User interfaces, methods, systems, and computer program products for improving interactions with users of pervasive computing devices such as personal digital assistants, Web-enabled cellular phones, Web appliances, wearable computing devices, so-called xe2x80x9csmartxe2x80x9d appliances in the home, and so forth. A multi-functional application launcher is defined that is specifically adapted for use on devices with limited display space and which use pen-based input or other similar input means. This application launcher enables improved navigation, and provides an improved way to show task status information to the device user. Multiple functions per task are supported, and status information is provided, all from an application launcher view.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to pervasive computing, and deals more particularly with user interfaces, methods, systems, and computer program products for improving a user""s interactions with pervasive computing devices by providing an application launcher that is specifically adapted to such devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Pervasive computing devices are the most rapidly growing class of computing devices available today. Such devices include personal digital assistants (xe2x80x9cPDAsxe2x80x9d), Web-enabled cellular phones, Web appliances, wearable computing devices, so-called xe2x80x9csmartxe2x80x9d appliances in the home, and so forth. It is predicted that by the year 2004, pervasive computing devices will be more widely used than personal computers. The reasons for this are evident. The Internet and World Wide Web (hereinafter, xe2x80x9cInternetxe2x80x9d) bring mobility, and mobility dictates a need for portability. As more and more people incorporate these devices into their everyday lives, the cost of such devices becomes more affordable. Now factor in the coming of inexpensive wireless access to the Internet, and it is easy to understand why these pervasive computing devices are becoming ever more popular. (Note: reference herein to xe2x80x9ccomputingxe2x80x9d devices is also intended to include devices used primarily for communications or other purposes, such as cellular phones.)
Pervasive computing devices vary in their characteristics. Often, pervasive computing devices are adapted to operation while being held, and many accept user input with a touch-sensitive display screen or via a light pen or other type of stylus. Typically, the display screen on these devices is much more limited in size than the displays available on personal computers. The user interface models that have been developed in recent years to optimize a user""s interactions with a more traditional type of computing device therefore do not necessarily adapt well to use with pervasive computing devices. The Palm class of devices appears to have a market leadership position for handheld pervasive computing devices with respect to popularity and usability. However, even within this class of devices there are several drawbacks. For example,
A single application launcher paradigm has not yet emerged. Most often, the application launcher used on such devices is very similar to a Windows program manager. In this approach, applications are typically reflected on a workspace using icons. With the constrained viewing space available on most pervasive computing devices, an icon-based display often proves to be inefficient and cumbersome. For example, it may take a considerable amount of time to search for an icon throughout a series of display screens. The SilverScreen(copyright) application launcher offers some improvements, for example by providing the ability to drag and drop applications and data to services (such as dragging an application to the trash can to delete it), but is still oriented toward use of application icons and resembles a (very small) Windows desktop. (xe2x80x9cSilverScreenxe2x80x9d is a registered trademark of PocketSensei.)
Existing application launchers are not optimized for use with a pen or stylus interface. (Hereinafter, the words xe2x80x9cpenxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cstylusxe2x80x9d are used interchangeably.) They still require the user to search for an application based upon its iconic representation, and then tap the icon to start execution of the application. These existing launchers have often implemented good pen support given their paradigm, but are not specifically adapted nor optimized for a pen-based interface.
The user interfaces of these devices are not optimized for switching from a launched application or task to the application launcher and back. Note that many devices in the Palm class provide a xe2x80x9chomexe2x80x9d button to enable switching back to the application launcher from a task view: this button would not be needed if a uniform way existed to switch between the launcher and a launched application or task (referred to hereinafter as a xe2x80x9ctaskxe2x80x9d for ease of reference).
Accordingly, what is needed are improvements to the user interface of these devices that address the drawbacks of existing solutions.
An object of the present invention is to provide improvements to the user interface of pervasive computing devices that address the drawbacks of existing solutions.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a user interface for pervasive computing devices that supports improved navigation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a user interface that is optimized for a pen-based interface.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a user interface that is optimized for handheld devices.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a user interface that is specifically adapted for devices having a limited display area.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a user interface for pervasive computing devices that enables quickly and efficiently switching between an application launcher and a task view.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description and in the drawings which follow and, in part, will be obvious from the description or may be learned by practice of the invention.
To achieve the foregoing objects, and in accordance with the purpose of the invention as broadly described herein, in a first aspect the present invention provides a user interface for pervasive computing devices. In one aspect, this user interface comprises a graphical representation of a collection of one or more tasks of the pervasive computing device, and a display area corresponding to the graphical representation of the collection, wherein the display area indicates status information for each of the one or more tasks and also provides accessibility to a plurality of functions for the collection of tasks.
In another aspect, this comprises a multi-functional application launcher view and a plurality of task views, wherein a user of the pervasive computing device selectively navigates between the multi-functional application launcher view and selected ones of the task views. The multi-functional application launcher view comprises: a displayed list of tasks available to the user for execution by the pervasive computing device; and a displayed grid corresponding to the displayed list of tasks, wherein the displayed grid comprises a plurality of columns and a row for each task in the displayed task list. The displayed grid preferably further comprises entries at intersections of the columns and the rows, wherein the entries provide status information for the tasks in the displayed list and enable performing a plurality of actions (e.g. launching tasks) relative to selected ones of the tasks in the displayed list.
The status information preferably includes which tasks are executing, which tasks are requesting input from the user, and which tasks have information to display to the user. The status information may also include a notification that a particular task should be started by the user. In this latter case, the notification may be received because of an event which occurred in another task or perhaps because a message arrived for the user, in which case the message indicates that the particular task should be started. The message may optionally include input values to be used by the particular task when it is started. The input values may be encoded within a structured markup language document or other means.
The status information may also include which tasks have completed normally, and/or which tasks have completed abnormally. In the latter case, the user may see the task view of a selected one of the tasks that have completed abnormally by activating the entry providing the status information of the selected task.
The actions that may be performed preferably include starting execution of a selected task and surfacing the task view for a selected task, and may also include stopping execution of a selected task. Preferably, entries in the grid may be selectively activated by the user to perform the actions. The activation may comprise tapping a selected entry with a stylus or pen input device. The actions may also include stopping execution of a selected group of tasks, in which case the selected group may comprise multiple instances of a particular task from the displayed list.
A graphical selection area may be provided on the task view for a selected task where this selection area may be activated by the user to return to the multi-function application launcher view.
In yet another aspect, the present invention provides methods, systems, and computer program products for providing an improved user interface for pervasive computing devices. This aspect preferably comprises displaying a multi-functional application launcher view, and enabling a user of the pervasive computing device to selectively navigate between the multi-functional application launcher view and selected ones of a plurality of task views. Displaying the multi-functional application launcher view preferably comprises displaying a list of tasks available to the user for execution by the pervasive computing device, and displaying a grid corresponding to the displayed list of tasks, wherein the displayed grid comprises a plurality of columns and a row for each task in the displayed task list. The columns preferably correspond to life cycle points of the displayed list of tasks, and this aspect may further comprise displaying entries at selected intersections of the columns and the rows, wherein the entries provide status information about particular life cycle points of the task associated with that row and/or graphical depictions of available actions for particular life cycle points of the task associated with that row. Optionally, the user may be allowed to modify the life cycle points and/or to modify the graphical depictions of available actions. The graphical depictions may be activated to perform actions for particular life cycle points of the task associated with that row. A selected displayed entry may be revised when the task associated with that row has different status information or when the task associated with that row has a different available action. In this case, an application programming interface invocation may be received which indicates the different status or available action.
Optionally, a graphical indication may be displayed on the multi-functional application launcher view when the displayed list of tasks exceeds a display capacity of the pervasive computing device.
The actions in this aspect preferably include starting execution of a selected task and surfacing the task view for a selected task, and may also include stopping execution of a selected task. The status information preferably includes which tasks are executing, which tasks are requesting input from the user, and which tasks have information to display to the user. A plurality of instances of a particular task may be executing, in which case surfacing a task view preferably further comprises surfacing the task view of a selected one of the plurality when the user activates the graphical depiction for surfacing the task view of the particular task. The particular one may be, for example, the instance which was most recently viewed by the user. Or, if the activated graphical depiction indicates that input is requested from the user, then the particular one may be the instance which is requesting the input. Or, if the activated graphical depiction indicates that information is available for presenting to the user, then the particular one may be the instance which has the available information. As yet another alternative, the particular one may be selected by the user. In this latter case, the activated graphical depiction preferably indicates presence of the plurality, and a selectable representation of the plurality is presented to the user in response to the activation of the graphical depiction. The particular one is then preferably the instance which is selected by the user from the selectable representation.
The user of the pervasive computing device may selectively navigate between the multi-functional application launcher view and selected task views.
The present invention will now be described with reference to the following drawings, in which like reference numbers denote the same element throughout.

