A method for fabricating a bottom electrode is provided. In this method a dielectric layer is formed on a substrate having a source/drain region. A via hole is formed in the dielectric layer to expose the source/drain region. A patterned, doped polysilicon layer is formed on the dielectric layer and fills the via hole, wherein the cross-section of the patterned doped polysilicon layer is arced or polygonal. The surface of the patterned polysilicon layer is transformed into an amorphous silicon layer. A hemispherical-grain layer is formed on the amorphous silicon layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of fabricating semiconductor devices. More particularly the present invention relates to a method for fabricating a bottom electrode of a capacitor.
2. Description of the Related Art
As long as the trend for forming highly integrated circuits continues, methods capable of forming devices having smaller dimensions must be developed. Semiconductor devices having sub-micron line width are currently being manufactured. In the past, the means of increasing the packing density of integrated circuit devices has included the reduction of their structural dimensions. For a DRAM capacitor, that means a reduction of the surface area of its electrode. However, the amount of electric charge that can be stored in the capacitor is greatly reduced.
In general, the amount of stored charge within a DRAM capacitor must be above a certain threshold level so that the stored data can be retrieved correctly. When some of the dimensions of a DRAM capacitor are reduced, the maximum amount of charge the capacitor is capable of storing drops correspondingly. Furthermore, as the charge-storing capacity of the capacitor drops the frequency of refreshes necessary to compensate for the charges lost due to current leakage must be increased. Constant refreshes compromises the data processing speed of the DRAM. Hence, a method to reduce the area occupied by a capacitor on a semiconductor substrate without decreasing its storage capacity is a major issue for design engineers.
One solution to the charge storage problem of a DRAM capacitor is to grow hemispherical-grain silicon on the silicon surface of the bottom electrode. Given two capacitors formed using the same materials and having the same distance of separation between upper and bottom electrodes, the capacitor with hemispherical-grain silicon formed on its bottom electrode can have twice the capacitance of the one without hemispherical-grain silicon.
FIGS. 1A through 1C are schematic, cross-sectional diagrams used to depict steps in conventional method for fabricating a bottom electrode.
Referring to FIG. 1A, a substrate 100 having a MOS 102 is provided. A dielectric layer 104 is formed on the substrate 100. A via hole 106 is formed in the dielectric layer 104 to expose a source/drain region 103. A patterned, doped polysilicon layer 108 is formed on the dielectric layer 104 and fills the via hole 106, wherein the cross-section of the doped polysilicon layer 108 that lies on and above the top surface of the dielectric layer 104 is quadrangular. The source/drain region 103 is connected to the doped polysilicon layer 108. An ion implantation process 110 is performed.
Referring to FIG. 1B, a portion of the surface of the doped polysilicon layer 108 is transformed to an amorphous silicon layer 108a and the residue of the doped polysilicon layer 108 is remained as a doped polysilicon layer 108b.
Because the integration of semiconductors is increased, distance 111 between the doped polysilicon layer 108 becomes smaller. During the ion implantation process 110, the doped polysilicon layer 108 is shielded by other parts of the doped polysilicon layer 108 or other devices even though the angle of implantation is tilted. As the cross-section of the doped polysilicon layer 108 is quadrangular, the shielding effect is especially obvious. Thus, it is difficult to transform the entire surface of the doped polysilicon layer 108 into the amorphous silicon layer 108a. Referring to FIG. 1C, a hemispherical-grain layer 112 is formed on the amorphous silicon layer 108a. A bottom electrode is made of the doped polysilicon layer 108b, the amorphous silicon layer 108a and the hemispherical-grain layer 112.
Since not all the surface of the doped polysilicon layer 108 is transformed to the amorphous silicon layer 108a, just a portion of the surface of the bottom electrode is covered by the the hemispherical-grain layer 112, so that the surface area of the bottom electrode is not sufficiently increased.

Method to form bottom electrode of capacitor


A method and apparatus (30) for modifying contractility of the heart of a patient. The method includes receiving signals from a sensor (22, 23, 46) coupled to the body of the patient indicative of physiological activity. The signals are analyzed to derive a measure of the physiological activity, and excitable tissue control (ETC) stimulation is applied to the heart (20) so as to enhance contractility of the heart muscle responsive to the measure.

Demand-responsive pacemakers are known in the art. Such devices provide pulses to pace the heart of a patient at a variable rate, dependent on signals received from the body of the patient.
PCT patent application PCT/IL97/00012, published as WO 97/25098, to Ben-Haim et al., whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes methods for modifying the force of contraction of at least a portion of a heart chamber by applying a non-excitatory electric field to the heart at a delay after electrical activation of the portion. The non-excitatory field is such as does not induce activation potentials in cardiac muscle cells, but rather modifies the cells' response to subsequent activation. In the context of the present patent application, the use of such a non-excitatory field is referred to as Excitable Tissue Control (ETC). The non-excitatory field may be applied in combination with a pacemaker or defibrillator, which applies an excitatory signal (i.e., pacing or defibrillation pulses) to the heart muscle.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Regulation of excitable tissue control of the heart based on physiological input


Hydraulic internal combustion engines having at least one combustion piston not mechanically connected to a crankshaft or any other combustion piston, but instead acting on hydraulic plungers through valving that is electronically controlled to control the piston position and velocity, typically through an intake stroke, a compression stroke, a combustion or power stroke and an exhaust stroke. Electronically controlled fuel injection and electronically controlled engine valves provided great flexibility in the operating cycles that may be used, with the engine pumping hydraulic fluid to a high pressure accumulator for use in hydraulic motors or other hydraulic equipment. Embodiments using high pressure air injection to sustain combustion are also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of free piston engines and power trains therefore.
2. Prior Art
Internal combustion engines are useful devices for converting chemical energy to mechanical energy by combustion. Typical internal combustion engines convert the energy in petrochemical fuels such as gasoline or diesel fuel to rotary mechanical energy by using the pressure created by confined combustion to force a piston downward as the combustion gases expand and to convert that motion into a rotary motion by use of a crankshaft. However, the use of the piston and crankshaft mechanism introduces many constraints in the operation of the engine that limit the amount of useful mechanical energy that can be extracted from the combustion process.
Free piston engines are linear, "crankless" internal combustion engines, in which the piston motion is not controlled by a crankshaft but is determined by the interaction of forces from the combustion chamber gases, a rebound device and a load device. Hydraulic free piston engines couple the combustion piston to a hydraulic cylinder that acts as both the load and rebound device using a hydraulic control system. This gives the unit operational flexibility. While forms of hydraulic free piston engines in the prior art have achieved good operational flexibility, it would be desirable to provide a hydraulic free piston engine with even greater operational flexibility and energy efficiency.


