An imaging plate guide formed in different configurations corresponding to the various intraoral dental plate sizes, which in turn correspond to the dental intraoral film sizes commonly referred to as sizes 0 through 4, the imaging plate guides dedicated to intraoral imaging providing for guides for each plate size so that a desired array of feed width guides can be positioned on the scanner for scanning the intraoral plates and which scan extraoral imaging plates as well. The embodiment of the imaging plate guides provides not only for interchangeability with respect to the intraoral plate size, but also allows for the feeding of extraoral imaging plates without the need to remove the intraoral plate guides. The size 4 is not specifically described, but is analogous to the other sizes as would be obvious to one skilled in the art.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to imaging plate guides and more particularly to imaging plate guides used in conjunction with a dental scanner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In dental technology, intraoral x-ray images have traditionally been obtained by placing x-ray film in the patient""s oral cavity behind the tooth or teeth to be imaged. The film must be oriented correctly to optimize the region of the mouth that will be contained in the film""s image. In processing the film to make the latent image visible, films are processed either manually or by automatic film processors that use developer, fixer, wash and drying phases for the complete process. Since the images are contained within the film and are viewed by looking through the film, the angular orientation of the film within the processor is not critical except in some circumstances and perhaps for the reliability of the transporting of the film through the particular processors. The film is then viewed in either the portrait or landscape orientation as determined by the initial placement of film in the oral cavity, and for intraoral films, the films are typically placed into film holders for viewing.
Dental technology is now in the age of digital imaging. There are two basic types of digital imaging modalities, namely, CCD or CMOS based sensors (sometimes referred to as xe2x80x9clollipopsxe2x80x9d because the wire that protrudes from such a sensor is reminiscent of a lollipop stick) and the photo-stimulable phosphor (PSP) imaging plates. For the sensors which are direct reading, like film, the oral cavity orientation of the sensor is the only alignment requirement. However, for PSP imaging plates, although the latent image is contained within the imaging plate, much like film, the latent image has to be xe2x80x9creadxe2x80x9d opto-mechanically and the orientation of the imaging plate relative to the reading mechanism will determine how well the resulting images are oriented with respect to the portrait or landscape orientations, and therefore how well it is aligned with the digital holders within which the images are placed. If the reading line is inclined with respect to the axis of the imaging plate, then the rectangular image will appear skewed in the digital display device. Due to the nature of pixelized digital image data, de-skewing the image by computer rotation, requires two sets of coordinate transformations and/or interpolations, thereby losing image data and image resolution which is unacceptable. Also, most likely two sets of data would probably have to be stored, the original skewed data for legal data integrity reasons and an aligned display image for quick viewing, as reconstruction from the original skewed data to aligned display data is time consuming.
Therefore, the reader or scanner must read the plate in an aligned fashion. To accomplish this the image plates are placed either into holders or feed guides that orient them correctly with respect to the read lines. In batch process readers, a plate is automatically or manually placed into a frame that retains the imaging plate in the desired orientation. In continuous feed readers, provision has to be made to keep the plates aligned correctly while the plates are translated through the device and past the orthogonally or near orthogonally oriented read line. Typically, unique size holders for each plate size are required, intraoral and extraoral plates require holders that must be interchanged when going from one type to the other and the guides are either adjusted in their width or are exchanged for different widths. It is therefore desirable to develop imaging plate guides which permit the scanning of all sizes of intraoral image plates and allow scanning of extraoral image plates without having to remove the intraoral plate guides, yet allow interchange of intraoral plate guides when a different size plate is to be read.
An object of the present invention is to provide for imaging plate guides corresponding to the different sizes of dental intraoral film and extraoral imaging plates.
Another object of the present invention is to provide for imaging plate guides, which could be preloaded with imaging plates, and then inserted into their guide locations on the scanners.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide for novel imaging plate guides in which the guide slot is dimensioned to minimize skewing of the plate by no more than one half degree to one degree.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel imaging guide which is provided with a stop limiting means to allow the plate to be pushed only as far as necessary to engage the scanner transport mechanism.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide interchangeable intraoral plate guides that do not have to be removed to scan extraoral imaging plates.
An imaging plate guide formed in different configurations corresponding to the various intraoral dental plate sizes, which in turn correspond to the dental intraoral film sizes commonly referred to as sizes 0 through 4, the imaging plate guides dedicated to intraoral imaging providing for guides for each plate size so that a desired array of feed width guides can be positioned on the scanner for scanning the intraoral plates and which scan extraoral imaging plates as well. The embodiment of the imaging plate guides provides not only for interchangeability with respect to the intraoral plate size, but also allows for the feeding of extraoral imaging plates without the need to remove the intraoral plate guides. The size 4 is not specifically described, but is analogous to the other sizes as would be obvious to one skilled in the art.


The invention provides (1) a method of increasing the thermal stability of an oleaginous liquid containing a high surface area silica viscosifier therein by adding a water soluble biopolymer thereto; and (2) a drilling, completion, workover, or well servicing fluid comprising an oleaginous liquid, a water soluble biopolymer, and a high surface area silica viscosifier. The method and fluid may optionally contain a low molecular weight polar additive preferably having a molecular weight less than about 400 and containing one or more polar groups per molecule selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, amino, and mixtures thereof.

The invention relates to oil base well drilling and servicing fluids (completion fluids, workover fluids, sand control fluids, perforating fluids, fracturing fluids, and the like known fluids). In particular, the invention relates to all oil fluids containing a silica viscosifier which are characterized by a high low shear rate viscosity and shear thinning index.
It is well known in the oil and gas drilling and servicing art to employ fluids which exhibit an elevated low shear rate viscosity (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "LSRV") and shear thinning index (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "STI"). See for example the following U.S. patents: Dobson, Jr. et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,728,642 (heavy brine based fluids); Dobson, Jr. et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,804,535 (formate brine based fluids); Brookey U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,826 (aqueous aphron-containing fluids); Dobson, Jr. et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,942,468 (invert (water-in-oil) emulsion based fluids); House U.S. Pat. No. 5,977,030 (water-in-oil emulsions); Brookey et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,156,708 (oil base aphron-containing fluids); and Dobson, Jr. et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,300,286 (divalent cation-containing brine base fluids).
It is well known that certain aqueous base biopolymer-containing fluids are shear thinning, exhibiting a high low shear rate viscosity and a low high shear rate viscosity. A near zero shear rate (0.06 to 0.11 sec−1) viscosity provides a numerical value related to the ability of a fluid to suspend particles or cuttings under static conditions. Conversely, viscosity measured at shear rates above 20 sec−1 relates to the hole cleaning capacity of a fluid under annular flow conditions. Such fluids have been eminently successful for use in high angle and horizontal drilling. See for example: (1) "Drill-In Fluids Improve High-Angle Well Production", Supplement to Petroleum Engineer International, March, 1995, p. 5-11; and (2) "Soluble Bridging Particle Drilling System Generates Successful Completions in Unconsolidated Sand Reservoirs", J. Dobson and D. Kayga, presented at the 5th International Conference on Horizontal Well Technology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Jul. 14-16, 1993.
It is disclosed in Dobson, Jr. et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,616,541 to utilize an amorphous silica as a viscosifier in calcium- and zinc-containing high density brine fluids. It is disclosed in Dobson, Jr. et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,728,652 to provide calcium- and zinc-containing brine fluids containing one or more polysaccharide polymer viscosifiers and an amorphous silica viscosifier therein.
It is known that certain oleaginous liquids such as petroleum oils or fractions thereof, or other hydrocarbon liquids, can be viscosified or gelled by the addition thereto of certain silica viscosifiers (or thickeners). Generally an increase in efficiency of the viscosification process and a reduction in the silica concentration can be accomplished by the addition to the fluid of low molecular weight polar organic compounds which can absorb onto the surface of the silica particles forming a bridge there between.