Multi-functional application launcher with integrated status

International Business Machines Corporation


A one-piece hand-held sharpening device for dental instruments. The device is a sharpening stone having a continuous abrasive surface, with a uniform overall thickness, and generally corresponding flat longitudinally rectangular top face and bottom face surfaces. One side surface contains at least two longitudinal radius grooves and the opposite side face has rounded edges where it abuts the top and bottom surfaces. From either side view, it presents as an isosceles trapezoid with the top and bottom surfaces in parallel, both end surfaces with equal dimensions, and extending at equal angles from the end of the bottom surface to the end of the top surface. During sharpening, the upper end surface is aligned in parallel with a horizontal work surface. In other sharpening operations, each of the radius grooves allows proper sharpening of a different sized curette toe and the rounded edges permit sharpening of instruments with concave surfaces.

The concept of providing a one piece sharpening device with a continuous abrasive surface is known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,520,374 to Wilson discloses a generally rectangular and elongated wedge-shaped ceramic stone. Likewise, the prior art, including Wilson, discloses the use of a semi-circular groove, as shown in cross-section, extending lengthwise across the face of a device. Other examples of groove features, as found in the prior art, include U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,074,293, 6,361,408 and 6,949,018 to Bleir.
Other references in the prior art are directed to providing a broad, flat sharpening surface positioned at particular angle from the work surface. U.S. Pat. No. 6,146,257 to Himeno, et al, attempts to address this requirement by providing a complex combination of a base plate, guide member, and manually operated positioning device, to hold a flat sharpening surface at a designated angle, on a fixed, flat work surface. U.S. Pat. No. 6,971,949 attempts to address this by providing a separate sharpening "guide" to be placed upon an abrasive surface and the dental instrument moved in cooperation with the various angle options provided.
Various dental instruments require different parameters relative to an abrasive surface for sharpening them. Common errors in sharpening include the creation of an improper bevel as well as sharpening the toe of a curette, which is intended to remain rounded, to a point.
Other dental instruments have concave surfaces which are difficult to sharpen on a flat surface and in best practice require a rounded edge on the abrasive sharpening surface.
While dental instruments may be routinely sharpened, there are occasions when they must be sharpened at chair-side and with minimal disruption of an ongoing procedure.
A common technique, long taught in dental schools, for using a hand-held sharpener for sharpening, requires holding the instrument to be sharpened in one hand, with its face parallel to the work surface, and the sharpening stone in the other hand. The sharpening stone is positioned against the instrument so that the sharpening face is angled at approximately 15° from the generally horizontal work surface. The practitioner must maintain this angle during the sharpening process, to properly sharpen the instrument.
With current hand-held sharpeners, finding and maintaining the correct, optimal angle is often a matter of educated guesswork, unless a line or other reference guide is provided or imposed upon the edge of the work surface. As stated, prior art attempts to address this issue have required significant additional device elements, and have required unwarranted and time consuming complexity as compared to the use of a hand-held, one piece sharpener. The prior art as well, has in general failed to combine the sharpening requirements for various dental instruments, as referenced above, in a simple, one-piece hand-held sharpener.
The present invention addresses the short-comings of the prior art by providing a concise, one-piece, sharpening device designed to be used for routine maintenance, as well as chair-side during procedures, as necessary, and which allows a practitioner to accurately and easily gauge and maintain the correct sharpening angle, together with multiple-sized sharpening grooves, as well as rounded edges for concave instrument surfaces.


Methods, apparatuses, and flight simulators are disclosed to present infrared images detectable by night vision devices. A video signal may be received. The video signal may be configured to generate a viewable image substantially within a human visible spectrum. The video signal may include one or more of a red component, a green component, and a blue component. The video signal also may be configured to generate one or more infrared images. The one or more infrared images may be substantially outside the human visible spectrum and may have an infrared component detectable by a night vision device. In response to the video signal, the red and green components may be separately modulated to generate red and green portions of the viewable image. The blue component and the infrared component may be collectively modulated to generate a blue portion of the viewable image and the one or more infrared images.

Flight training simulators may include one or more display screens and simulated controls. The display screens may simulate a scene that may be viewed when piloting an aircraft. In response to inputs at the simulated controls, a control system changes the perspective of the scene to simulate movement of the simulated aircraft in response to the inputs.
For some types of flight training, such as military flight training, it may be useful to simulate night missions in which a pilot may wear night vision goggles (NVGs) in order to identify targets or objects of interest. NVGs or other night vision devices are designed to have high sensitivity in the near-infrared (near-IR) portion of the spectrum. This is because naturally-occurring illumination provided by a night sky includes predominantly near-IR light. Infrared light images can be difficult to simulate using standard projectors without also displaying the objects in a human visible spectrum. When the objects are detectable in the human visible light spectrum, a pilot trainee may detect the infrared light objects by peeking around the edges of the NVGs or with the NVGs moved out of position. Being able to detect the infrared light objects without the aid of the NVGs may make the simulation of the night mission less realistic and, thus, may make the simulation somewhat less valuable.

Generating images for detection by night vision devices


A refrigerator according to the present invention comprises: a storage chamber for storing articles; a camera for photographing the inner space of the storage chamber; a control part which visually recognizes a first article image captured by the camera so as to acquire article information corresponding to the first article image; a memory for storing the acquired article information so as to generate an article image history; and a display electrically connected to the control part. Further, the control part may: acquire, through the camera, a second article image in which an article is partially hidden by any other article; detect, from the second article image, a partial article image of the article partially hidden by the other article; and identify an article matching the partial article image on the basis of the article image history. Further, the control part may perform control such that the corresponding partial article image is displayed on the display in association with the article information identified from the article image history. The present invention provides a refrigerator to which AI (Artificial Intelligence) is applied.

A refrigerator is an apparatus for discharging cold air generated by a freezing cycle composed of a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, an evaporator, etc. to lower the temperature in the refrigerator so that foods or the like may be refrigerated or frozen.
In general, the door of the refrigerator is fabricated opaque and coupled to the main body to open and close the storage chamber of the main body. The door may be opened and closed by a user to approach a refrigerating chamber or a freezing chamber. Before opening the door, generally, the user cannot figure out the kinds and locations of foods stored in the refrigerator.
When the door of a refrigerator is made opaque, a user cannot check foods stored in the inside of the refrigerator without opening the door of the refrigerator. In order to overcome such an inconvenience, there is an example in which a refrigerator is implemented to have a door partially changed to be transparent so that foods stored in the inside of the refrigerator can be checked when a predetermined input is received.
However, even in this case, it is difficult to check all foods stored in the refrigerator including foods stored in the back of or rearward in a refrigerator or foods hidden by other foods. Also, in some cases, it may be difficult to intuitively recognize even foods stored in the front of a refrigerator using only images.

Refrigerator and method for managing articles in refrigerator


In an aspect, the invention is directed to a vehicle chassis for a vehicle that is at least partly driven by an electric motor, wherein the vehicle chassis incorporates a battery pack that acts as a structural member of the chassis.

Some vehicles today are driven at least in part by one or more electric motors. These vehicles include one or more battery packs for the purpose of supplying power to the one or more electric motors. In an effort to increase the range of the vehicle the battery pack can be quite large and quite heavy, which negatively impacts the range of the vehicle. Range is particularly important with such vehicles in order for them to grow in acceptance in the marketplace.
It would be advantageous to increase the range of such vehicles.


A system, method and computer program product are provided for two-sided stencil testing during graphics processing. Initially, primitives are received to be processed in a graphics processing pipeline. In use, it is then determined whether the graphics processing pipeline is operating with same-sided stencil testing enabled. If same-sided stencil testing is not enabled, the primitives are passed without same-sided stencil testing and two-sided stencil testing. If, on other hand, same-sided stencil testing is enabled, it is determined whether the graphics processing pipeline is operating with two-sided stencil testing enabled. If the two-sided stencil testing is enabled and the same-sided stencil testing is enabled, two-sided stencil testing is performed on the primitives. If, on the other hand, the two-sided stencil testing is disabled and the same-sided stencil testing is enabled, same-sided stencil testing is performed on the primitives.

