A game apparatus detects a predetermined image object including a first graphic pattern with a plurality of inner graphic patterns drawn therein from a captured image captured by an image-capturing section. The game apparatus first obtains the captured image captured by the image-capturing section, and detects an area of the first graphic pattern from the captured image. Then, the game apparatus detects the plurality of inner graphic patterns from within the detected area, and calculates center positions of the inner graphic patterns so as to detect the position of the predetermined image object.

There are conventional techniques for detecting a predetermined image object from an image (captured image) captured by an image-capturing section such as a camera. For example, Non-Patent Document 1 (Hirokazu Kato, Mark Billinghurst, Koichi Asano, Keihachiro Tachibana, "An Augmented Reality System and its Calibration based on Marker Tracking", Journal of Virtual Reality Society of Japan, Vol. 4, No. 4, 1999) describes performing an image recognition process on a rectangular marker included in an image captured by a camera in an augmented reality technique. In Non-Patent Document 1, connected regions are extracted by binarizing the captured image using a fixed threshold value, and the outline of a connected region is extracted after excluding those of the extracted connected regions that are different from the predetermined image object (being too larger or too small, for example). Then, the process obtains four line segments from the outline and calculates the vertices of the rectangular marker so as to detect the position of the marker.
With the recognition method described in Non-Patent Document 1, the process detects the position (four vertices) of the image object from the outline of the image object (marker), and therefore the position of the image object may not be detected accurately when the captured image is blurred due to, for example, a camera shake, or the like. That is, if the captured image is blurred, it is possible that the outline of the image object has not been obtained accurately, and therefore it is not possible to obtain the accurate position by calculating the position of the image object from the outline (see FIG. 7).
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a storage medium having stored therein an image recognition program capable of accurately detecting the position of the image object even if the captured image is blurred, an image recognition apparatus, an image recognition system, and an image recognition method.
The present invention employs configurations (1) to (16) below to solve the problems mentioned above.
(1)
The present invention is directed to a computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an image recognition program to be executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus for detecting a predetermined image object including a plurality of graphic patterns from a captured image captured by an image-capturing section. The image recognition program instructs the computer to function as: an image obtaining section, a graphic pattern detection section, and an object detection section. The image obtaining section obtains the captured image captured by the image-capturing section. The graphic pattern detection section detects the plurality of graphic patterns from the captured image. The object detection section detects a position or direction of the predetermined image object by calculating center positions of the plurality of graphic patterns detected by the graphic pattern detection section.
The "image-capturing section" may be built in the information processing apparatus, or may be a separate unit from the information processing apparatus. Where the image-capturing section is built in the information processing section, the image-capturing section may be fixedly attached to, or detachable from, the information processing apparatus. The image-capturing section may operate in cooperation with, or independently of, the operation of the information processing apparatus.
While the "predetermined image object" is typically a marker, it may be any object as long as it includes a plurality of graphic patterns. While the "graphic pattern" is a plurality of circular graphic patterns in the embodiment to be described later (FIG. 6), the shape, the number, the size and the color thereof are not limited thereto. For example, the "graphic patterns" may be circular, elliptic or polygonal.
While the "graphic patterns" are inner graphic patterns drawn inside the first graphic pattern in the embodiment to be described later, they do not have to be drawn inside a graphic pattern. That is, the "graphic pattern detection section" may detect a plurality of graphic patterns from within the area of the first graphic pattern (after detecting the area of the first graphic pattern) as in the embodiment to be described later or the configuration (2) below, or may detect a plurality of graphic patterns from the entire area of the captured image (without detecting the area of the first graphic pattern).
The "information processing apparatus" is a concept encompassing any computers that process information by executing computer programs, as well as the game apparatus described in the embodiment to be described later. The "information processing apparatus" may or may not be of a portable type.
While the "image recognition program" is, for example, the game program described in the embodiment to be described later, it is a concept encompassing application programs to be executed by personal computers or portable terminals.
The "image obtaining section" may obtain a captured image from an image-capturing section provided in the information processing apparatus via an internal bus, or the like, may obtain a captured image from an image-capturing section provided outside the information processing apparatus via telecommunications, or may obtain a captured image from a storage medium storing therein a captured image captured by an image-capturing section when the storage medium is attached to the information processing apparatus.
The "graphic pattern detection section" may be any section as long as it detects the plurality of graphic patterns, and the specific method for detecting the plurality of graphic patterns may be any method. The "graphic pattern detection section" may detect the area of the graphic pattern as in the embodiment to be described later or the configuration (3) below, for example, may extract the outline of the graphic pattern as in the configuration (4) below, or may detect a graphic pattern by using a pattern matching method.
The "center position of (each) graphic pattern" does not have to be the position of the center of the graphic pattern in the strict sense, but may be a position in the vicinity of the center of the graphic pattern which can be calculated by any of various arithmetic operations. For example, the "center position of a graphic pattern" may be calculated as an average value among pixels representing the outline of the graphic pattern, or where pixels of the captured image are weighted in some manner (with luminance values, etc.), it may be calculated as the center of gravity among pixels within the area of the graphic pattern.
To "detect a position of a predetermined image object by calculating center positions" only requires that the position of the predetermined image object can be identified based on the center positions. Therefore, for example, the "object detection section" may calculate a straight line (approximate straight line) from center positions and identify the position of the predetermined image object based on the approximate straight line as in the embodiment to be described later, the configuration (6) below or the configuration (16) below, or may use the center positions directly as the position of the predetermined image object as described in (Variation Regarding Calculation Of Marker Position) below. Since the position or direction of the predetermined image object within the captured image can be identified from the center positions of the plurality of graphic patterns, it is only required that the object detection section is capable of detecting at least one of the position and the direction.
With the configuration (1) above, the position of the predetermined image object is detected based on the center positions of the graphic patterns, not on the outline of the first graphic pattern. Since it is difficult to accurately detect the outline of the predetermined image object if the captured image is blurred, it is not possible to accurately detect the position of the predetermined image object from the outline. In contrast, the center position can be calculated accurately even if the captured image is blurred. Therefore, with the configuration (1) above, it is possible to accurately calculate the position or direction of the predetermined image object even if the captured image is blurred.
(2)
The predetermined image object may include a first graphic pattern with the plurality of graphic patterns drawn therein. Then, the image recognition program instructs the computer to further function as an area detection section for detecting an area of the first graphic pattern from the captured image; and. The graphic pattern detection section detects the plurality of graphic patterns from within the area detected by the area detection section.
The "area detection section" may be any section as long as it detects the first graphic pattern of the predetermined image object, and the specific method for detecting the first graphic pattern may be any method. For example, the "area detection section" may detect the first graphic pattern by extracting the outline of the first graphic pattern, or may detect the first graphic pattern by using a pattern matching method.
With the configuration (2) above, first, the area of the first graphic pattern is detected, and the graphic patterns (inner graphic patterns) drawn inside the first graphic pattern are detected from within the detected area. Then, it is possible to prevent an erroneous detection of detecting an object that is not the predetermined image object as being the inner graphic pattern, and it is possible to reliably detect the inner graphic patterns.
(3)
The graphic pattern detection section may detect areas of the plurality of graphic patterns. Then, the object detection section includes a position calculation section for calculating center positions of the areas detected by the graphic pattern detection section.
With the configuration (3) above, center positions can be easily calculated by detecting the areas of the plurality of graphic patterns and then calculating the center positions of the detected areas.
(4)
The graphic pattern detection section may detect outlines representing the areas of the plurality of graphic patterns. Then, the position calculation section calculates center positions of the areas represented by the outlines detected by the graphic pattern detection section.
With the configuration (4) above, center positions can be easily calculated by detecting the outlines of the areas of the plurality of graphic patterns and then calculating the center positions of the detected outlines.
(5)
The position calculation section may calculate the center position of each of the areas by obtaining positions of pixels representing the outline detected by the graphic pattern detection section and calculating an average value among the obtained positions.
With the configuration (5) above, the center position can be calculated easily and accurately by calculating the average value among the positions of pixels representing the outline.
(6)
The object detection section may include a straight line calculation section for calculating a predetermined straight line based on the center positions of the plurality of graphic patterns. Then, the image recognition program instructs the computer to further function as a positional relationship calculation section for calculating a positional relationship between the predetermined image object and the image-capturing section based on the predetermined straight line calculated by the straight line calculation section.
With the configuration (6) above, the position and direction of the predetermined image object in the captured image can be identified by the straight line calculated based on the center positions. Therefore, the positional relationship can be calculated accurately based on the straight line.
With the configuration (6) above, the virtual image of the embodiment to be described later can be synthesized with the captured image by using the positional relationship. That is, with the configuration (6) above, in an augmented reality technique for displaying a synthesized image obtained by synthesizing together the captured image and the virtual image, it is possible to use a recognition process that is resistant to the blur of the captured image (capable of accurately detecting the predetermined image object even if the captured image is blurred). Note that in an augmented reality technique, it is assumed that it is often the case where the user uses the image-capturing section while moving it around, and it is believed that that is particularly often the case when the augmented reality technique is used in a game as in the embodiment to be described later. Therefore, where the configuration (6) above is used in an augmented reality technique, the recognition process of the configuration (1) above which is resistant to the blur of the image is particularly effective.
(7)
Each of the plurality of graphic patterns may be circular.
With the configuration (7) above, the shape of the graphic pattern in the captured image remains the same irrespective of the direction in which the predetermined image object lies. Therefore, the center position does not vary depending on the direction of the predetermined image object, and it is therefore possible to more accurately detect the predetermined image object.
(8)
