A heat-sensitive switch includes a first terminal, a second terminal away from the first terminal, a reverse spring reversing at a set temperature and having an opening part and positioned between the first and second terminals, and a junction spring positioned between the reverse spring and the second terminal without being fixed, integrally having a junction part protrusively positioned and in contact with the first terminal via the opening part, and also having an outer peripheral part in contact with the second terminal. An electric connection between the first and second terminals is formed, and when the reverse spring reverses at the set temperature, a force is applied to the junction part of the junction spring in the direction away from the first terminal, whereby the electric connection is cut.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat-sensitive switch used for an electronic circuit, etc., and a method for assembling the heat-sensitive switch. More particularly, the present invention relates to the heat-sensitive switch for which welding of a junction spring on a base is no longer required, whereby the manufacturing and assembling can be facilitated.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is an example of a conventional heat-sensitive switch used for an electronic circuit, of which structure is as per illustrated in FIG. 18. FIG. 18(a) is a plan view showing an overall structure of the heat-sensitive switch, and FIG. 18(b) is a sectional view as seen by the line b-b of FIG. 18(a).
There is a chassis 201, in a shape of container having a bottom surface, comprising a bottom panel 203 and side walls 205. The chassis 201 has an upper opening part 207, which has been closed by a cover 209.
For the purpose of clarifying the inner structure, FIG. 18(a) does not illustrate the cover 209.
There are terminals 211, 213, respectively inserted and positioned on the left and right, inside the chassis 201.
There is a junction spring 215, incorporated and placed inside the chassis 201. An end of the junction spring 215 (the left end of FIG. 18) has been secured to a protrusive part 217 protruding from the bottom panel 203 of the chassis 201, and welded and fixed thereon in that state. Another end of the junction spring 215 (the right end of FIG. 18) has a junction part 219 provided on the lower surface.
There is also a reverse spring 221 under the junction spring 215, incorporated and placed inside the chassis 201. The reverse spring 221 comprises a so-called "bimetal" material.
According to the above structure, the heat-sensitive switch in normal state is as per shown in FIG. 18(b), wherein the junction part 219 of the junction spring 215 is in contact with the terminal 213. The other end of the junction spring 215 is also in contact with the terminal 211. Thus, the terminal 211 and the terminal 213 are electrically connected to each other.
Further, when the environmental temperature reaches a set temperature, which has been set in advance, the reverse spring 221 is reversed, and becomes in a form as shown by imaginary lines of FIG. 18(b), whereby the junction spring 215 is pressed upwardly. Consequently, the junction part 219 of the junction spring 215 moves away from the terminal 213, and the electric connection between the terminal 211 and the terminal 213 is cut.
On the other hand, when the once risen temperature goes down again, the reverse spring 221 returns to the original form, whereby the electric connection between the terminal 211 and the terminal 213 is resumed again.
Although having no direction relation, there is an analogous disclosure to the heat-sensitive switch of the present invention, such as in the Official Gazette of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 10-21805.
However, the conventional heat-sensitive switch has a disadvantageous point.
According to the conventional structure, an end of the junction spring 215 should be welded and fixed on the side of the bottom panel 203 of the chassis 201, which requires a laborious assembling. In particular, the welding must be done after inserting the reverse spring 221 under the junction spring 215, which would cause poor working efficiency.

Heat-sensitive switch and a heat-sensitive switch assembling method


Implementations described herein relate to methods, devices, and computer-readable media to display a motion image that includes a plurality of frames. In some implementations, a computer-implemented method includes determining a motion score for the motion image based on the plurality of frames. The method further includes determining whether the motion score meets a display threshold. If the motion score meets the display threshold, the method further includes causing the motion image to be displayed with subject motion by displaying the plurality of frames of the motion image in succession. If the motion score does not meet the display threshold, the method further includes causing the motion image to be displayed without subject motion by displaying a particular frame of the motion image.

Users can capture images, including static images such as photos; images that include subject motion, sometimes referred to as motion stills, motion photos, or live photos; 360 degree images; videos etc. Devices used to capture or view images, e.g., cameras, smartphones, wearable devices, computers, etc. may have limited capacity to store images. Images that include subject motion include a plurality of frames may require higher storage capacity than photos or still images. In such situations, users need to provide manual input regarding the images to store in the local storage of the user device.
The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.

Image display with selective depiction of motion


Methods, systems and apparatus for distributing and updating resources. An example method comprising the steps of: a resource producer registering a resource and a resource plug-in with a first server, and submitting a resource patch thereto when a resource update occurs; a second server replicating the resource, the resource plug-in and the resource patch from the first server, and a resource consumer downloading the resource, the resource plug-in and the resource patch from the second server; and updating the resource at the resource consumer side by executing the resource plug-in to apply the resource patch on the resource, and obtaining an updated resource version. The method and system of the present invention will greatly save network bandwidth in a large scale progressive resource distribution and make the design more flexible and extensible.

The resources in the present application are digital data that is used frequently, relative static but still evolving, e.g. a dictionary, a catalog, a name list, a directory, etc. An enterprise may have various resources used by different computing systems, and these resources are copied and distributed so that they can be rapidly retrieved on local computers. For example, a large enterprise may need to maintain a dictionary of frequently used terms in its business. The dictionary needs to be distributed to all the employee's computers so that the spell-checker software can correctly recognize these terms. The dictionary is an evolving resource, which is updated in a low frequency, e.g. weekly or monthly. This enterprise may also want to have versioning control on the dictionary. At the same time, the same enterprise may maintain a standard computer system configuration information. The configuration information needs to be distributed to all the employee's computers so that all the computers' configuration are correct and comply with the enterprise's policies. The configuration information is also an evolving resource. Currently each evolving resource has its own distribution channels, either online or offline, and has an extra development, deployment, and maintenance cost.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,405,219 discloses a method and system for automatically updating the version of a set of files stored in content servers, but it transfers the entire files over the network for replication, and this will occupy a lot of network bandwidth.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,272,536 discloses a system and method for the distribution of codes and data. It describes a system and method for distributing software applications and data to many thousands of clients over a network. The US patent's technical solution does not have any intermediate servers for the distribution, and therefore can not share the load of a server, making users unable to be distributed quickly with codes and data. In addition, this US patent can only distinguish old and new versions so as to conduct a linear version management, and can not support an entire resource versioning tree structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,117 discloses a method and apparatus for workgroup information replication. The apparatus provides an ability to use an existing store-and-forward messaging network such as an electronic mail system to replicate data between computer sites. In the technical solution of this US patent, changes to existing objects/resources are treated as new objects, but this does not facilitate the tracking of the update of particular objects/resources.
In the above mentioned conventional techniques, there are defects that the occupied channel bandwidth is excessive, the costs for development, deployment and maintenance are higher, the ability for controlling version updates is weaker, and the replicating of resource patches and the controlling of version updates can not be integrated.

Method and system for distributing and updating heterogeneous resources

International Business Machines Corporation


Laminated magnetic recording medium with two Co-containing layers separated by a non-magnetic interlayer is stablished by Ru-containing layers between the recording layers and Co-containing stablization layers through antiferromagnetic coupling.

