A three-dimensional (3D) sound gaming application can include an ultrasonic sound system, one or more gamers, a gaming console and a throat microphone set. The ultrasonic sound system can include a digital signal processing (DSP) that can adjust the phase, delay, reverb, echo, gain, magnitude or other audio signal component of an audio signal or audio signal components received from the gaming console; an amplifier which can amplify the processed audio signal; and a pair of emitters which can emit ultrasonic signals to each of the gamer's ears to produce a 3D sound effect. The throat microphone set can include a throat microphone which can integrate a low pass filter to attenuate any picked up, ultrasonic carrier frequency signals from the emitted ultrasonic waves. In addition, the throat microphone set can also include an ear speaker piece with one or more apertures for allowing sound produced by ultrasonic waves to enter the gamer's ear canal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates generally to parametric loudspeakers for use in audio production, and more particularly, to video gaming systems that incorporate parametric loudspeakers.
2. Background Information
In a multi-player video game, two or more gamers or users can play at the same time and in the same virtual environment, even if the gamers are in different physical locations. Multi-player games allow gamers to interact with other individuals, be it in the form of partnership, competition or rivalry. Furthermore, it provides them with a form of social communication that is almost always missing in single-player oriented games. In a variety of different multiplayer game types, gamers compete against one or more human contestants, work cooperatively with other gamers in order to achieve a common goal, supervise activities of other players, or engage in a game type that incorporates any possible combination of the above.
The setup of multi-player video games may include standard Dolby 5.1 or 7.1 sound systems that can immerse gamers into a world with gaming action occurring around the gamer. These standard or conventional sound systems can typically include 5 or more speakers positioned around the gamer to produce a surround sound effect. For example, in a shooting game or other war simulation game, the gamer can be in a battlefield environment that includes aircraft flying overhead, vehicles approaching from or departing locations around the gamer, other characters sneaking up on the gamer from behind or from the side, gunfire at various locations around the gamer, and so on. As another example, consider a car racing game where the gamer is in the cockpit of the vehicle. He or she can hear engine noise from the front, exhaust noise from the rear, tires squealing from the front or rear, the sounds of other vehicles behind, and so on.
In addition to surround sound systems, multi-player video games often require the use of a throat microphone in order for gamers to communicate with other gamers located at different physical locations. While generally throat microphones can pick up gamer's voice within the surround sound environment, some models of throat microphones can be susceptible, or sensitive to high-frequency sound generated by emitters. This high-frequency signal can mask the voice picked up by the throat microphone, thereby adding distortion or noise to the gamer's communication channel. In addition, throat microphones can include an ear speaker piece that emits the voices or directions from other gamers according to gameplay action. Because this tiny ear speaker piece is often worn inside one of the gamer's ear canals, the surround sound effect produced by the emitters can be blocked or at least attenuated, thereby reducing or eliminating the overall surround sound experience.

Video gaming system with ultrasonic speakers


A packaged sensor chip includes a lead frame to which there is attached a sensor element designed to generate a sensor signal that depends on a magnetic field to which the sensor element is exposed; and a package therefor, wherein the lead frame has function terminals and wherein the lead frame has at least two calibration terminals that are arranged on two other opposing sides of the package, wherein the lead frame has conductive structures that connect the at least two calibration terminals, wherein the conductive structures are structured so as to generate a calibration magnetic field for the sensor element when a current flows through them, and wherein the conductive structures are part of a connection structure that connects a plurality of lead frames before the plurality of lead frames are disconnected from one another in a first direction in which the other two sides are opposite one another.

Developing and manufacturing inexpensive and accurate magnetic field sensors continues to represent a major challenge. Integrated magnetic field sensors nowadays require expensive calibration and testing means which, since they are not standardized, need to be developed individually for each product. Angle sensors or 3D sensors for magnetic fields in particular require complex angle or 3D calibration devices in order to be calibrated.
What is known as a WOC (wire-on-chip) has been developed for Hall sensors, in which WOC conductive wires around a vertically or laterally arranged Hall sensor element additionally generate a magnetic field when excited by an electric current. These wires are used to generate a local magnetic field by way of which the sensor is able to be calibrated and trimmed The WOC principle is based on a difference measurement method on two magnetic fields that are induced by two electrical conductors, wherein current for an excitation test and that generates a specific magnetic field is applied via in each case two copper contact pads that respectively form two ends of an electrical conductor.
A further concept, the so-called BWOC (backside wire on chip), consists in depositing an electrically conductive wire on a rear side of a wafer in order to generate the required magnetic field, by way of which it is possible to trim or calibrate magnetic field sensors. The concept may be used for any lateral measurement system, for example a giant magnetoresistance (GMR) or AMR (anisotropic magnetoresistive effect) and the like. Using a special arrangement, it would even be possible to use vertical sensitive devices such as Hall plates. A magnetic field is generated when a current flows through the BWOC. By suitably placing the BWOC below or along a Hall region, the magnetic field penetrates vertically into the sensor in an optimal manner and is able to be measured. In order to achieve a required field density on the sensor surface, a high current has to flow through the BWOC. The dimensions of the wires have to be great enough to be able to transport the required amount of current. The required amount of current varies depending on a distance between the current-carrying wire and the sensor surface.

Sensor chip and associated calibration lead frame


A method is described for generating patterns representing a halftone image, said method comprising the generation of a first set of patterns consisting of lines and curves dimensionally modulated so as to produce variations in tones reproducing the halftones of the image using an intaglio rendering technique. The method comprises the generation of a second set of patterns consisting of microstructures separate from the lines and curves of the first set of patterns, said microstructures being dimensionally modulated so as to produce variations in tones reproducing the halftones of the image. According to a first aspect of the invention, the microstructures consist of stochastic microstructures that can be likened to a grain. According to a second aspect of the invention, the microstructures consist of repetitive microstructures reproducing information that can be recognized by an observer, which repetitive microstructures comprise microletters and/or microsymbols. The second set of patterns is interlaced with the first set of patterns in such a way that the microstructures of the second set of patterns occupy the spaces between the lines and curves of the first set of patterns and so that the halftones reproduced by the second set of patterns supplement the halftones reproduced by the first set of patterns.