The area detection section may detect an area of the first graphic pattern based on pixel values obtained at a first pitch across the captured image. Then, the object detection section calculates center positions of the graphic patterns based on pixel values obtained at a second pitch smaller than the first pitch across the area of the captured image detected by the area detection section.
The "second pitch" may be of any length as long as it is smaller than the "first pitch". Where a plurality of different processes are performed in the image object detecting process, as in the embodiment to be described later, the object detection section may perform the process of calculating the center position based on pixel values obtained at the second pitch, while the other processes may be performed with any precision.
With the configuration (8) above, after first detecting the first graphic pattern with a low precision by the area detection section, the process of calculating the center positions of the plurality of graphic patterns within the first graphic pattern is performed with a high precision. Thus, the process of detecting the first graphic pattern is performed with a low precision, and the range across which the process of detecting the plurality of graphic patterns is performed is limited to within the first graphic pattern, and it is therefore possible to perform the recognition process in a short period of time. Since the process of calculating the center positions of the detected graphic patterns is performed with a high precision, it is possible to detect the position of the predetermined image object precisely. Therefore, with the configuration (8) above, it is possible to provide a recognition process with which it is possible to shorten the amount of time required for detection while maintaining the object detection precision.
(9)
The image recognition program may instruct the computer to further function as an outline extraction section for extracting an outline of the first graphic pattern in the area of the first graphic pattern detected by the area detection section. Then, the object detection section detects the plurality of graphic patterns from an area within the outline extracted by the outline extraction section.
With the configuration (9) above, the graphic patterns are detected from within the area of the outline extracted by the outline extraction section, and it is therefore possible to appropriately determine the range across which the detection of the graphic patterns is performed. Thus, it is possible to prevent the graphic pattern detection process from being performed wastefully on unnecessary areas, and it is therefore possible to more efficiently perform the recognition process.
(10)
The outline extraction section may extract the outline of the first graphic pattern based on pixel values obtained at a predetermined pitch across the captured image. Then, the object detection section detects the plurality of graphic patterns from the area within the outline based on pixel values obtained at a pitch smaller than the predetermined pitch across the captured image.
With the configuration (10) above, the outline extracting process is performed with a lower precision than the graphic pattern detection process, and it is therefore possible to perform the outline extracting process in a shorter period of time. As a result, it is possible to perform the recognition process in a shorter period of time.
(11)
The image recognition program may instruct the computer to function as a shape determination section for determining whether the outline extracted by the outline extraction section represents a shape of the first graphic pattern. Then, the object detection section detects the plurality of graphic patterns from within an area corresponding to the outline which is determined by the shape determination section to represent a shape of the first graphic pattern.
With the configuration (11) above, it is possible to determine, based on the extracted outline, whether the first graphic pattern is included within the area detected by the area detection section. Then, where the first graphic pattern is not included within the area, the graphic pattern detection process is not performed for that area. Therefore, with the configuration (11) above, areas that do not include the first graphic pattern can be excluded from the graphic pattern detection process, and it is therefore possible to prevent the graphic pattern detection process from being performed wastefully. Thus, it is possible to efficiently perform the recognition process and to perform the recognition process in a shorter period of time. Particularly, where the configurations (10) and (11) above are combined with each other, the graphic pattern detection process which requires a relatively long time (as it is performed with a high precision) can be omitted by virtue of the outline extracting process which is performed relatively quickly (as it is performed with a low precision), and it is therefore possible to perform the recognition process more efficiently.
(12)
The predetermined image object may include a second graphic pattern at a position different from the first graphic pattern. Then, the image recognition program instructs the computer to further function as a direction identification section for detecting the second graphic pattern from the captured image and identifying a direction of the predetermined image object based on a direction in which the second graphic pattern is arranged with respect to the first graphic pattern.
With the configuration (12) above, the direction of the predetermined image object can be identified based on the direction of the second graphic pattern with respect to the first graphic pattern. With the configuration (12) above, since the second graphic pattern is formed at a position of the predetermined image object different from the first graphic pattern, it is possible to have only the inside graphic patterns drawn inside the first graphic pattern. Therefore, when detecting the inside graphic patterns, it is possible to accurately detect the inside graphic patterns without erroneously detecting the second graphic pattern or a part thereof. Therefore, it is possible to further improve the precision of the recognition process.
(13)
The graphic pattern detection section may detect the areas of the plurality of graphic patterns based on pixel values obtained at a predetermined pitch across the captured image. Then, the position calculation section calculates center positions of the areas detected by the graphic pattern detection section based on pixel values obtained at a pitch smaller than the predetermined pitch across the captured image.
With the configuration (13) above, since the process of detecting the areas of the plurality of graphic patterns is performed with a lower precision than the center position calculation process, it is possible to perform the process of detecting the areas of the plurality of graphic patterns in a shorter period of time. As a result, it is possible to perform the recognition process in a shorter period of time.
(14)
The object detection section may further include a number-of-areas determination section for determining whether the number of areas detected by the graphic pattern detection section is a number within a predetermined range. Then, the position calculation section calculates center positions of the areas detected by the graphic pattern detection section for the area of the first graphic pattern where a number of areas within the predetermined range have been detected.
With the configuration (14) above, it is possible to determine whether the number of areas which have been detected by the graphic pattern detection section is an appropriate number. If the number of areas is not appropriate, it is determined that the first graphic pattern is not included in the area detected by the area detection section, and the process of calculating the center positions is not performed. Therefore, with the configuration (14) above, the areas that do not include the first graphic pattern can be excluded from the center position calculation process, and it is therefore possible to prevent the calculation process from being performed wastefully. Thus, it is possible to efficiently perform the recognition process and to perform the recognition process in a shorter period of time. Particularly, where the configurations (13) and (14) above are combined with each other, the process of calculating the center positions which requires a relatively long time (as it is performed with a high precision) can be omitted by virtue of the process of detecting the area of the first graphic pattern which is performed relatively quickly (as it is performed with a low precision), and it is therefore possible to perform the recognition process more efficiently.
(15)
The predetermined image object may include three or more graphic patterns. Then, the object detection section detects a position and direction of the predetermined image object based on center positions of the three or more graphic patterns.
To "detect the direction (of the predetermined image object)" is not limited to uniquely identifying the direction of the predetermined image object. For example, while the process of step S26 calculates the positions of the four vertices from the center positions in the embodiment to be described later, it is not possible, based on the positions of these four vertices, to distinguish between the marker 51 being rotated by 90°, 180° or 270° and being not rotated. The object detection section in the configuration (15) above may be a process that does not uniquely identify the direction of the predetermined image object, as with the process of step S26 described above.
With the configuration (15) above, it is possible to identify the positions (in the captured image) of three points in the predetermined image object by calculating the center positions of the three or more graphic patterns, and it is therefore possible to detect the position and direction of the predetermined image object.
(16)
A predetermined number, three or more, of graphic patterns may be arranged on a predetermined straight line in the predetermined image object. Then, the object detection section calculates the predetermined straight line based at least on a number of center positions among all center positions calculated, the number being two or more and smaller than the predetermined number, so as to detect a position and direction of the predetermined image object based on the calculated predetermined straight line.
With the configuration (16) above, it is possible to detect the position and direction of the predetermined image object based on the position and direction of the predetermined straight line in the captured image. Herein, the predetermined straight line is calculated from the center positions of a number of graphic patterns which is less than a predetermined number, and it is therefore possible to calculate the predetermined straight line even if a predetermined number of graphic patterns are not all detected. Therefore, with the configuration (16) above, there is provided redundancy in the number of graphic patterns, whereby it is possible to detect the position and direction of the predetermined image object even if some of the graphic patterns are not detected. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably detect the predetermined image object, and thus to increase the success rate of the recognition process.
The present invention may also be embodied in the form of an image recognition apparatus including various sections similar to those described above. In such an image recognition apparatus, the various sections may be implemented by a computer executing an image recognition program, or some or all of the various sections may be implemented by a dedicated circuit or circuits. The present invention may also be embodied in the form of an image recognition system including one or more information processing apparatuses each having various sections described above. Then, the one or more information processing apparatuses may communicate with each other directly via a wired or wireless connection, or may communicate with each other via a network. Moreover, the present invention may also be embodied in the form of an image recognition method performed by the various sections described above.
The present invention may also be embodied in the form of a marker used in an augmented reality technique. That is, the marker is used in an image display system, in which a captured image captured by an image-capturing section is subjected to a predetermined recognition process to calculate a position and direction of the marker within the captured image, and an image of a virtual object is produced based on the position and direction of the marker, so as to display an image obtained by synthesizing the image of the virtual object with the captured image. The marker includes a plurality of inner graphic patterns. The center positions of the plurality of inner graphic patterns are calculated (by the image display system). The center positions are used for calculating (by the image display system) information representing the position and direction of the marker. The marker may be a thin plate-like member with a graphic pattern drawn thereon as in the embodiment to be described later, or may be implemented by a graphic pattern displayed on the screen of a display apparatus.
According to the present invention, the process calculates the center positions of a plurality of graphic patterns included in a predetermined image object, and detects the position of the predetermined image object based on the center positions, and it is therefore possible to accurately calculate the position of the predetermined image object even if the captured image is blurred.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Storage medium having image recognition program stored therein, image recognition apparatus, image recognition system, and image recognition method


