of I and Q associated with the offset of that position from the target patch center. The second Fourier integral is equivalent to an integral correlating these phases of each individual reflector, which change as the angular view changes.
The resolution of the SAR image (i.e., the range cell size) in the down-range direction is 2B/c, where B is the SAR's frequency bandwidth and the resolution in the cross-range direction is the SAR's carrier wavelength divided by the total angular view on the target (λ/θ, in radians). To get fine down-range resolution, a very high bandwidth is needed. To get fine cross-range resolution, both a small carrier wavelength and a large angular view of the target patch are needed. Increasing the carrier frequency leads to increased phase drift over the viewing path and increased bandwidth leads to increased deviation of I+jQ from G(kx,ky), known as phase distortion. Combined, these effects lead to fundamental limitations for conventional spotlight SARs in achieving very fine resolution of targets that need long integration paths due to large offset distances.
Here, and in the following example, two-dimensional scattering and imaging is considered. The extension to three dimensions is straightforward and follows the conventional extension for three-dimensional SAR algorithms. The domain of the constructed quantity G(kx,ky)≈I+jQ in Fourier space is shown in graph 200 of FIG. 2.
Note that the Fourier-space wavenumbers appear through the frequency chirp, i.e., kx=(4πf/c) cos θ and ky=(4πf/c) sin θ, where f is the transmit frequency and θ is the view angle (which is the same angle in Fourier space by the Slice Projection Theorem). The Fourier transformed scattering function is
                              G                                (                                          k                x                            ,                              k                y                                      )                          =                              1                          2                                                                                π                                                                    ∫                              -                ∞                            ∞                                                                  ∫                                  -                  ∞                                ∞                                                                            g                                                        (                                          x                      ,                      y                                        )                                                                                e                                      -                                          j                                                                    (                                                                              xk                            x                                                    +                                                      yk                            y                                                                          )                                                                                dx                                                                                dy                                                                        (        3        )
and the original scattering function can be recovered from
                              g                                (                          x              ,              y                        )                          =                              1                          2                                                                                π                                                                    ∫                              -                ∞                            ∞                                                                  ∫                                  -                  ∞                                ∞                                                                            G                                                        (                                                                  k                        x                                            ,                                              k                        y                                                              )                                                                                e                                      -                                          j                                                                    (                                                                              xk                            x                                                    +                                                      yk                            y                                                                          )                                                                                dk                  x                                                                                dk                  y                                                                                (        4        )
However, the approximation of G(kx,ky) is not known over the entire k-space. Rewriting in polar coordinates to indicate the limits of the received SAR data, the reconstructed scattering image using direct Fourier inversion is then given by
                              f                                (                          x              ,              y                        )                          =                              1                          2                                                                                π                                                                    ∫                                                π                  /                  2                                -                                  θ                  0                                                                              π                  /                  2                                +                                  θ                  0                                                                                ∫                                  k                  min                                                  k                  max                                                                                G                                                        (                                          k                      ,                      θ                                        )                                                                                e                                      -                                          j                                                                    (                                                                              xkcos                                                                                θ                                                    +                                                      yksin                                                                                θ                                                                          )                                                                                k                                                                                dk                                                                                d                                                                                θ                                                                        (        5        )
where kmin and kmax are respectively given by 4π(fc−B/2)/c and 4π(fc+B/2)/c functions of the carrier frequency fc and the bandwidth B, and the angular views extend from π/2−θ0 to π/2+θ0. Note that (x cos θ+y sin θ) is the distance δx,y of (x,y) projected onto the view angle from the target center with the geometry shown in FIG. 3. The function ƒ can be rewritten as
                              f                                (                          x              ,              y                        )                          =                              1                          2                                                                                π                                                                    ∫                                                π                  /                  2                                -                                  θ                  0                                                                              π                  /                  2                                +                                  θ                  0                                                                                ∫                                  k                  min                                                  k                  max                                                                                G                                                        (                                          k                      ,                      θ                                        )                                                                                e                                                            -                      jk                                                                                δ                                              x                        ,                        y                                                                                k                                                                                dk                                                                                d                                                                                θ                                                                        (        6        )
There are several approaches for reconstructing the scattering image, including polar reformatting and convolution backprojection (CBP) for direct Fourier inversion. Additionally, standard inversion techniques like the Maximum Entropy Method can be used to improve on the direct Fourier inversion. In polar reformatting, the data in Fourier space is first interpolated onto a Cartesian grid and then a Cartesian two-dimensional FFT is performed to recover ƒ(x,y), requiring O(N2 log N) operations for an N×N SAR image. In CBP, ƒ(x,y) is directly calculated from Eq. (6) using the polar coordinates, typically requiring O(N3) operations. Since FFTs require a Cartesian frame, non-FFT Fourier transforms need to be numerically completed for CBP. Several schemes have been proposed to reduce the complexity of the CBP approach down to O(N2 log N). Despite the typically larger computational complexity, CBP has the advantage that the image can be initially formed with few azimuthal views and continually improved as more views are added, making it especially attractive to applications where limited computer memory is available.
A significant issue with conventional spotlight SAR is that it requires phase coherency of the transmitter over the entire pass over the target. For relatively high radar frequencies, such as those needed for fine resolutions (e.g., 100 GHz is needed for approximately centimeter-scale resolutions), coherency can only be maintained for seconds. However, tens of minutes are often required to complete the angular views. Accordingly, an improved approach to SAR imaging may be beneficial.

Synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) imaging with range-resolved reflection data


A system and method for preparing a shelled crustacean body part for meat extraction are provided. The method involves capturing an image of said body part, evaluating the thickness of the shell from the image, determining from the thickness evaluation at least one laser parameter for forming a line of weakness within the shell, the line of weakness being dimensioned to facilitate meat extraction, while preserving the sensory characteristics of the meat, and sweeping a laser beam on the body part in accordance with the laser parameter to form the line of weakness within the shell. The method and system provide the advantage of facilitating meat extraction without compromising the quality or commercial value of the meat all while increasing productivity and performance in comparison with completely manual extraction techniques.

Seafood processing plants employ a substantial number of workers to process crustaceans such as lobsters and crabs in peak periods. Their ability to meet the demands of their thriving market is threatened by the scarcity and aging of qualified labour. One of the tasks involved in the processing of crustaceans, the extraction of lobster arm meat, is particularly affected by labour issues; it is manual, repetitive, difficult, and performed at cold temperatures, and it can require up to fifty workers. Plants need a technological solution that provides for greater flexibility in workforce management while increasing productivity and improving the quality and value of crustacean meat products.

System and method for preparing crustacean body parts for meat extraction


In an example implementation, a method of dispensing fluid from a fluid dispensing device, includes receiving a dispense head at a receiving station, and receiving a notification that a supply slot in the dispense head has been filled with fluid. The method includes vibrating the dispense head to move fluid through a microfluidic channel from the supply slot into an ejection chamber of the dispense head, and providing a dispense signal to cause an ejection mechanism disposed within the chamber to eject an amount of the fluid from the dispense head.

Fluid dispensing systems have applicability within a wide range of industries, including pharmaceutical, life science research, medical, printing, electronics manufacturing, and other industries. Manual fluid dispensing systems such as pipettes are increasingly being replaced by automated pipetting or fluid dispensing systems that can provide a high degree of accuracy and repeatability with improved dispense throughput. Industries can employ such automated, precision fluid dispensing systems for a variety of purposes, including for the preparation of biological and pharmaceutical assays, the delivery of fluid ink drops to various print media, the dispensing of adhesive materials in an accurate and repeatable manner, and so on.
Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


The present technique is associated with a device-controller configuration system for a computer system having a plurality of controllers. The technique utilizes an automatic switching assembly so that each device is routed to one of the controllers based on a data transfer specification of the device and data transfer capacities of the controllers. Accordingly, the technique evaluates at least one of a plurality of hypothetical configurations to determine a viable and/or optimal configuration.

