A checkout system for electro-optically reading targets includes a host, a workstation reader, and an auxiliary reader operatively connected to the workstation reader. The workstation reader captures data associated with the targets, and communicates its captured data with the host over a predetermined communications protocol. The auxiliary reader also captures data associated with the targets independently of the workstation reader. The workstation reader automatically integrates the auxiliary reader in the system by automatically detecting the protocol of the auxiliary reader, and by automatically configuring the detected protocol of the auxiliary reader to conform to the predetermined communications protocol of the workstation reader, thereby enabling the auxiliary reader to communicate its captured data with the host.

In the retail industry, horizontal or flat bed slot scanners, each having a single horizontal window; vertical slot scanners, each having a single upright or vertical window; and bi-optical scanners, each having both a horizontal window and an upright window, have been used as workstation readers to electro-optically read targets, such as one-dimensional bar code symbols, particularly of the Universal Product Code (UPC) type, and two-dimensional bar code symbols, such as PDF417 and QR codes, at point-of-transaction checkout systems operated by checkout clerks and/or by customers in supermarkets, warehouse clubs, department stores, and other kinds of retailers and businesses, for many years. Products to be purchased bear identifying symbol targets and are typically slid by a user across a respective workstation window, e.g., from right to left, or from left to right, in a "swipe" mode. Alternatively, the user merely presents the symbol target on the product to, and holds the product momentarily steady at, a central region of a respective workstation window in a "presentation" mode. The choice depends on the type of target, on user preference, and on the layout of the system.
Some workstation readers are laser-based, and project a multitude of laser scan lines through a respective workstation window. When at least one of the scan lines sweeps over a symbol target associated with a product, the symbol target is processed, decoded and read. The multitude of scan lines is typically generated by a scan pattern generator which includes a laser for emitting a laser beam at a mirrored component mounted on a shaft for rotation by a motor about an axis. A plurality of stationary mirrors is arranged about the axis. As the mirrored component turns, the laser beam is successively reflected onto the stationary mirrors for reflection therefrom through the respective workstation window as a scan pattern of the laser scan lines.
Other workstation readers are imager-based, and have one or more solid-state imagers, or image sensors, analogous to those conventionally used in consumer digital cameras. Each imager has a one- or two-dimensional array of photocells or light sensors (also known as pixels), and an imaging lens assembly for capturing return light scattered and/or reflected from a target being imaged through a respective workstation window over a field of view, and for projecting the return light onto the sensor array to initiate capture of an image of the target over a range of working distances in which the target can be read. The target may be a symbol, as described above, either printed on a label or displayed on a display screen of an electronic device, such as a smart phone. The target may also be a form, document, label, receipt, signature, driver's license, employee badge, or payment/loyalty card, etc., each bearing alphanumeric characters, as well as a picture, to be imaged. Such an imager may include a one- or two-dimensional charge coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device and associated circuits for producing and processing electrical signals corresponding to a one- or two-dimensional array of pixel data over the field of view. These electrical signals are decoded and/or processed by a programmed microprocessor or controller into data related to the target being read, e.g., decoded data indicative of a symbol, or into a picture of a target other than a symbol.
As advantageous as the known laser- and/or imager-based workstation readers have been in capturing data from such targets, the systems often include portable, auxiliary electro-optical scanners or readers, either laser-based or imager-based, and either operated by the clerk and/or by the customer. A typical auxiliary reader is either held in a user's hand and operated in a handheld mode to facilitate reading of large, heavy or bulky products that cannot be readily lifted into position facing at least one of the windows of a workstation reader, or is supported on a cradle, convenience stand, or analogous support in a hands-free mode in which the products are brought to, and positioned in front of, a window on the auxiliary reader. In some applications, the auxiliary reader can be directly placed and supported on a support surface, such as a countertop, in which case, no separate cradle or convenience stand need be employed to support the auxiliary reader. In general, the auxiliary reader, or its support, has a cord or cable that is plugged directly into a port, e.g., a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, on the workstation reader. When the support is plugged into the workstation reader, the connection between the auxiliary reader and the support is typically wireless.
The auxiliary reader is especially useful when operated by the customer, independently of the assistance of the clerk. Thus, the customer can read targets provided on loyalty cards, identification cards, coupons, smartphones, and even countertop merchandise bought on impulse. For such reasons, among others, such as privacy, hygiene, and security, many customers do not wish to hand over identification cards, such as drivers' licenses containing age data, to the clerk, and would instead prefer to operate the auxiliary reader. Due to the increasing popularity of coupons being delivered over smartphones, and thus the increased likelihood that the customer's smartphone will be handled during checkout, many retailers also prefer that the customer operate the auxiliary reader out of concern for legal liability in the event that the clerk accidentally drops the customer's smartphone.
A typical known checkout system further includes a host computer that communicates not only with a payment register, but also with the workstation reader over a predetermined communications protocol. In this disclosure, the predetermined communications protocol is a well-defined system of digital message formats and rules for exchanging messages in or between the workstation reader and the host computer. The protocol may include signaling, authentication, and error detection and correction capabilities. The protocol essentially defines the syntax, semantics, and synchronization of the digital communication, and is typically implemented in software, but could be implemented in firmware or hardware. When a communications protocol is agreed upon by all parties involved, it may be developed into a technical standard. There are many such standards. By way of non-limiting example, one such standard is the Universal Serial Bus OEM Point-Of-Sale Device Interface Specification, Version Code 2.4, Sep. 18, 2012 (hereinafter the "IBM" standard); and another such standard is the Device Class Definition for Human Interface Devices (HID), Version 1.11, Jun. 27, 2001 (hereinafter the "HID" standard).
The above-described auxiliary reader must also communicate with the host computer over a communications protocol, and preferably the same protocol that the workstation reader utilizes. One concern, however, is that the auxiliary reader, which a retailer wishes to use, may not have this same protocol. The retailer may have available, and wish to use, auxiliary readers that employ different protocols. For example, such different protocols may be employed by different auxiliary reader manufacturers, or even by the same auxiliary reader manufacturer who has changed protocols, or who has different models with different protocols. An auxiliary reader with a mismatched protocol will not work in the checkout system.
Accordingly, there is a need to readily integrate the auxiliary reader in the checkout system and to enable the auxiliary reader to readily communicate with the host computer.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

Apparatus for and method of automatically integrating an auxiliary reader in a point-of-transaction system having a workstation reader


A method for detecting and evaluating crystal defects existing in the extreme neighborhood of the surface of a crystal specimen through the use of X-ray analyzing micrography. Synchrotron radiation is used as the X-ray source. A monochromatic X-ray beam generated from the synchrotron radiation is directed into the crystal specimen at a glancing angle smaller than the critical angle of said crystal specimen relative to said monochromatic X-ray beam. The diffracted X-rays from the crystal specimen due to asymmetrical reflection are detected in order to observe the resulting diffracted image.

1.Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a total reflection type X-ray diffraction micrographic method and an apparatus for implementing the same method, and in particular, to a total reflection type X-ray diffraction micrographic method and apparatus suitable for detecting crystal defects present on and within the surface of a semiconductor wafer.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a semiconductor wafer such as a single crystalline silicon wafer, crystal defects present therein or thereon (for example, voids, interstitial atoms, dislocations, random stacking, depositions, segregations or the like) can exert adverse effects on the characteristics of a semiconductor device produced from this semiconductor wafer. In view of this problem, numerous methods have been developed to detect and evaluate the crystal defects present in the interior or on the surface of semiconductor wafers.
As one of such methods, there has been available a method called X-ray diffraction microscopy or X-ray topography which utilizes a diffraction phenomenon of X-rays. FIG. 1 is a layout plan view illustrating an arrangement implemented when a silicon (100) wafer is measured in accordance with this method. Incident X-ray beam 51, which is generated by an X-ray tube or the like and is formed into a thin and elongated beam by using a slit, is made monochromatic by means of a monochromater comprising spectroscopic analyzing crystal 52. Here, the glancing angle of incident X-ray beam 51 is made small so that it may come incident to the surface at an angle close to the surface of analyzing crystal 52 and, further, the orientation of analyzing crystal 52 is appropriately selected. As a result, monochromatic X-ray beam 53 emitted from analyzing crystal 52 becomes a widely spaced parallel light beam with an emitting angle which is nearly perpendicular to the crystal surface, and thereby comes incident to a wide area of the surface of silicon (100) wafer 54, the sample to be evaluated. The X-ray beam which enters silicon (100) wafer 54 is diffracted in accordance with Bragg's effect within wafer 54 and emitted from wafer 54. Diffracted X-ray beam 55 then strikes photographic film 56. If no crystal defects exist on or within wafer 54, the diffracted image formed on photographic film 56 is uniform, and, if otherwise, some turbulence will be apparent in this diffracted image. Therefore, the crystal defects existing on and within sample wafer 54 can be detected and evaluated by exposing film 56 to diffracted X-ray beam 55, developing exposed film 56, and finally, examining the diffraction image on the developed film by means of a microscope or the like. According to this method, the incident depth of the monochromatic X-ray beam which comes incident to the sample is on the order of several micrometers, and this range allows extensive information to be obtained regarding the sample as viewed in the direction of its depth.
In recent years, numerous semiconductor devices having a shallow junction have been in practical use. It is important to obtain information regarding crystal defects in the close neighborhood of the surface (within several nanometers in depth) of the semiconductor wafers making up these devices. However, according to the above-described conventional X-ray diffraction micrography, the incident depth of the X-ray beam into the specimen is too great to obtain the information regarding the close neighborhood of the surface.

