An image processing apparatus includes an image acquiring unit, a partial information detecting unit and an embedding unit. The image acquiring unit acquires an image in which first additional information is embedded so that pieces of first partial information obtained by dividing the first additional information are coded and embedded in respective unit areas obtained by dividing the image. The partial information detecting unit detects the pieces of first partial information, which are embedded in the respective unit areas of the image acquired by the image acquiring unit. The embedding unit codes and embeds, in the respective unit areas, pieces of second partial information obtained by dividing second additional information which is different from the first additional information so that a sum of differences between corresponding pairs of (i) the pieces of detected first partial information and (ii) the newly embedded pieces of second partial information become minimum.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method and a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute image processing.
2. Related Art
Among various methods for adding, to an image, additional information relating to the image, there is one technique of generating a code image representing additional information and embedding the generated code image in a subject image.

Image processing apparatus, image processing method and non-transitory computer-readable medium


A method is presented for efficiently utilizing network resources while routing voice communications over a packet-based data network with specified minimum quality of service requirements, where greater network resources are required to ensure higher quality of service parameters. A dial code can be entered by a user to specify an appropriate quality of service. If the dial code is valid, the call is routed with the specified quality of service. If the dial code is not valid, the call is routed with default minimum quality of service parameters. Also, a line may be associated with overriding minimum quality of service parameters, whereby all calls directed to such a line are automatically upgraded, if necessary, to conform to the overriding minimum quality of service parameters.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to advanced telephony services. In particular, the invention relates to a method for controlling the quality of service of a telephone call routed over an IP-based network.
2. Background Art
Recent years have witnessed a rapid convergence of voice, video, and data communications. Communication service providers have begun developing intelligent networks capable of seamlessly handling a multitude of data types. At the heart of such networks are advanced communication switches, such as the Lucent 5ESS, which are highly configurable and can support a variety of communications functions.
Traditionally, voice communications have been conducted over switched circuit networks with fixed, dedicated channels, whereby each active call has a predetermined bandwidth assigned exclusively thereto. Consequently, voice communications over such networks have been characterized by highly stable and reliable connections, with highly consistent sound qualityxe2x80x94attributes that users have often learned to expect.
By contrast, data communications are often conducted over packet-based networks, such as those based on the Internet Protocol (xe2x80x9cIPxe2x80x9d). Large numbers of users can share a common IP-based network because each user occupies network bandwidth only while actively transmitting information. However, due to the predetermined finite bandwidth of the packet network and a lack of reserved bandwidth for any individual user, IP-based networks typically possess a generally inverse relationship between the number of users actively transmitting data, and the maximum bandwidth available to each user. As network traffic increases, performance for each user typically declines.
As voice and data communications converge onto common networks, substantial advantages can be realized by routing voice communications over IP-based networks that have traditionally been used for data. The increased efficiency of an IP-based network will likely result in reduced infrastructure costs for a communications service provider, and accordingly may result in reduced cost to end users. Service providers who maintain multiple networks for different services may converge their services to one packet network, thereby potentially reducing the cost of network expansion and maintenance. Furthermore, corporations or other users who have multiple locations that are already connected by high-speed Wide Area Network (xe2x80x9cWANxe2x80x9d) data connections can leverage the existing data infrastructure to also route voice traffic over the WAN, thereby saving the cost of access fees otherwise incurred in routing calls over the public interexchange carrier network.
However, one challenge imposed by the routing of voice over packet-based data networks is ensuring a satisfactory Quality Of Service (xe2x80x9cQOSxe2x80x9d) for the voice communication. QOS typically refers to one or more of the following parameters: bandwidth, latency, jitter, and/or loss. Because users do not have dedicated channels allotted on a conventional IP-based network, quality of service over such a network can substantially degrade when network traffic is high.
Numerous problems can arise for many applications, including without limitation voice, facsimile transmission, or streaming video, when QOS is not controlled. Customers can become dissatisfied by a failure to maintain their expectations of highly stable and reliable service, and highly consistent sound quality, which expectations have been developed through years of using conventional switched circuit telecommunication systems. Moreover, many modern automated systems, such as voice mail and other telephone-based information systems, rely on voice and/or touch-tone digit recognition for data entry, option selection, and other operations. Such digit and voice recognition systems may fail or malfunction in the face of intermittent cut-outs or poor audio quality that can occur during high traffic periods on a conventional prior art packet network.
In view of the desire for a guaranteed minimum QOS over a packet network for applications such as voice, several methods and protocols have been developed to maintain predetermined minimum quality of service levels. Using such methods and protocols, different communication links can be assigned various QOS guarantees, thereby permitting the use of a common efficient packet-based network for many types of communications, without sacrificing reliable QOS for QOS-sensitive applications.
However, as QOS requirements increase, the cost of the communication in terms of network resources increases also. Therefore, when all or part of a packet-based communication is routed over a third party network, a higher price is typically charged for higher guaranteed QOS parameters. Even when a call is routed entirely within a single company""s network, there is a higher cost in terms of the company""s network resources for calls with a higher guaranteed QOS. Yet typical prior art QOS models contemplate assigning predetermined static QOS guarantees to each line of a communications system, regardless of the QOS actually required for any particular call. Such a QOS allocation will commonly result in inefficiencies, whereby a company pays the cost to access a high QOS line when it is not necessary, and/or alternatively suffers complications due to using a low QOS line when a higher QOS line would be appropriate.
Therefore, it is desirable, and an object of this invention, to provide a system with which a user can efficiently allocate appropriate QOS guarantees for communications placed over a packet-based network. It is also an object of this invention to allow users to provide a QOS authorization code, with which the user may, if authorized, specify a QOS guarantee different from any default line value that is appropriate for a particular call.
Finally, some call recipients may require or desire a predetermined minimum QOS guarantee for calls received, regardless of the line originating the call. For example, a voice mail system with touch-tone menu operation may have a specific QOS level that is required for reliable digit recognition. Therefore, it would be desirable if all calls placed to such a voice mail system were automatically assigned a predetermined minimum QOS guarantee that is known to allow for reliable digit and/or voice recognition. Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a destination line override feature, whereby a call""s QOS can be automatically adjusted to guarantee predetermined QOS parameters corresponding to the line receiving the call.
The invention provides for the efficient allocation of network resources, when a packet network is utilized to route QOS-sensitive communications, such as voice, with specified quality of service parameters. Default quality of service parameters are assigned to a first telephone line on which a call is initiated. A dial code can then be received on the first telephone line. The dial code may include a security or personal identification sequence to restrict the specification of QOS parameters to desired users, and/or to log the use of specified QOS parameters. The dial code may also include a sequence which specifies one of a plurality of available quality of service levels.
A call is placed on the first line, directed to a second line. The applicable quality of service parameters for the call are then determined. If the QOS request code is valid, then the call is routed over the packet network with guaranteed quality of service parameters corresponding to the requested quality of service level. If the QOS request code is not valid, then the call is routed over the packet network with guaranteed quality of service parameters corresponding to the default quality of service level for the first telephone line. If sufficient network resources are not available to guarantee the requested quality of service level, the caller can choose to route the call at a lower quality of service level, or hold until the desired quality of service level becomes available.
Furthermore, a telephone line can be assigned override quality of service parameters, so that QOS-sensitive telephone users, such as voice mail systems that employ touch tone or voice recognition or individuals who demand high QOS, can ensure that all calls placed to them satisfy the override quality of service parameters. A call is initiated from a first telephone line, directed to a second telephone line, according to the quality of service level corresponding to the first line. The communications system determines that one or more of the first line quality of service parameters with which the call was initiated is of lesser quality that the level specified by the override parameters. The call is then routed between the first and second telephone lines with quality of service parameters equal to or better than the override quality of service parameters.


An erase of a non-volatile memory (NVM) is achieved by first using oxide tunneling followed by hot hole injection (HHI). The subsequent use of HHI completes the erase that the tunneling cannot complete due to saturation. By first using tunneling, preferably Fowler-Nordheim tunneling (FNT), the damage to a bottom dielectric that normally occurs by HHI is significantly reduced. The damage due to HHI is significantly greater at the beginning of the erase when the electric field is greater. By reducing the damage due to HHI, the bottom dielectric can be smaller than that normally used for HHI so that high voltages are not required. Accordingly, the transistors in the periphery do not need to be so oversized as is normally required for HHI and thus saving area and power.

