A sport boot that allows for a reduced resistance plantar extension coupled with a controlled, resistive plantar flexion motion. The preferred embodiments provide a one-piece boot made of a flexible material, such as leather. A triangular portion of the boot material, from a point just posterior to the ankle opening to a larger area anterior of the ankle on both sides of the boot, is cut out. One or more piston assemblies are attached to the boot material on both sides of the cut away portion of the boot. The piston assemblies provide resistance to compression during flexion of the boot but offer no resistance to extension during plantar extension.

This disclosure relates to sport boots, and specifically to sport boots with enhanced abilities to absorb forces from jump landings and maneuvers. Still more specifically, this disclosure relates to sport boots having mechanical devices adapted to resist flexion of the boot at the ankle area.
Sport boots (e.g. an ice skating boot) require several seemingly conflicting elements. For example, they must fit comfortably, provide support laterally, and offer firm support for jump landings. They must also allow pivotal movement of the ankle, as in plantar flexion and plantar extension. In addition, as the skill of an athlete advances, additional support is often desired to assist in increasingly difficult jump landings and other physically demanding maneuvers. Thus, as athletic standards increase, balancing sport boot plantar resistance strength upon landings with boot flexibility has become a more difficult issue to solve.
Currently, sport boot designs offering additional landing strength generally include reinforced materials that are often thicker and stronger in order to support increasingly difficult jumps and movements. Reinforced sport boots designed to withstand those increasingly difficult, and higher, jumps often have flexion characteristics restricting plantar extension movement or calf muscle use in jumping. Further, reinforced leather, or other material, in the ankle area tends to gradually lose its stiffness and support, often prompting replacement of the boot.
Sport boots generally require a break-in period before it reaches optimal performance. The break-in time of a leather sport boot is almost entirely attributed to conditioning the portion of the boot surrounding the ankle, especially in boots reinforced in this area or with especially heavy leather. During this break-in time, wearer discomfort is increased. As sport boots become stronger and stiffer, the break-in period for the boot becomes more substantial. This additional break-in period has a potentially negative effect on training time.
At the other end of sport boot's life is the break-down period, during which the leather loses stiffness and performance drops below the optimum level. The most significant issue to the athletes using this equipment may be soft tissue injuries that are more frequent due to the break-down in the boot materials. Accelerated break-down of the sport boot not only leads to increased equipment costs but further erodes training time and sometimes leads to chronic injuries.
Therefore, the embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods and apparatus for sport boots offering increased flexion resistance that seek to overcome certain of the limitations or drawbacks of the prior art.


The invention provides a human NMU2 which is associated with the hematological diseases, cardiovascular diseases, disorders of the peripheral and central nervous system, cancer, genitourinary diseases and respiratory diseases. The invention also provides assays for the identification of compounds useful in the treatment or prevention of hematological diseases, cardiovascular diseases, disorders of the peripheral and central nervous system, cancer, genitourinary diseases and respiratory diseases. The invention also features compounds which bind to and/or activate or inhibit the activity of NMU2 as well as pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds.

G-Protein Coupled Receptors
NMU2 is a seven transmembrane G protein coupled receptor (GPCR) [Shan et al. (2000), Monsma F J Jr. et al. (2000), Hedrick J A et al. (2000), WO 200125269, WO 200022131, WO 200031258]. Many medically significant biological processes are mediated by signal transduction pathways that involve G-proteins [Lefkowitz, (1991)]. The family of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) includes receptors for hormones, neurotransmitters, growth factors, and viruses. Specific examples of GPCRs include receptors for such diverse agents as dopamine, calcitonine, adrenergic hormones, endotheline, cAMP, adenosine, acetylcholine, serotonine, histamine, thrombin, kinine, follicle stimulating hormone, opsins, endothelial differentiation gene-1, rhodopsins, odorants, cytomegalovirus, G-proteins themselves, effector proteins such as phospholipase C, adenyl cyclase, and phosphodiesterase, and actuator proteins such as protein kinase A and protein kinase C.
GPCRs possess seven conserved membrane-spanning domains connecting at least eight divergent hydrophilic loops. GPCRS, also known as seven transmembrane, 7TM, receptors, have been characterized as including these seven conserved hydrophobic stretches of about 20 to 30 amino acids, connecting at least eight divergent hydrophilic loops. Most GPCRs have single conserved cysteine residues in each of the first two extracellular loops, which form disulfide bonds that are believed to stabilize functional protein structure. The seven transmembrane regions are designated as TM1, TM2, TM3, TM4, TM5, TM6, and TM7. TM3 is being implicated with signal transduction. Phosphorylation and lipidation (palmitylation or farnesylation) of cysteine residues can influence signal transduction of some GPCRs. Most GPCRs contain potential phosphorylation sites within the third cytoplasmic loop and/or the carboxy terminus. For several GPCRs, such as the beta-adrenergic receptor, phosphorylation by protein kinase A and/or specific receptor kinases mediates receptor desensitization.
For some receptors, the ligand binding sites of GPCRs are believed to comprise hydrophilic sockets formed by several GPCR transmembrane domains. The hydrophilic sockets are surrounded by hydrophobic residues of the GPCRs. The hydrophilic side of each GPCR transmembrane helix is postulated to face inward and form a polar ligand binding site. TM3 is being implicated with several GPCRs as having a ligand binding site, such as the TM3 aspartate residue. TM5 serines, a TM6 asparagine, and TM6 or TM7 phenylalanines or tyrosines also are implicated in ligand binding.
GPCRs are coupled inside the cell by heterotrimeric G-proteins to various intracellular enzymes, ion channels, and transporters. Different G-protein alpha-subunits preferentially stimulate particular effectors to modulate various biological functions in a cell. Phosphorylation of cytoplasmic residues of GPCRs is an important mechanism for the regulation of some GPCRs. For example, in one form of signal transduction, the effect of hormone binding is the activation of the enzyme, adenylate cyclase, inside the cell. Enzyme activation by hormones is dependent on the presence of the nucleotide GTP. GTP also influences hormone binding. A G-protein connects the hormone receptor to adenylate cyclase. G-protein exchanges GTP for bound GDP when activated by a hormone receptor. The GTP-carrying form then binds to activated adenylate cyclase. Hydrolysis of GTP to GDP, catalyzed by the G-protein itself, returns the G-protein to its basal, inactive form. Thus, the G-protein serves a dual role, as an intermediate that relays the signal from receptor to effector, and as a clock that controls the duration of the signal.
Over the past 15 years, nearly 350 therapeutic agents targeting 7TM receptors have been successfully introduced into the market. This indicates that these receptors have an established, proven history as therapeutic targets. Clearly, there is a need for identification and characterization of further receptors which can play a role in preventing, ameliorating, or correcting dysfunctions or diseases including, but not limited to, infections such as bacterial, fungal, protozoan, and viral infections, particularly those caused by HIV viruses, cancers, allergies including asthma, cardiovascular diseases including acute heart failure, hypotension, hypertension, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, hematological diseases, genito-urinary diseases including urinary incontinence and benign prostate hyperplasia, osteoporosis, and peripheral and central nervous system disorders including pain, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.
TaqMan-Technology/Expression Profiling
TaqMan is a recently developed technique, in which the release of a fluorescent reporter dye from a hybridisation probe in real-time during a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is proportional to the accumulation of the PCR product. Quantification is based on the early, linear part of the reaction, and by determining the threshold cycle (CT), at which fluorescence above background is first detected.
Gene expression technologies may be useful in several areas of drug discovery and development, such as target identification, lead optimization, and identification of mechanisms of action. The TaqMan technology can be used to compare differences between expression profiles of normal tissue and diseased tissue. Expression profiling has been used in identifying genes, which are up- or downregulated in a variety of diseases. An interesting application of expression profiling is temporal monitoring of changes in gene expression during disease progression and drug treatment or in patients versus healthy individuals. The premise in this approach is that changes in pattern of gene expression in response to physiological or environmental stimuli (e.g., drugs) may serve as indirect clues about disease-causing genes or drug targets. Moreover, the effects of drugs with established efficacy on global gene expression patterns may provide a guidepost, or a genetic signature, against which a new drug candidate can be compared.
NMU2
The nucleotide sequence of NMU2 is accessible in public databases by the accession number AF292402 and is given in SEQ ID NO: 1. The amino acid sequence of GPR NMU2 is depicted in SEQ ID NO: 2.
NMU2 is described as a receptor of the neuropeptide Neuromedin U [Shan et al. (2000)]. The receptor NMU2 is published in WO 200125269, WO 200022131 and WO 200031258. The expression of NMU2 in the gastrointestinal tract [Monsma F J Jr. et al. (2000)] and brain—but not in specific brain tissues—was previously described [Hedrick J A et al. (2000)]. NMU2 shows the highest homology (99%) to the human receptor SNORF72 and human receptor hRUP6 as shown in example 1.