Viscous oleaginous fluids and methods of drilling and servicing wells therewith


A first cloud vendor is registered by a backup application. A file is moved from backup storage of the backup application to the first cloud vendor. A reference is maintained at the backup storage to the first file residing at the first cloud vendor. A second cloud vendor is registered by the backup application. The backup application directs a migration of the file from the first cloud vendor to the second cloud vendor without recalling the file to the backup storage. A reference maintained at the backup storage is updated to refer to the file now residing at the second cloud vendor. The updated reference is maintained at the backup storage.

Virtually all organizations have a backup system to protect against data loss. A backup system functions by storing backup copies of the organization's data. If, for example, a primary copy of data is lost such as via accidental deletion, hardware failure, or other disaster, the data can be recalled from the backup system. As the organization continues to grow and generate data, the costs to maintain the backup copies on the backup system likewise continues to grow.
Cloud storage from cloud providers can offer organizations economical solutions to their storage needs. Cloud providers make their resources available to many different organizations and each individual organization can benefit from economies of scale achieved from aggregating demand.
However, a problem with storing backups in various cloud storage is the decoupling of the backups from the backup system. This can frustrate attempts to recall those backups should the need arise. Therefore, there is a need for improved systems and techniques to facilitate backup system awareness with regard to cloud storage.
The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for efficient backup system aware direct data migration between cloud storages


A train of articulated vehicles which can be disassembled and assembled readily and to which an articulation mechanism of any conventional structure can be applied universally. A plurality of receiving side vehicle bodies each having one or a pair of receiving side articulating portions and a plurality of received side vehicle bodies each having one or a pair of received side articulating portions are disposed alternately. An articulating truck is disposed at each of the first and last ends of the train and also between each adjacent ones of the receiving and received side vehicle bodies. At the position of each articulating truck, a received side articulating portion of the received side vehicle body is received on a receiving side articulating portion of the receiving side vehicle body which is in turn mounted on the articulating truck. Thus, each received side vehicle body is received on and connected to a pair of receiving side vehicle bodies, and consequently, the train can be separated into three groups by lifting and disassembling only a necessary one of the received side vehicle bodies.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the formation of a train of articulated vehicles wherein a truck is shared by two adjacent vehicle bodies, and more particularly to a train of articulated vehicles wherein an articulation mechanism between adjacent vehicle bodies can be disassembled and assembled readily from and into the formation of the train.
2. Description of the Related Art
A plurality of vehicle bodies of railroad vehicles or the like are conventionally coupled into a train in various forms. An exemplary one of the coupling forms is a train of articulated vehicles wherein two adjacent vehicle bodies are carried on a common truck placed intermediately between them. Such articulation mechanism is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Applications Nos. 58-39558, 63-279966 and 2-20474.
The prior art articulation mechanisms have a common feature that a first one of two adjacent vehicle bodies is placed on a truck and the second vehicle body is placed on the first vehicle body placed on the truck. Accordingly, the first vehicle body positioned on the lower side cannot be disassembled unless the second vehicle body on the upper side is removed. In other words, there is a restriction in the disassembling and disassembly procedure of the articulated vehicles.
FIG. 7 shows a train having the formation of five vehicles wherein the vehicle bodies are articulated by means of any of the prior art articulation mechanisms. Referring to FIG. 7, reference numerals 1 to 5 each surrounded by a circle represent numbers of the individual vehicle bodies in order from the top in the formation of a train, that is, what vehicle numbers the individual vehicle bodies have. The first vehicle 1 is supported at the leading end thereof on a truck 11 for the exclusive use for the vehicle body 1 and has at the trailing end thereof an articulating portion 12 for the coupling to the second vehicle 2. The articulating portion 12 is positioned on the lower side of another articulating portion 14 at the leading end of the second vehicle 2, and the first and second vehicles 1 and 2 are coupled to each other at and by the articulating portions 12 and 14. The articulating portion is coupled to an articulating truck 13 provided commonly for the first and second vehicles 1 and 2, and the first and second vehicles 1 and 2 are supported on the truck 13. Since the articulating portion 14 of the second vehicle 2 is received and supported on the articulating portion 12 of the first vehicle 1, the articulating portion 12 is hereinafter referred to as s receiving side articulating portion 12 while the other articulating portion 14 is hereinafter referred to as a received side accumulating portion 14.
Each of the second to fourth vehicles 1 to 4 has s received side articulating portion 14 at the leading end thereof and has at the trailing end thereof a receiving side articulating portion 12 which is coupled to a truck 13, and the fifth vehicle 5 at the last end of the train has a receiving side articulating portion 12 at the leading end thereof and has at the trailing end thereof a truck 11 for the exclusive use which is similar to that at the leading end of the first vehicle 1. The articulating portions 12 and 14 are coupled in such a manner as described above.
The train of the construction described above has an articulation construction wherein the leading end of a vehicle is received on the trailing end of another preceding vehicle in such a manner that the leading end of the second vehicle 2 is received on the trailing end of the first vehicle 1, and the third vehicle 3 is received on the trailing end of the second vehicle 2.
However, since the articulating construction is such as described above, when a vehicle only at a required position of the train is to be taken out for the maintenance OF the formation of the train is to be modified at a required position thereof, it is necessary to follow a fixed procedure upon disassembling and assembling the articulating portions at the position. In short, normally the vehicles of the train must be disassembled successively beginning with the fifth vehicle body at the last end of the train, and then, they must be assembled in the reverse order. Consequently, when it is, for .example, to disassemble only the second vehicle, first the front portion of the third vehicle is lifted and the first and second vehicles are moved away from the third vehicle. Then, the front portion of the third vehicle body is placed on a suitable support, and the truck at the trailing end of the second vehicle is disassembled from the second vehicle, whereafter the front portion of the second vehicle is lifted to disassemble the second vehicle from the first vehicle. Thus, except when the fifth vehicle body at the last end of the train is to be disassembled, it cannot be avoided to touch with an adjacent vehicle.
Further, if the front portion of the third vehicle is lifted strain is produced at the coupling at the rear portion of the third vehicle. After all, in most cases, it is necessary to disassemble the third and following vehicle bodies from each other in advance, and from this fact, it is estimated that disassembly and assembly of articulated vehicles are difficult.


A lens barrel is provided that includes an optical system and a plurality of interface units. The optical system includes an optical axis and a focal distance. The focal distance is configured to be adjusted by the optical system. The plurality of interface units includes a first interface unit and a second interface unit. Each of the first interface unit and the second interface unit are configured to accept from a user an operation to adjust the focal distance. Each of the first interface unit and the second interface unit are configured to be operated around the optical axis.

1. Technical Field
The technology disclosed herein relates to a lens barrel, and more particularly relates to a lens barrel comprising an optical system capable of adjusting focal distance.
2. Background Art
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 2008-58914 discloses a lens barrel comprising an optical system capable of adjusting focal distance. The lens barrel of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 2008-58914 can be switched between electrical and manual operation, but there is only one interface unit for accepting focal distance adjustment operation.


An electronic device may be provided with a display and wireless circuits. The wireless circuits may include antenna structures and radio-frequency transceiver circuitry that transmits and receives radio-frequency signals using the antenna structures. A ground plane for the antenna structures may be located in the center of the electronic device under the display. A resonating element may be used to reduce signal interference that otherwise arises when simultaneously operating the display and the antenna structures. The resonating element may be implemented using an L-shaped structure have an arm that extends parallel to one of the edges of the display.

