A method in a memory that includes multiple analog memory cells arranged in a three-dimensional (3-D) configuration, includes identifying multiple groups of potentially-interfering memory cells that potentially cause interference to a group of target memory cells. Partial distortion components, which are inflicted by the respective groups of the potentially-interfering memory cells on the target memory cells, are estimated. The partial distortion components are progressively accumulated so as to produce an estimated composite distortion affecting the target memory cells, while retaining only the composite distortion and not the partial distortion components. The target memory cells are read, and the interference in the target memory cells is canceled based on the estimated composite distortion.

Various methods for distortion estimation and compensation in non-volatile memories are known in the art. For example U.S. Pat. No. 8,050,086, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a method for operating a memory (28). The method includes storing data in a group of analog memory cells (32) of the memory as respective first voltage levels. After storing the data, second voltage levels are read from the respective analog memory cells. The second voltage levels are affected by cross-coupling interference causing the second voltage levels to differ from the respective first voltage levels. Cross-coupling coefficients, which quantify the cross-coupling interference among the analog memory cells, are estimated by processing the second voltage levels. The data stored in the group of analog memory cells is reconstructed from the read second voltage levels using the estimated cross-coupling coefficients.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,060,806, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a method for operating a memory (24). The method includes storing data in analog memory cells (32) of the memory by writing respective analog values to the analog memory cells. A set of the analog memory cells is identified, including an interfered cell having a distortion that is statistically correlated with the respective analog values of the analog memory cells in the set. A mapping is determined between combinations of possible analog values of the analog memory cells in the set and statistical characteristics of composite distortion levels present in the interfered memory cell. The mapping is applied so as to compensate for the distortion in the interfered memory cell.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,156,403, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a method for operating a memory device (24). The method includes encoding data using an Error Correction Code (ECC) and storing the encoded data as first analog values in respective analog memory cells (32) of the memory device. After storing the encoded data, second analog values are read from the respective memory cells of the memory device in which the encoded data were stored. At least some of the second analog values differ from the respective first analog values. A distortion that is present in the second analog values is estimated. Error correction metrics are computed with respect to the second analog values responsively to the estimated distortion. The second analog values are processed using the error correction metrics in an ECC decoding process, so as to reconstruct the data.

Distortion cancellation in 3-D non-volatile memory


A free radical sterilization system having a chamber defining a region, and a generator for generating free radical reach effluent from a free radical electric generator and/or a vaporizer. A closed loop circulating system without a free-radical destroyer is provided for supplying the mixture of free radicals from the electric generator mixed with the hydrogen peroxide solution in the form of the effluent to the chamber. The free-radical sterilization system is used in sterilizing items in the chamber and, with an open-bottomed wound chamber, in treating wounds on a body.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the art of sterilization and decontamination, and more particularly to a system for sterilization of heat sensitive devices. The present invention also relates to a gaseous sterilization process carried out at atmospheric pressure.
2. Description of Related Art
Sterilization methods are used in a broad range of applications, and have used an equally broad range of sterilization agents. As used herein the term "sterilization" refers to the inactivation of bio-contamination, especially on inanimate objects. The term "disinfection" refers to the inactivation of organisms considered pathogenic.
It is known that pulsed or silent electric discharge in air or other gases produces non-thermal plasma. Non-thermal plasma processing involves producing plasma in which the majority of the electrical energy goes into the excitation of electrons. These plasmas are characterized by electrons with kinetic energies much higher than those of the ions or molecules. The electrons in these plasmas are short-lived under atmospheric pressure; instead they undergo collisions with the preponderant gas molecules. The electron impact on gas molecules causes dissociation and ionization of these molecules, which creates a mix of reactive species, in the form of free radicals, ions and secondary electrons. These reactive species cause unique and diverse chemical reactions to occur, even at relatively low temperatures. These chemical reactions are utilized in low temperature decontamination and sterilization technologies.
It is also known to use vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP) for sterilization. Known methods of sterilization with VHP include open loop systems, in which the VHP is applied to the items to be sterilized and then exhausted, and closed loop systems, where sterilizing vapors are recirculated.
In a known closed loop system, a carrier gas, such as air, is dried and heated prior to flowing past a vaporizer. A hydrogen peroxide aqueous solution is introduced into the vaporizer and vaporized. The resulting vapor is then combined with the carrier gas and introduced into a sterilization chamber. A blower exhausts the carrier gas from the sterilization chamber and recirculates the carrier gas to the vaporizer where additional VHP is added. Between the sterilization chamber and the vaporizer, the recirculating carrier gas passes through a catalytic destroyer (where any remaining VHP is eliminated from the carrier gas), a drier, a filter and a heater.
United States Patent Application Publication No: US 2005/0129571 Al by Centanni discloses a closed loop sterilization system. The purpose of using the closed loop is the increase of the free radical concentration in the circulating effluent. Centanni teaches that there should be a VHP (vapor hydrogen peroxide) destroyer employed in the loop. Cetanni teaches that the ozone is mixed with the hydrogen peroxide vapor and the vapor is produced by injecting hydrogen peroxide water solution on a hot plate and thus evaporating it.

Free radical sterilization system and method


Techniques and tools are described for performing distributed authentication using persistent stateless credentials. Distributed authentication can be performed during egress by obtaining a principal identifier, generating an expiration time, obtaining a secret key identifier that identifies a secret key, generating an initialization vector, encrypting the principal identifier and the expiration time to produce a ciphertext, creating a credential, and providing the credential for persistence at a client device. The credential comprises the ciphertext, the initialization vector, the secret key identifier. Distributed authentication can be performed during ingress by obtaining a credential, extracting a ciphertext, an initialization vector, and a secret key identifier from the credential, obtaining a secret key identified by the secret key identifier, decrypting the ciphertext to produce a principal identifier and an expiration time and authenticating the credential using, at least in part, the principal identifier and the expiration time.

Authenticating clients can be a straightforward task when using a single server. For example, clients of a server running a web application can be authenticated using a username and password with session information being stored in a cookie with server-side state information. Similarly, authentication using cookies and sessions can be performed using a group of servers with server-side state information.
However, these traditional approaches can be problematic with enterprise-level applications that include many application nodes. For example, storing credential-specific state information server-side can be problematic if a node fails. In addition, security can be an issue when storing credential-specific information at the client device.
Therefore, there exists ample opportunity for improvement in technologies related to authenticating users.

Distributed authentication using persistent stateless credentials


The present invention relates to a compliant laminar eddy current sensitivity standard which comprises a sheet of nonconductive, nonmagnetic material having at least one strand of highly conductive metallic material embedded in the sheet and an adhesive layer attached to a surface of the nonconductive, nonmagnetic material to allow the standard to be adhered to a surface of a part to be inspected. A method using the compliant laminar eddy current sensitivity standard is also described.

The present invention relates to an eddy current sensitivity setting standard and a method for using the eddy current sensitivity setting standard.
In the past, an eddy current sensitivity standard was fabricated by machining an EDM slot into the critical inspection area of a section of a part to be inspected. The use of a section of the inspected component as the standard was critical because the typical eddy current probe responds to numerous benign electrical changes (electrical conductivity and permeability) induced by interaction with the metal surface under inspection other than those produced by a flaw such as a crack. Typically, the eddy current probe is sensitive to surface roughness, variations in conductivity/permeability within acceptable limits, geometric variations along the scan path, such as edges, radii, and/or slots, liftoff, and the like. All inspection surface parameters that affect the eddy current signal must be simulated in the standard to produce an accurate eddy current signature. If all the parameters affecting the eddy current response were not represented in the standard design, it would be impossible to separate the effects of the benign surface electric and geometric variations from a defect response.
As components being inspected are now extremely expensive, it has become impractical to consume good hardware to produce the multiple inspection standards needed to establish common reject levels for each component inspected. Machining facsimile/duplicates of the inspected component from the same material is very expensive and does not truly represent the conditions encountered on the inspection surfaces of the service run hardware. Slight alterations to field engine components induced by engine operating extremes such as high temperature, wear, oxidation/sulfidation or, as is the case with most compressor disk blade slots, galling along the disk/blade contact surface, are often acceptable for continued operation, but greatly affect the eddy current scan baseline to the point of potential rejection of flight worthy hardware. These types of surface artifacts are not reproducible in a manufactured facsimile standard.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an eddy current sensitivity setting standard which can be easily applied and which is accurate.
The foregoing object is attained by the compliant laminar eddy current sensitivity standard.
In accordance with the present invention, a compliant laminar eddy current sensitivity standard is provided. The compliant laminar eddy current sensitivity standard comprises a sheet of nonconductive, nonmagnetic material, at least one strand of highly conductive material embedded in the nonconductive, nonmagnetic material, and an adhesive layer attached to a surface of the nonconductive, nonmagnetic material.
A method for using a compliant laminar eddy current sensitivity standard comprising the steps of providing a sheet of nonconductive, nonmagnetic material with at least one strand of highly conductive material embedded in the nonconductive, nonmagnetic material, and an adhesive layer attached to one surface of the nonconductive, nonmagnetic material; adhering said sensitivity standard on said surface of said part; and moving an eddy current probe over a surface of said sensitivity standard.
Other details of the compliant laminar eddy current sensitivity standard of the present invention, as well as other objects and advantages attendant thereto, will be set forth in the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals depict like elements.