Diagnostics and therapeutics for diseases associated with Neuromedin U2 receptor (NMU2)


Unit cell including a receive antenna, a transmit antenna, and including first and second radiation surfaces separated from each other by a separation area, a phase-shift circuit comprising switches, each having an on, respectively off, state, wherein the corresponding switch allows, respectively blocks, the flowing of a current between the first and second radiation surfaces; a ground plane; a first printed circuit board including a first surface provided with the receive antenna, and a second opposite surface provided with the ground plane; a wafer of a semiconductor material including a first surface provide with first and second radiation surfaces and wherein the switches are formed in the separation area, monolithically with the transmit antenna.

A known transmitarray unit cell of the state of the art, particularly from document WO 2012/085067, comprises:
a planar receive antenna, intended to receive an incident wave;
a planar transmit antenna intended to transmit the incident wave with a phase shift, and comprising first and second radiation surfaces separated from each other by a separation area to be electrically isolated, the transmit antenna and the receive antenna being electrically connected to each other;
a phase-shift circuit configured to introduce the phase shift, and comprising switches each having an on, respectively off, state, wherein the corresponding switch allows, respectively blocks, the flowing of a current between the first and second radiation surfaces of the transmit antenna;
a ground plane having the receive antenna and the transmit antenna arranged on either side thereof;
a first printed circuit board comprising a first surface provided with the receive antenna, and a second opposite surface provided with the ground plane,
a second printed circuit board comprising a first surface assembled on the ground plane by means of a bonding film, and a second opposite surface provided with the transmit antenna, where the first surface may be provided with switch biasing lines.
The phase-shift circuit of each unit cell enables to reconfigure the radiation diagram of the antenna comprising a transmitarray. The switches enable to modify the phase of the wave transmitted by each unit cell of the array. Such a transmitarray has many advantages:                the power efficiency at microwave frequencies and particularly at millimeter-range frequencies (in the order of a few GHz) due to the transmission in air between the radiation source(s) and the unit cells,        a decreased bulk, weight, and manufacturing cost due to the planar technology used (patch antennas on printed circuit boards),        a radiation diagram having a good polarization purity since imperfections may mutually compensate within the array,        a radiation diagram having a good quality in terms of shape of the beam and of the secondary lobes due to the position of the radiation source(s) located opposite the beam generated by the array.
To obtain satisfactory performances, the characteristic dimension of unit cells should be smaller than or equal to the half-wavelength of the radiation source(s). When the spectral field of the radiation source(s) is, in particular, in the range from 30 GHz to 110 GHz, the corresponding wavelength is smaller than 1 cm. Now, the switches are formed at the second surface of the second printed circuit board, in the separation area. The forming of the switches thus becomes a problem due to the small dimensions of the transmit antenna. The switches, arranged inside of a package and placed on the second surface of the second printed circuit board, are then likely to significantly degrade the unit cell performances. Indeed, the package of each switch tends to disturb the close environment of the first and second radiation surfaces, and thereby affects the radiation diagram of the transmit antenna. Further, electric connections are present between the package and the transmit antenna to make the corresponding switch functional. Such electric connections make the switch integration more complex, by taking up a non-negligible space in the separation area, which has a small size.

Transmitarray unit cell for a reconfigurable antenna

COMMISSARIAT À L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES


A semiconductor device and a method of making the same. The device includes a semiconductor substrate having a major surface, one or more contacts located on the major surface and an encapsulant covering at least the major surface. A peripheral edge of each contact defines a contact area on the major surface. The device also includes one or more bond pads located outside the encapsulant. Each bond pad is electrically connected to a respective contact located on the major surface of the substrate by a respective metal filled via that passes through the encapsulant. A sidewall of each respective metal filled via, at the point at which it meets the respective contact, falls inside the contact area defined by the respective contact when viewed from above the major surface of the substrate, whereby none of the metal filling each respective via extends outside the contact area of each respective contact.

The present specification relates to a semiconductor device and to a method of making a semiconductor device.
Wafer level packages (WLPs) are becoming increasingly important for applications that require a small footprint with improved electrical performance. Wafer level packages are commonly used, for instance, in mobile communications devices such as mobile telephones.
Wafer level packages typically include a substrate having a major surface with one or more electrical contact provided thereon. Solder bumps may be used to mount the package on a surface (such as on a printed circuit board (PCB)) and to form electrical connections to the electrical contact located on the major surface. An encapsulant may be used to provide electrical and mechanical protection for the substrate. The term "wafer level package" derives from the fact that, during manufacture, the solder bumps and encapsulant may be applied to a semiconductor wafer prior to singulation.

Semiconductor device and method of making a semiconductor device


An aqueous nickel phosphorus tin alloy electroless plating bath and process for depositing a nickel phosphorus tin alloy onto a substrate, particularly an aluminum substrate for memory disk applications, wherein the nickel phosphorus tin alloy deposit provides enhanced thermal stability, as defined by the inhibition of crystallization and suppression of magnetization upon high temperature annealing when compared to typical NiP deposits.

The electroless nickel plating industry has long been involved in developing metal coatings for various substrates. These coatings are deposited on materials, both metallic and non-metallic, imparting the desirable physical and chemical properties of a nickel alloy to the surface. This electroless plating method typically employs reducing agents, such as hypophosphite, and is described generally as a controlled autocatalytic chemical reduction process for depositing the desired metal as a deposit or plating on a suitable substrate. The deposit is formed upon immersion of an appropriate substrate into an aqueous nickel plating solution in the presence of a reducing agent and under appropriate electroless nickel plating conditions. The electroless nickel alloy formed on the surface of the substrate is often referred to as a coating, film, deposit, or plated layer.
In the computer industry, hard disk data storage elements, or memory disks, are generally made from aluminum or an aluminum alloy substrate. Through any variety of processes, the substrate is treated or otherwise coated so that it may act as a repository for magnetic media which stores electronically written information onto the disk. Typically, electrolessly plating a nickel phosphorus alloy layer onto the bare aluminum or aluminum alloy substrate is undertaken to protect the substrate, providing a surface which is both chemically and mechanically appropriate for subsequent processing and deposition of magnetic media. Electroless nickel alloy plating of the substrate covers defects and provides a surface which is capable of being polished and super finished.
For memory disk plating applications, electroless nickel alloy plating is an established plating method which provides continuous deposition of a nickel phosphorus (NiP) alloy coating onto the memory disk substrate without the need for external electric plating current. The resulting NiP alloy coating is amorphous, and remains suitably non-crystalline upon subsequent annealing. The formation of nickel alloy crystallites in the coating would prevent the surface from being polished and super-finished to the standards required by the memory disk industry. One method of monitoring if NiP alloy crystallite formation has occurred in the coating is through magnetics measurements of the deposit. While the amorphous phase of the NiP alloy is nonmagnetic, the crystalline domains are magnetic.
As magnetic media technology evolves to higher areal density storage devices, the memory disk industry requires more robust characteristics of the electroless nickel alloy layer. One of these deposit characteristics is improved thermal stability, meaning the ability of the deposit to withstand exposure to higher annealing temperatures without crystallization. This inhibition of crystallization during annealing manifests itself as a suppression of the deposit's magnetization when compared to less stable materials. One way to achieve an increase in thermal stability of a nickel phosphorus alloy is through the incorporation of a suitable third component which aids in the inhibition of crystallization at elevated temperatures.
Inclusion of tin (Sn) in alloys where at least one constituent is nickel (Ni) has been accomplished previously by arc melting of bulk constituents and quench cooling the resulting mixture. These works lend evidence that adding Sn to a Ni alloy should help improve the thermal stability of that material. However, the arc melting process is not suitable for coating memory disk substrates industrially. Decomposition reactions have also been utilized to make Ni—Sn materials, but this method cannot produce a smooth, uniform coating and, as such, is not suitable for memory disk applications. Electroplating of Sn—Ni alloys is also known, but this method cannot produce a film with the flatness required for memory disk applications.
Nickel phosphorus tin (NiPSn) alloys have been made previously using electroless plating baths. However, these electroless deposition techniques typically used alkaline-based baths which utilized a stannate source for Sn, and were unable to achieve both greater than 3% Sn and 7-12% P in the deposited alloy. Often, alkaline-based baths also contain sulfur-based stabilizers/accelerators, like thiourea, which degrade the corrosion resistance properties of the deposit and prevent that bath's use for memory disk applications. Additional methods included the use of very acidic NiPSn baths, but were not found to be suitable for memory disk applications. In one case, a highly acidic bath was used (pH=0.5) which required high levels of tin and thiourea, and did not result in co-deposition of phosphorus, producing a crystalline deposit at unsuitably low deposition rates (˜0.6 μinches/minute). The crystalline nature of the deposit rendered it unsuitable for memory disk applications. In the other cases, the plating baths required a diboron ester, usually from glucoheptonic acid, or the formation of a stannate-gluconate complex in order to achieve co-deposition of tin. The plating baths in those works also required a greater amount of tin, and at pH<5 could not produce NiPSn deposits with both 3-9% Sn and 7-12% P under those conditions. In addition, some prior art plating baths utilized thiourea, which rendered the deposit unsuitable for memory disk applications.
Notwithstanding the prior art described herein, there is a need for an aqueous nickel phosphorus tin alloy electroless plating bath and process for chemically depositing that NiPSn alloy onto a memory disk substrate, wherein the deposited material is amorphous and possesses enhanced thermal stability as defined by the inhibition of crystallization and suppression of magnetization upon high temperature annealing. Though an obvious application for this type of aqueous nickel phosphorus tin alloy electroless plating bath and methodology for plating a substrate is in the memory disk industry, this bath and process could be used generally to apply a NiPSn alloy deposit to any appropriately activated material surface where a nickel alloy deposit is desired that possesses improved thermal stability.