Intaglio is a secular printing technique that goes back to the 15th Century which consists in printing patterns by means of an engraved printing plate (or intaglio printing plate) which is inked on its surface, then wiped before printing in order to contain the applied ink or inks within the engravings of the plate. The duly inked printing plate is applied against the paper to be printed in a press exerting sufficient pressure on the paper against the printing plate for the ink of the engravings to be transferred to the paper. The result is a document comprising a printed pattern reflecting the engraved patterns with an additional relief or embossing, matching the printed pattern, which reflects the depth of the engravings and which can be recognized by touch.
For a long time, the intaglio printing plates were commonly engraved by hand in a plate made of soft metal, for example copper, brass or any other metal or appropriate metal alloy. The tools used by the engraver typically comprise burins or punches, the ends of which are sharpened and adapted to the desired dimensions of the patterns to be engraved, said patterns mainly consisting of lines and curves dimensionally modulated according to the action applied by the engraver to produce variations in tones reproducing the halftones of the image to be engraved (for example a portrait).
More recently, photolithographic techniques have been proposed to facilitate the transfer of images to the printing plates, as well as computer-assisted engraving methods.
The intaglio printing technique is notably used in the field of security printing, in particular for the printing of banknotes, intaglio printing remaining one of the techniques that is most difficult to counterfeit without appropriate equipment.
In the context of security printing, in particular the printing of banknotes, techniques have been developed to assist the engraver in his work, notably to reduce the engraving time required and the time to produce printing plates. The approach adopted until very recently involved producing a single engraved original (engraved by hand or assisted by technical engraving means) representing a single document to be printed, and in replicating this original as many times as necessary to produce a printing plate comprising several identical replicas of said original. According to this approach, the engraving technique employed follows that of an engraver, that is, each pattern is engraved according to the plot of the line or curve to be made, that is vectorially (see, for example, International application WO 97/48555).
The present applicant has proposed a new approach for the production of intaglio printing plates, an approach that is described in International application WO 03/103962 (incorporated herein by reference in its entirety). This method consists in generating a set of three-dimensional digital data consisting of pixels each representative of an individual point to be engraved in the surface of the plate to be engraved, the engraving being done pixel by pixel on the basis of said three-dimensional digital data. According to this technique, a printing plate can be directly engraved. Alternatively, a printing plate precursor (advantageously a metal plate supporting a layer of polymer) can be engraved. In the latter case, it is the polymer layer that is engraved and the duly formed precursor is then used to make printing plates by electroplating. The engraving is, moreover, advantageously done by laser.
Unlike the preceding approach, a whole plate can be engraved in a single phase, without the tedious process of replicating an original. According to the technique described in the International patent application WO 03/103962, the replication of the original on the plate is done digitally, this making it possible in particular to compensate the distortions of the paper during the intaglio printing process, a compensation that was quite simply impossible by using the techniques employed previously.
A considerable advantage of the abovementioned technique lies in the fact that it is essentially independent of the complexity of the patterns to be engraved, whereas the prior techniques are dependent on the level of complexity of the patterns to be engraved.
FIG. 1 shows a halftone image representative of the state of the art which illustrates a portrait of Jules Verne and which is formed by a set of patterns consisting of lines and curves dimensionally modulated to produce the variations in tones reproducing the halftones of the image. The illustrated patterns are produced according to a conventional intaglio rendering technique. As can be see in FIG. 1, different parts of the portrait are reproduced by means of various combinations of lines and curves. Thus, the parts A of the portrait representing the skin on the forehead, the cheeks, the nose, are typically represented by means of a set of crossed lines and curves, with the possible addition of a dot or a line segment (commonly called "interlines" or "inner dots") inside the lozenge-shaped spaces left between the crossed lines and curves. However, the hair and beard B are represented by a set of essentially parallel lines and curves. Finally, the eyes C are represented by a set of segments of concentric circles. All these representations, and others, are thus combined to reproduce various characteristic parts of the halftone image to be represented.
With regard to the conventional intaglio rendering technique illustrated in FIG. 1, a distinction should be drawn between this rendering technique and the photogravure (or rotogravure) rendering techniques which use regular screens of which the dot is dimensionally modulated to reproduce the halftones of the image. Although these techniques make it possible to reproduce halftone images, they have the disadvantage of eliminating any expressive force in the way with which the image is reproduced, rendering the image synthetic and lifeless, and equally degrading the level of security of such representations that can relatively easily be reproduced. Furthermore, photogravure employs inks that are comparatively more fluid than the intaglio inks and the printing method itself generates no relief on the printed document. Pattern generation methods for photogravure are, for example, described in document WO 83/00570. A device for the transposition by mechanical engraving of such patterns is for example described in publication U.S. Pat. No. 5,675,420.
From the security point of view, intaglio printing already in itself presents a high resistance to counterfeiting because of its specific features (relief, tactility, thickness of printed ink, etc.) which are difficult to reproduce with conventional means.
One way of increasing the level of security of intaglio prints for example involves incorporating microstructures that cannot be recognized by the naked eye in the printing itself. One solution notably involves structuring one of the lines or curves in the image in the form of a positive or negative microtext. The incorporation of such a microtext in a portrait is for example used in the American 100-Dollar banknote where the neckline of the portrait of the president Benjamin Franklin is structured to transcribe the expression "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA". A proposition along these lines also features in International application WO 02/20268.
However, in this International application WO 02/20268, it is simply a question of superimposing, in positive or in negative, fine structures (for example microletters or geometrical symbols) on one or more lines or curves of a halftone image which is reproduced according to a conventional intaglio rendering technique. This results in positively or negatively structured lines, mirroring the practice applied to the abovementioned American 100-Dollar bill. This solution does not globally modify the rendering of the halftone image, which rendering is provided solely by a set of patterns consisting of dimensionally modulated lines and curves, where appropriate structured as indicated hereinabove.
Other solutions for increasing the security of the intaglio prints have been proposed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,767 for example proposes superimposing on the image a grid made up of parallel lines, the spacing of which is chosen to interfere with the operation of scanners and photocopiers.
Other solutions involve incorporating latent images in the intaglio print, that is, images that are revealed only under certain viewing conditions. Such solutions are notably proposed in publications U.S. Pat. No. 4,033,059 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,212. These solutions are, however, difficult to incorporate as such in halftone images without affecting the visual appearance of the latter.
There is therefore still a need to increase the level of security of the intaglio prints that represent halftone images.

Method of generating patterns representing a halftone image


A system for monitoring and stimulating user actions to contents retrieved from a network is disclosed. The system may comprise a set of configurable rules, a rules engine for applying the rules, and a server coupled to an end-user computing device and the network. The server may be configured to associate the end-user computing device to the rules engine and to at least one of the rules, determine at least one of a state of the server, an input at the server, a state of the end-user computing device, or an input at the end-user computing device each associated with at least a portion of the retrieved contents, and execute the associated at least one rule utilizing the associated rules engine to stimulate a user action from the end-user computing device.

People frequently interact with and utilize machines to perform various tasks. For example, computers connected through internet have been serving as terminals for information exchange, goods purchase, etc. To promote their products, services, or ideas, content hosts usually have a great interest of attracting traffic to their websites, applications, or other portals. For the hosts, it is desirable to track and understand the mindsets of the users, based on which appropriate contents can be rendered at the right time and in the right form to induce positive responses. Nevertheless, existing technologies fall short in providing customizable systems and methods for such interactions. In most cases, only a universal solution is available, such as popping up a window ten second after opening a website, which users may find intrusive and unpleasing. Consequently, potential patrons may turn away, causing losses to the hosts.

Rule engine system and method for human-machine interaction


To provide a method for producing a phosphoryl imide salt represented by the following general formula (1) at a satisfactory yield by cation exchange. The method comprises the step of performing cation exchange by bringing a phosphoryl imide salt represented by the following general formula (2) into contact with a cation exchange resin having M1 n+ or a metal salt represented by the general formula (4) in an organic solvent having a water content of 0.3% by mass or less.

In a battery which is an electrochemical device, much attention has been paid in recent years to power storage systems to be applied for small apparatuses that need high energy density, such as information-related apparatuses or communication apparatuses, specifically, personal computers, video cameras, digital cameras, mobile phones, smartphones, electric tools and the like; and power storage systems to be applied for large apparatuses that need power, such as electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, auxiliary power for fuel cell vehicles, energy storage and the like. Examples of a candidate thereof include non-aqueous electrolyte batteries such as a lithium ion battery, a lithium battery, a lithium ion capacitor, and more innovative battery such as a lithium sulfur battery, a sodium ion battery or a magnesium ion battery.
To achieve high performances, intensive study has been made on these nonaqueous electrolyte batteries, using bissulfonyl imide salts (their counter cation is lithium, sodium, magnesium, etc.) such as a bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide salt, a bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide salt and a (fluorosulfonyl) (trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide salt in place of current main electrolytes such as hexafluorophosphate (lithium salt, sodium salt) and Grignard reagent (magnesium salt).
An attempt has been made to use these bissulfonyl imide salts as a solvent, not as a main electrolyte of a nonaqueous electrolyte solution but as an ionic liquid (their counter cation is a quaternary ammonium salt, or a composite of an imide Li salt and a glycol-based ether), and various studies have been made on the use of bissulfonyl imide salts as an additive for the formation of SEI to protect an electrode surface.
Under this background, in Patent Document 1, the present applicant has made it clear that addition of not a bissulfonyl imide salt in which two sulfonyl groups are linked via nitrogen, but a phosphoryl imide salt in which two phosphoryl groups are linked via nitrogen to nonaqueous electrolyte solution enables inhibition of the amount of gas generated during charge/discharge cycles.
In Patent Documents 2 and 3, the present applicant also has made it clear that use of a phosphoryl imide salt in which a sulfonyl group and a phosphoryl group are linked via nitrogen in combination with an ionic composite achieves an excellent high-temperature durability, and that use of a phosphoryl imide salt in which a sulfonyl group and a phosphoryl group are linked via nitrogen in combination with vinylsilane achieves not only excellent cycle characteristics at 50° C. or higher but also excellent low-temperature output characteristics.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method for producing phosphoryl imide salt, method for producing nonaqueous electrolyte solution containing said salt, and method for producing nonaqueous secondary battery