A chair for use in combination with a table. The chair has a seat, a back and four legs. To the back, an upper backrest and a lower backrest are secured. The lower backrest can rotate with respect to the back. While projecting forwards from the back, the lower backrest engages with the upper surface of the top plate of the table. The chair is therefore supported, with the legs suspended above the floor.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments described herein relate generally to a chair designed for use in combination with a dining table.
2. Description of the Related Art
The legs of any chair used in a dining room may make obstacle to cleaning the dining room, particularly when a cleaning robot is used to sweep and brush the floor.
In view of this, a table has been made, which has a holding plate secured to the lower surface of the top plate and designed to hold the seats of chairs. (See, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2006-68316.) The seat of any chair may be inserted into the space between the top plate and the holding plate, thereby to hang the chair to the table.
However, this chair-holding structure, which has a relatively large holding plate located below the top plate of the table, inevitably impairs the aesthetic property of the table. Further, the chair-holding structure reduces the space in which the legs can be stored beneath the top plate of the table, ultimately making the table and chairs less easy to use.
Still further, if a chair as left and right armrests formed integral with the seat, the armrests may prevent, in some cases, the seat from entering the space between the top plate and the holding plate.


A method for fabricating a LDMOS device in a well region of a semiconductor substrate, including: etching a polysilicon layer above the well region through a window for a body region; and forming spacers at side walls of the polysilicon layer, to define positions of source regions in the well region.

LDMOS (Lateral Diffused Metal Oxide Semiconductor) devices are widely used for high breakdown voltage, high current and good thermal performance in many applications including notebook, server, and DC/DC converter.
A LDMOS device comprises a well region 16, a drain pickup region 11, a source region 12, a gate 13, a body region 14, and a body pickup region 15 as shown in FIG. 1. Persons of ordinary skills in the art should know that the well region 16 is also referred as the drain drift region. For performance and cost reasons, many modern applications require smaller power devices in a smaller package. Much focus has been placed on drain engineering that includes RESURF (Reduced Surface Field), graded doped drain. Another area of focus is on making source region smaller. As shown in FIG. 1, a source/body region consists of the body pickup region 15 in the center and the source region 12 located on both sides of the body pickup region 15, which form an N+/P+/N+ region. Reducing the N+/P+/N+ region would result in a smaller source region. But usually the minimum area of the N+/P+/N+ is limited by the photo-masking equipment's capability.