Total reflection X-ray diffraction micrographic method and apparatus


A steering control system adapted for use on a paving machine having one or more wheels and an automatic pivot steer mode. The preferred steering control system comprises a speed sensor adapted to determine a paving machine speed, a steering cylinder adapted to move between a straight forward position and a fully turned position, a steering cylinder sensor adapted to determine a steering cylinder position, a flow sharing valve in fluid communication with one or more of the one or more wheels and adapted to be moved between an open position and a closed position, and a controller adapted to communicate with the speed sensor, the steering cylinder sensor, and the flow sharing valve. The preferred steering control system is adapted to automatically open and close the flow sharing valve. Automatically moving the flow sharing valve between the open position and the closed position.

It is known to use apparatuses and methods to control the steering of paving machines. Conventional apparatuses and methods, however, suffer from one or more disadvantages. For example, conventional control systems and methods do not automatically pivot steer the paving machine. Conventional control systems and methods are also undesirably labor-intensive and unsafe as they require the operator to remove his hands from the paving machine's motion controls, e.g. the steering wheel or directional joystick. Further, conventional control systems and methods allow for pivot steering at any time the paving machine is moving and regardless of the machine's wheel position. Still further, conventional control systems and methods produce undesirable stress on a stationary wheel and its linkage when a pivoting wheel turns. In addition, this damages the base pavement more than if the wheels are turned hard over during a pivot steer. Still further, an operator can accidentally engage pivot steer at an unsafe speed and possibly be thrown off the paving machine.
It would be desirable, therefore, if an apparatus and method for a steering control system could be provided that would automatically pivot steer the paving machine. It would also be desirable if such an apparatus and method for a steering control system could be provided that would not be undesirably labor-intensive and unsafe. It would be further desirable if such an apparatus and method for a steering control system could be provided that would not allow for pivot steering at any time the paving machine is moving and regardless of the machine's wheel position. It would be still further desirable if such an apparatus and method for a steering control system could be provided that would not produce undesirable stress on a stationary wheel and its linkage when a pivoting wheel turns or damage the base pavement. In addition, it would be desirable if such an apparatus and method for a steering control system could be provided that would not be capable of being accidentally engaged at an unsafe speed and possibly throw the operator off the paving machine.

Apparatus and method for a steering control system


An electronic part module, comprising: an electronic part substrate having an insulating panel to which a plurality of bus bars is attached, each of the bus bars having an external terminal-connecting portion and being electrically connected to an electronic part, a case for receiving the electronic part substrate therein, and a connector-connecting portion in which a plurality of the external terminal-connecting portions of the plurality of bus bars is collected, and which is disposed between a plurality of the electronic parts.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electronic part module in particular for use with electrical devices such as vehicle electrical junction boxes. More specifically, the invention relates to an electronic part module provided with an electronic part substrate having an insulating panel to which a plurality of bus bars, which is electrically connected to a plurality of electronic parts respectively and has an external terminal-connecting portion for electrically connecting an external terminal, is attached
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 15 shows a perspective view of a conventional electronic part module. For more detail, see JP 2005-210804 A. The conventional electronic part module 316 includes a pair of relay-connecting units 311, 315, which are opposed to each other.
In the relay-connecting unit 311, two relays 302 are mounted to a bus bar substrate 301, which includes an insulating panel 305, and a plurality of bus bars 306 arranged on the surface of the insulating panel 305. In the relay-connecting unit 315, two relays 304 are mounted to a bus substrate 303, which includes an insulating panel 312, and a plurality of bus bars 313 arranged on the surface of the insulating panel 312. Each one end portion of the plurality of bus bars 306, 313 extends beyond one edge of the insulating panels 305, 312, and functions as an external terminal-connecting portion 306c, 313c, thereby forming a connector-connecting portion.
The electronic part module 316 is received in a main body of a box such as an electrical junction box and ECU box, and each external terminal-connecting portion 306c, 313c of the bus bars 306, 313 extends into a housing thereby forming the connector-connecting portion into which a connector of a wiring harness and so on is inserted or fitted.
The above electronic part module 316 is disposed such that the external terminal-connecting portion 306c, 313c and the relays 302 and 304 are respectively aligned or arranged in a direction in which the external terminal-connecting portions 306c, 313c extend from the insulating panels 305, 312 respectively. In other words, the direction can be defined by a direction in which the connector is inserted or fitted into the connector-connecting portion. For the above reason, the dimension of the electronic part module 316 along the above direction is made equal to the sum of the lengths of the relay 302, 304 and the length of the external terminal-connecting portion 306c, 313c. The electronic part module 316 has been needed to be further downsized.


A liquid crystal display device having a digital driver is provided, which can realize higher definition and more gradations. A liquid crystal display device having a pixel region in which a plural number of pixel TFTs are arranged in a matrix shape, a source driver and a gate driver for driving the plural number of TFTs, and a circuit for converting externally inputted m-bit digital video data into 2mxe2x88x92n pieces of n-bit digital video data (where m and n are both positive integers greater than or equal to 2, and m greater than n), and for supplying the n-bit digital video data to the source driver, is provided. The liquid crystal display device is characterized in that the 2mxe2x88x92n pieces of n-bit digital data is outputted randomly, and in that a one-frame image is formed by displaying 2mxe2x88x92n subframes formed by the n-bit digital data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an active matrix type display device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a display device performing gradation display by both voltage gradation and time gradation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, techniques of manufacturing a semiconductor device such as a thin film transistor (TFT) in which semiconductor thin films are formed on an inexpensive glass substrate, have been rapidly progressing. The reason for this resides in that the demand for active matrix type liquid crystal display devices has risen.
An active matrix type liquid crystal display device is a device in which TFTs are placed in each pixel of a pixel region having from several hundreds of thousands to several millions of pixels arranged in a matrix shape, and in which an electric charges input and output to pixel electrodes connected to each pixel TFT are controlled by the pixel TFT switching function.
In recent years, active matrix type liquid crystal display devices have spread from being used as only displays of notebook type personal computers, often seen conventionally, to being used as the display of desktop type personal computers.
There is a demand for the display of a large amount of information (including character information and image information) at once, and the image capabilities of personal computers are being made higher definition and with more gradation levels (preferably full colorization).
Accompanying the increase in personal computer display capabilities, improvements in active matrix type liquid crystal display devices as personal computer display devices are advancing. Digital driver type active matrix liquid crystal display devices with which the interface to a personal computer is easy, and with which high speed driving of the driver is possible, have recently been in the spotlight.
A digital video data is inputted into a digital driver type active matrix liquid crystal display device from a data source such as a personal computer. A D/A converter circuit (DAC: Digital-Analog Converter) for converting an externally inputted digital video data into analog data (gradation voltages) is necessary in an active matrix type liquid crystal display device having a digital driver. Various types of D/A converter circuits exist.
The multiple gradation display capability of an active matrix type liquid crystal display device having a digital driver depends on the capability of the D/A converter circuit. Namely, it depends on how many bits of digital video data is converted into analog data by the D/A converter circuit. For example, in general, display of 22=4 gradations can be performed with an active matrix type liquid crystal display device having a D/A converter circuit which processes 2-bit digital video data, and if the D/A converter circuit processes 8-bit data, then 28=256 gradation display can be performed. Furthermore, it is possible to perform 2n gradation display for n-bit data.
Thus a multiple gradation display of the active matrix type liquid crystal display device, preferably a full color display, has been in demand recently. In order to raise the gradation display capability of the active matrix type liquid crystal display device with a digital driver, it is necessary to raise the signal processing capability of the D/A circuit. However, in order to increase the capability of the D/A converter circuit, the circuit structure of the D/A converter circuit becomes complex, and the layout surface area becomes large.
Liquid crystal display devices in which the D/A converter circuit and the pixel region are formed by polysilicon TFTs on the same substrate have been reported recently. However, if the circuit structure of the D/A converter circuit becomes complex in this case, then the D/A converter circuit yield drops, and so does the yield of the liquid crystal display device. Further, if the surface area for the D/A converter circuit becomes larger, then it becomes difficult to realize a small-scale liquid crystal display device.
The realization of a small-scale active matrix type liquid crystal display device which can accomplish high definition and multiple gradations is desired.
In view of the above stated problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a display device having a digital driver that can realize higher resolution and more gradations.
One of the features of the present invention is that a display device comprising: a pixel region having a plural number of pixel TFTs arranged in a matrix shape; a source driver and a gate driver for driving the plural number of TFTs; and a circuit for converting externally inputted m-bit digital video data into 2mxe2x88x92n pieces of n-bit digital video data (where m and n are both positive integers greater than or equal to 2, and m greater than n), and for supplying the n-bit digital video data to the source driver; wherein: the 2mxe2x88x92n pieces of n-bit digital data is outputted randomly; and a one-frame image is formed by displaying 2mxe2x88x92n subframes formed by the n-bit digital data.
Another one of the features of the present invention is that a display device comprising: a pixel region having a plural number of pixel TFTs arranged in a matrix shape; a source driver and a gate driver for driving the plural number of TFTs; and a circuit for converting externally inputted m-bit digital video data into 2mxe2x88x92n pieces of n-bit digital video data (where m and n are both positive integers greater than or equal to 2, and m greater than n), and for supplying the n-bit digital video data to the source driver; wherein: the 2mxe2x88x92n pieces of n-bit digital data is outputted randomly; a one-frame image is formed by displaying 2mxe2x88x92n subframes formed by the n-bit digital data; and (2mxe2x88x92(2mxe2x88x92nxe2x88x921)) levels of display gradation can be obtained.
Another feature of the present invention is that a display device comprising: a pixel region having a plural number of pixel TFTs arranged in a matrix shape; a source driver and a gate driver for driving the plural number of TFTs; and a circuit for converting externally inputted m-bit digital video data into 2mxe2x88x92n pieces of n-bit digital video data (where m and n are both positive integers greater than or equal to 2, and m greater than n), and for supplying the n-bit digital video data to the source driver; wherein: the 2mxe2x88x92n pieces of n-bit digital data is outputted by a pattern selected randomly from a plural number of output patterns; and a one-frame image is formed by displaying 2mxe2x88x92n subframes formed by the n-bit digital data.
Another feature of the present invention is that a display device comprising: a pixel region having a plural number of pixel TFTs, arranged in a matrix shape; a source driver and a gate driver for driving the plural number of TFTs; and a circuit for converting externally inputted m-bit digital video data into 2mxe2x88x92n pieces of n-bit digital video data (where m and n are both positive integers greater than or equal to 2, and m greater than n), and for supplying the n-bit digital video data to the source driver; wherein: the 2mxe2x88x92n pieces of n-bit digital data is outputted by a pattern selected randomly from a plural number of output patterns; a one-frame image is formed by displaying 2mxe2x88x92n subframes formed by the n-bit digital data; and (2mxe2x88x92(2mxe2x88x92nxe2x88x921) levels of display gradation can be obtained.
In the above-mentioned display devices, a liquid crystal may be used as a display medium. Also, in the above-mentioned display devices, an EL may be used as a display medium.
Also, the above-mentioned display devices can be used in a rear projector having three display devices, a front projector having three display devices, a single stage rear projector having one display device, a goggle type display having two display device, a portable information terminal having a display device, a notebook type personal computer having a display device, or the like.