A refrigerator having a thawing device. The thawing device includes: a cavity, a device door, a radio frequency generator module, an upper electrode plate and a lower electrode plate, and a detection module, configured to detect an incident wave signal and a reflected wave signal of an electrical connection wire connecting the radio frequency generation module to the upper electrode plate, and calculate a load impedance of the radio frequency generation module according to a voltage and a current of the incident wave signal and a voltage and a current of the reflected wave signal to determine the thawing progress of the object to be processed.

In the freezing process of food, the quality of the food is maintained, but the frozen food needs to be thawed before processing or eating. In order to facilitate a user to freeze and thaw the food, in the prior art, the food is generally thawed by disposing a heating device or a microwave device in a refrigerator.
However, it is generally takes a long time to thaw food by means of the heating device, and the thawing time and temperature are not easy to grasp, which is prone to water evaporation and juice loss of the food, resulting in quality loss of the food; and thawing food by means of the microwave device is fast and efficient, so that the nutrient loss of the food is very low, however, due to a difference in penetration and absorption of water and ice by microwaves and the uneven distribution of internal substances in the food, the melted regions absorb more energy, resulting in the problems of uneven thawing and local overheating. Under comprehensive consideration, there is a need for a refrigerator capable of determining the thawing progress of the food.


According to one embodiment, water storage tank has a space in an interior of the water storage tank. Water is stored in the space. The tank includes a lower enclosure, an upper enclosure, and a bonding member. The upper enclosure is positioned on the lower enclosure. The space is formed by the upper enclosure being bonded to the lower enclosure. The upper enclosure is longer than the lower enclosure in a vertical direction. The bonding member bonds the lower enclosure and the upper enclosure and is positioned between the lower enclosure and the upper enclosure. The lower enclosure has a concave part provided on the space side of the bonding member. The upper enclosure has a convex part provided on the space side of the bonding member. The convex part is engaged with the concave part.

To downsize a sanitary washing device and improve its designability, the downsizing of a water storage tank of a hot water storage-type heat exchanger used in the sanitary washing device is being considered. Conventionally, the water storage tank has been manufactured by vibration welding in which an upper enclosure and a lower enclosure are welded by vibrations. In this method, it is necessary to provide a stroke at the bonding part to vibrate and bond the upper enclosure and the lower enclosure; and it is difficult to downsize the water storage tank. Therefore, a manufacturing method that uses die slide injection (DSI) molding may be considered (JP-A 2008-75426 (Kokai)).
In the manufacturing method using DSI molding, the upper enclosure and the lower enclosure are molded (preliminary molding); subsequently, the dies are caused to slide to align the positions of the upper enclosure and the lower enclosure; and the upper enclosure and the lower enclosure are bonded (secondary molding) by injecting a bonding member between the upper enclosure and the lower enclosure. A stroke is unnecessary in the manufacturing method using DSI molding; therefore, it is easier to downsize the water storage tank than by a manufacturing method using vibration welding.

Water storage tank, hot water storage-type heat exchanger, and sanitary washing device


A telephone call is billed that originates in a primary carrier telecommunications network and terminates in a secondary telecommunications carrier network. The call is billed by generating multiple billing records in response to the telephone call, at least one billing record comprising a toll free number administered by the secondary carrier. It is determined whether the toll free number is administered by the secondary carrier; and the billing record including the toll free number administered by the secondary carrier is discarded when it is determined that the toll free number is administered by the secondary carrier. Thus, the primary carrier only bills for a portion of the call that was connected from the caller to the termination point of the primary carrier network.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to telecommunications, and more particularly, to billing toll-free telephone calls that are transferred to a secondary telecommunications carrier.
2. Background Information
When billing for a toll-free telephone number, the switching service point (SSP) handling the toll-free telephone call queries a switching control point (SCP) to determine where (i.e. which terminating telephone number) to route the toll-free telephone call. The SCP returns routing instructions to the SSP as to how the toll-free call is to be routed. The SSP then routes the telephone call to the telephone number indicated by the SCP. Upon the telephone call being answered at the terminating telephone number location, the SSP maintains information including the calling party telephone number, the terminating telephone number, how long the telephone call lasts, and the toll-free telephone number. This information is used when billing the toll-free telephone number holder for the charges incurred on their toll-free telephone number.
In some circumstances, the toll-free telephone call is transferred from the terminating telephone number to another toll-free telephone number, which may be administered by a secondary telecommunications carrier. When this occurs, billing by the secondary telecommunications carrier is also required. Thus, although multiple call detail records are created (one for each leg of the call), the primary telecommunications carrier need only bill for the portion of the call that was connected from the caller to the termination point over the primary carrier's network. The present invention is directed to solving one or more of the problems discussed above.

Billing for toll free calls terminating with a secondary telecommunications carrier