Compliant laminar eddy current sensitivity standard


An apparatus that provides protection from precipitation to a vehicle occupant upon entering or exiting the vehicle includes a housing secured to the vehicle roof so that it can be reached by a passenger seated within the vehicle. A housing base is secured to the vehicle roof. A hinge positioned at the leading end of the housing interconnects the housing base to a housing cover. The housing has a fully closed position when the housing cover fully engages the housing base and a fully deployed position when the cover is fully rotated with respect to the base. A sheet of waterproof material has a first end secured to an interior of the base and a second end secured to an interior of the cover. The sheet is folded when the housing is in the fully closed position and is unfolded when the housing is in the fully deployed position.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to automotive accessories. More particularly, it relates to an umbrella-like structure that can be deployed when needed by a passenger in a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Most of the known umbrella-like devices that are attachable to vehicles have a first end anchored to the roof of the vehicle and a second end attached to a door. Accordingly, the umbrella-like device deploys when the door is opened, even if no rain is falling. Some of these devices enable a passenger to disable the device prior to opening the doors so that the device remains un-deployed when the door opens.
One drawback of such devices is that they provide a rain shield only in the area swept out by the door when opened, i.e., the protection stops at the trailing edge of the door.
Another type of device provides a greater coverage area. Devices of this type are rather large and cover substantially all of a vehicle's roof. They are deployed in cantilever fashion so that they project from the roof, extending over the side of the vehicle and shielding an area larger than that of the door-connected shields.
The primary drawback of the large devices is that they are so large they cannot be provided for all four doors of a four-door vehicle. A secondary drawback is that their large size renders them unsightly. Moreover, they are strictly utilitarian structures with no aesthetic appeal.
Thus there is a need for an umbrella-like rain shield device that is small and which does not detract from the appearance of a vehicle to which it is mounted. The needed device should cover an area larger than the area swept out by an open door and it should be mountable over each door of a vehicle so that all passengers will enjoy rain protection when needed.
However, in view of the art considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art how the needed structure could be provided.


Disclosed are a system for providing a WDM-based wireless optical transport network and a method for transmitting a wireless optical signal using the same. The system for providing a WDM-based wireless optical transport network, includes: a central office terminal (COT) for bilaterally transmitting wireless optical signals of different unique wavelengths; and a plurality of remote terminals (RTs) connected to the COT in a ring, for dropping a wireless optical signal having a corresponding unique wavelength from the wireless optical signals transmitted from the COT, for adding a corresponding optical transmission signal to wireless optical signals of the remaining unique wavelengths except for the corresponding unique wavelength of the dropped wireless optical signal, and for bilaterally transporting the wireless optical signals to which the corresponding optical transmission signal is added.

A wireless optical transport network technology has been utilized and commercialized to an area or disaster relief restoring means difficult to set an optical line. The related art has used a scheme for transmitting 1 Gbps class single wavelength optical signals through a free space by a point-to-point network configuration in a remote location spaced by several hundred meters.
However, the scheme has no method capable of transporting a wireless optical signal through a substitute path when obstacle occurs in a wireless environment.
When the RT is distant from the COT, because separate wireless optical repeaters are installed in the middle of the RT and the COT, it becomes difficult to construct an economic network.

System for providing WDM-based wireless optical transport network and method for transmitting wireless optical signal using the same

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


Apparatus for enabling parts of the surface of a three-dimensional object (1) to be moved relative to each other. Applications include orientation of instruments on the surface of e.g. a satellite or a logic puzzle. Objects with eight external segments (1, 300, 500) are disclosed and it is shown how these can be adapted to form an object with thirty-two inter-changeable segments (400). Some embodiments may also be adapted to form an object with twenty-six inter-changeable segments (100, 200).

This invention relates to a mechanism for providing independent movement of the outer segments of a sphere or other three-dimensional object and applications thereof, including use of said mechanism to provide a logic puzzle.
A common engineering problem, particularly in the space industry, is to move instruments exposed on the surface of an object relative to each other, altering the angular relation between them. For example, a satellite in orbit may have many external instruments such as antennae, solar panels, communications apparatus and the like all of which radiate from its outward surface and which must be held in particular orientations for particular tasks. Furthermore, the orientations may need to change dynamically and in a controlled fashion.
In space, this is difficult to achieve as any moment applied to an instrument to move it leads to an equal and opposite moment on the satellite etc. as a whole.
Therefore, moving instruments can lead to unwanted alterations in the orientation of the satellite.
It is therefore a first object of the present invention to provide a mechanism for altering the angle between and orientation of different items of apparatus on the surface of an object such as a satellite.
The motion of the instruments around a central core are found in several other applications, for example, security cameras in shops are fixed to the ceiling at one particular point and the camera must then be able to move to all solidangles and in all directions. This would typically be achieved by having one actuator which can rotate the camera around a vertical axis and a second actuator which can move the camera vertically. It is difficult to devise a means for doing this which will allow the camera to be able to move smoothly and controllably through as wide a range of solidangles as possible.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a means for varying the angular relationship between sections of the surface of an object such as a sphere.
A related field which can be looked to for guidance in this area is the field of logical puzzles. Three dimensional segment puzzles are well known and various formats for these have been proposed. The best known example is that which is known as the Rubik""s Cube in which one large cube is made up of a series of interlocking smaller cubes. These cubes can be moved relative to each other and rotated around a central axis. This movement is powered only by the user, but the Rubik""s Cube shows some of the principles of combinatorially adjusting the relative position of segments of the surface of a three-dimensional object.
A further aim of the present invention is to devise new formats for segmented logic puzzles. In the Rubik""s Cube, each of the various cubes from which it is formed has one of a series of colours applied to their outer faces and the object of the puzzle is to arrange the cubes in order to present a solid colour on each of the faces.
Various proposals have previously been made to produce a similarly segmented puzzle which is spherical. One such example is described in EP 542327. This is an eight segmented puzzle in which each segment attaches to a conical element on the central core section. Theoretically various combinations of segments can be rotated around different axes. In practice there is a conflict between the close tolerance required to prevent the puzzle coming apart and the need for a degree of movement between the segments to allow the parts to be rotated relative to one another. The puzzle in this document is also likely to become easily jammed.
Additionally with only eight playing elements, the scope of the puzzle is limited. It is therefore a further object of the present invention to provide a puzzle which is easy to use, whilst not requiring impractical tolerances in the manufacturing process. Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a three-dimensional spherical rotary puzzle which is more complex than that of the Rubik""s Cube and other such puzzles which are already known.
The following description will emphasize logic puzzles but the correspondence between these puzzles and the engineering problems of altering the relative angular relation between instruments should be recalled throughout.
According to a first embodiment of the present invention there is provided apparatus for moving parts of the surface of a three-dimensional object relative to each other, the apparatus comprising a plurality of surface segments which have a part of the surface of the object thereon and a plurality of joining segments, each surface segment having a plurality of formations which slidably cooperate with complementary formations on the joining segments, the arrangement being such that the joining segments provide a means of linking the surface segments to form a three-dimensional object in which the surface segments are moveable relative to one another in such a way as to enable individual groups of surface segments to be exchanged with each other.
Preferably, the apparatus has eight surface segments and twelve joining segments.
Preferably also, the apparatus has a core element which defines axes of movement for the segments.
More preferably, the core element comprises six generally cylindrical elongate members arranged orthogonal to each other and which define axes of movement for the segments.
A surface segment may be joined fixedly to neighbouring joining segments.
Typically, one surface segment is held in a fixed relation to the core element.
The joining segments may have a part of the surface of the object thereon.
The elongate members which comprises the core element may have a part of the surface of the object thereon.
The surface segments may be configured to each receive three outermost segments which have part of the surface of the object thereon, the outermost segments being adapted to cooperate with adjacent outermost surface segments and thereby form a circular track around which the outermost segments may move.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a puzzle comprising apparatus according to the first aspect above wherein parts of the surface of the object have pattern elements thereon.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a machine for controllably orientating a plurality of devices, the machine comprising apparatus according to the first aspect above wherein the devices are mounted on parts of the surface of the object and there are further provided means for controllably urging individual segments to move relative to each other.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided apparatus for moving parts of the surface of a three-dimensional object relative to each other, the apparatus comprising a core and a plurality of external segments, wherein the external segments have formations thereon arranged to slidably cooperate with corresponding formations on the core, in which the external segments are moveable relative to one another in such a way as to enable individual groups of external segments to be exchanged with each other.
Preferably, the core comprises a plurality of core tops and the external segments have means for slidably cooperating with the core tops.
Preferably also, the external segments have an inner and outer shell connected by a joining piece, wherein the inner shell and outer shell are adapted to hold edges of the core tops therebetween.
Typically, eight external segments are provided.
The inner and outer shell of a joining piece may be separably joined and urged together by a biasing means.
Preferably, the inner and outer shell of a joining piece, when together, is less than the thickness of a core top.
Preferably also, a core top has a recess adapted such that when the external segments are moved into a home position, the biasing means urges the inner and outer shells to cooperate with the recess and so make an audible and/or tactile click.
Preferably also, an external segment is fixed in position relative to the core.
The external segments may be configured to each receive three outermost segments which have part of the surface of the object thereon, the outermost segments being adapted to cooperate with adjacent outermost surface segments and thereby form a circular track around which the outermost segments may move.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a puzzle comprising apparatus according to the fourth aspect above wherein parts of the surface of the object have pattern elements thereon.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a machine for controllably orientating a plurality of devices, the machine comprising apparatus according to the fourth aspect above wherein the devices are mounted on parts of the surface of the object and there are further provided means for controllably urging individual segments to move relative to each other.

