A disc brake that includes a caliper having a housing, an actuation mechanism, and a cover plate. The cover plate is releasably mounted to an outboard facing surface of a housing of the caliper by at least one fastening member that is insertable in a generally inboard direction and removable in a generally outboard direction.

Air-actuated disc brakes, for use on heavy vehicles such as trucks and buses, have an actuation mechanism that is configured to actuate the brake and move brake pads closer to a rotor to slow the vehicle. Typically, the majority of the actuation mechanism is located within a cavity formed in a housing of a brake caliper.
Advancements in technology have resulted in more effective and reliable brake arrangements. However, these advancements have often resulted in difficulties arising during assembly of the brake.
It would be desirable to provide a disc brake that can improve the assembly process, to make the assembly process more efficient, and reduce manufacturing costs.

Meritor Heavy Vehicle Braking Systems (UK) Limited


A golf putter (15) wherein an elastomeric striking face (9) is secured to support member (11) which is secured by fasteners (21, 23, 30, 31) in a recessed area (24) of a putter head body member (19) containing a through cavity (25) in which weight (13) is seated rearward of the support member (11).

It is recognized by a golfer that on the putting green, accurate propulsion of the ball to and into the hole requires a sense of touch and feel. The desire of the golfer to maximize the touch and feel necessary to control accurately the direction of the ball movement and the distance of the ball movement on the putting green has led to literally hundreds of putter shapes and designs. The various shapes and designs have included putters having heads with an increased mass to increase the distance of ball travel with a short backswing; localization and balancing of the mass in the putter head to improve directional accuracy; decreased mass in the putter head to provide increased accuracy, and the use of a striking face made of rubber or plastic material to impart a sense of feel and touch while controlling the rebound characteristics of the ball when struck with the rubber or plastic face of the putter.
The various putter designs and striking faces of different shapes and weights have experienced a mixed degree of success. However, U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,638 discloses a golf putter having a soft elastomeric face, with the elastomer having a hardness of at least 70 Durometer A and a hardness below the hardness of a golf ball. Additionally, the elastomer has a resiliency sufficient to cause a golf ball, after penetrating into the elastomeric face, to rebound a distance equal to or greater than the distance that a golf ball will rebound when stroked with an equivalent force with a metal face putter. This putter, because of the soft face with its unique characteristics, provides excellent touch and feel, contributing to greater control of direction and distance of a stroked golf ball. The putter of the present invention is a further improvement over the putters of the '638 patent.


Provided is a method of correcting a white balance (WB) of an image includes obtaining a first image captured by photographing a subject when a flash emits light, and a second image captured by photographing the subject when the flash emits no light; obtaining a WB gain of the first image and a WB gain of the second image; obtaining a color balance (CB) of flash light, based on at least one of the obtained WB gains of the first and second images; and correcting a WB of the first image, based on the CB of the flash light.

Photographing apparatuses may photograph a subject by turning on a flash in order to resolve a lack of light exposure under a dark environment. In images captured using flash light, a color difference is generated between a subject reached by the flash light and a background not reached by the flash light, and thus a white balance (WB) of an image may be impaired.
Accordingly, photographing apparatuses may previously measure and store a color balance (CB) of flash light, and read the pre-stored CB of the flash light during each photographing to thereby correct a WB of an image captured using the flash light.
However, according to a method of correcting a WB of an image by using a pre-stored CB of flash light, it is difficult to cope with degradation caused due to individual differences between flashes or a time lapse. Therefore, the WB of an image may be corrected using a CB of flash light used during photography instead of using a pre-stored CB of flash light.

Image white balance correction method and electronic device


The invention refers to a process for forming a steel component, incorporating the steps of—providing a blank having substantially the volume of the component to be formed,—heating the blank to a semi solid state with a specific liquid fraction,—forming the blank with a forging technique to a component of near net shape dimensions,—subjecting the formed, near net shape component, to a normalization combined with a hardening,—subjecting the normalized and hardened near net shape component to machining to give the component net shape.

Forming of complex shaped steel parts is associated with working at high temperature in multi station presses. The material requires heating, shearing and forming with aid of a very large and expensive forging equipment. In order to give cost efficiency such methods require high production volumes and as few resetting operations as possible. The hot forged products have a poor accuracy and require a lot of machining after the forging process for obtaining the desired final shape. To enable machining, it is in many cases needed a soft annealing operation. After soft machining of the product thus formed a heat treatment operation is needed for causing the product to reach the desired hardness. These earlier known processes can be described as expensive and they have low flexibility, which means long lead times.
Attempts of forming metallic components with use of a thixo-forming process, i.e. where the metal is heated to a semi-solid state, before the forming step, have proven to give formed products with a material microstructure, which is so uneven, and a surface integrity, which is so poor, that the product is not useful for most purposes.


A vertical take-off and landing aircraft includes a fixed wing airframe having opposed left and right wings extending from left and right sides, respectively, of a fuselage having opposed leading and trailing extremities and an empennage located behind the trailing extremity. Four fixed, open and horizontal, vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) thrust rotors are mounted to the airframe in a quadrotor pattern for providing vertical lift to the aircraft, and a vertical, forward thrust rotor is mounted to the trailing extremity of the fuselage between the trailing extremity of the fuselage and the empennage for providing forward thrust to the aircraft. The four VTOL thrust rotors are coplanar being and operating in a common plane that is parallel relative to, and being level with, top surfaces of the left and right wings in and around a region of each of the four VTOL thrust rotors.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without a human pilot onboard. The flight of a drone is controlled autonomously by computers in the vehicle, or under remote control of a navigator or pilot on the ground or in another vehicle.
One class of drone is the vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone. There are many examples of VTOL drones in the prior art. Some exemplary VTOL drones incorporate tilt rotors, such as two large propellers mounted to the ends of an abbreviated wing designed to tilt the propellers from a vertical position for VTOL maneuvering to a horizontal position for normal flight. This "tilt-rotor" design is effective but is difficult to engineer and construct, and is inherently unstable between the vertical and horizontal positions of the propellers. Another exemplary class of VTOL drones utilizes redirected thrust, which incorporate turbofan/jet engines that produce tremendous amounts of directed thrust, which is redirected downward for VTOL maneuvers. As with the well-known tilt-rotor design, VTOL drones that incorporate redirected thrust systems are difficult to engineer and construct and are inherently unstable between the direct and redirected thrust orientations. Furthermore, the turbofan/jet engines of redirected thrust VTOL drones are prone to overheating and failure during prolonged VTOL maneuvering, which, of course, prevents redirected thrust VTOL drones from engaging in persistent VTOL maneuvers.
In an effort to solve these and other and other deficiencies in tilt-rotor and redirected thrust VTOL drone designs, skilled artisans have developed fixed wing VTOL drones with independently powered VTOL thrusters housed in thruster housings, and an independently powered horizontal thruster. Although this arrangement provides better stability during the transition between VTOL maneuvers and horizontal flight, unwanted buffeting occurs between the thruster housings and the thrusters during VTOL maneuvers, and the thruster housings produce drag and reduce vehicle maneuverability during forward flight operations, which tends causes the horizontal thruster to overheat or otherwise run at unacceptably high temperatures that can lead to a premature and potentially catastrophic engine failure.


Controlling a buffered data transfer between a source and a destination by loading a source count value and a destination count value from a buffered data transfer device. A source delta value is computed by subtracting a source previous value from the source count value. The destination count value is adjusted on the buffered data transfer device by adding the source delta value to the destination count value. A destination delta value is computed by subtracting a destination previous value from the destination count value. The source count value is adjusted on the buffered data transfer device by adding the destination delta value to the source count value. A new value for the source previous value is computed by adding the source count value and the destination delta value. A new value for the destination previous value is computed by adding the destination count value and the source delta value.

Computer systems may have a need to perform bulk data transfers. For example, a substantial amount of data may be transferred from a mass storage device such as a hard disk drive to an area of random access memory (RAM) in preparation for processing the data. In another example, a substantial amount of data may be transferred from a communication channel such as an Internet connection to a mass storage device such as a hard disk drive for later use by the computer.
The overall rate of such transfers generally is the same for the source and the destination as the slower of the two determines the rate. However, one or both of the source and the destination may have a transfer rate that varies during the course of a data transfer. For example, a hard disk drive may transfer data at a high rate of speed when the data is in consecutive sectors on the same track. On the other hand, there may be a substantial period of time in which no data is transferred when it is necessary to access a non-consecutive sector, particularly if the needed sector requires the heads of the drive to seek another cylinder.
Since the slower of the source and the destination generally determines the transfer rate, a buffer memory is generally used between the source and the destination. The data transfer is arranged to be from source to buffer and buffer to destination. The buffer may be designed so that it is always able to transfer data at the maximum rate provided by the source and the destination. The source may therefore transfer to the buffer at the source's maximum speed as long as there is buffer memory available. The destination may transfer from the buffer at the destination's maximum speed as long as there is data available in the buffer memory. This may increase the overall data transfer rate as the source and the destination may not be affected by momentary slowdowns of one another thus increasing the average transfer rate of the slower of the two.
The data transfer may be managed by a buffered data transfer device that receives data from the source, stores it temporarily in the buffer memory, and then provides it to the destination. The buffered data transfer device may manage the buffer memory using a memory management strategy such as a circular buffer to accommodate transfers of more data than can be held by the buffer memory. The memory management strategy keeps track of the amount of data that is stored in the buffer. The source is prevented from making further transfers if the buffer is full. The destination is prevented from making further transfers if the buffer is empty.
The buffered data transfer device allows the source and the destination data transfers to operate as two parallel threads that are generally synchronized by the count of the amount of data that is stored in the buffer. The source thread increases the count by transferring data to the buffer. The destination thread decreases the count by transferring data from the buffer. If the source is faster than the destination, the source will be slowed because it will fill the buffer from time to time. If the destination is faster than the source, the destination will be slowed because it will empty the buffer from time to time. It is possible that both the source and the destination will be slowed at various times during a single transfer.
While a buffered data transfer device provides advantages in terms of providing a higher data transfer rate, it would be desirable to provide a mechanism to take further advantage of the buffered data transfer.