This relates generally to electronic devices, and, more particularly, to structures for reducing signal interference in electronic devices.
Electronic devices such as cellular telephones and other devices often contain wireless communications circuitry. The wireless communications circuitry may include, for example, cellular telephone transceiver circuits for communicating with cellular telephone networks. Wireless communications circuitry in an electronic device may also include wireless local area network circuits and other wireless circuits. Antenna structures are used in transmitting and receiving wireless signals.
Electronic devices also often contain displays. For example, liquid crystal displays are often provided in cellular telephones. Displays contain arrays of image pixels. For example, liquid crystal displays contain arrays of image pixels based on liquid crystal material. Electrodes in the arrays are used to apply controlled electric fields to the liquid crystal material to change its optical properties and thereby create an image on the display. Display driver circuits are used to generate drive signals for the electrodes in the array.
Challenges arise when mounting displays and wireless circuitry within electronic devices. In many devices, for example, space is at a premium, so there is a desire to locate antennas and displays in close proximity to each other. At the same time, the display driver circuits that are used in driving signals into a display can produce signals that can interfere with the operation of wireless circuits.
It would therefore be desirable to provide ways in which to reduce signal interference between electronic components in an electronic device such as wireless electronic device components.

Resonating element for reducing radio-frequency interference in an electronic device


The present invention discloses a RFID system for monitoring food hygiene, comprising: a first accommodating space; an object-under-monitor with a RFID tag attached thereon, being disposed in the first accommodating space; an environmental sensor, disposed in the first accommodating space; a processor, electrically connected to the environmental sensor; a first RFID accessing device, disposed in the first accommodating space while electrically connected to the processor; a second accommodating space; a displaying device, disposed in the second accommodating space; and a second RFID accessing device, disposed in the second accommodating space while electrically connected to the displaying device.

The demand for frozen foods is driven by the ever changing consumers and their lifestyle. Consumers are spending less time per day preparing meals at home, and their time-starved, fast-paced lifestyles have them searching for alternative meal solutions. Changes in demographics have also created a need for good tasting, affordable, healthy, yet convenient food. However, frozen foods pass through numerous handlers during the distribution process (the "cold chain"). If a frozen food product is not properly handled throughout each link in the cold chain, i.e. it is exposed to an environmental condition of improper temperature, the thawing of the perishable frozen food will cause the quality and taste of the frozen food to deteriorate.
It is doubtful and difficult to prove that the frozen food products are kept in a proper temperature range during the cold chain. The failing of providing substantial data of temperature control during shipment by the frozen food distributors helps to create reasonable doubt about the hygiene of frozen food, especially when there is disadvantageous news about the quality of food product. Without the data of temperature control, it is difficult to specify exactly which part of the cold chain is the one to blame while the quality problem of the shipped frozen food occurs.
As seen in FIG. 1, as a food product 10 leaves a kitchen 15, it may be shipped by a transportation means like a ship 12, a truck 14, or an airplane 15, to be distributed to a retailer 15. The quality problem of the shipped frozen food might occur during the distribution if the temperature control of any one of the links in the cold chain of FIG. 1 is failed. Thus, how to control the hygiene of frozen food during the shipment in the cold chain becomes an urgent problem that has to be overcome.
Recently, as the advance of RFID technology, there are some patented RFID devices that can be used in the field of food hygiene control, such as the RFID devices disclosed in R.O.C. Pat. No. 460640, entitled "Method, Electronic Tag and System for Reporting Dynamic Properties of a Product Using Radio Frequency Identification Device Technology", in U.S. Pat. No. 6,294,997, entitled "RFID Tag Having Timing and Environment Modules", in U.S. Published Application No. 2004/0100380, entitled "RFID System and Method for Tracking Food Freshness", and in U.S. Published Application No. 2004/0041714, entitled "RFID temperature device and method".
In the R.O.C. Pat. No. 460640, an electronic tag equipped with a sensor is provided, which can determine dynamic properties of a product when the tag is activated, The dynamic properties of the product are then either further processed into other dynamic properties. In any even either the former or the latter dynamic properties are then transmitted from the tag. Such dynamic properties could be the temperature of a product or the expiration data of the product derived from periodic measurements of the temperature of the product.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,294,997, an RFID tag is provided with a timing module to measure elapsed time and an environment module to detect certain environmental conditions. The RFID tag includes a transmitter/receiver, memory module, antenna module, converter, and the timing and environment modules. In an embodiment of the invention, the timing module enables the user, upon interrogating the RFID tag, to determine the precise length of time from the previous charge of the RFID tag. The environment module enables the user to determine how long the RFID tag has been exposed to certain environmental conditions that have been pre-defined by the user.
In U.S. Published Application No. 2004/0100380, a method is provided for tracking the freshness or expiration dates of food products put into storage. The food products placed into storage are provided with smart tags, the smart tags containing food product information regarding the freshness or expiration date of the food product. The food products are scanned with a smart tag scanner prior to placing the products into storage, the scanner configured to retrieve the food product information from the smart tags. The user may be alerted if the retrieved information indicates that the food product being placed into storage has expired or is no longer fresh. The food products are placed in storage, and the user may be alerted when any of stored products have expired or are no longer fresh.
In U.S. Published Application No. 2004/0041714, a remote communication device is provided that receives temperature indicia concerning a container and/or its contents and communicates such temperature indicia along with an identification indicia to a reader. The remote communication device can measure and communicate temperature indicia associated with a container in a periodic manner. The remote communication device can also measure and communicate temperature indicia associated with a container when such temperature indicia exceed a certain minimum or maximum threshold temperature. The remote communication device can also include power circuitry to store energy when energized in the range of an interrogation reader so that the remote communication device can be powered for temperature indicia measurements when not in the range of an interrogation reader.
The operating principle of the abovementioned prior-art RFID devices is that the RFID tag equipped with batteries and sensors is configured to record the length of time from the previous charge of the RFID tag and how long the RFID tag has been exposed to certain environmental conditions. The kind of the abovementioned prior-art RFID devices relay on the batteries arranged therein for providing power to the environment module to detect certain environmental conditions. Once the power reserved in the battery is low that is not detected in time, the normal recording and detecting of the environment module can be adversely affect that even cause previously recorded environmental data to loss. In addition, the cost of the abovementioned active RFID devices is high that the popularization of the active RFID devices might not be feasible. Besides, the abovementioned prior-art RFID devices still unable to provide substantial data of temperature control during shipment to be access easily by consumers that the reasonable doubt about the hygiene of frozen food still can not be avoided.
Therefore, it is required to have a RFID system capable of monitoring food hygiene during the shipment.

Industrial Technology Research Institute


An electronic device for amplifying microwave or millimeter wave signals. A microwave or millimeter wave input signal stimulates a gated field emission array to produce a density modulated beam of electrons containing about 1 billion to 1,000 billion bunches or pulses per second which in turn illuminates a thin diamond target in a diamond switch connecting a load to a high voltage source. Each electron in each pulse creates a large number of electron hole pairs in the diamond. The high voltage bias across the diamond causes most of the very large number of pairs to be swept through the diamond target producing a high current surge in less than one half the period of the designed output frequency. Induced RF currents are set up within the resonant output cavity in response to the current flowing within the diamond. In summary, each surge of current produces an electromagnetic pulse at the load. Thus, an electromagnetic millimeter wave is produced with a frequency equal to the frequency of the signal output.