Mechanism for independently moving segments of a three-dimensional object and applications thereof

International Marketing and Licensing Limited


A method for reducing Domain Name System (DNS) lookup traffic in a computer data network in a system including a router in communication with a client computer includes the steps of receiving a DNS lookup request through a web browser when the user requests to open a particular URL. The router sends the DNS lookup request for a hostname of the web server to a DNS server and receives a corresponding IP address. The router forwards the IP address to the web browser and the web browser sends a network connection request with a file transfer request to the router. The router forwards the request to the web server. The web server responds to the request by sending an HTML document for the web page. Upon receiving the HTML document, the router examines the HTML document for the URLs associated with image elements to be downloaded for display of a web page and sends one DNS lookup request for each of the distinct hostnames, regardless of how many times that distinct hostname appears in the HTML document. The router receives IP addresses, each of which corresponds to one of each of the distinct hostnames and modifies the HTML document by replacing the each of the distinct hostnames, including their recurrences, in the URLs associated with the image elements with their corresponding IP addresses.

As known in the art, computers connected to the Internet use the well-known transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) to negotiate the network communications with other computers on the network. TCP/IP network packets are transmitted to other computers using an IP address to identify the source and destination computers. An IP address is currently defined as a 32-bit number which is generally expressed as four octets (converted to their decimal values) separated by a period, for example, 188.8.131.52. Due to the very large number of computers connected to the Internet, it would not be convenient for the users to memorize the IP address assigned to each of the computers being accessed. Accordingly, a Domain Name System (DNS) was implemented whereby a computer may be identified by a mnemonic host name, such as www.whitehouse.gov.
DNS is a name resolution method that allows the users and applications to initiate network communications with a hostname, without an IP address, for other computers on the network. The DNS server maintains a database of hostnames and their corresponding IP addresses. The users can open a web page on his or her web browser by directing the application to connect to a particular universal resource location (URL) which identifies the web server and the particular document to be downloaded to the browser. When the sending computer or application needs to open a network connection to another computer, it first contacts a DNS server to resolve the other computer's hostname to its IP address. DNS servers are distributed throughout the Internet. DNS servers communicate with other DNS servers to resolve a network address.
The standard convention for a URL is 'protocol://host's name/name of file.' The protocol includes, for example, FTP (file transfer protocol), telnet and HTTP (hypertext transfer protocol). Typically, HTTP is used to transfer information (also referred to as "content") from a web server application for display by web browser (a web client computer application). HTTP is the set of rules for exchanging files, for example, text, graphic images, sound, and video, in the Internet. Content is generally organized into groups of data, referred to as a "web page," defined in documents downloaded from the web server to the browser. The web page is a text file that contains text and a set of HTML (hyper text markup language) tags that describe how the text should be formatted when a browser displays the web page for the user.
A HTML tag is a code element that tells the web browser what to do with the text. Each tag appear as letters or words between a '<' and a '>.' For example,  tells the browser that this is the beginning of an HTML document and <TITLE> tells the browser that this is the title of the page. HTML defines a document format, for example, the page layout, fonts and image elements (graphic elements). Each of the tags defining an image element includes the location of the image element, for example,  or . The HTML document also has ability to link text and/or an image to another document or section of a document. Each link contains the URL of a web page residing on the same server or any server in the interne, for example, . The web browser interprets the set of HTML tags within the HTML document and displays for the user.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of web page 100 as it may be displayed on a client computer. Web page 100 may include a plurality of textual information, represented by text displays 102 and 104 in FIG. 1. Web page 100 may also include image elements 106, 108, 110 and 112. These image elements are displayed on the web page via instructions to download image elements from a URL in an HTML document. For example, URL 116 is associated with image element 106 as shown in FIG. 1. Similarly, URLs 118, 120 and 122 are associated with image elements 108, 110 and 112, respectively. Each image element is independently downloaded. The URLs are shown in FIG. 1 with a dashed outline to indicate that the actual URL is not typically displayed on the web browser, while the image elements specified by the URLs are displayed.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a basic architecture used to provide web-based services. This architecture includes client computer 200 and server 202. Client computer 200 can include a processor 204 coupled via bus 206 to network port 208, and memory 210. Client computer 200 can communicate with server 202 via network 212. Server 202 can include a processor 214 coupled via bus 216 to network port 218, and memory 220. One or more routers may be used within network 212 to direct network packets to their destination. Router 222 is one such router. The function and operation of conventional IP routers are well-known in the art. For example, router 222 receives network packets from client computer 200. For each of the network packets, the router determines the best available route, using one or more routing tables, and sends the packets to their destination via the best available route.
FIG. 3 is a flow diagram showing steps used in conventional web-based systems to download a web page. In step 300, the web browser receives a user's request to open a particular URL. In step 302, the web browser sends a request for name resolution to router 222 (shown in FIG. 2) and the router forwards the request to a DNS server. In step 304, the DNS server responds to the request and the web browser receives the IP address assigned to the web server. In step 306, the web browser opens a network connection with the IP address supplied by the DNS server and sends an HTTP request to the web server, asking for the file. In step 308, the web server responds to the request and the web browser receives an HTML document for the web page from the web server. Once the HTML document has been downloaded, the web browser closes the network connection in step 310
Next, in step 312, the web browser examines the HTML document and determines whether or not there are additional image elements to be downloaded for display within the web page. If there are no additional image elements to be downloaded for display, the process ends. Otherwise, in step 314, the web browser requests name resolution for the web server's hostname indicated in the URL associated with the image element. This URL is indicated within the HTML document downloaded in step 308. The DNS server responds to the DNS lookup request by providing the IP address corresponding to the web server's hostname. In step 316, the web browser receives the IP address assigned to the web server. In step 318, the web browser opens a network connection using the IP address supplied by the DNS server. In step 320, the web browser downloads the image element specified in the user's URL request. Once the image element has been downloaded, the web browser closes the network connection in step 322. The process repeats steps 312-322 until all image elements identified in the HTML document have been downloaded.
As can be seen from the steps shown in FIG. 3, the web browser may make numerous DNS lookup requests each time a single web page is downloaded, even though the web page typically references image elements that are stored on the same web server host as the web page. The repeated DNS lookup operations generally requests name resolution for the same host in numerous succession just to render a single web page. If an HTML document (web document) for a web page includes, for example, ten different image elements, the web browser will perform a total of eleven DNS lookup operations (one to download the HTML document and one operation for each image element), even if the DNS lookup operations are requesting name resolution for the same host. As web content developers continue to increase the complexity of web pages, the number of image elements within a particular web document may become very large. Accordingly, the load on DNS servers has increased. The load on DNS server 224 is furthermore increased due to the multiple requests for the same information. Not only can the DNS server itself be impaired due to the increased load, but the network traffic across network 212 is increased with each DNS lookup request resulting in poorer performance across the network.
A need therefore exists for systems and methods of reducing requests for name resolution for web-based services.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