Controller and method for controlling a buffered data transfer device


Moulding equipment for the production of plastic parts via the injection of a molten thermoplastic resin, chiefly consisting of a mould (2) which consists of at least two mould halves (3,4), which when closed together produce a cavity (11) and a core (8), wherein at least one mould half or mould part (3 and/or 4) contains at least one moveable mould part (7) with the necessary system to control the movement of the mould part or parts (7) using the active control of the cavity (11) pressure.

The invention can also be applied to the injection of other materials, for example metals such as aluminium or brass and hence the invention is not necessarily limited to just the injection of plastics only.
The invention equally can be applied in the case that the moulding equipment needs to be modified.
With conventional injection moulding of plastics, molten plastic is injected, under relatively high pressure, into a clamped closed mould cavity.
With this system of injecting into a closed mould cavity the pressure builds up inside the mould and is dependent on the type of plastic material that is being used.
With this conventional technique and its resulting high pressure there are limitations on the maximum flow paths and material wall thicknesses that can be achieved. This results in turn in in-built stresses and quality loss in the product.
On the other hand there are known techniques in which the mould cavity size is increased by not fully closing the mould itself during the initial injection of the material. Thereafter the mould is closed using an adapted mould closing system on the injection machine.
Such a technique is referred to as (Injection) Compression Moulding which has the main drawback of being a process that has limited control, in contrast to the above referred to conventional technique of injection moulding.
Widely known is also an improved variant of compression moulding whereby moveable internal mould parts called cores (or slides) are retracted to a position that results in an enlargement of the mould cavity at the beginning point of the injection of the material.
Following the injection of the material the moveable cores are pushed forward, via a separate mechanism in the machine, to fully compress the material in the mould.
This is a definite improvement over conventional compression moulding from the point of view of control of the process.
Both processes offer improvements in the flow path to wall thickness ratio as well as reduction in the internal part stress of the finished product.
A known disadvantage of the latter method is that the material flows in an uncontrolled manner into the mould, which is a relatively large open space.
As a result the chances are high that flow front lines are produced in the final product.
Furthermore the plastic cools at the contact areas, in an uncontrolled manner, between which the hotter high flow material then gets pressed.
The resultant formation of such jetting effects is an important drawback in particular with amorphous materials especially when the visual aspect of the product is important.
Uncontrolled crystallisation also results in the formation of undesirable cold fronts in the material that can lead to weaknesses and quality issues in the end product.
Neither can one, in a simple manner, control what internal pressures are needed to compress the fluid plastic melt between these cold fonts to fill the cavity completely and reach the desired wall thickness.
Similarly in this context patent EP 1208955 of the company Intercable SRL publishes injection systems for plastics that specifically involve the use of a mould that contains one or more cylindrical controlled cavities in which the flat side of the mould cavity is closed by virtue of a movable core.
In the start position the core is placed against, or at a very small distance from, the opposite flat side of the cylindrical mould resulting in a cavity with either no or extremely low space.
During the injection of the thermoplastic resin the core, which is held in place via an appropriate counterpressure, is slowly pushed back from its starting position resulting in the cavity space being increased in a controlled and symmetrical fashion until finally the full cavity opening is realised.
This allows for the injection of thick wall cylindrical parts that have a smooth stress free surface, for example cylindrical wine bottle cork type shapes.
A known disadvantage is that the moulded parts are relatively small and thick walled and that the part design is limited to just very simple cylindrical parts.
Equally known from patents NL 7906154 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,185,835 of General Electric Schenectady in New York is a process for the injection of plastics, where the mould comprises a stationary unit with a female and male half, which incorporates a moveable compression core.
The mould cavity is defined as the space between the female and male mould halves.
Further the equipment contains the means to inject thermoplastic resin into the mould and the means to control the compression core during the last 20-25% of the injection cycle.
The compression core would be moved by 0.25 mm to 0.50 mm forwards in order to keep the part under a certain compression during the cooling phase.
A well know drawback of this process is that it can only be used to produce parts that are essentially flat or slightly bent such as for example optical lenses for sunglasses, safety glasses and so forth and which preferably have a wall thickness of 3.6 to 3.5 mm.
Further known from patent DE 4301320 of PeguformWerke GmbH, Germany, is a plastics process in which the mould has two halves in between which, in closed form, the cavity is defined and whereby at least one of the mould halves contains one or more moveable cores.
The moveable core(s) can be moved into the cavity and in such a way that they come into contact with the opposite half of the mould.
As a result, in a specific starting condition, the surface of at least one of the mould halves is reduced with the consequence that the mould closing force is lowered.
Following a partial hardening of the material, the cores are retracted from the cavity and newly formed cavities are then filled in a second step under reduced injection pressure.
A known drawback of such a process is that only products with a simple geometry can be produced given that the moveable core can only close onto the opposite form half in a perpendicular way in order to have the effect of lowering the machine's closing force, by reducing the surface area of the mould half
A further drawback of this method is that flow lines and stresses are produced in and around the cavities that are formed following the withdrawal of the moveable cores, which are then filled in a second injection step. These flow lines and stress lines cannot be removed despite various secondary treatments, such as thermal annealing.
In summary one can say that all the above mentioned processes are more machine process linked meaning that it is not possible to have a closed loop process control of the system without taking into account the material properties.


An apparatus for simulating a "high-five" including a lower arm portion having a simulated hand removably attached thereto, an upper arm portion, an elbow joint for pivotally securing the lower arm portion to the upper arm portion, and a spring biasing element for biasing the upper and lower arm portions towards a predetermined alignment.

During a televised sporting event, a "high five" is commonly shared between fans to express the joy and excitement of a touchdown, home run, game-winning basket, birdie or other positive occurrence. Unfortunately, as known in the art, a "high five" requires the mutual hand slapping of two participants, wherein a first participant slaps an upraised hand against the elevated hand of a second participant. As such, a solitary fan is unable to perform a "high five" to express excitement during a televised sporting event.


Methods and apparatus for configuring a menu of an image-capturing device are provided. The methods include entering data into a first computer, receiving the data at a second computer that is located remotely of the first computer, transferring the data to the image-capturing device from the second computer, and using the data to configure the menu of the image-capturing device.

Menus for digital appliances, such as digital image capturing devices, e.g., digital cameras, are often configured by a computer and downloaded onto the digital appliance for use by the digital appliance. For example, a menu of a digital camera may be configured to have a list of potential recipients for receiving pictures taken by the camera. Each potential recipient will typically have an email address or website information associated therewith.
During operation of the camera, a user can select an intended recipient from the menu. Then, when the user connects the camera to a computer, the pictures are automatically sent as an email attachment, for example, to the email address of the intended recipient or are automatically sent to the website for viewing and/or downloading by the intended recipient.
When a potential recipient's email address or website information changes. The user can reconfigure the camera menu on the computer to update the potential recipient's email address or website information. The reconfigured camera menu is then downloaded onto the camera.
One problem with configuring or reconfiguring menus for digital appliances using a computer and downloading the menu onto the digital appliance is that users who have little or no experience with configuring menus may have trouble.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


This document describes a method that includes receiving an input signal representing audio captured by a sensor disposed in an active noise reduction (ANR) device, determining, by one or more processing devices, that the ANR device is operating in a first operational mode, and in response, applying a first gain to the input signal to generate a first amplified input signal. The method also includes determining, by the one or more processing devices, that the ANR device is operating in a second operational mode different from the first operational mode, and in response, applying a second gain to the input signal to generate a second amplified input signal, wherein the second gain is different from the first gain. The method further includes processing the first or second amplified input signal to generate an output signal, and generating, by an acoustic transducer, an audio output based on the output signal.

Acoustic devices are used in numerous environments and for various purposes, including entertainment purposes, such as listening to music, productive purposes, such as phone calls, and professional purposes, such as aviation communications or sound studio monitoring. Different purposes may require an acoustic device to detect sounds within the environment, such as by using a microphone. For example, to allow for voice communications or voice recognition, an acoustic device can use a microphone to detect a user's voice within the environment. Other acoustic devices can include noise reduction or noise cancellation features that counteract ambient noise detected in the environment.