Method for fabricating LDMOS using CMP technology


In general, this disclosure discloses techniques for using a computing device as a smart vehicle key. The computing device may send a validation request signal to a vehicle via a first short-range communication protocol. After to sending the validation request signal, the computing device may establish a secure connection with the vehicle over a second short-range communication protocol. The computing device may send via the secure connection an ignition signal to the vehicle that activates an ignition system operable to activate a motor of the vehicle. The computing device may periodically send via the secure connection a keep-alive message to the vehicle as the motor of the vehicle is running.

A vehicle equipped with a smart vehicle key system may be able to unlock its doors or to activate its ignition system upon detecting a smart vehicle key associated with the vehicle. Typically, the smart vehicle key may include a transmitter that transmits signals to the vehicle to enable the vehicle to unlock its doors or to activate its ignition system.


An adjustable marking and measuring tool including a locating block and a guide block is provided. The locating block includes a pair of abutments for locating the tool in the corner of a jamb. The guide block includes a miter guide line edge for locating a guide line for longitudinally locating a piece of trim. The guide block includes a reveal guide line edge for marking the offset of the trim from an opening defined by the jamb. The position of the guide block relative to the locating block is adjustable for adjusting the amount of reveal identified by the tool. The tool may further include an engagement portion for engaging a mitered end of a trim piece. Further, the tool may include an upstanding abutment member to locate the guide block relative to a piece of trim for marking a miter line across the trim piece.

As shown in FIG. 1, windows, doors, medicine cabinets, and the like, typically include an outer frame, commonly called a jamb 100, which is installed into a rough opening 102 in a wall 103, by installing a pair of wedge-shaped shims 104 between the outside of the jamb 100 and the inner surface of the rough opening 102, and driving one or more finishing nails 106 through the jamb 100 and shims 104, and into framing of the wall 103 that defines the rough opening 102. This process leaves an unsightly gap 108 between the jamb 100 and the rough opening 102 that is typically covered, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, with several pieces of trim 113, 114, that are also known individually and collectively as window or door casing 110.
The inner periphery of the jambs 100 may also vary slightly over the length and width of the jamb 100, due to small amounts of dimensional differences in the width and height of the inside dimensions of the jambs 100, from one door or window to the next, even in doors and windows that are of the same nominal width and height.
In order to accommodate the above-described variations and dimensional differences, it is also common practice to position the inner edges 111, 112 of the trim pieces 113, 114 forming the casing 110 slightly back from the inner surface 115 of the jamb 100, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, to form space known as a reveal 116 that allows a small strip of the face 118 of the jamb 100 to remain exposed, inside of the casing 110, in the finished installation. The reveal 116 allows the position of the casing 110 to be shifted slightly, with respect to the inner surface 115 of the jamb 100, and the opening 102, to compensate for the variations and dimensional differences described above, in a manner that can be readily accomplished by a carpenter installing the casing 110, and in a way that is essentially undetectable to the eye of a casual observer of the finished installation. The reveal 116 also provides an aesthetically pleasing architectural enhancement of the appearance of the installed jamb 100 and casing 110.
Further, in some installations, the intersection of two adjacent pieces of casing is formed by two mitered ends of the adjacent trim pieces 113, 114. Typically, these ends are formed by 45 degree miter cuts on the ends of the adjacent trim pieces 113, 114.
By including 45 degree mitered ends and the reveals, carpenters are required to mark the location where the trim pieces 113, 114 are to be located as well as measure the length of the individual trim pieces 113, 114. Representative tools for assisting in locating the placement of the casing, by either marking or acting as a guide during placement, are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,341,427 entitled "Window Casing Installation Tool"; 2,473,639 entitled "Door Casing Gauge"; and 3,292,764 entitled "Construction Gage." The present invention is generally directed to these marking gages in combination with a tool for assisting in measuring the length of the casing.


A clamping mechanism includes a mounting member, three sealing assemblies, three clamping assemblies, and six adjusting valves. The mounting member defines a receiving hole axially and three mounting holes radially, the three mounting holes communicate with the receiving hole. Each sealing assembly includes a top seal and a bottom seal sealing opposite ends of corresponding mounting hole. Each clamping assembly includes a holding member and a piston, a first end of the holding member extends through the axial hole and is received in the receiving hole, the piston is fixed to the holding member and divides the mounting hole into a first chamber and a second chamber. The six adjusting valves respectively communicate with the first chambers and the second chambers of the three mounting holes.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to clamping mechanisms, and more particularly to a clamping mechanism attached to a robot arm.
2. Description of Related Art
In industry, a clamping mechanism assembled to an output end of a robot arm is employed to clamp a workpiece for moving or handling the workpiece. The typical clamping mechanism includes a mounting bracket, a pair of holding members and a pair of driving members respectively connected to the pair of holding members. The pair of holding members is assembled to opposite ends of the mounting bracket, the pair of driving members is capable of driving the pair of holding members to move toward each other to clamp the workpiece between the pair of holding members. However, in order to clamp the workpiece satiability, the pair of holding members may have an outline greater than the workpiece, resulting in a relative large volume for the clamping mechanism. Furthermore, adopting of two driving members results in a complicate structure of the clamping mechanism.
Therefore, there is room for improvement in the art.

Fu Tai Hua Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.


A robot arm according to the present invention includes: a shoulder joint assembly which is connected to an upper arm portion, and includes a drive unit for generating driving power; an elbow joint assembly which is provided between the upper arm portion and a forearm portion, and operates by being supplied with driving power from the drive unit; and a wrist joint assembly which is provided between the forearm portion and a hand portion, and operates by being supplied with driving power from the drive unit.

Since Unimate, which is the first industrial robot used for an assembly process in 1962, has been introduced, robot engineering has been established as an essential technology in production, service, medical, exploration, military, and aerospace fields in view of quick technical development and expansion of application fields.
The existing robot has been intended to precisely perform simple repeated work at a high speed, but recently, robots with various manners and various levels, such as a robot which is remotely connected and shares an activity space with humans, a surgical robot which easily performs various operations such as a laparoscopic surgery, and an industrial robot which enables safe physical contact with a human, are being developed.
In addition, in the case of a Baxtor robot, which is developed recently, receives the attention as a next-generation robot which has a function of detecting and adapting to force from a user, enables the user to perform an action while directly moving the robot, and enables cooperation between the human and the robot in the same workspace.
However, the Baxtor robot sacrifices strength, rigidity, precision, and working speed in order to ensure safety, and as a result, there is a problem in that performance thereof deteriorates in comparison with the existing industrial robots.
Therefore, there is a need for a technology about a robot which may detect external force, ensure safety at the time of contact and collision, and satisfy high strength, rigidity, precision, and working speed.
To this end, a technology of implementing a joint of the robot similar to a human's arm having a high degree of freedom become a serious issue as a key research task, and actually, research results reflecting outcomes thereof are being reported.
However, a robot joint structure, which has been researched up to now, has a problem in that a structure thereof is very complicated in order to ensure a multi-degree of freedom and sufficient strength and rigidity, and performance inevitably deteriorates when simplifying the structure.
Accordingly, there is a need for a method for solving the aforementioned problems.