The present invention relates generally to memories, and more specifically, to the erase of a non-volatile memory.
The erase of a non-volatile memory cell is significant in many characteristics of the memory. A typical erase in floating gate devices is Fowler-Nordheim tunneling (FNT). This does require higher voltages than the normal operating voltages, which in turn requires that the peripheral circuits be larger than would otherwise be required. For dielectric storage devices, SONOS (silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon) being the most common, a typical erase mechanism is hot hole injection (HHI). With dielectric storage memories, FNT erase is especially difficult to perform effectively because the erase process saturates before a sufficient level of erase has been achieved. To achieve FNT, a control gate to well voltage creates a bias voltage across the oxide immediately above the channel (bottom oxide) sufficient to cause electrons to tunnel from the nitride to the channel. This control gate to well voltage also creates a bias across the dielectric that is between the control gate and the nitride (top oxide). As the nitride is depleted of electrons the bias across the top oxide increases, eventually causing tunneling of electrons from the control electrode to the nitride through the top oxide. The electrons supplied to the nitride through the top oxide thus offsets the electrons being removed from the nitride. This is a particularly severe problem for nitride storage because the band gap of nitride is between that of oxide and silicon. Further, the electrons that can be removed are in traps in the nitride and require a higher voltage for them to pass through the oxide than for the case in which the storage element is a silicon floating gate. This saturation problem has made it very difficult to have an effective erase using FNT for dielectric storage devices.
For HHI erase, the bottom oxide must be made relatively thick because of the damage that is done to the bottom oxide by the HHI process. The greater thickness allows for this damage to occur, at least for a reasonable number of erases, without causing excessive leakage. This does ultimately effect the life of the device. The relatively thick bottom oxide results in the requirement of the larger voltages than for FNT using lesser thickness for the bottom oxide. This requirement for greater voltages results in the requirement for larger transistors in the peripheral circuitry. The larger voltages require longer gate lengths. For effective operation, the gate width to gate length ratios are important so that an increase in gate length requires a corresponding percentage increase in gate width. For example, a periphery may need to be 40 percent of the area of the memory array to meet the voltage requirements for HHI whereas a periphery for the voltages required for FNT may need to be only 20 percent of the area of the memory array. These larger device sizes also consume more power.
Thus, there is a need to have an erase of non-volatile memories that overcomes at least one and preferably more than one of these problems.


A stake, bunk and bunk pocket are used to constrain logs on the bed of a truck or trailer. The stakes can be inserted or removed from the bunk pocket which is attached to the end of the bunk. All elements are composed of lightweight hardened aluminum. The bunk and the stake are formed using an extrusion process and have internal members or webs that add additional strength and are also formed during the extrusion process. Stakes and bunks come in various lengths to accommodate the various sizes of vehicles, the load capacity of the vehicles, and the density and corresponding weight of the logs. This invention makes stakes easier to work with as their weight is significantly reduced. These stakes, due to their reduced weight, may be repositioned from the ground 16. Bunks, bunk pockets and stakes are all resistant to corrosion, exceed federal requirements for load carrying capacity and allow for a reduction in gross vehicle weight thereby offering greater load capacity before the vehicle reaches its maximum legal weight.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stake, bunk and bunk pocket used to constrain logs on the bed of a truck or trailer.
2. Description of the Background Art
Most logging trucks or trailers have for many years used different materials for supporting the logs on top of the bed of the vehicles during the transportation of freight. In the beginning, wood was used for the stake materials which are vertically extending posts which fit into lateral fixtures. These lateral fixtures are referred to as bunks. Each bunk has an opening in both ends referred to as a bunk pocket. The bunks are spaced along the length of the vehicle, and the bunk pockets are sized to match the stakes which fit vertically into the bunk. Federal regulations specify that stakes must have a specific yield strength, making wood stakes obsolete.
The prior art has focused on methods of extending the stakes as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,811,724, 4,668,000, 3,712,639 and 5,611,286. These patents focused on extending the height of the stakes using mechanical or hydraulics methods, and did not focus on the unique properties of the materials used to create the stake. Stakes are normally used to constrain high or low density logs on logging trucks or trailers. The density of the logs determine the length of the stake. The type of stake today is typically steel, with some stakes being telescoping. Depending on the density of the logs and the quantity of logs, stakes may need to be changed to longer or shorter ones on a given load so they conform to federal safety standards and still offer the maximum load carrying capacity.
Logging companies prefer to place the maximum load on each truck or trailer to maximize the cost effectiveness of each load. Typically trucks or trailers have had to replace the existing stakes with new stakes of greater height or strength depending on whether they are carrying high or low density logs. Working and moving steel stakes is difficult because of their weight and operators must get up on the bed of the vehicle to reposition the stakes. When the truck or trailer has not met the maximum weight limit based on load restrictions, some steel stakes can be extended either manually or automatically to increase or decrease the load capacity.
Typically steel and wood have had to be extremely heavy to provide the necessary strength to constrain the load. This cuts down on actual deliverable cargo since the weight of the stakes displaces some of the deliverable cargo. Heavy, bulky stakes are difficult to manage or control and create a more hazardous condition for workers adding to the total cost of hauling logs due to injuries and lost time. Normally, aluminum or other lightweight metals do not have the strength to support the heavy loads inherent in the logging industry.

Extruded bunk stakes, bunks and bunk pockets for logging trucks and trailers


The present invention provides a barber instrumentality useful for accurate and reproducible adjustment of the cutting blades used by hair clippers. Methods are also provided herein for the use of the instrumentality wherein precise adjustments can be made to reproduce fixed distances between a cutting blade and a guide blade of a hair clipper.

Hair styling involves techniques that require creativity and technical precision. Training and experience are paramount to being successful at hair styling. However, even the most highly trained and experienced stylist must deal with different hair types, different skin sensitivities, and with customers that request and expect precision cuts and styles. One specific challenge to many stylists or barbers is the need to accurately and reproducibly provide a certain length of hair during the same hair cut as well as between independent haircuts while taking into account the customer's unique hair type and skin sensitivity. The length of hair, when trimmed using standard hair clippers, is directly related to the distance between the cutting edges of the cutting blade and the guide blade of traditional hair clippers. In order to reproducibly provide accurate trim length, the barber must utilize the same distance between these blade edges each time and within the same haircut. Normal wear and tear of the hair clippers can cause changes in the distance between the two blade edges. The change in distance between the blade edges, regardless of cause, can be unpredictable and inconsistent.
For a barber to obtain a consistent haircut within the same and between independent trims of a client, the barber must be able to calibrate the clippers by resetting the clippers' cutting and guide blades to a desired distance in relation to each other. Of particular concern for a stylist or especially a barber are those customers that have very short hair, where slight imperfections in length, shape, or angles of hair along the hairline are highly noticeable and undesirable. Similarly, a skilled barber would have a strong interest in being able to replicate prior, unique haircuts for individual clients, i.e., the ability to customly calibrate clippers for each client.
Currently known tools for calibrating cutting and guide blade distances are different from the current invention in specific and critical ways. Prior tools, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. Application No. 20120198716, are focused on simply a resetting of the factory distances between the cutting and guide blades. These tools do not provide any customization of the distances between the blades—instead a solid "block [that] has the exact form of a perfectly adjusted set of trimmer blades." (¶ 0023). This disclosure clearly only envisions one fixed and pre-determined distance between the cutting and guide blades, rather than the customizable distances provided by the instant invention. These tools also do not provide a slideable guide plate necessary to accomplish said customizable distances. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 7,290,349 to Carpenter discloses a tool for setting distances between the "reciprocating" and "stationary" blades of electric hair trimmers However, this disclosure also fails to provide the user the capability of customizing the distances between the two blades of the trimmer per the preference or request of the client, Instead, as shown in FIG. 1 of the '349 patent, there is only one setting for the distance between the two blades. Claim 10reiterates this disclosure by stating that the "clearance between a reciprocating blade and a stationary blade about 0.024 and 0.025 inches." There is no disclosure in this reference of varying the distance between the two blades' edges nor is there any support for modifying the disclosed tool to achieve the same.
While it is known in the art that adjustable distances between the edges of the cutting blade and guide blade are desired, any disclosure of how to accomplish a custom distance is minimal and distinct from the instant invention. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,350,314 to McCambridge discloses setting an offset between the cutting and guide blades. The '314 patent fails to disclose use of the device for different size blade sets for use with a variety of commercially-available clippers, as is possible with and encompassed by the instant invention.
The present invention is directed to overcoming the issues and limitations of prior art tools set forth above.

Apparatus and method for customly calibrating a cutting blade set for a hair clipper


The omnidirectional wheel includes a first support portion which rotates around a rotation axis line, a second support portion which rotates together with the first plate-like member, a number of support shafts respectively supporting a number of rollers, and a number of support plates fixed to the first and the second support portions and which support one or more of the support shafts between the first and second support portions.

As this kind of omnidirectional wheel, a known omnidirectional wheel includes a plurality of rollers for forming an outer periphery, a plurality of support shafts for respectively supporting the plurality of rollers so as to be rotatable, a plurality of support members for respectively supporting two of the plurality of support shafts, and a pair of plate members which is arranged at an interval in a direction along a rotation axis line of the omnidirectional wheel, and each of which rotates around the rotation axis line, and the support members are formed by cutting a metal block, and the support members are fixed to the pair of plate members by means of a bolt. (See Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2015-85750, for example.)
Also, as another type of omnidirectional wheel, a known omnidirectional wheel includes a plurality of rollers for forming an outer periphery, a plurality of support frames for respectively supporting the plurality of rollers so as to be rotatable, and a pair of rotation members which is arranged at an interval in a direction along a rotation axis line of the omnidirectional wheel, and each of which rotates around the rotation axis line, and the support frames are formed by cutting a metal block so as to house one of the plurality of rollers, and the support frames are fixed to the pair of rotation members. (See Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2008-290638, for example.)
And, as another type of omnidirectional wheel, a known omnidirectional wheel includes a plurality of rollers for forming an outer periphery, a plurality of support shafts for respectively supporting the plurality of rollers so as to be rotatable, and a plurality of plate-like members which radially extends from a hub radially outwardly, and the plurality of support shafts are supported at a radial outer end of the plurality of plate-like members. (See WO 86/03132, for example.)