Multipurpose microphone in acoustic devices


A blender with an air intake snorkel where the snorkel extends away from a motor housing provided by the blender is provided. The snorkel includes an air intake opening, an outlet opening, and a conduit fluidly connecting the intake and outlet openings. In one preferred embodiment, the snorkel includes a cap connected to the snorkel wherein the cap partially obstructs access to the intake opening in order to prevent contamination of the conduit. The outlet opening fluidly communicates with an inlet aperture provided by the motor housing. In use, an electric motor contained by the housing actuates a fan. The fan pulls air through the intake opening, conduit, and outlet opening. The air enters the housing via the inlet aperture where it acts to cool the electric motor. In one preferred embodiment, the appliance is a blender and the motor housing comprises a blender base that is installed on a countertop or in-counter (i.e., a portion of the blender extends into or through the plane defined by a countertop). The air intake snorkel reduces contamination of the interior of the appliance, provides efficient airflow for motor cooling, and reduces the re-circulation of warm appliance exhaust air into the motor housing.

Kitchen countertop appliances incorporate electric motors operable to slice, dice, crush, mix, blend or otherwise process food and drink products. The motors, generally operating at speeds of thousands to tens of thousands of rotations per minute, must be cooled to operate efficiently. Typically, electric appliance motors are cooled by a fan integral to the motor wherein the fan blows air on or draws air over the motor during operation. Unfortunately, many existing appliance cooling systems are inefficient. This commonly occurs because the appliance, including blenders, moves an insufficient volume of cooling air due to vents of inadequate surface area. Typical air intakes are often located in close proximity to an exhaust outlet resulting in recirculation of hot air. These inefficiencies may result in reduced cooling.
In addition to cooling the motor, the inefficient air flow and fan operation creates noise. An inefficient air flow particularly can create a substantial noise level. If an engineer tries to compensate for the poor cooling of a motor with a more powerful fan, then the result is to create even more noise.
Perhaps the most difficult challenge to increasing appliance motor cooling efficiency is the placement of the air intake and exhaust outlet. Typical air intakes for blenders are designed as grates or sieves in the blender base housing. The air flow generated by the motor's fan causes air to enter the intake where it is then routed over the motor as desired. However, the typical grate/sieve construction found in modern blenders has several potential shortcomings. Namely, fluid or food on the countertop or fluid or food spilled from the blender can enter the open and exposed intake due to operator negligence. In some cases, particularly where a chilled or iced food or drink product is being processed, condensation on the exterior of the blender may enter the intake. Blender manufacturers and owners have sought to prevent this type of contamination. This is particularly true as more blenders incorporate complicated electronic controls and components.
Cooling air pulled through the motor housing exchanges heat with the motor before being expelled from the appliance as exhaust air. A blender's exhaust air flow is most commonly directed to the rear or to the bottom of the blender. The proximity or location of the air intake to the exhaust outlet often causes warm exhaust air to be recirculated into the motor chamber thereby greatly reducing the appliance's cooling efficiency. Baffles are commonly used to reduce the intake of warm exhaust air (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,273,358) by acting as a physical barrier between the air intake and exhaust outlet.
Typical blenders are also not constructed with in-counter installations in mind (i.e., a portion of the blender extends into or through the plane defined by a countertop), and they are certainly not designed with both countertop and in-counter installations in mind. Therefore, current blender air intake and outlet assemblies are not conducive to, or would preclude, in-counter appliance installations. Yet, in-counter installations provide potential benefits that include improved aesthetics, reduced countertop space (increased clearance to above-counter cabinets), and sub-cabinet exhaust flow. Ideally, an improved air intake assembly would be designed to operate with both countertop and in-counter blender installations.
When a conventional blender is installed in-counter, the typical 'grate'-style air intake is moved to a point immediately proximate to the countertop's upper surface, which only increases the possibility of contamination. Specifically, standing fluid or loose food items might be pulled into the blender's motor housing. An in-counter installation may also mean that a typical air intake is located beneath the upper surface of the countertop. A sub-countertop air intake is thought to be detrimental as the space under a countertop can contain warm, recirculated, and/or stagnant air that could impede motor cooling.
In light of the above and other shortcomings with current blender motor cooling regimes, there is a need for a new intake assembly that is operable with both countertop and in-counter installations that provides efficient cooling and relatively quiet airflow over a blender motor. Ideally, an improved intake would preclude or reduce the possibility of interior contamination relative to existing air intake assemblies. A blender air intake snorkel in accordance with the following description is thought to solve one or more of these or other needs.

Blender air intake snorkel for countertop or in-counter installations


A lunar orbiting satellite system executes orbit planning of assigning a function (positioning, communication, and flashing) to an artificial satellite (AS) depending on a relative position of the AS to the moon at a time when the moon and the AS are observed from an input point on the earth, and correcting the relative position, which changes in accordance with the moon revolution period. The system includes: a satellite orbit planner which assigns a function to each ASs forming an AS group flying around the moon depending on a relative position of each ASs to the moon at a time when the moon and ASs are observed from an input point on the earth, and set a target orbit according to the function; and a satellite controller which causes the each ASs to execute control based on the function to implement switching of the function.

There are known a positioning method and a positioning device configured to use GPS signals output from low-orbit GPS satellites as well as correction data from high-orbit satellites so as to be able to execute highly precise positioning independently of a place of a mobile body in mobile communication using artificial satellites (for example, see Patent Literature 1).
Moreover, there is known an artificial satellite including a reflection mirror configured to reflect the sunlight to the ground, and a transceiver. The transceiver receives information for defining a direction of a reflection surface of the reflection mirror based on the position of the sun, the position of the artificial satellite, and an irradiated point on the ground, which is irradiated with the sunlight, to thereby direct the reflection surface of the reflection mirror toward the direction defined by the information (for example, see Patent Literature 2).

Lunar orbiting satellite system, and ground station of lunar orbiting satellite system


A system includes a computing device that includes a memory configured to store instructions. The computing device also includes a processor configured to execute the instructions to perform a method that includes defining a simulated fluid object that includes a first portion and a second portion being represented by a signed distance function. The method also includes applying at least one constraint to the first portion of the simulated fluid object to match a velocity of a target. The method also includes applying a collection of calculated forces to the second portion of the simulated fluid object. Also, the method includes rendering the first portion applied with the at least one constraint and the second portion applied with the collection of calculated forces to present the simulated fluid object.

With the ever-increasing desire for creating realistic virtual scenes and characters for animated movies, video games, etc., the use of computational simulations such as fluid simulations have exponentially increased. Such simulations allow characters to be produced that appear to be entirely made of a liquid such as a molten metal or water. To produce convincing characters or objects, along with simulating a fluid, realistic fluid dynamics need to be presented. While relatively stationary objects (e.g., a pool of water) may be simulated to present realistic liquid properties, simulation techniques may have difficulty in presenting fluid properties of rapidly changing structures (e.g., a running human-like figure seemingly comprised of water).


This invention discloses a three-dimensional imaging radar system and method based on a plurality of times of integral. The system includes an LED light source, an optical band-pass filter, an image sensor, an electronic shutter, a data processor, and a display terminal. The LED light source generates a series of light pulse trains, and when the light pulse trains illuminate an object, the object reflects the light in succession. The reflected light is sensed by the image sensor through the optical band-pass filter, to form an image on the image sensor. The image sensor performs exposure imaging three times in succession for the reflected light of the same pulse under the action of the electronic shutter. The data processor analyzes the three images to obtain contour information and distance information about the object. Finally, the display terminal displays results.

Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an imaging radar system and, more particularly, to a three-dimensional imaging radar system and method based on flight spectrum.
Description of the Related Art
Three-dimensional imaging radar technique can be widely applied to different fields, such as an anti-collision system of vehicles, a photographing measurement system on freeway, a range-measuring telescope, and machine vision. A three-dimensional imaging radar is an imaging system capable of measuring ranges, and the system includes an emitting part, a receiving part, and an information processing part. At present, the range-measuring principle of the radar includes fight time measurement, phase difference measurement, and triangulation.
The first measurement is the fight time measurement. In this measurement, a pulse light source is used, and a distance to a target object is calculated by measuring the time difference between the time of emitting the light pulse and receiving the reflected light pulse. This measurement can reach the better accuracy, generally reaching the accuracy in a centimeter level in a scope of several kilometers. However, to realize the three-dimensional imaging with a high resolution, points need to be scanned one by one, which is the most commonly used laser imaging radar at present, with a very low imaging speed and a very bad imaging resolution. In another way, a planar array detector with each unit capable of detecting pulses and counting time may be used. For example, an intensified CCD (ICCD) with high-speed modulation may be disposed before the imaging elements, which is applied to the three-dimensional radar without scanning laser. The measurement accuracy of this way is limited to the shape of the light pulse, the imaging resolution is limited to the image intensifier, and the manufacturing cost is high, which may be only used for military and national defense.
Another measurement is the phase difference measurement. In this measurement, a modulation light source is used, and the distance to the target object is acquired according to the phase difference between the reflected light and reference oscillation. Since the phase is limited to 2π, the measuring distance of this measurement is limited to several meters, and the measuring accuracy is not high. At present, there is the radar system via the intensified CCD (ICCD) to realize the planar array phase measurement.
The third measurement is the triangulation. In this measurement, a structure light source is used, and the distance between the object and the light source is calculated according to the light point on the target object and the imaging triangular relation. Although the measuring accuracy of this measurement is high, the applicable measuring distance is shorter. This measurement is usually applied to precious mold manufacture, integrated circuit detection, and SMT circuit board detection. Further, the three-dimensional imaging may be realized by projecting colorful structure light in the two-dimensional space via the light encoded by different colors.
In the above radar range-measuring methods, only the distance information of the single point is obtained. If the target object is to be three-dimensionally imaged, points need to be collected one by one, or the planar array detectors are necessary to collect data in parallel. The present laser radar sensor has certain deficiencies. For example, although the element requirement of the scanned laser radar is lower and the work distance is further, the requirement for the scanning mechanism is higher, the frame rate is lower, and the real-time performance is worse; although the real-time performance of the planar array laser radar is great, the great planar array element is needed for high-resolution imaging, and the cost and research difficulty of the element is high. These laser radars need the light source in the nanosecond level or detectors with quick response.
In recent years, Optics Letters reports that French scientists realize the three-dimensional imaging via the microsecond laser pulse and the high-speed CCD camera based on the intensity integral (OPTICS LETTERS, Vol.32, 3146-3148, 2007). The cost of this measurement is lower than other planar array technique. However, since expensive elements such as lasers are used, the total cost is still higher, and the detecting distance and accuracy is greatly limited.

Three-dimensional imaging radar system and method based on a plurality of times of integral

HANGZHOU GUANGPO INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


In a case where a changeover request indicating to change over setting of an end point is received from an external apparatus, an information processing apparatus decides whether or not data is being transferred from the end point to a memory of the information processing apparatus. Then, in a case where it is decided that the data is being transferred from the end point to the memory, the information processing apparatus does not change over the setting of the end point.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus which prevents that data received from a USB (universal serial bus) host is lost, a controlling method for the information processing apparatus, and a storage medium for storing therein a computer program to achieve the controlling method.
Description of the Related Art
In general, a host apparatus such as a PC (personal computer) or the like and peripherals such as an MFP (multifunction peripheral), a printer and the like are mutually connected via various I/F's (interfaces) to perform data communication of print data and the like. For example, a USB has widely been used as one of the various I/F's.
In the USB standard, to use a common driver for each application, a USB device class specification has been defined in correspondence with a kind of peripheral (USB Function). Also, in a printer class specification, necessary transfer modes and the number of End Points serving as transmission/reception buffers have been defined. Thus, a USB printer class driver can be used based on this specification.
The print data from the PC is transferred to the MFP by data transfer called a Bulk Out from a USB host to the direction of the USB Function.
In the MFP, the data stored in the End Point serving as the transmission/reception buffer is transferred to a RAM (random access memory) serving as an internal data storage area by using a DMAC (dynamic memory access controller).
In the USB standard, the high-speed USB 3.0 (maximum data communication speed is 5 Gbps) has been put to practical use. For this reason, there is a problem that more data cannot be received in the state that the End Points serving as the transmission/reception buffers have been filled with the data.
In this connection, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-15823 discloses the technique of changing the size of a transmission/reception buffer in response to an instruction from a USB host.


A display panel of an image display device including data lines for transmitting data voltages representing image signals, scan lines for transmitting select signals, and pixel circuits coupled to the data and scan lines. The pixel circuit includes a driver for outputting a current corresponding to a data voltage applied from the data line, and a display element for displaying an image corresponding to an amount of the current outputted by the driver. A first switch transmits the data voltage to the driver in response to a select signal, and a second switch transmits a precharge voltage to the driver in response to a first control signal. The value of the precharge voltage during a period in which the first control signal is applied to the second switch is different from the value of the precharge voltage during other periods.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image display device, display panel, and driving method thereof. More specifically, the present invention relates to an organic electroluminescent (EL) display device.
(b) Description of the Related Art
The organic EL display device, which is a display device for electrically exciting a fluorescent organic compound to emit light, has organic light-emitting cells that are voltage- or current-driven to display an image. These organic light-emitting cells have, as shown in FIG. 1, a structure composed of an anode (indium tin oxide (ITO)) layer, an organic thin film, and a cathode (metal) layer. For a good balance between electrons and holes to enhance luminescent efficiency, the organic thin film has a multi-layer structure that includes an emitting layer (EML), an electron transport layer (ETL), and a hole transport layer (HTL). The multi-layer structure of the organic thin film may also include an electron injecting layer (EIL) and a hole injecting layer (HIL).
There are two driving methods for these organic light-emitting cells: one is a passive matrix driving method and the other is an active matrix driving method using thin film transistors (TFTs). In the passive matrix driving method, anode and cathode electrodes are arranged perpendicular to each other to selectively drive the lines. On the other hand, in the active matrix driving method, a thin film transistor and a capacitor are coupled to ITO pixel electrodes so as to sustain a voltage by the capacity of the capacitor. According to the form of the signals applied to the capacitor to sustain the voltage, the active matrix driving method can be divided into a voltage programming method and a current programming method.
The voltage programming method is for displaying an image by applying a data voltage representing gradation to the pixel circuit, but this method has a non-uniformity problem due to a deviation of the threshold voltage of the driving transistor and the electron mobility. The current programming method is for displaying an image by applying a data current representing gradation to the pixel circuit, guaranteeing uniformity, but this method is problematic in securing the time for charging the load of the data lines since only a small amount of current is used in controlling the organic EL element.
A pixel circuit for compensating for the threshold voltage of the driving transistor in the voltage programming method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,362,798, for example.
The pixel circuit disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,362,798 includes, as shown in FIG. 2, four transistors M1 to M4, and an organic EL element (OLED). The driving transistor M1 transfers a current corresponding to a voltage between its gate and source to the OLED. A capacitor Cst is connected between the gate and the source of the driving transistor M1. The transistor M2 is diode-connected and has a gate coupled to the gate of the transistor M1. The switching transistor M3 transmits the data voltage applied to the data line Dm to the transistor M2 in response to the select signal provided by a current scan line Sn, and the switching transistor M4 transmits a precharge voltage Vp to the transistor M2 in response to the select signal provided by a previous scan line Sn-1.
In the conventional pixel circuit shown in FIG. 2, the transistor M2 has the same characteristic as that of the transistor M1 such that the deviation of the threshold voltage of the transistor M1 is compensated. Further, the precharge voltage is appropriately established, and the transistor M2 is coupled in the forward direction.
However, the conventional pixel circuit has a problem of current leakage through the transistor M4 because of the precharge voltage Vp when a high level select signal is applied to the previous scan line Sn-1 to turn off the transistor M4. Accordingly, images with desired gray levels are not displayed because of the current leakage, and unnecessary power consumption is generated in the image display device since the current caused by the precharge voltage is consecutively leaked in the pixel circuit while the precharge operation is not being performed.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Image display device, display panel and driving method thereof


The feeding system comprises one or more material storage devices and a discharge device associated with each storage device. Each discharge device comprises a conveyor channel tilted upwardly and away from its inlet arranged to be connected with the outlet of the storage device. A chute is adapted to be loosenably suspended, rapidly and simply, on the lower longitudinal side of the conveyor channel in a working position, a sampling position or in an emptying position, as required. In its working position the chute is positioned parallel to the conveyor channel, while the upper outlet of the conveyor channel opens into the chute at the upper end of the latter. In its sampling position the chute is tilted downward and away from the upper end of the conveyor channel at a right angle to the latter. In its emptying position the chute is tilted downward and away from the lower end, i.e. from the start of the conveyor channel and at a right angle to the latter. At this lower end the conveyor channel comprises a lower exit adapted to be closed off.

The present invention relates to a system for feeding at least one bulk material and comprising at least one device for storing the material, such as a container or bin, furthermore a conveyor channel operatively connected with said storing device, and a conveyor member adapted for conveying along said conveyor channel bulk material arriving from said storing device into said conveyor channel. Systems of this kind are widely used in the plastics industry in conjunction with continuous and intermittent production processes in which bars, pipes, sheets, foils, plates and the like are produced by extrusion, calendering, rolling and/or coating, and/or formed parts are produced by injection molding. The feeding system or equipment may be used to supply production machines continuously or in batches with one or more plastic material components provided as granulates. Such feeding equipment or apparatus is frequently used to feed and mix two or more different granulates to a production machine or to a device located in front of such machine, for example to a device comprising stirring apparatus. In such a case the bulk material may be supplied in the form of granulated plastic material to which an additive also provided in the form of granulated material is then added. Such additive may be a dyestuff or another material adapted for influencing mechanical strength or other physical or chemical properties. Feeding and mixing equipment of this type may be used not only for processing plastics, but also for producing other types of goods such as fertilizers, plant protecting materials, other chemical and pharmaceutical substances and foods. The feeding method may be volumetric or gravimetric. If the feeding is volumetric, granulates supplied per unit of time are determined from volume output values of the conveyor members. If, on the other hand, the feeding is gravimetric, then the decreases in weight of the material disposed inside the storage devices are determined by weighing said storage devices containing the granulates, and perhaps by using feedback control for achieving predetermined values.
Attention is called here to the fact that the terms "at least one bulk material", "at least one storage device", etc., as used throughout the Specification and the Claims are intended to refer to one or more of the respective items. The term "each" as used, for example, in "each conveyor channel" is intended to be interpreted as addressing a "conveyor channel".