The present technique relates generally to the field of computer systems, and more specifically, to control systems for the computer systems. The present technique is a system and method for routing devices to controllers based on data transfer capacities of the controllers and data transfer specifications of the devices.
Computer systems (e.g., desktops, laptops, servers, workstations, PDAs, etc.) generally comprise a plurality of components, such as memory, a display, a modem, a processor and/or a controller unit, which are integrated for a particular application. The components communicate through a bus, or collection of conductors, which comprises an address bus for identifying the components and a data bus for transferring data between the components. Moreover, computer systems often have multiple bus types, such as a local bus and an expansion bus (e.g., for add on components), each having an address and data bus. Computer systems also comprise many different bus architectures, such as ISA/AT (Industry Standard Architecture), EISA (Extended ISA), PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect), VESA, and USB (Universal Serial Bus), which may have substantially different data transfer characteristics (e.g., clock speed and data bandwidth). Clock speed refers to the speed at which data is transferred, while data bandwidth refers to the amount of data that is transferred per transmittal. A local bus (e.g., PCI) connects almost directly to the processor, providing very fast throughput versus an expansion bus (e.g., AT). For example, an AT bus may run at 8 megahertz with a 16-bit bandwidth, while a PCI bus may operate at 33 or 66 megahertz with a 64-bit bandwidth.
Controllers utilize the buses and control the transfer of data among components of the computer system. For many devices, the local bus is desirable to ensure sufficient data transfer speed and bandwidth. Unfortunately, the components often outnumber the available controllers due to various cost restraints, space limitations, and other considerations. For example, an ASIC chipset (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) often has 2 host controllers for 4 or 6 ports and/or devices.
As mentioned above, the buses and controllers have limited data transfer capacities (i.e., speeds and bandwidths), which may depend on the particular architecture of the computer system. In contrast, devices have widely varying data transfer requirements, which may be substantially more demanding for some devices. For example, devices such as digital cameras and DVD-ROM drives typically require greater bandwidth than devices such as keyboards or pointer devices. A camera may require 70-80% of the available bandwidth, whereas a keyboard or mouse may require only 5-10% bandwidth. If two cameras are connected to a single controller, there may be a bottleneck if the controller does not have enough bandwidth for both of the cameras. Accordingly, the bottleneck may cause system or device failures, conflicts and/or other performance problems.
Currently, bandwidth utilization is maximized by intelligently attaching devices to the controllers. In many computer systems, the controllers are hardwired to a predetermined number of devices or ports (internal or external), preventing any reconfiguration other than by rearranging the devices. Accordingly, configuring the devices and components requires uncommon knowledge of board/chip design and device requirements, as well as time for the configuration. As computer technology continues to advance, computer systems are often upgraded by adding or replacing components. For example, a DVD-ROM drive or a digital camera may be added to an existing computer system. Unfortunately, a consumer generally lacks the computer expertise (e.g., system configurations, controller specifications, or device requirements) necessary to properly configure the devices to ensure sufficient data transfer rates for each of the devices. The typical consumer would tend to connect a newly purchased device to the first available port. Although this configuration may operate, it can cause device conflicts and/or performance problems if the connection results in insufficient bandwidth for one or more of the devices coupled to the port.
One solution would be to add more host controllers, or a dedicated controller for high speed devices. However, adding controllers results in higher costs for the computer system. As consumers continue to demand lower priced computer systems, it is desirable to keep the number of components and costs to a minimum. Furthermore, additional host controllers would not completely solve the problem, because each of the host controllers still has a limited amount of bandwidth for multiple devices.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved technique for routing devices to host controllers to ensure that each device receives sufficient bandwidth and that each controller is not overloaded beyond its available bandwidth. It would be advantageous to provide a technique that would detect the bandwidth requirements for the devices, compare the bandwidth requirements with the available bandwidths from each of the controllers, and then distribute the devices to the controllers such that each device receives a desired bandwidth.
The present technique is associated with a device-controller configuration system for a computer system having a plurality of controllers. The technique utilizes an automatic switching assembly to ensure that each device is routed to one of the controllers based on a data transfer specification of the device and data transfer capacities of the controllers. Accordingly, the technique evaluates at least one of a plurality of hypothetical configurations to determine a viable and/or optimal configuration.
According to one aspect of the present technique, a system may be provided for routing a device to a controller for a computer. The system may comprise a switchable routing assembly configured for automatically routing each of a plurality of the devices to one of a plurality of the controllers, wherein the switchable routing assembly is configured to distribute available data transfer capabilities for each of the plurality of controllers to the plurality of devices based on a desired data transfer statistic for each of the plurality of devices.
According to another aspect of the present technique, a method may be provided for automatically configuring a plurality of devices with a plurality of controllers for a computer system. The method may comprise obtaining a plurality of data transfer specifications for the plurality of devices, determining a plurality of hypothetical configurations having each device coupled to one of the plurality of controllers, and comparing the plurality of data transfer specifications with data transfer capacities of each of the plurality of controllers for at least one of the hypothetical configurations. The technique also may comprise selecting a viable configuration from the plurality of hypothetical configurations based on the comparison of data transfer specifications and data transfer capacities. Accordingly, each device may be automatically routed to one controller based on the selected viable configuration.