Electroless nickel alloy plating bath and process for depositing thereof


An LED driving circuit includes a control logic circuit, a dimming circuit and a counter. The control logic circuit is electrically coupled to an enable pin for receiving an input signal, and asserts an internal enable signal for activating the LED driving circuit. The dimming circuit is electrically coupled to the enable pin and outputs a control signal for controlling current flowing into at least one load connected to the LED driving circuit. The counter identifies the input signal based on a clock signal and asserts a detection signal for informing the control logic circuit of de-asserting the internal enable signal to de-activate the LED driving circuit when identifying the input signal as the enable signal being de-asserted for a predetermined period of the clock signal. A method of controlling an LED driving circuit is also disclosed herein.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an LED driving circuit. More particularly, the present invention relates to an LED driving circuit having an enable pin with multi-function.
2. Description of Related Art
For a conventional LED driving integrated circuit (IC) chip, it usually has an enable (EN) pin used for receiving a dimming control signal for controlling current flowing into LEDs. The dimming of LEDs is often performed within the frequency range of 2-20 KHz. However, if dimming of LEDs is performed over the frequency range of 2-20 KHz, and for example, within the frequency range of 20-200 KHz, the LED driving chip cannot correspondingly operate in accordance with the dimming control signal. Thus, the LED driving chip could malfunction due to its high-frequency dimming operation.

LED driving circuit and method of controlling the same


A method and apparatus for providing call parking for a communication network are disclosed. The method first determines a disconnection of a first party's endpoint device, wherein said first party is either a calling party or a called party. The method then determines if said disconnection of said first party's endpoint device is due to hanging up. If said disconnection is not due to hanging up, the method parks a second party wherein said second party is either a calling party or a called party communicating with said first party prior to said disconnection. The method determines if said first party's device is back online and reconnects said first party and second party if said first party's device is back online.

Various communication networks may become unreliable for various reasons. For example, one or more parties of a telephone call on a wireless network may lose a signal and be disconnected. For example, one party may drive through a tunnel and lose the signal. It is not always obvious to either party that the call has been disconnected. Thus, one party may continue to carry on with the conversation while the disconnected party is trying to call back. In addition, if the call is established through a call center, calling back may result in talking to a different agent of the call center, thereby increasing the frustration of the caller.

Method and apparatus for providing call parking


A fuel cell stack includes a stack including a plurality of unit cells, which is stacked on one another in a predetermined direction, first and second end plates disposed on opposing ends of the stack, and a supply line disposed on a first surface of the first end plate to supply fuel or air to the plurality of unit cells, where an insertion hole is defined in a second surface of the first end plate to be adjacent to the supply line, and the second surface of the first end plate is substantially perpendicular to the first surface of the first end plate.

1. Field
The disclosure relates to a fuel cell stack, and more particularly, to a fuel cell stack including an end plate having an insertion hole, configured to allow insertion structures having various functions to be attached to a supply line of the fuel cell stack from the outside of the fuel cell stack.
2. Description of the Related Art
A fuel cell is a device for directly converting chemical energy of fuel into electric energy by electrochemical reactions, which are a kind of generator that continuously generates electricity while the fuel is being supplied. When air including oxygen is supplied to a cathode and fuel, such as methanol and hydrogen, is supplied to an anode in such a fuel cell, an electrochemical reaction occurs through an electrolyte film between the cathode and anode, thereby generating electricity.
Generally, since electricity generated at a unit cell of a fuel cell is not high in a voltage as much as being useful, the fuel cell typically includes a stack of unit cells, in which several unit cells are connected in series. On both ends of such a fuel cell stack, end plates are disposed to firmly fix the unit cells. In such a fuel cell stack, air and fuel for an electrochemical reaction may be supplied to the unit cells through an end plate on one side thereof and residual air and fuel may be discharged through an end plate on another side thereof. In such a fuel cell stack, air and fuel may be supplied to a membrane electrode assembly ("MEA") defined by a cathode, an anode and an electrolyte film through manifolds and channels formed in an end plate, for example.

Fuel cell stack including end plate having insertion hole


Strain gages (81, 82, 83) are adhered to protective layers (31, 32) and an active portion (2) of a laminated-structure (10) of the piezoelectric actuator, respectively. Since it is possible to measure a total amount of displacement of the protective layers (31, 32) and the active portion (2), the measured amount of displacement of the laminated structure (10) is accurate even if there are difference in strain due to temperature and stress between them. The same effect can be obtained for such actuator whose laminated structure (10) further includes any member such as temperature compensating member (19) of metal whose elastic modulus is different from that of the laminated structure.