Well known electron tubes for producing microwave and millimeter wavelength radiation rely on various forms of velocity modulation of an electron beam, followed by a drift section to achieve density bunching. After bunching, the electron kinetic energy is converted into microwave or millimeter waves. In klystrons, this is achieved with two-cavity or multi-cavity arrangements. However, the bandwidth is limited in this case. To achieve wider bandwidths traveling wave velocity modulation is more appropriate. In traveling wave tubes (TWT's) electrons interact with the longitudinal electric component of a slow electromagnetic wave. The phase velocity of the electromagnetic wave is slowed down to match the electron velocity, and thereby continuous and cumulative interaction between the electron beam and the wave can take place producing microwaves or millimeter waves over bandwidths as wide as one octave or more. These devices are referred to as slow wave structures. The simplest slow wave structure used in many wide bandwidth TWT's is the helix waveguide. Bandwidth over one octave is common. Other slow wave structures are also well known.
It is known that pulses of electrons can be produced with gated field emitter arrays. Details regarding gated field emission arrays are provided by C. A. Spindt, C. E. Holland, A. Rosengreen and I. Brodie in "Field-Emitter Arrays for Vacuum Microelectronics" IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices Vol. 38 No. 10, October, 1991.
Field emission arrays are also disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,063,323 issued 1992, 5,064,396 issued 1992, 3,453,478 issued Jul. 1, 1969, 3,665,241 issued May 23, 1972 and 3,755,704 issued Aug. 28, 1973. An amplifier employing a field emission array is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,780,684 issued Oct. 25, 1988.
The electron bombarded semiconductor amplifiers have been built, and various methods have been used to provide the bunched electron beam. A review of the different methods is reported by A. Silzars, D. J. Bates, and A. Ballonoff, in "Electron Bombarded Semiconductor Devices," Proceedings of the IEEE, vol. 62, no. 8, August 1974, pp. 1119-1158. The bunched electron beam can be provided by a gridded thermionic cathode, such as used in a conventional triode, which density modulates the electron beam. Grid-to-cathode capacitance and transit time effects limit the bandwidth of this device.
The bunched electron beam can also be provided by a thermionic cathode, a discrete or distributed RF modulation circuit which velocity-modulates the electron beam, and an appropriate drift length through which the velocity-modulated beam becomes a density-modulated beam.
Deflecting the electron beam emitted from a thermionic cathode so that it intermittently lands on the semiconductor target has also been used in electron bombarded semiconductor amplifiers. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,006 awarded to one of the applicants. Also, the review paper by Silzars et al. describes in detail various electron bombarded semiconductor devices employing thermionic cathodes with the density modulation, velocity modulation, and deflection modulation schemes indicated above. These devices, typical of the prior art, were limited in frequency to 4 GHz and below.
Traveling wave-tube-amplifier (TWTA) technology is a relatively mature technology which was developed several decades ago. One of the limits of the TWTA is its output power which falls off rapidly as the frequency is increased into the millimeter wave range. Average power of the current state-of-the-art millimeter TWTA ranges from the hundreds of watts to several kW.
One of the applicants has patented a high power fast switch (U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,033) which discloses a diamond switch which is switched on by illumination with a pulsed electron beam. Embodiments disclosed in that patent were expected to produce 10-100 kW pulses at a 10-100 MHz repetition rate. Experiments have demonstrated the operation of such a diamond switch. The switched electric pulse follows the waveform of the illuminating electron beam pulses.
Traditional sources of microwave and millimeter wave radiation have been based on solid state devices or vacuum electron devices. Although solid state devices have shown great promise as the source for various applications, they have generally failed to deliver power greater than several watts and efficiencies greater than a few percent. Vacuum electron devices on the other hand generate greater power with higher efficiency; but they tend to be very bulky. What is needed is a very light-weight compact, high power (i.e. several kilowatts) microwave source which can operate within the wavelength range from about 3 millimeters to about 300 millimeters or frequencies from 1 GHz to about 100 GHz.

Compact microwave and millimeter wave amplifier


Transfer switching devices, which supplement unidirectional input switching arrangements or pad circuits are employed to route an internal test signal to the input of an input driver in the unidirectional input switching arrangement and to couple the internal test signal to an internal switching logic unit. The transfer switching devices are controlled via a multiplexer unit, which can be programmed directly using boundary scan registers. The present invention allows all unidirectional pad circuits or input drivers to be tested in the course of a reduced I/O test method for semiconductor circuits, in which testing internal circuits in the semiconductor circuit involves only a subset of the signal connections associated with the input drivers being coupled to a test apparatus.

In complex semiconductor circuits such as DRAMs (dynamic random access memories), the test costs are a significant part, currently approximately 15% to 20%, of the total production costs. Semiconductor circuits are normally tested on programmable test apparatuses (e.g., component testers). To increase the throughput of semiconductor circuits to be tested on the cost-intensive test apparatuses, short test times and a high level of test parallelism are the aim. The test time is prescribed by the functionality of the semiconductor circuit. The number of semiconductor circuits which can be tested simultaneously on a test apparatus is limited by the number of test channels in the test apparatus.
To increase the throughput on the test apparatuses, "reduced-I/O" test methods are therefore customary, requiring contact to be made only with some of the signal connections on the semiconductor circuit to be tested. In a reduced-I/O test method with a self-test unit inside the component, the functionality of internal circuits in the semiconductor circuit is tested by an internal self-test. The signal connections coupled to the test apparatus are used merely to initiate the internal self-test and to transmit a test result for the self-test to the test apparatus. The number of test channels required per semiconductor circuit is significantly reduced.
Further reduced-I/O test methods are scanpath and boundary scan test methods, whose performance requires contact to be made with a subset of the signal connections on the semiconductor circuit to be tested.
Disadvantageously, conventional reduced-I/O test methods do not test the signal connections which are unused during the test and are not coupled to the test apparatus, or the input or output switching arrangements (I/O pads, pad circuits) associated with the unused signal connections. Besides the signal connection, an I/O pad comprises an output driver, which is able to drive an output signal generated by internal circuits in the semiconductor circuit on a signal line coupled to the signal connection, and/or an input driver, which conditions an input signal applied to a signal connection in a manner which is suitable for the internal circuits, and also a connecting line between the signal connection and the input or output driver.
In the simplest case, the I/O pads which are not tested in the course of a reduced-I/O test method are tested by a further pass on the same or on another test apparatus, in which case, with an appropriately low level of test parallelism, all signal connections on the semiconductor circuit to be tested are coupled to a respective test channel in the test apparatus.
Japanese patent number JP-09-257884 A describes a test method for unidirectional input drivers in a semiconductor circuit, in which the input drivers are connected, in a test mode, to a ring oscillator via controllable selector circuits in order to test the basic functionality of the input drivers by evaluating the oscillation by the ring oscillator. In this context, the selector circuits are respectively connected between the input of the input driver and the respective associated signal connection.
German patent number DE 101 38 556 C1 (Oberle, Sattler) describes one option for testing bidirectional I/O pads with which there is no contact within the context of a reduced-I/O test method, which option involves the bidirectional I/O pads being tested by returning a test signal via the output driver for the I/O pad to the input of the input driver for the same I/O pad, and from there to an evaluation logic unit inside the component. To test unidirectional I/O pads, the German patent proposes that a respective unidirectional I/O pad with an input driver and a unidirectional I/O pad with an output driver be coupled to one another outside of the semiconductor circuit.

Input switching arrangement for a semiconductor circuit and test method for unidirectional input drivers in semiconductor circuits


The present invention discloses methods to prevent and treat cardiovascular disorders, hi certain aspects the methods are drawn to releasing endogenous calcitonin-gene related peptide from intrinsic cardiac adrenergic cells within the heart. In further aspects, a combination of a β2 adrenergic receptor agonist (β2-AR agonist) and a vasodilator can be used in treating reperfusion injury.

I. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of this invention are directed generally to biology, medicine, and cardiology. In particular aspects, the invention is related to combination therapy for treating cardiac and cardiovascular disorders and conditions, such as reperfusion injury.
II. Background
Currently, there are 5 million American with congestive heart failure, with nearly 500,000 new cases being diagnosed every year. Because of the high total direct costs of care for heart failure, estimated at $10 billion to $38 billion per year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services targeted heart failure as the disease most worthy of cost-effective management. Improvement in heart failure treatment in terms of innovative pharmacological strategies are urgently needed in this heart failure epidemic era.
In addition, acute myocardial infarction (MI) is the leading killer in the Unite States accounting for 54% mortality of total cardiovascular disease-related death (2004 NHLBI Chartbook). Although reperfusion therapy during acute MI with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or thrombolysis salvages myocardium that would ultimately die without reperfusion, rapidly restoring blood flow to myocardium can also cause lethal injury to vulnerable myocardial cells (i.e., reperfusion injury). The restoration of blood flow can lethally compromise oxygen-deprived cells. Reperfusion injury may offset the optimal salvage of myocardium achieved by PCI and/or thrombolysis. Over the last 20 years extensive research efforts have been devoted to develop therapeutic strategies to prevent reperfusion injury.
Intravenous infusion of synthetic calcitonin-gene related peptide has been shown to improve cardiac hemodynamic performance and improve heart failure (a chronic condition as contrasted to acute MI) symptoms in patients with advanced heart failure. Additionally, adrenomedullin has also been shown to augment cardiac performance and improve clinical symptoms in heart failure patients (Nagaya, 2000). However, i.v. infusion of synthetic CGRP or adrenomedullin have not been approved by FDA for clinical use.
There is a need for additional compositions and methods for the treatment of cardiac and cardiovascular disorders, reperfusion injury, and post-ischemia conditioning.

Methods for treatment of reperfusion injury and other cardiac conditions

The Board of Regents of the University of Texas System


The light beam deflection cycle of a rotational polygonal mirror includes first and third sections in which a latent image is not formed, and a second section in which the latent image is formed. A driving signal supply unit supplies a driving signal of a frequency less than the resonance frequency of a resonant driving type mirror to the resonant driving type mirror in the first section. The driving signal supply unit keeps the deflection angle of the resonant driving type mirror at the first target deflection angle in the second section. The driving signal supply unit supplies a driving signal of a frequency less than the resonance frequency of the resonant driving type mirror to the resonant driving type mirror in the third section. The optical scanning apparatus is used in an image forming apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical scanning apparatus that includes a function for controlling dot positions in a sub-scanning direction, a control method of the optical scanning apparatus, and an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an image forming apparatus forms a latent image by deflecting a light beam using a polygonal mirror and repeatedly scanning the surface of a photosensitive drum with that light beam. Such scanning shall be referred to as "main scanning" hereinafter. Furthermore, the linear-shaped latent image formed by this main scanning shall be referred to as a "main scanning line".
An image forming apparatus typically performs a single main scan for a single surface of the polygonal mirror, thereby forming a single main scanning line. For example, when a polygonal mirror having four reflective surfaces is used, and that polygonal mirror rotates once, four main scans are performed, thereby forming four main scanning lines. It is of course preferable for the four main scanning lines to be formed at equal intervals, but in reality these intervals are not equal. This is called "unevenness of pitch" in the sub-scanning direction.
A conventional invention for reducing unevenness of pitch of the main scanning lines caused by unevenness of rotation of the photosensitive drum, unevenness of rotation of a transfer belt, and so on, has been proposed (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-37757). According to this invention, unevenness of pitch is corrected by disposing a micromirror, which is capable of minute resonance at a slower rate than the main scanning frequency, within the optical path. Such a technique allows useful correction effects to be obtained with respect to "unevenness of pitch caused by low-frequency components" resulting from "sinusoidal undulations" in the sub-scanning direction.
FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating this "unevenness of pitch caused by low-frequency components" resulting from "sinusoidal undulations", which is caused by unevenness of pitch of the main scanning lines caused by unevenness of rotation of the photosensitive drum, unevenness of rotation of a transfer belt, and so on.
However, there are other factors that lead to unevenness of pitch. While it is preferable to prepare the polygonal mirror so that its reflective surfaces each have equal inclination angles relative to the rotational axis, this is, in reality, difficult to accomplish, in terms of the manufacturing accuracy. Slight differences thus arise in the inclination angles of the reflective surfaces. Such differences in the inclination angles shall be referred to as "surface inclination" hereinafter. This surface inclination leads to ununiformity in the reflection angles of the light beam, and unevenness of pitch in the main scanning lines occurs as a result.
The unevenness of pitch in the main scanning lines caused by the surface inclination occurs at the same speed as the main scanning frequency (several kHz), and thus does not occur slowly compared to the main scanning frequency. Accordingly, in the present specification, this shall be called "unevenness of pitch caused by high-frequency components" rather than "unevenness of pitch caused by low-frequency components".
FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of unevenness of pitch in the main scanning lines caused by surface inclination (that is, unevenness of pitch caused by high-frequency components). While the unevenness of pitch illustrated in FIG. 14 has a frequency of approximately several Hz to several tens of Hz, the unevenness of pitch illustrated in FIG. 15 has a frequency of several kHz, and thus the two are clearly substantially different from one another.
Meanwhile, the unevenness of pitch in the main scanning lines caused by surface inclination in the polygonal mirror has a square-wave shape. Therefore, such unevenness of pitch is not caused by the "sinusoidal undulations", such as unevenness of pitch of the main scanning lines caused by unevenness of rotation of the photosensitive drum, unevenness of rotation of a transfer belt, and so on (see FIG. 15). Accordingly, because the sub-scanning unevenness of pitch is square wave in form, a resonant driving type micromirror cannot sufficiently correct the unevenness of pitch when being driven by a sine wave.
However, if the resonant driving type micromirror can be driven by a square wave, it seems possible to reduce the unevenness of pitch caused by the surface inclination. However, as illustrated in FIG. 16, an oscillation phenomenon (indicated by the ovals in FIG. 16) occurs when the resonant driving type micromirror is simply driven by a square wave. It takes approximately 100 ms for this oscillation phenomenon to subside, making it extremely difficult to effectively correct unevenness of pitch occurring in the main scanning cycle, which is several hundred μs.

Optical scanning apparatus, control method thereof, and image forming apparatus


A window panel support structure includes a fixed panel, and a movable panel. The movable panel opens and closes a window by moving up and down. A front-side guide member is provided on an interior-side face of a rear edge part of the fixed panel which is adjacent to the movable panel. The front-side guide member includes a front-side guide groove provided along the rear edge part. The front-side guide groove is opened toward a front edge part. A front-side slide member is provided on an interior-side face of a front edge part of the movable panel which is adjacent to the fixed panel. The front-side slide member includes a front slider provided along the front edge part and is bent toward a rear edge part. The front slider is fitted to the front-side guide groove.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a window panel support structure.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, as a window panel provided in a vehicle door of an automobile or the like, there is such a window panel in which two panels are placed adjacent to each other in a vehicle-body front-rear direction in a window frame provided in a single door. At this time, one of the two panels is provided as a fixed panel, and the other one of the two panels is provided as a movable panel to open and close the window frame.
In a case where the fixed panel and the movable panel are provided adjacent to each other in one window frame as such, a guide member for guiding one end side of the movable panel to move up and down is required between the panels. Further, if the fixed panel and the movable panel are placed in a single plane or a single curved surface on an outside surface of a vehicle-body without any steps, it is difficult to directly fit the movable panel into the guide member.
In view of this, there has been provided such a technique that: a slide member is attached to an interior-side face of a movable panel; and the slide member is fitted into a guide member so that the movable panel is guided to move up and down, thereby preventing occurrence of a step between the fixed panel and the movable panel (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-297602 (JP 2005-297602 A), Japanese Patent No. 4139345).
However, in either of the above window panel support structures of the related art, the guide member is opened toward the movable panel. Furthermore, the slide member has a plate-like shape in which the slide member just projects toward the guide member from the interior-side face of the movable panel.
Accordingly, in a case where the fixed panel is set in the window frame after the movable panel is set in the window frame first and held by a regulator, a fitting direction in which the fixed panel is fitted to the window frame becomes reverse to a fitting direction in which the guide member is fitted to the slide member, thereby making it difficult to set the fixed panel.
Further, the guide member is provided between the fixed panel and the movable panel so as to serve as a sash exposed outside. Thus, the fixed panel is clearly separated from the movable panel, thereby making it difficult to secure an appearance like a single panel.