A lead frame includes adjacent die pads which lie adjacent to each other; grounding leads extended from the adjacent die pads; a connecting bar by which the grounding leads extended from the adjacent die pads are interconnected. The grounding leads and the connecting bar are formed to be thinner at one surface than a maximum thickness of leads of the lead frame, the grounding leads extended from the adjacent die pads are aligned on a common axis while providing the connecting bar between the grounding leads, and a support projection is provided at the one surface on the connecting bar in the common axis.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a lead frame for manufacturing a semiconductor apparatus by a MAP (Molded Array Process) scheme, and relates to a lead frame in which grounding leads which are extended from adjacent die pads are interconnected via a connecting bar.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, when a QFN package (Quad Flat Non-leaded Package) as one form of a semiconductor apparatus is manufactured, it is promoted to adopt a MAP (Molded Array Process) scheme in which a plurality of semiconductor chips are collectively sealed on a lead frame, and then individual semiconductor apparatuses are individualized by dicing.
Even for a lead frame for manufacturing a semiconductor apparatus in the MAP scheme, a technique is used in which electrode terminals of a semiconductor chip mounted on a die pad and external electrode terminals (terminal leads) provided around the die pad are connected to each other by bonding wires. See JP-A-2001-313363, for example.
When the semiconductor apparatus is manufactured, it is necessary to connect die pads to grounding terminals of the semiconductor chip using bonding wires. In recent years, however, since the drastic miniaturization of the package is advanced, a problem may be raised that the bonding wires are hardly connected to the die pad if the dimensions of the die pad are equal to or smaller than the semiconductor chip.
An improved lead frame is provided to solve the problem. The improved lead frame is configured to form grounding leads extended from the die pad and connect the grounding leads and the grounding terminals of the semiconductor chip by using the bonding wires.
A lead frame LF in a related art as shown in FIG. 6 includes a plurality of unit lead frames FU, FU . . . arranged in a matrix. Grounding leads Fa are formed in a die pad Fd in each of the unit lead frames FU. Grounding leads Fa, Fa which are extended from adjacent die pads Fd are interconnected via a connecting bar Fc which is extended along a dicing line D.
As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the grounding leads Fa of the lead frame LF and the connecting bar Fc are subjected to half-etching from a rear side (a mounting surface) to be thinned in normal cases. A grounding terminal of a semiconductor chip C on the die pad Fd is connected to the grounding lead Fa via a bonding wire W.
When the QFN package is manufactured by using the lead frame LF, firstly, the semiconductor chip C is mounted and bonded on the die pad Fd, and then, an external electrode terminal Ft and an electrode terminal of the semiconductor chip C are connected via a bonding wire W, and the grounding lead Fa and a grounding terminal of the semiconductor chip C are connected via another bonding wire W.
Subsequently, all of the semiconductor chips C, C . . . on the lead frame LF and the bonding wires W, W . . . are collectively sealed with a mold resin. Then, a dicing is performed to remove the connecting bar Fc and the lead frame LF is split into unit lead frames FU, FU . . . , whereby the individual semiconductor apparatuses are individualized as a product.
In a process of manufacturing the above semiconductor apparatus, if the thickness of the connecting bar Fc is the same as a base material of the lead frame LF, a load becomes large in cutting due to the thickness of a cutting portion. In this case, a problem is raised that cutting burr may be occurred because the dicing blade is shortly worn, thereby dicing property (cutting capability) of the blade is deteriorated
Accordingly, in the lead frame LF as mentioned above, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, whole of dam bars such as the connecting bar Fc and the grounding leads Fa are subjected to half-etching from the rear side (the mounting surface) to be thinned. See JP-A-2005-166695, for example. By adopting this structure, a wear of the dicing blade in cutting process is suppressed, and the occurrence of the cutting burr is possibly avoided.


A hydraulic fracturing method includes injecting a fluid containing a transitory binder and filler into a substantially horizontal well casing without any placement apparatus present in the substantially horizontal well casing, the filler containing particles of a solid material. The transitory binder and filler are placed over first perforations in the well casing. The method includes opening second perforations through the well casing, injecting additional fracturing fluid through the substantially horizontal well casing, and forming a plug over and through the first perforations with the transitory binder and filler.

The embodiments described herein relate generally to hydraulic fracturing methods and well casing plugs.
Fracture stimulation, a known practice in the oil and gas industry, may be used to increase the production of hydrocarbons from wells, such as in lower quality reserves. Known practices include forming a well bore in a subterranean formation and inserting a well casing in the well bore. Horizontal well bores may be formed to increase the extent to which a single well bore may reach desired regions of a formation. Horizontal wells as a percentage of newly drilled wells continue to rise. Multiple fracture stages may be implemented in a single well bore to increase production levels and provide effective drainage. Perforations in sections of a well casing allow fracturing fluid at high pressure to initiate and then propagate a fracture in the formation during each stage. A proppant included in the fracturing fluid may lodge in the fracture to keep it propped open after fracturing, increasing conductivity. For effective fracturing, one section may be fractured at a time by hydraulically isolating other perforated sections. Inserting a mechanical isolation plug, sometimes called a bridge plug, may selectively isolate sections not intended for fracturing.
Placing of bridge plugs in a horizontal well casing may involve increased manipulation and time in comparison to a vertical well casing. Consequently, so-called "sand plugs" have been used to reduce time and costs for horizontal well casing. A sand plug may be formed by using a placement apparatus, such as coiled tubing or a jointed pipe string, to position an elevated concentration of sand and/or proppant provided at the end of the fracturing fluid. The high concentration of sand and/or proppant screens out against the fractures and begins to bridge off. The sand continues to bridge off against the perforations in the well casing and, eventually, bridges of against itself, creating a sand plug. A rise in pressure indicates that a proper sand plug has been formed within the well casing.
However, forming a sand plug within a horizontal well casing may present challenges due to the variety of circumstances encountered in fracture stimulation processes. Accordingly, further advancement in methods and materials for forming sand plugs may be of benefit.
While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Hydraulic fracturing methods and well casing plugs


A method for preparing the measurement specifications of an electronic circuit comprises the steps of preparing testing peripheral circuit diagrams for individual measurement items by adding standardized testing peripheral circuit modules to the basic peripheral circuit diagram of the electronic circuit, preparing an overall testing peripheral circuit diagram for use in making measurements corresponding to all the measurement items by synthesizing these testing peripheral circuit diagrams with one another, and preparing measurement specifications for individual measurement items for use in making measurements employing the overall testing peripheral circuit diagram, from the overall testing peripheral circuit diagram and the testing peripheral circuit diagrams. An apparatus for carrying out such a method has an input device, a data base, a section for preparing testing peripheral circuit diagrams for individual measurement items, a section for preparing an overall testing peripheral circuit diagram by synthesization, a section for preparing measurement specifications for individual measurement items, and an output device for outputting the measurement specifications thus prepared.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for preparing measurement specifications which are used when the properties of electronic circuits such as semiconductor integrated circuits (hereinafter referred to as "IC(s)" are measured by means of a measurement apparatus or the like, as well as an apparatus for carrying out such a method.
1. Description of the Related Art
In general, after electronic circuits such as IC's have been manufactured following circuit design, their properties are measured and tested by means of a measurement apparatus called a general-purpose IC testing system. This type of measurement apparatus is generally equipped with a plurality of components such as signal generators and measuring devices, and is designed to activate these components in accordance with predetermined measurement programs, thereby enabling performance of various measurements and tests.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram schematically showing the overall arrangement used for measuring the properties of electronic circuits by means of such a measurement apparatus. A measurement apparatus 1 is connected to a measurement jig 3 by a connection cable 2. The measurement jig 3 includes an interface circuit 4 connected to the connection cable 2, a testing peripheral circuit 5, and a socket jig 6. An IC 7 which is an object to be tested is connected to the socket jig 6. The testing peripheral circuit 5 includes a multiplicity of change-over switches (relays) so as to create peripheral conditions under which the IC 7 is actually used and to enable testing of the IC 7.
The measurement apparatus 1 is activated in accordance with a particular measurement program to input an electric signal to the IC 7 through the interface circuit 4 and the testing peripheral circuit 5, thereby activating the IC 7. The output of the IC 7 is transferred to the measurement apparatus 1 through the testing peripheral circuit 5 and the interface circuit 4, and measured by the measurement apparatus 1. In this way, various tests on the IC 7 are performed on the basis of the particular measurement program.
The measurement jig 3 and the measurement program used for activating the measurement apparatus 1 are provided exclusively for the circuit design of the IC 7 to be tested, and have heretofore been prepared in accordance with the following procedure.
Step 1: Measurement items are selected on the basis of the device specifications prepared during designing of the IC 7 to prepare a measurement standard for the IC 7. PA1 Step 2: An actual measurement method is examined. PA1 Step 3: A measurement apparatus for use in measurement is selected on the basis of the result of the examination of Step 2. PA1 Step 4: The testing peripheral circuit 5 and the interface circuit 4, both of which are required to make measurements of the IC 7 in accordance with all the measurement items by using the measurement apparatus selected, are designed and the corresponding measurement specifications are prepared. PA1 Step 5: The testing peripheral circuit 5 and the interface circuit 4 are produced, and they are connected to each other with the socket jig 6 connected to the testing peripheral circuit 5, thus completing the measurement jig 3. PA1 Step 6: The measurement specifications prepared in Step 4 are classified into specifications corresponding to each individual measurement item, and a measurement program based on a language form used exclusively for the measurement apparatus 1 is prepared.
The measurement program has heretofore been prepared by the method including the steps described above. However, a knowledge of both hardware and software of the measurement apparatus 1 is necessary for the preparation of the measurement specifications referred to in Step 4. For this reason, the above method has the problem that expert test engineers having considerable experience must take charge of the preparation of the measurement specifications, and the qualities of the measurement specifications and the measurement program are seriously affected by the extent of knowledge of an engineer in charge. In addition, the method involves the problem that, if any engineer other than one who prepared the measurement specifications is to debug the measurement program or the testing peripheral circuit, a great deal of time and work are required for preparing new measurement specifications relative to the testing peripheral circuit after completion of debugging.