The present invention relates to an actuator and, particularly, to a laminated-type piezoelectric actuator having strain gages.
A piezoelectric actuator which utilizes the piezoelectricity of crystal has been used widely in a high precision positioning mechanism since it can control a minute mechanical displacement at high speed. Among others, a laminated-type piezoelectric actuator composed of a laminated structure of piezoelectric films of piezoelectric ceramics, etc., each having thickness of several tens microns and having a thin film internal electrode provided thereon is featured by its capability of generating large force with relatively low drive voltage and has been widely utilized in the fields of high precision positioning control of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus such as exposure apparatus, control of valves of a mass flowmeter, thickness control in an extruder of plastic film and optical axis control of an optical device, which require high precision control of minute displacement in the order of micron or less.
Since an amount of displacement of such laminated-type piezoelectric actuator depends upon strain generated in the respective piezoelectric ceramics layers correspondingly to a drive voltage applied externally across the respective piezoelectric ceramic layers through external electrodes, it is basically possible to control the amount of displacement of the piezoelectric actuator by controlling magnitude of the drive voltage. In the case of actuator utilizing piezoelectric effect, however, a relation between drive voltage and strain of respective piezoelectric material (ceramic) layers is usually not linear but exhibits hysteresis. Therefore, when the piezoelectric actuator is used in these fields to precisely control displacement in the order of micron or less, it is necessary to detect an actual displacement of the piezoelectric actuator and feed it back to the drive voltage. A construction of such piezoelectric actuator having a strain gage for detecting an amount of displacement of the actuator is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-open No. Sho 61-140661.
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a conventional piezoelectric actuator having a strain gage. The piezoelectric actuator itself includes an active portion 2 shown in FIG. 2. Usually, the piezoelectric actuator includes an upper protective layer 31 and a lower protective layer 32 provided on opposite ends of the active portion 2, respectively, as shown in FIG. 2 for reasons of use. In FIG. 2, the active portion 2 is constituted with an alternatively laminated structure of a plurality of piezoelectric ceramics layers 4 and a plurality of internal electrode layers 5. The internal electrode layers 5 are connected to external electrodes 71 and 72 alternatively to form a pair of comb electrodes having electrode fingers arranged interdigitally in cross section, so that the external electrodes 71 and 72 function as opposing electrodes opposing each other through the piezoelectric ceramics layers 4. In FIG. 2, a drive voltage applied between the external electrodes 71 and 72 through leads 711 and 712 is applied between adjacent internal electrode layers 5 to form an electric field across each piezoelectric ceramics layer 4 sandwiched between the internal electrodes. With such electric fields, the respective piezoelectric ceramics layers 4 generate strain in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the piezoelectric ceramics layer, that is, in a thickness direction or laminating direction. The piezoelectric actuator derives the strain as a change of length of the laminated-structure in a thickness direction, that is, a displacement, and transmits it externally.
In the piezoelectric actuator shown in FIG. 1, a strain gage 8 is attached onto a side surface of the actuator on which there is no external electrode is provided. When the drive voltage is applied between the external electrodes 71 and 72, the piezoelectric actuator is extended in the laminating direction thereof by a predetermined amount due to piezoelectric effect. With such expansion of the piezoelectric actuator in the thickness direction thereof, a resistor of the strain gage 8 is subjected to tensile force and its resistance value is increased. An amount of the resistance change is detected through leads 9 and which is linearly related to an amount of expansion or contraction of the piezoelectric actuator, that is, an amount of displacement. Therefore, by preliminarily measuring a relation between the amount of displacement of the piezoelectric actuator and the amount of resistance change of the strain gage at respective drive voltages and detecting the amount of resistance change of the strain gage 8 when a predetermined voltage is applied between the external electrodes 71 and 72, it is possible to know the amount of displacement of the piezoelectric actuator. Further, when the amount of resistance change of the strain gage 8 is inconsistent with an aimed setting value, it is possible to control the amount of resistance change to the aimed displacement by controlling the drive voltage correspondingly to a deviation of the amount of resistance change from the aimed value.
As mentioned above, the amount of expansion or contraction, that is, the amount of displacement, of the laminated-type piezoelectric actuator can be controlled precisely by detecting an actual amount of displacement by means of the strain gage attached to the side surface of the laminated structure and feeding back a difference between the detected displacement and the aimed displacement to the drive voltage.
However, in case where a laminated-type piezoelectric actuator is to be used practically, in addition to the laminated active portion for generating displacement corresponding to the externally applied drive voltage, portions such as protective layers for protecting the active portion and temperature compensating members of metal for improving accuracy of displacement control, which do not produce displacement with the drive voltage, are required in the laminated structure. In such conventional actuator as mentioned above, there may be a difference between a total amount of actual displacement of the whole piezoelectric actuator and an amount of displacement detected by the strain gage, upon which it may become impossible to control displacement precisely. This will be described in detail below.
As mentioned previously, FIG. 2 shows the cross section of the laminated-type piezoelectric actuator having the above-mentioned protective layers. In FIG. 2, the piezoelectric actuator includes a laminated-structure 10 of the active portion 2 and the protective layers 31 and 32 as its basic components.
The active portion 2 is constituted with the alternatively laminated structure of the piezoelectric ceramics layers 4 and the internal electrode layers 5 and displacement thereof is generated in the laminating direction by the drive voltage applied to the external electrodes 71 and 72 and hence to the respective piezoelectric ceramics layers 4 through the respective internal electrodes 5.
The protective layers 31 and 32 are provided to protect the active portion 2 electrically and mechanically against external force. That is, although the basic function of the piezoelectric actuator as an electromechanical transducer is obtained by the active portion 2, it is desirable, in order to use it on a practical device, that an outermost portion of the laminated-structure 10 in the laminating direction is of an insulating material since it can be adapted to an associated device even if the latter is formed of not insulating material but metal material. Further, since each piezoelectric ceramics layer 4 of the active portion 2 is as thin as several tens microns and strength of the electric field generated in the piezoelectric ceramics layer 4 by the drive voltage in the order of 150 V applied thereto is very large, the active portion 2 must be protected mechanically against external mechanical shock in such a way that the piezoelectric ceramics layer or layers 4 are not cracked or damaged. For this purpose, it least the protective layers 31 and 32 are provided on an upper and lower ends of the active portion 2 and, therefore, each protective layer should be thick enough to provide desired protection. For example, the thickness, that is, length in the laminating direction, of each protective layer may be in the order of 2 mm for the active portion 2 having length of 12 mm in the laminating direction. In view of easiness of fabrication of the protective layers 31 and 32, each protective layer is usually formed by laminating thin layers of the same material as that of the piezoelectric ceramics layer 4 constituting the active portion 2.
In the laminated-type piezoelectric actuator constituted as mentioned above, when external force exerted on the laminated structure 10 in the strain generating direction, that is, the laminating direction, is varied, elastic strain of the protective layers 31 and 32 is different from that of the active portion 2 even if they have the same piezoelectric characteristics, since the active portion 2 is subjected to electric field while the protective layers are not. That is, an actual amount of displacement of this laminated structure is a sum of strain of the active portion 2 and strain of the protective layers 31 and 32. In the piezoelectric actuator shown in FIG. 1, however, strain of only the active portion 2 is detected. Therefore, the detected displacement is inconsistent with the actual displacement. Further, since the length of the protective layers 31 and 32 is not negligible with respect to the length of the active portion 2 as mentioned previously, the difference between the actual displacement and the detected displacement is very important.
On the other hand, when temperature of the laminated structure 10 is changed by change of ambient temperature and/or heat generated by an operation of the piezoelectric actuator, detected displacement also becomes inconsistent with actual displacement if coefficient of linear expansion or the active portion 2 is different from that of the protective layers 31 and 32.
It may be considered, in order to flatten temperature characteristics of displacement amount of the piezoelectric actuator, to further provide a temperature compensating member on the upper or lower portion of the laminated structure 10. Such temperature compensating member is a block of such as stainless steel whose coefficient of linear expansion is opposite in sign to that of the laminated-structure 10 formed of piezoelectric material whose coefficient of linear expansion is negative and functions to compensate for variation of displacement of the piezoelectric actuator due to thermal expansion thereof. Length of the temperature compensating member in the laminating direction may be preferably in the order of about 4 mm for the laminated-structure 10 having length of 16 mm. Even in such piezoelectric actuator having such temperature compensating member, a detected displacement also becomes inconsistent with an actual displacement when elastic strain of the active portion 2 is different from that of the protective layers 31 and 32, resulting in degraded accuracy of displacement control.
That is, when a piezoelectric actuator includes, in addition to an active portion which generates displacement corresponding to a drive voltage, portions whose elastic strains and/or strains due to thermal expansion are different each other, preciseness of displacement control according to the conventional technique tends to be degraded when external force in a laminating direction and/or temperature is changed. Such degradation of displacement control accuracy also occurs by change of drive voltage when the active portion is constituted with a plurality of portions made of materials whose piezoelectric properties are different from each other.

Piezoelectric actuator having strain gage


A display device includes a pixel array, a switch element, and inspection lines. In a display area, at least a portion of an outer region includes a curved section and pixels to which a data line is connected are disposed. The switch element is disposed in a bezel area outside the display area, and supplies a test voltage to the data line in response to an enable signal. The inspection lines connect an inspection pad part and switch elements and are disposed in a staircase form along the curved section. The switch elements are disposed along the inspection lines and include first and second switch elements disposed to be adjacent to each other in a direction perpendicular to each other.

Field
The present disclosure relates to a display device and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to a display device having a circular display panel.
Discussion of the Related Art
As information technology has advanced, a market for display devices as connection mediums between users and information has expanded. Thus, display devices using a flat display panel such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting display device, an electrophoretic display (EPD), and a plasma display panel (PDP) have been increasingly used.
Among the display devices mentioned above, for example, the LCD or the organic light emitting display device includes a display panel including a plurality of subpixels disposed in a matrix and a driver for driving the display panel. The driver includes a scan driver for supplying a scan signal (or a gate signal) to the display panel and a data driver for supplying a data signal to the display panel. The display device displays a specific image as the display panel emits light or allows light to be transmitted therethrough on the basis of power output from a power supply unit and a scan signal and a data signal output from the scan driver and the data driver.
Recently, the use of portable display devices is growing, and, in particular, wearable display devices that may be worn on wrists are on the rise. Wearable display devices may also be implemented on the basis of deformed display panels having a circular or oval shape. While deformed display panels have a curved shape, transistors and signal lines are linearly patterned. Thus, in order to effectively reduce the size of the bezel, an array structure of transistors and signal lines leaves space for improvement.


A spiral-wound type gas separation membrane element includes a central tube and a laminate wound around the central tube. Laminate includes at least one structure where a feed-side flow path member, a gas separation membrane, and a permeate-side flow path member are superimposed in this order. Permeate-side flow path member has a thickness of 400 μm to 1300 μm. Gas separation membrane is a membrane where a hydrophilic resin composition layer, a porous layer, and a permeate-side surface layer are superimposed in this order. Permeate-side surface layer faces Permeate-side flow path member and has a Young's modulus of 20 MPa to 400 MPa.

Fuel cells cause hydrogen and oxygen to electrochemically react with each other, to convert chemical energy into electrical energy, and have high energy utilization efficiency, whereby the fuel cells are expected to be used in various fields.
As fuel gases for fuel cells, hydrogen-containing gases are conventionally used, which are obtained by using various hydrocarbons such as methane gas, natural gas (city gas), propane gas, LPG, GTL synthetic liquid fuel, light oil, heavy oil, kerosene, and naphtha as raw materials, and reforming the hydrocarbons according to a steam reforming method (SR method), an autothermal reforming method (ATR method), or a complex reforming method obtained by combining the methods and the like in the presence of a catalyst. The hydrogen-containing gas is obtained, for example, as a mixed gas of hydrogen and carbon monoxide according to a steam reforming reaction represented by the following formula (3) when using methane as a raw material, or is obtained by subjecting the carbon monoxide to a CO conversion reaction represented by the following formula (4) as necessary.CH4+H2O→CO+3H2  (3)CO+H2O→CO2+H2  (4)
The fuel gas is supplied to an anode of the fuel cell, where the fuel gas reacts with oxygen to convert hydrogen to steam, and convert carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide, which is discharged as an anode off-gas. The anode off-gas also contains unreacted hydrogen and carbon monoxide.
In recent years, various methods for improving the efficiency of a fuel cell system have been studied. In Japanese Patent Publication No. 2009-503789 (Patent Literature 1), a method for increasing the efficiency of a fuel cell system is described, in which a fuel gas utilization rate is improved by removing steam and carbon dioxide from an anode off-gas and reusing the resulting anode off-gas as a fuel gas for a fuel cell. Patent Literature 1 discloses a partial pressure swing adsorption unit, a temperature swing adsorption unit, and an electrochemical pump as a device for removing steam and carbon dioxide from the anode off-gas.