The waterproof structure of the tent pole-holding tape according to the present invention comprises a waterproof-coated member 111, which is fixed by a sewing line 131 to the corner portion of the tent fabric 101, and in which the front of the sewing line 131 is coated by a front waterproof tape 112, and both ends are attached to the first pole-holding tape 121 and the second pole-holding tape 122; and a side waterproof tape 113, which is attached to the outer surface of a plurality of sewing lines 131 arranged between the back surface of the waterproof-coated member 111 and the inner surface of the tent fabric 101.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the tent, more specifically to a waterproof structure of a tent pole-holding tape that can prevent rainwater or moisture from flowing into the tent from outside through the parts of a plurality of first and second pole-holding tapes that are attached to the corner portions of the tent fabric by a sewing line fix poles to the tent fabric, by attaching a waterproof-coated member to the corner portion of the tent fabric by a sewing line, by attaching a front waterproof tape to the front of the sewing line, and by attaching both ends of the waterproof-coated member to the first pole-holding tape and the second pole-holding tape, as well as by attaching a side waterproof tape to the outer side of a plurality of sewing lines arranged between the back surface of the waterproof-coated member and the inner surface of the tent fabric.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, poles are inserted in corner portions of the tent to pull the tent fabric in many directions by the elasticity of the pole so as to maintain the form of the tent. At this time, to fix the poles to the tent fabric, a plurality of pole-holding means composed of first and second pole-holding tapes are attached to the corner portions of the tent fabric by a sewing line.
FIGS. 1 to 3 show first and second pole-holding tapes 11 and 12 that are placed in corner portions of a conventional tent.
These first and second pole-holding tapes 11 and 12 play a role of maintaining the set-up state of the tent fabric 1 more stably by supporting pole 2 partly in close contact with the tent fabric 1.
That is, to set up one tent, a plurality of poles 2 are connected and bent to make the frame of the tent. At this time, it is these first and second pole-holding tapes 11 and 12 that play a role of fixing the pole 2 immovable to the tent fabric 1.
Therefore, since the first and second pole-holding tapes 11 and 12 play the role of fixing the pole 2, which forms the frame of the tent, to the strategic points of the tent fabric 1, it is possible to set up the tent more firmly.
Commonly, for the sake of the convenience of use, the first and second pole-holding tapes 11 and 12 are equipped with an adhesion means such as Velcro Fastener™, which is possible to attach and detach many times repeatedly. The first pole-holding tape 121 may comprise a female fastener, and the second holding tape 122 may comprise a male fastener, or vice versa.
But the conventional first and second pole-holding tapes 11 and 12 are, as shown in FIG. 3, sewn to the tent fabric 1 by the sewing line 21, and on the front of this sewing line 21 is attached a front waterproof tape 3. The front waterproof tape 3 plays a role as a waterproof means of intercepting the inflow of rainwater and moisture from outside through the sewing line 21.
However, the problem is that although it is possible to prevent outside rainwater or moisture from penetrating into the front of the tent attached with the front waterproof tape 3, it is not possible to intercept the inflow of rainwater or moisture penetrating into the tent, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 3, through both sides of the sewing line 21, which is between the back surface of the first and second pole-holding tapes 11 and the inner surface of the tent fabric 1.
Especially, since it is not possible to coat the first and second pole-holding tapes 11 and 12, it not possible to attach waterproof tapes, either.
Therefore, it is not possible to intercept rainwater and moisture flowing into the tent through both sides of the sewing line 21.

Waterproof structure of tent pole-holding tape


A camera module comprises: a housing having a lens holder disposed outside thereof and a substrate unit disposed therein; a lens module disposed in the lens holder and including a first lens exposed to the outside; a heating element disposed on the lower surface of the lens; an image sensor mounted on the substrate unit so as to correspond to the lens module; and a connection unit for applying power to the lens module, wherein the connection unit comprises: a first connecting member electrically connected to the heating element so as to supply power; and a second connecting member extending from the first connecting member to an inside of the housing and electrically connecting the first connecting member and the substrate unit.

This section provides background information related to the present invention, which is not necessarily prior art.
A camera module shooting a subject for a photo or an image may be coupled with various devices and equipment. In particular, concomitant with the influence by automation and sophistication of vehicular parts, vehicles mounted with camera modules have been marketed. The camera module may be used by being embedded on a front detection camera and a rear detection camera of a vehicle.
The vehicular camera module may be exposed to an outside to thereby become inferior in the shooting quality due to moisture. In order to solve the said disadvantage, one of the most common methods is to apply an indirect heating method using a hot wire, but there is a limit in terms of effective power consumption.
As a result, there is a need for researches on methods to directly heat an outermost lens of a vehicular camera module. However, the direct heating method still suffers from disadvantages in that a power transfer structure becomes complicated, and assembly becomes difficult to reduce the productivity. Another disadvantage is that lenses cannot be uniformly heated due to the thermal concentration phenomenon at a center of a lens.


An outdoor unit of an air-conditioner. The outdoor unit has a casing having a front air outlet and at least one air inlet. At least one fan is located in the casing. The outdoor unit is configured such that the at least one air inlet is provided in a top section and or in a bottom section of the outdoor unit when the outdoor unit is installed in an operational position. The outdoor unit is further configured such that the at least one fan is configured to move air from the at least one air-inlet to the front air outlet or move air from front air outlet to the at least one air-inlet.

Air conditioning is a collective expression for conditioning air into a desired state. It could be heating the air during cold periods, cooling the air during warmer periods or for cleaning the air if it contains unwanted particles. However, the expression air conditioning is most often used when emphasizing cooling. As a product, air conditioners can look and be used in various ways, but they all share the same basic technology. The air-conditioner comprises a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, and typically also an expansion device.
There are different types of air-conditioners. One type of air-conditioner can be referred to as a split air-conditioner. In a split air conditioner, the condenser and the evaporator are located in two different separated units that are interconnected via pipes to circulate a refrigerant from one unit to the other.
Another type of air-conditioner can be referred to a Packaged Air Conditioner. A Packaged Air Conditioner (AC) can be said to be a type of self-contained system, in which all the cooling cycle components, such as the compressor, condenser, expansion device, evaporator and control system are enclosed in a single package. Among the packaged systems, the most commonly used for residential applications are the Window-type ACs, Packaged Terminal AC's (PTAC), and also Portable AC units.
The Packaged Air Conditioner has the advantages of easy installation, relatively small footprint, flexibility for heating/cooling individual rooms and low cost.
In contrast, Split Air Conditioners comprise at least two factory-made separated assemblies, designed to be used together. In a split system, the outdoor unit is separated by some distance from the indoor one(s) by means of semi rigid pipes which contain the refrigerant (at high pressure) that produces the cooling/heating effect in the system. Among other advantages, split systems can provide high efficiency ratios in a wide range of capacities and working conditions. Additionally, in split AC systems, the compressor, outdoor heat exchanger and outdoor fan can be located further away from the inside space, rather than merely on the other side of the same unit (as in PTACs or window air conditioners), achieving lower indoor noise levels.
There is a constant desire to improve air conditioners. Hence, there exists a need for an improved air conditioner.


Integrated circuit design techniques are disclosed. In some methods, a target layout design having a geometric pattern thereon is received. A set of fast-bias contour (FBC) rules is applied to the target layout design to provide an electronic photomask having FBC-edits. The FBC-edits differentiate the electronic photomask from the target layout design, and the FBC rules are applied without previously applying optical proximity correction (OPC) to the target layout design. A lithography process check is performed on the electronic photomask to determine whether a patterned integrated circuit layer, which is to be manufactured based on the electronic photomask, is expected to be in conformance with the geometric pattern of the target layout design.

Design Rule Checking (DRC) is an area of Electronic Design Automation that determines whether integrated circuit (IC) features on a physical layout design satisfy a series of geometric connectivity requirements called "Design Rules" (or "DRCs"). Some example design rules verify whether there is sufficient spacing between an edge of one active area and an edge of an adjacent active area in the design, or whether there is sufficient spacing between an edge of one well region and an edge of an adjacent well region in the design. If these well regions are "too close" to one another (i.e., closer than minimum DRC requirements), unavoidable and small random manufacturing variations can cause some ICs, when actually manufactured, to fail to meet minimum performance metrics specified by the designer. Therefore, if one or more features on a physical layout design are not in compliance with DRC rules, DRC software flags an error so a designer can go back and make the physical layout design more "robust" prior to it being manufactured, so the final manufactured IC will meet design specifications even when manufacturing variations are encountered.
However, as technology advances to ever-smaller geometries, DRC-checking, although still an important step in the IC design process, is not in-and-of-itself a completely accurate predictor of whether manufactured ICs will meet yield specifications. For example, in many regards, DRC checking fails to account for variations in photolithography, variations in etching, variations in chemical mechanical polishing (CMP), and variations in mask manufacturing, among others. Because of this, modern IC design flows can have separate process checks in addition to DRC-checking for many parts of the manufacturing process.