Dynamic allocation of devices to host controllers

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


An oil filter assembly for an engine of an outboard motor includes a base having a high-pressure inlet port, a filter-mounting interface for receiving a filter, and a drain-back port for receiving a drain-back insert of the filter. The base includes an engine-mounting interface for mounting the base to the engine, which includes a high-pressure outlet port and a low-pressure outlet port providing oil to the engine. The base provides fluid communication between the high-pressure inlet port and an inlet side of the filter and between an outlet side of the filter and the high-pressure outlet port when the filter is installed and the drain-back insert is within the drain-back port. The base provides fluid communication between the drain-back port and the low-pressure outlet port when the drain-back insert is not within the drain-back port. A clean oil fill passageway is in fluid communication with the low-pressure outlet port.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,997,372, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein, discloses a four-cycle internal combustion engine with a scavenge pump and a pressure pump that are both attached for rotation to a crank shaft of the engine. The inlets and outlets of the scavenge pump and pressure pump are located at positions within the structure of the internal combustion engine which inhibits the drainage of lubricant from a lubricant reservoir to the engine when the outboard motor is either tilted at an extreme angle from vertical or stored in a horizontal position. The scavenge pump and the pressure pump can be gerotor pumps and can either be located proximate each other at one side of the engine or displaced from each other on opposite sides of the engine.


A vehicle mounted apparatus for high-pressure fluid blasting to remove material from or otherwise treat a surface, the apparatus comprising: a high-pressure fluid supply connected to a nozzle assembly containing at least one nozzle, the nozzle assembly being supported for movement along a track mounted transversely on the vehicle; and a suction device for conveying airflow and removed material through a conduit from the nozzle assembly to a treatment zone within the vehicle, the treatment zone having a separation means for accumulating removed material, a means for conveying airflow from the separation means to the suction device, and a means for conveying the removed material to a storage zone.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a vehicle mounted apparatus for use in high-pressure fluid blasting, and in particular, to an apparatus that is suitable for mounting onto a truck for removing material from a road, airport runway, or other paved surface. The apparatus is particularly suitable for removing bitumen.
2. Discussion of the Background Art
High-pressure fluid blasting systems, and in particular water blasting systems, are used in a variety of situations for cleaning or otherwise treating surfaces. The treatment may be a conditioning treatment, in which material, such as tar bleed, is removed from the upper surface of a road or other paved surface so as to recondition the surface in order to extend the safe useable lifetime of the surface. Surface treatment may also involve the removal of painted road markings and lines or may involve the more radical cutting or removal of material for example in order to re-lay the surface.
The roading systems of many countries, including Australia and New Zealand, use chip sealing to provide waterproof, flexible and reliable road surfaces for wheeled vehicles. Chip sealing is a method of sealing a road in which a layer of bitumen based binder is applied to the road bed followed by a layer of stone chips. The surface of the road is then rolled to embed the stone chips into the binder. Chip sealed roads can require resurfacing for a multitude of reasons. For example, 'flushing' describes the smooth surface of a road caused by excess binder rising to the surface. This can occur as a result of the stone chips being forced into a soft substrate under the wheels of vehicles. The occurrence of flushing has to be immediately rectified to ensure optimal road surface texture and to maintain vehicle safety.
In order to repair the surface of a road that has undergone flushing, it is known to use high-pressure water blasters to remove the bitumen based binder from the road so that the road can be resealed. Bitumen is an extremely adhesive material which in its stabilised form is highly viscous and almost solid. In a chip sealed road, the uppermost bitumen is toughened and the underlying bitumen remains in a viscous state. After being released from the road, the freed bitumen particles retain their full adhesion properties. The exceptional adhesion properties of bitumen combined with its high or low viscosity create significant difficulties for transporting the material through enclosed mediums for storage in a holding tank without residue or blockage occurring.
At least two different water blasting arrangements are known. The most common arrangement involves a high-pressure/high-volume water blasting arrangement. However, such arrangements have proven to be unreliable, especially in the area of surface reconditioning and tar bleed removal and suffer a significant disadvantage in that very high volumes of waste water and wetted waste material removed from the road surface need to be disposed of. Because of contamination of the treatment water, the water and removed material must be removed from the treatment site and disposed of in a sanctioned waste area. The removal of such large amounts of waste material and contaminated water has, until now, involved the use of very large vacuum devices operating with internal storage capacity or separate disposal trucks. As these trucks must frequently visit an approved disposal site, the equipment is prone to long downtimes. In addition, when treating roads in remote areas, large volumes of water may not be immediately available and the transportation of large volumes of water significantly increases operational costs.
An alternative approach to road and pavement surface treatment has been developed by the applicant and involves the use of ultra high-pressure/low-volume fluid blasting. This fluid blasting unit operates at pressures in the region of 40,000 psi (2,800 bar) but with flow rates as low as 3.5 to 4.5 liters/min. However, even with significantly reduced flows, the UHP/LV system still requires the safe and environmentally acceptable removal of waste products.
It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a vehicle mounted apparatus that at least mitigates some of the problems associated with the prior art.