KOREA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION INDUSTRY-UNIVERSITY COOPERATION FOUNDATION


A key exchange device includes an initial setup unit that generates a verification key that serves as a public key and a signature key based on a discretionary random tape, a session identifier based on a first random tape, and a secret key based on a second random tape; an arithmetic unit that generates an encrypted second random tape by an arithmetic operation of a pseudo-random function having the second random tape and the secret key as variables and an encrypted third random tape by an arithmetic operation of the pseudo-random function having a third random tape and the secret key as variables; a key encapsulation processing unit that generates a key-encapsulated public key and a key-encapsulated secret key based on the encrypted second random tape to transmit the key-encapsulated public key to an other party of key exchange and decrypts a session key using the key-encapsulated public key and a key-encapsulated ciphertext received from the other party of key exchange; and a verification processing unit that generates a signature based on the signature key, a transmission message and the encrypted third random tape, transmits the signature to the other party of key exchange and verifies a signature received from the other party of key exchange based on a verification key that is a public key of the other party of key exchange, a received message and the signature received.

A technology of key exchange is disclosed in NPL 1. Specifically, two key exchange devices, each of which knows a public key of the other, exchange encrypted data into which random tapes input to the respective key exchange devices are encrypted with a long-term secret key of their own. Each key exchange device generates a session key based on the encrypted data received from the other party of exchange, the public key of the other party of exchange, and the long-term secret key of its own. As a result, the session keys that are generated by the two key exchange devices become identical. Unless the random tapes used for generation of the session keys and the long-term secret keys are stolen by an attacker, the session keys are concealed from the attacker.

Key exchange system, key exchange method, key exchange device, control method thereof, and recording medium for storing control program


Arrangement for introducing a liquid medium into exhaust gases from a combustion engine, having a mixing duct, an injector for injecting the liquid medium into the mixing duct, and an inlet duct situated upstream of the mixing duct. The inlet duct has a first duct section which is annular in cross-section and a second duct section which is annular in cross-section. The second duct section is situated downstream of the first duct section and surrounds the mixing duct. The first duct section surrounds the second duct section. The mixing duct further has a flow reversal section via which an annular outlet of the first duct section is connected to an annular inlet of the second duct section and which is configured to reverse the direction of flow of the exhaust gases flowing through the inlet duct, to flow through the second duct section in a direction opposite to that of the exhaust gases in the first duct section.

1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to an arrangement for introducing a liquid medium, e.g. urea, into exhaust gases from a combustion engine.
2. Related art
To meet prevailing exhaust cleaning requirements, today's motor vehicles are usually provided with a catalyst in the exhaust line to effect catalytic conversion of environmentally hazardous constituents of the exhaust gases to environmentally less hazardous substances. A method which has been employed for achieving effective catalytic conversion is based on injecting a reducing agent into the exhaust gases upstream of the catalyst. A reductive substance which forms part of, or is formed by, the reducing agent is carried by the exhaust gases into the catalyst and is adsorbed on active seats in the catalyst, resulting in accumulation of the reductive substance in the catalyst. The accumulated reductive substance may then react with and thereby convert an exhaust substance to a substance with less environmental impact.
Such a reduction catalyst may for example be of the SCR (selective catalytic reduction) type. This type of catalyst is hereinafter called an SCR catalyst. An SCR catalyst reduces NOx in the exhaust gases.
In the case of an SCR catalyst, a reducing agent in the form of urea solution is usually injected into the exhaust gases upstream of the catalyst. The injection of urea into the exhaust gases results in the formation of ammonia which then serves as the reductive substance which assists the catalytic conversion in the SCR catalyst. The ammonia accumulates in the catalyst by being adsorbed on active seats in the catalyst, and NOx present in the exhaust gases is converted to nitrogen gas and water when it is brought into contact in the catalyst with accumulated ammonia on the active seats in the catalyst.
When urea is used as the reducing agent, it is injected into the exhaust line in the form of a liquid urea solution via an injector. The injector comprises a nozzle via which the urea solution is injected under pressure into the exhaust line in the form of a finely divided spray. In many operating conditions of a diesel engine, the exhaust gases will be at a high enough temperature to be able to vaporise the urea solution so that ammonia is formed.
It is difficult, however, to avoid part of the urea solution supplied coming into contact with and becoming attached to the internal wall surface of the exhaust line in an unvaporised state. The exhaust line, which is often in contact with and cooled by surrounding air, will be at a lower temperature than the exhaust gases within the exhaust line. When a combustion engine is run in a uniform way for a period of time, i.e. during steady-state operating conditions, no appreciable variations in the exhaust flow occur and the urea solution injected into the exhaust gases will therefore reach substantially the same region of the exhaust line throughout said period of time. The relatively cool urea solution may cause local lowering of the temperature in that region of the exhaust line, which may lead to the formation in that region of a film of urea solution which is then entrained by the exhaust flow. When this film has moved a certain distance in the exhaust line, the water in the urea solution will boil away under the influence of the hot exhaust gases. Solid urea will remain and will be slowly vaporised by the heat in the exhaust line. If the supply of solid urea is greater than the amount vaporised, solid urea will accumulate in the exhaust line. If the resulting layer of urea becomes thick enough, the urea and its decomposition products will react with one another to form urea-based primitive polymers known as urea lumps. Such urea lumps may over time block an exhaust line.
It is therefore desirable that the injected urea solution be widely spread out in the exhaust gases so that it is prevented from concentrating in substantially the same region of the exhaust line. A good spread of the urea solution in the exhaust gases also facilitates its vaporisation.
For reasons of space it is not usually possible to have a rectilinear exhaust line between a combustion engine and an exhaust outlet of a motor vehicle. Before the exhaust gases reach the mixing duct in which injected urea solution is mixed with them and becomes vaporised, they therefore usually pass through one or more pipe bends. Their passage through a pipe bend results in an oblique distribution of the exhaust flow as seen in the plane perpendicular to the direction of flow. Bringing an injected spray of urea solution into contact with such an obliquely distributed exhaust flow hinders the spreading of the urea solution in the exhaust gases and at the same time increases the risk that the urea solution might concentrate on substantially the same wall region in the mixing duct.


A system for a vehicle includes a trio of ultrasonic sensors, and a controller configured to, responsive to a location of an object identified from a distance between the ultrasonic sensors, a receive time at each of the ultrasonic sensors associated with a same ultrasonic pulse from a transmitter of the object, and an absence of data regarding a send time of the ultrasonic pulse, steer the vehicle to the object.