Spiral-wound type gas separation membrane element, gas separation membrane module, and gas separation device


A data communications system is provided to dynamically change the error processing between an ARQ function and an FEC function in accordance with the network status, thus enabling high-quality data playback. In packet transmission, error correction control is performed on the basis of the network status monitored by a network monitoring unit. The error control mode is switched between FEC-based error control and ARQ-based error control (retransmission request processing) in accordance with packet loss or error occurrence on the network, and packet transmission is performed. If the RTT is short, error correction based on ARQ is selected. If the RTT is long, error correction not based on ARQ but on FEC is selected. Such dynamic error correction control is achieved.

The present invention relates to data communications systems, data senders, data receivers, data communications methods, and computer programs. More particularly, the present invention relates to a data communications system having a more error-resilient packet sending scheme in streaming data transmission and to a data sender, a data receiver, a data communications method, and a computer program.
Nowadays, transmission of data including images and audio data via various communications media such as the Internet has become popular and widely performed. In particular, recent data transmission over the Internet has been offering an increasing number of streaming transmission services in addition to download transmission services. When transmitting multimedia data such as a video file or an audio file, download transmission involves downloading the data file from a distributing server into a storage medium at a receiver and subsequently reading the data from the storage medium. Download transmission does not enable the file to be played until the file has been completely transmitted, which makes it unsuitable for long-time playback or real-time playback.
In contrast, the latter, namely, streaming transmission, involves reading received data while the data is being transmitted from a sender to a receiver. Streaming transmission is widely used by Internet services including Internet telephony, remote videoconferencing, and video-on-demand.
Streaming transmission has been used and developed in systems involving storing, for example, an MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) stream, which is generated by MPEG-compression of image data, in IP (Internet Protocol) packets, transmitting the packets over the Internet, and receiving the packets by communications terminals, including personal computers (PCs), personal digital assistants (PDAs), and cellular phones. Streaming transmission is advantageous in performing video-on-demand, streaming distribution of live video images, and real-time communications including videoconferencing and videophones.
One Internet technique suitable for such streaming transmission is the Realtime Transport Protocol (RTP), which is defined in the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Request For Comments (RFC) 1889. RTP-compliant data transmission adds a timestamp serving as time information to a packet. With reference to the timestamp, the time relationship between the sender and the receiver is determined. The receiver reads the data in synchronization without being influenced by delay fluctuations in packet transmission (jitter).
RTP does not ensure real-time data transmission. Since the transport service provided by RTP does not have control over prioritization, setting, and management of packet distribution, RTP packets, as in other packets, may be distributed at a delayed time or may be lost on the network. In case of such errors, the receiver can use only the packets that have arrived within the expected time and read their data. Even if video data or audio data is defective, the data can be read with degraded quality or by compensating for the lack of data.
Packets which are not on time for being read and which are distributed at a delayed time or packets with errors are discarded by the receiver. In other words, in case of packet loss or error, even when the sender performs high-quality data distribution, the receiver may not be able to read the data while maintaining the quality. In particular, when there are errors greater than or equal to 10−5 in wired sections or 10−3 in wireless sections, RTP-compliant data transmission has a problem maintaining the quality of distributed media.
One scheme for solving the problem in RTP-compliant data transmission involves transmission of a packet retransmission request and a retransmission packet in accordance with the TCP (Transmission Control Protocol), which is highly reliable in data transmission. Although TCP has a high error resilience, TCP has a low throughput and large delay. When a packet is retransmitted, the packet may not be on time for being read. This makes it difficult to implement real-time communications.
One possible error correction technique for correcting packet errors is, for example, forward error correction (FEC). FEC transmits FEC data serving as redundant data for performing error correction. In case of an error, the receiver corrects the error on the basis of the FEC data. BCH (Bose-Chaudhuri-Hochquenghem) codes and convolutional codes are used as random error correcting codes. Generally, Read-Solomon (RS) codes are often used as burst error correcting codes. FEC is advantageous over automatic repeat request (ARQ) in that FEC has a reduced delay time since there is no delay caused by retransmission. However, FEC adds redundant data, and FEC thus has a lower throughput in transmission paths having a very low packet loss.
FEC involves complicated error correction and coding processing at the receiver side and is thus dependent on the throughput of the receiver. Determination and transmission of unique and optimal FEC data in accordance with the network status and the receiver is difficult to implement. It is always necessary to consider processing-time overhead.

Data communications system, data sender, data receiver, data communications method, and computer program


This invention relates to an associated video retrieving method and a method therefor which enable a user to freely and easily make associated video retrieval. Video display apparatus having a video display region for visualizing video, an index display region for displaying index information of the videos, point detection unit for detecting a point position for these display regions, object management unit for registering in advance matters or sound in an animation appearing in the video, and control unit for determining a condition of the video to be next playbacked from point information obtained by the point detection unit and from logical structure description of the video separately built up, are provided. Even when a desired scene cannot be specified from the index information, a scene in which any hints relating to the desired scene is found out and associated video retrieval is effected on the basis of such a scene so as to finally obtain the desired scene. Versatile video retrieval can be made by unitedly using each display.

This invention relates to an apparatus and a method for associatively retrieving videos and searching an arbitrary video.
Construction of data bases directed to video information such as motion pictures and videos, which have not been handled in the past, has been vigorously made in recent years with a higher operation speed and a greater capacity of computers. With such a technical background, practical utilization of retrieving technology of efficiently selecting a desired scene from among large quantities of videos so built up is now under way. An ordinary retrieving method for such a purpose in the field of the video data base is the one by which a user designates a characterizing feature of a desired scene or its keyword and a computer searches the scene having a coincident keyword. However, it is extremely difficult, not only for inexperienced users but also skilled users in retrieval, to precisely designate the characterizing feature of a given scene, and a desired retrieving result cannot be obtained in most cases.
Books as classical information have a table of contents and an index as auxiliary information for retrieval. The table of contents is information in which keywords symbolizing portions of texts are listed in the sequence of progress in the texts. The index is information which lists important keywords in the texts in the order which is easy to find out, such as in the order of alphabet. The greatest feature common to them is that such keywords are collectively illustrated as a list. They always exist at the beginning and the end of the book, and require no trouble for searching them. A reader can find out one paragraph in the text by looking up the table of contents and the index without considering the keyword himself. The reader can also grasp the outline of the text by referring to the table of contents and can judge within a short time whether or not the book is worth reading.
Retrieval using the table of contents and the index involves the problem that a suitable portion cannot be found out if the number of keywords listed is too large, and, on the other hand, the keywords do not exist from the beginning if the number of keywords is too small. This problem can be solved by conjointly using hypertext or full text retrieval. In other words, the number of items of the table of contents and the index is first limited to a certain extent and is represented to the reader. The reader refers to the text by using temporarily the second best keyword which might be related with an object portion and then searches a keyword having a direct relation with the desired portion in the text. If such a keyword is found out, the object can be accomplished by referring to the desired portion by using the mechanism of the hypertext. This is the technique which is typically used in retrieval of an on-line manual. Though the keywords must be registered in advance in the hypertext, the same procedure can be executed for unregistered keywords when full text retrieval is adopted. In this way, the range of utilization of the table of contents and the index can be expanded depending on the mechanism for associatively tracing the keyword and in many cases, the reader can search the desired portion by merely selecting the keywords which appear in front of his eyes (hereinafter referred to as "associated retrieval").
Such a mechanism is believed to be effective for video retrieval also. In the videos, various matters appearing in the video such as persons, materials, etc, can be used in a manner corresponding to the keywords described above. An essential technique for accomplishing associated retrieval using the matter described above, such as a system of looking up associated scenes and information from the matters appearing on a display screen of videos, is described in JP-A-3-52070 entitled "Associated Information Reference System of Animations". According to this system, means for storing a video period in which each matter in a video appear and the position there of and means for combining associated information corresponding to the former are provided, a jump to an associated scene can be easily made and associated information can be easily called out by pointing one point on the screen in which each matter is displayed. Means for saving the trouble of establishing correspondence between each matter and its associated information by using video processing is described in JP-A-5-204990 filed by the inventors of the present invention.
The prior art technologies described above provide primarily means for establishing correspondence between each matter and its associated information but do not sufficiently examine the construction of an entire retrieving system and simple use of the system by the user. They also involve the problem that only that matter for which correspondence to the associated information has been already established can be associatively traced.