Vehicle mounted apparatus for high-pressure fluid blasting


Embodiments of the disclosure are drawn to a low-voltage temperature sensor. The temperature sensor may include a waveform generator, a complementary-to-absolute-temperature (CTAT) voltage generator, a voltage reference, two comparators, and digital logic. A waveform of the waveform generator may be compared to both the CTAT voltage and the voltage reference. The output of the comparison of the CTAT and the waveform may be a pulse-width modulated signal that is temperature-dependent. The output of the comparison of the voltage reference and the waveform may be a signal with constant pulse width. The digital logic may receive the pulsed signals and take a ratio of the two signals to determine a temperature.

Temperature sensors are becoming common building blocks for many modern complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) systems. As integrated circuits (ICs) become more complex and compact, there has been a growing demand for low power temperature sensors to provide calibration and enable local feedback to ensure reliable performance over process-voltage-temperature (PVT) variations. Most modern microprocessors use multiple temperature sensors in to maintain performance of all the critical blocks over a wide range of operating temperatures, for multiple central processing unit (CPU) cores that may be separated by large physical distances. Apart from these conventional usage, emerging applications (e.g., biomedical applications, infrastructural health monitoring, Internet-of-things (IoT), wearable electronics, MEMs based sensors and actuators, etc.) create new design challenges for temperature sensing. These applications require the temperature sensors to have extremely low power consumption and to be compatible with low supply voltages, so that they can be powered using energy scavenging.
Most temperature sensors require reference voltage and reference current generation to maintain reliable performance. These two blocks create major bottlenecks for the power consumption and supply voltage. Most conventional voltage references are bandgap reference based, which is inherently power hungry. Furthermore, they require higher supply voltages to ensure that their diodes are forward biased. Such bandgaps either operate in open loop, with very low output voltage compared to the threshold voltage of the devices in the subsequent stages or they use active amplifier feedback. Open loop configurations are not desirable because they are susceptible to PVT variations. Feedback amplifiers are not desirable since they require high voltage headroom and additional current consumption for their normal operation.
Alternatively, reference currents generators have high power consumption. Extremely big resistors (˜100 MΩ) can reduce power consumption at the sacrifice of huge die area. An alternative approach utilizes N-wells as resistors, but they are non-linear. In general, generating reference currents also involves negative feedback using active amplifiers, which is again power hungry and requires voltage headroom.


This invention relates to a portable, collapsible stand for supporting materials such as books, sheet materials and the like in a convenient position to be viewed by an individual.

This invention relates to a portable, collapsible stand for supporting materials such as books, sheet materials and the like in a convenient position to be viewed by an individual.
The prior art has provided a wide variety of bookrests, display stands and the like. Generally speaking these prior art devices have disadvantages in terms of undue complexity, cost and ease of use. Some are made up from several components which must first be assembled together, thus increasing overall costs. Others involve the use of folding panels with multiple tabs, flaps, scorelines and die cuts, again increasing costs and assembly time. Many designs require substantial storage space thus increasing storage, shipping and retailing costs.