An acoustic signature recognition and identification system receives signals from a sensor placed on a designated piece of equipment. The acoustic data is digitized and processed, via a Fast Fourier Transform routine, to create a spectrogram image of frequency versus time. The spectrogram image is then normalized to permit acoustic pattern recognition regardless of the surrounding environment or magnitude of the acoustic signal. A feature extractor then detects, tracks and characterizes the lines which form the spectrogram. Specifically, the lines are detected via a KY process that is applied to each pixel in the line. A blob coloring process then groups spatially connected pixels into a single signal object. The harmonic content of the lines is then determined and compared with stored templates of known acoustic signatures to ascertain the type of machinery. An alert is then generated in response to the recognized and identified machinery.

The measurement and analysis of vibrational and/or acoustic data is a widely used technique for determining the type or operating state of a machine. It is generally known that each type of machinery generates a plurality of frequencies dependent upon the operating condition of the machinery. For example, whether the machinery is idling, revving up or revving down changes the frequencies generated by the machinery. The changes in the frequency result from the interaction of the forces required to transition from one machine state to another. Importantly, these frequency shifts reflect changes in the characteristics of the machinery. The complex composite wave formed is unique for each type of machinery and is utilized for identification and recognition.
As illustrated in the prior art, the analysis of the acoustic data can be implemented in the time or frequency domain. In the frequency domain, the frequency spectrum of the machinery is termed an acoustic signature. By comparing the acoustic signature of the unknown or test machinery against a databank of collected acoustic signatures, it is possible to determine the state and/or type of machinery. In certain applications, it is important to determine both the type and state of the machinery. For example, in the telecommunications field thousands of telephone calls are carried over fiber optical cables which are buried underground. The owners can mitigate the consequences of any damage imposed by the machinery on the fiber optic cables by identifying the type and state of any machinery located near the fiber optic cables.
A drawback of the prior art devices is that they require human interaction to render a decision. Accordingly, there is a need to provide an acoustic signature identification and recognition system that alerts the owner by analyzing sound vibrations that impinge upon their equipment and by identifying the encroaching machinery.

Acoustic signature recognition and identification


Method and apparatus are disclosed for inter-vehicle cooperation for vehicle self height estimation. An example vehicle includes an inter-vehicle communication module and a body control module. The body control module broadcasts a request for images via the inter-vehicle communication module. The body control module also performs semantic segmentation on the images, generates a composite image of the vehicle based on the segmented images, and generates a three dimensional representation of the vehicle based on the composite image. Using the three dimensional representation, the body control module determines a height of the vehicle, and based on the height, controls the vehicle to avoid obstacles.

Vehicles often traverse routes that have height limitations, such as underpasses, tunnels, and parking structures, etc. However, the height of a vehicle can be dynamic. For example, an operator may attach objects, such as a bike or a luggage rack, to the vehicle or attach a trailer to the vehicle. In such scenarios, the operator may forget that the vehicle is taller than normal (or, may not know what the height of the vehicle is the first place). Increasingly, vehicles and stationary infrastructure objects include cameras or other sensors (such as LiDAR, etc.) and are capable of communicating with vehicles through inter-vehicle communication. This inter-vehicle communication network is sometimes referred to as vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication (sometimes referred to collectively as V2X communication).

Inter-vehicle cooperation for vehicle self height estimation


A sorter for separating waste material such as aluminum cans, large plastic containers, cardboard containers, cardboard, small lumber or wood material, paper and similar lightweight material by directing the waste material to be sorted downwardly onto pairs of elongated driven rollers which are arranged for gripping and pulling paper and similar material downwardly between adjacent rollers of a pair while aluminum cans and large plastic and cardboard containers will move longitudinally on the rollers with the plastic containers being lifted upwardly and discharged onto a conveyor and the cans being discharged from the ends of the rollers. The rollers have a spiral rib thereon to facilitate gripping of paper material and movement of the aluminum cans and containers. A kicker, in the form of a rotatable brush, is oriented above the discharge end of the rollers for lifting large lightweight material such as large containers upwardly along the interior of a curved deflector onto a conveyor.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to a sorter for separating waste material such as aluminum cans, large plastic containers, cardboard containers, cardboard, small lumber or wood material, paper and similar lightweight material by directing the waste material to be sorted downwardly onto pairs of elongated driven rollers which are arranged for gripping and pulling paper and similar material downwardly between adjacent rollers of a pair while aluminum cans and large plastic and cardboard containers will move longitudinally on the rollers with the plastic containers being lifted upwardly and discharged onto a conveyor and the cans being discharged from the ends of the rollers. The rollers have a spiral rib thereon to facilitate gripping of paper material and movement of the aluminum cans and containers. A kicker, in the form of a rotatable brush, is oriented above the discharge end of the rollers for lifting large lightweight material such as large containers upwardly along the interior of a curved deflector onto a conveyor.


A combination of a lint roller and encasement therefore in which two clam shell elements are pivotally connected together at one of their ends. One of the elements is a holder for a lint roller and the other is a cover/handle which when pivoted closed encloses the lint roller and when pivoted open serves as a handle. The two elements are each one-piece molded parts. The handle/cover element includes side sections which pivotally collapse to form a smaller and more comfortable handle in the opened use position. The holder element includes flanges extending from the end walls and between which the adhesive roller is rotatably mounted. The flanges are preferably arcuate in shape and have slanted edges providing a cam to spread the collapsed sections of the handle/cover to allow the handle/cover to fit over the roller and protect it.

This invention relates to a lint roller of the type that has a tacky outer surface provided for the purpose of picking up lint, hair, dandruff, etc. from different types of surfaces such as clothing, furniture and the like. More particularly, this invention relates to such a lint roller in combination with an encasement cover, such cover providing a unique handle which can be easily gripped by the user for the purpose of operating the roller.
Lint rollers are extremely old and attempts have been made to provide some type of encasement so as to cover the tacky surface and, at the same time, provide a handle for operating the roller. Normal-size rollers have been developed with an encasement/cover of a clam shell construction which serves as the handle and which also fits over the roller. However, in such normal-size rollers, the encasement which serves as the cover is rather large and is very uncomfortable to hold. In fact, the average woman has difficulty in gripping the cover as she operates the roller. Therefore, it has become desirable to reduce the size of the handle/cover, but so far, there has been no way developed or conceived for reducing the size of the handle and still encase the roller.

Encased lint roller with collapsible cover/handle


Various optical amplifier configurations are disclosed. In one configuration, an optical amplifier provides an amplified output signal through use of a pumping device. The output signal is split to an output and a feedback input. The feedback signal is converted to a current which is sensed by a controller. The controller adjusts the amount of current to the pumping device in various instances. In one instance, the current is controlled to prevent overdriving the pumping device. In another instance, the current is controlled to maintain the output signal at a substantially constant level. In another configuration, the optical amplifier is coupled to a ratio computation block which measures the operating efficiency of the pumping device. Additional components detect an undesirable efficiency and provide a warning of the same.