Model based simulation method with fast bias contour for lithography process check

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.


A utility light apparatus comprising a body having a distal end portion and a proximal end portion. A light is secured to the distal end portion, the light being operable to emit a light beam. A holder, which may include a fishing rod holder, is secured to a boat or other object, the holder having a receptacle. The proximal end portion of the body has a connecting portion of sufficient size to permit the connecting portion to be received and releasably held in the receptacle.

This invention relates to a utility light apparatus for general use and, more particularly, relates to a utility light apparatus and light holder for a boat.
Boating has many forms including pleasure boating and the use of boats for work. Whatever the form of boating, a mariner may find himself in adverse lighting conditions such as at pre-dawn, dusk, night or during severely overcast periods. It is common to employ some form of lighting to improve visibility in such conditions.
Conventional lighting methods include hull or deck mounted spotlights, ideally suited for observing objects ahead of the boat, or handheld spotlights which permit a light beam to be directed in any direction. Handheld spotlights require a crew member or even the skipper to hold the spotlight in one hand while attempting to perform other duties such as fishing, hauling nets, or even steering the boat. Holding a spotlight in one hand while performing these duties limits the ability of the crew member or skipper to direct his full attention to the other duties which might be required at the time lighting is required. Thus it is preferable to have a mounted light to free-up the crew member or skipper.
Mounted lights are usually mounted near the bow of the boat and thus are particularly well adapted to observe objects ahead of the boat. However, their ability to illuminate objects abeam or aft is often limited due to other appurtenances mounted on the boat, which may obscure the light beam in certain positions. Furthermore, a light mounted near the bow of a relatively small pleasure boat is usually out of reach of the crew and skipper and therefore directional control of the light beam is not possible or can only be done using expensive remote control apparatus. It would be preferable to have a light mounted on an accessible portion of the gunwales of the boat, in an accessible position such as the position in which fishing rod holders are conventionally mounted. This would enable a crew member or, in some cases, even the skipper to control the direction of the light beam.
The present invention permits a lighting apparatus to be mounted in an accessible position on a relatively small pleasure boat and thus permits a crew member or the skipper to control the direction of the light beam. This enables the operator in control of the light beam to direct the beam forward, aft or abeam of the boat without requiring hand-held operation of the apparatus.

Method and apparatus for holding a light on a boat


A method for tanning skin is provided in which liposomes containing a DNA repair enzyme are administered to skin in combination with exposure of the skin to UV radiation. The result is an enhanced level of melanin production, i.e., more tanning than achieved by UV radiation alone. The administration of the DNA repair enzymes in liposomes also reduces the level of DNA damage caused by the UV exposure. Accordingly, both the tanning response is increased and the deleterious effect of UV exposure is decreased. The method can be used by the general population as well as by individuals whose skin is susceptible to UV-induced damage.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for enhancing UV tanning of skin using liposomes and, in particular, liposomes containing one or more DNA repair enzymes (hereinafter referred to as "DNA repair liposomes").
2. Description of the Prior Art
Tanning is the natural response of human and animal skin to exposure to UV radiation and involves enhanced production and distribution by melanocytes of the protein melanin in the skin. Biochemically, melanin is produced by polymerization of oxidation products of tyrosine and dihydroxyphenyl compounds, e.g., dopa.
Tanning has both a cosmetic and clinical value. Cosmetically, tanned skinned is considered desirable by many people as evidenced by the widespread use of tanning lotions, tanning parlors, and the popularity of recreational sunbathing. Clinically, tanned skin is more resistant to the deleterious effects of sunlight than untanned skin. For example, people with more pigmented skin tend to suffer a lower incidence of skin cancer.
In view of these facts, there have been continuing efforts to develop methods and materials which will enhance tanning. The ideal tanning system would be one which both increases the tanning response and decreases the deleterious effects of sun exposure. The present invention is directed to providing such a system.

Tanning method using DNA repair liposomes


Method for aligning converted wave seismic reflection data (PS data) with conventional PP seismic reflection data so that both data types may be used to more accurately image the subsurface for hydrocarbon exploration or field development. Amplitude vs. angle (AVA) or amplitude vs. offset (AVO) attributes of PP and PS seismic data are identified and defined, which attributes are theoretically expected to be in phase and optimize seismic resolution in the data. In one embodiment of the invention, such attributes are calculated (310), then the same horizons are identified in a series of PP attributes and in a series of PS attributes, then the second series is aligned with the first at the horizon locations (316, 320), then a time transfer function is generated and applied to the PS mode data (322), and the aligned joint-mode data are inverted (326) using, for example, AVA attributes.

This section is intended to introduce various aspects of the art, which may be associated with exemplary embodiments of the present invention. This discussion is believed to assist in providing a framework to facilitate a better understanding of particular aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that this section should be read in this light, and not necessarily as admissions of prior art.
In the oil and gas industry, seismic prospecting techniques commonly are used to aid in the search for and evaluation of subterranean hydrocarbon deposits. A seismic prospecting operation consists of three separate stages: data acquisition, data processing, and data interpretation. Success of the operation depends on accurate and geologically consistent completion of all three stages.
In the data acquisition stage, a seismic source is used to generate an elastic wave, which propagates in the form of a seismic signal into the subsurface structure of the earth. The elastic wave is at least partially reflected from a boundary between one or more layers, generally due to contrasts in layer properties. More specifically, adjacent layers in the subsurface have different physical properties due to changes in lithology and fluids, and thus may present different densities and velocities affecting the strength of the reflected elastic wave. The contrast in these properties at the boundaries between adjacent layers causes the reflections that may then be recorded by a receiver as a seismic trace and processed for imaging the subsurface. The processed seismic trace can be modeled as a convolution of the Earth's impulse response with the seismic signal produced by the source.
Generally, elastic wave propagation through earth subsurface may create a complex seismic response with different reflection and transmission modes. Two types of elastic waves may be generated during reflection and/or transmission at a boundary between layers, which are compressional waves (P-waves) and shear waves (S-waves). P-waves propagate with a higher velocity through the Earth than S-waves, generally by a factor of two to four and therefore arrive at detectors earlier than S-waves. P-waves are compressional waves that are longitudinally polarized. In other words, the particle motion is aligned with the direction of the wave propagation through the layers. By contrast, the S-waves are shear waves in which the particle motion is perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation. S-waves are generally grouped into two classifications, SV-waves, in which the particle motion is aligned in the plane of reflection, and SH-waves, in which the particle motion is perpendicular to the plane of reflection. Typically, S-wave reflections are generated when a P wave is incident at a non-zero angle of incidence to the reflecting surface.
For example for a P-wave source, data collected from the arrival of P-waves are generally referred to as PP mode data, because these events involve seismic energy that is emitted as a P-wave and that arrives at the receiver as a P-wave. Similarly also for a P-wave source, data arising from the arrival of S-waves are generally referred to as PS mode data, because these events involve energy that is emitted as a P-wave and that undergoes mode-conversion to an S-wave upon reflection and so arrives at the receiver as an S-wave. Vertical and horizontal components typically measured in 3-component seismic data may generally be a combination of PP and PS modes. PP mode data may contribute more strongly in vertical components of the acquired seismic data, whereas PS mode data may contribute more strongly in the horizontal component of the acquired seismic data.
In multi-component seismic acquisition, response of subsurface is measured by multi-component receivers. During the data processing stage, the recorded seismic signals are separated into dominant PP and PS modes, refined and enhanced using a variety of procedures that depend on the nature of the geologic structure being investigated and on the characteristics of the raw acquired seismic data. Processed seismic data contains useful subsurface information in a frequency range defined by the "seismic bandwidth" of the data which depends upon seismic sources and receivers used in the seismic survey. Seismic bandwidth may be enhanced during seismic processing. In general, the purpose of the data processing stage is to produce a data representation, or image, of the subsurface from the acquired seismic data for use during the data interpretation stage.
The results of the data interpretation stage may be used to determine the general geologic structure of a subsurface region, to estimate rock properties, to locate potential hydrocarbon reservoirs, and/or to guide the development of a previously discovered reservoir. The accuracy of the image obtained by analyzing the seismic signals may be limited by the amount of data obtained for a specific site. Accordingly, using both PP mode data and PS mode data may improve the accuracy of the image. However, the difference in P-wave and S-wave propagation velocities, among others, necessitates aligning PP and PS mode reflection data and makes combining data collected in the different modes challenging in a joint PP/PS analysis. In seismic literature, PP/PS alignment is often referred to as data registration. When the terms "alignment" or "align" are used herein in the sense of aligning two sets of data, it is noted that the terms "registration" or "register" could alternatively be used instead. Previous techniques to align PP and PS data (Fomel et al, "Multicomponent Seismic Data Registration by Least Squares," SEG Intl Exposition and Seventy-Third Annual Meeting (2003); Van Dok et al., "Event Registration and Vp/Vs Correlation Analysis in 4C Processing," SEG Intl Exposition and Seventy-Third Annual Meeting (2003); and U.S. Pat. No. 7,082,368 to Nickel (2006)) are developed using generic PP mode and PS mode reflection data volumes. However, because of the differences in phase and amplitude of PP and PS reflections, all forms (for example, near stack, full stack, angles stacks) of PP mode and PS mode data may not fulfill the assumption implicit in the alignment techniques. Many alignment techniques may force a match the between PP mode and PS mode data even where such a match may not be theoretically justified. This forced matching can lead to time alignment errors with serious effects in joint PP/PS inversion and geologic interpretation of PP/PS data. To alleviate the phase problem, seismic envelope data is often used for alignment, but envelope data lack the seismic resolution critical for accurate registration of PP and PS data. Responding to these needs, the present invention discloses use of certain derivative products of PP and PS seismic data that are theoretically expected to be in phase and retain the seismic resolution in the data.