This invention relates to magnetic recording media, such as thin film magnetic recording disks, and to a method of manufacturing the media. The invention has particular applicability to high areal density longitudinal magnetic recording media having very low medium noise and high degree of thermal stability, and more particularly, to a laminated medium with antiferromagnetic stabilization layers.
The increasing demands for higher areal recording density impose increasingly greater demands on thin film magnetic recording media in terms of remanent coercivity (Hr), magnetic remanance (Mr), coercivity squareness (S*), signal-to-medium noise ratio (SMNR), and thermal stability of the media. In particular, as the SMNR is reduced by decreasing the grain size or reducing exchange coupling between grains, it has been observed that the thermal stability of the media decreases. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to produce a magnetic recording medium satisfying above mentioned demanding requirements.
Magnetic discs and disc drives provide quick access to vast amounts of stored information. Both flexible and rigid discs are available. Data on the discs is stored in circular tracks and divided into segments within the tracks. Disc drives typically employ one or more discs rotated on a central axis. A magnetic head is positioned over the disc surface to either access or add to the stored information. The heads for disc drives are mounted on a movable arm that carries the head in very close proximity to the disc over the various tracks and segments.
FIG. 1 shows the schematic arrangement of a magnetic disk drive 10 using a rotary actuator. A disk or medium 11 is mounted on a spindle 12 and rotated at a predetermined speed. The rotary actuator comprises an arm 15 to which is coupled a suspension 14. A magnetic head 13 is mounted at the distal end of the suspension 14. The magnetic head 13 is brought into contact with the recording/reproduction surface of the disk 11. A voice coil motor 19 as a kind of linear motor is provided to the other end of the arm 15. The arm 15 is swingably supported by ball bearings (not shown) provided at the upper and lower portions of a pivot portion 17.
A cross sectional view of a conventional longitudinal recording disk medium is depicted in FIG. 2. A longitudinal recording medium typically comprises a non-magnetic substrate 20 having sequentially deposited on each side thereof an underlayer 21, 21xe2x80x2, such as chromium (Cr) or Cr-containing, a magnetic layer 22, 22xe2x80x2, typically comprising a cobalt (Co)-base alloy, and a protective overcoat 23, 23xe2x80x2, typically containing carbon. Conventional practices also comprise bonding a lubricant topcoat (not shown) to the protective overcoat. Underlayer 21, 21xe2x80x2, magnetic layer 22, 22xe2x80x2, and protective overcoat 23, 23xe2x80x2, are typically deposited by sputtering techniques. The Co-base alloy magnetic layer deposited by conventional techniques normally comprises polycrystallites epitaxially grown on the polycrystal Cr or Cr-containing underlayer.
A conventional longitudinal recording disk medium is prepared by-depositing multiple layers of films to make a composite film. In sequential order, the multiple layers typically comprise a non-magnetic substrate, one or more underlayers, one or more magnetic layers, and a protective carbon layer. Generally, a polycrystalline epitaxially grown cobalt-chromium (CoCr) alloy magnetic layer is deposited on a chromium or chromium-alloy underlayer.
Conventional methods for manufacturing a longitudinal magnetic recording medium with a glass, glass-ceramic, Al or Alxe2x80x94NiP substrate may also comprise applying a seedlayer between the substrate and underlayer. A conventional seedlayer seeds the nucleation of a particular crystallographic texture of the underlayer. Conventionally, a seedlayer is the first deposited layer on the non-magnetic substrate. The role of this layer is to texture (alignment) the crystallographic orientation of the subsequent Cr-containing underlayer, and might also produce small grain size, which is desired for the purpose of reducing recording noise.
The seedlayer, underlayer, and magnetic layer are conventionally sequentially sputter deposited on the substrate in an inert gas atmosphere, such as an atmosphere of argon. A conventional carbon overcoat is typically deposited in argon with nitrogen, hydrogen or ethylene. Conventional lubricant topcoats are typically about 20 xc3x85 thick.
A substrate material conventionally employed in producing magnetic recording rigid disks comprises an aluminum-magnesium (Alxe2x80x94Mg) alloy. Such Alxe2x80x94Mg-alloys are typically electrolessly plated with a layer of NiP at a thickness of about 15 microns to increase the hardness of the substrates, thereby providing a suitable surface for polishing to provide the requisite surface roughness or texture.
Other substrate materials have been employed, such as glass, e.g., an amorphous glass, glass-ceramic material that comprises a mixture of amorphous and crystalline materials, and ceramic materials. Glass-ceramic materials do not normally exhibit a crystalline surface. Glasses and glass-ceramics generally exhibit high resistance to shocks.
According to the domain theory, a magnetic material is composed of a number of submicroscopic regions called domains. Each domain contains parallel atomic magnetic moments and is always magnetized to saturation (Ms), but the directions of magnetization of different domains are not necessarily parallel. In the absence of an applied magnetic field, adjacent domains may be oriented randomly in any number of several directions, called the directions of easy magnetization, which depend on the geometry of the crystal, stress, etc. The resultant effect of all these various directions of magnetization may be zero, as is the case with an unmagnetized specimen. When a magnetic field is applied, the domains most nearly parallel to the direction of the applied field may grow in size at the expense of the others. This is called boundary displacement of the domains or the domain growth. Domains may also rotate and align parallel to the applied field. When the material reaches the point of saturation magnetization, no further domain growth and rotation would take place on increasing the strength of the magnetic field.
The ease of magnetization or demagnetization of a magnetic material depends on the crystal structure, grain orientation, the state of strain, and the direction of the magnetic field. The magnetization is most easily obtained along the easy axis of magnetization but most difficult along the hard axis of magnetization. A magnetic material is said to posses a magnetic anisotropy when easy and hard axes exist. On the other hand, a magnetic material is said to be isotropic when there are no easy or hard axes. A magnetic material is said to possess a uniaxial anisotropy when the easy axis is oriented along a single crystallographic direction, and to possess multiaxial anisotropy when the easy axis aligns with multiple crystallographic directions.
xe2x80x9cAnisotropy energyxe2x80x9d is the work against the anisotropy force to turn magnetization vector away from an easy direction. For example, a single crystal of iron, which is made up of a cubic array of iron atoms, tends to magnetize in the directions of the cube edges along which lie the easy axes of magnetization. A single crystal of iron requires about 1.4xc3x97105 ergs/cm3 (at room temperature) to move magnetization into the hard axis of magnetization from an easy direction, which is along a cubic body diagonal.
The anisotropy energy UA could be expressed in an ascending power series of the direction cosines between the magnetization and the crystal axes. For cubic crystals, the lowest-order terms take the form of Equation (1),
UA=K1(xcex112xcex122+xcex122xcex132+xcex132xcex112)+K2(xcex112xcex122xcex132)xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(1)
where xcex11, xcex12 and xcex13 are direction cosines with respect to the cube, and K1, and K2 are temperature-dependent parameters characteristic of the material, called anisotropy constants.
Anisotropy constants can be determined from (1) analysis of magnetization curves, (2) the torque on single crystals in a large applied field, and (3) single crystal magnetic resonance. The term xe2x80x9canisotropy constantxe2x80x9d is often referred to as magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant.
While Equation (1) applies for a cubic lattice, similar equations are also known for other lattice systems. For example, for a hexagonal close packed (HCP) lattice, the equation for UA is the following:
UA=K1 sin2xcex8+K2 sin4xcex8xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(2)
where xcex8 is the angle between the Ms vector, i.e., the saturation magnetization direction, and the c axis (easy axis), and K1 and K2 are anisotropy constants.
The requirements for high areal density, i.e., higher than 30 Gb/in2, impose increasingly greater requirements on magnetic recording media in terms of coercivity, remanent squareness, medium noise and track recording performance. It is extremely difficult to produce a magnetic recording medium satisfying such demanding requirements, particularly a high-density magnetic rigid disk medium for longitudinal and perpendicular recording. The magnetic anisotropy of longitudinal and perpendicular recording media makes the easily magnetized direction of the media located in the film plane and perpendicular to the film plane, respectively. The remanent magnetic moment of the magnetic media after magnetic recording or writing of longitudinal and perpendicular media is located in the film plane and perpendicular to the film plane, respectively.
Important magnetic properties, such as coercivity (Hc), remanent magnetization (Mr) and coercive squareness (S*), which are crucial to the recording performance of the Co alloy thin film for a fixed composition, depend primarily on its microstructure. For thin film longitudinal magnetic recording media, the desired crystalline structure of the Co and Co alloys is HCP with uniaxial crystalline anisotropy and a magnetization easy direction along the c-axis is in the plane of the film. The better the in-plane c-axis crystallographic texture, the higher the coercivity of the Co alloy thin film used for longitudinal recording. This is required to achieve a high remanence. For very small grain sizes coercivity increases with increased grain size. As grain size increases, noise increases. There is a need to achieve high coercivities without the increase in noise associated with large grains. To achieve a low noise magnetic medium, the Co alloy thin film should have uniform small grains with grain boundaries that can magnetically isolate neighboring grain diameters. This kind of microstructure and crystallographic texture is normally achieved by manipulating the deposition process, or most often by the proper use of an underlayer.
The linear recording density can be increased by increasing the Hr of the magnetic recording medium, and by decreasing the medium noise, as by maintaining very fine magnetically non-coupled grains. Medium noise in thin films is a dominant factor restricting increased recording density of high-density magnetic hard disk drives, and is attributed primarily to inhomogeneous grain size and intergranular exchange coupling. Accordingly, in order to increase linear density, medium noise must be minimized by suitable microstructure control and, therefore, several techniques have been disclosed in the prior art.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,796 (Teng) teaches a laminated longitudinal magnetic recording medium with Cr-containing non-magnetic layer between two magnetic layers. This medium exhibits a lower medium noise than that of a conventional medium without the Cr-containing interlayer. However, when the medium Mrt is below 0.6 memu/cm2, the laminated medium has very poor thermal stability, which will be shown below. As recording density increases to about 30 Gb/in2, medium Mrt has been reduced to about 0.35 memu/cm2. Regular laminated medium can not be used in such low Mrt regime due to thermal stability issue.
Abarra et al. (xe2x80x9cLongitudinal magnetic recording media with thermal stabilizationxe2x80x9d, AA-06, Intermag 2000 Digest of Technical papers, 2000 IEEE International Magnetics Conference, Toronto, Canada, Apr. 9-13, 2000.) reported the approach to insert a Ru film about 8 xc3x85 thick into two ferromagnetic layers to enhance the thermal stability of the recording layer, located on the top of Ru film.
CoCr films with Cr concentration around 37 atomic percent are non-magnetic films with hexagonal structure. Ohkijima et al. (xe2x80x9cEffect of CoCr interlayer on longitudinal recording,xe2x80x9d IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, Vol. 33, No. 5, pp. 2944-2946, September 1997) reported the use of CoCr layer deposited between Cr underlayer and CoCrTa magnetic layer.
In order to squeeze as much digital information as possible on a recording disc medium there is a need to find a film structure, which can benefit the low noise feature of laminated medium, but has acceptable thermal stability. Furthermore, in order to obtain high enough signal output, and reduce the medium noise of the medium with antiferromagnetic stabilization layers, further improvement of the medium is necessary.
Applicants recognized that the antiferromagnetic interactions of two Co-containing magnetic layers, one of the Co-containing magnetic layers being a magnetic recording layer and the other being a stabilization layer, separated by a thin Ru film magnetically stabilize the magnetic recording layer. Applicants also recognized that the use of a CoCr-containing non-magnetic hexagonal-structured film in between two Co-containing magnetic layers provides decoupling and improved epitaxial growth of the Co-containing magnetic layers.
The invention provides a magnetic recording medium for high areal recording density exhibiting low noise and high degree of thermal stability. One way of achieving this goal is to produce a magnetic recording medium having (1) a non-magnetic layer, preferably, a Ru-containing layer, between two Co-containing magnetic layers, one of the Co-containing magnetic layers being a magnetic recording layer and the other being a stabilization layer, and (2) a non-magnetic interlayer, preferably, a CoCr-containing non-magnetic hexagonal-structured layer, in between two Co-containing magnetic recording layers.
An embodiment of this invention is a magnetic recording medium, comprising a Co-containing recording layer and an additional Co-containing recording layer separated by a non-magnetic interlayer, and further comprising a Ru-containing layer and a Co-containing stabilization layer, wherein the magnetic recording medium is thermally stable. The magnetic recording medium could further comprise an additional Ru-containing layer and an additional Co-containing stabilization layer. The Co-containing recording layer and the additional Co-containing recording layer each could have n pairs of the Ru-containing layer and the Co-containing stabilization layer deposited immediately under the recording layer, wherein n is more than 1. The Ru-containing layer could have a thickness in a range of about 0.6 to 1.2 nm. The non-magnetic interlayer could comprise a hexagonal-structured non-magnetic film having a similar lattice constant as that of the Co-containing recording layer. The non-magnetic interlayer could comprise Cr and X, wherein the X is selected from the group consisting of V, Mo, W, Ti, Ru and RuW and the X is capable of expanding the lattice constant of the non-magnetic interlayer. The thickness of the non-magnetic interlayer could be in a range of about 0.5 to 5 nm. The Co-containing stabilization layer could comprise a Co-containing alloy selected from the group consisting of CoCrPt, CoCrPtTa, CoCrPtTaNb and CoCrPtB. The Co-containing stabilization layer could have a thickness in a range of about 1 to 5 nm. The Co-containing recording layer and/or the additional Co-containing recording layer could comprise a Co-containing alloy selected from the group consisting of CoCrPt, CoCrPtTa, CoCrPtTaNb, and CoCrPtB, and have a thickness in a range of about 4 to 12 nm.
Another embodiment of this invention is a method of manufacturing a magnetic recording medium comprising, depositing a Co-containing stabilization layer on a Cr-containing underlayer, depositing a Ru-containing layer on the Co-containing stabilization layer, depositing a Co-containing recording layer on the Ru-containing layer, depositing a non-magnetic interlayer on the Co-containing recording layer, and depositing an additional Co-containing recording layer on the non-magnetic interlayer.
Yet, another embodiment is a magnetic recording medium, comprising a pair of magnetic recording layers separated by means for improving thermal stability of the magnetic recording medium. In this invention, xe2x80x9cmeans for improving thermal stability of the magnetic recording mediumxe2x80x9d is a combination of a Ru-containing layer and a Co-containing layer, a combination of a Ru-containing layer and a CoCr-containing non-magnetic layer or combinations thereof.
As will be realized, this invention is capable of other and different embodiments, and its details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all without departing from this invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.