Improvements in optical amplifiers have vastly enhanced the use of optical communication systems by increasing both data rates and the distances over which optical signals are transmitted. One significant advancement in such amplifiers is the development of optical amplifiers based on an optic fiber doped with a rare-earth element. This type of amplifier eliminates the need for complicated regenerator or "repeater" devices used in conventional systems to regenerate attenuated signals. Conventional repeaters require complex electronics to convert light into electric signals, amplify the signal, recover the data from the amplified signal, and then transform it back into light. In contrast, doped-fiber optical amplifiers do not interrupt the light signal, but merely add energy to it as described below. The components in the optical amplifier system are comparatively simple.
FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a prior art optical amplifier designated generally at 10. The block diagram is a simplified illustration of commercially available amplifiers, such as the FiberGain.TM., Module available from Corning Incorporated of Corning, N.Y., and identified as part number CL-10. Amplifier 10 includes an optical fiber 12 which is doped with a rare-earth element. In the preferred embodiment, the dopant is erbium. Other elements, such as neodymium, also have been used as dopants for the fiber, but erbium remains as the most prominent and successful. Optical fiber 12 provides an input 14 for receiving a light input signal, L.sub.IN, and an output 16 for providing an amplified light output signal, L.sub.OUT1. While not shown, optical fiber 12 is typically wound around a spool or like device.
Amplifier 10 further includes a light sourcing device which is typically a laser diode 18. While not shown, laser diode 18 is commonly housed in a small metallic case. Laser diode 18 couples power to the amplifier by "pumping" energy into optical fiber 12 and, hence, is also known as a pump laser diode. Specifically, the light provided by laser diode 18 is absorbed by the erbium atoms in fiber 12, pumping those atoms to a high-energy level. When a weakened L.sub.IN signal enters fiber 12, the excited erbium atoms transfer their energy to the signal in a process known as stimulated emission. As a result, the fiber 12 provides the amplified light output signal, L.sub.OUT1. The anode of laser diode 18 provides an input 20 for receiving an amplification control current, I.sub.c. For ease of illustration, the cathode of laser diode 18 is shown as grounded. It should be understood, however, that alternative configurations may be implemented for activating and deactivating laser diode 18.
Amplifier 10 also includes a pump power detector 22, which is typically a photodiode. Power detector 22 is proximate the sourcing laser diode 18 and, hence, provides an electrical signal, I.sub.INT1, directly proportional to the light intensity L.sub.PLD of pump laser diode 18. Signal I.sub.INT1 is detectable at output 24 of amplifier 10. In commercially available amplifiers, power detector 22 is often referred to as a "rear beam detector" due to its locational relationship to laser diode 18. Specifically, a small portion of the light emitted by laser diode 18 is reflected "rearwardly" to the detector, thereby giving the detector its name. As known in the art, the photodiode converts the light to an electrical signal (i.e., I.sub.INT1) indicative of the intensity of the detected light.
While amplifier 10 of FIG. 1 provides numerous advantages over repeaters, developmental efforts continue in an attempt to increase optical system performance, including device reliability. For example, it is known in the art to include a feedback circuit which adjusts I.sub.c to maintain a constant light output signal, L.sub.OUT1. Thus, as L.sub.IN changes in intensity or wavelength, I.sub.c is altered to maintain L.sub.OUT, at a fixed level. When L.sub.IN falls below a certain level, or is removed completely, the feedback system would try to greatly increase the magnitude of I.sub.c. However, above a certain level of optical output power, diode 18 will be damaged. Therefore, such a system will include a current limit for I.sub.c, limiting it to a value that does not produce a damaging level of optical output power. As diode 18 ages, its efficiency decreases, producing a lower level of optical output for a given I.sub.c. This reduces the amplifier performance and reduces its useful lifetime. In one aspect of the present invention, however, it is realized that I.sub.c may be increased as long as the optical output is limited below the damage level. This increase of I.sub.c allows some compensation for the effect of ageing. This compensation extends the useful lifetime of diode 18, and thus the amplifier system.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a system and technique for extending the useful lifetime of the laser diode by allowing the drive current to increase without exceeding its optical power damage level.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system and technique for analyzing the efficiency of a laser diode in an optical amplifier configuration.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system and technique for providing a warning as the efficiency of a laser diode in an optical amplifier configuration degrades.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an amplifier configuration which maintains a substantially constant light output irrespective of fluctuations in light input and/or aging of the amplifier pump laser diode.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system and technique having an optical amplifier configuration with improved reliability and predictability.
Still further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having reference to the following specification together with its drawings.


An improved memory controller which can support varying numbers of banks of memory without requiring any more RAS output pins than are necessary for a minimum number of banks of memory. The memory controller chip has N RAS output pins. An internal decoder selects one of N decode outputs after decoding internally provided coded RAS addresses. A timing signal is generated to control the duration of the selected decoder output to provide the proper pulse length for the RAS signal. An internal multiplexer, with its outputs coupled to the RAS output pins, selects either the N decode outputs from the decoder or the timing signal and the internally provided addresses directly.

The present invention relates to memory controllers which produce row address strobe (RAS) signals from addresses produced by a microprocessor in order to select an appropriate bank of memory.
In a typical personal computer, a number of semiconductor chips are needed to assist the microprocessor in various functions. A memory controller chip is often used to control dynamic random access memory (DRAM). Typically, the microprocessor will simply generate addresses on a group of address lines. The memory controller decodes these addresses and determines which of a number of banks of memory to select. This is typically done by decoding the higher order address bits, while the lower order address bits are provided directly to the memory chips in the bank to select the appropriate location in the particular bank of memory.
Such a memory controller is also used to refresh the DRAM. DRAM memory must periodically have signals applied to each of its memory locations to maintain the charge which indicates stored data. This is called a refresh operation and requires periodically selecting address locations for refresh.
The memory controller chip has a limited number of pins. In addition to the functions described above, it performs many other functions as well. In a typical memory configuration, four output pins might be dedicated as the RAS outputs for selecting one of four banks of memory. If a typical PC maker wants to use 10 banks of memory, for instance, 10 RAS outputs would be required. This obviously would require more pins on the memory controller semiconductor chip, or require eliminating other functions provided by the MMU. In addition, providing several different types of physically different chips depending upon the number of banks of memory a PC maker will want to implement would be very costly.
One possibility would be to do the address decoding necessary to generate the RAS signals outside of the memory controller, by bypassing the memory controller and using the addresses from the microprocessor directly. However, this solution does not allow addresses which are translated by the memory controller to be used. For instance, many memory controllers support extended memory space (EMS). EMS provides a mapping from one address space to another to provide additional memory space which would not be addressable by the number of address bits from the microprocessor itself This is accomplished by setting up an EMS window address, which, when addressed, activates a translation mechanism which provides a substitute, translated address. The memory controller, when EMS is activated, uses the EMS address to generate the RAS signals. A circuit external to the memory controller would not be able to have access to these EMS addresses unless more pins were used to output them from the memory controller chip.

Apparatus for selectively providing RAS signals or RAS timing and coded RAS address signals


A printing cartridge comprising: a body configured to removably engage with an inkjet printer; a printhead assembly mounted to the body, the printhead assembly comprising at least one printhead integrated circuit having a plurality of ink ejection nozzles and a support member mounting the, or each, printhead integrated circuit, the nozzles being operated, in use, to print on media by ejecting ink thereon; and a capping mechanism for capping the nozzles during non-operation; and a mounting arrangement for commonly mounting the printhead assembly and capping mechanism to the body, the support member of the printhead assembly being directly mounted to the body and the capping mechanism being directly mounted to the support member.

Known printing cartridges incorporating capping mechanisms for capping the ink ejection nozzles during non-operation have the capping mechanism mounted separately to the cartridge body from the printhead comprising the nozzles. This separate arrangement complicates the manufacture of the printing cartridge and increases the possibility of operational misalignment between the capping mechanism and printhead. Such misalignment may cause damage to the fragile nozzles through incorrect engagement of the capping mechanism and nozzles.

Printing cartridge having commonly mounted printhead and capper


A riser cyclone separator is positioned external to a containment vessel. The riser cyclone separator discharges separated catalyst to a catalyst stripper and separated vapor to a plenum, both positioned internal to the containment vessel. Means is provided for withdrawing stripping gas from the catalyst stripper and passing it via the riser cyclone separator to the plenum. The riser cyclone separator is inherently pressure stable relative to the containment vessel. The invention is particularly useful for retrofitting a direct-connected riser cyclone separator to a preexisting containment vessel with space limitations.