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


A computer-implemented system is provided for monitoring performance of a media player launched by a web browser. The media player is referenced by a document that defines a web page and is implemented as a plug-in to the web browser. Upon accessing the web page, the web browser launches the media player. The media player in turn launches a performance monitor that is implemented as a plug-in to the media player. The performance monitor subscribes to event listener objects exposed by the media player and receives event data that is reported by the event listener objects. Performance metrics pertaining to the media player are derived from the event data.

Web site owners need to know which users are having trouble interacting with their web site and specifically what those problems are. For example, web site owners need to know if the problems are isolated in a certain geographical area, if the problems are tied to a specific operating system, etc. Failure to diagnose and correct the problems that user's encounter on a web site ultimately impact a user's ability, for example, to do business with a web site.
Performance monitoring tools for web sites are commercially available in the marketplace. With the prevalence of client-side scripting in web page development, it has become significantly more difficult to properly diagnose problems experienced by users. In particular, streaming content providers are unable to track performance experienced by users of media players embedded into web browsers. While synthetic performance monitoring solutions have been proposed, there remains a need for real time performance monitoring of media players launched by web browsers.
This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.

Performance monitoring of a media player launched by a web browser


Methods and apparatus are disclosed for providing visual assistance to a flight crew on an aircraft during flight. The method comprises generating a graphical user interface (GUI) element that displays a target aircraft symbol that represents a target aircraft and a horizontal range symbol that represents a pre-selected horizontal distance ahead of an ownship aircraft. The method further comprises positioning the target aircraft symbol at a variable position on the GUI element away from the horizontal range symbol, wherein the distance between the target aircraft symbol and the horizontal range symbol is proportional to an actual horizontal distance between the target aircraft position and the pre-selected horizontal distance ahead of the ownship aircraft; and causing the GUI element and the symbols to be displayed on a cockpit display.

CDTI (Cockpit Display of Traffic Information) Assisted Visual Separation (CAVS) is an ADS-B In (Automatic dependent surveillance—broadcast) application. An advantage of the CAVS application is that it may allow the flight crew to maintain ownship separation from preceding traffic when visual contact is lost (e.g., due to hazy or night conditions) using the information provided by the CDTI as a substitute for an out-the-window view. An example CAVS maneuver may operate as follows. Air traffic control (ATC) may provide clearance instructions that include the identification of a target aircraft to follow to the flight crew of an ownship aircraft. The flight crew of the ownship aircraft may report "Traffic in sight", designate the target aircraft to follow in its aircraft equipment, and set an alerting distance threshold (e.g., a pre-selected horizontal distance). As an example, the pre-selected horizontal distance may be two nautical miles (2 nm). The flight crew may adjust the ownship aircraft speed or maneuver laterally based on out the window (OTW) information to maintain ownship separation. The flight crew may adjust the ownship aircraft speed or maneuver laterally based on information provided by CDTI to maintain ownship separation when visual contact is lost. The CAVS maneuver may terminate when the target aircraft to follow lands. Use of CAVS may increase the flight crew's situational awareness particularly during a busy approach phase of flight, decrease ATC workload and increase airport capacity. Use of CAVS, however, may cause the flight crew to interpret alphanumerical information instead of OTW information when visual contact is lost. Interpreting alphanumerical information is generally slower and more cognitively demanding than interpreting graphical information.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an improved system for increasing the flight crew's situational awareness when using information displayed in the cockpit to maintain ownship separation when visual contact is lost. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the background of the invention.

Assisted visual separation enhanced by graphical visualization


Gelatinous materials combined with the Colloidal Silver additive to formulate an antimicrobial product having cushioning properties. Embodiments of the present invention can include gelatinous materials selected from a group consisting of thermosetting polymer, Styrene-Ethylene-Butadiene-Styrene polymer (SEBS), Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE), and Polyurethane (PU) gelatin with and without a raised geometry on an outer surface.

Traditionally, TPE Gels (Thermoplastic Elastomers) are developed by the hydrogenation of tri-block co-polymers of styrene and butadene. The present invention formulation allows for the glass transition of its rubber block below-50° C. thus maintaining its rubbery properties. This material content gel is made up of visco-elastic properties that are transformed into a gelatinous mass. The Tri-Block Co-Polymer, for example, uses mineral oil as a plasticizer. The Styrene-Ethylene-Butadiene-Styrene polymer (SEBS) description then becomes styrene and ethylene-butylene, and mineral oil is used for the modification of viscosity, and flexibility and strength of blends. The major applications for this type of gel have been for sealants, adhesives, coatings, footwear, athletic equipment, and other cushioning parts.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Antimicrobial colloidal silver products and method of making same


A sheet piling wall includes a plurality of polymer corrugated sheet piles, such as vinyl sheet piles, connected together to form an corrugated wall structure having a front surface and a back surface. A plurality of blocks are adhesively secured to the back surface of the wall structure. Each block includes a fastener that is fastened to a bracket that is welded to a support bar extending horizontally behind the back surface. The support bar can be anchored to solid ground by use of tie back rods and an earth anchorage system.