To provide a display device and a method for driving the same with which image degradation can be reduced that would occur in producing animated images on the display device. Values of luminance are obtained for successive frames. When a difference between them is equal to or larger than a threshold value, a display signal having a black period is generated. When a luminance of a previous frame is higher than a luminance of a subsequent frame, a display signal having a black period provided after a video display period is generated. On the other hand, when a luminance of a previous frame is equal to or lower than a luminance of a subsequent frame, a display signal having a black period provided before a video display period is generated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video display device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a display device and a method for driving the same with which image degradation can be reduced that would occur in producing animated images on the display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Video display devices may generally be categorized as the xe2x80x9choldxe2x80x9d type that allows continuous display of a same video image for a single frame period, or the xe2x80x9cimpulsexe2x80x9d type that allows the video images to be displayed momentarily within a single frame period. Examples of the hold display devices include active matrix liquid crystal displays and organic electroluminescence devices. Examples of the impulse display devices include cathode-ray tubes.
FIGS. 14A and 14B are graphical representations of luminance profiles for a given pixel of the hold and impulse display devices, respectively, plotted against a frame period. As shown in FIG. 14A, the hold display device keeps a constant luminance level over each of the individual frame periods. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 14B, a peak luminance appears at the beginning of each frame period and the luminance drops down suddenly in the impulse display device.
As apparent from the above, the hold and impulse display devices have different display characteristics. The impulse display devices are said to be superior to the hold display devices in terms of showing animated images. This is described below.
FIGS. 15A and 15B are explanation views showing display characteristics of a hold display device in conjunction with the case where white patterns travel on a black background, in which FIG. 15A shows the displacement of the pattern while FIG. 15B shows a luminance distribution thereof. In FIG. 15A, the ordinate stands for the time; the abscissa stands for the horizontal positions on the display screen; Pn (n is a natural number) represents pixels; and W represents a white pattern of five-pixel wide in the horizontal direction.
With the pattern W moved horizontally by one pixel per a given period of time, a viewer""s eyes follows the pattern W along a line period (from the broken lines V1 to V4) connecting the edges of the pattern W due to a large difference in luminance between the adjacent pixels at each edge of the pattern W.
In FIG. 15A, the broken lines V1 and V2 correspond to a displacement of the viewer""s eyes gazing at the pixel having the smallest value n of the pixels Pn that make up the pattern W. More specifically, the broken lines V1 and V2 correspond to the displacement of the viewer""s eyes at the end and beginning of a given frame period T, respectively, for the pixel in question.
The broken lines V3 and V4 correspond to a displacement of the viewer""s eyes gazing at the pixel having the largest value n of the pixels Pn that make up the pattern W. More specifically, the broken lines V3 and V4 correspond to the displacement of the viewer""s eyes at the end and beginning of a given frame period T, respectively, for the pixel in question.
Thus, the viewer""s eyes gazing at the pattern W moves along the path from the broken line V1 to the broken line V4. However, the video appears as blurred at the regions between the broken lines V1 and V2 as well as between the broken lines V3 and V4 due to the inherent display characteristic of the hold display device that shows the same video image for one frame period as described above with reference to FIG. 14A. The cause of this blurring is described more in detail with reference to FIG. 15B.
In FIG. 15B, portions of the black background are seen in the region left from the broken line V1 and the region right from the broken line V4, and thus the luminance for these regions have the luminance value of zero (0).
There are both light emitting portions and non-light emitting portions in the regions between the broken lines V1 and V2 as well as between the broken lines V3 and V4. The proportion of the light emitting portions becomes larger from the broken line V1 to the broken line V2. The luminance increases accordingly at a constant rate until the luminance reaches the luminance B of the pattern W. Likewise, the proportion of the non-light emitting portions becomes smaller from the broken line V3 to the broken line V4. The luminance decreases accordingly at a constant rate. The luminance B of the pattern W is kept at the region between the broken lines V2 and V3.
As apparent from the above, the edges of the pattern W contains the regions of which luminance changes at a constant rate (between the broken lines V1 and V2 as well as between the broken lines V3 and V4), that is, the regions having the gradient of the luminance curve. This gradient produces the blurry images around the edges. The viewer""s perception of the pattern W is influenced as the pattern W having the five-pixel width L0 is identified to have a larger width L1.
Thus, the hold display device is suffered from significant degradation for animated images. On the contrary, the impulse display device has much less degradation. As described above with reference to FIG. 14B, the luminance drops down suddenly just after the beginning of each frame period. This causes shorter distances between the broken lines V1 and V2 as well as between V3 and V4 (FIG. 15B) as compared with those obtained in the hold display device, resulting in smaller blurry regions. Accordingly, the current accepted theory is that the impulse display devices are superior to the hold display devices in displaying animated images.
Attempts have been made to improve performance of the display for animations by means of making the display characteristics of the hold display devices much closer to those of the impulse display devices. A technique has been proposed as one approach that involves in inserting a black signal (hereinafter, referred to as a xe2x80x9cblack periodxe2x80x9d) into one frame period.
FIG. 16 is a graphical representation of a luminance profile for a given pixel obtained when a black period is inserted into one frame period. As shown in FIG. 16, one frame period is divided into a video display period and the black period. The black periods contribute to making the luminance profiles of the hold display device closer to those of the impulse display device as shown in FIG. 14B.
FIGS. 17A and 17B are explanation views showing display characteristics of a hold display device when a black period is inserted into one frame period, in conjunction with the case where white patterns travel on a black background, in which FIG. 17A shows the displacement of the pattern while FIG. 17B shows a luminance distribution thereof.
In FIG. 17A, the broken lines V1 and V2 correspond to a displacement of the viewer""s eyes gazing at the pixel having the smallest value n of the pixels Pn that make up the pattern W. More specifically, the broken lines V1 and V2 correspond to the displacement of the viewer""s eyes at the beginning of the black period Tb and the video display period Ta, respectively, for the pixel in question. The broken lines V3 and V4 correspond to a displacement of the viewer""s eyes gazing at the pixel having the largest value n of the pixels Pn that make up the pattern W. More specifically, the broken lines V3 and V4 correspond to the displacement of the viewer""s eyes at the beginning of the black period Tb and the video display period Ta, respectively, for the pixel in question.
Comparison between FIGS. 17B and 15B shows that the black periods Tb make it possible to reduce the distance between the broken lines V1 and V2 as well as the distance between the broken lines V3 and V4. The smaller distances result in reduction of size of the regions having the gradient of the luminance curve, which in turn reduces the size of the blurry regions around the edges of the pattern W.
While the video display periods in the frame periods precede the black periods in FIGS. 16 and 17, it should be understood the black periods may precede the video display periods.
With the black periods Tb inserted in the frame periods as shown in FIG. 17B, the luminance of the pattern perceived by the viewer""s eyes is equal to one hundred minus a, all multiplied by B, all divided by one hundred, i.e., B*(100xe2x88x92a)/100, wherein a represents a proportion of the black period Tb in one frame period T. The conventional display devices of the type described have drawbacks in that the black periods Tb inserted into the individual frame periods cause reduction in luminance in proportion to the percentage of the black period Tb in one frame period, as can be seen from the equation.
In addition, the video display periods and the black periods are fixed in order for all frame periods of the video image made up of these periods. Thus, it is impossible to change the order appropriately depending on the type of the video image to be displayed.
The present invention was made with respect to the above and an object thereof is to provide a display device a method for driving the same with which image degradation can be reduced that would occur in producing animated images on the display device.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a display device according to the present invention comprises a display unit on which a video image made up of a plurality of pixels is displayed; a driving unit for driving the display unit; a video signal memory unit for storing a video signal supplied from outside; and a control unit adapted to generate a display signal in accordance with the video signal stored on the video signal memory unit to control driving operation of the driving unit made on the display unit by using the display signal, the display signal being indicative of a video image to be displayed on the display unit for a given frame period, the control unit comprising: calculating means for calculating a value of luminance for a video image to be displayed for a first frame period and a value of luminance for a video image to be displayed for a second frame period subsequent to the first frame period, the values of luminance being calculated for each one of pixels in accordance with the video signal supplied from outside; comparing means for comparing the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed for the first frame period and the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed for the second frame period; determining means for determining, according to the comparison result, whether it is necessary to insert a black period into the first frame period to display a black image; and generating means for generating the display signal for the first frame period when the determining means determines that the black period is required, the display signal to be generated having the black period and a video display period for displaying a video image. With this configuration, not all pixels are displayed as black. Instead, only such pixels are displayed as black that are determined to be so in accordance with the change in luminance between the first and second frame periods. Therefore, it is possible to limit the blur of the video images without deteriorating the luminance of the entire display screen.
In the display device according to the present invention, the generating means may be configured to determine the order of the video display period and the black period. With this configuration, the video display periods and the black periods can be aligned in an appropriate order in accordance with the change in luminance between the first and second frame periods. Therefore, image degradation can be reduced more efficiently.
The present inventors have found that the image degradation can be reduced by means of inserting the black period into the first frame period such that the first frame period has the black period and the video image period arranged in this order, when the first frame period has a lower luminance than the second frame period, i.e., when the luminance becomes high. The present inventors have also found that the image degradation can be reduced by means of inserting the black period into the first frame period such that the first frame period has the video image period and the black period arranged in this order, when the first frame period has a higher luminance than the second frame period, i.e., when the luminance becomes low.