Method and apparatus for preparing measurement specifications of electronic circuits


A consumer apparatus operation management system that prepares an operation plan of a consumer control apparatus in a power distribution system includes: an evaluation unit configured to acquire system information including a system topology and impedances in the power distribution system, to predict load amounts and power generation amounts for respective prescribed nodes, to generate a voltage distribution profile indicative of a correlation between a power transmission distance and a voltage transition based on the system information, the load amounts, and the power generation amounts, and to figure out an evaluation value based on a variation width of the voltage distribution profile and a specified voltage width; and a preparation unit configured to prepare an operation plan related to heat quantity control and/or electric-energy control in the consumer control apparatus based on the evaluation value.

The present invention relates to consumer apparatus operation management systems and methods for adjusting the demand and supply of electric power of consumer apparatus so as not to depart from a specified voltage of a power distribution system.
In the recent technology development of demand side management, services are under consideration in which distributed energy sources to be regulated are integrally managed, rendered to trade the electric power with a system side through, for example, buying and selling surplus electric power and/or adjusting the load amount, and operated as a virtual power generating plant. It is also discussed that the operation of services is performed by a third party other than a power system operator, and a company that performs the operation is called an aggregator. Target distributed energy sources may be originated to the integration of emergency generators and/or compact hydraulic powers in old times, and recently the target apparatus have been expanded to consumer apparatus for reasons of development of the communication technologies. The examples of the target consumer apparatus include a distributed power source to serve as the supply source of electric power, a heat pump and/or an air-conditioner to serve as a load, and further an electric vehicle, a rechargeable battery, and the like that may serve as both the supply source and the load.
JP-A-2012-095466 could be listed, for example, as a background of the field of the present technology. It describes an apparatus which continues to sell the power generated by distributed power supplies while suppressing a voltage rise in a power distribution line caused by the distributed power supplies, the apparatus including a unit which stores an allowable upper voltage limit value that is the upper limit of the allowable range of the voltage in the distribution line, a unit which acquires, from voltmeters installed at various sites of the distribution line, voltage values measured at the respective sites, and a unit which instructs a water heater linked up with the distribution line to heat water when at least one of the acquired voltage values is higher than the allowable upper voltage limit value.

Consumer apparatus operation management system and method


A method of switching a network access configuration associated with a first electronic system to a second electronic system via a network is described. The first electronic system is inoperable. The second electronic system replaces the first electronic system such that a user seamlessly transitions from the first electronic system to the second electronic system. The user continues to access the network resources using the second electronic system rather than the first electronic system. According to an embodiment of the present invention, an application for switching the network access configuration is invoked using the second electronic system. During a first phase, the application transmits first data to a network infrastructure provider. The network infrastructure provider obtains approval for switching the network access configuration from the network service provider. If the network service provider approves switching the network access configuration, the network infrastructure provider updates its databases such that the network access configuration of the first electronic system is associated with the second electronic system. During a second phase, the network service provider updates its databases such that the network access configuration of the first electronic system is associated with the second electronic system if the network infrastructure provider successfully updates its databases. At the conclusion of the second phase, the second electronic system can access the network using the network access configuration.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of networked electronic systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to the field of replacing a nonoperational networked electronic system with an operational networked electronic system via a network.
2. Related Art
Computers and other electronic systems or devices (e.g., personal digital assistants) have become integral tools used in a wide variety of different applications, such as in finance and commercial transactions, computer-aided design and manufacturing, health care, telecommunication, education, etc. Computers along with other electronic devices are finding new applications as a result of advances in hardware technology and rapid development in software technology. Furthermore, the functionality of a computer system or other type of electronic system or device is dramatically enhanced by coupling these stand-alone devices together in order to form a networking environment. Within a networking environment, users may readily exchange files, share information stored on a common database, pool resources, and communicate via electronic mail (e-mail) and via video teleconferencing. Furthermore, computers or other types of electronic devices which are coupled to the Internet provide their users access to data and information from all over the world.
The functionality of an electronic system (e.g., a handheld computer system, a desktop computer system, a cellular phone, a pager, etc.) is enhanced by including one or more communication ports for exchanging or sharing data (e.g., via a wireless connection or via a wired connection) with other electronic systems or with a network (e.g., a wireless network, a wired network, etc.). For example, a radio frequency (RF) communication port, an infrared (IR) communication port, or other type of communication port can be incorporated into the electronic system. A communication port is positioned in the electronic system according to a variety of factors, such as space requirements, industry standards, and convenience to a user.
A personal digital assistant (commonly referred to as a PDA) is a handheld computer system. It is appreciated that the personal digital assistant is a portable handheld device that is used as an electronic organizer which has the capability to store a wide range of information that includes daily appointments, numerous telephone numbers of business and personal acquaintances, and various other information. Moreover, the personal digital assistant can also access information from the Internet, as mentioned above. In particular, the personal digital assistant can browse Web pages located on the Internet. Typically, the personal digital assistant includes an electronic display device having a display area (e.g., a screen) that is smaller in size relative to a display area associated with a standard-sized electronic display device (e.g., 15 inch monitor, 17 inch monitor, etc.) which is part of a desktop computer system or a laptop computer system.
Typically, the personal digital assistant includes a communication port (e.g., an IR communication port, a radio frequency (RF) communication port, a serial communication port for coupling to a communication cable, etc.) or other wireless connection. For example, a RF communication port enables the personal digital assistant to couple to a wireless network. Once the personal digital assistant is coupled to the wireless network, a network access configuration is created for the personal digital assistant. The network access configuration enables a user to use the personal digital assistant to access the network resources. Unfortunately, if the personal digital assistant is no longer operational, the user is required to obtain a new personal digital assistant, requiring creation of a new network access configuration for the new personal digital assistant. Creation of the new network access configuration is an inconvenient process performed by the network infrastructure provider and by the network service provider. Moreover, the user is inconvenienced by creation of the new network access configuration since the user cannot access the network until the new network access configuration is created.
A method of switching a network access configuration associated with a first electronic system to a second electronic system via a network is described. The first electronic system is inoperable. The second electronic system replaces the first electronic system such that a user seamlessly transitions from the first electronic system to the second electronic system. The user continues to access the network resources using the second electronic system rather than the first electronic system. In an embodiment of the present invention, the network comprises a Mobitex wireless network. In an embodiment of the present invention, the network access configuration includes a network identifier. In a Mobitex network, the network identifier comprises a Mobitex access number.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, an application for switching the network access configuration is invoked using the second electronic system. During a first phase, the application transmits first data to a network infrastructure provider. The network infrastructure provider obtains approval for switching the network access configuration from the network service provider. If the network service provider approves switching the network access configuration, the network infrastructure provider updates its databases such that the network access configuration of the first electronic system is associated with the second electronic system. During a second phase, the network service provider updates its databases such that the network access configuration of the first electronic system is associated with the second electronic system if the network infrastructure provider successfully updates its databases. At the conclusion of the second phase, the second electronic system can access the network using the network access configuration. However, the first electronic system is denied access to the network if the first electronic system attempts to access the network using the network access configuration.
These and other advantages of the present invention will no doubt become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art after having read the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments which are illustrated in the drawing figures.
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method of switching a network access configuration associated with a first electronic system (FES) to a second electronic system (SES), comprising the steps of: a) transmitting via a network to a network infrastructure provider (NIP) first data for requesting a re-association of the network access configuration to the SES, wherein the network access configuration includes a network identifier for accessing the network; b) requesting approval of the re-association from a network service provider (NSP); c) if the NSP approves the re-association, updating second data for controlling and managing access to the network such that the SES is able to access the network using the network access configuration and the FES is denied access to the network; d) transmitting to the SES the network identifier; and e) if the NIP successfully updates the second data, updating third data for authorizing and tracking usage of the network such that the SES is able to access the network using the network access configuration and the FES is denied access to the network.
In another embodiment, the present invention includes an electronic system comprising: a processor coupled to a bus; an electronic display device coupled to the bus; a communication port coupled to the bus; and a memory device coupled to the bus and having computer-executable instructions for performing a method of switching a network access configuration associated with another electronic system to the electronic system (ES), the method comprising the steps of: a) transmitting via a network to a network infrastructure provider (NIP) first data for requesting a re-association of the network access configuration to the ES, wherein the network access configuration includes a network identifier for accessing the network; b) requesting approval of the re-association from a network service provider (NSP); c) if the NSP approves the re-association, updating second data for controlling and managing access to the network such that the ES is able to access the network using the network access configuration and the another electronic system is denied access to the network; d) transmitting to the ES the network identifier; and e) if the NIP successfully updates the second data, updating third data for authorizing and tracking usage of the network such that the ES is able to access the network using the network access configuration and the another electronic system is denied access to the network.