Laminated medium with antiferromagnetic stabilization layers


The present invention relates to a deep-drawable multi-layer film having low water vapor and oxygen permeability, the inventive film being suitable for blister packaging and preferably including a layer composite specifically a PVC/PVDC/PCTFE/PVC composite.

The barrier effect of polymeric materials and films with respect to water vapor is generally independent of the barrier effect with respect to oxygen. Accordingly, materials exhibiting a good vapor barrier will not necessarily also exhibit a good barrier with respect to oxygen and to odors, and vice versa. The only material that exhibits a barrier effect in a moderate to good range of values not only with respect to oxygen but also with respect to water vapor is polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC). PCTFE, polyolefins, and other polymers exhibit a good to very good water vapor barrier but a very low oxygen barrier. EVOH (ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer) exhibits a very good oxygen barrier, but a low water vapor barrier. There is currently no available polymeric packaging film that is marketable, i.e. that can be produced cost-effectively, and that exhibits a high water vapor barrier alongside a high oxygen barrier. On the other hand, modern medicaments are increasingly proving to be sensitive to water vapor and oxygen. The requirements placed upon the barrier effect exhibited by packaging films for medicaments are accordingly ever more stringent. The requirement hitherto has been for a large barrier effect mainly with respect to water vapor, but packaging films for modern medicaments now also have to exhibit a large barrier effect with respect to oxygen.
Thermoformable plastics films are widely used for the packaging of food and drink, medicaments, and other products. The products known as blister packs are important here. Blister packs have a shape matched to the product and obtained by thermoforming of a flat, preferably transparent plastics film. The packaging component that conforms to the respective product or contents is also termed base component, and after the contents have been charged it is sealed with a lid film, preferably an aluminum film, by a welding or sealing process. The packaging has to comply with particular requirements in respect of the barrier effect thereof with respect to water vapor, oxygen and sometimes other gases, such as carbon dioxide, and these requirements depend on the intended application. By way of example, a wide variety of medicaments require packaging exhibiting a water vapor transmission of less than 0.06 g/(m2·24 h), and in some cases less than 0.04 g/(m2·24 h). In the case of transparent films, the only way of achieving water vapor transmission of less than 0.06 g/(m2·24 h) is to use PCTFE as film material with a thickness greater than 100 μm. Water vapor transmission below 0.04 g/(m2·24 h) has hitherto been achievable only by using aluminum film, in particular by using what is known as "cold form film". Aluminum films of this type are not transparent and they moreover have low deformability, and cannot therefore be used to produce relatively small blisters, so that the film area needed is substantially greater than when a thermoformable blister is used.
Thermoformable plastics films have to have not only a larger barrier effect but also other properties, such as sealability, freedom from streaks, low thickness, uniform thickness profile, and good processability. For the processability, especially advantageous features are good deformability, i.e. maximum uniformity of thickness distribution in the component after the deforming process, and also maximum shape replication, minimum curl, and a small coefficient of friction, i.e. good slip capability with respect to the machinery parts contacted and the packaged contents. The curl occurs in two- or multilayer composite films when the coefficients of thermal expansion (CTEs) of the individual layer materials differ.
Thermoforming plastics films for packaging exhibiting barrier effect with respect to water vapor are known in the prior art.
EP 1 655 237 A1 discloses a thermoformed or cold-formed blister pack with a blister base component and with a lid film. The lid film is composed of an aluminum film of thickness from 10 to 30 μm which has been laminated or coated with, on a first side, a film which can be peeled from the aluminum film and which is made of at least one plastics layer based on thermoplastic or thermoset polymers and, on the second side, sealed against the blister base component, a plastics film based on polyvinyl chloride (PVC) having a film thickness of from 10 to 40 μm, or polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) having a film thickness of from 10 to 40 μm, or polypropylene (PP) having a film thickness of from 6 to 35 μm, or polyethylene (PE) having a film thickness of from 6 to 35 μm, or polyester having a film thickness of from 5 to 10 μm, or polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE) having a film thickness of from 8 to 30 μm, or cycloolefin copolymers (COCs), or cycloolefin polymers (COPs) having a thickness of from 10 to 40 μm. The blister base component is composed, at least on the side sealed against the lid film, of a material having a chemical structure compatible with that of the plastics films sealed against the blister base component. The film that can be peeled from the aluminum film is composed of one or more layers made of one or more of the following plastics: PVC, PVDC, PCTFE, PP, PE, polyester, polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyamide (PA), COC, COP, polystyrene (PS), or cellophane.
EP 1 468 817 A1 (whose United States equivalent is United States Publication No. 2007/068842A1 relates to a lid film for blister packs with thermoformed or cold-formed blister base components. The lid film encompasses an aluminum film of thickness from 5 to 30 μm which has been laminated, on a side provided for sealing with respect to a blister base component, with a plastics film based on PVC having a film thickness of from 10 to 40 μm, or PVDC having a film thickness of from 10 to 40 μm, or PP having a film thickness of from 6 to 35 μm, or polyester having a film thickness of from 5 to 15 μm, or PCTFE having a film thickness of from 8 to 76 μm, or COC having a thickness of from 10 to 40 μm. Blister base components are composed by way of example of films made of PVC, PP, PET, PE, and of composite films, such as PVC/ACLAR® (PCTFE), PVC/PVDC, and COC, or Al—Al blisters.
DE 602 09 812 T2 (whose United States equivalent is United States Publication No. 2003/099813A1 describes an at least single-layer polymer film, where one of the layers encompasses a vinylidene chloride composition which encompasses 100 parts by weight of vinylidene chloride copolymer; from 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of stabilizer, from 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of lubricant, and from 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of hydrophilic clay. By way of example, the structure of the polymer film is of the following type: C/A/B, B/A/D/B, or C/A/D/C, where A stands for PVDC.
The packaging films known in the prior art exhibit inadequate barrier effect with respect to water vapor and oxygen, or require the use of considerable amounts of PCTFE, of an aluminum film, or of inorganic additives. These measures are associated with increased costs in the case of PCTFE, or impair processability and other properties, such as optical transparency.
PCTFE film exhibits a very good water vapor barrier, but a low oxygen barrier. An increase in the thickness of a PCTFE film can in principle raise the water vapor barrier, but because of indirect proportionality between material thickness and water vapor transmission the thickness of PCTFE needed rises rapidly into a range which is technically and economically very disadvantageous, and there is no possibility of achieving an oxygen barrier adequate for highly demanding packaging applications. PVDC, on the other hand, exhibits a very good oxygen barrier, but exhibits a water vapor barrier substantially smaller than that of PCTFE. If the same water vapor barrier is to be achieved with PVDC as with PCTFE, the thickness of PVDC has to be 165% of the thickness of PCTFE. PVDC films and, respectively, layers are usually produced by applying many thin sublayers. By way of example, the weight per unit area of PVDC required to achieve a water vapor barrier of 0.035 g/(m2·24 h) (measured at a temperature of 38° C. and a relative humidity of 90%) would be about 400 g/m2. This requires 40 passes through the machinery of a conventional industrial coating system in each case applying 10 g/m2, or 27 passes at 15 g/m2. Such a large number of passes through machinery is not achievable either technically or economically. The industrial processes known in the prior art produce PVDC layers with weight per unit area of up to at most 180 g/m2.
The oxygen barrier exhibited by PVDC is only very slightly affected by moisture, whereas by way of example EVOH, which likewise exhibits a very good oxygen barrier, suffers major loss of oxygen barrier on exposure to moisture. In extreme cases, the magnitude of the loss in the case of EVOH extends to powers of ten. EVOH is usually used in packaging for food or drink, but has also recently been used in pharmaceutical packaging.