A hot gas path component includes a substrate having an outer surface and an inner surface. The inner surface of the substrate defines at least one interior space. At least a portion of the outer surface of the substrate includes a recess formed therein. The recess includes a bottom surface and a groove extending at least partially along the bottom surface of the recess. A cover is disposed within the recess and covers at least a portion of the groove. The groove is configured to channel a cooling fluid therethrough to cool the cover.

The field of the present disclosure relates generally to turbine engines, and more particularly to hot gas path components having cast-in features for near wall cooling.
Gas turbine systems are widely utilized in fields such as power generation. A conventional gas turbine system includes a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine. During operation of the gas turbine system, various components in the system are subjected to high temperature flows, which can cause the components to fail. Since higher temperature flows generally result in increased performance, efficiency, and power output of the gas turbine system and are thus desired in a gas turbine system, the components that are subjected to high temperature flows must be cooled to allow the gas turbine system to operate with flows at increased temperatures.
Various strategies are known in the art for cooling components that are subjected to high temperature flows. These components are typically known as hot gas path components. For example, a series of internal cooling passages may be formed in a hot gas path component to facilitate near wall cooling. A cooling fluid may be provided to the passages from a plenum, and the cooling fluid may flow through the passages, cooling the hot gas path component substrate and coatings. However, the smaller near-wall cavities, or micro-channels, present a considerable fabrication challenge for cores and castings, which can significantly increase the manufacturing cost of the hot gas path components using such known near wall cooling systems.

Hot gas path component having cast-in features for near wall cooling


The present invention teaches acoustic absolute position encoders and methods for deploying the same. The encoder has a moving member with a mechanical contacting portion, and a stationary member associated with the moving member. Reed elements are mounted on the stationary member such that they are mechanically engaged by the contacting portion of the moving member as the latter moves linearly or rotates. The reed elements generate sound tones in response to transient contact with the contacting portion. A receiver receives the tones and an acoustic processing circuit determines the absolute position of the moving member based on the sound tones.

Many mechanical and metrological applications involving linear and rotary movement of parts or articles transported by mechanical means require supervision. The supervision frequently requires knowledge about the absolute position of these parts or articles. To address this need, many types of absolute position encoders have been developed. In general, they include linear position encoders and rotary shaft encoders. The linear position encoders define absolute linear positions based on movement between a stationary reference and the linearly displaced part. Rotary shaft encoders of the absolute type define an absolute angular position in a similar manner, except for the fact that they track changes in an angle.
Many of the prior art encoders, whether linear or rotary, can also determine a linear or an angular velocity. Additionally, they can determine total distance traveled in linear units (e.g., millimeters) or in angular units (in degrees or radians). Many other useful quantities can be derived from these measured parameters including, for example, angular acceleration.
The demands for accuracy, precision and speed placed on modern encoders have pushed their engineering designers to mainly adapt non-contact measurements enabled by purely electronic, magnetoresistive or optical technologies. For example, many of today's most accurate encoders use the Hall effect (eddy currents) or optical solutions based on shadowing, self-imaging and interference. The electronic approaches, which are also very high performance, typically include inductive and/or capacitive solutions.
For decades now, the fields of linear and rotational motion measurement have been moving away from contact measurements altogether. Even the least problematic contacts, such as brush-type contacts that establish electrical connections, are susceptible to wear and produce some mechanical resistance. Thus, by now, encoders using contacts are not common and can only be found in low-speed applications such as manual volume or tuning controls (e.g., in a radio receiver).
As a result of this trend, there is a dearth of encoders relying on mechanical contact for providing position tracking solutions in applications where lower accuracy measurements of absolute angular and linear position are sufficient. In many applications, however, such lower-performance encoders would be perfectly suitable. Unfortunately, such encoders are not presently available.

Acoustic absolute position encoder and method


A computational method is disclosed for producing a sequence of high-resolution (HR) images from an input sequence of low-resolution (LR) images. The method uses a structured subspace framework to learn pairs of LR dictionaries from the input LR sequence ‘and’ employ learned pairs of LR dictionaries into estimating HR images. The structured subspace framework itself is based on a pair of specially structured HR basis matrices, wherein a HR basis spans any HR image whose so-called polyphase components (PPCs) are spanned by the corresponding LR dictionary.

This work addresses the problem of multiframe upsampling (also known as super-resolution, upscaling, or de-aliasing) wherein, given as input a sequence of low resolution (LR) images, the desired output is their corresponding high resolution (HR) versions. In such a problem, low pixel density (low pixel count per square area) causes loss of resolution. Applications include all imaging technologies that produce a sequence of images (e.g. a video, MRI scan, satellite images, aerial surveillance, etc.) with pixel count that is lower than desired.
The conventional approach to the solution of this problem is motion estimation (or motion modeling) across the captured images. But accurate modeling of (complex) motion patterns requires high enough pixel density: a hopeless egg and chicken paradox the signal processing community has been trying to solve for many years.
Instead of the motion estimation route, we adopt a 'signal representation' approach (also known as the example-based, training-based or dictionary learning-based approach), which we summarize its relevant (previous) results as follows.