A major objective in graphics rendering is to produce images that are so realistic that the observer believes the image is real. A fundamental difficulty in achieving total visual realism is the complexity of accurately representing real world visual effects. A scene can include a wide variety of textures, subtle color gradations, reflections, translucency, etc.
One important way to make images more realistic is to determine how objects in a scene cast shadows and then represent these shadows in the rendered image. Shadows enhance the realism of an image because they give a two-dimensional image a three-dimensional feel.
The addition of shadows to the rendering of a complex model can greatly enhance the understanding of that model's geometry. The human visual system uses shadows as a cue for depth and shape. Consequently, shadows are very useful for conveying the three dimensional nature of rendered objects and for adding realism to computer generated scenes.
Prior art FIG. 1 illustrates a scene 100 where shadowing is needed during processing in a graphics pipeline. As shown in FIG. 1, a particular scene 100 includes a light source 104, a light obstructing surface 102, and a plurality of objects 106. Due to the relative orientation of the light source 104, objects 106 and surface 102, a shadow should be shown on certain objects 106 where the surface 102 obstructs light from the light source 104.
The utilization of shadow volumes is a technique by which a graphics pipeline may determine which objects 106 in the scene 100 should be rendered with a shadow. In particular, a shadow bit is maintained for each pixel in a frame buffer which indicates whether the objects 106 are in or out of the shadow projected by the surface 102.
Since the shadow volume technique takes place in a frame buffer of a graphics pipeline, it may be referred to as an image space algorithm. While shadowing may be trivial in a scene with one obstructing surface 102, rendering may be complicated when multiple overlapping obstructing surfaces 102 exist.
Prior art FIG. 2 illustrates a scene 200 where shadowing is complicated by the involvement of multiple intersecting overlapping surfaces 102. In such more complex environments, a technique of "counting" is employed. As shown in Prior art FIG. 2, a plurality of obstructing surfaces 102 cast a plurality of shadow volumes each defined by a plurality of boundary primitives 202.
Such boundary primitives 202 are either front-facing or back-facing with respect to how they are viewed. In the context of the present description, a primitive is front-facing or back-facing based on whether the area of the primitive in screen space is positive or negative, or the ordering of vertices of the primitive is clockwise or counterclockwise. Note Prior art FIG. 2 where front-facing and back-facing primitives are designated with an "F" and "B," respectively.
Prior art FIG. 3 illustrates a method 300 for counting shadow volumes, in accordance with the prior art. Initially, in operation 302, a depth buffer and a stencil buffer are cleared after which the scene 200 is rendered with the light source 102 disabled during a first rendering pass. Once this pass is rendered, the color of all pixels in the frame buffer is as if every pixel were in shadow with respect to the light. Note operation 304. It should be noted that such operation affords a depth state of a closest object in the scene 200.
Next, in operation 306, primitives constituting the geometry of the scene's shadow volumes are drawn in the scene 200 during a second rendering pass. During the second pass, no color depth buffer writes take place in order to prevent disturbing results of the first rendering pass. Further, any back-facing shadow volume primitives are culled. For the remaining front-facing primitives, a per-pixel stencil value is incremented for each boundary between an eye position 206 and a subject object 204. This is accomplished by incrementing the per-pixel stencil value whenever the depth test passes. Since there are three front-facing primitive boundaries, such stencil value has the value of +3 after operation 306.
Next, in operation 308, shadow volume primitives are again drawn in the scene during a third rendering pass. Similar to the second pass, no color depth buffer writes take place in order to prevent disturbing results of the previous rendering passes. In operation 308, any front-facing primitives are culled. For the remaining back-facing primitives, a per-pixel stencil value is decremented for each boundary between the eye position 206 and the subject object 204. This is accomplished by decrementing the per-pixel stencil value whenever the depth test passes. Since there are three back-facing primitive boundaries, such stencil value has the value of "0" after operation 306.
The scene may then be rendered again during a fourth rendering pass in operation 310. During the fourth rendering pass, the light source 102 is enabled. Color writes are re-enabled for this rendering pass. Moreover, pixels are only updated if it is determined that the pixel is outside a shadow volume, as indicated by the stencil value being equal to "0." In the case of object 204 of Prior art FIG. 2, such associated pixels would be updated to show light. However, in the case of object 206, no light would be shown since the stencil value would be +2 so the stencil test fails which leaves the pixel unchanged from the initial shadowed rendering pass, etc.
One problem that results from the method 300 of Prior art FIG. 3 stems from the fact that the shadow volumes must be rendered twice during operations 306 and 308. The requirement that these rendering passes be separate operations 306 and 308 is prompted by the fact that traditional stencil value testing can not distinguish between front-facing and back-facing primitives. As such, the front-facing and back-facing primitives must be handled separately, in different rendering passes. This results in an efficiency problem that causes lower performance during graphics processing.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Two-sided stencil testing system and method


In a flexible display device including flexibility and toughness, and a method of manufacturing the flexible display device, the flexible display device includes a glass substrate, a flexible substrate and a display unit which are sequentially stacked, and the flexible display device has a structure wherein a surface area of the flexible substrate is larger than a surface area of the glass substrate. A volume of the device may be significantly reduced for convenience of portability since a flexible area where the glass substrate is not located may be folded or rolled. Also, a stable circuit connection may be guaranteed since the driving chip is installed on a hard area which does not go through a heating process in order to separate the glass substrate and the flexible substrate during the manufacturing process.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flexible display device and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to a flexible display device including flexibility and toughness, and a method of manufacturing the flexible and tough display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a display device such as an organic light-emitting display device has a structure including a display unit on a hard glass substrate. However, a flexible bending property, which is required in recent display devices, may not be satisfied with such a structure. That is, although flexible display devices have recently been required to have high flexibility in order to be installed while being bent, such requirements may not be satisfied if a glass substrate of a hard material is used.
Accordingly, a structure using a flexible substrate formed of polyimide, instead of a substrate formed of a glass material, has been suggested in order to solve this problem. In this structure, the flexible substrate is formed on a glass substrate, a display unit is formed thereon, and the glass substrate is later separated to improve a final product in which the flexible substrate serves as a substrate.
However, when the glass substrate is removed, it is highly possible to partially damage the flexible substrate due to static electricity or heat. Then, portions on the substrate where modules such as a driving chip are to be installed may be damaged, and thus circuit connections may not be properly connected. Therefore, there is a demand for a method to solve this problem.