Operation of a motor vehicle may include being aware of multiple external factors, such as stationary and moving objects, people, and animals, traffic signals, roadway signage, and so on. As some examples, the external factors may include parked and moving vehicles, bicyclists, pedestrians, one-way street and speed limit signs, and so on. Additionally or alternatively, driving may include maneuvering the vehicle in physically constrained areas or in areas with poor visibility.
One or more vehicle object-detection systems, such as radio detection and ranging (RADAR) and light detection and ranging (LIDAR), may be used to detect objects external to the vehicle. In some instances, RADAR and LIDAR systems may be configured to detect external objects, or "targets", in the vicinity of the vehicle. The vehicle object-detection systems may determine a distance to the external object, i.e., a target range, and speed at which the object is moving toward or away from the vehicle, i.e., a target range rate. The vehicle object-detection systems may be configured to determine a likelihood of collision between the vehicle and the external object.


This invention provides a color print control method of acquiring an optimum profile by a simple profile acquisition process in consideration of the clustering configuration. According to the color print control method of this invention, a printer manager (15) manages a combination of color printers as a virtual printer. A color setting manager (17) manages a color profile used for color matching in association with the virtual printer and output paper. A job controller (11) controls to accept a print job, whose destination is the managed virtual printer and which contains color matching settings, cause a rendering unit (18) to render the print job, acquire a profile for each virtual printer, and cause a color management processor (16) to perform color matching.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a color print control method and apparatus and, more particularly, to a color matching setting method when outputting data to a plurality of color printers via a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
These days, POD (Print On Demand) has been proposed and is widely prevailing as one business printing field. The POD implements printing of various materials in small volumes. In the POD, electronic data is generally input as a document, and, for example, an electrophotographic printer prints out without making the plate of the data.
Along with the development of electrophotographic printers toward color printing, color printers have been introduced into the POD. Similar to conventional printing, color management is one of important subjects. In the POD, color management generally adopts color matching using an ICC profile. When stricter color matching is required, a plurality of profiles must be prepared as the ICC profile (printer profile) of a printer and selectively used in accordance with printout paper.
Recently in the POD, a clustering configuration also appears, in which a plurality of printers are connected to print out the same data. For example, according to a technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-084433, a printer profile is selected in correspondence with paper.
However, printouts in the clustering configuration slightly differ between individual color printers of the cluster even if the color printers are of the same model. For this reason, it is necessary to provide a profile corresponding to printout paper for each printer. The following operation is necessary in a rendering unit which renders input print data or a control unit for the rendering unit in a printer control which controls clustering printing. In executing clustering printing, the rendering unit or control unit identifies a destination color printer, and acquires, from a printer profile management unit, a printer profile optimum for each printer and output-designated paper.
However, according to the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-084433, a printer profile is selected in correspondence with paper, but the relationship between a profile and a printer which forms a cluster is not managed. Hence, the rendering unit or control unit must acquire a profile for each printer, and repeats profile acquisition, resulting in a cumbersome process.

Color print control method and apparatus for managing color profile used for color matching in association with a virtual printer and paper


There is provided a rendition style selector operable by a user to select a desired rendition style from among a plurality of rendition styles associated with a plurality of portions of tones. In response to selecting operation via the selector, a rendition style is determined which is to be applied to each desired portion of a tone. Then, performance information is output which designates a rendition style module corresponding to the determined rendition style. The module defines a waveform characteristic to provide the corresponding rendition style. According to another type of the rendition style selector, a user can collectively select a combination of a plurality of rendition styles associated with different portions of a tone. Thus, a plurality of rendition styles can be designated collectively by one selecting operation. Rendition style suitable for each portion of a tone to be generated may be determined on the basis of a performance event.

The present invention relates generally to rendition style determination apparatus and computer programs for determining various rendition styles (or various types of articulation) to be imparted to tones, voices or other desired sounds in response to user's operation of predetermined rendition style switches. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved rendition style determination apparatus and computer program which allow a user to given rendition style instructions with increased flexibility by only operating individual rendition style switches.
Recently, there have been known a tone waveform control technique called "SAEM" (Sound Articulation Element Modeling), which is intended for realistic reproduction and control of various rendition styles (various types of articulation) peculiar to natural musical instruments (e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2000-122665). In tone generators using the SAEM technique, a plurality of rendition style modules, such as attack-, release-, body- and joint-related rendition style modules, are combined in a time-serial fashion to create a continuous tone waveform. For example, the SAEM technique can produce a waveform of a tone by applying an attack-related rendition style module to a rise portion (i.e., attack portion) of the tone, a body-related rendition style module to a steady portion (i.e., body portion) of the tone and a release-related rendition style module to a fall portion (i.e., release portion) of the tone and then connecting together partial waveforms of individual sections defined by these rendition style modules. Also, the SAEM technique can produce a continuous tone waveform of a plurality of tones where adjacent tones (or tone portions) are interconnected with a desired rendition style using a joint-related rendition style module. Note that, throughout this specification, the terms "tone waveform" are used to mean a waveform of a tone, voice or any desired sound rather than being limited only to a waveform of a musical tone.
Generally, the conventional tone generators using the SAEM technique are arranged to generate a tone waveform by applying a user-desired rendition style in response to user's operation of a predetermined rendition style switch. However, with such conventional tone generators where rendition style instructions are given via predetermined rendition style switches, it is not possible to appropriately instruct a rendition style to be applied to each desired portion, such as an attack, body, release or joint portion, of a tone. Namely, the conventional tone generators present the problem that the user is unable to give rendition style instructions with high flexibility so that there can not be generated tone waveforms faithfully reproducing various rendition styles (or various types of articulation) peculiar to natural musical instruments.
Further, in the conventional tone generators, only one rendition style can be designated at one time by operation of a rendition style switch; thus, when a given rendition style switch is operated and then another rendition style switch is operated in succession, the rendition style instruction by the given (i.e., earlier-operated) rendition style switch is cleared upon operation of the other (i.e., later-operated) rendition style switch. Therefore, separate information, such as a rendition style code, specifying a rendition style instructed by a rendition style switch has to be placed immediately before each performance range (one or more performance events) to which the rendition style is to be applied. Namely, an attack-related rendition style module has to be placed immediately before note-on event timing of each note to which the rendition style is to be applied, a body-related rendition style module has to be placed between note-on and note-off timing of each note, and a release-related rendition style module has to be placed immediately before note-off timing of each note. In addition, it is necessary to separately designate in advance a performance range where each desired rendition style is to be applied. For these reasons, with the conventional tone generators, it has been extremely difficult to instruct a rendition style during a real-time performance.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Rendition style determination apparatus and computer program therefor


A package apparatus comprises a first wiring layer, a first dielectric material layer, a first conductive pillar layer, a first buffer layer, a second wiring layer, and a protection layer. The first wiring layer has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The first dielectric material layer is disposed within partial zone of the first wiring layer. The first conductive pillar layer is disposed on the second surface of the first wiring layer. The first buffer layer is disposed within partial zone of the first conductive pillar layer. The second wiring layer is disposed on the first buffer layer and one end of the first conductive pillar layer. The protection layer is disposed on the first buffer layer and the second wiring layer.