Associated image retrieving apparatus and method


A set of N copies of bank control logic are provided for tracking the banks within the memory modules (DRAMS). When the total number of banks within the memory module(s) is greater than N, the addresses of particular banks are folded into a single grouping. The banks are represented by the N copies of the bank control logic even when the total number of banks is greater than N. Each bank within the group is tagged as being busy when any one of the banks in the group is the target of a memory access request. The algorithm folds the addresses of the banks in an order that substantially minimizes the likelihood that a bank that is in a busy or false busy state will be the target of another memory access request. Power and logic savings are recognized as only N copies of bank control logic have to be supported.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to computer memory devices and in particular to accessing computer memory devices. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system for efficiently tracking busy banks within computer memory devices.
2. Description of Related Art
Computer memory typically comprises one or more memory modules (e.g., dual inline memory modules (DIMMs) with one or more memory devices, such as synchronous dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or its static counterpart, SRAM. Standard DIMMs typically will contain 4 to 18 DRAMs and custom designs may contain as many as 72 or more DRAMs.
DRAMs on a DIMM are divided into independently addressable memory blocks, referred to as ranks. Depending on the type of DRAM and DIMM, each rank will span multiple DRAMs ranging from a few to 18 per rank. Typical industry standard DIMMs will contain one or two ranks, with custom DIMMs containing 4, 8, or more ranks. Within each rank on a DIMM there will be some number of independent internal banks of memory that can be accessed in an overlapped manner. The number of banks is DRAM technology dependent but generally the number is 4 or 8 banks.
As the desire for more memory capacity and bandwidth increases, custom DIMMs will be designed with multiple ranks of DRAMs that may have combined totals of 32, 64 or more banks of memory. Further, multiples of such DIMMs are often provided within a single memory system resulting in systems that may have very large numbers of independent banks of memory. For example, a 4 DIMM system with 8 ranks per DIMM and 8 internal banks per DRAM would have a total of 256 banks.
Supporting these large numbers of banks often requires a large amount of logic within the memory controller. Typically a memory controller will contain specific logic (Bank Control Logic—BCL) for each bank in the system to track information and status on the DRAMs within the bank. Included in this logic would be the address range for the memory, the state of the DRAMs (idle, active, etc.), timers to track active states, logic to track open pages, etc. All this logic adds up to a significant amount of silicon area and power consumption in the memory controller. In addition, the cone of logic gets deeper as banks are added and can eventually impact the frequency of operation of the logic or the number of latency cycles to propagate through the logic. For systems that only support small number of banks of memory, this is generally not an issue, but if the system needs to support large number of banks (e.g., greater than 32 banks), then the increased amount of logic to support these banks becomes a significant design challenge.
As is shown in the art, when a bank of the DRAM is accessed, the bank goes into a busy state for a predetermined amount of time before the bank may be accessed again. This predetermined amount of time that the bank will be busy varies based on the DRAM installed and the frequency of operation, but may easily be 16 or more times the length of a data transfer from a bank of memory. With this large busy time, a memory system needs to have multiple banks of memory that can be accessed in an overlapped manner to utilize the available bandwidth on the system data bus. Therefore, adding additional banks of memory and the associated Bank Control Logic to support these additional banks may significantly increase the system memory performance. With each bank added, the additional performance gain becomes less and less, as the system reaches a level where there are more banks of memory available than can be accessed at one time.
A conventional memory controller designed to support a system with a large number of banks of memory, such as 128 or 256 banks, would required adding significant silicon area to contain all the Bank Control Logic blocks needed for each of the supported banks in the memory system. This additional logic will add cost and complexity to the designs, even though the performance gain from adding additional banks past the 32 or 64 banks is not significant. Given that the performance gain for these additional banks of memory is not significant, a method is needed to add the banks of memory without significantly increasing the logic or cost of the memory controller.

Programmable bank/timer address folding in memory devices

International Business Machines Corporation


In accordance with an embodiment, a magnetic ink character recognition apparatus comprises a magnetic head; a conveyance module configured to relatively convey a medium on which a magnetic ink character is printed with respect to the magnetic head; an acquisition module configured to acquire a magnetic detection signal of the medium read by the magnetic head; an excluding module configured to exclude a predetermined exclusion section including a reading result of an end portion of the medium from a signal section of the magnetic detection signal; and a recognition module configured to recognize the magnetic ink character based on the magnetic detection signal of the remaining signal section except for the exclusion section.

A conventional magnetic ink character recognition apparatus such as a MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Reader) reads magnetic ink characters printed on a paper using a magnetic head. For example, a magnetic ink character recognition apparatus of a paper conveyance system reads the magnetic ink characters printed on the paper using the magnetic head while conveying the paper, and recognizes the magnetic ink characters based on a magnetic detection signal output from the magnetic head. Such a magnetic detection signal is represented by two-dimensional waveform data reflected in a time axis and a voltage axis, and each character is recognized by comparing it with waveform data standardized according to ISO (International Standards Organization) 1004 or the like.
In the magnetic ink character recognition apparatus, magnetic noise is removed from the magnetic detection signal to improve a recognition rate of the magnetic ink characters. For example, conventionally, in order to remove the magnetic noise caused by a conveyance motor, a technology has been proposed to deduct the magnetic noise caused by the conveyance motor, a photosensor, or the like from the magnetic detection signal at the time of detecting the magnetic ink characters.
In the magnetic ink character recognition apparatus, in order to improve processing speeds, the conveyance speed of the paper is increased. However, if the conveyance speed is increased, there is a possibility that paper bending occurs at an end portion of the paper when the paper is read by the magnetic head. Paper bending causes magnetic noise (hereinafter, referred to as "end noise") and causes deterioration in the character recognition rate. In the above-described conventional noise removing technology, no countermeasure is taken for the end noise and it is therefore difficult to solve the above problem.

Magnetic ink character recognition apparatus and method by the same


A component is produced according to the following steps: a) insertion at least of two skins into the second tool half of a tool having a cavity-forming first tool half and second tool half such that the skins overlap in their end regions; b) rear-foaming or rear-spraying of the skins with a foam material or spraying material, c) by exerting low pressure in the region of the overlap, the internally situated end region of the one skin being pressed against the externally situated end region of the other skin in a foam-tight or injection molding-tight manner.

Interior lining parts having a cover layer which forms a decorative surface are known in the automobile industry. They are used for example as instrument panels, as door linings, as column linings or even as storage compartment covers.
It is the purpose of such components to combine desired mechanical properties with optical and even haptic properties. In order to achieve this, such a component is generally composed of a carrier which determines the mechanical properties, a foam layer which determines the haptic properties and a cover layer which determines essentially the optical properties. Components are also known which dispense with the mentioned additional foam layer, i.e. the skin is connected directly to the carrier.
Furthermore, it is known to compose covers layers from two or more skins.
However it is problematic in the case of multipart cover layers that, in the common boundary regions of the skins, foam or rear-sprayed material can emerge during rear-foaming or rear-spraying because of unsealed places and hence can reduce the quality of the surface.
A known method for foam-tight connection of skins is firstly to turn over the skins in the joint region and to sew them together in the turned-over region. The seam is then sealed in addition for the foaming process.
A further possibility for connecting skins together in a foam-tight manner is described in the publication DE 100 44 627 A1. According to the invention, two adjacent skins are connected to each other along the seam line thereof via a retaining means. In one embodiment, the retaining means is configured as a profile-like strip which clamps the adjacent skins together along the seam line. The skins connected to each other in a foam-tight manner in this way are inserted into the tool after connection with the retaining means and then are rear-foamed or rear-sprayed.
The disadvantage of these methods is that an additional method step and/or additional connection means must be used in order to connect the skins together.
The published patent specification JP 2002-052548 likewise discloses a method for the production of a component having a multipart cover layer. According to this method, two skins forming a cover layer are inserted in a tool half in such a manner that these overlap in their end regions. A rigid carrier which has a large number of adjacently disposed projections is disposed in the other tool half. The carrier is disposed thereby in such a manner that the projections protrude into the cavity. Upon closing the tool, the ends of the carrier come to be situated on the overlapping region of the skins and, in this way, press the overlapping region of the end regions of both skins together in portions. Thereafter, the cover layer is rear-foamed. By means of pressing the overlapping region together, the passage of foam is intended to be prevented during rear-foaming.
The disadvantage of this method or of this type of seal is that, on the one hand, the carrier is complex to produce because of the projections and, on the other hand, it increases in weight. Furthermore, these projections can be felt through the skins. Hence in this region, no uniform haptics are possible.

Method for producing a component provided with a multipart cover layer and said component


In a refrigeration cycle apparatus, refrigerant circulates successively through a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator. The refrigeration cycle apparatus includes a detection unit, a heating unit, and a controller. The detection unit is configured to detect a temperature of refrigeration oil in the compressor. The heating unit is configured to heat the refrigeration oil. The controller is configured to operate the heating unit when the temperature detected by the detection unit is lower than a pour point of the refrigeration oil, and to stop the heating by the heating unit when the temperature detected by the detection unit reaches the pour point. Preferably, the heating unit includes a heater provided on an outer side of a compressor casing and at a lower portion of a motor unit.