Disclosed are methodology and apparatus for providing communications with an Automatic Meter Reading/Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMR/AMI) collector device. The collector is provided with a WiFi radio that is enabled for operation from an AMR/AMI head end and turned on in response to a transmission coming from a physical device via the AMR/AMI RF LAN. A user device is granted access to the collector data only upon validation by the collector of multiple credentials that are separately presented to the collector. The credentials come from the physical device in the form of device type and device identification, and from the user device in the form of a valid security certificate and username/password combination.

In many environments including Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) per present disclosure, the undertaking of continual systems improvement requires balancing of the customer's requirements for more security in their AMR and AMI systems with the need for access by service and engineering personnel. In the AMR/AMI environment, a major highlighted area of concern includes the data collectors. Such components may be located on utility poles, in municipal infrastructure, on communications towers, and on or in other relatively inaccessible locations.
An additional important aspect to the operation of a utility's AMR/AMI system is that the utility needs to have a secure operating platform that is resistant to malicious attack. However, utility providers and the original equipment supplier both have an occasional need to query the status of a collector without using the wireless area network (WAN) connection normally used to communicate with the collector, or without having to take the collector down from its mounting location, or without attaching a cable to the collector.
In view of such needs, it would be advantageous to develop ways to access collectors without having to resort to operations that would require removal of the device from service or without having to require extraordinary access efforts. Previously known subject matter has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,400,264 (Boaz) entitled "Automated Meter Reading System, communications And control Network For Automated Meter reading, Meter Data Collector, And Associated Methods;" in U.S. Pat. No. 7,312,721 (Mason et al.) entitled "Data Collector For An Automated Meter Reading System;" in U.S. Pat. No. 7,274,305 (Luttrell) entitled "Electrical Utility Communications And control system;" in U.S. Pat. No. 6,657,552 (Belski et al.) entitled "System And Method For Communications And control Of Automated Meter reading;" in U.S. Pat. No. 6,510,464 (Grantges et al.) entitled "Secure Gateway Having Routing Features;" in U.S. Pat. No. 6,333,975 (Brunn et al.) entitled "Method And System For Reading Intelligent Utility Meters;" and in U.S. Pat. No. 6,100,817 (Mason, Jr. et al.) entitled "Fixed Network RF Communications Complaint With Cebus Protocol."
The herein-referenced patents are hereby incorporated by reference into this disclosure for all purposes, as if fully set forth herein.
While various implementations of AMR/AMI systems have been developed, and while various communications and data collection systems have been developed, no design has emerged that generally encompasses all of the desired characteristics as hereafter presented in accordance with the subject technology.

Secure collector diagnostic portal activation


When a groove having a section of Christmas tree shape for fitting the blade legs of a turbine is to be generated in the outer circumference of a turbine shaft by cutting work, cutting blades cut that groove by moving them gradually in a direction perpendicular to an axis parallel to female groove center line while rotating them on the axis. Three wide portions are cut one by one. A method for that grooving work includes a first cutting step of cutting a slope portion, an outer circumference portion and an undercut portion by using a first cutting tool, and a second cutting step of cutting a constricted portion by using a second cutting tool.

The present invention relates to a grooving (groove cutting) work method and a cutting apparatus for forming a groove having a cross-section of a Christmas tree shape for fitting the blade legs of a turbine in the outer circumference of a turbine shaft.
A large sized and high power turbine is used in a high-efficiency combined cycle power generation plant. As a structure for fitting the impeller of such a turbine to a turbine shaft, there is known a structure in which turbine impeller blades 3 are fitted, one by one, in a number of tree-shaped grooves 2 having a cross-section of a Christmas tree shape formed in the outer circumference of a turbine shaft 1 as illustrated in FIG. 12 (refer to Japanese PCT National Publication No. 2004-507369).
FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a female tree-shaped groove in an enlarged manner. The tree-shaped groove has a symmetrical shape with respect to a groove center line S, in which the groove width is gradually tapered as a whole in the depth direction (in the downward direction of the drawing) while it is increased and decreased repeatedly. In the tree-shaped groove, three large-width portions 4, 5, and 6 each having a large width are arranged apart from each other in the groove depth direction. A large-width portion nearer to an opening portion 30 (formed at a shallower position) has a larger width, and large-width portion nearer to a bottom portion 31 (formed at a deeper position) has a smaller width. In the following description, as illustrated in FIG. 13, a constricted portion is referred to as a constricted portion 7, an inclined surface on the opposite side of the opening portion 30 (inclined surface facing the opening portion 30) is referred to as an incline surface portion 8, an outer circumferential portion is referred to as an outer circumferential portion 9, and an inclined surface on the opening portion 30 side is referred to as an undercut portion 10. In terms of quality, very strict accuracy is required for the distances of the undercut portion 10 in the groove depth direction between the large-width portions 4 and 5 and between the large-width portions 5 and 6.
A typical rotary cutting tool used in conventional tree-shaped groove cutting has a body obtained by integrally forming a shank portion and a blade portion. The blade portion has a shape in which conical portions and constricted portions are alternately arranged. A cutting blade portion is provided in the length area of each blade portion. The type of the cutting blade includes a straight blade and a right hand or left hand twisted blade which is excellent in cutting performance. In general, two to four cutting blades are provided.
In the above conventional rotary cutting tool, the difference in the diameter of the outermost portion between the constricted portion and the conical portion is large, which increases the difference in the cutting speed. Concerning the cutting speed, the optimum condition range is determined depending on the type of a cutting tool material and the type of a work material. If the cutting speed exceeds the condition range, an increase in tool wear occurs. For example, if cutting is carried out with the optimum cutting speed set in accordance with the outer diameter of the constricted portion, the cutting speed becomes higher at the conical portion, with result that the tool wear is increased.
Further, in the conventional rotary cutting tool, the contact length between the work material and the cutting blade is large, so that cutting resistance becomes large, making it easy to cause chatter. As a result, it is difficult to carry out cutting with a small milling machine having a low main shaft power and a low rigidity.

Grooving work method and grooving work apparatus


The invention involves an image sensor camera module and a method of fabricating the image sensor camera module. The image sensor camera module uses a single-body type lens holder defined by a hollow cylindrical body having a shoulder protruding radially inwardly from an inner surface thereof. First and second lenses therein are spaced apart by a first spacer and a filter therein is spaced from the second lens by a second spacer. An image sensor is adhered to a lower rim of the body, and the filter is adhered to an upper rim thereof. All optical elements within the lens holder thus are affixed in fixed relative position compatible with a predefined focal length and axis. Moreover, the adhesively sealed interior of the body of the image sensor camera module prevents particulate contamination.

This application claims the priority of Korean Patent Application No. 2004-61957, filed on Aug. 6, 2004 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera module applied to a mobile phone or a digital camera, and more particularly, to a lens holder structure of an image sensor camera module and a method of fabricating the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Use of digital cameras is increasing along with internet video communication and the like. Also, with the increasing popularity of next generation mobile communication, compact camera modules are increasingly required to use compact personal digital assistants (PDAs) in video communication or the like. In other words, there is a greatly increasing demand for subminiature camera modules directly and indirectly related to high- and multi-function digital cameras.
In particular, cameras adapted in mobile phones used for mobile communication employ compact camera modules.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional image sensor camera module. Referring to FIG. 1, a barrel 30 in which a lens 80 is mounted is attached to a lens holder 20. The barrel 30 is inserted into the lens holder 20 using a matching threading of the lens holder 20 and the barrel 30. By rotating the threaded barrel 30 within the threaded lens holder 20, a distance between the lens 80 and an image sensor 70 attached on a circuit board 10 is adjustable. This distance is then used to adjust the focus of the lens 80. However, in a case where an axis 60 of the lens 80 does not coincide with a central axis 50 of the image sensor 70, an image with a high resolution cannot be obtained via the lens 80, and the phase of the image is also not clear. Thus, the barrel 30 is necessarily adjusted to allow the axis 60 of the lens 80 to coincide with the central axis 50 of the image sensor 70, i.e., a length distance between the lens 80 and the image sensor 70 is necessarily adjusted.
In other words, the conventional image sensor camera module is completed by separately assembling the lens holder 20 into which the barrel 30 is inserted, and the image sensor 70 is attached on the circuit board 10. Both the accuracy and reliability of the conventional image sensor camera module are poor because the axis 60 of the lens 80 will often not coincide with the central axis 50 of the image sensor 70. Another shortcoming of the conventional image sensor camera module is that the barrel and lens holder threads may cause particles to be generated during a rotation of the barrel 30. The particles may contaminate the image sensor 70, which may affect the operation of the image sensor 70.