An imaging element includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion units that output an image signal for each pixel through a micro lens. An imaging signal processing circuit separates image signals output from the imaging element into a left-eye image signal and a right-eye image signal. An image combining circuit generates combined image data by performing arithmetic average processing for left-eye image data and right-eye image data. A recording medium control I/F unit controls to record left-eye image data and right-eye image data for use in 3D display and combined image data for use in 2D display in different regions in an image file.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus and particularly relates to processing for recording image data for use in three-dimensional display (hereinafter also referred to as "3D display") and image data for use in two-dimensional display (hereinafter also referred to as "2D display") in a file.
Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there has been a rapid increase in the prevalence of devices associated with stereoscopic images such as three-dimensional (3D) cinema, 3D display, or the like. Conventionally, photographing stereoscopic images has been carried out by film cameras or the like. However, with the prevalence of digital imaging apparatuses, photographing original images for generating stereoscopic images using digital cameras, digital video cameras, or the like has become common.
As a mechanism by which a user views a stereoscopic image, data for a right-eye image and a left-eye image with parallax in the left-right direction is prepared so as to correspond to an image of the object viewed with the left eye and an image of the object viewed with the right eye. A user can view stereoscopic images by viewing the right-eye image and the left-eye image with his/her right eye and left eye, respectively. Examples of such a method include a method for dividing a parallax image to be viewed, such as a parallax barrier method, a lenticular method, or the like. Also, a method for providing different images to the left eye and the right eye of a user via a filter having different characteristics between the left and right sides thereof is known.
On the other hand, as a method for capturing an image which is viewable as a stereoscopic image, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 58-24105 discloses a method for simultaneously capturing images at different viewpoints. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 58-24105 discloses a solid-state imaging element in which a plurality of micro lenses is formed and at least one pair of photodiodes is arranged close to each of the micro lenses. Of the pair of photodiodes, a first image signal is obtained from the output of one photodiode and a second image signal is obtained from the output of the other photodiode. A user can view a stereoscopic image using the first and second image signals as a left-eye image signal and a right-eye image signal, respectively.
Although left-eye image data and right-eye image data can be managed as separate files, the following circumstance may occur for management of image data. In other words, the management of image data as separate files becomes complex as well as a stereoscopic image cannot be viewed if one of the files is lost. Accordingly, in the file generation method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-200354, left-eye image data and right-eye image data are recorded in the same file, and thus, efficient file management can be realized. In this case, a left-eye image or a right-eye image is used for two-dimensional display, whereas both of a left-eye image and a right-eye image are used for three-dimensional display.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-518317 discloses an output parallax map having an output element which has an output value corresponding to a shift to be applied to each pixel of a first image. A second image can be generated based on the output parallax map and the first image. This calculation is based on an input parallax map having input elements each having an input value and can generate a second image using the input image and the parallax map in order to render a multi-view image.
Assume the case where photographing is performed using the solid-state imaging element disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 58-24105 in which a plurality of micro lenses is formed and at least one pair of photodiodes is arranged close to each of the micro lenses. In the solid-state imaging element, one of a pair of photodiodes outputs a left-eye image signal which is obtained by photoelectrically converting a light flux having passed through a region of an exit pupil of an imaging optical system and the other outputs a right-eye image signal which is obtained by photoelectrically converting a light flux having passed through a region different from the aforementioned region of the exit pupil. In this case, depending on the type of an object, neither the left-eye image nor the right-eye image may be an image reflecting the shape of the object.
For example, in a photographic scene in which light from a point light source is photographed in a blurred manner, a photograph of the light source blurred in a circular pattern should be taken originally. However, when an image is captured by the solid-state imaging element disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 58-24105, the captured image may be in a semicircular or elliptical shape not reflecting the shape of an object. In addition, for example, the shape of the object which is captured as an image is photographed in a different way between the left-eye image and the right-eye image so that the left half of the object in the left-eye image is missing and the right half of the object in the right-eye image is missing. The reason for this is that, among the light fluxes emitted from the exit pupil of the imaging optical system, the region of light received by a photodiode is different along the optical axis serving as the boundary.
Even if such left-eye image data and right-eye image data are generated as one file using the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-200354, the imaging apparatus may display a two-dimensional image having an incorrect shape upon image replay.
In addition, even if there is an attempt to calculate a second image using the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-518317, an image reflecting the correct shape of an object cannot be obtained. In other words, an original image is photographed in a shape different from that of the actual object, and thus, the calculated second image cannot be reproduced as a correct image.
When a parallax map is used, an image file needs to be created in accordance with a file format compatible with a generally-used application. When a file including parallax map data and a file including image data are created separately, a plurality of files needs to be managed. In consideration of the usability of file management by a user, it is preferable that both data are enclosed in a single file.