The properties of golf courses, commercial and industrial properties, and luxurious homes often contain a body of water such as a lake, pond, or stream. To protect the shoreline from erosion and to add to the aesthetic appeal of the property, a shoreline wall is sometimes used.
It is known to use sheet piles to construct these walls. It also known to anchor the sheet piling wall by welding a horizontal support bar to a back side of the wall, along the length of the wall, welding tie back rods to the support bar and extending the tie back rods in a direction away from the water to connect to an underground earth anchor.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,447,393 and 6,053,666 illustrate examples of steel sheet pile configurations. According to these patents the steel sheets interlock with one another and form an undulating or corrugated wall. Although steel sheet piling is an effective method to construct a shoreline wall, under some circumstances it can rust when exposed to water and become less than aesthetically attractive.
Colored vinyl sheet piling walls are known and are aesthetically attractive, but because the vinyl sheet piles cannot be welded on a back side, and it is sometimes undesirable to provide holes through the sheet piles for fasteners, a top cap is used.
FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate prior art components used to construct a typical vinyl sheet piling wall. FIG. 8 illustrates two vinyl sheet piles 10 that each have a substantially U shape cross-section with extending side flange portions 14, 16. The flange portions 14, 16 include interlocking formations 14a, 16a along their length such that the piles 10, 10 can be driven side by side sequentially, and mutually interlock as each subsequent sheet pile is driven into the ground, forming a corrugated wall. As shown in FIG. 9, a top cap 18 is set on the sheet piles 10 and captures the top of the vinyl sheet piles 10. The top cap 18 is connected to tie back members 19 which are connected to earth anchorage to stabilize the sheet piling wall. The tie back members 19 are buried by backside fill. Top cap members 18 are typically provided in straight stock length. Any curvature of the wall must be accommodated by miter cutting sections of the top cap 18. Because of the need for the top cap, a vinyl wall is difficult to construct along a curved or irregular path.
The present inventor has recognized the need for a method of installing polymer or non-metallic sheet piles, such as vinyl sheet piles, that results in an attractive, stable wall.
The present inventor has recognized the need for an efficient method of installing a polymer sheet piling wall, such as a vinyl wall, along a curved path.

Method of making a polymer sheet piling wall


A medical device known as an implantable infusion device is configured for implanting in humans to deliver a therapeutic substance such as pharmaceutical compositions, genetic materials, and biologics to treat a variety of medical conditions such as pain, spasticity, cancer, and many other conditions. The infusion device incorporates a motor coil connector and mechanical sealing system between the clean motor compartment and the potentially corrosive pump compartment that provides a reliable electrical connection between the motor coil and the motor drive electronics. The motor coil connector provides for bonding of a very small diameter coil wire to one end of the connector and a highly corrosion resistant connection at the other end of the connector. Additionally, the motor coil connector and mechanical sealing system provides a seal against harmful corrosion materials that could emanate from the pump compartment and reach the motor compartment and cause malfunction of the motor. The infusion device has a housing, a power source, a therapeutic substance reservoir, a therapeutic substance pump, and electronics.

Previously the medical device industry has produced a wide variety of electronic and mechanical devices for treating patient medical conditions. Depending upon medical condition, medical devices can be surgically implanted or connected externally to the patient receiving treatment. Clinicians use medical devices alone or in combination with therapeutic substance therapies and surgery to treat patient medical conditions. For some medical conditions, medical devices provide the best, and sometimes the only, therapy to restore an individual to a more healthful condition and a fuller life. One type of medical device is an implantable infusion device.
An implantable therapeutic substance infusion device is implanted by a clinician into a patient at a location appropriate for the therapy. Typically, a therapeutic substance infusion catheter is connected to the device outlet and implanted to infuse the therapeutic substance such as a drug or infusate at a programmed infusion rate and predetermined location to treat a condition such as pain, spasticity, cancer, and other medical conditions. Many therapeutic substance infusion devices are configured so the device can be refilled with therapeutic substance through a septum while the device is implanted. Then the time the device can be implanted may not be limited by therapeutic substance stored capacity of the device. An example of an implantable therapeutic substance infusion device is shown in Medtronic, Inc. product brochure entitled "SynchroMed® Infusion System" (1995).
The therapeutic substance infused into a patient is stored in the pump in a sealed reservoir. The substance in the reservoir flows from the reservoir via internal fluid handling components to the motor and pump components where it is metered and then flows to the pump output.
In a peristaltic pump the substance flows through a compressible tube, one of several fluid handling components, and this tube is slightly permeable to water, and possibly some compounds and ions. Water vapor and other materials that may diffuse through the tube walls and become trapped inside the pump may be corrosive to mechanical or electrical components inside the pump. In particular, electrical components such are electronic circuits and motors are particularly vulnerable to damage and loss of function due to certain types of contamination.
Electrically powered implanted infusion devices consume energy delivered typically by a battery, also called a power source. Wires and connections inside the pump carry electrical energy from the power source to the motor. These wires and connections must be designed to be isolated from corrosive materials or made impervious to corrosion by corrosive materials. If this corrosion immunity is not accomplished, the pump will likely need to be replaced due to malfunction prior to the end of its normal service life. Replacement usually requires a costly, inconvenient and potentially problematic surgery for the patient and attending physician. For these reasons there is a need for a pump with various components of the motor coil connector and sealing system inside the pump that are carefully designed to eliminate or minimize potentially detrimental corrosive effects from corrosive materials.

Implantable infusion device with motor connection and seal system


A light emitting die package is disclosed. The die package includes a substrate, a reflector plate, and a lens. The substrate is made from thermally conductive but electrically insulating material. The substrate has traces for connecting an external electrical power source to a light emitting diode (LED) at a mounting pad. The reflector plate is coupled to the substrate and substantially surrounds the mounting pad. The lens is free to move relative to the reflector plate and is capable of being raised or lowered by the encapsulant that wets and adheres to it and is placed at an optimal distance from the LED chip(s). The lens can be coated with any optical system of chemical that affects the performance of the device. Heat generated by the LED during operation is drawn away from the LED by both the substrate (acting as a bottom heat sink) and the reflector plate (acting as a top heat sink). The reflector plate includes a reflective surface to direct light from the LED in a desired direction.

The present invention relates to the field of packaging semiconductor devices, and more particularly to packaging light emitting diodes.
Light emitting diodes (LEDS) are often packaged within leadframe packages. A leadframe package typically includes a molded or cast plastic body that encapsulates an LED, a lens portion, and thin metal leads connected to the LED and extending outside the body. The metal leads of the leadframe package serve as the conduit to supply the LED with electrical power and, at the same time, may act to draw heat away from the LED. Heat is generated by the LED when power is applied to the LED to produce light. A portion of the leads extends out from the package body for connection to circuits external to the leadframe package.
Some of the heat generated by the LED is dissipated by the plastic package body; however, most of the heat is drawn away from the LED via the metal components of the package. The metal leads are typically very thin and has a small cross section. For this reason, capacity of the metal leads to remove heat from the LED is limited. This limits the amount of power that can be sent to the LED thereby limiting the amount of light that can be generated by the LED.
To increase the capacity of an LED package to dissipate heat, in one LED package design, a heat sink slug is introduced into the package. The heat sink slug draws heat from the LED chip. Hence, it increases the capacity of the LED package to dissipate heat. However, this design introduces empty spaces within the package that is be filled with an encapsulant to protect the LED chip. Furthermore, due to significant differences in CTE (coefficient of thermal expansion) between various components inside the LED package, bubbles tend to form inside the encapsulant or the encapsulant tends to delaminate from various portions within the package. This adversely affects the light output and reliability of the product. In addition, this design includes a pair of flimsy leads which are typically soldered by a hot-iron. This manufacturing process is incompatible with convenient surface mounting technology (SMT) that is popular in the art of electronic board assembly.
In another LED package design, the leads of the leadframe package have differing thicknesses extended (in various shapes and configurations) beyond the immediate edge of the LED package body. A thicker lead is utilized as a heat-spreader and the LED chip is mounted on it. This arrangement allows heat generated by the LED chip to dissipate through the thicker lead which is often connected to an external heat sink. This design is inherently unreliable due to significant difference in coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) between the plastic body and the leadframe material. When subjected to temperature cycles, its rigid plastic body that adheres to the metal leads experiences high degree of thermal stresses in many directions. This potentially leads to various undesirable results such as cracking of the plastic body, separation of the plastic body from the LED chip, breaking of the bond wires, delaminating of the plastic body at the interfaces where it bonds to various parts, or resulting in a combination of these outcomes. In addition, the extended leads increase the package size and its footprint. For this reason, it is difficult to populate these LED packages in a dense cluster on a printed circuit board (PCB) to generate brighter light.
Another disadvantage of the current leadframe design is that the thick lead cannot be made or stamped into a fine circuit for flip-chip mounting of a LED—which is commonly used by some manufacturers for cost-effective manufacturing and device performance.
Consequently, there remains a need for an improved LED package that overcomes or alleviates one or more of the shortcomings of the prior art packages.

Power surface mount light emitting die package


Oral appliances adapted to for spacing the occlusal surfaces of the teeth of a user are disclosed. The oral appliances have an integral retention band interconnecting a first bite pad and a second bite pad. The first bite pad can include a first spacer and the second bite pad can include a second spacer that are configured to maintain the spacing of the occlusal surfaces of opposing teeth of a user during clenching or upon an impact to the jaw. Methods for the manufacture of composite oral appliances are also disclosed. The methods include forming a composite oral appliance over a model of a user's mouth.