1. The Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a cyclone separator apparatus attached directly to a fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) riser reactor.
2. The Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,248,411, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, describes an apparatus for rapidly separating catalyst from a cracked hydrocarbon gas in a fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC) unit. It also describes a process for withdrawing stripper gas from an FCC reactor vessel. A vent orifice for withdrawal of reactor and stripper gasses is located in an annular space formed around the riser cyclone outlet tube and the roof of the riser cyclone. The vent orifice provides pressure stability in a direct-coupled cyclone system.
The fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) process comprises mixing hot regenerated catalyst with a hydrocarbon feedstock in a transfer line riser reactor under catalytic cracking reaction conditions. The feedstock is cracked to yield gasoline boiling range hydrocarbon as well as degradation products, such as coke, which deposits on the catalyst causing a reduction in catalytic activity. Hydrocarbon vapor and coked catalyst are passed from the top of the riser reactor to a containment vessel, containing a cyclone separator, wherein catalyst is separated from hydrocarbon. In the art, the separator vessel is termed the reactor vessel or the disengager vessel. The separated catalyst is passed to a stripper, also in the containment vessel, and contacted with a stripping gas to remove volatile hydrocarbon. Stripped catalyst is then passed to a separate regeneration vessel wherein coke is removed from the catalyst by oxidation at a controlled rate. Catalyst, substantially freed of coke, is collected in a vertically oriented regenerated catalyst standpipe. The regenerated catalyst is passed from the standpipe to the riser reactor for cyclic reuse in the process.
A conventional fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) feedstock comprises any of the hydrocarbon fractions known to yield a liquid fuel boiling range fraction. These feedstocks include light and heavy gas oils, diesel, atmospheric residuum, vacuum residuum, naphtha such as low grade naphtha, coker gasoline, visbreaker gasoline and like fractions from steam cracking.
Catalyst development has improved the fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) process. High activity, selectivity and feedstock sensitivity are demonstrated by the new crystalline zeolite cracking catalysts. These high activity catalysts have been used to improve the yield of more desirable products.
The hydrocarbon conversion catalyst employed in a fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) process is preferably a high activity crystalline zeolite catalyst of a fluidizable particle size. The catalyst is transferred in suspension or dispersion with a hydrocarbon feedstock, upwardly through one or more riser conversion zones which provide a hydrocarbon residence time in each conversion zone in the range of 0.5 to about 10 seconds, typically less than about 8 seconds. High temperature riser hydrocarbon conversions, occurring at temperatures of at least 900.degree. F. (482.degree. C.) up to about 1450.degree. F. (788.degree. C.), pressures of 5 psig (1.3 atm) to 45 psig (4 atm) and at 0.5 to 4 seconds hydrocarbon catalyst residence time in the riser, are desirable. The vaporous hydrocarbon conversion product is rapidly separated from the catalyst.
In modern fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) units, cracking temperature has been increased to obtain high conversion of feedstock boiling range material to light products. Typical cracking temperatures in modern FCC units are in the range of 980.degree. F. (526.degree. C.) to 1050.degree. F. (565.degree. C.), or above. At these high temperatures, thermal degradation of cracked liquid products can be significant, resulting in formation of additional gaseous products and loss of valuable liquid products. In many cases the FCC unit capacity and operating severity are limited by the ability to compress and recover the light gaseous products.
Rapid separation of catalyst from hydrocarbon product is particularly desirable to limit hydrocarbon conversion time to the residence time in the riser conversion zone. During the hydrocarbon conversion, coke accumulates on the catalyst particles and entrains hydrocarbon vapors. Entrained hydrocarbon contact with the catalyst continues after removal from the hydrocarbon conversion zone until the hydrocarbon is separated from the catalyst. Allowing the catalytic reaction to proceed beyond the optimum contact time results in degradation of liquid products to less desirable gaseous products and coke.
catalyst is separated from hydrocarbon by cyclone separators and then stripped with a stripping gas to remove volatilizable hydrocarbon. Hydrocarbon conversion products and stripped hydrocarbon are combined and passed to a fractionation and vapor recovery system. This system comprises a fractionation tower, vapor coolers and wet gas compressor operated at a suction pressure of 0.5 psig (1.03 atm) to 10 psig (1.7 atm). Stripped catalyst containing deactivating amounts of coke, is passed to a catalyst regeneration zone.
One or more cyclone separators are used to provide a rapid, efficient separation of cracked hydrocarbon from catalyst particles at the outlet of the riser reactor. These cyclone separators, usually designated as riser our rough-cut cyclones, terminate the catalytic reactions taking place in the riser reactor. Riser cyclones may be either external, or more commonly, internal to the reactor or disengager vessel. The separated vapor from riser cyclones is typically discharged into the upper section of the reactor vessel and passed to one or more sets of secondary cyclones for removal of catalyst particles before the vapors enter the fractionation and vapor recovery system. In FCC units operating at cracking temperatures above about 980.degree. F. (526.degree. C.), significant thermal degradation of cracked products can occur when the vapors are allowed to enter the reactor or disengager vessel. To reduce thermal degradation of cracked products, direct-coupled or closed cyclone systems, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,248,411 have been used. In direct-coupled cyclones, the separated vapors from the riser cyclones are passed directly to the inlet of secondary cyclones. Direct-coupled cyclones reduce thermal degradation of cracked products by shortening the residence time of the vapor.
An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for rapidly separating the catalyst-hydrocarbon suspension. Another object is to establish a stable pressure gradient between the cyclone barrel and the reactor vessel to facilitate removing stripper gas from the reactor vessel. And yet another object of this invention is to provide a direct-coupled cyclone system for use with riser cyclones external to the reactor or disengager vessel.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,623,446 and 4,737,346 to J. H. Haddad et al. teach a closed-coupled cyclone separator system in the reactor vessel of a fluid catalytic cracking apparatus. Means is provided for blending stripping gas with cracked hydrocarbon as it flows to a directly coupled riser cyclone separator.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,502,947 to Haddad et al. discloses a closed cyclone fluid catalytic cracking catalyst separation method and apparatus. In the closed cyclone, hydrocarbon product and catalyst are passed directly into a cyclone separator from a riser without passing into the atmosphere of the reactor vessel. Avoiding the atmosphere of the reactor vessel reduces both excess catalytic cracking and high temperature thermal cracking.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,221,301 to N. L. Giuricich discloses a multistage cyclone separator system with a plenum providing a manifold and structural support.
There is a need in the art to capture the process advantages of U.S. Pat. No. 5,248,411 in existing fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) reactor vessels where limited free volume restricts retrofit of a direct-coupled riser cyclone.

Direct-coupled FCC riser cyclone and plenum


A charge pump circuit with a regulated charge current where the amount of current flowing into the flying capacitor depends on the magnitude of the output voltage error, using an OTA to convert the output voltage error into a current. Thus the flying capacitor is not charged when the output load is very low or when the output voltage error is minimal. Voltage overshoots are reduced by a stop circuit which forces pulse skipping and which inhibits the charging of the flying capacitor. Current limiting devices further limit the charge current into the flying capacitor. Full short-circuit protection is provided in one preferred embodiment by current limiting the driver stage of the charge pump circuit. Except for pulse skipping, the charge pump runs at a constant frequency supplied by a clock.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to charge pump circuits with a flying capacitor, and more particularly to the use of a flying capacitor which is charged as a function of the output voltage error.
2. Description of the Related Art
Portable electronic devices such as cellular phones, personal digital assistants, portable MP3 player and laptops are invariably powered by batteries which may be rechargeable or non-rechargeable. All of these batteries lose their charge over time, and therefore do not produce a single constant voltage output. One device for providing a regulated voltage supply independent of the battery output voltage is a charge pump. Charge pumps are DC-to-DC converters which utilize capacitors instead of inductors or transformers for energy storage. Such charge pumps typically make use of a "flying capacitor" which is charged from the battery during one cycle and pumped up, thereby raising its output voltage, during another cycle. The charge stored during the charging cycle is then transferred into a storage capacitor during the pump cycle.
Related art regulated charge pumps charge the flying capacitor up to the input voltage producing excessive overshoot and ripple at the output terminal of the charge pump circuit. These regulated charge pumps regulate the output voltage by changing the switching frequency. A big output capacitor is therefore required to reduce the overshoot and ripple of the output voltage because the entire excess charge of the flying capacitor will be transferred to the output capacitor in each switching period. The excess is the charge which causes the voltage of the flying capacitor to be higher than the output voltage minus the input voltage.
Related Art U.S. Patents are described next:    U.S. Pat. No. 6,801,078 (Allum) discloses a voltage multiplier circuit for programmable memories. It further utilizes a voltage feedback regulator which provides a digital gating signal to a multiplexer.    U.S. Pat. No. 6,794,927 (Bedarida et al.) teaches the use of a regulated supply voltage with a modular arrangement of charge pumps. The desired output voltages are obtained by using combinatorial clock signals for charge pump stages.    U.S. Pat. No. 6,794,926 (Rader et al.) shows a charge pump comprising an input circuit, a switching circuit and a control circuit which receives its inputs from the switching circuit and input circuit, and controls the switching circuit. The switches of the switching circuit are selectively actuated to charge and discharge capacitors to provide a regulated output voltage.    U.S. Pat. No. 6,774,710 (Li) describes a high precision charge pump circuit which compares the output feedback voltage with a reference voltage. In response to the comparison the clock frequency is either increased or decreased.    U.S. Pat. No. 6,756,838 (Wu et al.) presents a charge pump voltage regulator involving a load current and a clamp current. The two currents are compared and the charge pump current is then adjusted by stepping the frequency of the clock driving the charge pump.    U.S. Pat. No. 6,618,296 (Zhang) discloses a charge pump circuit for controlling the charging current via current limiting devices in a dual phase charge pump circuit. Supply current peaks that occur when the flying capacitor is charged are limited, thus reducing the noise on the supply.
It should be noted that none of the above-cited examples of the related art provide a current into the flying capacitor which is a function of the output voltage error, where the output voltage error is the desired (nominal) output voltage minus the actual output voltage. In addition the present invention utilizes a fixed frequency, in the first embodiment, or a very low frequency, in the second embodiment, and avoids frequencies ranging from audio frequencies to Megahertz frequencies. The present invention also limits the current to the output terminal to avoid short circuits. Additionally, the present invention provides currents of 100 mA at the output terminal using an external capacitor.

Voltage regulated charge pump with regulated charge current into the flying capacitor


A signal analyzer and a method for displaying code-channel power levels of CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) signal that contains code changes having different spreading factors. The individual code-channel power level is measured from a received signal and displayed in a diagram for a specified base spreading factor. The code channels having an alias power level are indicated. A code channel, with regard to the specified base spreading factor, has an alias power level when the code channel having the base spreading factor is inactive and when a code channel of a higher spreading factor (corresponding to the former code channel) is active, or, in the event of orthogonal transmit diversity, the power level of a code channel is mapped onto the code channel of the base spreading factor.