Imaging apparatus and method for controlling same


An integrated circuit is provided that includes testing circuitry for testing input-output circuits. The integrated circuit contains input-output circuits that each have associated input-output pins and input and output buffers. Each input-output circuit has associated features such as a weak pull-up feature, a voltage clamp diode feature, a bus hold feature, an open-drain feature, a differential input termination resistance feature, and a single-ended/differential mode selection feature. An input-output feature control register receives input-output circuit feature selection instructions. The feature selection instructions contain feature selection bits whose values determine which of the input-output circuit features are enabled in a set of input-output circuits for testing on the integrated circuit. The feature selection instructions can selectively enable one or more input-output circuit features in each input-output circuit. Different feature selection instructions can be loaded into the feature control register to systematically test the input-output circuit features.

This invention relates to circuit testing, and more particularly, to testing input-output circuit features on integrated circuits.
The process of designing and testing modern custom integrated circuits is complex and expensive. Custom circuits, which are sometimes referred to as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), offer high performance, but can be costly to produce. Not only must a circuit be designed, but the lithographic mask sets that are used to fabricate the circuit in mass production must be designed and debugged.
Because of the large amount of effort involved in creating custom integrated circuits, it is generally only cost effective to develop a custom integrated circuit when a chip is needed in large volumes. Projects requiring smaller volumes of circuits are often implemented using programmable logic devices.
Programmable logic devices are a type of integrated circuit that can be customized in relatively small batches to implement a desired logic design. In a typical scenario, a programmable logic device manufacturer designs and manufactures uncustomized programmable logic device integrated circuits in advance. Later, a logic designer uses a logic design system to design a custom logic circuit. The logic design system uses information on the hardware capabilities of the manufacturer's programmable logic devices to help the designer implement the logic circuit using the resources available on a given programmable logic device.
The logic design system creates configuration data based on the logic designer's custom design. When the configuration data is loaded into one of the programmable logic devices, it programs the logic of that programmable logic device so that the programmable logic device implements the designer's logic circuit. The use of programmable logic devices in place of ASICs can drastically reduce the amount of effort required to produce a circuit.
To reduce costs and maximize performance when high volumes of programmable logic devices are required, programmable logic device manufacturers generally offer programmable logic devices that can be programmed using lithographic masks. The masks used for mask programming a mask-programmable logic device are much simpler than the lithographic mask sets used in ASICs. For example, a single mask layer might be sufficient to program a mask-programmable device (e.g., by forming a desired pattern of via contacts in a via array).
Because mask-programmed programmable logic devices offer much of the performance and cost benefits of ASICs, they are sometimes referred to as structured ASICs.
The process of implementing a complex circuit design in an electrically-programmed or mask-programmed programmable logic device typically requires testing. Testing can be performed by a manufacturer or by a logic designer.
Testing operations can involve the testing of logic circuitry in the programmable logic device core and the testing of input-output circuits. Input-output circuits generally contain a number of components such as pull-up resistors and clamp diode circuits that are used to provide special input-output circuit features (i.e., a voltage pull-up feature, an over-voltage protection feature, etc.).
The components in an input-output circuit are often interdependent, which makes testing difficult. For example, one cannot test clamp diode by applying an over-voltage if a pull-up circuit is present. With electrically-programmable programmable logic devices, it is possible to test these features independently, by selectively enabling and disabling various features in a series of tests. With mask-programmed programmable logic device integrated circuits, however, this flexibility is not available. Once a circuit is designed, the mask for that circuit creates a pattern of fixed connections in the circuit. The mask is fixed, so the circuit cannot be reconfigured multiple times to perform a series of tests.
Because it is not possible to achieve comprehensive structural test coverage for input-output circuits by varying the programming mask, conventional mask-programmed programmable logic devices have been provided with special test control circuitry. The test control circuitry is controlled by applying appropriate test control signals during testing. By varying the test control signals, the functionality of the circuit can be changed and various input-output circuit features can be tested successfully.
To avoid the need to provide extra pins, the test control signals are applied to the test control circuitry through pins that would otherwise serve as regular input-output pins for the device. This type of arrangement leads to a number of conflicts. For example, when a pin is being used as a test control pin, its voltage may be held at a particular value. When a pin is maintained at a constant voltage level, it is not possible to sense the voltage level on that pin as part of a test. This problem is exacerbated by conventional testing methodologies, which generally require that many test pins be maintained at appropriate fixed values, even if they are not actively being used to control a particular test.
These types of limitations preclude comprehensive structural testing of input-output circuits on a mask-programmed programmable logic device integrated circuit. Structural testing of input-output circuits on other types of integrated circuits can be equally difficult.
It would therefore be desirable to provide improved ways in which to test input-output circuits on integrated circuits.