1. Summary of the Invention
The present inventions relate to mouthpieces and, more particularly, to oral devices for spacing the occlusal surfaces of the teeth of a user.
2. Description of the Related Art
Stress is a normal physiologic response and can be beneficial, maintaining alertness, focus, and efficiency. However, the body can become overloaded when stress becomes excessive (such as during the "fight or flight response") and both performance and health may be adversely affected. Teeth clench in response to elevated stress levels. This clenching mechanism may complete a circuit, as it were, and may signal the brain to begin a complex series of responses in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The HPA axis is a feedback loop signaling the release of hormones and affects various parts of the body. When someone is faced with a stressful situation, the hypothalamus releases the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), which activates the pituitary gland to release adrenocorticotropin into the bloodstream. This triggers the adrenal glands to release epinephrine (adrenaline), norepinephrine (noradrenaline), and cortisol, all enabling the body's stress response. Epinephrine increases blood pressure, reaction time, and heart rate, and sends blood to the muscles. Cortisol releases glucose to supply the brain and muscles with immediate energy. The HPA axis communicates with regions of the brain, including the limbic system, which controls motivation and mood. It also communicates with the hippocampus, which has a vital role in memory formation, mood, and motivation. Other affected areas include body temperature, appetite, and pain control. Stress will also shut down hormonal systems, which affects growth, metabolism, and immunity. This serves as a useful short-term solution when the body must marshal its energies to confront or run from the source of stress. However, stress's interference outlives its usefulness and becomes detrimental when chronic.
Cortisol, the "stress hormone," is essentially the trigger for adrenaline. Cortisol belongs to a class of hormones called glucocorticoids, which affect almost every organ and tissue in the body. Scientists believe cortisol has hundreds of positive effects in the body but Cortisol's most important role may be to help the body respond properly to stress. Cortisol helps maintain blood pressure and cardiovascular function and is essential to normal functioning but needs to remain in proper balance. At excessively high levels, particularly for long periods, the whole endocrine system is affected negatively. High cortisol levels limit peripheral vision, decrease metabolism, cause fatigue, reduce muscle-building, and suppress the immune system. The results of tests showing, among other benefits, a significant increase in endurance as well as a marked reduction in Cortisol during stress. Therefore, a need exists for an apparatus that can interrupt the fight-or-flight signal by preventing the completion of the clenching mechanism.
Similar to other forms of stress, the natural inclination to clench the jaw during physical exertion is typically difficult to avoid. There are various theories as to why individuals clench their teeth in a wide variety of circumstances. One theory is that this is a primal reflex designed to protect the jaw from displacement or fracture. People still instinctively clench their teeth during aggression or physical activity. Accordingly, a need exists for an apparatus that may inhibit or prevent this clenching from completing "the circuit" that could signal the brain to begin a complex series of responses in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.
It is also well recognized that the birthing process creates a tremendous amount of physiological and psychological stress upon the mother. The actual birthing process is very analogous to athletes as women about to give birth may very well clench their teeth during the exertion of labor. Therefore, a need exists for an apparatus that can interrupt the resulting physiological response by preventing the completion of the clenching mechanism.
It is also well recognized that military service generates a tremendous amount of physiological and psychological stress in the soldiers. This stress may result in regular clenching of the soldiers' teeth as they during the exertion of labor. This clenching can cause a number of changes that can detrimentally affect their physiology, psychology and judgment. Therefore, a need exists for an apparatus that preventing the completion of the clenching mechanism.
To be useful, an apparatus that prevents the completion of the clenching mechanism should be comfortable and unobtrusive and should not impede breathing or speaking to promote its use. However, many current designs for devices worn in the mouth have significant visual clues that they are being worn. They also frequently impede speech causing many users to have a lisp when they speak. Further, certain designs can significantly impede breathing through the mouth. Therefore, a need exists for apparatus that is both comfortable and unobtrusive when worn by a user.
For adequate fit and comfort, custom manufacture of certain oral appliance designs based on models of the users' teeth can be necessary. However, custom manufacture can be laborious and expensive. Therefore, a need exists for simple reproducible methods for manufacturing oral appliances that reduce the time and effort involved in the manufacture of custom oral appliances.

Composite oral appliances and methods for manufacture


In an operation performing step which performs operations associated with the device type changing by operating operation switches such as a “file operation” (35e) which are displayed by selecting a “device type changing” (33c) which is displayed in an operation screen (30) on an operation panel, when a non-object mounting lane except an operation object performs operation actions, the inputting of the operations with the operation switches is permitted and the inputting of the operations with a lane specifying switch (36) is prohibited so that a second mounting lane (L2) which is producing will not become an object of the inputting of operations.

An electronic component mounting system which manufactures a mounted substrate by mounting electronic components on the substrate is formed by combining a plurality of component mounting devices which mount the electronic components on the substrate on which paste for solder bonding was printed. In recent years, in the electronic industry, with the development of the diversification of production patterns, the production pattern in which multiple types of products are manufactured in a limited quantity is also increasingly applied in the component mounting field. Therefore, in the component mounting system, the frequency of device type changing operations with the change of the type of the substrate which is a production object increases. Various schemes are proposed to effectively perform device type changing operations for the purpose of improving the productivity in the production field of the component mounting (for example, refer to a patent document 1). In the prior art shown in this patent document, component type information of current production lot and the next production lot are checked, and common component types and different component types in the two production lots are identified and displayed based on the check result. Thereby, it becomes possible to prepare the component types necessary for the next production lot during the current production.

Component mounting device in which a device type changing operation is performed in one mounting lane without stopping another mounting lane


Building panels, such as floorboards, provided with a mechanical locking system. The mechanical locking system includes a displacement groove at a first edge of a first floorboard and a tongue groove at a second edge of a second floorboard. A tongue is arranged in the displacement groove and is configured to cooperate, in a second position, with the tongue groove for vertical locking of the first and the second edge. The tongue includes, in a first position, an inner element and an outer element. The inner element is removable along the displacement groove, and is configured to cooperate with the outer element to obtain a displacement of the outer element towards the tongue groove and thereby obtain the second position. The inner element and the outer element vertically overlap each other.

Building panels provided with a mechanical locking system comprising a displaceable tongue cooperating with a tongue groove for vertical locking is known and disclosed in, e.g., FR 2 975 717. The mechanical locking system in FR 2 975 717 has a displaceable tongue comprising an outer element which is pushed by a wedge part of a removable inner part of the tongue into a tongue groove, for vertical locking of adjacent edges of two floorboards. A drawback with this known system is that the locking strength is rather low.
The above description of various known aspects and drawback is the Applicant's characterization of such, and is not an admission that any of the above description is considered as prior art.
Although the description in the present disclosure relates to a floor panel, the description of techniques and problems thereof is applicable to other applications as well. For example, the description is also applicable to panels for other purposes, such as wall panels, ceiling panels, furniture panels and components, etc.


Transceivers may be used in track circuits. A transceiver may comprise an H-bridge circuit comprising at least four switches. A control unit in communication with the H-bridge circuit may be constructed and arranged to selectively drive the at least four switches to selectively cause the H-bridge circuit to function as a transmitter or a receiver. A power supply terminal in communication with the H-bridge circuit may be constructed and arranged to connect to a power supply. A track interface terminal in communication with the H-bridge circuit may be constructed and arranged to connect to a track interface cable so that the H-bridge circuit is capable of transmitting signals to and/or receiving signals from the track interface cable.

Track circuits may be used in the railroad industry to detect the presence of a train in a block of track. Track circuit hardware may include transmitters and receivers configured to work with coded AC, coded DC, or audio frequency (AF) signals. Different track circuits may function in different ways to detect trains and may therefore have different hardware requirements. For example, some track circuits (such as AC overlay circuits) may have a transmitter configured to transmit a signal through the track rails at one end of a block of track and a receiver connected to the rails at the other end of the block and configured to detect the signal. Other than the connection through the track rails, there may typically be no connection between the transmitter and receiver for a block. When a train is present in a block of track monitored by a track circuit, the train may shunt, or short, the two rails, with the result that no signal is received at the receiver. Thus, the receiver may use the presence or absence of a detected signal to indicate whether or not a train is present in the block. In some other track circuits, sometimes referred to as constant warning time circuits, a transmitter may transmit a signal over a circuit formed by the rails of the track and one or more shunts positioned at desired approach distances from the transmitter. A receiver may detect one or more resulting signal characteristics, and a logic circuit such as a microprocessor or hardwired logic may detect the presence of a train and may determine its speed and distance from a location of interest such as a crossing. The track circuit may detect a train and determine its distance and speed by measuring impedance changes due to the train's wheels and axle acting as a shunt across the rails and thereby effectively shortening the length (and hence the impedance) of the rails in the circuit. Those of skill in the art will recognize that other configurations of track circuits are possible.
Transmitters used in some track circuits may comprise H-bridge circuits. These H-bridges may comprise four transistors, such as MOSFETs, used as switches to perform signal generation for transmitting only. By opening and closing the switches, the H-bridge can be controlled to direct a signal from a power supply through an attached track load (i.e. the railroad track) with a defined voltage, current, and polarity. A transmitter using a four-transistor H-bridge can transmit a signal to the track load, and a separate receiver can receive the signal to detect the presence or absence of a train on the track. Transmitters using four-transistor H-bridges may need different physical hardware configurations for different types of track circuits, and may be unable to function as transceivers for the track circuit, so a separate receiver may be required.