Image sensor camera module and method of fabricating the same


A hinge device includes a shaft that is rotatable around the axis, and a torque imparting portion configured to impart a rotational torque to rotation of the shaft. The torque imparting portion includes: a ring having a shaft insertion hole through which the shaft is inserted with rattling, the ring covering a part of an outer circumferential face of the shaft in the axis direction; an elastic member that biases the ring in the axis direction from a position displaced from the axis of the shaft; and an adjuster configured to adjust a force that the elastic member biases the ring.

Electronic apparatuses such as a laptop PC have a configuration of including two chassis that are connected relatively rotatably via a hinge device. This type of electronic apparatuses needs to be able to stably hold the chassis in a desired angular posture while ensuring a smooth rotational movement between the chassis. To this end, the hinge device has to be able to generate an appropriate rotational torque.
For instance, the mechanism for generating a rotational torque is configured so that one end of a bracket fixed to a chassis is curled and this end is wound around a hinge shaft to generate sliding resistance. This configuration, however, has a problem of difficulty to adjust the magnitude of the torque. Then, another mechanism for generating a rotational torque has been proposed, having flat springs sandwiched between a bracket and a shaft to generate sliding resistance (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2019-190518).
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2019-190518 as stated above is configured to adjust the rotational torque by adjusting the pressing force of the flat springs. In other words, this configuration adjusts the tightening force with the nut to directly deform the flat springs with this tightening force, and thus adjusts the rotational torque of the shaft. This configuration has a problem that a slight change of the tightening with the nut causes an unexpectedly great deformation of the flat springs and excessively increases a rotational torque. In this way, this configuration has difficulty in fine adjustment of the rotational torque, and has a narrow adjustment range of the torque.


A vibration motor comprises a first member for receiving an external vibration, a second member set to be brought into collision with the first member as a result of the receipt of the external vibration, and a converting mechanism provided at the first member and/or the second member and having an asymmetric configuration for establishing a relative movement of the second member upon collision of the first member thereto.

The present invention relates to a vibration motor and in particular to a vibration motor which makes a rotational or linear movement in response to an external vibration.
A conventional vibration motor is well known as an ultrasonic motor wherein a moving member is brought into a rotational or linear movement by a vibration from a piezoelectric element.
However, in light of the fact that the foregoing movement is too small to be practical use and a rigorous accuracy is required in the combination between the piezoelectric element and the moving member, the ultrasonic motor seems not to be fitted for various purposes.


To provide a resist material that can form a film with high smoothness and uniformity and has high patterning performance, such as resolution, a resist material is provided that contains a calixarene compound (A) with a molecular structure represented by the following structural formula (1) and a resin component (B);

Due to a decrease in the size of resist patterns in the field of photoresist, there is a growing demand for resist films with higher smoothness and uniformity. Also in the field of color resist, to improve color development and uniformity of quality, there is a growing demand for films with higher smoothness and uniformity. It is generally believed that the addition of fluorinated or silicone surfactants are effective in improving the smoothness of films.
One known fluorinated surfactant for use in color resist applications is a reaction product between a copolymer of a polyoxyperfluoroalkylenediol diacrylate and hydroxyethyl methacrylate and 2-acryloyloxyethyl isocyanate (see PTL 1). However, a relatively large amount of fluorinated surfactant described in PTL 1 is required to achieve desired performance, and the addition of the fluorinated surfactant to a photoresist material disadvantageously reduces resolution.

Abstract: wherein R1 denotes a perfluoroalkyl group or a structural moiety with a perfluoroalkyl group; R2 denotes a hydrogen atom, a polar group, a polymerizable group, or a structural moiety with a polar group or a polymerizable group; R3 denotes a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic hydrocarbon group that optionally has a substituent, or an aryl group that optionally has a substituent; n denotes an integer in the range of 2 to 10; and * denotes a bonding point with an aromatic ring.


A system (1) including an identification unit (2) for identifying at least one actuation element to be actuated to implement a current control from a check-list, a signaling unit (3) for visually highlighting the identified actuation element, a detection unit (4) for detecting a position of a hand of a pilot, a checking unit (5) for checking whether the detected position of the hand of the pilot is consistent with the position of the identified and highlighted actuation element for the actuation thereof, an alert unit (6) for alerting the pilot to a risk of incorrect actuation, in case of absence of consistency between the detected position of the hand of the pilot and the position of the actuation element, and a recovery unit (15) for identifying, in case of incorrect actuation, at least one suggest correct actuation element.

To control complex systems of an aircraft, such as a transport airplane, the aircrew of the aircraft often uses predetermined lists of controls, such as check-lists. Check-lists include a series of commands (or procedures) of actions that the aircrew must carry out by acting on actuation elements in the aircraft. An "actuation element" means any member, button, lever or control means or any touch element present on the aircraft and capable of being actuated (touched, pressed, pulled, etc.) by a member of the aircrew to command the implementation of a particular action in the aircraft.
On commercial transport airplanes piloted by at least two pilots, for the implementation of such a check-list, generally, one of the pilots, namely the PM ("Pilot Monitoring") pilot who monitors the flight, reads through the various controls (or procedure steps) of the check-list, and the other pilot, namely the PF ("Pilot Flying") pilot who pilots the aircraft, performs the actions requested for each of these controls or procedure steps. The PM pilot who reads the actions simultaneously monitors the actions carried out by the PF pilot, and thus makes it possible to prevent actuation errors such as an actuation on a wrong system, not involved in the current procedure, or an incorrect control or positioning of a correct actuation element.
Despite this monitoring by the PM pilot, actuation errors are not excluded. This standard solution concerning the management of a check-list is not therefore fully satisfactory.

System and method to manage check-lists for an aircraft pilot


A face recognition system and a face recognition method thereof. The face recognition system comprises a storage module, a processing module and a display module. The storage module stores a plurality of face recognition codes, a plurality of face images or face coordinates corresponding to the plurality of face recognition codes. The processing module calculates an overlap rate of the (T−1)th face image that overlaps the Tth face image in the plurality of face images. When the overlap rate is greater than a first preset value, the processing module calculates a similarity between the (T−1)th face image and the Tth face image. If the similarity is smaller than a second preset value, the processing module retains the face recognition code of the (T−1)th face image. The display module displays the face recognition code in the Tth face image.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a face recognition system, and more particularly to the face recognition system and method capable of enhancing the stability of display and the practicality of face recognition.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, face recognition technology advances and gradually becomes popular in the application of different consumer products, and handheld products, such as cameras and mobile phones, are generally integrate with the face recognition function for convenient portability and generality.
In conventional face recognition designs, face recognition is implemented upon each single image, and the detected faces in the image are labeled names upon the identification result and displayed on an operating interface. However, the accuracy of identification result made by the face recognition technology may be affected easily by a change of light source or angle, and one or more images may be misjudged or determined to be having no name. In a live-view image pickup, the information label of characters may or may not be displayed due to variance of accuracy, or many name-tags are updated frequently to cause a blinking display. Therefore, users may observe the flickering name-tag displayed or a wrong identification of names that causes a continuous flickering screen. The conventional face recognition designs affect the user's impression and the product stability adversely.
Therefore, it is an urgent and important issue for related designers and manufacturers to design a stable mechanism to be applied in the face recognition in order to improve the stability of the display after the recognition takes place and avoid the flickering name-tags or a misjudgment that causes a continuous flickering screen.