There is a need for increased operating range, such as to adapt to cold climate regions. One of the concerns for increased operating range is the lubricity of refrigeration oil of a compressor.
Variation in viscosity of lubricant causes variation in viscosity resistance of a slider of a compressor. Thus, it is known that a compressor exhibits such characteristic that compressor input is small when the compressor temperature is relatively high during summer months, and compressor input is great when the compressor temperature is relatively low during winter months.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 59-217453 (PTL 1) discloses a refrigeration apparatus consisting of a compressor, a condenser, a throttle device, an evaporator and the like which are successively connected together, in which the condenser and the compressor are forcibly cooled by a fan. There are provided a first refrigerant circuit having a solenoid valve between the compressor and the condenser, and a second refrigerant circuit, in parallel with the first refrigerant circuit, having a resistance tube and a lubricant heating pipe of the compressor connected in series. The solenoid valve and the fan are controlled by a thermostat device to detect a lubricant temperature directly or indirectly.


A method for producing hydrogen by using magnesium scrap is provided. First, adhering the melting magnesium scrap to platinum-coating titanium meshes, and putting the adhered meshes in an airtight reaction chamber, which is loaded with sodium chloride solution, to carry out a spontaneously hydrogen producing reaction. The gas produced by the reaction is then conducted to a low temperature exsiccator for condensing the vapor involved in the gas. Next, the gas is collected by a collector immediately. The apparatus comprises a sodium chloride solution container, an airtight reaction chamber, a low temperature exsiccator, and a gas collector. Ducts connect with each component and control the gas/solution pass in and out by using valves.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for producing hydrogen by using magnesium scrap and an apparatus thereof, and particularly to a method for producing hydrogen by spontaneous chemical reaction without consumption of extra energy.
2. Related Art
In recent years, fossil sources are excessively exploited and utilized, taking a risk of energy shortage and environmental pollution. Consequently, hydrogen-based energy recycle gradually takes the place of the fossil-based carbon energy recycle. Although hydrogen exists in the earth's crust under particular conditions, it is too little in quantity to be exploited or recycled. As a result, production of hydrogen has to rely on artificial technology.
Nowadays, industrial production of hydrogen mostly employs fossil fuels (petroleum, savageness, coal and etc.) to generate hydrogen by different processes, for example steam reforming, partial oxidation and gasification. In view of human ecology, these hydrogen production processes using fossil fuels generate a lot of carbon dioxide (which brings about earth's greenhouse effect) and other contaminants. Hydrogen production method eliminating secondary pollution, instead of using fossil fuels, is economical and environment-protective, and therefore meets the tendency of hydrogen source development.
Electrolysis of water is a relatively easy and clean way for producing hydrogen. However, it consumes a great deal of power, requiring high production cost, and correspondingly, cannot accord with long-term environment protection. Saving power is needed in hydrogen production to obtain actual environment-protective effect. Currently, a new method for producing hydrogen attracts people's attention, where NaBH4 is immersed in alkaline solution, and then hydrogen is generated by using catalyst, such as Ru, Pt, etc. The hydrogen is readily and quickly produced by this method. But NaBH4 has to be abstracted from borate ore. Abstraction of 1 kilogram NaBH4 costs about 80 dollars, and borate ore is mostly collected in several countries, for instance the United States and Turkey. So this method is not economical, either.
In addition, metal scrap is used to recycle hydrogen. As an example, aluminum scrap is grinded to powder and acquires high chemical vigor. The aluminum is put into the sodium hydroxide solution, generating hydrogen. It's reported in documentations that magnesium powder serves as source for producing hydrogen. However, in these methods, these metals as source for producing hydrogen, namely aluminum powder and magnesium powder, need to be firstly grinded to tiny powder, which often takes extra energy and elevates cost. Additionally, the metal powder has to be stored rather careful to avoid powder blast.
On the other hand, some research involves that recycled aluminum can serve as material for producing hydrogen. However plastic coated on recycled aluminum can has to be cleaned out by vitriolic solution, which also produces industrial waste liquid.
Thus, a method which is high efficient and takes less energy without secondary pollution is desired.

Method for producing hydrogen by using magnesium scrap and apparatus thereof


A pattern display signal generating apparatus comprises a memory for storing predetermined pattern data and for outputting even-numbered bits and odd-numbered bits of the pattern data in parallel when scanned, a timing generator for generating an address for scanning the memory and for generating first and second clock signal having a predetermined phase difference, a first shift register for shifting the odd-numbered bits and outputting the same in series in synchronization with the first clock signal, a second shift register for shifting the even-numbered bits and outputting the same in series in synchronization with the second clock signal, and a logical operation circuit for performing at least one predetermined logical operation between outputs of the first and second shift registers to generate a pattern display signal.

The present invention generally relates to a pattern display signal generating apparatus, and in particular to a pattern display signal generating apparatus capable of generating a pattern display signal which enables a pattern to be displayed so that a contour of the character pattern is highlighted. The present invention further relates to a pattern display apparatus using the present pattern display signal generating apparatus.
Conventionally, various display formats are used for producing a visual image of patterns of characters figures on a picture plane, of a display unit such as television sets. A highlighting display of characters is one example of the display formats. For example, when highlighting the display of characters such as letters, numerals and symbols, the entire character is highly and uniformly intensified, or only a contour of the character is highly brightened. In the latter highlighting display, the contour of the character is visually emphasized compared to other portions thereof and is displayed.
A display apparatus comprises a pattern display signal generating apparatus for generating a pattern display signal. The pattern display signal generating apparatus includes a character generator capable of generating dot patterns of characters. One dot pattern is arranged in a dot matrix of N lines and M columns. A dot pattern signal corresponding to one character is read cut from the character generator line by line, and is supplied as a pattern display signal to a signal processing circuit. The signal processing circuit generates a video signal from the pattern display signal. The video signal is supplied to a display unit such as a cathode ray tube display unit, and the corresponding character is displayed on a display picture plane thereof.
The conventional pattern display signal generating apparatus further includes an operation circuit for generating a specific pattern display signal which enables the highlighting display of the contour of the character (hereafter referred to as a contour highlighting display signal). The operation circuit generates the contour highlighting display signal corresponding to a dot pattern of only the contour of the character by using the dot pattern signal read out from the character generator. In this case, the contour of the dot pattern has a width of one dot in a direction of lines in the pattern (raster scan direction), for example.
The contour highlighting display signal for forming the contour pattern having the width of one dot is generated by subjecting all the dots of an N x M dot matrix to the following processing. Referring to FIG. 1 which shows a portion of the N.times.M dot matrix, when a dot positioned at the n'th line and the m'th column (hereafter represented as (n, m)) is processed, data, of its neighboring dots, i.e., 8 dots represented by the shaded squares, are read out from the character generator in addition to the datum of the dot at the position (n, m). The operation circuit built into the pattern display signal generating apparatus performs a predetermined operation on the 9 dot data, and decides whether or not the dot at the position (n, m) is necessary to form the dot pattern of the contour. If the result of the operation is affirmative, the dot subjected to the operation is decided to be a dot forming the contour.
However, the above-mentioned process for obtaining the dot pattern of the contour is very complex. In addition, the operation circuit which is designed specifically for implementing the aforementioned process cannot generate a different contour dot pattern having a width amounting to two dots in the direction of the line for example. From this reason, a degree of flexibility in the display format of the highlighting contour is poor.
In order to eliminate the above problems, a display pattern signal generating apparatus having a configuration shown in FIG. 2 is proposed. Referring to FIG. 2, a memory 10 stores dot pattern data of various characters, and a memory 11 stores a dot pattern of a center or inner) region of each character obtained by removing a dot pattern of a contour thereof.
Data which is simultaneously read out from the memory 10 and 11 in response to the same address signal ADDS is subjected to parallel-to-serial conversion in shift registers 12 and 13, respectively. The conversion is performed in synchronization with a clock signal .phi. supplied to the shift registers 12 and 13. The shift registers 12 and 13 output serial signals to output terminals 14 and 15 of the pattern display signal generating apparatus, respectively. At the same time, the outputs of the shift registers 12 and 13 are supplied to an exclusive-OR circuit 16. A result of the exclusive-OR operation is a contour highlighting display signal related to the dot corresponding to the address ADDS. The contour highlighting display signal is supplied to an output terminal 17. In this manner, the contour highlighting display signal related to all the N.times.M dots is generated.
However, the configuration shown in FIG. 2 must store two dot patterns associated with one character, and thus a large memory capacity is necessary.