With the design trend in electronic devices is toward lighter, smaller, thinner but more functional devices with performance requirements continuing to increase, device manufacturers increasingly need specialty integrated circuit (IC) solutions for allowing billions of miniature electronic components to be densely packed in a small area. Thus, device manufacturers come up with innovative packaging techniques for embedding electronic components in a substrate while allowing shorter traces between the electronic components and the substrate. In addition, the layout area is increased by the use of built-up technique as the technology advances for achieving lighter, smaller, thinner and more functional high-performance devices.
Generally, most high-end chips are packaged by flip chip (FC) process, especially by a chip scale package (CSP) process, as those high-end chips are primarily being applied in smart phones, tablet computers, network communication devices, and notebook computers, whichever is generally operating under high-frequency and high-speed condition and required to be packed in a thin, small and light-weighted semiconductor package. As for the carrier for packaging, the popular design nowadays includes: small pitches between lines, high density, thin-type design, low manufacture cost, and high electrical characteristic.
Please refer to FIG. 1, which shows a conventional fiberglass substrate packaging structure. In FIG. 1, the fiberglass substrate packaging structure 10 has a fiberglass substrate 100, which can be made of a bismaleimide triazine (BT) substrate or FR-5 substrate. In addition, the fiberglass substrate 100 is formed with a groove 110 and a plurality of via holes 120 by a laser via method, by that the groove 110 can be used for receiving and holding an electronic component 130, while a portion of the plural via holes 120 can be provided for receiving a conductive metal pillar 140. As shown in FIG. 1, the two first conductive metal layers 142, 144 are respectively disposed on the fiberglass substrate 100 while allowing the two to connected electrically to the conductive metal pillar 140; the groove 110 and the electronic component 130 are covered and sealed by an insulation layer 150, whereas the electronic component 130, the plural via holes 120, two second conductive metal layers 146, 148 to be disposed on the insulation layer 150 while being connected electrically to the electronic component 130 and the two first conductive metal layers 142, 144.
However, the aforesaid conventional fiberglass substrate packaging structure is disadvantageous in that: it can be very costly for using a fiberglass substrate as its substrate in addition to that the thin-type fiberglass substrate can be easily deformed and wrapped, and the conventional substrate including fiberglass will increase the difficulty of processing for laser via so that it cannot fit the need of fine pitch therefore make the wiring more troublesome; and as the blind/buried vias in the aforesaid four-layered metal laminated structure are formed by the repetition of a laser via method, such repetition can be a complex and time consuming process and also the cost for fabricating the four-layered metal laminated structure can be costly. Therefore, the aforesaid conventional fiberglass substrate packaging structure does not have industrial advantages.
Please refer to FIG. 2, which shows a conventional molding compound substrate packaging structure. As shown in FIG. 2, the molding compound substrate packaging structure 20 includes: a first wiring layer 200, a metal layer 210, a pillar conductive layer 220, a molding compound layer 230, a second wiring layer 240, and a protection layer 250. In which the first wiring layer 200 has a top surface and a bottom surface that are arranged opposite to each other; the metal layer 210 is disposed on the bottom surface of the first wiring layer 200; the pillar conductive layer 220 is disposed on the top surface of the first wiring layer 200; the molding compound layer 230 is disposed on the first wiring layer 200 and the pillar conductive layer 220 without having the molding compound layer 230 to be exposed out of the bottom surface of the first wiring layer 200 and one end of the pillar conductive layer 220; the second wiring layer 240 is disposed on the molding compound layer 230 and one end of the pillar conductive layer 220; the protection layer 250 is disposed on the molding compound layer 230 and the second wiring layer 240.
Since the aforesaid conventional molding compound substrate packaging structure is made of a molding compound material and the electrical connection between the plural wiring layers formed therein is achieved by the conduction of the pillar conductive layer instead of the laser via holes on the aforesaid fiberglass substrate packaging structure, the molding compound substrate packaging structure can have better rigidity than the fiberglass substrate by that it is less likely to deform and wrap than the fiberglass substrate. However, the good rigidity of such molding compound substrate can come with a cost that it is easy to crack and break into pieces, causing irretrievable problems of poor reliability and interruption in electrical connection which can be especially severe for thin-type molding compound substrates. In addition, as the pillar conductive layer for such molding compound substrate is formed directly on the bonding pads of its first wiring layer occupying the space of substrate, it might not be applied for products of fine pitch design, and also for those products with stacking structure, their manufacturing process can be difficult and costly since there can be more than one pillar conductive layer while the pillar in each pillar conductive layer will be required to be formed thinner and thinner.


Aspects of the present disclosure are presented for an AI system featuring specially designed AI hardware that incorporates security features to provide iron clad trust and security to run AI applications/solution models. Presented herein are various security features for AI processing, including: a trust and integrity verifier of data during operation of an AI solution model; identity and trust establishment between an entity and the AI solution model; secure isolation for a virtual AI multilane system; a real-time attack detection and prevention mechanism; and built in detection mechanisms related to rogue security attack elements insertion during manufacturing. Aspects also include security to implement an AI network interconnecting multiple user devices in an AI environment.

Today, AI solutions and/or AI models (which may be referred to herein as AI solution models) have been pre-trained and then deployed in a wide range of applications (e.g., cloud/edge, connected/autonomous vehicles, industrial IoT (Internet of Things), health and wellness, smart cities/spaces, etc.). The AI solution model may be an output from an AI system that solves a problem or a request made by a user. For example, an AI solution model may be the output by the AI system based on the user having requested of the AI system to generate a model that, when performed by the AI system, organizes images into various categories after being trained on a set of training data. It is desirable for AI solution models to be dynamically pushed for online training and inferences, used by different stakeholders. Aspects of the present disclosure allow for AI solution models to be dynamically generated using specially configured hardware. For example, in a vehicle environment, models maybe pushed, trained or run by OEMs, insurance companies, different service providers, owners, different drivers and so on. These models may run one at a time or multiple models in parallel. For example, in some embodiments, the AI hardware allows for a setup of different virtual multi-lanes that run different models from different stakeholders one at a time or in parallel to accomplish multiple decisions at the same time. Currently, competition such as graphics processing unit/tensor processing unit (GPU/TPU) does not have any mechanisms whatsoever to provide trust and security to the AI app/solution models.

Systems and methods of security for trusted artificial intelligence hardware processing


A multi-layer metal gasket includes a first functional layer and a second functional layer. A bore and a fastener hole extend through the first and second functional layers. The first functional layer has a first embossment protruding toward the second functional layer and the second functional layer has a second embossment protruding toward the first functional layer. The first embossment and the second embossment each encircle the bore. An intermediate layer is between the first and second functional layers. The intermediate layer extends between the first embossment and the second embossment and extends from the first and second embossments to the fastener hole. A spacer layer is between the intermediate layer and the first functional layer. The spacer layer has an inner edge defining a hole through the spacer layer. The inner edge encircles the first embossment. The spacer layer extends from the inner edge to the fastener hole.