A smoke guiding apparatus of a wall-mounted microwave oven. A driving circuit of the smoke guiding apparatus includes limit switches which are turned on or off according to a moving position of a guide plate of the smoke guiding apparatus, a relay coil which is supplied with power in response to an exhaust motor of the microwave oven being operated, and a plurality of relay switches which are turned on or off by the supply of power to the relay coil. The driving circuit is implemented without using a conventional microcomputer. Accordingly, the entire manufacturing cost of the microwave oven is reduced. The instant smoke guiding apparatus can be applied to mechanical microwave ovens which are not provided with microcomputers. Furthermore, the driving circuit can drive a smoke guiding apparatus having an AC feed motor, as well as a DC feed motor, thus enabling the AC feed motor to be applied to the smoke guiding apparatus.

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2002-44211 filed on Jul. 26, 2002 and Korean Patent Application No. 2002-44212 filed on Jul. 26, 2002 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wall-mounted microwave ovens, and more particularly to a smoke guiding apparatus of a wall-mounted microwave oven, which guides smoke generated therebelow to an exhaust path of the microwave oven.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a wall-mounted microwave oven is installed on a wall surface, above an oven range, and functions as a hood to suck steam and smoke generated from food cooked therebelow, and discharge them to the outside of a cooking area.
FIG. 1 shows the construction of a smoke guiding apparatus of a conventional wall-mounted microwave oven.
Referring to FIG. 1, a body 1 of the wall-mounted microwave oven includes a cooking chamber (not shown) to cook food therein and a machine room (not shown) which stores various machine parts. The cooking chamber and the machine room are partitioned from one another. The body 1 of the microwave oven further includes an exhaust fan 3 which is installed in an upper portion of a back of the body 1 so as to exhaust gas or smoke generated from an oven range 2, which is positioned below the body 1. An exhaust inlet (not shown) is formed in a lower portion of the body 1 so as to suck the gas or smoke where the exhaust fan 3 is operated. An exhaust path 4 is formed within the body 1 to guide the gas or smoke sucked into the exhaust inlet to the exhaust fan 3.
Moreover, a smoke guiding apparatus 5 is installed beneath the body 1 so as to guide the smoke therebelow to the exhaust inlet. The smoke guiding apparatus 5 comprises a limit switch 8, a feed motor 9 and a microcomputer 10. The limit switch 8 is provided to be turned on or off according to a moving position of a guide plate 7. The guide plate 7 is inserted into a guide groove of a guide member 6 to move straight forward and backward. The feed motor 9 moves the guide plate 7 by rotating forwardly or reversely in response to a control signal output from the microcomputer 10.
The microcomputer 10 controls forward/reverse rotation of the feed motor 9, or stops the rotation of the feed motor 9 in response to an output signal of the limit switch 8. In a gear shaft of the feed motor 9, a pinion gear 12 engages with a rack gear 11 formed beneath the guide plate 7, thus enabling the guide plate 7 to move forward and backward according to the rotation of the feed motor 9. For example, two grooves are formed in the guide plate 7 in a progress direction of the guide plate 7. The limit switch 8 is constructed to output different output signals according to positions of a moving surface and the two grooves of the guide plate 7.
In the conventional smoke guiding apparatus 5, the microcomputer 10 reads an output signal of the limit switch 8, and controls the feed motor 9 based upon the output signal, thus allowing the guide plate 7 to move to a guide position or an initial position (original position) of the guide plate 7.
However, the conventional smoke guiding apparatus 5 is problematic in that it increases the entire manufacturing cost thereof by employing the microcomputer 10. Further, it cannot be applied to mechanical microwave ovens which do not employ a microcomputer.
Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention is to provide a driving circuit, which is not additionally provided with a microcomputer to control a smoke guiding apparatus of a microwave oven. The driving circuit drives the smoke guiding apparatus through limit switches which are turned on or off according to a moving position of a guide plate of the smoke guiding apparatus, a relay coil which is supplied with power where an exhaust motor is operated, and a plurality of relay switches which are turned on or off by the supply of the power to the relay coil.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a driving circuit, which drives a smoke guiding apparatus of a microwave oven where a DC feed motor is applied to the smoke guiding apparatus.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is to provide a driving circuit, which drives a smoke guiding apparatus of a microwave oven where an AC feed motor is applied to the smoke guiding apparatus.
Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
To achieve the above and/or other aspects of the present invention, there is provided an embodiment of the present invention which includes a controller for a smoke guiding apparatus of a wall-mounted microwave oven having an exhaust motor which discharges smoke therebelow to the outside of the wall-mounted microwave oven, a guide plate which guides the smoke, and a feed motor which moves the guide plate between an initial position and a guide position of the guide plate, the controller comprising a switching unit which supplies power to the feed motor so as to move the guide plate between the guide position and the initial position in conjunction with an operation of the exhaust motor, a first limit switch which shuts off the power supplied to the feed motor in response to the guide plate reaching the guide position, and a second limit switch which shuts off the power supplied to the feed motor in response to the guide plate reaching the initial position.
To achieve the above and/or other aspects of the present invention, there is provided another embodiment of a controller for a smoke guiding apparatus of a wall-mounted microwave oven having an exhaust motor which discharges smoke therebelow to the outside of the wall-mounted microwave oven, a guide plate which guides the smoke, and a feed motor which receives DC power and moves the guide plate between an initial position and a guide position of the guide plate, the controller comprising a switching unit which supplies the DC power to the feed motor so as to move the guide plate between the guide position and the initial position in conjunction with an operation of the exhaust motor, a first limit switch which shuts off the DC power supplied to the feed motor in response to the guide plate reaching the guide position, and a second limit switch which shuts off the DC power supplied to the feed motor in response to the guide plate reaching the initial position.
To achieve the above and/or other aspect of the present invention, there is provided yet another embodiment of the present invention which includes a smoke guiding apparatus of a wall-mounted microwave oven having an exhaust motor which discharges smoke therebelow to the outside of the wall-mounted microwave oven, and a guide plate which guides the smoke, the smoke guiding apparatus comprising a feed motor which receives AC power and moves the guide plate to an initial position or a guide position of the guide plate, a switching unit which supplies the AC power to the feed motor so as to move the guide plate to the guide position in response to the exhaust motor being operated, and supplies the AC power to the feed motor so as to move the guide plate to the initial position in response to the operation of the exhaust motor being stopped, a first limit switch which shuts off the AC power supplied to the feed motor in response to the guide plate reaching the guide position, and a second limit switch which shuts off the AC power supplied to the feed motor in response to the guide plate reaching the initial position.

Smoke guiding apparatus of wall-mounted microwave oven


According to the preferred embodiment depicted, the inflatable boarding ladder comprises upper and lower ladder sections with stiffening rails and hand-holds interconnected by inflatable steps and the ladder back. The upper section is attached to the boat through a telescoping rod engaging and pivoting on mounting brackets. A pillow section provides hull standoff. The articulating lower ladder section pivots about the lower end of the upper section. A ballast section submerges the tapered lower ladder end into the water to ease access and to stabilize the ladder. Inflation and deployment of the ladder is by a gas source such as a foot pump or carbon dioxide cartridge. A deflation orifice permits storage in a soft pack and deck mounted cannister.

Boarding a boat from a swimming position in the water can be a difficult task at best. Existing metal or wooden ladders often extend only a short distance below the water surface and have poor support for the feet. Boarding in rough seas can be near impossible and very hazardous for a person overboard. He may be struck by the rigid moving ladder or thrown from it.
Rescue devices such as lifting slings are time consuming and difficult to use. They still subject the victim to injury through the movements of the boat and swinging of the lifting tackle in rough seas. Existing stern ladders can be very difficult to unlatch from the water and can strike the victim in a self rescue operation.
Additionally, existing ladders are bulky and can present a storage problem. Generally, they cannot be mounted ready for use when the boat is underway. They must be retrieved from the storage area and mounted when a rescue is required. This expends valuable time and effort.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,411,166 describes an inflatable boarding ladder and paddle combination for boats. It illustrates shortcomings of prior art with inflatable boarding ladders. The ladder mounts at a single point, has no ballast and is free to be blown about by wind and sea. It does not have an articulating, partially submerged, lower section as the present invention and would be extremely difficult to use in rough seas.

Inflatable boarding ladder and rescue device


A fluid dispenser comprising a fluid reservoir (111) of variable volume, and a dispensing orifice (130), said reservoir being provided with at least one deformable actuating wall (112) urged by resilient means (15) into a rest position corresponding to the reservoir having its maximum volume, said dispenser being characterized in that the resilient means (15) are situated outside the reservoir (111), not in contact with the fluid.