An ink-jet printer includes a rotary drum for carrying a print sheet, a print head arranged above the rotary drum for printing an image by ejecting ink onto the print sheet, a washing board facing the print head to wash an end surface of the print head with ink ejected from the print head, and a control unit for controlling at a non-printing time the washing board to be set at a cleaning position located between the print head and the rotary drum and the print head to eject ink therefrom. Particularly, the washing board has grooves which receives an entire end surface of the print head and a drain section for draining the ink ejected from the print head and flowing in contact with the end surface of the print head within the groove section.

The present invention relates to an ink-jet printer which prints an image onto a print medium held on a rotary drum with ink ejected from a print head, and particularly, to an ink-jet printer whose print head is constructed by a plurality of ink-jet nozzles disposed in the axial direction of the rotary drum.
Conventionally, serial-type ink-jet printers are widely spreading. In the serial-type ink-jet printer, a print head and an ink cassette of a relatively small capacity are integrally mounted on a carriage, and the carriage is movably attached to a guide bar extending across a paper sheet. The paper sheet is fed in a direction perpendicular to the guide bar at a constant pitch, and the carriage is moved along the guide bar each time the paper sheet is fed for one pitch. The print head ejects ink during the movement of the carriage. In the case where the printer is used for color printing, the print head includes a plurality of ink-jet nozzles which are respectively supplied with inks of different colors from ink tanks. In the structure as described above, for example, a color image of A4 size is printed out in ten minutes. Thus, the serial-type ink-jet printer operates at a slow print speed of 0.1 sheet per minute.
In recent years, a drum rotation type ink-jet printer has been developed to perform color printing at a higher speed. In this ink-jet printer, a paper sheet is held on a rotary drum rotating in only one direction, and a print head includes a plurality of nozzle units which are arranged along the peripheral surface of the rotary drum and eject inks of different colors other onto a paper sheet rotating together with the rotary drum. Each nozzle unit includes a plurality of ink-jet nozzles disposed across the paper sheet in the axial direction of the rotary drum. The pitch of the ink-jet nozzles is set to a value equal to a desired resolution or a value two to four times greater than the resolution. The print head is positioned such that the end surfaces of the ink-jet nozzles are close to the paper sheet on the rotary drum. The print head is set to a predetermined position in the case where the pitch of the ink-jet nozzles is equal to the desired resolution. The print head is set to be movable in the axial direction of the drum from the predetermined position in the case where the pitch of the ink-jet nozzles exceeds the desired resolution. When the print head is movable in the axial direction of the rotary drum, the print head is moved at a rate corresponding to the desired resolution, for each revolution of the rotary drum, and is returned to the predetermined position after the print head is moved for a distance equal to the pitch of the ink-jet nozzles. The rotation speed of the rotary drum is set to 120 rpm. In this structure, for example, a color image of A4 size can be printed out in about two or three seconds. Also, since the print head is not moved by a distance exceeding the nozzle pitch in the axial direction of the rotary drum, the number of prints to be obtained for each ink charge can be increased by setting large-capacity ink cassettes apart from the print head and supplying inks of different colors to the respective nozzle units of the print head.
In this ink-jet printer, the end surface of the print head corresponding to the end surfaces of all the ink-jet nozzles are close to a paper sheet with a gap of about 1 mm interposed therebetween. Therefore, during printing in which a paper sheet is rotated at a high speed by a rotary drum and moved relatively with respect to the ink-jet nozzles, paper particles scattered from the paper sheet easily adhere to the end surface of the print head. The paper particles are gradually accumulated and soak up ink on the end surfaces of the nozzles. If such paper particles drop on a paper sheet along with ink, the print quality is degraded. The degradation of the print quality is a more serious problem for a drum rotation type ink-jet printer in which the print head is used for a long period than for a serial type ink-jet printer in which the print head is replaced upon shortage of ink in an ink cassette of a small capacity.
However, since the gap between the end surface of the print head and a paper sheet is slight, it is difficult to remove safely and securely paper particles adhered to the end surface. Therefore, for example, a cleaning process may be performed at the non-printing time to remove the paper particles by moving the print head in the axial direction of the rotary drum from a printing position facing the peripheral surface of the rotary drum to a cleaning position not facing the peripheral surface of the rotary drum, and mechanically wiping the end surface of the print head with an elastic material such as rubber upon movement of the print head. In this case, the size of the drum rotation type ink-jet printer will be increased in accordance with the distance of moving the print head. Further, an increase of the print speed is hindered by time losses caused by moving the print head between the cleaning position and the printing position. In this respect, since the end surface of the print head is coated with a water repellent film so that ink is ejected from ink-jet nozzles through predetermined courses onto a paper sheet, the pressure to the elastic material and the moving speed of the print head must be appropriately restricted.


An ingot support device for slicing silicon is produced by molding a molding material obtained by blending an acrylic resin or an unsaturated polyester resin and one or more inorganic fillers selected from the group consisting of aluminium hydroxide, barium sulphate, barium carbonate, calcium carbonate and silica. According to the present invention, there is provided an ingot support device for slicing silicon which can be produced easily at a low cost, which has enough strength to cope with the upsizing of the ingot block, has high adhesive properties with the ingot block, and has other further improved properties which are required of the ingot support device for slicing silicon.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ingot support device for slicing silicon. In particular, the present invention relates to an ingot support device for slicing silicon having further improved properties and which can be produced at a low cost.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, silicon wafers have been produced by slicing a single crystal block (ingot block) using piano wire. More particularly, for example, a cylindrical ingot block is mounted on and secured to an ingot support device using an adhesive such as an epoxy resin, and the ingot block is sliced to a desired thickness using piano wire while applying a cutting oil and/or a cutting powder, thereby, producing multiple silicon wafers.
FIG. 2 is an illustration of a prior art ingot support device for slicing silicon. The ingot support device 10 comprises a carbon mounting block 50 to mount and secure an ingot block 3, and an underlying glass base 60. In the production of silicon wafers, the ingot block 3 is secured to the carbon mounting block 50 of the ingot support device using an adhesive, then piano wires 4 are advanced in a fixed direction to cut the ingot block 3 into silicon wafers. At this time, cutting oil and/or cutting powder are applied in order to facilitate the cutting of the ingot block 3. The piano wires 4 cut the carbon mounting block 50 together with the ingot block 3, and when the piano wires 4 reach the glass base 60, it is determined that the cutting of the ingot block 3 is completed, and the cutting process is stopped.
The drawbacks of the above-mentioned conventional ingot support device 10 for slicing silicon are that it is expensive and the production process is complicated because the ingot support device is a composite of the carbon mounting block 50 and the glass base 60. In addition, carbon used for the ingot support device is expensive since it should have high quality. Moreover, the use of the glass base 60 may also present a problem with on-the-job safety due to breakage and the like.
As semiconductor devices have become highly integrated recently, chip area has increased, consequently, the diameters of silicon wafers have also increased. Presently, 8-inch silicon wafers are the main stream, but it is expected that the size will be increased to around 16-inch, for example, in the future. The increase in the diameter of silicon wafers will require the upsizing of the ingot block, and the ingot support device for slicing silicon will correspondingly be required to have increased strength and a larger size to mount and secure such an ingot block.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an ingot support device for slicing silicon which can be produced easily at a low cost, which has enough strength to cope with the upsizing of the ingot block, has high adhesive properties with the ingot block, and has other further improved characteristics which are required of the ingot support device for slicing silicon such as oil resistance, insulating properties, a low thermal expansion coefficient, etc.