Image upsampling by learning pairs of low-resolution dictionaries using a structured subspace model


A pressure transmitter system for measuring a pressure of a process fluid in an industrial process includes a pressure transmitter having a pressure sensor. A process fluid passageway having a circular opening is configured to couple pressure of the process fluid to the pressure sensor. A concentric seal support structure extends around the circular opening comprising an annular recess. An annular stress riser is positioned radially inward from the annular recess. A seal material fills the annular recess and contacts at least a portion of the annular stress riser.

The present invention relates to a process control instrument. In particular, it relates to a pressure transmitter which couples to a process pressure.
Transmitters which sense pressure have a pressure sensor typically coupled to at least one isolation diaphragm. The transmitters typically attach to a flange and include an opening which is aligned to receive process fluid from a passageway in the flange. The isolation diaphragm is positioned in the opening, and isolates the pressure sensor from corrosive process fluids being sensed. Pressure is transferred from the isolation diaphragm to the sensor having a sensing diaphragm through a substantially incompressible isolation fluid carried in a passageway. U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,922 entitled MODULAR PRESSURE TRANSMITTER and U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,109 entitled PRESSURE TRANSMITTER WITH STRESS ISOLATION DEPRESSION show pressure transmitters of this type.
Pressure transmitters frequently include a weld ring positioned within the opening surrounding the isolation diaphragm. The weld ring can be welded to the transmitter body and to the isolation diaphragm, thus securing the isolation diaphragm to the transmitter body. The weld ring can also be used to support a seal, such as an O-ring. When the transmitter is attached to the process flange by an attachment force, such as provided by bolts, the seal and weld ring are compressed against the flange to prevent process fluid from leaking past the opening. Examples of such weld rings are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,922,965, to Behm et al., entitled PRESSURE SENSOR AND TRANSMITTER HAVING A WELD RING WITH A ROLLING HINGE POINT, granted Jul. 13, 1999 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,055,863, to Behm et al., entitled PRESSURE SENSOR AND TRANSMITTER HAVING A WELD RING WITH A ROLLING HINGE POINT, granted May 2, 2000 and both assigned to Rosemount Inc.
Some types of seals used in connection with the weld rings are particularly difficult to maintain. For example, a seal comprising Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) can be used as a seal. However, PFTE has a tendency to "cold flow" and lose its shape over time. This can reduce the pre-load force applied to the seal and thereby reduce the effectiveness of the seal.

Seal for pressure transmitter for use in industrial process


A method for segmenting bones on magnetic resonance (MR) images includes retrieving an MR image and performing an enhancement process on the MR image to generate a bone enhanced MR image. The bone enhanced MR image is then registered to a computer tomography (CT) based bone atlas. An MR image with bone segmentation is generated by segmenting the bone enhanced MR image using the CT based bone atlas as a mask. The MR image with bone segmentation may be presented on a display.

During clinical diagnosis, the internal anatomy of a patient is imaged to determine how a certain disease has progressed. For example, the images may be used to help distinguish between infected tissues and healthy tissues within the patient. The images are also useful for radiotherapy treatment or planning or for surgical planning. Several modalities are used to generate images or functionality of anatomy of a patient which are suitable for diagnostic purposes, radiotherapy treatment or surgical planning. Examples include conventional X-ray imaging, computed tomography (CT) imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and nuclear medicine imaging techniques, such as positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computer tomography (SPECT).
In the case of radiation treatment (RT) planning, CT imaging is generally used because image voxel gray values (measured in Hounsfield Units) can be used directly in the calculation of radiation dosage. Clinicians, such as radiologists, dosimetrists or radiotherapists, typically must trace the outline of a few critical structures on a large number of images for RT planning. Manually drawing the individual contours on a contiguous set of 2D slices and combining them to form 3D volumes is very time consuming and labor intensive. The time and labor increases significantly with the number of image slices in the image set, as well as the number and size of the organs, tumors, etc. in the anatomical area of interest. The quality of the contouring and the resulting 3D objects depend on the resolution and contrast of the 2D images, and on the knowledge and judgment of the clinician performing the reconstruction. Accordingly, automated segmentation methods have been developed to address several of the problems with manual segmentation.
Typically, simulated CT images and digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRRS) are created for use in radiation therapy planning. The segmentation of bones is a critical task for the creation of a simulated CT and for the overall treatment plan. The bones have the largest electron density value in the body, which is in direct relation with the attenuation of ˜100 keV X-rays used in CT scanners, as well as the MeV rays used in radiation therapy. Accordingly, the accurate segmentation of bones is crucial to the entire process. However, if MR images are used, it is a difficult task to separate bone structures from other tissues on MR images. Many existing segmentation techniques for extracting bones on MR images, however, have disadvantages such as a risk of falsely classifying tissue and organs as bone and are not able to be automated.
It would be desirable to provide a system and method for automatically segmenting bones on MR images that provides improved performance including reliability and precision.

System and method for segmenting bones on MR images


In non-limiting examples of the present disclosure, systems, methods and devices for indicating a refresh activity that affects an object in a shared document are presented. A first instance of a shared document may be displayed on a computing device of a first user. A second instance of the shared document may be displayed on a computing device of a second user, wherein the first and second users are concurrently active in the shared document. An indication that the second user has initiated a refresh of underlying data affecting an object displayed in the first instance of the shared document may be received from the second instance of the shared document. An indication of the initiated refresh may be displayed in the first instance of the shared document.

The trend of moving information that was traditionally stored on personal computers to the cloud has made shared document editing commonplace. Various applications and application suites allow multiple users to co-author, edit, and review cloud-based shared documents simultaneously. The types of documents that can be modified and reviewed simultaneously include word processing documents, spreadsheet documents, presentation documents, and note taking documents, among others. Although there are many benefits to shared documents, it is difficult for a modifying and/or reviewing user of a shared document to identify the location of other active users in the shared document, determine what activities (e.g., editing, reviewing, refreshing) the other active users are performing on the shared document and/or on data sets that affect objects in the shared document, and/or quickly initiate real-time communications with the other active users without having to navigate away from the shared document and/or open a new application.
It is with respect to this general technical environment that aspects of the present technology disclosed herein have been contemplated. Furthermore, although a general environment has been discussed, it should be understood that the examples described herein should not be limited to the general environment identified in the background.