Using seismic attributes for data alignment and seismic inversion in joint PP/PS seismic analysis


There are provided a noise filter circuit and an operating method thereof. A noise filter circuit includes a first delay circuit, and a second delay circuit connected to the first delay circuit in series, wherein the first delay circuit and the second delay circuit each include at least one inverter and at least one delay element for generating a predetermined delay, and the first delay circuit and the second delay circuit have different filtering characteristics.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a noise filtering circuit including a plurality of delay circuits connected to each other in series and filtering low-level noise included in a high-level input signal and high-level noise included in a low-level input signal in each of the plurality of delay circuits connected to each other in series to be able to effectively filter two types of noise signals, and an operating method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
A technology of filtering noises included in an input signal is essential to secure stability of the overall circuit and obtain a required output signal and has been widely applied to various types of circuits. In particular, a technology of filtering a high-level noise signal overlapping a low-level input signal and a low-level noise signal overlapping a high-level input signal, to be separate from a normal input signal, is very important to obtain a stable output signal.
A noise filter circuit according to the related art branches one input signal to generate two input signals having different phases and transmits the generated steady-phase input signal and a negative phase input signal, respectively, to independent delay circuits to carry out turn-on filtering and turn-off filtering. The noise filter circuit may filter high-level noise included in a low-level input signal in the turn-on filtering operation and low-level noise included in a high-level input signal in the turn-off filtering operation.
The result signal of the turn-on filtering and the result signal of the turn-off filtering are input to a flip flop such as an RS latch. Consequently, a separate flip flop is necessarily connected to a later stage of the turn-on filtering circuit and the turn-off filtering circuit, such that the overall circuit configuration may be complicated and costs may be increased accordingly.
The Related Art Document below relates to a semiconductor memory device and a control method thereof and includes a buffer receiving an input signal, a noise filter circuit, and a latch to carry out a turn-on filtering. However, like the related art introduced earlier, the Related Art Document below requires a latch essentially connected to a later stage of the turn-on filtering circuit, and therefore does not disclose a noise filter circuit capable of carrying out both of the turn-on filtering and the turn-off filtering without the latch.

Noise filtering circuit and operating method thereof


An air supply device for an aircraft engine turbine, in which device the air is conveyed to at least one aircraft engine turbine after being conveyed through at least one connecting sleeve from a low pressure distributor to a space defined by at least one upstream side and one downstream side, the upstream side having at least one opening and each pierced opening receiving one end of one of the connecting sleeves, wherein the upstream side and the downstream side are secured by at least one fastener. A retaining plate is used for each fastener in order to position a securing element of the fastener, the retaining plate having a supporting surface that blocks each connecting sleeve axially in one direction.

In aircraft engines, low pressure distributors have especially the function of making air circulate to the low and high pressure turbines. To this end, air is transmitted via sleeves from the low pressure distributors to cavities defined by side plate type elements which supply the low and high pressure turbines with air. The supply of the turbines through the sides is, generally speaking, realised via injectors of which the number, the positioning and the sections are determined as a function of the characteristics of the turbines in question.
A particular zone of an example of such an air supply device is represented, in cross-section and schematically, in FIG. 1. In this figure, the end of a sleeve 101 is represented, forming a connecting tube, through which is transmitted air from a low pressure distributor, not represented; the air is thus transmitted into a space 102 defined by a downstream side 104 and an upstream side 103, in which is cut a pierced opening receiving one end of the sleeve 101. In the example represented, the upstream side 103 and the downstream side 104 are secured by means of a first screw-nut system comprising a first screw 105 maintained in a first nut 106 positioned on the upstream side 104.
In order to maintain the sleeve 101 in position, it is necessary to block it at its lower end by a retention plate 109, the upper end, not represented, being blocked by the low pressure distributor itself.
The retention plate 109 is maintained in position by a second screw-nut system comprising a second screw 107 and a second nut 108 on one side of the upstream side 103. One end of the retention plate 109 extends to the level of the pierced opening receiving the sleeve 101 so as to maintain said sleeve 101 blocked.
Such an arrangement is repeated a number of times corresponding to the number of sleeves present under the low pressure distributor. The sleeves are arranged in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the cross-section visible in FIG. 1, and are organised circularly around a space defined by the upstream and downstream sides.
A drawback of devices of the prior art of the type of those that have just been described resides in the considerable number of securing parts that need to be present; indeed, it is necessary to provide for a specific securing system dedicated to maintaining the retention plate used to block a specific sleeve axially. Since the number of sleeves present for transmitting air from the low pressure distributors is typically several tens, this results in a cost drawback—due to the considerable number of parts intervening for securing said sleeves—as well as a multiplication of mounting operations, the retention plate having to be fixed at the level of each sleeve.

Air supply device for aircraft engine turbines


Section information of a traveling route is provided appropriately to a driver.

In recent years, development of a system is being proceeded which automatically performs control and support of traveling of a vehicle independently of an operation of a driver in order to achieve improvement in safety of vehicle traveling, reduction in load on the driver, and so forth. In the future, capability of execution of a secondary task in a vehicle during automatic driving is expected. However, as a present road infrastructure, it is assumed that introduction of an environmental infrastructure as a traveling route in which a driver intervention requiring section that is a section requiring a so-called manual driving, and an automatic driving available section are mixed in a speckled manner, progresses. Therefore, in order to allow a driver to perform execution of a secondary task favorably, it is necessary to appropriately provide section information such as manual or automatic driving sections on the traveling route, and it is necessary for the latest information for each progress section during traveling to be ready for a change of the situation that changes every moment. Further, section end points for such automatic driving may not necessarily be fixed.
For example, PTL 1 discloses a technology of displaying, in regard to each of a plurality of risks on a road on which an own vehicle is to travel, a degree of the risk. Meanwhile, for example, PTL 2 discloses a technology of displaying, in a case where a driver is to be urged to start manual driving during automatic driving, that the vehicle is in a situation in which manual driving must be started on the screen of a portable terminal to notify the driver whose consciousness is concentrated on the portable terminal.

Information processing apparatus and information processing method

Abstract: Traveling route information and traffic information relating to the traveling route are acquired, and on the basis of the information, a driver intervention requiring section and an automatic driving available section of the traveling route are displayed on a reach prediction time axis from a current point on an instrument panel, a tablet, or the like. For example, the driver intervention requiring section includes a manual driving section, a takeover section from automatic driving to manual driving, and a cautious traveling section from the automatic driving.

Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation


A bivalent, anti-MICA human monoclonal antibody formed by two or more heavy and light chains with a variable immunoglobulin domain neutralises the MICA protein in its soluble state and opsonises tumour cells expressing the antigen, stimulating adaptive immunity in the treatment of gastric cancer or other types of cancer in which the tumour cells express MICA in the soluble form or abundantly on their surface.