Flexible display device and method of manufacturing the same


A dot matrix, fluorescent display tube having a filament, a grid and array of anodes on which light emitters are placed. Two or more light emitters are placed on at least one of the anodes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dot-matrix fluorescent display device. More particularly, it relates to a dot-matrix fluorescent display device employing a fluorescent display tube.
2. Background Art
A dot-matrix fluorescent display device employing a fluorescent display tube is often used for a video or audio device to indicate by a selected lit numeral or character a received frequency, a selected mode or the like. The general operation of the fluorescent display tube is hereafter described with reference to FIG. 1. In the tube, a filament 1 is heated by electric power from an AC power supply 2 to thereby emit thermoelectrons. The electrons are accelerated and diffused by a grid g.sub.i to which a grid drive voltage VG.sub.i is applied. After passing through the grid g.sub.i, the electrons collide against a plurality of anodes A.sub.ij to which a separate anode drive voltage VA.sub.ij is applied to each of the plurality of anodes A.sub.11 -A.sub.mn. As a result, a light emitter (not shown in the drawing) provided on the surface of each anode A.sub.ij emits light. If the fluorescent display tube has 5.times.7 (35) image elements, 5.times.7 (35) anodes A.sub.ij are disposed in a matrix to form an anode group AG.sub.i, as shown in FIG. 2. Anode lead wires 1.sub.11 to 1.sub.75 are connected to the anodes A.sub.11 -A.sub.75. The grid g.sub.i is provided in opposition to every matrix-disposed anode group AG.sub.i, as shown in FIG. 4. Multiple anode groups AG.sub.i provide multiple displayed characters.
FIG. 3 shows an enlarged sectional view of the anode A.sub.ij included in the fluorescent display tube. The light emitter 3 is provided on the surface of the anode A.sub.ij. The anode lead wire 1.sub.ij is connected to the anode A.sub.ij.
FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of a conventional dot-matrix fluorescent display device employing such a fluorescent display tube as described above. In the device, each of a number n of anode groups AG.sub.1 -AG.sub.n corresponds to one character. The n anode groups AG.sub.1 -AG.sub.n correspond to a line of characters. In each anode group AG.sub.i, 5.times.7 (35) anodes A.sub.ij are disposed in a matrix, as shown in FIG. 2. The anode lead wire 1.sub.ij for the anode A.sub.ij of the anode group AG.sub.i is connected to the anode lead wire 1.sub.ij for the anode A.sub.ij of the adjacent anode group AG.sub.i+1. An anode drive voltage VA.sub.ij is applied through the anode lead wire 1.sub.ij to the anode A.sub.ij with its attached light emitter 3, to cause it to emit light. It is probable that the anode drive voltage VA.sub.ij is applied to a plurality of similarly situated anodes A.sub.ij simultaneously. Grids g.sub.1 -g.sub.n are independently provided for the anode groups AG.sub.1 -AG.sub.n. Grid drive voltages VG.sub.1 -VG.sub.n are sequentially applied to the grids g.sub.1 -g.sub.n in a time division multiplex manner.
FIG. 5 shows a timing diagram of examples of the grid drive voltages VG.sub.1 -VG.sub.n and the anode drive voltage VA.sub.ij for the dot-matrix fluorescent display device shown in FIG. 4. Since the grid drive voltages VG.sub.1 -VG.sub.n are applied to the grids g.sub.1 -g.sub.n in time division multiplex and the anode drive voltage VA.sub.ij is applied to the anodes A.sub.ij of the anode groups AG.sub.1 -AG.sub.n, the light emitter 3 emits light only if it is located on the anode A.sub.ij of the anode group AG.sub.i for which the grid drive voltage VG.sub.1 and the anode drive voltage VA.sub.ij are simultaneously applied. For the same reason, the light emitter 3 provided on the anode A.sub.ij of the anode group AG.sub.n later emits light as well for a different combination of grid drive voltage VG.sub.n and anode drive voltage VA.sub.ij.
The above-mentioned conventional dot-matrix fluorescent display device needs a number of anode lead wires 1.sub.ij, which number corresponds to that of the number of anodes A.sub.ij which constitute each of the anode groups AG.sub.i. If each anode group AG.sub.i is composed of 5.times.7 (35) anodes A.sub.ij in a matrix group, 35 anode lead wires 1.sub.ij are needed. However, in reality, anode drive voltage is simultaneously applied to several anodes A.sub.ij through the corresponding anode lead wires 1.sub.ij. When only a predetermined image such as "PLAY" and "FF" is to be indicated by the dot-matrix fluorescent display device for a video or audio device, anode drive voltages are always simultaneously applied to a plurality of anodes A.sub.ij in predetermined anode groups AG.sub.i through the corresponding anode lead wires 1.sub.ij. For that reason, the number of all the anode lead wires 1.sub.ij of the device is so large that the device is very complicated.


A system, apparatus, and method for facilitating selection of selectable links presented on a display using an enhanced hovering technique. At least one snap area associated with a link is defined, where the snap area includes a region extending beyond the boundaries of the particular link. Movement of a cursor is facilitated to allow a user to move the cursor over the snap area of the particular link when presented on the display. One or more characteristics of the particular link are modified when the cursor is hovering within the snap area of the particular link, thereby indicating that the link may be selected by the user.

Both landline and wireless computing systems are presently capable of receiving information in a variety of content types and formats, from a variety of different sources including networked sources. Landline systems, such as desktop computers, workstations, terminals, etc. generally utilize commercially-available Web browsers in order to interact with various kinds of Internet resources. This type of browser is generally a software program stored locally at the client device. In the Internet context, web content created with Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) or other language can be read by such Web browsers.
Analogous technologies exist for communicating landline content via wireless devices. For example, one such technology facilitating the transfer of Internet content to and from wireless devices is the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), which integrates the Internet and other networks with wireless network platforms. Generally, WAP is a set of protocols that accounts for characteristics and functionality of both Internet standards and standards for wireless services. It is generally independent of wireless network standards, and is designed as an open standard. WAP bridges the gap between the wireline Internet paradigm and the wireless domain, to allow wireless device users to enjoy the benefits of the Internet across both platforms. Other current and anticipated technologies are also used or contemplated for use in communicating content to and from wireless devices. In order to view or otherwise consume such Internet content via wireless devices using WAP, a WAP browser may be utilized. Other analogous browsers may be used for different wireless protocols.
Content from the Internet or other networked sources will be increasingly consumed on smaller devices. For example, the popularity and resulting proliferation of portable and hand-held wireless devices has confirmed the need to make Internet web pages and other content available to mobile device users. However, there are various factors that limit the ability of a user to efficiently consume Internet content via mobile terminals. One such factor is the relatively limited input capabilities available on mobile terminals as compared to wireline desktop computers and workstations. This is primarily due to the limited space available on mobile terminals, where small device size is otherwise highly desirable for purposes of portability. Another factor is the relatively limited display capabilities on mobile terminals, again due to the limited display screen size.
The small displays and reduced usability of mobile terminals make the consumption of Internet content challenging, as Internet content is typically designed and formatted for consumption on desktop or other wireline platforms used with high-resolution displays and advanced input capabilities. Because a mobile device's display is smaller and has a much lower resolution than that of larger desktop systems, Internet content must be scaled down when rendered onto the smaller display screens. Thus, a page with many links (e.g., Internet hyperlinks) will be scaled down such that the linked components and the spacing therebetween will be significantly reduced when rendered onto the smaller display. Thus, the display screen may appear cluttered with links, that are difficult to visually distinguish, and difficult to select using graphical selection tools. This, coupled with the relatively limited input capabilities available on mobile terminals, can create significant difficulties for the user to accurately move and position graphical selection tools (e.g., cursor) in order to select a particular link from a page being viewed on the mobile terminal display. It may even be difficult to discern whether the cursor is hovering over a link at all, or whether a link has indeed been selected.
Browsing difficulties are not limited to mobile terminals however. A user's ability to browse and otherwise consume Internet content on desktop and other wireline computers can be limited by the user himself/herself. For example, the user can have a disability, making it difficult to precisely move a graphical cursor with a mouse, joystick, etc. This is true even where the display link is provided on a full-size monitor in the size originally intended by the author or content provider. The problem is exacerbated when the device being used is a mobile device having a smaller display and/or limited input capabilities.
Accordingly, there is a need in the communications industry for a manner of facilitating link or other item selection using browsers and other applications that present selectable links/items. The present invention fulfills these and other needs, and offers other advantages over the prior art approaches.

System, apparatus, and method for facilitating link selection on electronic devices


The present invention is directed to a method of making a graft copolymer, comprising the steps of:                obtaining a first polymer comprising at least one carbon-carbon double bond, the first polymer derived from at least one monomer, the at least one monomer comprising a conjugated diene monomer;        polymerizing a second monomer in the presence of a thiocarbonylthio RAFT chain transfer agent to form a polymer comprising a terminal thiocarbonylthio group;        cleaving the terminal thiocarbonylthio group to a thiol group to form the second polymer comprising a terminal thiol group;        reacting the second polymer with the first polymer to form a graft copolymer, the graft copolymer comprising a backbone derived from the first polymer and sidechains derived from the second polymer.

In the ongoing effort to improve tire design, there is a recognized tension among tire performance, rolling resistance (or fuel economy), and treadwear. Typically, for use in a consumer tire, a tread compound is designed to optimized between these three considerations. However, efforts to improve for example fuel economy often lead to compromises in performance and/or treadwear. For higher performance tires desired by driving enthusiasts, the achievement better performance often comes with a compromise in treadwear or fuel economy. There is a desire therefore to develop tread compounds that can achieve improvement in any of performance, fuel economy, and treadwear with little or no compromise in the other two. One approach is in the elastomeric polymers used in the tread compound.
The reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization is a versatile controlled radical polymerization method which can be used for the polymerization of a variety of monomers. Due to the controlled characteristics of the RAFT-polymerization, the polydispersities of the resulting polymers are relatively low and their molecular weights can be modified within a wide range by changing the initiator and CTA concentration. The RAFT-polymerization is initiated by a radical starter (for example AIBN) and a chain transfer agent (CTA). Suitable CTAs contain thiocarbonylthio-moieties such as dithioesters, trithiocarbonates, dithiocarbamates and xanthates. After the RAFT-polymerization, the respective thiocarbonylthio-moieties remain attached to the polymer chains as functional endgroups.


Provided is a projection video display device with which a sliding load is minimized while maintaining an adjustment precision in a lens shift mechanism. A lens shift mechanism (32) which moves a projection lens in a direction which is orthogonal to the optical axis of projected light has a configuration in which mobile bases (50, 60), which retain the projection lens, slide using a shaft (52), which is attached on a fixed member (4) side, as a guide member. A further aspect of the configuration is that a correction screw is inserted from the rear face side of the fixed member (4) to make contact with the shaft (52), and optical axis tilt and misalignment of the projection lens are corrected by adjusting the degree of insertion of the correction screw.