Swapping a nonoperational networked electronic system for an operational networked electronic system


A nail-driving device has a housing, a trigger unit, a safety unit, a connecting unit and a magazine. The safety unit has first and second safety members in the housing. The connecting unit is connected pivotally to the second safety member, and has a retaining portion disposed movably between the first and second safety members. The magazine has a pusher for pushing nails therein. When the retaining portion is in a retaining position, a force is applicable to the first safety member to move the second safety member to pivot a trigger arm for a nail-driving operation when the trigger unit is actuated. When the nails thereof are exhausted, the pusher moves to a retention releasing position to pivot the connecting unit and remove the retaining portion from the retaining position to allow for relative movement of the first and second safety members to prevent the nail-driving operation.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a nail-driving device, and more particularly to a nail-driving device with a safety unit cooperating with a pusher for preventing the nail-driving device from firing when nails are exhausted from a magazine of the nail-driving device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional nail-driving device 1 includes a housing 11, a magazine 12, and a rigid safety rod 13. The housing 11 includes a handle 111, an air cylinder 112, a nail ejection seat 113, and a plunger 114. The plunger 114 is disposed movably on the handle 111. A trigger 116 is disposed pivotally on the housing 11. A trigger arm 115 is mounted pivotally on a free end portion of the trigger 116. The magazine 12 is connected to the nail ejection seat 113, and includes a row of nails (not shown), a pusher 121 for pushing the nails into the nail ejection seat 113 one at a time, and a projection 122 extending toward the nail ejection seat 113. The safety rod 13 is disposed movably in the housing 11, and has a workpiece-engaging end 131 projecting from the nail ejection seat 113, and a trigger-engaging end 132 opposite to the workpiece-engaging end 131. The trigger-engaging end 132 is movable into contact with a free end portion of the trigger arm 115. When the workpiece-engaging end 131 of the safety rod 13 is pressed against a workpiece (not shown), the safety rod 13 moves relative to the housing 11 so that the trigger-engaging end 132 comes into contact with the trigger arm 115. In this state, if the trigger 116 is actuated, the trigger arm 115 will push and move the plunger 114 for performing a nail-driving operation.
When the pusher 121 is moved to a position whereat the pusher 121 is adjacent to the nail ejection seat 113 due to the fact that no nails remain in the magazine 12, a portion of the safety rod 13 is impeded by the projection 122 from movement relative to the housing 11. Hence, the trigger-engaging end 132 cannot contact the trigger arm 115, thereby preventing the nail-driving device from firing.
The aforesaid conventional nail-driving device 1 suffers from a drawback. That is, in a state where the nails are exhausted from the magazine 12, when the workpiece-engaging end 131 of the safety rod 13 is pressed against the workpiece, the above-mentioned portion of the rigid safety rod 13 may strike on the projection 122. If this occurs, since the stroke force of the safety rod 13 against the projection 122 is not buffered, the safety rod 13, the pusher 121, and the workpiece may be damaged.


Speckle artifact is reduced in medical ultrasound images by the use of orthogonal pulse sequences. Ultrasound energy is transmitted into a region of interest in a patient's body, and the transmitted ultrasound energy produces ultrasound echoes from the region of interest. In response to the ultrasound echoes, first and second coherent signals are acquired. The first and second coherent signals correspond to first and second pulse sequences, respectively, which are orthogonal or nearly orthogonal. The first and second coherent signals are combined to provide a composite image signal that is representative of the region of interest. The first and second coherent signals are preferably acquired by first and second matched filters, respectively. The transmitted ultrasound energy may include first and second sequences of ultrasound pulses that correspond to the first and second pulse sequences, respectively.

Ultrasound imaging is widely used in medical applications to non-invasively observe structures within the human body, such as cardiac structures, the vascular system, the fetus, the uterus, the abdominal organs and the eye. In a typical imaging system, short bursts of ultrasound energy are directed into a patient's body with a handheld transducer. The returning reflected energy is received by the same transducer. The signals representing the reflected energy are processed and formatted into a video image of the target region. Phased array scanning techniques are commonly used.
In real-time diagnostic medical ultrasound systems, two-dimensional image quality plays a key role in providing diagnostically significant information for accurate patient diagnosis. However, due to the physical properties governing the generation of an image based on acoustic propagation and reflection of ultrasound energy, state of the art images are affected by various artifacts and degradations. Specifically, clutter and speckle artifacts are observed in the images. Clutter appears as a more or less stationary area of cloudiness formed by small areas of excess, undesired ultrasound energy. Speckle is characterized by small grainy areas where, due to the coherent nature of acoustic image formation, no return signal energy is detected, despite the fact that there is a reflecting medium in the field of view.
Various techniques have been proposed in the prior art for reducing clutter and speckle artifacts in ultrasound images. These approaches generally involve combining images obtained at different times and/or in different frequency bands. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. Re. 35,148 issued January 23, 1996 to Lizzi et al., which describes a frequency compounding technique. A broadband received signal is applied to separate bandpass filters. The outputs of the filters are detected and summed.
A two-dimensional median filter to reduce speckle artifact in ultrasound imaging is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,007 issued Apr. 25, 1995 to Saunders et al.
A technique for speckle reduction in ultrasound imaging using a two-dimensional array of transducer elements is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,235 issued Aug. 5, 1997 to Teo.
Spatial compounding is another prior art technique for reducing speckle in ultrasound images. In spatial compounding, an object is imaged from two or more points in space, and the resulting images are combined to form a single image. If the points in space are sufficiently distant from one another, the speckle patterns produced are not correlated with each other.
Prior art techniques for reducing clutter and speckle artifacts have exhibited limited improvement in image quality. Accordingly, there is a need for additional techniques for enhancing image quality, which may be used separately or in combination with known techniques.