The present invention relates to a fluid dispenser comprising a fluid reservoir of variable volume, and a dispensing orifice. The reservoir is provided with at least one deformable actuating wall urged by resilient means, e.g. a return spring, into a rest position in which the reservoir reaches its maximum volume.
A dispenser of this type is described, for example, in Document FR 2 791 645. The dispenser of that document is made up of two flexible sheets bonded together over their peripheries to define an internal volume which serves as a reservoir for the fluid. In addition, a piece is provided that is held between the two sheets and that closes off the reservoir. That piece is generally made of a plastics material and it defines a dispensing orifice through which the fluid can be dispensed from the reservoir in the form of a spray. In the initial storage state, prior to use, the dispensing orifice is closed off by a removable closure member that prevents the fluid from exiting from the reservoir, and also prevents air from penetrating into the reservoir through the dispensing orifice. An advantageous characteristic of that prior art document lies in the fact that the removable closure member closes off the dispenser when the reservoir contains no air or very little air. As a result, there is almost only fluid inside the reservoir. Since the quantity of fluid is small, the reservoir then presents a minimum volume so that the two flexible sheets making up the reservoir are almost touching. A return spring is disposed inside the reservoir to move the two sheets apart and thus to bring the reservoir into the rest position in which it defines a maximum working volume. When the removable closure member is in place, the return spring is fully compressed, and thus has a flat configuration. As a result, the dispenser also has a flat configuration which advantageously does not exceed 2 mm. Conversely, as soon as the removable closure member is removed, the return spring can relax because air can then penetrate into the reservoir through the dispensing orifice. The reservoir then contains a small quantity of fluid and a larger quantity of air. By pressing on the sheets making up the reservoir, it is possible to put the contents of the reservoir under pressure, and the fluid and air mixture is then delivered through the dispensing orifice so as to generate a sprayed two-phase jet.
An object of the present invention is to improve such a prior art dispenser in terms of manufacture and also in terms of conservation of the fluid inside the reservoir.
To achieve these objects, the present invention makes provision for the resilient means to be situated outside the reservoir, not in contact with the fluid. By disposing the resilient means outside the reservoir, it is possible to avoid having to perform an installation operation consisting in placing the resilient means, e.g. in the form of a spring, between the two component sheets of the reservoir. Thus, the reservoir can be filled with fluid and sealed while the resilient means are not yet in place on the dispenser. The resilient means can be mounted on the dispenser after the reservoir has been filled with fluid. In addition, because the resilient means are not in contact with the fluid, there is no risk of the fluid being degraded by contamination from the resilient means, which are generally made of metal.
Advantageously, the resilient means are connected to said at least one actuating wall by fixing means. The fixing means may comprise an adhesive. In a variant or in addition, the fixing means may comprise a holding clamp secured to or integral with the actuating wall and in which the resilient means are retained. In a first embodiment, said clamp is fixed to the actuating wall. In a variant, said clamp is made integrally with the actuating wall. In which case, said clamp may be formed by a flap formed by folding a flexible sheet over onto itself, said flexible sheet forming said actuating wall.
In all cases, by using an adhesive and/or one or more holding clamps, the resilient means can be put in place once the reservoir is already filled with fluid and sealed. The operations required to assemble the fluid dispenser are thus simplified.
In a practical embodiment, the resilient means are in the form of a clip having two branches connected together and extending in mutually-diverging manner in the rest position. Advantageously, each of the branches of the clip defines a free end, at least one of the free ends of the branches being secured to the actuating wall. Advantageously, the branches of the clip are connected together at an end of the dispenser that is opposite from the dispensing orifice.
In a preferred embodiment, the dispenser further comprises a removable closure member for closing off the dispensing orifice, the reservoir prior to removal of the removable closure member containing only a small quantity of fluid and little or no air, so that the volume of the reservoir is restricted and the resilient means are compressed, and the reservoir after removal of the closure member containing a small quantity of fluid and a larger quantity of air so that the volume of the reservoir is at its maximum and the resilient means are relaxed to the maximum extent. This type of dispenser is as defined in Document FR 2 791 645.
In another feature of the invention, the dispenser is made up of two flexible sheets connected together and forming the reservoir between them, each flexible sheet forming a respective actuating wall.
In a variant, the fixing means comprise a fixing sheet covering the resilient means and at least a portion of the reservoir.


An apparatus for obtaining information on the content and flow rate in a fluid flow, e.g. a mixture of oil and water flowing in, for example, a pipe, including means for conveying a flowing fluid, means for generating a differential pressure in said fluid, and means for measuring said differential pressure. Means for measuring a capacitance are provided including at least one electrode, and the differential pressure generating means is arranged substantially at the same position along the pipe as the electrode of the capacitance measuring means. Thereby the differential pressure generating means effectively defines an earth electrode for said capacitance measuring means. Means are provided for combining a result from said differential pressure measuring means with a result from said capacitance measuring means to thereby obtain information on the content and flow rate in a fluid flow.

In the oil and gas exploitation and supplying industry there is a requirement for monitoring the state of the fluid flowing in the pipelines. The composition and individual flow rates of a mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons, liquid hydrocarbons (oil or condensate) and water are important flow parameters.
The present applicant/inventors have for a number of years developed solutions to improve the information available about the state of such fluid flows and have gathered experience in the field as to how present measurement solutions operate and fulfill the desired objectives.


A method for the efficiency-increasing discharging of exhaust gases of internal combustion engines of boats into the water surrounding the boats is disclosed. The exhaust gases and a flow of water drawn from the surrounding water are mixed together in a low air pressure field, the low pressure of the low pressure field being produced by a reduction in the cross-section of the flow of water before mixing ensues.

It is known for the exhaust gases from internal combustion engines in marine vessels to be introduced into the water surrounding the marine vessels, either in order to prevent visible emission of the exhaust gases (an exhaust-gas plume) or in order to make use of an extraction capability with the aid of existing waterjets. The extraction capability for exhaust gases through the outlet opening of the waterjet flow from the hull of a marine vessel is known, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,917. However, this has the disadvantage that the internal combustion engine has to operate against the hydrostatic pressure of the water as a back-pressure, that is to say its performance is reduced.
This performance reduction is particularly major in the case of boosted diesel engines, whose exhaust-gas turbines are highly sensitive to back-pressure. For this reason, the exhaust gas from a boosted internal combustion engine is passed according to the proposal in DE 103 14 057 B3 into the snorkel tube of the submarine, in which the boosted internal combustion engine is arranged. However, this solution requires a very high degree of hardware complexity and increases the power requirement of the submarine when snorkeling, since the snorkel tube must be designed to be correspondingly more voluminous.

Method and device for discharging exhaust gases of internal combustion engine of boats into the water surrounding the boats


A floating dredge and hydraulic dredging apparatus for mining underwater mineral bearing deposits is disclosed. The dredge includes an overburden excavator and an ore excavator mounted to a pontoon for removing overburden and ore material, respectively. Processors on the pontoon receive material from the excavators. Dredging control components coordinate the operation of the ore and overburden excavators to efficiently remove and mine the desired material.

A common method of mining alluvial deposits, such as those in and around river beds, is to utilize a floating dredge or pontoon having an excavating device positioned at one end thereof. The excavating device removes material from the bed of the river or other body of water in which it is working, and delivers the material to the pontoon. There it is processed to separate the desired minerals or other pay material from waste material. The waste material is then transported off the pontoon, normally to reclaim the area which has just been dredged.
This method of mining alluvial deposits has been in use for well over one hundred years, as evidenced by U.S. Pat. No. 285,565 to Brotherhood. The Brotherhood patent discloses a floating pontoon having an endless bucket line conveyor for excavating material from underwater and directing it to the pontoon. An endless bucket line is very often used in mining of this type since the dredging is continuous and a high capacity of material is capable of being removed.
Other apparatus and methods of dredging ore utilize a hydraulic suction device or a bucket line type conveyor in combination with a hydraulic suction device. U.S. Pat. No. 1,148,816 to Alleman illustrates the use of a suction device for underwater dredging. The Alleman patent also shows the use of an agitating belt to loosen the dredged material so that it can be received into the suction pipe.
U.S. Pat. No. 748.804 to Smith et al. illustrates the use of a bucket line conveyor and hydraulic suction device in combination. The suction device transports fine material, while the bucket line excavates and transports larger material. The in-feed ends of both dredging systems are adjacent to one another. Both are carried by the same support frame and move in unison with respect to the supporting pontoon.
Some alluvial type deposits have as much as 90 to 100 feet of material above bedrock. Very often, particularly in the case of gold or other heavy metals, most all of the desired minerals are found in the lower 20% or so of the material overlying the bedrock. Accordingly, in a deposit with one hundred feet of total material overlying bedrock, most all of the gold bearing material would be in the lower twenty feet. This leaves a total of eighty feet of overburden material overlying what is commonly referred to as the "pay zone" containing the gold. To get to that pay material, the overburden must first be removed. Accordingly, there is approximately four times the volume of waste overburden material which needs to be removed with respect to the volume of pay material.
Prior art dredging devices, such as those just described, can be used to excavate this large volume of material. However, where the proportion of overburden material to that of the pay material is great, a large amount of waste material is processed by the dredge before ever reaching the pay material. That is, all material is treated identically to extract the desired minerals from the waste material. This means that in the example discussed above, for every cubic yard of pay material processed there are four cubic yards of overburden material also processed. Because of this, a large percentage of the material processing time is wasted in merely cycling overburden material through the processors so that it can be eventually removed from the barge.
It should thus be readily apparent that such prior art devices and methods of dredging are extremely inefficient in excavating deposits having a large amount of overburden material in proportion to underlying pay material. Accordingly, a need remains for improved methods and apparatus which are capable of mining such deposits in an efficient manner.