Projection video display devices such as a liquid crystal projector irradiate a display element such as a liquid crystal panel with light emitted from a light source such as a mercury lamp, and enlarges and projects a video formed by the display element with a projection lens onto a screen. The configuration of an optical system of the device includes an optical unit from irradiation with light emitted from the light source on the liquid crystal panel to formation of the video (hereinafter, referred to as an optical engine) and a projection optical system which enlarges and projects the video formed by the liquid crystal panel with a projection lens. In an optical engine of a color video display device, three liquid crystal panels for three primary colors (RGB) as display elements, a color separation system for irradiation light, and a color synthesis system for respective video colors are provided. Moreover, for adjusting a video-displaying position on the screen, a lens shifting mechanism which can move a projection lens in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis is provided in the projection optical system.
The lens shifting mechanism is arranged to move the projection lens in two directions perpendicular to the optical axis of projection light, i.e., a horizontal direction and a vertical direction, and is required to be reduced in size and have high accuracy. In Patent Literature 1, a structure is proposed which aims to downsize the lens shifting mechanism and improve the operability thereof and includes a manual operating portion, which is provided with an arrangement of operating knobs for horizontal direction and vertical direction, and a movement transmission mechanism portion for cutting off a transmitted force at a lens-shift-limit position by means of a clutch mechanism portion.


According to one embodiment, an image processing apparatus includes an extracted coordinates setting module, an image generator, and an output module. The extracted coordinates setting module sets extracted coordinates in a captured image along a direction in which a viewpoint moves with respect to an object in the captured image. The image generator sequentially extracts partial areas from the captured image in which perspective deformation of the object has been corrected based on the extracted coordinates, and generates a plurality of partial area images from the partial areas. The partial areas are in a size corresponding to the viewing angle of the human eye calculated according to an angle of view of the captured image. The output module outputs a moving image including the partial area images as frames.

1. Field
One embodiment of the invention relates to an image processing apparatus, a display device, and an image processing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Perspective deformation recovery is image processing performed on a captured still image (hereinafter, "captured image") to correct perspective deformation. The perspective deformation frequently occurs in an image captured with a wide-angle lens and looks unnatural or strange to the human eye. The perspective deformation recovery corrects only perspective deformation in a captured image without changing the range of an object therein, and corresponds to the effect of a tilt-shift lens that is a type of an optical lens. For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication (KOKAI) No. 2002-335438 discloses a conventional digital camera provided with a processor to eliminate perspective deformation.
With the conventional digital camera, although perspective deformation in a captured image is corrected, the captured image is not converted to suit the natural viewing angle of the human eye. Therefore, the user may not experience the same sensation as he/she does when viewing the real scene through the captured image obtained by the image processing. For example, in a wide-angle captured image that requires perspective deformation recovery, a range substantially wider than the viewing angle of the human eye is sometimes captured. In such a case, by only the correction of perspective deformation, the captured image looks different from the scenery viewed by the human eye and unnatural.

Image processing apparatus, display device, and image processing method


An image processing apparatus includes a first error diffusion unit, a second error diffusion unit, and a first determining unit, wherein the second error diffusion unit performs error diffusion processing in parallel with the first error diffusion unit and has an operating unit and a calculation unit, and the first determining unit determines whether quantized data for the second pixel of interest is fixed by the second error diffusion unit on the basis of whether the total of value is equal to or lower than a first reference value and whether the total of value is equal to or higher than a second reference value that is higher than the first reference value.

1. Field of the Invention
One disclosed aspect of the embodiments relates to image processing methods and image processing apparatuses which may quantize input image data by an error diffusion method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the past, quantization processing by an error diffusion method may diffuse an error caused by quantization of each pixel to a predetermined pixel in accordance with a two-dimensional error matrix, for example. An adjacent pixel to be processed on a same line is quantized by adding the error diffused to the original pixel value. After the pixels for one line have completely been quantized, pixels for one adjacent line are quantized in the same manner. Thus, all lines contained in image data are sequentially quantized.
Quantization processing by an error diffusion method is required to sequentially quantize pixel by pixel because a processing result from an immediately preceding pixel is used to process a pixel of interest, as described above. In other words, higher-speed quantization processing is difficult to achieve.
Accordingly, a method for achieving higher speed image processing by an error diffusion method has been proposed which processes two pixels simultaneously at one clock (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-050846).
However, according to the image processing method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-050846, it is unable to diffuse an error value of one pixel of four pixels to a close pixel. For that reason, the error data of the pixel may be diffused to a pixel away from the proper pixel. Diffusion of error data to a pixel away from a proper pixel may generate discontinuous fine lines and/or reduce the sharpness of an image part which should be highly sharp. In this way, a part of an algorithm of an error diffusion method in the past is changed at the expense image quality in order to increase the speed of image processing by the error diffusion method.

Image processing method and image processing apparatus


An electrophotographic imaging member which has improved imaging layer(s) formulated to comprise a charge transport compound and a polymer blended binder to render photoelectrical stability, tune-ability, and surface contact friction reduction for providing service life extension. The polymer blended binder used in the imaging layer(s) is a binary polymer blend consisting of: (1) an A-B diblock copolymer and a bisphenol polycarbonate and (2) an A-B diblock copolymer and a bisphenol polycarbonate plus a slippery nano POSS particle dispersion in its material matrix.