Interactive user interface for refreshable objects in shared documents


Affords MOCVD reactors with which, while deposited films are uniformized in thickness, film deposition efficiency can be improved. An MOCVD reactor (1) is furnished with a susceptor (5) and a duct (11). The susceptor (5) has a carrying surface for heating and carrying substrates (20). The duct (11) is for conducting reaction gas (G) to the substrates (20). The susceptor (5) is rotatable with the carrying surface fronting on the duct (11) interior. The duct (11) has channels (11b) and (11c), which merge on the duct end upstream of Point A4. The height of the duct (11) running along the reaction gas (G) flow direction monotonically diminishes heading toward the duct downstream end from Point P1 to Point P2, stays constant from Point P2 to Point P3, and monotonically diminishes heading downstream from Point P3. Point P1 lies upstream of Point A4, while Point P3 lies on the susceptor (5).

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to metalorganic chemical vapor deposition reactors, and more specifically, to metalorganic chemical vapor deposition reactors for producing nitride semiconductor films.
2. Description of the Related Art
Metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), one technique representative of vapor-phase deposition, is a method of vaporizing, for example, a Group-III organometallic compound, and, on the surface of a substrate, thermally decomposing the vaporized Group-III compound and reacting the decomposition products with a Group-V gas to deposit a film on the substrate. Because film thickness and composition can be controlled with MOCVD, and because the technique excels in terms of productivity, it is widely employed as a film-growth technology in the manufacture of semiconductor devices.
MOCVD reactors employed in MOCVD are provided with a chamber, with a susceptor disposed in the chamber, and with a channel for feeding reaction gases to the surface of substrates. In the MOCVD reactors, film deposition is carried out by placing substrates on the susceptor to heat them to an appropriate temperature, and by flowing organometallic gases through the channel to the surface of the substrates. In the film deposition, uniformizing deposited films in thickness demands from the MOCVD reactors that the reaction gas flow uniformly along the substrate surfaces. In order to flow the reaction gases uniformly along the substrate surfaces in MOCVD reactors, various channel forms have been proposed.
As a conventional MOCVD reactor, for example, Japanese Unexamined Pat. App. Pub. No. H02-291113 (Patent Document 1) discloses a vapor-phase growth system having a conduit for introducing a reaction gas to space over a substrate. The conduit has: a sample-loading room internally housing a susceptor; a constricted part whose cross-sectional form is flattened, extending along the widthwise direction of the substrate, and being short in height-wise direction of the substrate, for ejecting reaction gas over the substrate from along the substrate sideways; and guide parts positioned over the substrate, in the constricted part at intervals approximately equal to the height-wise width, or at intervals that narrow heading toward the downstream end of the reaction gas, the guide parts covering the substrates evenly from above and guiding the reaction gas along the substrate surface. The susceptor is anchored in the sample-loading room, and carries the substrate at the downstream end of the reaction-gas flow.
Furthermore, for example, Japanese Unexamined Pat. App. Pub. No. H06-216030 (Patent Document 2) discloses a compound semiconductor vapor-phase growth system having a flow channel for introducing a reaction gas onto a substrate. The flow channel is tapered such that the height-wise width narrows from the upstream end of the flow channel gradually toward the downstream end of the flow channel. A susceptor is anchored under where the flow channel is tapered.
Moreover, Japanese Unexamined Pat. App. Pub. No. H2-291114 (Patent Document 3) and Japanese Unexamined Pat. App. Pub. No. H2-291113 (Patent Document 1) disclose a vapor-phase growth system provided with a rotating susceptor for carrying a substrate, and with a linear line for introducing a reaction gas to the substrate. The liner line monotonically diminishes in height over the reaction gas conduit.
Improving film-deposition efficiency is being demanded from MOCVD reactors. Scaling up the susceptor makes it possible to heat many substrates at once, and to grow films onto substrates of large diametric span, leading to the improvement of film-deposition efficiency. Scaling up the susceptor, however, enlarges the distance between the upstream and downstream ends of the susceptor, leading to a significant difference between reaction gas conditions (for example, concentration and temperature of the reaction gas) on the upstream and downstream ends of the susceptor. As a result, the thickness of the deposited films proves to be non-uniform. For this reason, to date, improving film-deposition efficiency while the films to be deposited are uniformized in thickness has not been realized.

Metalorganic chemical vapor deposition reactor


A method of forming a visual representation of an object from a plurality of image frames acquired using a portable electronic device, the method comprising the steps of determining at least one parameter of motion of the portable electronic device; determining at least one capture condition for at least one first image frame of the plurality of image frames; computing, based on the at least one parameter of motion and the at least one capture condition, an indication of blur in the image frame; based on the indication of blur, conditionally taking a corrective action.

As mobile phones become more sophisticated, they incorporate components that make these devices versatile and practically indispensable to their owners. Most existing smartphones include a camera and various inertial sensors, such as an accelerometer and gyroscope. The smartphones can also include a proximity sensor, magnetometer, and other types of sensors that allow using the phones for a wide array of functions.
Smartphones can be used to capture information with their cameras. Users value a smartphone's ability to take pictures since this feature allows easily capturing memorable moments, documents, perform bank transactions and a wide array of other possibilities. Images of simple scenes are generally acquired—a photograph or a video. Existing smartphones do not typically analyze the acquired images, and the user has to visually examine each image and decide whether it is of an acceptable quality.
Further, existing smartphones can be used to acquire good quality images of small documents, such as a business card or check for deposit in a bank. However, to image a large object, a smartphone needs to be held at a distance from the object. As a result, an image of a poor quality and low resolution is typically obtained, with details, such as text, being blurred and not easily recognizable.