The present invention consists of a monoclonal antibody that binds to the MICA protein for the treatment of diseases in which it is desirable to regulate the expression of this protein, such as gastric cancer or other cancers that express it in soluble form or in high concentrations on the surface of tumour cells. The invention is based on novel monoclonal antibodies directed against the MICA a1 subunit, in its soluble state as well as in its state linked to the membrane of tumour cells. It specifically binds to the a1 subunit peptide of MICA SEQ ID NO: 1. These antibodies are defined by their heavy- and light-chain variable regions (or variable domains), which are described in the present application. The invention also comprises pharmaceutical compositions containing the monoclonal antibody to be used in the treatment of gastric cancer or other cancers in which the cells express MICA in the soluble form or abundantly on their surface. In order to better illustrate the invention, the present document describes the present invention considering some cases in which it can be applied; however, these examples should not be considered as limiting the invention.
Gastric cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, with an average of less than twelve months of survival when cancer is diagnosed in advanced stages. Overexpression of MICA has been observed in the epithelium of patients with this type of cancer. However, this ligand can be released from the surface of transformed cells, and in its soluble form, it is capable of binding to the receptor activator of natural "killer" cells or naturally cytolytic (NK) cells, the D member of group 2 (NKG2D), a type 2 transmembrane receptor, related to lectins. This effect causes said receptors to be saturated with the soluble MICA ligand, resulting in them not being able to efficiently recognise the MICA ligand present in the tumour cells. Furthermore, the release of MICA from the surface of the tumour cells causes a decrease in the density of these ligands, generating a decrease in the recognition of the tumour cells by natural "Killer" cells. Both effects favour tumour progression in this type of cancer. This is why the need to develop agents that block/decrease MICA activity in patients who have been diagnosed with gastric cancer has recently been recognised.
There are commercially available immunogenic preparations and monoclonal antibodies that bind to MICA, which are described as useful in inhibiting the proliferation of cancer cells. To assess the merits of the invention described herein, a brief summary of the most relevant documents known in the prior art is presented. One of the most relevant documents is WO2015179627A1, which discloses a method for treating or alleviating cancer patients by means of which an antibody directed against the soluble version of the MICA antigen is used. However, the patent application discloses a method without describing the structure of the antibodies developed in said invention. WO2017157895A1 describes antigen binding proteins and antibodies that bind to MICA polypeptides, which are defined by the heavy- and light-chain variable regions, but only the use thereof to bind to the MICA antigen expressed in target cells is claimed, and they are not indicated for use for binding to soluble MICA.

Human antibody and fragments thereof for use in the treatment of gastric cancer (GC) and other types of tumours expressing the MICA protein (MHC class I chain-related protein A gene)


A drive device for a light emitting diode element comprises a light emitting diode element circuit part configured to be formed by connecting at least one light emitting diode element based on a predetermined connection form, a power supply unit configured to generate a direct-current (DC) supply voltage for driving the light emitting diode element of the light emitting diode element circuit part for light emission of the light emitting diode element, and apply the DC supply voltage to the light emitting diode element circuit part, a power-supply application on/off unit configured to be provided to turn on/off application of the DC supply voltage to the light emitting diode element circuit part, and a current control circuit part configured to be caused to switch its operation so as to carry out constant current operation if application of the DC supply voltage is in an on-state and carry out voltage keeping operation if application of the DC supply voltage is in an off-state.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drive device for driving light emitting diode elements, a light source device including such a drive circuit for light emitting diode elements, and a display including such a light source device.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a display, a liquid crystal display that employs a liquid crystal panel is widely prevalent. As is well known, the liquid crystal panel is not a self-luminous panel but displays images through modulation of white light emitted from a light source device referred to as a so-called backlight based on a video signal.
Currently, a cold cathode fluorescent lamp is widely employed as the light source of the liquid crystal display. However, in recent years, because of enhancement of the light emission efficiency of a light emitting diode (LED) element (hereinafter, referred to simply as "light emitting diode"), a liquid crystal display that employs light emitting diodes as its light source is also becoming known. The light emitting diode has the following advantages over the cold cathode fluorescent lamp: the light emitting diode is better for the environment because mercury is not used as its material; the light emitting diode can be driven by lower voltage; and the light emitting diode has more favorable temperature characteristics and response characteristics, and a longer lifetime. Therefore, it is expected that the light emitting diode light source will be widely prevalent in the further.
An invention relating to a light source device (lighting device) that employs light emitting diodes as a light source for a liquid crystal display as described above is disclosed in e.g. Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2001-210122. This patent document (see FIG. 10) shows a configuration for driving light emitting diodes for light emission thereof. In this configuration, a constant current is applied from a power supply unit (DC-DC converter) to a series connection circuit (LED row) arising from series connection of plural light emitting diodes. Furthermore, a switch element formed of an FET is further connected in series to the series connection circuit of the light emitting diodes, and this switch element is turned on/off by a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal for dimming control of the LEDs.
As described above, a certain level of basic technical configuration for driving light emitting diodes as a light source has been increasingly common. However, when some sort of conditions typified by the driving system and various specifications for image displaying in an actual liquid crystal panel are taken into consideration, there still remains ample room for improvement in the performance and reliability of e.g. the configuration for driving light emitting diodes for light emission thereof.

Drive device for light emitting diode element, light source device, and display


An elongated, planar support member is provided with dental floss about its peripheral edge. Multiple notches extending into the support member at various locations about the peripheral edge thereof expose multiple lengths of floss for flossing teeth. The lengths of floss extending across the notches are at various angles with respect to the longitudinal extent of the support member in order that the interdental spaces between various teeth are conveniently and effectively accessed.. Preferably, four lengths of floss are exposed across four notches. Two floss lengths are parallel to a longitudinal axis of the support member and two floss lengths are at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the support member.. The peripheral edge of the support member is provided with a groove. In one embodiment of the invention, the floss is fixed in the groove. In another embodiment, the floss is rotatingly positionable in the groove.. In a disposable embodiment of the invention, the support member is formed of a suitably stiff, hygienic, and moisture resistant material such as impregnated cardboard.. In a nondisposable embodiment of the invention, the support member is formed of a rigid, durable material or a plastic such as polyethylene or nylon.

Interdental cleaning has been a recommended dental health care procedure. Heretofore, however, public places, such as restaurants and the like, have offered only toothpicks to their customers for the purpose of relieving distress caused by food particles lodged between the teeth. Picks of the type offered are generally considered unsatisfactory because they have sharp points which may pierce the gum and may otherwise snap and become lodged between the teeth during the cleaning procedure.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,828,754 to Stewart, entitled "Dental Floss Holder", discloses a dental floss applicator with a limited amount and orientation of exposed floss, making access to certain teeth difficult, and hence ineffective.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,918,466 to Peebles, Jr., entitled "Disposable Dental Cleaning Device", discloses a disposable applicator with a single length of exposed floss, thereby limiting access to certain teeth, making the flossing action difficult and ineffective for certain teeth.


A network functions virtualization management and orchestration apparatus includes a plurality of VIMs, a visiting information manager, and a VNF arrangement controller. Each of the plurality of VIMs controls start and stop of a VNF in a virtual machine on each of servers connected to a plurality of respective base stations. The visiting information manager manages visiting information of each terminal wirelessly connecting to any of the base stations. The VNF arrangement controller controls arrangement of the VNF to provide services to the terminals, based on VIM management information and terminal visiting information, the VIM management information defining, for each VNF, a VIM capable of starting the VNF on each of the servers connected to the base stations.

There is known network functions virtualization (NFV) that implements functions of network devices or the like in the form of software, by using a virtual machine (VM) implemented in a virtualization layer, such as a hypervisor (HV) on a server (refer to, for example, Non-Patent Literatures (NPL) 1 and 2).
FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating FIG. 4 in Chapter 7 of Non-Patent Literature 2 in a simplified manner. An overview of a network configuration in a VNF environment is described by using FIG. 10.
FIGS. 6A and 6B
Virtualized Network Functions (VNFs) 22 each correspond to an application or the like configured to operate in a virtual machine (VM) on a server and implements network functions by software. A management function called an element manager (EM) 23 (also referred to as an element manage system (EMS)) is provided for each of the VNFs 22.
A network functions virtualization infrastructure (NFVI) 21 is an infrastructure configured to flexibly use hardware resources, such as computing, storage, and network functions, of a physical machine (PM) 20 as virtualized hardware resources, such as virtual computing, a virtual storage, and a virtual network, virtualized in a virtualization layer, such as a hypervisor.
An NFV orchestrator (NFVO) 11 in an NFV Management and orchestration (NFV-MANO) 10 performs orchestration of resources of the NFVI 21 and lifecycle management of network service (NS) instances (instantiation, scaling, termination, update, and the like of NS instances).
A VNF manager (VNFM) 12 performs lifecycle management of VNF instances (e.g., instantiation, update, query, scaling, termination, and the like) and event notification.
A virtualized infrastructure manager (VIM) 13 performs computing, storage, and network resource management of the NFVI 21, fault monitoring of the NFVI 21, resource monitoring of the NFVI 21, and the like.
Operation supports systems (OSS) in an OSS/BSS 30 is a general term for systems (such as devices, software, and mechanisms) necessary for structuring and operating services by a communication provider (carrier), for example. Business support systems (BSS) is a general term for information systems (such as devices, software, and mechanisms) used for charging and billing of usage fee, customer care, and the like by the communication provider (carrier), for example.
Non-Patent Literature 1: ETSI GS NFV-MAN 001 V1.1.1 (2014 December), Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV); Management and Orchestration, (searched on Mar. 6, 2017) <http://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_gs/NFV-MAN/001_099/001/01.01.01_60/gs_NFV-MAN001v010101p.pdf>
Non-Patent Literature 2: ETSI GS NFV 002 V1.2.1 (2014 December), Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV); Architectural Framework, (searched on Mar. 6, 2017) <http://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_gs/NFV/001_099/002/01.02.01_60/gs_NFV 002v010201p.pdf>

Network functions virtualization management and orchestration apparatus, communication system, method, and program