The presently disclosed embodiments relate in general to electrostatography comprising improved features in the imaging member that enhance functional properties when used in the electrostatographic imaging system. These embodiments pertain to, more particularly, an electrophotographic imaging member which has improved imaging layer(s) formulated to comprise a charge transport compound and a novel polymer blended binder. The novel polymer blended binder used in the imaging layer(s) is a binary polymer blend as described herein to give two distinctive binder blended formulations and properties.
The three polymer blended binder formulations are: (1) a binary polymer blended binder formed to consist of blending a film forming bisphenol polycarbonate and a film forming organic acid terminated A-B diblok copolymer to impart imaging member photoelectrical tune-ability result, (2) a binary polymer blended binder formed to consist of a blend of the film forming bisphenol polycarbonate and the organic acid terminated A-B diblock copolymer plus a slippery nano size silicon oxide particle dispersion to render the resulting imaging member surface lubricity for contact friction reduction and photoelectrical tune-ability/wear resistance enhancement, and (3) a binary polymer blended binder formed to consist of blending the film forming organic acid terminated A-B diblock copolymer and a polysiloxane containing low surface energy copolymer to impart imaging member photoelectrical stability as well as surface adhesiveness/slipperiness/contact friction reduction. In the present disclosure, slipperiness refers to a property of cleaning apparatus or machine contacting subsystems that allows such apparatus or subsystems contacting the imaging member to easily slide over the surface. Adhesiveness is the opposite of adhesion, namely, that material contact on the surface does not stick to the surface but is rather easily removed.
The novel polymer blended binders formulated according to the description in the embodiments of present disclosure provide the resulting imaging member with specific benefits of photo-electrical tune-ability, copy printout quality improvement, chemical amine contaminant protection, as well as surface energy lowering result for contact friction reduction. The imaging layer(s), for example the charge transport layer(s), formulated as described herein are applicable for all types of electrophotographic imaging members used in electrophotography to provide effective imaging member service life extension in the field.
In electrophotographic reproducing apparatuses, including digital, image on image, and contact electrostatic printing apparatuses, a light image of an original to be copied is typically recorded in the form of an electrostatic latent image upon a photosensitive member and the latent image is subsequently rendered visible by the application of electroscopic thermoplastic resin particles and pigment particles, or toner. Typical electrophotographic imaging members include, for example: photoreceptors commonly utilized in electrophotographic (xerographic) imaging process systems. All of the electrophotographic imaging members are prepared in either flexible belt form or rigid drum configuration. For typical flexible electrophotographic imaging member belt, it comprises a charge transport layer, a charge generating layer, and optional layers on one side of a flexible supporting substrate layer and does also include application of an anticurl back coating on the opposite side of the substrate to render imaging member flatness and complete the imaging member structure. Alternatively, the electrophotographic imaging members can also be prepared as rigid member, such as those utilizing a rigid substrate support drum. For these drum imaging members, having a thick rigid cylindrical supporting substrate bearing the imaging layer(s), there is no exhibition of the curl-up problem, and thus, there is no need for an anticurl back coating layer.
The flexible electrophotographic imaging members may be seamless or seamed belts. Seamed belts are usually formed by cutting a rectangular sheet from a web, overlapping opposite ends, and welding the overlapped ends together to form a welded seam.
Although the scope of the present embodiments covers the preparation of both types of electrophotographic imaging members, in either flexible belt design or rigid drum configuration, for reasons of simplicity, the discussion hereinafter will focus only on flexible electrophotographic imaging member belts.
One type of flexible composite photoconductive layer used in xerography is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,990 which describes a photosensitive imaging member having at least two electrically operative layers. One layer comprises a photoconductive layer which is capable of photogenerating holes and injecting the photogenerated holes into a contiguous charge transport layer. Generally, the two electrically operative layers are supported on a conductive layer support substrate, with the photoconductive layer being sandwiched between a contiguous charge transport layer and the supporting conductive layer. In this negatively charged imaging member, the charge transport layer is the top outermost exposed layer. In the alternative imaging member design, the charge transport layer is, however, sandwiched between the supporting electrode and a photoconductive layer. Since the typical flexible electrophotographic imaging members exhibit undesirable upward imaging member curling-up after completion of the electrically operative layers, the application of an anticurl back coating onto the backside of the support substrate is necessary to provide the appropriate imaging members with desirable flatness.
The flexible photosensitive members having at least two electrically operative layers, as disclosed above, provide excellent electrostatic latent images when charged in the dark with a uniform negative electrostatic charge, exposed to a light image and thereafter developed with finely divided electroscopic marking particles. The resulting toner image is usually transferred to a suitable receiving member such as paper or to an intermediate transfer member which thereafter transfers the image to a receiving member such as paper.
In the case where the charge generating layer is sandwiched between the top outermost exposed charge transport layer and the electrically conducting layer, the outer surface of the charge transport layer is charged negatively and the conductive layer is charged positively. The charge generating layer then should be capable of generating electron hole pair when exposed image wise and inject only the holes through the charge transport layer. In the alternate case when the charge transport layer is sandwiched between the charge generating layer and the conductive layer, the outer surface of the charge generating layer is charged positively while conductive layer is charged negatively and the holes are injected through from the charge generating layer to the charge transport layer. The charge transport layer should be able to transport the holes with as little trapping of charge as possible. In flexible imaging member belt such as photoreceptor, the charge conductive layer may be a thin coating of metal on a flexible substrate support layer.
As more advanced, higher speed electrophotographic copiers, duplicators and printers were developed, however, degradation of image quality was encountered during extended cycling. The complex, highly sophisticated duplicating and printing systems operating at very high speeds have placed stringent requirements including narrow operating limits on photoreceptors. For example, the numerous layers used in many modern photoconductive imaging members should be highly flexible, adhere well to adjacent layers, and exhibit predictable electrical characteristics within narrow operating limits to provide excellent toner images over many thousands of cycles. Typically, negatively charged multilayered flexible photoreceptor that has been employed as a belt in electrophotographic imaging systems comprises a flexible substrate, a conductive layer, an optional blocking layer, an optional adhesive layer, a charge generating layer, a charge transport layer and a conductive ground strip layer adjacent to one edge of the imaging layers. In such a photoreceptor, it does usually further comprise an anticurl back coating layer on the backside of the substrate (opposite the side carrying the conductive layer, support layer, blocking layer, adhesive layer, charge generating layer, charge transport layer, and other layers) to effect curl control for rendering flatness configuration and give a complete structure.
Since the charge transport layer in a negatively charged imaging member is the top outermost exposed layer, it is constantly subjected to machine cleaning blade and cleaning mechanical friction interaction brush under a normal machine electrophotographic imaging and cleaning processes condition, the charge has been found to develop pre-mature wear/scratch failure. In addition, the outer Charge transport layer is also exposed to chemical vapor contaminants interaction during electrophotographic imaging process in the field to negatively impact function. For example, exposure to the vapor amine species (from ammonia) emitted from common cleaning agents have been seen to interact with the imaging member charge transport layer, causing material degradation to promote pre-mature onset of charge transport layer cracking and exacerbation of wear failure which severely cut short the functional life of the imaging member. In one particular instant, amine vapor impact on copy printout quality degradation has recently been seen when pre-printed papers (papers having pre-printed images which employed amine agents catalyzed UV cured ink) are used by customers for subsequent addition of xerographic images over the pre-printed paper blank spaces; that is the accumulation of amine residues deposition onto the imaging member charge transport layer surface, after repeatedly making contact with receiving papers during xerographic imaging process, is found to cause ghosting image defects print-out in the output copies. Since ghosting image defects in the output copies are unacceptable print quality failures, so it does require frequent costly imaging member replacement in the field.
Additionally, the conventional flexible imagine member designs have an inherent photo-electrical function limitation; which is exhibition of progressive electrical property degradation of monotonously cycle-up under a normal machine electrophotographic imaging process condition. The continuation of imaging member electrical cyclic up is seen to gradually reach a point of onset of copy print failure that cuts short the imaging member service life.
With the issues described above, there is an urgent need to resolve these issues and extend the service life of the imaging member in the field. In particular, there is a need for a formulation of a charge transport layer that is resistive to amine specific effect to resolve the current pre-printed paper ghosting image defects print out problem.
Conventional photoreceptors are disclosed in the following patents, a number of which describe the presence of light scattering particles in the undercoat layers: U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,961; U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,839; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,958,638. The term "photoreceptor" or "photoconductor" is generally used interchangeably with the terms "imaging member." The term "electrostatographic" includes "electrophotographic" and "xerographic." The terms "charge transport molecule" are generally used interchangeably with the terms "hole transport molecule."
In U.S. Pat. No. 7,413,835, there is disclosed an electrophotographic imaging member having a thermoplastic charge transport layer, a polycarbonate polymer binder, a particulate dispersion, and a high boiler compatible liquid. The disclosed charge transport layer exhibits enhanced wear resistance, excellent photoelectrical properties, and good print quality.
In U.S. Pat. No. 7,592,111, issued on Sep. 22, 2009 to Yu, et al., there is disclosed an imaging member formulated with a crosslinkable liquid carbonate for charge transport layer and overcoat layer binder formulation. The imaging electrostatographic member exhibits improved service life.

Imaging members having electrically and mechanically tuned imaging layers


Apparatuses and methods are provided to improve thermal management for one or more heat generating components within an information handling system (IHS). An embodiment of an apparatus may include a heat pipe, a thermoelectric cooler (TEC), a heat exchanger, a temperature sensor and a controller. The heat pipe is thermally coupled between the heat generating component(s) and the heat exchanger to transfer thermal energy from the one or more heat generating components to the heat exchanger. The TEC is thermally coupled between the heat pipe and the heat exchanger to transfer excess thermal energy that is not absorbed by the heat pipe to the heat exchanger. The temperature sensor measures an internal temperature within the IHS. The controller receives the internal temperature measurement from the temperature sensor and enables/disables the TEC based on the received temperature measurement.

As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Information handling systems (IHSs) typically use some form of active and/or passive thermal management to direct heat away from heat generating components contained within the IHS. For example, one or more fans may be included within a chassis or housing of an IHS to provide active cooling to one or more heat generating components contained therein. In another example, heat generating components may be thermally coupled to a heat sink (e.g., a heat exchanger, metal chassis or other thermally conductive component within the IHS), which functions to passively draw heat away from the heat generating components. In some cases, a heat pipe may be coupled to one or more heat generating components for directing heat away to a heat sink, or another active or passive cooling component, of the IHS.
In addition to active and passive cooling, thermal management schemes are often used to slow down, or even shut down, heat sensitive components when temperatures become too great. For example, the clock speed of a processing device (e.g., a central processing unit, CPU, or graphics processing unit, GPU) may be slowed to reduce the amount of heat produced by the processing device. This type of thermal management scheme, referred to as "thermal throttling," helps the processing device to cool down by reducing the operating speed of the device. Thermal throttling may also be used to control the amount of heat generated by other IHS components, such as a platform controller hub (PCH), memory, and solid state storage devices (SSDs).
Some information handling systems, such as portable IHSs (e.g., notebook computers, tablet computers, smart phones, etc.), network devices (e.g., gateways, etc.) and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, may be temporarily or permanently located in hot ambient environments, such as outdoors or inside a hot vehicle, storage cabinet, etc. In some cases, the external ambient temperature in which an IHS is deployed may reach up to 70° C. or more. Such high external ambient temperatures can present significant problems to the operation of these systems if active/passive cooling components and thermal management schemes are unable to reduce internal temperatures below the thermal design power (TDP) of the components contained therein. For this reason, manufactures often provide temperature ratings for operating the system or components contained therein.
For example, a solid-state storage drive (SSD) included within an IHS may have a maximum temperature rating of about 85° C. Tcase (i.e., the temperature measured at the top of the SSD case or housing) and a thermal throttle temperature rating of about 70° C. Tcase. The read/write speed of the SSD is reduced when the SSD temperature (e.g., Tcase) reaches the thermal throttle temperature rating. Once the maximum temperature rating is reached, the SSD is automatically shut down to prevent permanent damage to the SSD.
At high external ambient temperatures (e.g., 70° C. and above), internal ambient temperature surrounding the SSD can easily exceed the maximum temperature rating of the SSD, often making the storage device the most critical component constraining overall system performance. While various passive cooling techniques (such as coupling the SSD to a heat sink, thermal pad, metal chassis or enclosure of the IHS) have been used in the past to draw heat away from the storage device at lower external ambient temperatures (e.g., temperatures below 70° C.), there are currently no thermal management solutions that enable an SSD to support high external ambient temperatures up to its maximum temperature rating (e.g., 85° C.).