Adaptive camera control for reducing motion blur during real-time image capture


The present invention provides an apparatus and method for camera parameter calibration which is capable of easily and simply setting physical and optical characteristic parameters of a camera in order to acquire information on actual measurement of an image provided through the camera with high accuracy. The camera parameter calibration apparatus and method has an advantage of correct image analysis that it is capable of increasing accuracy of information of measurement through an image only with an intuitive interface manipulation, without taking a time-consuming and incorrect actual measurement procedure, by determining parameters of the space model corresponding to the image by displaying a 3D space model corresponding to a real space of the image on the image and changing and adjusting visual point parameters such that the 3D space model matches the display image, and regarding the determined parameters of the space model as camera parameters of the image.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for camera parameter calibration, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for camera parameter calibration which is capable of easily and simply setting physical and optical characteristic parameters of a camera in order to acquire information on the actual size of objects within an image provided through the camera with high accuracy.
2. Description of the Related Art
With recent rapid development of imaging technologies for security, vision recognition and so on, there have been developed various image processing techniques for analyzing contents of an image obtained through a camera, recognizing objects in the image, and identifying motion of the objects to determine situations occurring in the image, thereby making advanced auto-situation recognition possible.
For example, such image processing techniques provide a function of identifying detected objects from their speed, size and shape to grasp abnormal behaviors or situations of the detected objects, as well as a function of relatively simple image recognition such as recognizing pedestrians in an image or detecting a trespasser entering a particular site.
FIG. 1 shows an example of image processing which is being currently used, where a pedestrian 11 appearing on an image 10 is detected, a mark 12 for detection identification is displayed, and size and moving speed 13 of the pedestrian 11 are detected.
Such image processing requires an object detection function, an object identifying technique, a moving object tracking technique, and a technique for correctly matching objects within an image to information of size in a real space for correct identification and determination of size, speed and the like.
In particular, a space mapping which allows correct measurement of size is essential for precise image analysis, however, for a camera image obtained by projecting a portion of 3-dimensional (3D) space onto a 2-dimensional (2D) space, it is difficult to map a 2D image to a 3D space model without additional information. However, if several parameters used in obtaining the image can be known, it is possible to map the 2D image to the 3D real space by mathematically modeling the 3D real space. Examples of such parameters may mainly include installation height, tilt angle and field of view (FOV) of a camera which captures the image. Correct knowledge of these parameters makes space model configuration by a mathematical modeling possible.
However, for such a space model configuration, since the installation position and tilt angle of the camera must be actually measured, it is not easy to calculate the height and tilt angle of the camera and reliability of calculated actual measurement values is not high due to irregularity of ground and so on. In addition, for FOV, if an auto-focusing function or a zooming function is used for the FOV, it is difficult to obtain correct values of the FOV.
FIG. 2 shows an example of a camera configuration for explaining FOV. As shown, a camera 20 generally includes a lens 21 and an imaging device 22. A distance from the center of the lens 21 to the imaging device 22 is referred to as a focal length (FL) and an optical angle of a region in which an image is formed on the imaging device 22 is referred to as FOV. The FOV may be obtained using the characteristics of the lens 21 and the size and focal length of the imaging device 22. However, all relevant information may not be provided of such camera characteristics and the focal length may be varied if an auto-focusing function is employed, thereby disallowing a user to know such information, of the focal length and so on, which results in difficulty in achieving a correct camera modeling.
After all, since it is difficult for the user to know all of the height, tilt angle and FOV of the camera, a method is being used which actually exposes an object of known size and matches the object within the image to the real object size. However, this method is very inconvenient since the method must be again performed if a monitoring site is changed or a tilt angle is varied.
There is therefore a need for a novel calibration apparatus and method which is capable of more simply and conveniently generating a calibration for mapping an image to a real space model.

Apparatus and method for camera parameter calibration


A semiconductor package may include a DRAM chip mounted on a substrate; an interposer stacked over the DRAM chip and including redistribution structures; a nonvolatile memory chip stacked over the interposer; a memory controller chip mounted on the substrate, and including a control circuit for controlling the nonvolatile memory chip and first pads and second pads electrically coupled to the control circuit; first conductive coupling members configured to electrically couple bonding pads of the nonvolatile memory chip to the redistribution structures; second conductive coupling members configured to electrically couple the redistribution structures to the first pads; and third conductive coupling members configured to electrically couple the second pads to the substrate.

1. Technical Field
Various embodiments generally relate to a semiconductor technology, and more particularly, to a semiconductor package including different kinds of memory chips.
2. Related Art
Recently, research has been conducted on a variety of methods for implementing a semiconductor package which is capable of performing a high-speed operation while having different kinds of memory chips mounted thereon.


A computer system including a plurality of physical processors (CPs) having physical processor performances (PCPs), a plurality of logical processors (LCPs), a plurality of logical partitions (LPARs) where each partition includes one or more of the logical processors (LCPs), and a system assist processor having a control element. The control element controls the virtualization of the physical processors (CPs), the logical partitions (LPARs) and the logical processors (LCPs) and allocates the physical processor performances (PCPs) to the logical partitions (LPARs). The control element operates to exclusively bind logical processors (LCPs) to the physical processors (CPs). For a logical processor (LCP) exclusively bound to a physical processor (CP), the logical processor (LCP) has exclusive use of the underlying physical processor (CP) and no other logical processor (LCP) can be dispatched on the underlying physical processor (CP) even if the underlying physical processor (CP) is otherwise available.