Thus, in the display device according to the present invention, the generating means may be configured to generate the display signal such that the video display period precedes the black period, when the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed for the second frame period is smaller than the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed for the first frame period and, when a difference is equal to or larger than a predetermined value between the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed for the first frame period and the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed for the second frame period. The generating means may be configured to generate the display signal such that the black period precedes the video display period, when the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed for the second frame period is larger than the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed for the first frame period and, when a difference is equal to or larger than a predetermined value between the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed for the first frame period and the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed for the second frame period.
Furthermore, the display device according to the present invention may comprise a specifying unit for specifying the predetermined value such that the predetermined value falls within a range of luminance available for the display unit. This makes it possible to specify the predetermined value appropriately based on, for example, preference of a user.
In addition, in the display device according to the present invention, the video signal memory unit and the control unit may each comprise a memory area capable of storing the video signal corresponding to one frame. With this configuration, the video signal memory unit is required only to have a memory area for the video signal corresponding to one frame, even when the value of the luminance for the video image for the first frame period is compared with the value of the luminance for the video image for the second frame period, that is, when the video signals corresponding to two frames are compared. Therefore, the configuration becomes cost-effective.
The display device according to the present invention may further comprise a specifying unit for specifying a time length of the black period. This makes it possible to specify a time length of the black period appropriately based on, for example, preference of a user.
In the display device according to the present invention, the video signal supplied from outside represents a gray scale of the video image to be displayed on the display unit and the display device further comprises correspondence information memory unit for storing correspondence information indicative of a correspondence between the gray scale and the luminance. The calculating means may be configured to calculate the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed for the first frame period and the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed for the second frame period in accordance with the gray scale represented by the video signal supplied from outside and the correspondence information stored on the correspondence information memory unit. This offers more effective digital signal processing.
In the display device according to the present invention, the control unit may further comprise correcting means for correcting the display signal generated by the generating means such that a value of luminance for a video image to be displayed during the video display period is higher than the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed for the first frame period. This enhances the edges of the video image presented on the display unit and the blur which otherwise occurs at or around the edges can be reduced.
Furthermore, in the display device according to the present invention, the video signal supplied from outside represents a gray scale of the video image to be displayed on the display unit. The display device further comprises correspondence information memory unit for storing correspondence information indicative of a correspondence between the gray scale and the luminance. The correcting means may be configured to convert a value of luminance for a video image to be displayed during the video display period into a gray scale of the video image in accordance with the correspondence information stored on the correspondence information memory unit. This offers more effective digital signal processing.
In the display de according to the present invention, the correcting means may be configured to convert the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed during the video display period into a gray scale corresponding to the value of the luminance that is the closest to the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed during the video display period out of the values of luminance represented by the correspondence information, when the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed during the video display period is not represented by the correspondence information. With this configuration, it is possible to minimize a difference between the value of the luminance for the video image actually displayed on the display unit and the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed during the video display period determined by the correction carried out by the correcting means.
Furthermore, in the display device according to the present invention, the correcting means may be configured to convert the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed during the video display period into a gray scale corresponding to the largest value of the luminance but not larger than the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed during the video display period out of the values of luminance represented by the correspondence information, when the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed during the video display period is not represented by the correspondence information. In addition, the correcting means may be configured to convert the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed during the video display period into a gray scale corresponding to the smallest value of the luminance but larger than the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed during the video display period out of the values of luminance represented by the correspondence information, when the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed during the video display period is not represented by the correspondence information. Accordingly, the luminance can be converted more easily into the gray scale.
A method for driving a display device according to the present invention is a method for driving a display device having a display unit on which a video image made up of a plurality of pixels is displayed, the method comprising the steps of: calculating a value of luminance for a video image to be displayed for a first frame period and a value of luminance for a video image to be displayed for a second frame period subsequent to the first frame period, the values of luminance being calculated for each one of pixels in accordance with the video signal supplied from outside; comparing the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed for the first frame period and the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed for the second frame period; determining, according to the comparison result, whether it is necessary to insert a black period into the first frame period to display a black image; generating the display signal representing the video image that should be displayed on the display unit, the display signal having a video display period for displaying a video image and a black period for displaying black; and driving a display device to display the video image for the first frame period by using the display signal generated. This makes it possible to limit the blur of the video images without deteriorating the luminance of the entire display screen.
In the method for driving a display device according to the present invention, the step of generating the display signal may determine the order of the video display period and the black period.
In the method for driving a display device according to the present invention, the step of generating the display signal may generate the display signal such that the video display period precedes the black period, when the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed for the second frame period is smaller than the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed for the first frame period and, when a difference is equal to or larger than a predetermined value between the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed for the first frame period and the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed for the second frame period.
Furthermore, in the method for driving a display device according to the present invention, the step of generating the display signal may generate the display signal such that the black period precedes the video display period, when the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed for the second frame period is larger than the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed for the first frame period and, when a difference is equal to or larger than a predetermined value between the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed for the first frame period and the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed for the second frame period.
In addition, in the method for driving a display device according to the present invention, the video signal supplied from outside represents a gray scale of the video image to be displayed on the display unit, wherein the calculation step may calculate the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed for the first frame period and the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed for the second frame period in accordance with correspondence information indicative of a correspondence between the gray scale and the luminance and the gray scale represented by the video signal supplied from outside.
The method for driving a display device according to the present invention may further comprise the step of correcting the display signal generated such that a value of luminance for a video image to be displayed during the video display period is higher than the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed for the first frame period.
In addition, in the method for driving a display device according to the present invention, the video signal supplied from outside represents a gray scale of the video image to be displayed on the display unit, wherein the step of correcting the display signal may convert a value of luminance for a video image to be displayed during the video display period into a gray scale of the video image in accordance with correspondence information indicative of a correspondence between the gray scale and the luminance.
In the method for driving a display device according to the present invention, the step of correcting the display signal may convert the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed during the video display period into a gray scale corresponding to the value of the luminance that is the closest to the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed during the video display period out of the values of luminance represented by the correspondence information, when the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed during the video display period is not represented by the correspondence information.
In the method for driving a display device according to the present invention, the step of correcting the display signal may convert the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed during the video display period into a gray scale corresponding to the largest value of the luminance but not larger than the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed during the video display period out of the values of luminance represented by the correspondence information, when the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed during the video display period is not represented by the correspondence information.
Moreover, in the method for driving a display device according to the present invention, the step of correcting the display signal may convert the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed during the video display period into a gray scale corresponding to the smallest value of the luminance but larger than the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed during the video display period out of the values of luminance represented by the correspondence information, when the value of the luminance for the video image to be displayed during the video display period is not represented by the correspondence information.
These objects as well as other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Display device and method for driving the same