An cylinder head and an exhaust manifold of an internal combustion engine are sealed gas-tight with a gasket. The gasket includes multiple layers that are typically metal. The layers, in combination, ensure a gas-tight seal between the cylinder head and the exhaust manifold. At least one of the layers is a functional layer that has an embossment that is flattened as the exhaust manifold is tightened to the cylinder head with fasteners. The embossment biases the functional layer toward metal-to-metal contact between the functional layer and the cylinder head or exhaust manifold.
It is desirable that the embossment is resilient to maintain sealing contact between the cylinder head and the exhaust manifold during the range of thermal expansion and contraction of the cylinder head and/or the exhaust manifold, e.g., due to temperature variation between a cold start and normal engine operating temperature. In addition, the cylinder head and the exhaust manifold may thermally expand and contract differently based on cooling differences and material differences.
Assembly of the exhaust manifold to the cylinder head compresses the embossment. Over-compression of the embossment reduces the resiliency of the embossment leading to poor sealing performance over a range of times and temperatures. Over-compression may be a result of tightening of the exhaust manifold and the cylinder head at the location of the embossment and/or flange bending of the gasket caused by fasteners that connect the exhaust manifold to the cylinder head.


A multi-layer ceramic electronic component includes: first internal electrodes each including a first main electrode and a first drawn portion extending from the first main electrode to a first end surface facing in a first direction; and second internal electrodes each including a second main electrode and a second drawn portion extending from the second main electrode to a second end surface facing the first end surface in the first direction, the first and second internal electrodes being alternately laminated, the first drawn portion having a width dimension along a second direction that decreases toward the first end surface and having a predetermined width dimension in the first end surface, the second direction being orthogonal to the first direction, the second drawn portion having a width dimension along the second direction that increases toward the second end surface and having the predetermined width dimension in the second end surface.

The present disclosure relates to a multi-layer ceramic electronic component such as a multi-layer ceramic capacitor.
Typically, a multi-layer ceramic capacitor is produced as follows. First, unsintered ceramic green sheets on which a plurality of internal electrode patterns are respectively formed are laminated. Subsequently, the laminate of the ceramic green sheets is cut at predetermined positions, and an unsintered ceramic body in which side margins and end margins are formed in the periphery of the internal electrodes is produced. The ceramic body is sintered, and external electrodes are formed on the surface of the ceramic body, so that a multi-layer ceramic capacitor is produced.
In the production processes described above, the deviation of lamination at the time of lamination of the ceramic green sheets or the deviation of cut positions at the time of cutting may occur. The occurrence of such deviation causes the positions of the internal electrodes to be deviated from design positions and makes it difficult to sufficiently ensure insulation properties and environment resistance of the internal electrodes.
There is known a method of determining the lamination accuracy of ceramic green sheets or determining the correctness of a cut position in a laminate on the basis of the shapes of the internal electrodes exposed at the surface of the ceramic body.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 10-275736 discloses a method of producing a laminate substrate on which an internal electrode pattern including a partial blank is formed, and determining the correctness of a lamination position of the laminate substrate on the basis of the presence/absence of a non-exposed portion corresponding to the partial blank of the internal electrode on an end surface of the laminate.
Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 5-226178 discloses a multi-layer ceramic capacitor in which a marker for confirming a laminated state is formed in a side margin between an internal electrode and the side surface of a chip, in which the lamination accuracy is confirmed depending on a state where the marker is exposed at an end surface at which the internal electrodes are exposed.

Multi-layer ceramic electronic component


A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display includes forming a plurality of gate lines and data lines on a substrate, the plurality of gate and data lines cross each other and defining a plurality of unit pixel regions displaying red, green, and blue colors, forming a plurality of thin film transistors in each unit pixel regions, forming a passivation layer on the substrate, forming a green color filter layer on the substrate within a unit pixel region displaying the green color, forming one of a red color filter layer and a blue color filter layer within a unit adjacent to the unit pixel region displaying the green color, and within a portion of the green color filter layer overlapping the thin film transistor, depositing an organic insulating layer on the substrate and forming a contact hole, and forming a plurality of pixel electrodes corresponding to each unit pixel region.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display (LCD), and more particularly, to an LCD having a COT structure, which replaces to omit a black matrix generally formed on a TFT substrate with a stack structure color filter layers, thereby simplifying a fabrication process, improving the picture quality, and a method for manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
The rapid progress in the semiconductor technology promoted production of LCDs having a slim profile and a lightweight characteristic, and LCD products having more excellent performance. Related art cathode ray tubes (CRTs) are widely used as information display devices having many advantages in terms of performance and price, while having many disadvantages in terms of miniaturization and portability.
Unlike the CRTs, the LCDs having advantages, such as a relatively small size, slim profile, lightweight, increased portability, and low power consumption, have attracted attentions of users, industry and researchers. The LCDs are introduced as one of the display devices actively replacing the CRTs to overcome the disadvantages of the CRT. Accordingly, more and more LCDs have been installed on most information processing apparatus requiring a display device today.
The LCD is a display device using modulation of light created in a liquid crystal cell. Generally, a voltage is applied to the liquid crystal having a specific molecular arrangement to change the specific arrangement into different molecular arrangements. Application of voltage to the liquid crystal cell converts an optical property, such as birefringence, an optical rotatory power, dichroism, and light scattering characteristics, into a visual property.
The related art LCD is manufactured by a method including forming an upper substrate and a lower substrate, followed by forming of an LC cell constituting the unit of a pixel, forming an alignment layer and rubbing the formed alignment layer, attaching the upper substrate and the lower substrate, filling liquid crystal into a space between the upper substrate and the lower substrate and sealing an liquid crystal inlet. In particular, while forming the upper substrate of the LCD, a black matrix for shielding light, and red (R), green (G) and blue (B) color filter layers are formed through a plurality of masking processes. Similarly, in forming the lower substrate of the LCD, gate lines for applying driving signals, data lines for applying data signals, and pixel electrodes for forming an electric field using applied data signals are formed through a plurality of masking processes.
However, the related art LCD has a disadvantage that the manufacturing process is complicated because the color filter layers and the pixel arrays are respectively formed on the upper substrate and the lower substrate, thereafter the lower substrate and the upper substrate are attached. In addition, the related art LCD has a drawback in low picture quality. When misalignment occurs while attaching the lower and upper substrates, the black matrix of the upper substrate does not completely shield light progressing from the lower substrate resulting in lower picture quality.
To overcome the above described disadvantages, there has been proposed a COT (Colorfilter On TFT) technique in which a pixel array including color filter layers and pixel electrodes are formed on a single glass substrate. Unlike in the related art LCD, the LCD having the COT structure includes the black matrix and the color filter layer formed on the lower substrate where TFTs and pixel electrodes are formed. Accordingly, the related art LCD having the COT structure has an advantage that the manufacturing process is simplified compared to the related art LCD having two separate substrates.
However, forming the color filter layer and the black matrix together with the TFTs require an additional masking process to form black matrix on the TFTs, which results in increased manufacturing cost in the related art LCD having the COT structure.

Liquid crystal display and method for manufacturing the same