This invention relates to the virtualization of computer systems and, in particular, to controlling and partitioning of logical processors in computer systems.
Varying degrees of processor virtualization are possible in computer systems providing advantages and disadvantages over the spectrum of possibilities. At one extreme of the spectrum are dedicated physical processors (CPs), which have the advantage of high hardware performance and low overhead, but have the disadvantage of inflexibility to meet varying workload demands. At the other extreme of the spectrum are logical processors (LCPs) with little or no affinity to the underlying physical resources, and therefore relatively high overhead due to context switching, cache dilution/thrashing, and hardware emulation as necessary. Between the spectrum extremes is processor affinity, where attempts are made to redispatch logical processors (LCPs) to the same physical processors (CPs) as frequently as possible. Redispatching logical processors (LCPs) to the same physical processors (CPs) helps to mitigate context switching and cache-thrashing overhead, although cache dilution and hardware-emulation overhead are still present to much the same degree by virtue of still having to share the same physical resources among the logical processors (LCPs).
One example of processor virtualization is described in the US Patent Application 20060107000 entitled PEER-BASED PARTITIONING METHOD FOR SYSTEM RESOURCE SHARING, published May 18, 2006. Therein, the physical resources of a system are divided into multiple logical partitions where each logical partition is a subset of the physical machine that acts as a virtual machine. A layer of software, called a "hypervisor," controls the interaction between the various virtual machines. Any time a virtual machine wants to access a shared, physical resource, it does so through the hypervisor. The hypervisor acts as a master-control program. Any time a logical partition wants access to a physical resource, it goes through the hypervisor. The hypervisor monitors and is actively involved with each logical partition at the expense of introducing overhead into the processing. In the partitioning method, the overhead is reduced by logically partitioning the computer system into multiple virtual machines where sets of physical resources are partitioned into sets of logical partitions. Logical partitions contain one or more physical processors where typically one of the processors is a controller of the logical partitions.
Virtualization of computer systems and, in particular, controlling and partitioning of logical processors in computer systems provides flexibility but often also adversely affects the overhead and efficiency of the system. One measure of the efficiency of a computer system is the number of cycles (clock cycles) utilized per instruction (CPI). The lower the CPI, the greater the efficiency of the computer system. Another measure of efficiency specifies overhead comparing the amount of time (MT) the computer system spends managing the system relative to the amount of time (ET) the computer system spends executing user instructions. Using these definitions, the overhead, OVERHEAD, is expressed as a percentage as follows:OVERHEAD={(MT)/(MT+ET)}(100).
While the peer-based partitioning method described is useful in reducing the overhead of processor virtualization, there is still a need for improved methods of and systems for processor virtualization with even greater reductions in overhead.

Processor exclusivity in a partitioned system

International Business Machines Corporation


Continued access to services, content, and other electronically-based signaling is contemplated. The continued access may be facilitated with a redirect server or other device having capabilities sufficient to facilitate redirecting content when the user desires to transition access from a first device to a second device, such as but not limited to facilitating redirection of a television program streamed to a tablet so that the to the television program can be viewed through a television without disrupting or overburdening a sourcing entity originating the television program.

Virtually any type of electronically-transmissible content is available over the Internet for download, streaming, or other transmission. This content is generally referred to as web content since access to it requires some communication over the World Wide Web, i.e., the Internet. The web content may be accessed through a web session or other connection established between a sourcing device and a receiving device. The web session may be constructed as a temporary communication channel between the sourcing device and the receiving device, at least in that the communication channel is automatically deconstructed once access to the web content ceases. In the event the web content is a television program, for example, the web session tasked with transporting the television program may be deconstructed upon occurrence of a termination event, such as by the receiving device tuning away from the television program or being turned off or ending of the television program ends.
A new or second web session may need to be constructed in order for the sourcing device to deliver the same web content to another device. The construction of a new web session can be problematic, particularly if the sourcing device is already sourcing the desired web content, since the additional session adds additional burdens on the sourcing device.


A system and method are disclosed for segmenting a set of two-dimensional CT slices corresponding to a lesion. In an embodiment, for each of at least a subset of the set of CT slices, the system inputs the CT slice into a plurality of branches of a trained segmentation block. Each branch of the segmentation block includes a convolutional neural network (CNN) with filters at a different scale, and produces one or more levels of output. The system generates, for each CT slice in the subset, feature maps for each level of output. The system generates a segmentation of each CT slice in the subset based on the feature maps of each level of output. The system aggregates the segmentations of each slice in the subset to generate a three-dimensional segmentation of the lesion. The system transmits data representing the three-dimensional segmentation to a user interface for display.

In various medical fields, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) images are used in clinical care and clinical trials to assess the effects of treatment on lesion size over time. Currently, lesion size is often characterized using a single diameter measurement. Current methods of obtaining a single diameter measurement often involve medical professionals manually delineating the boundary of a lesion on a single slice where the lesion looks largest. However, this method is a time-consuming, resource-intensive, and labor-intensive task, which prohibits this method from being applied to three-dimensional images. Further, because current automated three-dimensional segmentation methods are often highly sensitive to initial conditions and model parameters, they are unable to adapt to lesions of varying sizes and shapes.

Progressively-trained scale-invariant and boundary-aware deep neural network for the automatic 3D segmentation of lung lesions


A system and method for resolving upgrade conflicts in a content distribution system is disclosed. The present principles resolve upgrade conflicts by assigning a priority level to each upgrade and using these priorities to determine whether one or more already running upgrades should be interrupted in favor of a newly launched upgrade. If it is determined that the already running upgrades should not be interrupted, the new upgrade is terminated without attempting an upgrade. If it is determined that the already running upgrades should be interrupted, a signal is sent to kill the already running upgrade processes, causing the already running upgrades to safely exit. Further embodiments include ignoring kill signals at certain times during the upgrade process to ensure system stability.

Content distribution systems for televisions and other types of video/audio systems have evolved into complex systems that interact through networks. These types of systems can even use the Internet and telephone systems to distribute content. For example, a television content distribution system for multiple dwelling units can utilize Internet Protocol (IP) for the delivery of television content and services. These systems can be comprised of one or more gateway server devices that interact with different types of settop box (STB)-client receivers. Thus, there can be hundreds of receivers of different types and models that need to be updated and/or maintained on a regular basis. For example, operational software may need to be downloaded from a server to various receiver clients to keep the clients up-to-date.
Upgrades are typically used to fix bugs or add features to products already in the field. Sometimes, several types of upgrades may try to occur at the same time, either accidentally or deliberately. Previous upgrade methods would prevent conflicts by implementing a lock system so that once one upgrade had started, no new update could occur until the previous one had finished.