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


User authentication apparatus controlling access to systems, inputs owner's login name and password and then extracts the owner's timing vectors from keystroke characteristics with which the owner forms a training set. A semantic network uses multiple links to indicate that different pattern components of user's behavioral access create different kinds of relationships and “symbolic representations”. A neural network is trained by using each of the owner's timing vectors in the training set as an input. When a user inputs the owner's login name and password, it's checked and the user's timing vector is extracted to type the user's password if checked and demoted in confidence level if otherwise. The user's timing vector is applied to neural network and difference between the input/output is compared with a predetermined threshold; and if the difference is greater than the threshold, is prohibited. Preferably this is aided by response time to personal questions.

In this background section there is presented, in order to distinguish the novel features of the present invention, a general description of the problem facing giving access authorization to a secure information system, both in terms of commercial and government security needs, and a summary of where the prior art leaves off and the present invention provides additional artificial intelligence levels of security.

Method of and apparatus for combining artificial intelligence (AI) concepts with event-driven security architectures and ideas


A stage light fixture is provided with a main body extending along a longitudinal axis and having an outer surface; a light source arranged inside the main body at a first end of the main body and suitable to emit a light beam substantially along the axis; and with an objective lens arranged at a second end of the main body; the main body is provided with a plurality of inserts to fix to the outer surface, by means of a magnetic coupling, a filter suitable to intercept the light beam which crosses the objective lens; the inserts are made of a magnetic material and/or of a metallic material suitable to be attracted by a magnetic material.

A stage light fixture of the known type comprises a main body extending along a longitudinal axis, a light source arranged inside the main body at a first end of the main body and suitable to emit a light beam substantially along the axis, and an objective lens arranged at a second end of the main body.
In the show business field, stage light fixtures are often used in combination with outer filters adapted to color the light beam which crosses the objective lens of the light fixture. These outer filters are substantially colored sheets, generally made of plastic, and are often preferred to the colored filters arranged inside the light fixture because of their particular properties. Indeed, in outer filters, the color is distributed in a more uniform manner than in inner filters, and furthermore the available color range for outer filters is much broader than the range of colors made available for inner filters.
However, these outer filters are fixed to the stage light by generally not very reliable fastening means. Indeed, the filter sometimes detaches from the light fixture during fast movements imparted to the light fixture for stage purposes.
The most used fastening means in this field is common adhesive tape, which does not always ensure a firm fastening and furthermore requires rather long application times.

Stage light fixture and light fixture assembly comprising said stage light fixture


The problem of the present invention is to provide a circuit board comprising a shape retention unit capable of thinning while maintaining mechanical strength. The present invention solves the above-mentioned problem by providing a circuit board comprising a metal supporting substrate, a first insulating layer formed on the above-mentioned metal supporting substrate, and a wiring layer formed on the above-mentioned first insulating layer, wherein an open area is formed in the above-mentioned metal supporting substrate, and the circuit board comprises a shape retention unit having a second insulating layer contacting with the above-mentioned metal supporting substrate and a reinforcing layer formed on the above-mentioned second insulating layer, and bridging the above-mentioned metal supporting substrate divided by the above-mentioned open area.

For example, a suspension substrate mounted with a device such as a magnetic head slider is known as a circuit board used for an HDD (a hard disk drive). The suspension substrate ordinarily has a fundamental structure such that a metal supporting substrate (such as SUS), an insulating layer (such as a polyimide resin) and a wiring layer (such as Cu) are laminated in this order; and ordinarily has, at one tip, a device mounting area which is mounted with the device, and has, at the other tip, a connecting area for connecting with another circuit board.
Also, it is known that the metal supporting substrate is typically so high in rigidity that part of the metal supporting substrate is removed for intending to achieve lower rigidity. On the other hand, the removal of part of the metal supporting substrate occasionally causes a problem resulting from lack of mechanical strength by contraries. Thus, a technique for reinforcing the metal supporting substrate by using an insulating material is known. For example, in Patent Literature 1, a suspension assembly having a specific dielectric limiter is disclosed. This technique relates to a limiter for preventing a flexure assembly from plastically deforming and being incapable of pivoting in a predetermined manner in the case where acceleration is applied to a head/slider of an HGA (a head gimbal assembly) by impact force and the flexure assembly for supporting the head/slider is displaced over a certain level, and relates to a dielectric limiter suitable for downsizing. The plastic deformation of the suspension assembly is occasionally caused resulting from not merely the impact on a magnetic disk device but also the handling of the HGA in a manufacturing process. However, in order to restrain such deformation of the dielectric limiter itself, the width of the limiter needs to be maintained at a predetermined size, whereby a problem that thinning is difficult occurs.
Also, the following technique is known as a technique for processing a polyimide resin used for an insulating layer. For example, in Patent Literature 2, it is described that a resist image for processing an insulating layer is formed to process the insulating layer by wet etching in accordance with the resist image. Also, in Patent Literature 3, it is described that only an area to be removed in a polyimide resin with a faster dissolution rate is selectively removed by the same etching solution while using polyimide resins different in dissolution rate.

Circuit board, manufacturing method of circuit board, suspension substrate, suspension, device-mounted suspension, and hard disk drive


By applying a first value of voltage to a first side of a MEMS gyroscope and applying a second value of voltage to a second side of the MEMS gyroscope, the start time of the MEMS gyroscope may be improved. The first and second value of voltage may be provided by a bias power source, such as a battery or a super capacitor. The first value of voltage may be substantially equal in magnitude to and opposite in polarity to the second value of voltage. The bias power source may also be applied to drive electronics connected to the MEMS gyroscope. The bias power source may prevent amplifiers within the drive electronics from saturating during the start time.

The present invention relates generally to MEMS gyroscopes, and more particularly, relates to an improved start time of a MEMS gyroscope.
Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) integrate electrical and mechanical devices on the same silicon substrate using microfabrication technologies. The electrical components are fabricated using integrated circuit processes, while the mechanical components are fabricated using micromachining processes that are compatible with the integrated circuit processes. This combination makes it possible to fabricate an entire system on a chip using standard manufacturing processes.
One common application of MEMS is the design and manufacture of sensor devices. The mechanical portion of the device provides the sensing capability, while the electrical portion processes the information obtained by the mechanical portion. One example of a MEMS sensor is a MEMS gyroscope.
A type of MEMS gyroscope uses a vibrating element to sense angular rate through the detection of a Coriolis acceleration. The vibrating element is put into oscillatory motion in the X-axis (drive plane), which is parallel to the substrate. Once the vibrating element is put in motion, it is capable of detecting angular rates induced by the substrate being rotated about the Z-axis (input plane), which is parallel to the substrate. The Coriolis acceleration occurs in the Y-axis (sense plane), which is perpendicular to both the X-axis and the Z-axis. The Coriolis acceleration produces a Coriolis motion that has an amplitude that is proportional to the angular rate of the substrate.
The start time of a device is the time required to produce a usable output after power application. A typical MEMS gyroscope takes between one and two seconds to start. There are MEMS gyroscope applications that require a faster start time. For example, some inertial measurement units (IMUs) that include one or more MEMS gyroscopes may require a start time of one second or less.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a MEMS gyroscope that starts in one second or less.
A MEMS gyroscope system and method for improving the start time of a MEMS gyroscope comprising of a MEMS gyroscope and a bias power source providing a first value of voltage to a first side of the MEMS gyroscope and a second value of voltage to a second side of the MEMS gyroscope is disclosed. The bias power source may also provide a voltage to drive electronics connected to the MEMS gyroscope.