Ingot support device for slicing silicon


A pretensioner (1) for a seat belt system (7) of an automobile includes a gas generator (2), a gas pipe (3), a piston (5) and a coupling mechanism (6). The gas generator is adapted to generate a high-pressure gas when a shock occurs in the automobile due to a collision, a sudden stop, etc. The gas pipe is formed to receive therein the gas generator. The gas pipe is adapted to guide the high-pressure gas released from the gas generator to the piston. The piston is adapted to be moved or displaced by the pressure of the high-pressure gas guided by the gas pipe. The coupling mechanism is connected to each of the piston and a buckle (8) of the seat belt system (7). The coupling mechanism is adapted to wind up or pull a seat belt (9) in accordance with the movement of the piston to increase a restraining force of the seat belt.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a gas pressure-driven type pretensioner for an automobile seat belt, in which a gas generator and a gas pipe are joined or fastened together by crimping an end-adjacent portion of the gas pipe onto the gas generator, and a production method therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an automobile is equipped with a seat belt system for restraining and protecting an occupant by a seat belt, in the event of a collision or a sudden stop of the automobile. In the seat belt system, the seat belt is received in a winder or retractor during non-use, and then withdrawn from the retractor before use. In a normal state, the seat belt can be freely withdrawn from the retractor during use of the seat belt system. Further, if slack occurs in the seat belt, the seat belt is automatically wound up by the retractor until the slack is removed. Thus, even though the seat belt, which is withdrawn from the retractor and in contact with an occupant, is kept in a tightened state without slack, it never hinders an occupant's movement for driving.
In the event of a collision or a sudden stop of the automobile, in response to a sudden force applied to the seat belt in a direction causing withdrawal of the seat belt from the retractor, the seat belt is locked within the retractor, so that it is kept from being further withdrawn from the retractor. This makes it possible to restrain an occupant to a seat so as to prevent forward movement of the occupant.
However, in the event of a collision or a sudden stop of the automobile, the operation of locking the seat belt involves a slight response lag or time delay. Consequently, the seat belt will be withdrawn from the retractor excessively to some extent. Moreover, depending on a posture or a seated position of an occupant, there is a possibility that the seat belt is in a position where it is slightly excessively withdrawn from the retractor, in the normal state.
In the event of a collision or a sudden stop of the automobile, if the seat belt is in such a position where it is slightly excessively withdrawn from the retractor, the seat belt system cannot adequately fulfill an occupant restraining or protecting function. Therefore, a seat belt system has been employed which is additionally provided with a pretensioner designed to wind up a seat belt or pull a seat belt in a direction for increasing a restraining force thereof, almost instantaneously in the event of a collision or a sudden stop of an automobile, to enhance the occupant restraining or protecting function. As one type of pretensioner, there has been known a gas pressure-driven type pretensioner using a gas generator adapted to generate a high-pressure gas based on combustion of a gas-generating agent, as a power source for winding up or pulling a seat belt (see, for example, JP 2000-326824A).
As one example of the gas pressure-driven type, a pretensioner can be employed which comprises a gas generator adapted to generate a gas when a shock is applied to an automobile due to a collision or a sudden stop thereof, and a gas pipe adapted to guide the generated gas to a piston, wherein a seat belt is wound up or pulled by means of movement of the piston. Generally, in the conventional gas pressure-driven type pretensioner, the gas generator is placed within the gas pipe made of a metal, at a position on the side of one end of the gas pipe. Then, the gas generator and the gas pipe are joined or fastened together by crimping the end portion of the gas pipe onto the gas generator.
FIG. 7 shows one example of a joined portion between a gas generator and a gas pipe of a conventional gas pressure-driven type pretensioner. For example, in this conventional pretensioner, the gas generator 101 and the gas pipe 102 are joined or fastened together in the following manner. Firstly, the gas generator 101 is placed in a hollow portion inside the gas pipe 102 made of a metal, at a position on the side of one end of the gas pipe 102. Then, an end-adjacent portion 103 of the gas pipe 102 is crimped onto a crimping shoulder 104 of the gas generator 101, so that the gas generator 101 and the gas pipe 102 are joined or fastened together.

Pretensioner and process for manufacturing the same


Coarse-grained system-wide database privileges are transformed into new finer-grained database object privileges that are user-centric and specific to particular objects by creating an object class defining certain generic operations on objects, and defining within the object class a new object that embodies permissible actions on a particular database object. The new object is stored in a catalog table that comprises an object privilege table and is associated in the object privilege table with a consolidated grouping of object privileges of users relative to the new object.

This invention relates generally to databases, and more particularly to methods for efficiently managing permissions of database users with respect to database objects.
Enterprises and other large organizations frequently employ large and complex database systems for storing critical information to which a large number of users may require access. For security, data integrity and other reasons, it is necessary to manage and control the permissions ("privileges") that users have to access, change or create data in the database. This is typically handled with two different types of privilege models, a system privilege and an object privilege. System privileges are database user-centric. They are system wide and apply to database users according to role. They may include, for example, the ability to access an external table, to create a database table, or to create and assign users to roles, where a role is a classification comprising a logical grouping of privileges applicable to a particular user. Object privileges, in contrast, are database object-centric. They apply to a particular database user, but the privileges are with respect only to a given database object. Object privileges are typically defined separately for the various operations or functions possible on a database object, such as a table, and include, for example, the rights to read or write the table.
It is frequently necessary to add or drop database users, or to change or update system privileges of users and their privileges with respect to objects. Additionally, it is also necessary at times to add new objects and to extend privileges to these. System privileges are typically stored in a system privilege table that lists each user on a separate row, and that user's privileges in separate columns. Updating a system privilege table to accommodate changes such as the foregoing can be a resource intensive and time-consuming effort.
Accordingly, it is desirable to afford more flexible and efficient approaches for managing database permissions and privileges, and it is to these ends that the present invention is directed

Method of transforming database system privileges to object privileges


Various embodiments of a gas sensor device and method of fabricating a gas sensor device are provided. In one embodiment a gas sensor device includes a base substrate, an electrolyte layer disposed on the base substrate and a plurality of potentiometric sensor units electrically coupled to the base substrate. Each potentiometric sensor unit includes an electrolyte layer disposed on the base substrate, a sensing electrode comprising tungsten oxide (WO3) and platinum (Pt), a reference electrode comprising Pt, and a plurality of connectors coupled to the plurality of potentiometric sensors to connect the plurality of potentiometric sensors in series.

Nitric oxide (NO) sensing is a critical capability for a variety of applications ranging from high temperature combustion to clinical analysis. In high temperature combustion applications, detection of nitrogen oxides (NOx) is critical in controlling the processes used to reduce the NOx emissions produced by the leaner combustion processes being developed to improve fuel efficiency. NOx sensors that are high temperature capable may also find use in other high-temperature applications. Another area where NOx sensing is required is in the medical industry, specifically in breath analysis. These do not typically involve applications where the sensor operates in a high temperature ambient environment, but it is one where the detection of nitric oxide (NO) itself has high importance.
There are a variety of ways to detect NO, with solid-state electrochemical sensors being one such technique. Such sensors also have the added benefit of being easier to miniaturize compared to other techniques. A variety of solid-state electrochemical sensors for NO have been demonstrated previously. These techniques vary and a continuing challenge is to design sensitive systems with limited size, weight and power consumption so as to allow for portable sensor systems. Such advancements would have notable impact on the healthcare industry in enabling homecare monitoring units.
NO sensors capable of detecting NO at concentrations as low as 7 ppb have been demonstrated using an array of sensor units in series to increase the resulting sensor signal for a given NO concentration. However, these sensors were made using hand assembly techniques and also were assembled into arrays by hand. This manual fabrication limits the minimum size to which the sensors can be reduced.
Miniaturized sensors based on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) fabrication technology have been demonstrated for aerospace applications. Sensors made by MEMS fabrication are very small devices that can be made up of components and features between 1 to 100 micrometers in size (0.001 to 0.1 mm). Fabrication is a challenge at these size scales for several reasons. Large surface area to volume ratio of MEMS, and the resulting surface effects which dominate over volume effects can improve sensor performance. However, the overall surface area of a MEMS sensor unit may be notably smaller than corresponding macro sensor devices. This may decrease the overall number of chemical reactions involved, resulting in a decreased signal. Thus, improved sensor design is mandatory to enable miniaturization of sensor systems. Such optimization may be different on the macro level then for micro sensors, and simple application of design principle that are successful for macro sensor can lead to significantly degraded performance for micro sensors.
A reduction in size of the sensors using MEMS techniques would not only decrease the size for better implementation in a handheld home monitoring unit, but the reduced size would also decrease the power required to bring the sensors up to operating temperature. In addition, the utilization of MEMS fabrication techniques introduces batch fabrication that allows for multiple sensors to be made at one time, thus reducing costs.