Systems and methods for interrupting upgrades of content distribution systems


An image conversion device connected to multiple image detection mechanisms generating field image data of the surroundings and having multiple input buffers for each of the multiple image detection mechanisms, which, in parallel, stores, moves, performs conversion processing and displays said field image data in one field units in accordance with a display template in pattern memory, thereby reducing the total delay time from field image generation to display to the driver.

Vehicle surroundings image conversion devices have been used in driver support systems for assisting and aiding the vision of a driver in situations when a driver is backing a vehicle (such as parking in a garage or inching close to another vehicle) or driving forward and entering an intersection where visibility is poor or a T-shaped intersection.
The places imaged by the camera connected to such a vehicle surroundings image conversion device are, for example, behind the vehicle for the purpose of displaying a rear view, and the left and right directions from the front of the vehicle for the purpose of displaying blind corner views. There is a need to simultaneously present views in multiple directions to the driver. Hence, a driving support system utilizes multiple cameras imaging in various differing directions picking up images of the surroundings of a vehicle, and by virtue of a vehicle surroundings image conversion device arranges and displays multiple images on a single screen of a monitor and presents them to a driver.
In a vehicle surroundings image conversion device like this a technology for synchronizing the images picked up by the multiple cameras has been described in Official Gazette of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Hei 11-317908. This approach connects multiple cameras and a controller, and by virtue of this controller creates a synchronizing signal and sends it to each camera, and each camera in turn sends an image signal to the controller in accordance with this synchronizing signal. The controller then performs image conversion processing of the image signals that the multiple cameras have picked up and then displays the processed images on a monitor.
The inventors recognized that this prior art approach is complex, because the configuration for the controller needs to create a synchronizing signal and provide a signal line for supplying the synchronizing signal to each camera. In contrast to this prior art approach, there is a technology with a simple configuration which does not utilize a synchronizing signal to synchronize the image signals picked up by each camera, but rather, receives an image signal from each camera and synchronizes each of the image signals by accumulating these respective image signals temporarily in a buffer. For example, the following will explain the resolution of an image data picked up by the respective cameras and the resolution of the monitor presenting it to the driver as VGA size (Video Graphics Array, 640×480 picture elements). Likewise, the following will explain the updating of data presented to the driver when processing in 1 frame units.
Each camera sends an image signal according to the timing of its respective internal clock, and the vehicle surroundings image conversion device has 3 input buffers which have 1 frame of memory volume (address space of 640×480 picture elements) on each buffer's input side and output side for each camera system connected. That is to say, the vehicle surroundings image conversion device has an input buffer with 3 frames of memory volume by way of an input phase, a standby phase and an output phase (each having 1 frame of memory volume). By virtue of this, when an image signal of 1 frame from a certain camera has completed input to the input phase, the device stores this image signal of 1 frame in the standby phase, and when image signals of 1 frame are stored in the standby phase of input buffers associated with all cameras, the device moves the image signals of all cameras from the standby phase to the output phase. Then the vehicle surroundings image conversion device simultaneously reads the multiple image signals stored in the output phase and performs image conversion for displaying them on a monitor, for example. By doing this, even though each of the cameras is not synchronized, the device matches the reading phase of image signals, absorbs the asynchronous input of multiple cameras and performs synchronization.
At this time the CPU (Central Processing Unit) in the vehicle surroundings image conversion device endeavors to synchronize the image signals by rotating the 3 phases of the input buffer. Then the CPU reads the image signal stored in the side designated for address conversion processing, in other words the output side of the input buffer, in frame units according to the input buffer reading address stored in pattern memory, performs address conversion processing, creates an image signal for displaying on a monitor and stores this in an output buffer. Incidentally, the address space provided in pattern memory is equivalent to the resolution of the monitor which presents the image after address conversion to the driver and in this case would be 640×480 picture elements.
However, with the technology described above, because the image signal input from each camera is processed in single frame units, a delay of a maximum of approximately 2 frames occurs in order to obtain synchronization between respective image signals in the input buffer. Additionally, if address conversion processing is performed and the timing for displaying an image is synchronized with the timing stored of images from all cameras in the output side of the input buffer, a delay of a single frame occurs. Thus a delay of a total of 3 frames will occur from the time the image signal is stored in the input side of the input buffer to the time that it is stored in the output buffer.
How a maximum of a delay of 3 frames occurs in this way will now be explained with reference to FIG. 7. For example, when 2 NTSC (National Television System Committee) cameras (camera A, camera B) are connected to a vehicle surroundings image conversion device, posit that from time t101 image data from camera A (input data 1a) begins to be received in the input side of an input buffer and later than this time t101 image data from camera B (input data 1b) begins to be received in an input side of an input buffer (FIGS. 7(b), (c)). If one posits that these cameras A and B are the known imaging type NTSC type (frame rate 29.97 fps) and the time that the input data of 1 frame of camera A and camera B have finished being stored in the output sides of the respective input buffers is t102, the delay time required for input will be approximately 2 frames. Then, the respective input data from the output side of the input buffer is read at this time t102, conversion processing begins (FIG. 7(d)) and the time that converted data is actually finished being stored in an output buffer as output data will be t103 (FIG. 7(e)). Thus, the total delay time from the time that input data of camera A begins to be input, t101, to the time that output data is output to a monitor etc. and displayed, t103, will be approximately 100 msec.
As a result of this total delay time, a vehicle equipped with a vehicle surroundings image conversion device ascertaining an object moving at a relative speed of 36 km will cause the obstacle to be displayed approximately 1 m from the actual position of the obstacle. While some delay can be permissible when using a vehicle surroundings image conversion device in lower speed ranges, such as parking and inching closer to another vehicle, it is unacceptable when using it when entering an intersection with poor visibility or a T-shaped intersection. In addition, in a situation with moderate to high speeds such as passing between two cars or converging, the discrepancy between the position of the obstacle which is displayed and the actual position of the obstacle will increase even more.
Moreover, when the discrepancy between the position of the obstacle which is displayed and the actual position of the obstacle increases, problems occur such as when one's vehicle has begun to move and although the actual vehicle is moving the picture on the monitor is not moving, or when one's vehicle has stopped and the actual vehicle is not moving but the picture on the screen is moving. This inconsistency between the movement of the vehicle and the movement of the picture on the monitor makes the driver feel uncomfortable. In this way, the delay of the presentation of the picture to the driver is a serious problem when multiple cameras are utilized.
Likewise, as the number of cameras attached to the previously described vehicle surroundings image conversion device proliferates, the volume of the input buffer memory increases 3 frames for each one.