Methods and apparatus for speckle reduction by orthogonal pulse compounding in medical ultrasound imaging


The present invention is directed to a pharmaceutical composition comprising the following compound

(a) Field
The subject matter disclosed generally relates to modulators of Nrf2, and more specifically to compounds which binds at least one of the BTB domain, IVR domain and Kelch domain of Keap1 protein, activating or inhibiting Nrf2.
(b) Related Prior Art
As chemical carcinogenesis likely plays a role in cancer development, cytoprotective enzyme induction is believed to be an important means of cancer chemoprevention. Transcription factor nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) regulates a battery of genes encoding carcinogen-detoxifying enzymes and antioxidant proteins by binding to the antioxidant response element (ARE) promoter regulatory sequence. Under basal conditions, in which the redox homeostasis is maintained in cells, Nrf2 is sequestered in the cytoplasm by a protein known as Keap1, which targets Nrf2 for ubiquitination and degradation by the proteasome, and thus controls both the subcellular localization and steady-state levels of Nrf2. In response to oxidative stress or chemopreventive compounds, Keap1-mediated ubiquitination of Nrf2 is decreased significantly and the Nrf2 pathway is turned on. Thus, Keap1 is a molecular switch that senses various stimuli and turns the Nrf2 pathway on and off. Administration of Nrf2-inducing agents has been shown to result in decreased carcinogenesis in animal models and altered carcinogen metabolism in humans. Clinical interventions have shown that Nrf2 inducers increase cytoprotective enzyme expression, resulting in modulation of aflatoxin disposition.
Interestingly, Nrf2 and its downstream genes are overexpressed in many cancer cell lines and human cancer tissues, giving cancer cells an advantage for survival and growth. Furthermore, Nrf2 is upregulated in resistant cancer cells and is thought to be responsible for acquired chemoresistance. Therefore, it may be necessary to inhibit the Nrf2 pathway during chemotherapy, and thereby favor the action of concomitantly administered chemotherapeutic agents.
Keap1 contains the BTB domain mediating Keap1 homodimer formation, the 'intervening region' (IVR) (amino acids 180-314), and the C-terminal Kelch domain that mediates binding to the Neh2 domain of Nrf2. Human Keap1 contains 27 cysteine residues. Three key cysteine residues (C151, C273, and C288) have been identified. C151 is required for several Nrf2 inducers, such as sulforaphane (SFN) and tert-butylhydroquinone, to manifest their effect. Importantly, residues C273 and C288 at the IVR domain are necessary for Keap1 to repress Nrf2. A single cysteine to serine mutation C273S or C288S render Keap1 unable to repress Nrf2. The transgenic expression of mutant Keap1(C273A) and/or Keap1(C288A) protein in Keap1 null mice failed to reverse constitutive Nrf2 activation, indicating that cysteine residues at positions 273 and 288 are essential for Keap1 to repress Nrf2 activity in vivo. This suggests a critical role of the domains of Keap1 in the regulation of the functional interaction of Keap1 with Nrf2.
Therefore, there is a need for the identification of small molecules to modulate the interaction of Keap1 with Nrf2.
There is a need for the identification of small molecules to induce Nrf2 activity and stimulate or at least positively influence its activity.
There is a need for the identification of small molecules to inhibit Nrf2 activity and prevent or at least negatively influence its activity.

Abstract: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The compound is a modulator of Nrf2 protein and binds at least one of the BTB domain, IVR domain and Kelch domain of Keap1 protein, activating or inhibiting Nrf2.


A plasma display panel includes a front substrate plate providing a display surface; a plurality of row electrode pairs formed on an inner surface of the front substrate plate; a dielectric layer formed on the plurality of row electrode pairs; a protection layer formed on the dielectric layer; a rear substrate plate spaced apart from the front substrate plate with a discharge space formed therebetween; a plurality of column electrodes formed on an inner surface of the rear substrate layer and arranged in a direction orthogonal to the row electrode pairs; a plurality of elongated partitions disposed between the plurality of column electrodes; a plurality of elongated fluorescent layers covering the column electrodes and side walls of the elongated partitions; a plurality of color filter layers formed on the inner surface of the front substrate plate. The color filter layers are inorganic pigment layers patterned in a manner such that one or more unit luminescent areas contains one of the color filter layers just like an isolated island.