Feature control circuitry for testing integrated circuits


A reception apparatus includes a dispersion compensation unit configured to acquire an electrical signal resulting from conversion of an optical signal and perform, on the electrical signal, dispersion compensation with a predetermined compensation amount, a clip rate measurement unit configured to measure a clip rate for the electrical signal subjected to the dispersion compensation, and a control unit configured to detect the compensation amount that minimizes the clip rate.

Optical fiber transmission schemes allow high-speed data transmission and long-distance data transmission. In particular, a coherent optical transmission scheme put to practical use around 2010 and using a digital signal processing technology enables high-speed data transmission with a transmission rate per wavelength of 100 gigabits per second (Gbit/s) or more.
Note that the coherent optical transmission scheme is an optical communication scheme assuming that coherent reception is performed on a receiving side. Coherent reception is an optical reception scheme that uses a local oscillation light source to cause received light and local oscillation light to interfere with each other and that then converts the received light into an electrical signal by using a photoelectric conversion element such as a photodiode. The coherent reception has the feature that the received light can be converted into an electrical signal with information regarding the phase and amplitude of the light being saved. Additionally, in the coherent reception, high reception sensitivity can be achieved by using a high-power local oscillation light source. This is because the magnitude of a photocurrent signal in the coherent reception is given by the product of the amplitude of the received light and the amplitude of the local oscillation light.
In general, in the optical fiber transmission, possible signal distortion caused by chromatic dispersion is a problem. Light propagating through optical fibers varies in sensed refractive index according to the wavelength of the light. Due to modulation, signal light used for data transmission has a spread of frequency comparable to a modulation rate. A long-wavelength-side component and a short-wavelength-side component of the optical signal propagate through the optical fibers at different group velocities, and thus an increased transmission distance makes the signal more distorted, leading to more difficult demodulation.
To avoid the effect of signal distortion due to chromatic dispersion, for example, the following methods are used: (1) using zero dispersion bands, (2) using dispersion compensation fibers for compensation for optical chromatic dispersion, and (3) ensuring chromatic dispersion using digital signal processing.
Note that the zero dispersion band is a waveband in which the chromatic dispersion is zero. In typical single-mode optical fibers for communication, the zero dispersion band is a band near 1.3 μm (micrometers). This is because, in this band, the wavelength dependency of a propagation coefficient has a substantially flat property. Additionally, the dispersion compensation fibers are optical fibers designed to have a chromatic dispersion property opposite to a normal chromatic dispersion property. By inserting, through a transmission line, dispersion compensation fibers each with an appropriate length, the amount of chromatic dispersion in the entire transmission line can be reduced.
Above-described method (1) has a problem that the effect of four-wave mixing leads to significant degradation of signal quality during wavelength multiplex transmission. Additionally, method (2) described above has a problem of requiring expensive and bulky dispersion compensation fibers, leading to a disadvantageous increase in installation costs. Because methods (1) and (2) described above pose such problems, above-described method (3) is typically widely used for the coherent optical transmission scheme.
Method (3) described above uses digital signal processing to apply, to the received signal, chromatic dispersion that is opposite to the chromatic dispersion occurring in the transmission line. This cancels the chromatic dispersion to improve the quality of the received signal. Performing this digital processing requires recognition of the amount of chromatic dispersion occurring in the transmission line. A method for recognizing the amount of chromatic dispersion occurring in the transmission line is, for example, a method for measuring the amount of chromatic dispersion in advance. However, this method requires a measuring instrument. A more convenient method requiring no measuring instrument is, for example, a method for analyzing the received signal to estimate the amount of chromatic dispersion.
Examples of the method for analyzing the received signal to estimate the amount of chromatic dispersion include a method for transmitting and receiving a known training signal sequence in advance as described in PTL 1, and a method for monitoring parameters for the signal while sweeping the amount of chromatic dispersion compensation for compensation for the chromatic dispersion, as described in NPL 1.

Receiving apparatus and receiving method

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