In the context of checking the components of third-generation mobile telephone systems, it is necessary to determine the power level of the individual code channels, of which the overall signal is made up. The relevant power levels of the code channels are presented graphically to evaluate the measured power levels of the individual code channels. A graphic presentation of this kind of the power levels of individual code channels is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,219,340 B1.
According to U.S. Pat. No. 6,219,340 B1, the individual power levels of the relevant active code channels are presented in the form of a bar diagram. In this diagram, the individual channels are plotted along the X-axis in such a manner that the code channels belonging to each code class are arranged adjacent to one another. The power level measured for each code channel is shown by the height of the bar. The membership of the individual code channels in a given code class, that is to say, their association with a given spreading factor (SF), is shown, in the presentation proposed, in that, corresponding to the lower spreading factor in the lower code class, the bar allocated in the presentation is wider for the corresponding code channel of the lower code class. Moreover, U.S. Pat. No. 6,219,340 B1 proposes that inactive code channels are indicated in the presentation by a dash. In this context, inactive channels are understood to be all code channels, which do not contribute to the data transmission.
The presentation of a measured CDMA signal proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,219,340 B1 has the disadvantage that it is not possible to distinguish whether a code channel in a code class is actually active, or whether the code channel is inactive but the power level of a corresponding code channel of a higher spreading factor is measurable there. A lack of discrimination of this kind between an actual power level of an active code channel and a so-called alias power level of an inactive code channel in a code class, which is lower than the actual code class of the active code channel, considerably impairs the evaluation of the overall CDMA signal.

Signal analyzer and method for displaying power levels of code channels


[Problem to be Solved] To provide a resonance calculation program capable of evaluating a physical quantity such as an effective cross section in a radial direction of a circular region of a fuel rod by making a resonance calculation based on the equivalence principle.

There is conventionally known, as a resonance calculation program, a cross section calculation program including a step of calculating a background cross section, and a step of acquiring a resonance integral from a resonance integral table with the background cross section used as an argument and calculating an effective cross section (effective group constants) based on the acquired resonance integral (see, for example, Patent Literature 1).

Resonance calculation program and analyzing apparatus

Abstract: [Solution] A resonance calculation program for calculating an effective cross section by performing a resonance calculation based on an equivalence principle includes a radial-distribution calculation step S8 of calculating a distribution of the effective cross section in a radial direction of a circular region by calculating the effective cross section defined by a predetermined calculation expression including a geographical coefficient for each of a plurality of annular regions while a neutron escape probability in a resonance region is expressed by a polynomial rational expression including the geographical coefficient serving as a factor representing geographical shapes of a plurality of annular regions that are circumferentially annular and that are obtained by radially dividing the circular region that is an axial cross section of a fuel rod at predetermined intervals.


A recognition model generation system of the invention includes means 18 for labeling edges and faces of an input three-dimensional shape, means 20 for generating shape restriction values, shape restriction means 22 for restricting shape recognition using generated shape restriction values, and means 24 for generating position coordinates of vertexes of a shape that can be derived by substituting the input three-dimensional shape with hexahedrons using output from the shape restriction means. The invention also provides a method for generating a recognition model a program for causing a computer to execute the method, a computer-readable medium storing the program thereon, and a structured mesh generation system.

With the advance in computer technology in recent years, attempts have been made to recognize three dimensional shapes with a computer and apply the results to computer-aided design or CAD, texture mapping in computer graphics, finite element method and the like. For a computer to recognize three-dimensional shapes, a variety of recognition models have been employed such as by substituting a three-dimensional solid with a simpler figure such as a collection of cubes and having it recognized. A recognition model is generated using a solid that substantially represents the form of its input shape as intermediate data. A hexahedral mesh can be then generated by dividing the solid into a number of grids.
In general, a recognition model uses a solid that is defined in an integer space referenced as ijk space. All of the faces constituting the recognition model are defined to be parallel with any of ij, jk, and ki planes. At this point, a face that has the normal [i j k]=[1,0,0] is given the label "+I" as its attribute. As well, each of the faces is given any of the labels "+I", "−I", "+J", "−J", "+K", and "−K". Table 1 below shows the correspondence between each face and a normal defining the face.
TABLE 1Identification Label of FaceCorresponding Normal+I[1.0.0]−I[−1.0.0]+J[0.1.0]−J[0.−1.0]+K[0.0.1]−K[0.0.−1]
A recognition model is also represented in a so-called half-edge data structure that comprises a shell, faces, loops, half edges, and vertexes. A shell is a collection of faces; a face is comprised of an outer loop and a number of inner loops; and a loop is defined as a sequence of half edges. In accordance with the definition of recognition models, each half edge is supposed to be parallel with any of the axes i, j, and k. A half edge with its orientation [1,0,0] is given the label "+I" as its attribute, and as with faces, each half edge is classified as having any of the attributes "+I", "−I", "+J", "−J", "+K" and "−K". FIG. 18 shows a recognition model and definition of labels to its faces and half edges. Unless orientations are not considered, the following description simply refers to a pair of corresponding half edges as an edge.
In general, a mesh generation method that uses a recognition model as intermediate data primarily comprises following four steps. FIG. 19 shows a conventional procedure of generating a recognition model. As shown, in generating a recognition model with a conventional method:
1) The surface of an inputted three-dimensional shape (FIG. 19(a)) is classified into portions having any of the attributes "+I", "−I", "+J", "−J", "+K", and "−K" (FIG. 19(b)). FIG. 19(b) illustrates attributes labeled to respective faces and orientations of K, J, and I.
2) From the classified surface, a recognition model comprised of vertexes of hexahedrons is generated (FIG. 19(c)). As previously mentioned, each face of the recognition model is mapped to one face of a three dimensional shape's surface, edges are mapped to the boundaries of planes, and vertexes are mapped to the corner points of faces.
3) A mesh of a given size is used to divide the recognition model into grids to represent the model as a hexahedral mesh (FIG. 19(d)).
4) After fitting the hexahedral mesh in its inputted shape, smoothing process is applied for eliminating any distortions in the hexahedral elements to determine node coordinate values for the hexahedral mesh (FIG. 19(e)).
Various methods for generating a recognition model as intermediate data for mesh generation have been proposed, including, inter alia, Takahashi et al., "Keijouninshikio mochiita sanjigen-jidou-yousobunkatu-sisutemu no kaihatu (A Three-Dimensional Automatic Mesh Generation System Using Shape Recognition Technique)", Transactions of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (Series A), Vol. 59 (560), pp. 279-285, January 1993, Reza Taghavi, "Automatic Block Decomposition Using Fuzzy Logic Analysis" (9th International Meshing Roundtable, pp. 187-192, 2000), and, David R. White et al., "Automated Hexahedral Mesh Generation by Virtual Decomposition" (4th International Meshing Roundtable, 1995).
Takahashi et al. create a recognition model with any of the labels +I, −I, +J, and −J already assigned to each side of an inputted shape (an actual model). FIG. 20 illustrates the method of mesh generation by Takahashi et al. The number of segments belonging to each orientation is defined as Ns (s=(+I), (−I), (+J), or (−J)); the length of each side of an actual model is defined as ls,t(t=1, . . . , Ns); and the sum of the lengths of sides in each orientation is defined as Ls(s=(+I), (−I), (+J), or (−J)). On the other hand, the length of each side of a recognition model is defined as ms,t(t=1, . . . , Ns), and the sum of the lengths of sides in each orientation is defined as Ms(s=(+I), (−I), (+J), or (−J)). Ms,t is what need be determined. Since the definition of recognition models requires M(+I)=M(−I), M(+J)=M(−J), Ms is calculated with the following expression:
[Expression 1]M(+I)=M(−I)=(L(+I)+L(−I))/2M(+J)=M(−J)=(L(+J)+L(−J))/2
These expressions mean that Ms is determined as the average of opposite orientations. With these Ms values, ms,t can be derived using the following expression.
[Expression 2]ms,t=Ms×ls,t/Ls,t(s=(+I), (−I), (+J),or (−J), t=1, . . . , Ns)
The foregoing has shown how the length of each edge on a recognition model is calculated with the method proposed by Takahashi et al. This method, however, can be considered to merely calculate the lengths of edges on a recognition model so as to approximate them to the lengths of sides of an actual model, it thus does not ensure in any way that no between edges interference will occur on the recognition model.
As well, although the method by Taghavi et al. generates a recognition model as intermediate data, the method cannot address at all the problem of how to determine the number of divisions so that interference may not occur to a generated recognition model. And White discusses how hexahedrons can be generated inside a rectangular structured mesh when the rectangular structured mesh has been already provided on a surface. Since a structured mesh provided on a surface beforehand according to White already contains information on the number of divisions, the method can eliminate the necessity of calculating the number of divisions. However, White's method is disadvantageous in that it cannot be applied when a mesh on a surface has not been provided.
In addition, methods have been proposed that determine the number of edge divisions as an integer programming problem. Tam et al. (T. K. H. Tam, "Finite Element Mesh Control by Integer Programming", International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, Vol. 36, pp. 2581-2605, 1993) and Scott et al. (Scott A. Mitchell ("High Fidelity Interval Assignment", 6th International Meshing Roundtable, 1997) propose methods for, when a coarse mesh has been already given, breaking it into a finer mesh. FIG. 21 shows how the method proposed by Tam et al. generates a structured mesh. Since Tam's method provides a coarse mesh in advance as shown in FIG. 21(a), it is assumed that the area has been divided into a set of convex shapes. The present case does not need the elimination of the interference of edges or faces since the interference of edges or faces has been already eliminated.
FIG. 22 illustrates another known method for determining the number of edge divisions as an integer programming problem. The mesh generation method in the FIG. 22, proposed by Mitchell (Scott A. Mitchell, High Fidelity Interval Assignment, 6th International Meshing Roundtable, 1997), addresses the determination of the number of divisions when a structured mesh and an unstructured mesh co-exist. However, the method only discloses the processing of convex shapes with respect to the generation of a structured mesh as with Tam.
Since many three-dimensional shapes have concave portions formed thereon, faces that include concave portions will be generated on a recognition model for a three-dimensional shape including concave portions. If a conventional method for generating a recognition model is applied to a three-dimensional shape that includes concave portions, an unexpected inconvenience may be encountered. FIG. 23 generally illustrates such an inconvenience as two-dimensional shapes for illustration. FIG. 23(a) shows an input shape and FIG. 23(b) shows a generated recognition model. With a conventional method, when the shape in FIG. 23(a) that includes a concave portion is input, degeneracy or interference of edges and faces can be generated depending on how the number of divisions is assigned to edges, potentially causing the inputted shape in FIG. 23(a) to give the inconsistent recognition model in FIG. 23(b). The example in FIG. 23 illustrates that the existence of a concave portion causes a mesh with degeneracy and interference. In the context of the invention, the degeneracy or interference of edges refers to edges overlapping one another or an edge intersecting with a face other than one that includes the edge. And the degeneracy or interference of faces means a face intersecting with another face or faces overlapping one another.
Although the conventional method in FIG. 23 addresses the inconvenience shown in FIG. 23(b) such as by a user manually generating an appropriate large mesh in advance, a computer could not determine the number of divisions in such a manner that degeneracy or interference would not occur to a solid that includes concave portions. Meanwhile, three-dimensional shapes that include concave portions as mentioned above can be seen commonly and is a general characteristic of various machine elements or real objects, making the problem of processing concave portions in conventional methods one of causes that limit generic applicability of recognition models.
That is, there has been a need that inconveniences with a recognition model such as degeneracy and interference can be automatically eliminated without producing situations such as one in which grids cannot generated because the numbers of divisions of opposite edges are unequal and thus an appropriate mesh for a three-dimensional solid cannot be generated. In addition, there has been a need that an appropriate recognition model for a three-dimensional solid can be generated and expressed as a mesh automatically with minimum manual operation.
The invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned disadvantages of the conventional methods, and has the object of providing a recognition model generation system, a method for generating a recognition model, a program for causing a computer to execute the method, a computer readable storage medium storing the program, and a structured mesh generation system that can divide an input three-dimensional shape appropriately and eliminate effort such as manually allocating a mesh without causing inconveniences like degeneracy and interference of faces or edges.