Miniaturized gas sensor device and method


An imaging optical code reader is adapted for use in producing video displays and for use in motion detection surveillance using video compression and narrow band width communication links. An optical system including a plane parallel plate may be employed to change the system focal distance.

The invention relates to the use of optical code readers to produce video displays and to detect non-code image information. Aspects of the invention are particularly useful in handheld code readers with image sensors which are in communication with a host terminal.
Most conventional optical scanning systems are designed specifically to read optical codes such as one-dimensional barcode symbols. Typical conventional scanning systems generate one or more beams of laser light which reflects off a barcode symbol and back to the scanning system. The system obtains a continuous analog waveform corresponding to the light reflected by the code along one or more scan lines of the system. The system then decodes the waveform to extract information from the barcode. A system of this general type is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,251,798, assigned to Symbol Technologies, Inc. A beam scanning system for detecting and decoding one and two dimensional barcodes is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,561,283, also assigned to Symbol Technologies, Inc.
Advantageously, barcodes and other optical codes can also be read employing imaging devices. For example an image sensor may be employed which has a two dimensional array of cells or photo sensors which correspond to image elements or pixels in a field of view of the device. Such an image sensor may be a two dimensional or area charge coupled device (CCD) and associated circuits for producing electronic signals corresponding to a two dimensional array of pixel information for a field of view. An xe2x80x9cImaging Engine And Method For Code Readersxe2x80x9d is disclosed in a patent application so titled to Correa et al., assigned to Symbol Technologies, Inc. and filed on Jun. 12, 1998 which is hereby incorporated by reference. Many scanners in use today are deployed in handheld units which may be manually pointed at the target. Often an individual scanner is a component of a much larger system including other scanners, computers, cabling, data terminals and data displays. Applicants have discovered that imaging optical code readers, particularly when used in such systems, may be adapted to have new, non-code-reading functions.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide imaging systems which can be employed for code reading and for a variety of functions other than optical code reading.
Further, it is an object of the present invention to adapt imaging code readers for use in video displays, surveillance and detection of physical parameters of target objects.
Various lens systems have been developed for optical code readers. Applicants assignee, Symbol Technologies, Inc. has developed bi-stable high speed zone collection systems for barcode scanners. Systems which employ lens structures moveable into the input optical path of the scanner (drop-in optics) are disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 08/627,167 and 08/627,168 filed Apr. 3, 1996 to Li et al. A lens structure for an imaging code reader is disclosed in the above-mentioned Correa et al. patent application. Conventionally, code reader lens systems are designed to provide a depth of field, focus and monochrome detection particularly adapted for code reading.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a simply and inexpensively fabricated objective lens system for an optical code imaging engine.
It is another object of the present invention to provide objective lens systems enabling an imaging optical code reader to be used effectively for both code reading functions and for non-coding reading functions such as color video displays and detection of physical parameters associated with a bar-coded object or its environment.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an imaging optical code reader with a field of view and working depth of view appropriate to the signal processing and decoding capabilities of the reader and with other optical fields and focal depths for other video functions.
In a number of businesses, in particular in transportation and food retail, it is desirable to decode a barcode and to determine the dimensions or size (Volume) and/or the weight of a package or item. Presently, multiple instruments and steps are required to obtain these parameters.
It is a further object of the present invention to use an imaging optical code reader system to determine such parameters.
Some or all of the objects previously described may be achieved in a single optical code reading engine or system. With the addition of appropriate control circuitry and data processing software, a system may be constructed serving the object of producing a compact, inexpensively fabricated imaging system for performing new video and image analysis functions.
These and other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from this written description and drawings.
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus useful in optical imagers, especially imaging optical code reader systems. Techniques are disclosed which are applicable to the design of imaging engines, imaging lens systems, aiming systems, code reading stations or terminals, and signal processing devices associated with imagers of various types.
An imaging and aiming apparatus for an optical code reader may be based on an image sensor, including an array of photo sensor cells for producing electronic signals corresponding to a two dimensional array of pixel information for a field of view. In preferred embodiments, the image sensor is a CCD. The image processing circuitry/software located in a handheld reader or terminal, may be employed to analyze a portion of a projected pattern. This information may be used as feedback to the processing circuitry to help identify an image area in which a target barcode is located. Such image processing may also be used for determining the distance between the reader and the target barcode or physical parameters associated with a target object or its environment.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention is a system for reading optical code for displaying video images, using essentially the same hardware.
A handheld optical code reader is provided including a two dimensional image sensor and means for compressing video data obtained from the sensor. The code reader is connected to a host terminal with a communication port and display monitor by a narrow band width data link over which compressed video data from the handheld optical code reader and decoded information from optical codes read by the handheld code reader is communicated to the serial communication port of the host terminal. In a more preferred embodiment, the system can be switched between a code reading function and a video display function. In the code reading mode, the system may be presented with a code containing the command for the system to switch to a video display function.
An example of the narrow band width data link between the handheld optical code reader and the remainder of the system may be an RS 232 cable connected between the handheld reader and a serial communication port of the host terminal. Such a link may operate, for example, at 115 k Baud to transmit a compressed 300xc3x97200 pixel image at 3-4 frames/second. Alternatively, the narrow band width data link may be a radio frequency transmitter and receiver or an infrared transmitter and receiver.
The system may further comprise circuitry/software for detecting motion in a field of view of the handheld optical code reader. In preferred embodiments, motion is detected by monitoring the bandwidth of the compressed video signal. In this way the handheld reader, can for example, be strategically positioned for security monitoring and be used to trigger an alarm or other indication of an intrusion into the field of view of the system.
Also disclosed is a related method for performing motion detection using an optical code reader. According to the method, an image sensor of the optical code reader is positioned so that a field of view of the image sensor includes a region to be monitored for motion. The optical code reader is switched from an optical code reading mode to a motion detection mode. Video data in the field of view of the image sensor is compressed by identifying changes between frames of video data, and the frequency of changes between frames of video data is monitored to identify relatively low frequency changes indicative of the movement of relatively large objects in the field of view. The method may include the further steps of transmitting the compressed video data from the optical code reader to a terminal, and displaying the image of the field of the range sensor at the terminal.
Physical parameters other than motion in the field of view of the optical code reader may be detected. The present invention includes systems for detecting optical code and, generally, one or more physical parameters of a target object. In a preferred embodiment, these systems include an image sensor for producing electronic signals corresponding to a two dimensional array of pixel information for a field of view containing the target object. A light pattern projector is provided to project a pattern such as a set of cross-hairs on objects in the field of view of the sensor. The system includes circuitry/software for reading an optical code in the field of view of the image sensor as well as for determining a physical parameter of the target object from the reflection of the light pattern from the target object onto the image sensor.
In more preferred embodiments the physical parameter of the target object is determined by measuring edge discontinuities in the light pattern caused by that target object. The system may further comprise a platform for supporting the target object in the field of view of the image sensor. An arrangement of springs or other weight sensitive structures may be provided to support the platform and permit the platform to move through a distance approximately proportional to the weight of the supported target object. A counter surface adjacent to the platform may be used to produce an edge discontinuity in the reflected pattern between an edge of the platform and an adjacent edge of the counter surface. In the case that the projected pattern is a line, a separation distance between reflected segments of the line at an edge discontinuity may be measured and used as an indication of weight based on a predetermined correlation between the two values.
In another preferred embodiment the projected pattern includes at least one line and a vertical height of an object on the platform is detected by measuring a discontinuity in the line at an upper edge of the object. In a further embodiment, the projected pattern includes two non-parallel lines. A length and width of the object on the platform is detected by measuring the length of a segment of one line lying between edge discontinuities in the direction of the length of the object, and the length of a segment of the other line lying between edge discontinuities in the direction of the width of the object, respectively.
Thus, the system may be capable of reading a code on a target object, producing a video display detecting motion in a field of view of the system, determining the distance to the target object, determining its weight, and determining its height, length and width.
This summary is provided for the convenience of the reader, it being understood that the particular subject matter which applicants regard as their invention is defined in the claims.