Apparatus and method to improve thermal management for one or more heat generating components within an information handling system


A digital data encode system for inserting water mark data into digital data signals having a series of field data by use of a water mark data inserting device, the digital data encode system has a field judging unit dividing the digital data signals by a predetermined reference, a water mark data selection output unit for selecting proper one of a plurality of different water mark data prepared correspondingly to the division according to the judgment result of the field judging unit, and a water mark data inserting device for inserting the water mark data supplied from the water mark data selection output unit into the digital data signals.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital data encode system and a water mark data inserting method for inserting water mark data in the digital data signal having a series of field data.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, there has arisen the necessity of developing means for preventing illegal copying of digital data, especially digital image data, with the advance of an information processor and a communication network and the electronization of various media.
Data encryption technique has been proposed as this kind of technique for preventing illegal copying. This digital data encryption technique is, for example, to enable it to reproduce the encrypted digital image data in only a reproducing system having a proper cryptoanalysis key when digital image data is encrypted. The conventional encryption technique, however, has such a defect that if the encryption code is once broken, it cannot protect against the illegally copying thereafter.
Therefore, a technique by use of water mark data is proposed, as another technique for preventing illegal copying of digital data, free from such a defect as a digital encryption technique has. Water mark data (digital water mark) is the special information to be embedded in digital image data itself in order to prevent the illegal use and copying of the digital image data. It includes, for example, information for authenticating the copyright ownership and judging the infringement of the copyright, and the copy protected information for preventing illegal copying itself.
Such water mark data to be inserted in the digital image data includes two kinds of visible water mark data and invisible water mark data. Visible water mark data means such a special character, symbol, or other data to be inserted in the image that a person who sees the image with the water mark data combined therewith may perceive the water mark visually. This kind of visible water mark data would naturally cause the deterioration of the image quality. While, it is effective in visually appealing protection against illegal copy or illegal data fluid.
A conventional visible water mark data embedding technique is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication Laid-Open (Kokai) No. Heisei 8-241403, "Digital Watermarking Free from Image Color Change" (hereinafter, referred to as the conventional technique 1). According to the water mark data inserting method of the conventional technique 1, when combining visible water mark data with the original image data, the water mark data is combined with the original image data in a way of changing only the brightness of the pixel corresponding to the non-transparent part of the water mark data without changing the chromaticities, of all pixels of the original data. At this time, the scaling value for changing the brightness component of a pixel is determined by the value of, for example, chromatic component, random numbers, and pixels of water mark data.
Another example of the conventional visible water mark data embedding technique is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication Laid-Open (Kokai) No. Heisei 5-236424, "Information Embedding Method and Its Apparatus" (hereinafter, referred to as the conventional technique 2). The water mark data inserting method according to the conventional technique 2 comprises detecting means for detecting a region meeting a predetermined condition from image data, thereby to embed the water mark in every image data at the position corresponding to the region meeting the condition. The position for embedding the water mark depends on the content of the image. Therefore, it is very difficult to remove the water mark without much deteriorating the image quality.
On the other hand, invisible water mark data means such special data to be inserted in the image that a person who sees the image with the water mark data combined therewith cannot perceive the water mark visually. This kind of invisible water mark data is embedded in the original image data in consideration of causing no natural deterioration of the image quality. As is understood from this, invisible water mark data is preferable to visible water mark data under the condition that a water mark preferably exists outside of the image data to be protected.
The water mark data inserting technique by use of an invisible water mark causes little image deterioration and when embedding special information enabling the identification of a writer as water mark data, it can specify the writer by detecting the water mark data even after illegal copying is performed. By embedding the copy protected information for disapproving copying or the copy prohibited information for prohibiting copying, in the original image data, and providing a reproducing device for reproducing the image data with a special function corresponding to the information, for example, it is possible to notify a user of the reproducing device that the image data is the copy inhibited data and to operate the special function within the reproducing device (copy protection function or the like) so as to restrict copying into VTR (Video Tape Recorder) when the reproducing device detects the copy protected information or the like.
As the technique of embedding the invisible water mark data in digital image, there is, for example, a technique of embedding the special information as a water mark in the digital image at the least influenced portion to the image quality in the pixel data (for example, LSB (Least Significant Bit)). This kind of the conventional invisible water mark data embedding technique is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication Laid-Open (Kokai) No. Heisei 6-339110, "Image Information Transfer Method, Image Information Recording Device and Image Information Reproducing Device" (hereinafter, referred to as the conventional technique 3). The water mark data inserting method according to the conventional technique 3 transmits the image signal together with the copyright information and the generation information overlapping each other, to the space other than the valid image space displayed on a screen of the image signal, and performs the generation restriction of the copy according to the copyright information and the generation information included in the received image signal at a receiver side.
The invisible water mark data embedding technique, however, is defective in that only the water mark data is easily removed from the image data with water mark data embedded therein, without deteriorating the quality of the original image data. For example, the information corresponding to the LSB of the pixel data will be lost by use of a low pass filter. Generally, the image compression processing aims to reduce the data amount on the whole by diminishing the information amount with respect to the least influenced portion to the quality in the pixel data. Therefore, the water mark data embedded in the least influenced portion to the quality in the pixel data will be lost in the image compression processing. As mentioned above, the invisible water mark embedding technique has such a defect that it may be difficult to re-detect the water mark data in some cases.
Therefore, a technique of embedding invisible water mark data in a digital image as well as diffusing the water mark data into the frequency spectrum after frequency conversion of the image data (hereinafter, referred to as the conventional technique 4) is presented (refer to Nikkei Electronics p.13 (no. 660) 4.22.1996). Since water mark data is embedded in the frequency component of the image data to be processed according to the conventional technique 4, the water mark data is robust against the image compression processing and the image processing such as filtering, and the water mark data won't be lost. Further, random numbers according to the normal distribution are used as the water mark data, thereby preventing the interference of the respective water mark data even in the case of embedding a plurality of water mark data. Therefore, according to the conventional technique 4, it is difficult to destroy only the water mark data without much influence to the whole image data.
The conventional technique 4 will be, hereinafter, described with reference to FIG. 12. The water mark encode system according to the conventional technique 4 comprises, for example, discrete cosine transform (DCT) means 1210, water mark data output means 1230 storing the water mark data 1231, a water mark data inserting device 1240, and inverse discrete cosine transform (inverse DCT) means 1250. The DCT is adopted here as only one example of spectrally resolving means of original image data, and any other conversion means than the DCT will do.
In thus-constituted conventional technique 4, original image data is converted into frequency components by DCT, and n piece of data indicating higher frequency value are selected, each defined as f(1), f(2), . . . , f(n). On the other hand, each water mark data w(1), w(2), . . . , w(n) are selected from the normal distribution having a mean value 0 and a variance 1, and F(i)=f(i)+.alpha..vertline.f(i).vertline.*w(i) is calculated with respect to each i (where i=1, 2, . . . , n: hereinafter in the same way). Where, .alpha. is a scaling element. At the end, the image data with the water mark data embedded therein can be obtained as the frequency components by the replacement of f(i) with F(i).
The water mark data detection according to the conventional technique 4 is performed in the following method, by way of example. The original image data and the water mark data candidate w(i) must be known values in the detecting method of the conventional technique 4. At first, the image data with the water mark data embedded therein is converted into the frequency components by use of DCT or the like, the element values corresponding to f(1), f(2), . . . , f(n) having the water mark data embedded therein in the frequency band are defined as F(1), F(2), . . . , F(n). By the use of f(i) and F(i), the water mark data W(i) is extracted, calculated by W(i)=(F(i)-f(i))/f(i). Next, the statistical similarity C of w(i) and W(i) is calculated by use of the inner product of vector by C=W*w/(WD*wD). Where, W=(W(1), W(2), , W(n)), and w=(w(1), w(2), . . . ,w(n)), WD is the absolute value of the vector W, and wD is the absolute value of the vector w. As the result of the above calculation, when the statistical similarity C is a particular constant value or the more, it can be judged that the above-mentioned water mark data candidate has been embedded in the image data.
If creating the image data with the water mark embedded therein by embedding the water mark data in the original image data by use of the conventional technique 4 as mentioned above, it is effective for a writer owing the original image data to judge the illegality of the digital image data which may be illegal copy.
The conventional technique 4 requires original image data and water mark data candidate w(i) in order to detect the water mark data as mentioned above. Therefore, it is effective for a writer owing the original image to detect any illegally-copied image data, however, a reproducing device of a terminal used by a general user, because of having no original image, cannot perform the detecting processing of the water mark data. Then, a further improved technique than the conventional technique 4 for terminal processing, especially MPEG system (hereinafter, referred to as the conventional technique 5) is proposed.
In the conventional technique 5, original image is divided into blocks of 8 pixels.times.8 pixels and the water mark data embedding and detection is performed by use of the block unit for processing. In the water mark data embedding processing, the data is defined as f(1), f(2), . . . , f(n) sequentially from the lowest frequency component of AC component in the frequency band after discrete cosine transform in the MPEG encode processing, the water mark data w(1), w(2), . . . , w(n) are selected from the normal distribution having a mean value 0 and a variance 1, and F(i)=f(i)+.alpha..times.avg (f(i)).times.w(i) is calculated with respect to each i. Where, .alpha. is a scaling element and avg (f(i)) is a partial average obtained by averaging the absolute values of three points around f(i), for example, f(i-1), f(i), and f(i+1). The processing later than the MPEG encode processing will be performed by replacing f(i) with F(i).
On the other hand, detection of the water mark data will be performed in the following method. This detecting method requires no original image data and that only the data candidate w(i) (where, i=1, 2, . . . , n) must be a known value. In the block frequency band of blocks after inverse quantization of the MPEG decoding processing, the data from the lowest frequency component is sequentially defined as F(1), F(2), . . . , F(n). The average of the absolute values of three points around F(i) is defined as the partial average avg (F(i)), the water mark data W(i) is calculated by W(i)=F(i)/avg (F(i)), and the total WF(i) of W(i) for one image is calculated for every i. By use of the inner product of vectors, the statistical similarity of w(i) and WF(i) is calculated by C=WF.times.w/(WFD.times.wD). Where, W=(WF(1), WF(2), . . . , WF(n)), w=(w(1), w(2), . . . , w(n)), WFD is the absolute value of the vector WF, and wD is the absolute value of the vector w. When the statistical similarity C is a particular constant value or the more, it can be judged that the water mark data has been embedded in the image data.
Insertion of a plurality of water mark data into one original image data can be adopted in order to attach a plurality of information such as writer information and copy protected information, to one image data. The conventional techniques 4 and 5, however, is defective in making the circuit size larger because of inserting a plurality of water mark data in one original image data and increasing the processing procedure. Namely, the conventional techniques 4 and 5 disclose a technique of inserting one water mark data in one original image data, however, with no consideration taken to the case of inserting a plurality of water mark data (for example, two water mark data) in one original image data. Therefore, when inserting, for example, two water mark data therein, different water mark data 1231 and 1232 must be separately inserted by two water mark data inserting devices 1241 and 1242, or two water mark data must be inserted by letting them pass one water mark data inserting device twice.
Another example of the conventional technique of embedding water mark in a digital image is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication Laid-Open (Kokai) No. Heisei 6-315131, "Information Embedding Device And Reproducing Device" (hereinafter, referred to as the conventional technique 6). The conventional technique 6 detects an area having no deterioration of the image even if replacing the data at the peripheral area when reproducing the information, for example, an equal background portion, by use of the relationship between a series of frames, and converts the level of the area to be converted, so to embed particular information therein. When reproducing the information, the area with the identification data embedded therein is specified by use of the signal lacked portion and the conversion information, and corrected so as to reconstruct the image.
The conventional technique 6, however, cannot embed the water mark information in all the frames, so that the frame with no water mark embedded therein is unable to protect against illegal copying. Since this technique is on the assumption that successive frames are of freeze-frame pictures and that there is no change on the successive frames, an area for embedding the water mark data cannot be specified in the moving images of violence action, thereby making it impossible to embed the water mark data therein.
Further another example of the conventional technique of embedding water mark in a digital image is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication Laid-Open (Kokai) No. Heisei 5-30466, "Image Signal Recording Device and Signal Recording Medium" (hereinafter, referred to as the conventional technique 7). The conventional technique 7 converts image signals by frequency and embeds the information having the frequency signal lower than the frequency band of the image signal after frequency conversion. By the use of a high pass filter, the original image is taken out and the identification data embedded therein is taken out by the use of a low pass filter.
However, since the conventional technique 7 embeds the water mark data in the lower frequency portion in the frequency band after frequency conversion of the image data, the water mark data can be easily removed by use of a high pass filter. When embedding the water mark data in the intensive frequency portion after frequency conversion, a filter cannot remove the water mark, but when inserting a plurality of water mark data, it cannot help deteriorating the image quality.