Recognition model generation and structured mesh generation system and method

International Business Machines Corporation


A test strip device including a housing, at least one retention arm, an ejection tab, and a viewing window. The housing includes a channel extending through the housing, with an opening at a first end of the housing, the channel being configured to receive a test strip therein. The at least one retention arm is arranged within the channel and configured to retain the test strip within the channel. The ejection tab is slideably arranged within the housing and configured to slide the test strip through the channel and out of the opening. The viewing window is arranged within the housing and configured to allow a results region of the test strip disposed within the channel to be viewed through the viewing window.

Disposable test strips may be used for various sample collections, for example, a urine pregnancy test or ovulation test. When a sample is placed on a disposable test strip, capillary action carries the sample from a depositing region of the test strip to a results region of the test strip. Such disposable test strips are manufactured with predetermined designs and chemicals in order to indicate a result of the sample collection directly on the test strip used for the collection.
Current test strips are provided by different manufactures and thus have different dimensions and specifications. As a result, the test strips are either utilized as a stand-alone strip, which can be difficult to handle, or are provided with a corresponding housing, with both the test strip and the housing being disposable after a single sample collection.


A Christmas light string set enables high volage, high wattage light bulbs to be inserted in a push-in manner into holders which are, in turn, assembled in a push-in manner into a socket.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a light string set and, more particularly, to push-in bulbs assembled into holders and sockets.
2. Description of Related Art
Light string sets are commonly used for adorning Christmas trees or as business displays. Bulbs rated at low voltage, e.g. less than 12 v, and at low power, e.g. less than 5 w, are known in the trade as "midget" bulbs and are inserted in a push-in manner into sockets arranged along an electrical cable that is plugged into an electrical outlet. Although the push-in midget bulbs are relatively inexpensive to manufacture and assemble, they do not emit as much light as higher wattage, e.g. greater than 5 w, and higher voltage, e.g. 120 v, bulbs. However, the higher wattage, higher voltage bulbs (known in the trade by the designation C-9 or C-7 bulbs) have a threaded base adapted to be threaded into a screw-in-type socket which renders the entire arrangement more expensive, both in terms of manufacture and assembly.


A human powered watercraft or land vehicle is described herein. A watercraft or land vehicle may have two pedals that reciprocated are in a linear or slightly curved trajectory but not a circular motion. As the two pedals are reciprocated, an output shaft is rotated in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction when the left pedal is pushed forward or when the right pedal is pushed forward. The output shaft may be connected to a propeller of a watercraft or a land vehicle so as to propel the watercraft or land vehicle forward. The output shaft may receive rotational input through two gears mounted to the output shaft with one-way bearings that enable the output shaft to rotate in the same direction regardless of whether the left pedal or the right pedal is being pushed forward.

The various embodiments an aspect described herein relate to a device for powering a small human powered watercraft or land vehicle through reciprocal pedal motion.
Small human powered watercraft is powered by a user peddling his or her feet like a person pedals a bicycle. The user may sit down and have his or her feet oriented generally horizontal to an upper surface of the water. As a user pedals, the user's feet must be lifted up in order to complete the circular peddling motion. Unfortunately, the user will become tired from having to lift his or her feet up. Other deficiencies in the prior art also exist.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved device for propelling a small human powered watercraft or land vehicle.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Human powered watercraft or land vehicle


An automatic close umbrella is disclosed. As folding an umbrella, the user presses a control device on a handle by one finger so that a tenon is released from a buckle and thus the buckle unit of the lower rib collector is separated from the lower central pole. Furthermore, the lower rib collector descends due to the elasticity of a first elastomer disposed between the upper rib collector and lower rib collector further addition of impacting the hook device of the central pole. Thereby, two central poles are separated from each other and the hook device of each central pole will be released. Therefore, each multi-section central pole is telescopic automatically. Furthermore, as the hinged ribs are folded, the canopy arranged on the hinged ribs will be closed. Thus, as the user enters into a room or a car, the user may close the umbrella easily by only one hand.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to umbrellas, and particularly to a fully automatic closing umbrella which includes functions of automatically closing an umbrella canopy and automatically retracting and resetting a telescopic shaft as a button is pushed.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional umbrellas are opened and closed manually by both hands. The canopy on the umbrella is pushed up for opening and pulled down for closing the umbrella. Both manual actions require the use of both hands. To open an umbrella, one hand pushes the canopy upward while the other hand securely holds the handle for leverage. To close an umbrella, a user pulls down the canopy and pulls one end of the umbrella against the other to compress the telescopic shaft together.
The prior automatic opening function allows on umbrella canopy to automatically open by pushing a button with one hand. The shaft is telescopically stretched out and the canopy of the umbrella is opened. However, to close the umbrella, the user still needs to pull one end of the umbrella against the other and compress the telescopic shaft together. This inconvenience poses a problem during rainy days, i.e., when a user is holding an object by one hand. The user must firstly put the object aside and then proceed to close the umbrella with both hands.
Automatic closing function was later developed and incorporated with the automatic opening function. Thus known as the automatic opening and closing function, current automatic closing function automatically closes the canopy and ribs of the umbrella by pushing a button. However, the telescopic shaft remains stretched and unfolded. To properly close the umbrella and fold the telescopic shaft, the user still needs to pull one end of the umbrella against the other and compress the telescopic shaft together. This resets the telescopic shaft and prepares it for use again. Additionally, these prior art designs are complicated in structure and comprise many parts, which can be damaged easily.

Automatic close umbrella with automatic resetting feature


Adaptive interpolation is performed by apparatus operating upon a digitized image signal obtained from an image sensor having color photosites that generate a plurality of color values, but only one color per photosite. A digital processor obtains gradient values from the differences between chrominance values in vertical and horizontal image directions. The gradient values are compared with each other in order to select one of the directions as the preferred orientation for the interpolation of additional luminance values. The interpolation is then performed upon values selected to agree with the preferred orientation.