A filtering apparatus having a vessel and a filter made from fluororesin and treated before filtering operation by at least one of adding thermal treatment in gas or liquid and penetrating with fluid composed of hot water or steam at a temperature of less than melting point of the fluororesin.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a filtering apparatus and a filtering device for removing suspended solid contained in hot water and a power plant in which the filtering apparatus or the filtering device is installed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in a case of removing suspended solid generated from structural material or piping material by a condenser in a power plant, especially removing iron oxide, hollow fiber filter apparatus made from polyethylene is used before heating feedwater. Moreover, for removing suspended solid in hot water after heating feedwater, a metallic filter or an electromagnetic filter, etc., is used. For example, it is shown in Japanese Patent Disclosure (Koukai) No. H10-339793.
However, by using a filtering apparatus with the filter mentioned above, although a filter or a filtration material which has the mechanism to reduce concentration of the suspended solid is installed for suppressing prevention of heat transmission and corrosion inside of piping, since heat-resistant temperature of the above-mentioned hollow fiber filter apparatus made from polyethylene is about 60 degrees Centigrade, it cannot be applied to a feedwater heater. In addition, the suspended solid which exists in feedwater is also generated in the feedwater heater.
Moreover, a metal filter has subjects that it is chemically unstable, and a used metallic material may begin to dissolve and corrode or form an oxide film, and thus pores of the filter may be blocked. Furthermore, an electromagnetic filter has deferrization performance that is greatly influenced by quality of the suspended solid.
In regard to a general heat-resistant filter module composed of a hollow porosity film, a manufacturing method composed of pouring resins of low viscosity, such as an epoxy resin, a urethane resin, and a silicone resin, into the gap of an outer case and the hollow porosity film and heating the resin to harden is learned. For example, it is shown in Japanese Patent Publication (Koukoku) No. S44-5526, and Japanese Patent Publication (Koukoku) No. S56-40602.
However, even if the hollow porosity film itself is a material having sufficient performance from a viewpoint of heat-resistance and elution, the amount of elution from these resins used as an encapsulant is large and inadequate, and it is difficult to apply these resins to a filter for removing suspended solid from hot water in the temperature of over 100 degrees Centigrade, such as feedwater or heater drain of a power plant whose water quality is highly managed.
In order to solve this problem, it is proposed a method of manufacturing a filter module, with heat-resistance and little elution, made from only fluororesin as the hollow porosity film and to seal the hollow porosity filter with a thermoplastic fluororesin. For example, it is shown in Japanese Patent Publication (Touroku) No. 2993217.
FIG. 21 is a sectional view showing an example of a seal portion of a filter module of the hollow porosity film obtained by the above-mentioned conventional method.
As shown in FIG. 21, in a filter module 104 of the hollow porosity film, a hollow porosity film 102 made from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which is a kind of fluororesin, is settled inside of an outer case 101 and sealed with polytetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene copolymer (FEP) to form a support portion 103 of FEP. The outer case 101 can be made from metals, such as stainless steel, PTFE, FEP, etrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkylvinylether copolymer (PFA), etc. FEP and PFA of fluororesins are suitable for a thermoplastic resin which can be used as an encapsulant.
By this method, since a filter module can be composed of metal and fluororesin only, or fluororesin only, from a viewpoint of necessary condition of heat-resistance and elution required as a filter for dissociating suspended solid contained in the hot water of a power plant, this filter is improved rather than a conventional filter having the above-mentioned problem.
By the way, in order to prevent lowering of heat-conductivity by extraction and precipitation of suspended solid or a dissolution component contained in water to piping, or to prevent vibration of a pump, in the above-mentioned conventional power plant, a filtering apparatus or a desalination equipment is installed to remove suspended solid and ions in the water.
By installing a filtering apparatus composed of the above-mentioned filter made from polyethylene, suspended solid in condensate at low temperature can be removed, however, the filter made from polyethylene is not applicable for removing suspended solid generated in hot water at a temperature of not less than 100 degrees Centigrade because heat-resistant temperature of the polyethylene filter is low.
Moreover, the metallic filter applied to feedwater at a temperature of over 100 degrees Centigrade tends to be chemically unstable and clogged up with deposit of solid substances, and it may pollute water by elution from the filter material in view of standard water quality control, therefore applying the metallic filter to hot water is difficult.
On the other hand, the electromagnetic filter has low filtering performance because it can remove only magnetized suspended solid, and it is difficult for the electromagnetic filter to reproduce the filter for removing dissociated suspended solid.
Furthermore, the filter shown in FIG. 21 cannot avoid heat cycles for treating hot water of a power plant, and the filter module 104 tends to be damaged due to expansion and contraction and exfoliation of the outer case 101 and the support portion 103, because of differences of their materials and their thermal expansion coefficients.
Moreover, in a filter applied as an object for condensate filtering, back wash operation to reproduce hollow fibers which constitute the filter is performed. In this case, by using a fact that gas cannot pass through the film at a pressure which is lower than a bubble point, which is the minimum pressure at which the gas can pass through the film, a method of removing suspended solid deposited on a surface of the film by pressing at certain pressure which is lower than the bubble point to push out water in the upper space of the filtering apparatus is adopted.
On the other hand, a hydrophobic filter applied to such as a power plant must be made hydrophilic by using alcohol, etc. before use. Although the above-mentioned conventional method of back wash can be applied if the bubble point is more than the pressure at the back wash process, if packed material or a film constituting the filter has low bubble point, passing through gas in back wash makes it hydrophobic and thus it needs to be made hydrophilic. Moreover, purification process of the system takes additional time and medical fluid processing is also necessary.
Moreover, the back wash process of the filter used at high temperature cannot be carried out at the high temperature, so it needs cooling process before the back wash process and heating process before restarting. Therefore, it needs to be furnished for cooling and heating, and it additionally takes long time to restart the filter because long cooling time and long heating time is included.
In the above-mentioned conventional filtering apparatus, there are several awaiting solution. That is, the hollow fiber filter made from polyethylene cannot be applied to a feedwater heater because its heat-resistant temperature is about 60 degrees Centigrade, and the metal filter is chemically unstable and its used metallic material dissolves and its pores may be blocked due to corrosion in proportion to forming an oxide film, and the electromagnetic filter has deferrization performance that is greatly influenced by quality of the suspended solid.
Furthermore, the filter shown in FIG. 21 cannot avoid heat cycles for treating hot water of a power plant, and the hollow porosity film 102 tends to be damaged due to expansion and contraction of the outer case 101 and the support portion 103 whose thermal expansion coefficients differ each other, and thus pollution of water quality is occurred due to the base of the filter. And it is difficult to reproduce the filter, thus it is difficult to use as a filter for removing suspended solid contained in hot water of a power plant in which highly management of water quality and long-term stable performance are needed.
And in the conventional back wash method of a filtering apparatus, if the bubble point of packed material or a film constituting the filter is low, making the filter hydrophilic is necessary because passing gases in the back wash process makes the filter hydrophobic. And excessive purification process of the system and medical fluid processing are also needed.
Moreover, it needs cooling before the back wash process and heating before restarting because it cannot back wash the filter used in high temperature circumstance without cooling, so it needs time and additional facilities for cooling and heating and it takes long time up to restarting.
Recently it is found that fluororesin is chemically stable under hot water especially with the temterature of over 150 degrees Centigrade. However, since the fluororesin filter is manufactured by pulling filter base element, if the fluororesin filter contacts with hot water in filtering operation, the fluororesin filter tends to deformed and the permeability of the fluororesin is lowered and damaged because of heat cycle.

Filtering apparatus, back wash method therefor, filtering device and power plant


A slide fastener slider comprises upper and lower wings joined together at their one ends by a connecting neck and having respective lateral flanges, and a thermal insulating backing such as of plastics material substantially coextensive with the lower wing. The backing is secured to the lower wing by injection-molding, rivetting, or snapping engagement of hooks on the backing with recesses in the lower wing. Additionally, there is provided for the purpose of heat insulation an air accommodating pocket formed between the backing and the lower wing.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to slide fasteners and particularly to a slider therefor.
2. Prior Art
There have been heretofore proposed numerous slide fastener sliders of various forms and designs. However, to the best knowledge of the present inventors, there are known no such sliders which are suitable for use in extremely cold environment where a slider, if made of a metal, tends to give unpleasant chilling feel and at worse a frostbite to the skin of the user.
One prior art is known as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Publication No. 48-30003, in which a metallic slider is covered with a soft material such as plastics at its surface portions located internally of a camera case so as to eliminate possible damage to the camera.
Such prior device is however not capable of application onto garment articles such as ski wear, wind jackets, shirts and the like which would come into direct contact with the human skin particularly in extremely cold weather. The plastic cover used in the prior device is simply mounted on the underside of a slider and hence is liable to separation if used on such garments which need laundering and press.


A method for manufacturing a multilayer wiring board is disclosed. The method includes steps of preparing printed wiring boards having both electrical connection pads for establishing an electrical connection between the boards and non-connection pads for not establishing an electrical connection between the boards on the same plane, overlaying the boards so that the electrical connection pads face each other, and laminating the boards so that the boards are bonded to each other through a conductive paste provided between the facing electrical connection pads. To prepare the printed wiring boards, attach an insulating film to at least one of surfaces faced when the boards are overlaid in the overlaying, bore holes in the insulating film so that the electrical connection pads are exposed, and provide a conductive paste in the holes.

Most components designed to be mounted on multilayer wiring boards are based on surface mount technology, and connection parts for establishing a connection between components and multilayer wiring boards have been made smaller year by year. Further, as the number of mount components has been increasing more and more, it has been required to reduce the pitch of holes to be foliated in multilayer wiring boards and to increase the number of wiring circuit layers.
A typical multilayer wiring board is an integrated laminate in which double-sided copper-clad laminates on which a wiring circuit is formed and insulating adhesive layers alternate, and has a structure (through holes) such that holes passing through the multilayer wiring board are formed in needed portions and the interior walls of the holes are plated so that an electrical connection is established between circuits on the respective layers.
However, since through holes extend in the entire thickness direction of the printed wiring board, at the positions of the through holes in the plan view, in the wiring circuit layer other than the wiring circuit layers needed for connection, the circuit patterns are disposed away from the through holes in order to avoid electrical connection with the through holes. For this reason, it is difficult to improve the wiring density in the through hole structure.
To solve this problem, a method for manufacturing a multilayer wiring board having a through hole-less structure for establishing a connection between the layers through a conductive paste has been proposed as a structure not using through holes. For example, the one described below is well known.
Patent Literature 1 discloses a method for forming a multilayer wiring board by providing holes in a thin prepreg, which is prepared by impregnating a non-woven fabric with a thermosetting resin so that it is set in the semi-cured state; filling the holes with a conductive paste; overlaying two double-sided circuit boards (each board includes an insulating substrate having a layer of a circuit pattern on both sides) on each other with the prepreg therebetween; heating and pressurizing the workpiece for adhesion such that the circuits on the two double-sided circuit boards are electrically connected to each other through the conductive paste in the holes in the prepreg.
Patent Literature 2 discloses a method for forming an interlayer connection part consisting of conductive bumps, by forming conductive bumps, which have a mountain shape or a substantially conical shape, on a conductive plate, and press-inserting the conductive bumps in an insulating prepreg substrate which is softened by heating.
Patent Literature 3 discloses a method for manufacturing a multilayer wiring board by providing an adhesive resin sheet, which has odd-shaped via holes with an opening area determined according to the conductor area rate, between circuit boards having a plurality of regions with different conductor area rates, filling the odd-shaped via holes with a conductive paste, and hot-pressing the workpiece.