Optical code reader for producing video displays


A universal safety net system for a pallet rack employs extension members which are variably adjustable for extending the effective height of the pallet rack support posts. Offset members which include a series of openings for implementing a pre-established offset spacing from the pallet rack are also employed. Adjustable cross brace assemblies are employed to reinforce the offset members and the vertical extender members. Cables are suspended between the offset members and/or extension members to provide a cable framework for supporting the safety net.

This invention relates generally to net systems which are employed as safety barriers. More particularly, the present invention relates to safety net systems which are installed to pallet racks and the like.
Pallet racks have for a number of years provided a primary storage support structure in large warehousing storage and distribution facilities. In highly efficient modernized warehousing operations, forklifts or other vehicles are commonly employed to load and remove loaded pallets from pallet racks. As the size of the facilities has increased, the potential for accidental droppage or improper loading of the pallet racks has also escalated. Many facilities have employed safety netting systems to enhance safety. The safety nets are ordinarily installed at the back of the pallet racks to form a safety barrier to thereby minimize the safety risks from mishandling loads or misloading of the pallet racks.
The safety net systems which have been conventionally employed in connection with pallet racks have tended to be custom installed for the configuration, size and safety level requirements of a given pallet rack. Because pallet rack systems tend to not be standardized in terms of shape, size and load ratings and tend to have different load distribution requirements, providing a safety net system which is adaptable for use with a wide variety of pallet rack systems has proved problematical. In practice, the safety netting is conventionally suspended from cables which are subjected to a high level of tension in order to provide a netting system having sufficient structural integrity when subjected to a load impact. Consequently, the structural framework for the safety netting system requires a substantial structural rigidity in order to properly suspend the netting.

Universal safety net system for pallet racks


Non-thermal Atmospheric Plasma (NAP) from a plasma source is mixed with a liquid medium and the resulting compound is applied to the scalp to treat hair loss. The NAP-medium compound may be applied to the surface of the scalp, or produced in situ, or injected into the scalp.

In medicine, the term "plasma" typically refers to blood plasma. However, in physics, there is an alternative meaning associated with the term "plasma." In that context, it refers to a fourth state of matter (in addition to the classical three states: solid, liquid, and gas). Such a physical plasma can be generated by adding energy (heat or electromagnetic fields) to a neutral gas until the ionized gaseous substance becomes increasingly electrically conductive. Plasmas emit electromagnetic radiation, particularly UV radiation and visible light, and contain excited gas molecules, positively and negatively charged ions, free electrons, neutral reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (ROS/RNS), free radicals, and molecule fragments.
Man-made plasmas are classified as being thermal or non-thermal, based on the temperature generated in the system.
The temperature in the plasma system is determined by the average energies of the plasma particles both neutral and charged, i.e., electrons, neutrals, ions, and their relevant degrees of freedom. The degree of ionization in the plasma can vary from fully ionized gases (100%) to partially ionized gases. Thermal plasmas are often referred to as "hot" plasmas or equilibrium plasmas. If all particles (electrons, ions) are in energy equilibrium, meaning that they have the same very high temperature, hot plasma is obtained. Examples of hot plasma include the corona of the sun, the plasma in a fusion reactor, or a discharge arc such as in welding or arc lamps. In modern medicine, hot plasmas have been used for sterilization of medical devices and implants.
More pertinent to the present invention are non-thermal plasmas, which are produced near room temperatures. They are also known as "cold" plasmas or nonequilibrium plasmas. Compared to "regular" gas where entire molecules or atoms move freely, plasma is in a higher energy state where atoms lose their electrons—become ionized—and the resulting electrons and ions move freely and independently from each other. Non-thermal plasmas have the ions and neutrals at a much lower temperature, whereas the electrons are much "hotter." Due to the low density of the gas, collisions with the other species are relatively rare, and thermal equilibrium is not achieved. Cold plasmas can be generated at various pressures, ranging from vacuum pressure to atmospheric pressure.
Cold plasma, preferably at atmospheric pressure, is employed in the practice of the present invention. In this patent, such plasmas are called "Non-thermal Atmospheric Plasma" (NAP). Alternative terms for them are "Cold Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma" (CAP or CAPP). The main active components of such plasmas are reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, but they may also contain other reactive species and charged particles.

Non-thermal atmospheric plasma to treat hair loss


The present disclosure relates to nucleic acid probes and kits for determining the length of a region of tandem repeats in a subject's genome and methods of using the DNA probes for determining the length of a region of tandem repeats in a subject's genome. In some embodiments, the region of tandem repeats in telomeres.

Tandem repeats occur in DNA when a pattern of one or more nucleotides is repeated and the repetitions are directly adjacent to each other. Detection of tandem repeats helps determine an individual's inherited traits and can also determine the individual's parentage. However, detection of tandem repeats can go beyond these uses. In particular, telomeres and sub-telomeres are tandem repeats. Knowing the length of telomeres can have clinical diagnostic applications.
The nuclear DNA in the human genome is partitioned into 23 separate pairs of chromosomes. Each pair of sister chromatids is attached by a protein complex at a central region of the chromosome known as the centromere. The distal regions of each chromatid are known as telomeres, which contain long stretches of repetitive nucleotide sequences at the termini of these linear DNA strands, are found in most eukaryotic organisms. For vertebrates, the repeated nucleotide sequence in telomeres is TTAGGG, the total length of which can be many kilobases (kb) long in humans (Moyzis et al., 1988).
The DNA polymerase protein complex responsible for DNA replication can only add nucleotides to an existing DNA or RNA strand that is paired with the template strand, and can only extend the new DNA sequence in the 5′ to 3′ direction. Thus, replication begins at the 5′ end a short nucleic acid fragment primer that must be bound to the template DNA strand. As a consequence, the polymerase is not able to replicate the sequences at the ends of the chromatid fibers. Consequently, chromatids become shorter with each successive cell division and the information in the telomeric region is lost. Normal human somatic cells such as fibroblasts, endothelia, and epithelial cells, telomeres have been shown to become shorter by 8-33 repeat sequences (50-200 bp) with each cell division event (Blackburn, 2000, 2001). The cumulative loss of telomeric DNA with successive cell divisions is believed to limit the number of times that a cell can divide. In human fibroblasts, this limit occurs after the cell population has doubled 50-100 times. The cells then remain in a quiescent but viable state for several months (Vaziri et al., 1994). Consequently, cell division stops before vital genetic information is lost from the chromosome.
Some types of white blood cells, certain stem cells such as embryonic stem cells, and germ cells can express an active form of telomerase that is capable of adding the repetitive nucleotide sequences to the ends of the DNA (Hiyama and Hiyama, 2007). This enzyme can "reset" the cell to an embryonic state, which restores its ability to undergo cell division. Developing the ability to reactivate telomerase in quiescent somatic cells that restores their ability to undergo cell division has important implications for the restoration of damaged tissues. However, the activation of telomerase is known to contribute significantly to the ability of malignant cells to proliferate and become immortalized.
Conversely, many aging-related diseases are linked to shortened telomeres (Zhu et al., 2011). Eukaryotic telomere ends contain a 3′ single stranded DNA overhang that forms a T-loop (telomeric loop). This loop is stabilized by a triple-stranded DNA structure known as a D-loop (displacement loop) that is also bound to several proteins that forms an end cap. When telomeres become too short there is an increased potential for damage to the end cap that can cause the cell to stop growing or go into senescence (cellular old age). Chromosomal fusions can also result when telomeres are uncapped, which cannot be repaired in somatic cells, and can induce apoptosis (cell death). Such increases in the number of cells undergoing senescence and apoptosis ultimately results in age-related organ deterioration (Aubert and Lansdorp, 2008).
It is clear that the ability to calculate the length of telomeres accurately and in a timely manner will be an important tool for the early diagnosis of cancer and for age-related illness, and also has valuable application in the development of stem cell technologies. To identify precancerous cells, the approach must be able to compute telomere lengths from the DNA of a single cell, and preferably be able to make the computation for each individual chromosome. To be practical, the computational approach requires high-throughput capability for the analysis of large numbers of samples.
Currently, none of the methods available are capable of directly measuring the length of telomeres in single cells without PCR amplification, let alone individual chromosomes (Wang et al., 2013). In addition, the errors in the existing calculations are so large as to limit their usefulness for practical diagnostic applications. Methods currently employed include terminal restriction fragment (TRF) Southern blots, fluorescent in situ hybridization methods known as Q-FISH and F-FISH, as well as PCR and quantitative real-time PCR assays.
1. TRF Computations
Telomere length is most commonly calculated by TRF analysis that provides the average length of fragments generated by complete digestion of genomic DNA with a restriction enzyme that does not cleave nucleic acids composed entirely of tandem arrays of the specific telomeric repeat sequence of interest (Kimura et al., 2010). This approach is only capable of calculating the mean telomere length of all chromosomes and requires large numbers (>105) of cells. In addition, TRF analysis can be confounded by the presence of interstitial telomeric sequences. The answer is calculated by separating the digested DNA fragments by electrophoresis, followed by a Southern blot where the DNA is hybridized to a radio-labelled telomeric probe. The telomeric DNA is then visualized by autoradiography and the answer is calculated from densitometric scans that estimate the amount of DNA in each band.
It is noteworthy that the use of densitometric scans of Southern blots in TRF has similarities to the DNA computing answer determination approach that we initially used to solve the asymmetric fully-connected 15-city traveling salesman problem (Xiong et al., 2009). Consequently, we are very familiar with the limitations in accuracy inherent in this time-consuming approach. Difficulties inherent in the electrophoretic migration of short DNA fragments also limit the ability of TRF to compute the length of short telomeres that are crucial for aging studies.
2. FISH Methods
The FISH techniques to calculate the telomere length can be accomplished with <30 cells and enables the length of individual chromosome arms to be determined. In these approaches, fluorescent protein nucleic acid (PNA) probes are hybridized to the DNA in a group of cells (Lansdorp et al., 1996; Martens et al., 2000; Perner et al., 2003). Fluorescence intensity, which is proportional to telomere length, is then measured using flow cytometry that examines one cell at a time. This time-intensive measurement severely limits the amount of samples that can be examined. The Q-FISH approach requires the use of metaphase cells, which forces the use of cultured cells and severely limits the number of cells available for the calculation (Ferlicot et al., 2003). This requirement also eliminates the ability of the method to determine telomere lengths of many of the most valuable cell types for diagnostic purposes such as post-mitotic, differentiated, and senescent cells.
The answer read-out with FISH is in arbitrary integrated fluorescence intensity units that are difficult to quantitate. Thus, to compute absolute values of telomere length, external calibration using plasmids with cloned telomere repeats of defined length, or cell lines that maintain a defined and known telomere length distribution are required for calibration. The fact that the calculation is based on hybridization imposes a minimum telomere length threshold below which the length cannot be calculated. In some cell lines, the standard deviation of the fluorescent intensity is higher than the entire range of telomere lengths (˜8 kb) (O'Sullivan et al., 2002).
The IQ-FISH method is an adaptation of Q-FISH that measures fluorescence intensity of probes hybridized to telomeres in individual interphase cells using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) technology (Narath et al., 2005). Following hybridization with fluorescent PNA probes specific to telomeres, the DNA is counterstained to normalize DNA content. The IQ-FISH approach requires accurate measurements of relatively weak fluorescence signals. Marked day-to-day variations in instrument calibration, and in hybridization efficiencies due to the fixatives that are required for cell preparation limit the accuracy and reproducibility of telomere length computations to a range that is greater than the length differences of 2-10 kb typically found in human cells.
3. PCR Approaches
The polymerase-chain reaction will amplify the number of copies of DNA strands along a chosen section of the parent strands defined by the two unique DNA primers bound at each end. Unfortunately, the repeating nature of the short telomeric DNA sequence (TTAGGG)n enables PCR primers to hybridize in myriad combinations staggered along the length of the telomere. As a result, heterogeneous amplification reactions occur simultaneously that make the computation of telomere length extremely difficult.
The PCR-based approach known as STELA (single telomere elongation length analysis) has been developed (Baird et al., 2003) that has higher resolution than other currently available approaches. However, since the length of DNA amplified by PCR is limited to ˜25 kb, longer telomeres cannot be amplified and the method is biased in favor of shorter telomeres. STELA also requires a known sub-telomeric primer binding site, which appears to be species-specific and difficult to obtain. This approach involves the ligation of an oligonucleotide to the 5′ end of the telomere that may end in any of the six nucleotides within the telomeric repeat sequence. To facilitate ligation, six telomerettes must be made and used, each carrying one of the six possible frames of a telomeric repeat at the 3′ end.