A single-sensor camera detects the spatially varying intensity of light at image locations corresponding to a regular pattern of pixel locations on the sensor. In a color single-sensor camera, a color filter array overlies the sensor such that the sensor detects the intensity of colors at varying pixel locations according to a regular color filter array (CFA) pattern of, generally, three colors. Ordinarily, the CFA is a regular pattern of color filters for detecting only one color at each pixel location. Consequently, a single sensor color camera does not capture original data corresponding to all three colors for each pixel. Instead, it captures one color for each pixel, so that interpolation is required to construct three full color image planes for each image.
A typical camera system generates red, green, and blue colors. A color filter array interpolation algorithm is used to convert the image from a sparsely sampled color image (one color per pixel) to a full red, green, blue (RGB) image (i.e., RGB for each pixel). Most color filter array patterns have a high-frequency signal that is sampled more regularly, and more frequently, in the pattern than the other colors. In an RGB image, this high frequency signal is green; it is also referred to as the luminance signal, which represents the higher frequency detail and the maximum sensitivity of the human eye. Ordinarily, traditional bilinear interpolation is used to generate a full green image plane. For instance, the green data from green pixels on either side of a red or blue pixel (i.e., a "missing green" pixel) are used to interpolate the "missing green" value for the red or blue location. Then, traditional bilinear interpolation of color difference signals, also called chrominance signals, is utilized to interpolate the other colors of the CFA pattern for each pixel. A traditional method of this type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,642,678.
A problem with such traditional methods is that they are prone to colored edge artifacts in the image. This problem can be treated through use of more sophisticated interpolation techniques, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,307, which uses prior knowledge about features existing in the neighborhood. The image data is utilized to determine the appropriate algorithm, and the missing data is reconstructed using the selected algorithm. For example, in the '307 patent, different interpolation routines are used for edges, stripes, and corners. The particular feature is determined by comparing the pixel data with templates stored in a computer.
As pointed out before, the major shortcoming of the traditional procedures concerns the generation of artifacts at color edges. The sophisticated procedure, exemplified by the '307 patent, can reduce these artifacts, but at considerable cost and complexity in processing capability.

Apparatus and method for adaptively interpolating a full color image utilizing chrominance gradients


A method of enlarging a ring. A ring to be enlarged is severed, preferably with an end mill, and then expanded. The end mill will preferably cut a circular section from the ring, so that the ends of the now severed ring are concave. A plurality of preformed bars are also provided. The bars will have curved ends that match the curvature of the ring ends. The curvature of the bars and the ring will also match. The width of the various bars, between the ends, will be selected to correspond to desired increases in the ring circumference. A cross-sectional slice will be cut from a bar of the appropriate width and inserted into the severed ring. The ring and the cross-section will then be joined together, preferably with an induction welder, which can be used to quickly heat only a limited portion of the ring and insert.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to methods of altering jewelry in general and to methods of enlarging rings in particular.
2. Prior Art
Rings are commonly expanded in the jeweler's art. The owner's finger's may swell with advancing age or the ring may literally change hands, such that a larger size is required. One way that rings are expanded is by placing them on a steel mandrel and forcing the ring onto the wider part of the mandrel with a hammer, stretching the ring. This method is typically appropriate for enlarging rings up to ½ ring size, but damage to the ring is possible, even within this range.
For expansions of more than ½ ring size, prior art rings would typically be severed with a jeweler's saw. This would create two ends in the ring, both of which would be substantially flat. The now severed ring would then be placed on a mandrel and expanded to the desired dimension.
Next, a piece of flat stock would be selected and cut to match the width of the space between the ring ends. The flat stock piece would be worked to produce a curvature and shape that matched that of the ring. Additionally, the ends of the severed ring and the ends of the section of flat stock would be worked to allow them to roughly mate. For example, the ends of the ring might be filed to a point and grooves would be filed into the ends of the flat stock section, so that when the flat stock section was placed into the gap in the severed ring, the points of the ring ends could fit into the grooves in the ends of the flat stock.
Solder chips would typically have been applied to each joint between the ring ends and the insert ends, often with a resistance welder. The joint would have then been heated, usually with a torch, until the solder flowed into the gap. The enlarged ring would then be finished to match the shape, finish and luster of the original ring.
This method has several drawbacks. Most of the fitting work on the flat stock and the ring ends must be done by hand or with small power tools. In either case, it is time consuming. Additionally, matching the ends of the ring to the ends of the flat stock insert is difficult. Frequently, there are substantial gaps in the joints between the ring ends and the flat stock. This can require an excessive amount of solder to be used in fitting the insert to the ring, and can also lead to pitting in the area.
Soldering with a jeweler's torch can result in substantial heating of large portions of the ring and flat stock insert. Such high temperatures can damage various alloys used in jewelry, and it can also exacerbate the pitting problem mentioned above. Localized melting of the ring can also occur, which can damage the finish of the ring, requiring remedial work on the part of the jeweler. Where the ring is engraved or otherwise provided with surface decorations, such unintended melting can damage the ring in ways that are not easily corrected. Therefore, a method of enlarging a ring that satisfies the following objectives is desired.


A sheet conveyance device includes a loading section, a sheet feeding unit, a separation section disposed downstream in a sheet conveyance direction from the sheet feeding unit, a conveyance member to transport a sheet separated by the separation section, a trailing-edge detector disposed at a first conveyance distance (L1) downstream from a separation position (Ab) and including a rotary follower and a rotation detector, a first leading-edge detector disposed downstream from the trailing-edge detector, and a controller. The trailing-edge detector A detects a sheet length in the sheet conveyance direction. The controller causes the sheet feeding unit to start sheet feeding in response to detection of the leading edge of the sheet by the first leading-edge detector when the detected sheet length equals a predetermined reference length and in other cases in response to detection of the trailing edge of the sheet by the trailing-edge detector.

There are image reading devices that include a sheet conveyance device to separate and transport originals placed on a document table one at a time consecutively and an image reading unit to read images of the originals. In such image reading devices, it is preferred to reduce intervals between the originals (hereinafter also "sheets") to shorten reading time. Similarly, in image forming apparatuses that form images on sheets that are transported consecutively from a sheet tray one at a time, it is preferred to reduce intervals between sheets to shorten printing time.
Therefore, detectors (hereinafter "trailing-edge detectors") are used to ascertain when the sheet conveyed from the document table or sheet tray exits from the separator. However, it is difficult to timely recognize the timing at which the sheet exits from the separator from the following factors. The separator separates a single sheet from a bundle of sheets placed on the document table to prevent multiple sheets from being transported together at a time, which is a phenomenon generally called "multifeed". When multiple sheets enter a separating position with their leading-end portions superimposed one on another, the separator returns the subsequent sheets to the document table while transporting only the top sheet in a sheet conveyance direction. Thus, only the top sheet can be discharged by the separator. To minimize intervals between sheets, it is preferred that the subsequent sheet be sent out immediately after the trailing edge of the preceding sheet exits from the separator. More specifically, the separator typically includes a belt-shaped or roller-shaped conveyance member to transport the sheet in the sheet conveyance direction and a reverse roller pressed against the conveyance member, thus together forming a separation nip. The top sheet is separated from the rest in the separation nip, and the reverse roller returns the rest to the document table. Above and beneath the downstream end (i.e., exit) of the separation nip in the sheet conveyance direction, curved surfaces of the conveyance member and the reverse roller, projecting in the sheet conveyance direction, are present. In this configuration, the trailing-edge detector is disposed at a distance from the exit of the separation nip not at the same position as the exit of the separation nip. Consequently, it is inevitable that feeding the subsequent sheet is triggered by detection of the trailing edge of the preceding sheet that has been transported a given distance from the separation nip, inhibiting reduction in intervals between sheets.
Intervals between sheets may be reduced by increasing a conveyance velocity at which sheets are transported from the document table or sheet tray to the reading position or image forming position from a velocity at which the sheet passes through the image reading position or image formation position. Although this approach is effective to some extent, image reading velocity or image formation velocity has become faster owing to progress in technology, and it is difficult to increase the conveyance velocity as described above.

Sheet conveyance device, and image forming apparatus and image reading device including same


A holder for a container having a sleeve with an inner surface, an outer surface, an upper end and a lower end. The upper end of the sleeve is configured to permit the sleeve to be position on an outer peripheral surface of a container with the inner surface of the sleeve being engaged with an outer peripheral surface of the container. The sleeve is constructed of a insulated, transparent or translucent material to permit a user to comfortably and conveniently hold the outer surface of the sleeve positioned on a container with a hot or cold beverage being disposed therein while permitting indicia printed on an exterior surface of the container to be visible therethrough.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a holder for use together with a container to permit an individual to comfortably and conveniently grasp the exterior surface of a hot or a cold beverage container.
2. Description of Background Art
Holders are currently available for paper and insulated containers. Such holders are normally constructed of corrugated cardboard or other opaque material. The conventional holders cover and/or obscure the printing that normally appears on the exterior surface of the paper or insulated container. In addition, some of the available holders are expensive to construct and are difficult for a user to fit together for mounting on the container.
If a corrugated paper sleeve is used together with a container having a cold beverage disposed therein, there is a tendency for the container to sweat thus causing a deterioration of the corrugated paper sleeve. The tendency for a cold container to sweat is contingent on atmospheric conditions and causes the corrugated paper sleeve to be unsuitable for use as an insulating member for such a container.

c/o Double-Wrap Cup & Container Company, Inc., 728 W. Jackson Blvd., Suite 1002