Face recognition system and face recognition method thereof


To provide precursor compositions for forming ferroelectric, methods for manufacturing precursor compositions, and methods for forming ferroelectric films using precursor compositions, which have excellent composition controllability in a liquid phase method, and in which metal compositions such as lead can be reused. A precursor composition pertains to a precursor composition including a precursor for forming a ferroelectric, wherein the ferroelectric is expressed by a general formula of AB1-xCxO3, where an element A is composed of at least Pb, an element B is composed of at least one of Zr, Ti, V, W and Hf, an element C is composed of at least one of Nb and Ta, and the precursor includes at least the element B and the element C, and has an ester-bond in a part thereof.

The present invention relates to precursor compositions for forming ferroelectric, methods for manufacturing precursor compositions, methods for manufacturing ferroelectric films, piezoelectric elements, semiconductor devices, piezoelectric actuators, ink jet recording heads, and ink jet printers.
Ferroelectric materials including PZT are used in various applications, such as, ferroelectric memories, piezoelectric elements, infrared ray sensors, SAW devices, and the like, and their research and development are actively conducted.
A chemical solution method (CSD: Chemical Solution Deposition Method), such as, a sol-gel method and an MOD method is known as a typical method for forming ferroelectrics.
In the sol-gel method, a solution of precursor in which a compound such as metal alkoxide is polymerized through hydrolysis and polycondensation (which is also referred to as "hydrolysis-condensation") is used. The sol-gel method has an advantage in that the compositions of ferroelectric to be obtained can be controlled well by controlling the compositions of metal alkoxide solution, but has a difficulty in that, because the hydrolysis-condensation reaction is an irreversible reaction, a material that has once been cross-linked and polymerized cannot be used as a sol-gel raw material. In particular, in the case of ferroelectric that includes lead such as PZT, a lead waste treatment needs to be conducted.
Also, in the metal organic decomposition method (MOD: Metal Organic Decomposition Method), a solution of a stable organometallic compound such as carboxylate of a metal or the like is used. The raw material solution used by the MOD method uses a stable organometallic compound as a raw material, and this method provides advantages in that preparation and handling of the solution composition are easy. Unlike the sol-gel method that forms a compound oxide through hydrolysis and polycondensation of a compound, the MOD method forms a compound oxide by resolving an organic group with a large molecular weight in an oxygen atmosphere, and thus has a tendency in which the crystallization temperature is high, and crystal grains would likely become large, compared to the sol-gel method.

Precursor composition, method for manufacturing precursor composition, method for manufacturing ferroelectric film, piezoelectric element, semiconductor device, piezoelectric actuator, ink jet recording head, and ink jet printer


The invention provides improved methods and systems for rapidly performing a median filter calculation for a value at a predetermined position in a matrix of values representing a neighborhood about the predetermined position. The method includes ordering the values in each column of the matrix to create an ordered matrix having rows; determining a maximum value for a row of the ordered matrix having the lowest values; determining a median value for a row of the ordered matrix having middle values; and determining a minimum value for a row of the ordered matrix having the highest values. Based on these determinations, the median filter value for the neighborhood can be calculated as a second median value of the maximum value for a row of the ordered matrix having the lowest values, median value for a row of the ordered matrix having middle values, and minimum value for a row of the ordered matrix having the highest values. The calculated median filter value can then be output as necessary. The rows of the matrices can conveniently be represented as vectors and ordering and determining steps can be performed as vector operations.

The invention pertains to digital data processing and, more particularly, to improved methods and apparatus for performing median filter operations.
A wide variety of computing and image processing applications call for the processing of two dimensional images, typically for printing the image or for electronic display such as by display on a computer screen. Very often, the images needing display will have any number of random, impulse or single pixel noise problems that can be corrected using an appropriate filtering technique. One popular filtering technique for addressing these noise issues is median filtering. A median filter computes the output value of each pixel in an image as the median value of pixels in a small neighborhood around the pixel of interestxe2x80x94essentially replacing each pixel output with the median output value of its neighborhood. A common neighborhood used in median filtering is a 9-pixel, 3xc3x973 square centered on the pixel of interest.
Because images can contain large numbers of pixels, and also because some applications call for the filtering of large numbers of images, execution time for calculating medians has a large impact on the performance of the software applications that employ median filtering. One approach to improving the performance of median filters has been to perform the filtering using SIMD processors. In a SIMD (single instruction, multiple data) processor, a single instruction operates on a vector register that holds multiple values. This is in contrast to a conventional processor in which each instruction operates on only a single data value. One class of recent SIMD processors employ the AltiVec(trademark) technology, of Motorola, that is capable of concurrently operating on vectors with 4, 8 or 16 values.
Notwithstanding the benefits of array processors such as the AltiVec(trademark), image processing times can be significantly reduced by even slight improvements in methods for calculating medians or in programming techniques that increase the throughput of median calculations through the array processor, the throughput typically being measured in clock cycles per pixel, or alternatively in clock cycles per (16 byte) vector.
In view of the foregoing, an object of the invention is to provide improved methods and apparatus for digital image processing.
A more particular object is to provide such methods and apparatus as permit the rapid execution of median filtering on a two dimensional data set.
These and other objects are attained by the present invention which provides, in some aspects, novel methods for calculating median filter values that increase the speed with which the calculation can be performed.
A method according to one aspect of the invention provides for rapidly performing a median filter calculation for a value at a predetermined position in a matrix of values representing a neighborhood about the predetermined position. The method includes ordering the values in each column of the matrix to create an ordered matrix; determining a maximum value for a row of the ordered matrix having the lowest values; determining a median value for a row of the ordered matrix having middle values; and determining a minimum value for a row of the ordered matrix having the highest values. Based on these determinations, the median filter value for the neighborhood can be calculated as a median value of the maximum value for a row of the ordered matrix having the lowest values, median value for a row of the ordered matrix having middle values, and minimum value for a row of the ordered matrix having the highest values. The calculated median filter value can then be output as necessary. The rows of the matrices can conveniently be represented as vectors and the ordering and determining steps can be performed as vector operations.
In a further aspect, the invention provides a method for rapidly performing a plurality of median filter calculations for a value at a predetermined position in a matrix of values representing a 3xc3x973 neighborhood about the predetermined position. The method includes inputting rows for median filtering, the number of rows being one more than the number of rows in the neighborhood; presorting rows that will participate in more than one median filter calculation; separating the input rows into separate matrices, each having the pre-sorted rows and one unsorted row; ordering the values in each column of each matrix to result in ordered matrices; determining a maximum value for a row of each ordered matrix having the lowest values; determining a median value for a row of each ordered matrix having middle values determining a minimum value for a row of each ordered matrix having the highest values; and determining the median filter values as a median value of the previously determined maximum value for a row of each ordered matrix having the lowest values, median value for a row of each ordered matrix having middle values, and minimum value for a row of each ordered matrix having the highest values.
In either aspect, the matrix rows can be represented as vectors that include more than three values, and thus more values than are found in a 3xc3x973 neighborhood for a single median filter calculation. The calculations on the ordered matrices can be performed using vector operations to simultaneously result in a plurality of triplet maximum, median and minimum values stored in a single output vector. The calculation of the median filter value corresponding to the plurality of triplet maximum, median and minimum values can then also be carried out with four vector operations to simultaneously produce a plurality of median filter results. In addition, vector loading and processing instructions can be interleaved to reduce the overall number of clock cycles. An apparatus and computer code product for carrying out the invention are also described.
These and other aspects of the invention have the advantage of permitting rapid median filter calculations without excessive use of system resources.

Method and apparatus for median filter on SIMD architecture digital data processor