Method for manufacturing multilayer wiring board


A method and system for communicating audio, video, and/or control signals within a home entertainment system. A plurality of audio channels is communicated between a wireless transmitter and a wireless receiver. The wireless transmitter is located proximate to a speaker housing. In some embodiments the speaker housing also encloses a center channel loudspeaker. The center channel loudspeaker transmits an audio signal to a remote loudspeaker. An exemplary remote loudspeaker is a subwoofer loudspeaker. The subwoofer loudspeaker provides one or more received audio channels to one or more surround loudspeakers.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to signal routing networks. More particularly, the invention provides a method and system for distributing one or more signals, via a wired and wireless medium, for a home theater system.
2. Description of Related Art
Modern home theater systems immerse viewers by displaying a video signal on a video display while routing a related audio signal to one or more loudspeakers. The audio signal may include audio channels, for multiple loudspeakers, that are to be heard emanating from different locations around the viewers. Speaker wires are commonly employed to route the audio channels to the different loudspeaker locations. Depending on the locations of the loudspeakers and their distance from the audio source, routing of the speaker wires presents a challenge to the viewer. Difficulties can also arise when retrofitting a multi channel loudspeaker system into an existing entertainment room. Moreover, as the audio signals contain more and more channels, with each channel corresponding to a prescribed location around the viewer, the routing of speaker wires becomes even more daunting.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,608,907 to Lee discloses an audio output apparatus having wireless speakers. The audio output apparatus outputs an audio signal for a 5.1 channel system. The audio signal is encoded in accordance with an IEEE 1394 protocol. The encoded audio signal is provided to a sub-woofer loudspeaker through an IEEE 1394 communication line. The audio signal is decoded in the sub-woofer loudspeaker and then modulated by a spread spectrum FM modulation method. The modulated signal is then transmitted to wirelessly connected speakers. The described surround speaker system does away with the routing of unsightly speaker wires throughout a listening area. However, such a design has other significant drawbacks.
The wirelessly connected speakers are specialized speakers in that they must contain means to receive the wireless signals as well as means to amplify the received signals. For example, the wirelessly connected speakers each include an amplifier to amplify the received signal. A listener, who is retrofitting the speaker system described in Lee into their listening area, must purchase specialized speakers that include these components. These specialized speakers may be manufactured by only a few manufactures and have a limited selection. Thus, besides the added cost of purchasing new specialized speakers, the limited availability may not allow a listener to select speakers from a manufacture that the listener prefers. Another aspect is the added cost to the consumer of having multiple amplifiers and power supplies in multiple locations.
Furthermore, to amplify the received signals, the speakers/amplifiers must be plugged into a wall outlet to receive power or use batteries, which is inconvenient. However, a wall outlet may not be conveniently located at the locations of each speaker. To provide power to each speaker, the listener may end up routing unsightly power cords around the listening area. Thus, the desire to free the listening area of unsightly wires may still not be achieved with the speaker system described in Lee.

Wireless and wired speaker hub for a home theater system


A wiring harness is horizontally swingably arranged from the sliding door to a vehicle body. A resilient member arranged at the sliding door energizes the wiring harness toward the vehicle body when the sliding door is fully closed, and energizes to bend the wiring harness when the sliding door is started to be opened. The wiring harness at the sliding door is supported by an oscillation member, and the resilient member energizes the wiring harness toward the vehicle body via the oscillation member. The oscillation member is mounted on a slider, the slider is engaged with a horizontal guiding rail, and the wiring harness is arranged from the slider to the oscillation member. The wiring harness is fixed to a fastening device at the vehicle body side, and the fastening device is arranged obliquely and outwardly against a direction of closing the sliding door. When the sliding door is fully closed, the wiring harness is horizontally supported along an oblong harness guiding member at the sliding door side.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a harness structure for a sliding door.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 12 and 13 show one embodiment of a electric power supplying device 61 having a conventional harness structure for a sliding door (see JP 2003-25850, A (FIGS. 2 and 4)).
The electric power supplying device 61 includes: an oblong case 63 mounted on a sliding door 62 of a vehicle; a slider 64 slidably engaged with a guiding rail (not shown) of the case 63; an oscillation member 65 swingably supported by a vertical shaft of the slider in a horizontal direction; and an outer sheath 66 in a form of a caterpillar arranged bendably in substantially a U-shape inside the case and extended between the oscillation member 65 and a vehicle body (not shown).
The outer sheath 66 is covered by a tube 67 between the sliding door and the vehicle body. As shown in FIG. 13, a plurality of electric wires (wiring harness) 68 are inserted into insides of the outer sheath 66 and the slider 64. The outer sheath 66 in the form of the caterpillar regulates the wiring harness 68 in such a manner to bend only vertically or horizontally.
By opening the sliding door in a direction A (rear side) from a state shown in FIG. 12, the slider 64 is moved forward relative to the case 63, and the wiring harness 68 is extended in substantially a J-shape in the case 63 with the outer sheath 66. A harness slack is absorbed by expanding or contracting the wiring harness 68 and the outer sheath 66 in accordance with opening or closing the sliding door 62. The outer sheath 66 regulates a direction of bending the wiring harness 68.
However, regarding the electric power supplying device 61 having the conventional harness structure, because expensive and complex outer sheath 66 in the form of caterpillar is used for regulating the direction of bending the wiring harness, the electric power supplying device 61 becomes expensive, heavy and time-consuming for assembling the outer sheath 66. Further, because the oblong case is arranged on the sliding door 62, a layout for the other auxiliaries or members are restricted. Further, since the wiring harness 68 is bent in substantially a V-shape from the slider 64 to the oscillation member 65 when the sliding door 62 is opened or closed, there is a fear that durability of the wiring harness 68 may be decreased because a large bending stress works for a bending part 68a of the wiring harness 68.
These problems may be happen not only the sliding door 62 of a vehicle, but also a sliding door for processing machinery or the like.
According to the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a harness structure for a sliding door that can smoothly and surely regulate the direction of bending the wiring harness when the sliding door is moved even with a low cost outer sheath, that can be compact without a large space for a width direction of a thickness direction of the sliding door, and that can improve bending durability when the sliding door is moved.


A power train system for a vehicle includes a power unit which is positioned in the front of the vehicle body, a differential which is positioned in the rear of the vehicle body, a propeller shaft which connects the power unit and the differential to transmit the engine output power to the rear wheels, and a power plant frame which rigidly connects the rear portion of the power unit and the front portion of the differential. The differential is resiliently connected to a chassis side member by a cylindrical rubber bushing member which has an outer tubular member fixed to the differential, a shaft member which is fixed to the chassis side member and extends horizontally in the transverse direction of the vehicle body, and a rubber member which is interposed between the outer tubular member and the shaft member. The rubber bushing member is positioned higher than the center of the differential, and the power plant frame has a substantially U-shaped cross-section which opens sideways and is flexurally stiff and torsionally flexible.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a power train system for a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently it has been proposed to rigidly connect the power unit positioned in the front of the vehicle body to the differential positioned in the rear of the vehicle body by a power plant frame which has a substantially U-shaped cross-section and is flexurally stiff and torsionally flexible, thereby reducing the engine vibration and suppressing the windup vibration of the differential due to torque reactions from the rear wheels. See Canadian Patent No. 1158265, for instance.
However when the power unit and the differential are rigidly connected by the power plant frame, an impact acting in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body upon collision or the like is directly transmitted to the differential or the power unit through the power plant frame and the impact cannot be sufficiently absorbed.