Pattern display signal generating apparatus and display apparatus using the same


A printing device contains a printing medium supporting member having a supporting face for supporting a printing medium; a screen plate fitting detachably onto said supporting face in a state where the printing medium is sandwiched between said screen plate and said supporting face of said printing medium supporting member; and an ink emission section for emitting ink onto the printing medium on said supporting face. A printing system has the printing device described above, and ink color determining means for setting the color of the ink used in printing by means of said screen plate to a lighter color than the ink used in printing by means of said ink emission section. A printing method contains the step of screen printing for printing onto a printing medium by means of a screen plate, and the step of ink emitting for emitting ink of a darker color than the ink used in said screen printing step, onto the screen printed region, from an ink emission section.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing device, printing system and printing method for printing desired images onto a printing medium, such as fabric, for example, through combined use of screen printing and ink-jet printing.
2. Description of the Related Art
One conventional method for printing images on fabric, such as a T-shirt, for example, is screen printing wherein ink is coated onto a fabric by means of a screen plate on which an image is formed. Since screen printing uses a screen plate, productivity is high, but when printing color images, or the like, a plurality of screen plates must be fabricated. A further method is ink-jet printing wherein ink is emitted directly onto the fabric by means of an ink emitting head. Ink-jet printing of this kind enables highly complex multi-colored printing to be carried out readily, but it takes a long time to printing large surface areas, such as background images, or the like.
Therefore, in recent years, it has been proposed that screen printing and ink-jet printing be used in combination. For example, Japanese Patent No. 3,218,274 discloses a textile printing device which combines a plate-based printing device comprising a screen plate, and a plate-less printing device based on an ink-jet method. After a color design and positioning marks have been printed onto the fabric by means of the plate-based printing section, the fabric is then conveyed to the plate-less printing section, where full color printing is carried out by means of ink-jet printing. In the plate-based printing section, a plurality of screen plates are arranged in parallel fashion, in line with a conveyor belt which transports the fabric. In the plate-less printing section, on the other hand, the positioning marks on the fabric are detected by reading means, and the screen printing image and the ink-jet printing image are made to coincide in position on the basis of these marks.
Moreover, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-154246 discloses a method wherein, when printing onto a fabric, such as a T-shirt, by means of ink-jet printing, a pre-treatment liquid is coated only onto the region of the fabric that is to be printed, by means of a screen printing method, or the like. The fabric is set on the screen frame and the pre-treatment liquid is coated onto it, whereupon the fabric is set in a printing tray, this tray is installed in an ink-jet printing device, and ink-jet printing is performed. When setting the pre-treated fabric in the printing tray, the operator performs the positional alignment in such a manner that the pre-treated portion and the upper plate of the tray coincide in position.
However, in the device according to Japanese Patent No. 3,218,274, in order to align the positions of the screen printing image and the ink-jet printing image, positioning marks are printed onto the fabric in the plate-based printing section, and these positioning marks on the fabric are detected by reading means in the plate-less printing section. Therefore, special positioning marks and reading means, and the like, are required, and a problem arises in that the configuration of the textile printing device, and the functions thereof, become complicated. Moreover, by arranging a plurality of screen plates in parallel, in line with the direction of travel of a conveyor belt, a problem is created in that overall textile printing device becomes large in size.
Furthermore, in the device according to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-154246, when setting the pre-treated fabric in the printing tray, the operator must align the positions of the pre-treated section and the upper plate of the tray, in order that they coincide. Therefore, and particularly in cases where an image has been printed in the pre-treatment stage, the operator must pay very careful attention to aligning the positions in order that this first image coincides exactly with the ink-jet printing image to be printed subsequently. Therefore, a problem arises in that the workability deteriorates, and device operability also deteriorates.

Printing device, printing system and printing method


In producing formylimidazoles by catalytically oxidizing the corresponding 4- or 5-hydroxymethylimidazoles, the catalytic oxidation is carried out in the presence of a noble metal catalyst while oxygen or air is blown into the reaction system. In this case, it is particularly desirable that the catalytic oxidation in the presence of a noble metal catalyst be carried out in a solvent comprising an aqueous alkali or in a mixed solvent composed of an aqueous alkali and an organic solvent immiscible with water.

4-Formylimidazoles and 5-formylimidazoles are useful as raw materials for the production of drugs, for example diuretics and antihypertensive agents, and are chemicals attracting attention in recent years.
As for the production of these formylimidazoles, only a very few references can be cited. The only production methods so far studied comprise using 2-alkyl-5-hydroxymethylimidazoles as starting materials and oxidizing these with a reagent containing a heavy metal, for example manganese dioxide, or with nitric acid. For the reagent oxidation method mentioned above, EP 0 514 198 A1 (under the heading "Intermediate 67") may be cited and, for the nitric acid oxidation method USP 4 107 308 for instance.
However, the method comprising oxidizing hydroxymethylimidazoles with a heavy metal reagent such as manganese dioxide is disadvantageous in that much labor is required for heavy metal handling or waste catalyst treatment and disposal. The method comprising oxidizing hydroxymethylimidazoles with nitric acid is very disadvantageous for commercial scale operation because of the low yield of the desired products and the generation of nitrogen oxides, among others.

Nippon Gohsei Kagaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha


A data display method and apparatus for use in a vehicle, e.g. for use by the pilot of an aircraft, wherein each eye (EL, ER) of the user (23) is presented with a virtual image at infinity of a respective one of two largely identical displays (31L, 31R). By arranging for corresponding elements (33) of the two displays representative of a controller in the vehicle at a position accessible to the user to have a transverse positional disparity the virtual images of the corresponding elements appear to the user to fuse together to form a single image (I2) in a plane of the controller at a finite distance from the user within the vehicle thereby to facilitate operation of the controller by the user. Other corresponding elements (41, 43, 45, 47, 49) of the two displays (31L, 31R) will normally have no such positional disparity so that their virtual images fuse to present an image (I1) at infinity as in known binocular head-up display (HUD) systems. An aircraft pilot using a binocular HUD system is presented with an image of a control panel (37) in the aircraft to facilitate operation of the panel while using the HUD system.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to methods and apparatus for displaying data.
More particularly, the invention relates to methods and apparatus for displaying data using a binocular head-up display system.
2. Description of Related Art
By a binocular head-up display system is meant a display system comprising: a pair of combiner means disposed in spaced relationship so as each to lie, in use of the system, on the line of sight of a respective one of the eyes of a user of the system; a pair of projector means, one for each combiner means, each arranged to project light from a display surface onto the associated combiner for reflection thereby to provide the associated eye of the user with a virtual image at infinity of a display on the display surface superimposed on the user's view through the combiner; and signal generating means operable to supply to the projector means signals to produce displays on said display surfaces.
Such a display system finds particular application in vehicles, especially aircraft, for providing the user with a display of data needed to operate the vehicle whilst viewing the scene external of the vehicle.

Methods and apparatus for displaying data


A driver training apparatus for simulating skid conditions of a vehicle which includes a lifting frame supported by four caster wheels which underlies and is connected with the vehicle suspension system and is propelled by the vehicle. Under normal driving conditions, the caster wheels turn to follow the direction of movement of the vehicle steered by the driver. Under the control of an instructor, the frame of the apparatus can raise the forward or rearward pairs of the caster wheels simultaneously or individually to raise the forward or rearward pairs of wheels of the vehicle relative to the surface of a roadway to simulate a slick road or skidding condition. Under the control of the instructor, the pivoting axis of the caster wheels can be inclined with respect to the vertical to stabilize lateral or forward movement of the vehicle when partially supported by the driver training apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for permitting regulatable variation of the friction grip between the wheels of a car and a supporting surface. This invention is directed toward over-the-road vehicles and more particularly to driver training for various types of road conditions simulated by reducing the coefficient of rolling friction between the wheels of a car and a roadbed.
Heretofore such training usually has been achieved by providing special roadbeds in which a friction reducing material was spread over the surface of the roadbed before placing a car with a driver to be trained thereon.
The principal disadvantage of this method resides in the expense of preparing such a road surface and thereafter removing the friction reducing material. Further, it requires a preferably level surface such as a parking lot and in areas of high land use such areas are relatively expensive particularly when such road surfaces are used only for driver training.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,700,798 discloses a driver training apparatus for simulating skidding conditions of automobiles. This patent discloses a frame which underlies the frame of a vehicle and is connected with its suspension system and further provides caster wheels adjacent but spaced outwardly from the respective automobile wheel with these caster wheels being elevated or lowered relative to the automobile supporting frame for reducing the frictional contact between the car wheels and the surface of a roadbed.
This invention is distinctive over this patent by providing forward and rearward articulating axles which support caster wheels in outrigger fashion relative to the four wheels of a car, raise and lower the caster wheels relative to the car and act to tilt the pivoting axis of the caster wheels in a forward or rearward direction with respect to the vertical which achieves a forward steering stabilizing effect on the car in any situation whether turning in forward direction or during a simulated skid. Further, these articulated axles act as breaking means if necessary.