The present invention relates to a plasma display panel, in particular to a surface discharge type plasma display panel.
Recently, there has been a demand that a surface discharge type plasma display panel be put into actual use, i.e., for use as a color display device which is large in size but small in thickness. FIG. 10 is a plane view schematically illustrating the structure of a conventional surface discharge type plasma display panel. FIG. 11 is a cross sectional view, taken along line V--V in FIG. 10, schematically indicating the internal structure of the plasma display panel of FIG. 10.
Referring to FIG. 10, the conventional plasma display panel has a plurality of row electrode pairs 2,2, each arranged along a display line L of a matrix array on the panel, in a manner such that each electrode pair 2,2 has a discharge gap 11 formed therebetween. Further, along each display line L, there are formed several unit luminescent areas, each of which forms a picture element cell (discharge sell).
FIG. 11 is used to illustrate some important portions of the conventional display panel of FIG. 10. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, formed on the inner surface of a front glass substrate 1 (serving as a front display plate), are a plurality of strap-like inorganic pigment layers 41 forming color filter layers corresponding to a plurality of elongated fluorescent layers 7 involving various colors, a transparent overcoat 42 covering the inorganic pigment layers 41, a plurality of row electrode pairs 2,2, a dielectric layer 3 covering the row electrode pairs 2,2, a protection layer 4 consisting of MgO covering the dielectric layer 3.
Each row electrode 2 includes a transparent electrode 2a consisting of a strap-like transparent conductive film of ITO having a relatively large width, and a metal electrode (bus electrode) 2b consisting of a metal film having a relatively small width. The metal electrode 2b is used to supplement the conductivity of the transparent electrode 2a.
On the other hand, a rear glass substrate 5 is positioned spaced apart from the front glass substrate 1 so that a discharge space 8 is formed between the two substrates. As shown in FIG. 11, a plurality of column electrodes 6 are provided on the inner surface of the rear glass substrate 5 in a manner such that they are all orthogonal to the row electrode pairs 2,2. In fact, intersections of the row electrode pairs 2,2 with the column electrodes 6 form picture element cells. Further, a plurality of strap-like partitions 9 are provided between the column electrodes 6, so that the discharge space 8 is divided into several sections. Inaddition, a plurality of elongated fluorescent layers 7 are disposed in the discharge space 8 to cover the column electrodes 6 and side walls of the partitions 9. Finally, after a noble gas is sealed into the discharge space 8, a desired surface discharge type plasma display panel is thus formed.
In use of the surface discharge type plasma display panel constructed in the above prior art, at first, an addressing process is conducted by selective discharge between the column electrodes 6 and the row electrodes 2, so as to select lighting cells (in which wall charges are formed) and not-lighting cells (in which wall charges are not formed). After the addressing process, by alternatively applying discharge maintaining pulses to the row electrode pairs 2,2 on all the display lines L, a surface discharge will occur every time the discharge maintaining pulses are applied to the lighting cells. Then, with the effect of the surface discharge, an ultraviolet light will occur, so that the fluorescent layer 7 will be excited, thereby producing a visible light.
Conventionally, in order to improve a contrast and a color fineness of a surface discharge type plasma display panel, a plurality of strap-like inorganic pigment layers 41 forming color filter layers are usually provided on the inner surface of the front glass substrate 1. As a method for forming the inorganic pigment layers 41, it has been suggested that such inorganic pigment layers 41 be formed on the inner surface of the front glass substrate 1 by way of screen printing. With the use of this method, since the color filter layers 41 may be made into a small thickness having only several microns, it is allowed to reduce surface irregularities possibly caused by the color filter layers.
However, since the strap-like inorganic pigment layers 41 are only attached on to the inner surface of the front glass substrate 1, they are likely to peel off during a process when the row electrodes 2 are being formed with the use of a photolithograph method. In order to cope with such problem, there has been suggested another method in which an amount of low melting point glass paste is applied to the surfaces of strap-like inorganic pigment layers 41 and also applied to the exposed surface areas on the inner surface of the front glass substrate 1, followed by a baking treatment, so as to form an overcoat layer 42 consisting of a transparent material which is useful to firmly fix the inorganic pigment layers 41 on the inner surface of the front glass substrate 1.
But, one problem with the above second method is that it is difficult for the overcoat layer material to sufficiently penetrate into and through the inorganic pigment layers 41, and another problem is that since the inorganic pigment layers 41 are disposed between the front glass substrate 1 and the overcoat layer 42, the effective areas (between the strap-like inorganic pigment layers 41) useful for bonding the overcoat layer 42 with the front glass substrate 1 are not enough. As a result, it is likely that some defects such as pin holes and/or cracks will occur on the overcoat layer 42, causing the overcoat layer 42 to peel off, resulting in a problem that during a photolithograph process for forming row electrodes 2, a treatment liquid will invade into the inorganic pigment layers 41, causing undesired color change thereon. In addition, since the effective areas (between the strap-like pigment layers 41) useful for bonding the overcoat layer 42 with the front glass substrate 1 are only narrow strap-like areas, the overcoat layer 42 has only a weak strength that is difficult to resist a possible stress. On the other hand, if the thickness of the overcoat layer 42 is increased in order to avoid the above problem, the overcoat layer 42 with a large thickness will have only a low light transmissivity. Moreover, if there are some deflections among strap-like inorganic pigment layers 41, the effective areas useful for bonding the overcoat layer 42 with the front glass substrate 1 will be reduced somehow, resulting a weak adherence between these two members.
FIGS. 12-14 are views schematically illustrating the structure of another conventional surface discharge type plasma display panel.
As shown in FIG. 12 which is a plane view, a plurality of row electrode pairs 2,2 are provided and arranged in a manner such that each pair forms a discharge gap G on each display line L. Along each display lineL, there are formed several unit luminescent areas each serving as a picture element cell (discharge sell), at intersections where the row electrodes 2 are intersected with column electrodes (not shown in FIG. 12).
FIG. 13 is a cross sectional view taken along line V--V in FIG. 12, schematically indicating the internal structure of the plasma display panel of FIG. 12. In fact, formed on the inner surface of a front glass substrate 1 (serving as a front display plate), are a plurality of strap-like inorganic pigment layers 41 (41R, 41G, 41B) forming color filter layers corresponding to a plurality of elongated fluorescent layers 7 (FIG. 14) involving various colors, a transparent overcoat 42 covering the inorganic pigment layers 41, a plurality of row electrode pairs 2,2, a dielectric layer 3 covering the row electrode pairs 2, 2, a protection layer 4 consisting of MgO for covering the dielectric layer 3.
Each row electrode 2 includes a transparent electrode 2a consisting of a strap-like transparent conductive film of ITO having a relatively large width, and a metal electrode (bus electrode) 2b consisting of a metal film having a relatively small width. The metal electrode 2b is used to supplement the conductivity of the transparent electrode 2a.
On the other hand, a rear glass substrate 5 is positioned spaced apart from the front glass substrate 1 so that a discharge space 8 is formed between the two substrates. As shown in FIG. 13, a plurality of column electrodes 6 are provided on the inner surface of the rear glass substrate 5 in a manner such that they are all orthogonal to the row electrode pairs 2,2. In fact, intersections of the row electrode pairs 2,2 with the column electrodes 6 form picture element cells. Further, a plurality of strap-like partitions 9 are provided between the column electrodes 6, so that the discharge space 8 is divided into several sections. Inaddition, a plurality of elongated fluorescent layers 7 are disposed in the discharge space 8 to cover the column electrode 6 and side walls of the partitions 9. Finally, after noble gas is sealed into the discharge space 8, a plasma display panel is thus formed.
In use of the surface discharge type plasma display panel constructed as shown in FIGS. 12-14, at first, an addressing process is conducted by selective discharges between the column electrodes 6 and the row electrodes 2, so as to select lighting cells (in which wall charges are formed) and not-lighting cells (in which wall charges are not formed). After the addressing process, by alternatively applying discharge maintaining pulses to the row electrode pairs 2,2 on all the display lines L, a surface discharge will occur every time the discharge maintaining pulses are applied to the lighting cells. Then, with the effect of the surface discharge, an ultraviolet light will occur, so that the elongated fluorescent layers 7 are excited, thereby producing a visible light.
Conventionally, in order to improve a contrast and a color fineness of a surface discharge type plasma display panel, a plurality of strap-like inorganic pigment layers 41R, 41G, 41B are usually provided on the inner surface of the front glass substrate 1 by virtue of screen printing.
However, if several inorganic pigment layers 41R, 41G, 41B are disposed on the inner surface of a front glass substrate 1, these color filters 41 are difficult to be made uniform in their thickness, because different color filter layers are usually manufactured with different requirements and have different optical characteristics. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 14, since the pigment layers 41R, 41G, 41B are formed into strap-like shape, there are formed some convex and concave portions (irregularities) on the surface of the protection layer 4. To eliminate such irregularities, an overcoat layer 42 is often formed to cover up these pigment layers 41, but still fails to obtain a smooth and flat surface, unavoidably producing some convex-concave portions of several microns.
On the other hand, if the metal layers forming the metal electrodes 2b are made of a silver paste forming into a coating layer having a thickness of several micron, there will also form some convex and concave portions (irregularities) on the surface of the protection layer 4, as shown in FIG. 13. As a result, some undesired gaps will be undesirably formed between the partition walls 9 and the protection layers 4, resulting in a problem that a discharge in one cell will undesirably spread to an adjacent cell through such gaps, hence causing a wrong discharge.

Plasma display panel with color filter layers


Systems and methods herein are directed to avatar control systems. In one embodiment, interactive holographic avatar control is described. In another embodiment, remote kinetic avatar control is described. In still another embodiment, depth-based user tracking for avatar control is described. In still another embodiment, enhanced avatar kinetic movement interpolation is described. In still another embodiment, dynamic joint mapping for avatar control is described. In still another embodiment, dynamic animation population for avatar control is described.

Computing applications such as computer games and multimedia applications have evolved from using controllers, remotes, keyboards, mice, or the like to allow users to manipulate game characters or other aspects of an application. In particular, computer games and multimedia applications have begun employing cameras and software gesture recognition engines to provide a natural user interface ("NUI"). With NUI, raw joint data and user gestures are detected, interpreted, and used to control characters or other aspects of an application. For example, in addition to cursor control and/or user-based selections, NUIs may also be configured to control the movement of digital avatars, which are a graphical representation of a user (or the user's alter ego or other character).
Notably, many advances have been developed in the realm of NUI systems, such as for detecting a person in the field of view of an image sensor, and correctly identifying the positions of his or her body parts within the field of view (e.g., using body tracking or skeletal tracking techniques). Still, NUI technology is an emerging field, particularly with regards to avatar control, and is currently limited in its applicability.
For instance, computer animation is typically a very time consuming activity requiring computer graphics (CG) expertise and use of specialist software tools and considerable computing power. First a model of an object will be generated in the form of a 3D mesh. A CG animator will then generate and embed a skeleton inside the 3D mesh of the object being animated and paint individual bone weights onto each vertex. At runtime, motion capture data or an inverse kinematics engine drives the bones of the character, which then transforms the mesh. Depending upon the level of experience of the user and the complexity of the object being animated, this process may take hours or days.