A method of terminating a pair of transmission lines is changed over by terminal setting. Display data is supplied to a master drive circuit and (n−1)-pieces of drive circuits from a host computer via the pair of transmission lines in accordance with a differential serial transmission system. Each drive circuit includes an SELC terminal. When a voltage inputted to the SELC terminal is at a first voltage level, a resistor having a resistance value of Ra is connected between the pair of transmission lines in the master drive circuit thus terminating the pair of transmission lines, and the pair of transmission lines in the slave drive circuits is opened. When the voltage inputted to the SELC terminal is at a second voltage level which differs from the first voltage level, a resistor having a resistance value of (n×Ra) is connected between the pair of transmission lines.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device, and more particularly to a technique which is effectively applicable to a display device to which an input signal is supplied to the display device via a pair of transmission lines in accordance with a differential serial transmission system.
2. Description of the Related Art
A TFT liquid crystal display device which uses thin film transistors as active elements can display an image with high definition and hence, the liquid crystal display device has been used as a display device for a television receiver set, a display for a personal computer or the like. Particularly, a miniaturized TFT liquid crystal display device has been popularly used as a display part of a mobile phone.
In general, in the liquid crystal display device, a so-called sub pixel is constituted such that, in a region surrounded by two neighboring scanning lines (also referred to as gate lines) and two neighboring video lines (also referred to as source lines or drain lines), a thin film transistor which is turned on in response to a scanning signal from the scanning line and a pixel electrode to which a video signal from the video line is supplied via the thin film transistor are formed.
A region in which a plurality of these sub pixels is formed constitutes a display region, and a peripheral region exists surrounding the display region. In the peripheral region, a drain driver (also referred to as a source driver) which supplies a video voltage (grayscale voltage) to each video line and a gate driver which supplies a scanning voltage to each scanning line are provided.
Display control signals are inputted to the drain driver and the gate driver from a display control circuit (also referred to as a timing controller) so that the drain driver and the gate driver are controlled and driven by the display control circuit.


An information processing program causes a computer to execute control processing in which: when a battle by a first character group including a first character and a second character group including various second characters is started, control is executed so as to display display target parameters for the second characters on a display medium, and a first number, which is the number of the second characters, is stored; a second number, which is the number of second characters determined as participating in the battle on the basis of determination parameters, which are parameters for determining whether or not to permit participation in the battle, is stored in iterative processing that is iterated during the battle; the display mode of the display target parameters on the display medium is changed in accordance with a condition regarding at least one of the first number and the second number in the iterative processing.

Conventionally, in a game in which a battle is played between ally characters operated by a player and enemy characters, it is generally practiced to display parameters for characters participating in the battle. For example, in a battle screen of a turn-taking role-playing game (RPG), displaying the current status of enemy characters and ally characters, such as hit points (HPs), is something that is practiced.
As specific examples, FIG. 51 in Patent Literature 1 and FIG. 3 in Patent Literature 2 disclose simultaneously displaying parameters for a plurality of enemy characters and individual parameters of a plurality of ally characters.

Information processing program, information processing system, and server for displaying parameters for a game battle