A video image sending method, device and system is provided, which is adapted to send a 3D video image between video players. An acquired first video image is compared with an acquired second video image to find out macro blocks in the second video image which are different from those in the first video image; and the first video image and the macro blocks are sent as an I-frame video image to a network side.

With the improvement of the network technology and the video coding technology, a 3-dimension (3D) display technology with the sense of reality and stereoscopy has been applied into various communication terminals step by step, such as televisions, game machines, laptops, video players and cell phones, etc. A 3D video display terminal can be used for sending a 3D video, which improves the user experience of 3D video services.
A 3D video display terminal has two image acquisition units (cameras) acquiring two images taken from different angles, which are sent to a receiver terminal after being encoded. The receiver decodes the received images and a user enjoys the video with a stereoscopic effect. However, it brings about a large data amount when a 3D video presents in a certain format. The large data amount puts forward a challenge to each step of acquiring a video, coding, sending or displaying a 3D video. In the network technology, especially in the wireless network technology, where there are not only the lack of bandwidth resources but also the limited power of wireless terminals in a wireless sending environment, the large amount of data is sent in a narrow bandwidth, which may lead to packet loss and image distortion, such that the 3D video could not be sent effectively and reliably.
At present, a 2D video is sent with the H.263 video communication protocol in the H.324 protocol stack. Since the H.263 video communication protocol is a communication standard with which a video is sent at a low bit rate (tens of Kbps), sending a video with such communication protocol can maximize the reduction of the data amount of the video to be sent, which saves the bandwidth. Because of the large data amount of a 3D video, it is impossible to send a 3D video effectively and reliably with a bandwidth required by the existing H.263.

Sending 3D image with first video image and macroblocks in the second video image


Embodiments provide for distorted views in augmented reality by mapping undistorted distances from a camera to real objects in an environment; producing a distorted video feed of the environment that shows the real objects at apparent distances to the camera; anchoring a virtual object to a position in the environment based on the undistorted distances; determining a scaling factor between the camera and the position based on the undistorted distances and the apparent distances; scaling the virtual object based on the scaling factor; overlaying the virtual object as scaled into the distorted video feed; and outputting the distorted video feed to a display device.

Augmented Reality (AR) may be realized by overlaying images of virtual objects onto an image of the real world environment including one or more real world objects. The images of virtual objects are positioned in a user's Field of View (FOV) to give the virtual objects an apparent location in the environment. To ensure that the images of the virtual objects are displayed in appropriate positions in the user's FOV relative to the viewed locations of the real world objects in the environment, various AR applications may anchor the virtual objects in the environment based on the location of one or more real world objects. When the user is presented with a distorted view of the environment, however, the AR application may have difficulty arranging virtual objects in accordance with the distorted view. As a result, the AR application may anchor and present virtual objects at positions inconsistent with the AR experience otherwise provided to the user, resulting in a degraded AR experience.


The configurations of an end of lamp life protection circuit for a ballast and a method thereof are provided in the present invention. The proposed circuit includes a voltage-dividing circuit receiving an input voltage and outputting a first and a second divided voltages and a switch apparatus raising the first divided voltage when the second divided voltage is less than a first pre-determined threshold value and turning off the ballast when the first divided voltage is higher than a second pre-determined threshold value.

A new design of florescent lamp will consider the consistency of lamp current for lamps having various powers (see FIGS. 1(a)-1(b)) and cooperate with the operational scheme of electronic type ballast having constant current so as to realize an electronic ballast being collocated with a series of various lamps.
According to the safety regulation of IEC61347-2-3, electronic ballasts must have an end of lamp life protection function to avoid the melting of the lamp socket caused by the over-heating of the filament so as to cause an indoor fire. The currently existing specified control IC for electronic ballast could provide the end of lamp life protection function, e.g., the IC IRS2168DSPbF of the International Rectifier Corp. (see FIG. 2). When the detecting voltage of the SD/EOL pin is higher than 3V or lower than 1V, this IC will enter the protection mode and cease the operation. The operational voltages of Lamps having various powers are different from one another. For example, the lamp voltage of T5 5-foot 35 W florescent tube is 209V, and the lamp voltage of T5 2-foot 14 W florescent tube is 82V. Under the circumstances of using the single specification of electronic ballasts in the operations, the detecting voltages at the SD/EOL pins of lamps with the same current and various powers at the end of life are different from one another. The detecting voltage satisfies the design requirements of a 35 W lamp will result in that a 14 W lamp fails to enter its protection mode so as to cease its operation. This is the common quality problem of the electronic ballasts in the commercial market.
Base on the above-mentioned considerations, the present invention is aimed at developing the technology for an applicable electronic ballast having end of lamp life protection circuit with bi-level detecting signal to improve the quality of the electronic ballast to avoid the melting of the lamp socket caused by the over-heating of the filament so as to cause a fire.
When a single electronic ballast is used to drive lamps having various powers or in the applications of multiple florescent tubes connected in series, the end of lamp life protection circuit having a single detecting signal can not fulfill all the applications of various lamp loads such that the end of lamp life protection functions are not complete. Refer to the single tube application circuit IRS2168DSPbF of the International Rectifier Corp. (see FIG. 3, wherein AC+ is the positive terminal of the rectified AC power line, and AC− is the negative terminal of the rectified AC power line), one could know that there will be high voltage generated across Cres in the series-connected resonant circuit when the 35 W lamp is abnormal and a detecting potential is generated across Ceol after the voltage is divided via resistors R5, R6, R8, and R9, D3 is turned on to charge Csd when this detecting potential is higher than the breakdown voltage of D3. The IC will enter the protection mode and cease the operation when the potential across Csd is larger than 3V. But when the lamp is changed to a T5 14 W lamp tube, the potential of Csd is impossible to be larger than 3V under the same condition, and the electronic ballast keeps in operation will have a hidden trouble regarding quality.
FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing the application of an IC ST L6585D and two T5 35 W lamps connected in series (wherein E1 and E2 are lamp tubes). One could know that the single terminal of the filament will emit the electrons when the lamp tube is abnormal, and a high voltage across C15 of the series-connected resonant circuit will be generated, and a bias will be generated across the DC blocking capacitor C18, a detecting potential will be generated across C17 after the voltage is divided via the resistors R40, R30, R31 and R33, and the IC will enter the protection mode and cease the operation when this detecting potential is larger than 3.22V. But when the lamp is changed to two T5 14 W lamp tubes connected in series, the potential of C17 is impossible to be larger than 3.22V under the same condition, and the electronic ballast keeps in operation will have a hidden trouble regarding quality.
The application circuit of the two T5 35 W lamps connected in series as shown in FIG. 4 could be further changed to a single T5 35 W lamp tube or a single T5 14 W lamp tube, and the preheating circuit of the two lamp tubes connected in series (L1C and C24) is open-circuited. The potential of C17 is impossible to be larger than 3.22V under the same condition, and the electronic ballast keeps in operation will have a hidden trouble regarding quality.
FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of an application circuit of four T5 14 W lamp tubes having an IC ICB1FL02G of Infineon Technologies using dual resonant circuit with two lamp tubes connected in series. When this circuit is applied to three T5 14 W lamp tubes, the electronic ballast keeps in operation will have a hidden trouble regarding quality.
In the prior art as shown in FIG. 6, it discloses the end of lamp life protection circuit (wherein, W is an inverter, A is a shut-off device, SR is a step-up regulator, FC is a firing circuit, and E1 and E2 are lamp tubes), a high voltage detecting signal is taken from the resonant circuit, and the ballast will cease the operation when the detecting voltage is higher than the operating point. The drawbacks of the prior art are that the end of lamp life protection circuit having a single detecting signal can not fulfill all the applications of various lamp loads.
Keeping the drawbacks of the prior arts in mind, and employing experiments and research full-heartily and persistently, the applicant finally conceived an end of lamp life protection circuit with bi-level detections for the electronic ballast and a method thereof.

End of lamp life protection circuit with bi-level detections for the electronic ballast and method thereof