Probes and methods for measuring tandem repeats

Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of Arizona State University


A facility for reporting on original values on behalf of each of a plurality of users—each falling within a domain partitioned into a plurality of segments of uniform size—is provided. For each of the plurality of users, the facility (a) randomly selects an upward-rounding window size that is smaller than the segment size; (b) for each source value in a domain, randomly determines a mapping of each segment of the domain to a segment identifier value; (c) determines an original value for the user; (d) adds the upward-rounding window size to the user's original value to obtain a window-augmented original value; (e) identifies a segment containing the window-augmented original value; (f) identifies a segment identifier value mapped-to from the identified segment using the determined mapping; and (g) transmits a reporting communication on the user's behalf reporting a value based on the identified segment identifier value.

"Telemetry data" refers to collecting information describing the operation of a remote system, and transmitting it to a central point for analysis and/or long-term storage. The systems whose operation telemetry data describes can be of a variety of types, including hardware systems and software systems. For example, telemetry data for an access control door hardware system may include the number of times the door was unlocked during a particular time period. The telemetry data for a software system may reflect the number of times an operating system was booted or an application was launched during a particular time period, or the portion of that period of time for which the operating system or app was running.

Collection of sensitive data—such as software usage data or other telemetry data—over repeated collection cycles in satisfaction of privacy guarantees


Disclosed are a passenger counting device, etc., for accurately counting the number of occupants in a vehicle, including persons seated in the rear seats thereof. This vehicle passenger counting device comprises: a specific part detection means for detecting a specific part of a vehicle from acquired images and generating specific part detection results; an association means for associating the specific part detection results across images in order to compute a degree of movement of the vehicle and generate vehicle movement information including the result of the said computation; a person detection means for detecting persons who are occupants of the vehicle in the images and generating person detection results including location information of the detected persons; and an integration means for determining the number of occupants by integrating the person detection results on the basis of the vehicle movement information.

As a method of capturing images of the inside of a vehicle by a camera set up outside the vehicle and counting the number of passengers, NPL 1, for example, describes a technique for detecting the occupants on a vehicle by detecting, in images of the occupants captured from the outside of the windshield, the faces of the occupants.

Passenger counting device, passenger counting method, and program recording medium


A voltage-mode digital-to-analog converter (DAC) includes multiple bit processing circuits to generate an output voltage responsive to a binary input. Each of the multiple bit processing circuits includes a first switch circuit and a second switch circuit. The first switch circuit is to selectively couple one of multiple reference voltages to a first output load in response to receiving a first input bit during a first bit time. The first output load has a value proportional to d. The second switch circuit is to selectively couple one of the multiple reference voltages to a second output load in response to receiving a second input bit during a second bit time. The second output load has a value corresponding to the first output load. The first and second output loads are disposed in parallel, and serially couple to a third output load having a value proportional to (1-d).

Digital-to-analog converters (DACs) play a critical role in transforming information from a digital domain into an analog domain. DACs generally convert an abstract finite precision number (such as a fixed-point binary number) into a physical quantity (such as a voltage or current). The number of output levels for a given DAC generally corresponds to its resolution, which is based on the number of "bits" of a given digital code that defines each output level. A variety of DAC architectures exist, including voltage-mode schemes and current steering schemes.
FIG. 1 illustrates a voltage-mode DAC, generally designated 100. The DAC includes a data input 102 that receives a data word of multiple bits during a bit time and a clock input 104 that receives a clock. Respective supply (VDD) and ground (VSS) reference voltages are provided to the DAC. Switch circuitry (not shown) responds to the clock to generate corresponding outputs that are weighted and summed to create an overall output voltage level corresponding to the input word code, but in the analog domain.
FIG. 2A illustrates one conventional approach in generating the output voltage level for a DAC. The DAC includes respective DAC drivers 2000-200n-1 for processing each "bit" b0-bn-1 of the input word. Each driver includes a first switch SW1 that selectively couples an output resistance ROUT to the supply voltage VDD. A second switch SW2 selectively couples the output resistance to the ground voltage VSS. The switches cooperate to form a push-pull driver. In practice, the switching moments of each switch are individually tuned during manufacture such that both switches are not closed at the same moment, which would create undesirable crow-bar currents. Often, the switches are driven very quickly to also minimize undesirable high-ohmic output states, which distort the output impedance. This "direct" switching approach may be susceptible to data-dependent distortion, such as through inter-symbol interference (ISI) and other errors.
In an effort to improve on the "direct" switching approach, the driver circuitry may be split into two circuits, such as shown in FIG. 2B, at 202 and 204. The split driver circuitry includes a separate output resistance ROUT for each of the sub-drivers. This double load solution dampens any short-circuit current that may occur should both switches be simultaneously closed. However, both loads are typically not exactly equal. Thus, depending on the data, the load may change. Employing a return-to-zero switching protocol minimizes data-dependent switch current in favor of a clock-dependent switching current. However, the dual load approach may still be subject to influences on the output impedance resulting from parasitic capacitances from the split driver circuits. What is needed is a power-efficient method and apparatus to support switching operations for a voltage-mode DAC driver.

Hybrid return-to-zero voltage-mode DAC driver