Some embodiments include a method of fabricating integrated structures. A metal-containing material is formed over a stack of alternating first and second levels. An opening is formed through the metal-containing material and the stack. Repeating vertically-stacked electrical components are formed along the stack at sidewalls of the opening. Some embodiments include a method of forming vertically-stacked memory cells. Metal-containing material is formed over a stack of alternating silicon dioxide levels and conductively-doped silicon levels. A first opening is formed through the metal-containing material and the stack. Cavities are formed to extend into the conductively-doped silicon levels along sidewalls of the first opening. Charge-blocking dielectric and charge-storage structures are formed within the cavities to leave a second opening. Sidewalls of the second opening are lined with gate dielectric and then channel material is formed within the second opening.

Memory provides data storage for electronic systems. Flash memory is one type of memory, and has numerous uses in modern computers and devices. For instance, modern personal computers may have BIOS stored on a flash memory chip. As another example, it is becoming increasingly common for computers and other devices to utilize flash memory in solid state drives to replace conventional hard drives. As yet another example, flash memory is popular in wireless electronic devices because it enables manufacturers to support new communication protocols as they become standardized, and to provide the ability to remotely upgrade the devices for enhanced features.
NAND may be a basic architecture of flash memory. A NAND cell unit comprises at least one selecting device coupled in series to a serial combination of memory cells (with the serial combination commonly being referred to as a NAND string). Example NAND architecture is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,898,850. NAND architecture may be configured to comprise vertically-stacked memory cells. Fabrication of the vertically-stacked memory cells may comprise forming openings through a tall stack of alternating electrically conductive levels and electrically insulative levels, which becomes increasingly difficult with higher aspect ratio and smaller critical dimensions of the openings.

Methods of forming vertically-stacked memory cells


A zoom lens comprises, in order from an object side to an image side, a lens group having negative refracting power, and a lens group having positive refracting power. Zooming is carried out with a change in a space between at least said two lens groups. The lens group having negative refracting power comprises a plurality of aspheric surfaces. The lens group having positive refracting power comprises at least one aspherie surface. The lens group having negative refracting power comprises at least three negative lenses, with satisfaction of the following condition: 2.3<|f2/f1<3.1, where f1 is a focal length of said lens group having negative refracting power, and f2 is a focal length of said lens group having positive refracting power.

The present invention relates generally to a zoom lens, and more particularly to a wide-angle zoom lens adapted for use with single-lens reflex cameras for which increased back focuses are needed.
In recent years, camera systems using an image pickup device smaller in image circle than prior art silver halide 35-mm film have been developed in the form of digital single-lens reflex cameras. The objective of these systems is to diminish image pickup device size, thereby providing a smaller, relatively inexpensive single-lens reflex camera.
Even with an image pickup device of smaller size, however, it is still difficult to diminish the size of a shutter unit or the like congruously. Because an optical low-pass filter or the like unnecessary for silver halide single-lens reflex cameras must be located in front of the image pickup device, it is also still difficult to diminish the back focus necessary for interchangeable lenses at a similar ratio at which image pickup device size is more reduced than 35-mm system size. Accordingly, these interchangeable lenses must have a larger back focus than the focal length of those for the 35-mm system. Especially with a wide-angle lens having a short focal length, there is a problem that it is very difficult to ensure the necessary back focus.
So far, such systems as set forth in patent publications 1, 2 and 3 have been known as a superwide-angle zoom lens like one having an angle of view of greater than 100° at the wide-angle end.
However, they have only a back focus for prior art silver halide 35-mm film systems, and so it is difficult to apply them immediately to digital single-lens reflex cameras which incorporate an image pickup device of such smaller size as mentioned above and must have a back focus at a larger ratio relative to focal length.
Patent Publication 1
JP(A)7-261082
Patent Publication 2
JP(A)2000-221399
Patent Publication 3
JP (A) 2002-287031


In a discectomy method one removes at least a substantial portion of a spinal disc. Thereafter one operates an ultrasonic instrument to level opposing faces of vertebrae on opposite sides of the removed spinal disc. Graft or synthetic disc material is inserted between the vertebrae so that the graft or synthetic disc material is in contact with the leveled opposing faces. In an associated nucleotomy, a cannulated probe is inserted into a spinal disc and used to remove the nucleus pulposus. A synthetic or substitute nucleus material may then be inserted into the evacuated annulus.

This invention relates to surgical procedures commonly known as discectomy and nucleotomy.
The spinal column is comprised in part of bones or vertebrae and in part of fibrous discs that are disposed between the vertebrae. The discs normally function as cushions separating the vertebrae. With age, owing to a drying of the disks, the cushioning effect may be reduced. Also injury can cause a disc to bulge and press on the nerve root leaving the spinal column, possibly causing extreme pain.
More specifically, when the outer wall of a disc, called the annulus fibrosis, becomes weakened through age or injury, it may tear allowing the soft inner part of the disc, the nucleus pulposus, to bulge out. This is called disc herniation, disc prolapse, or a slipped or bulging disc. Once the inner disc material extends out past the regular margin of the outer disc wall, it can press against very sensitive nerve tissue in the spine. The "bulging" disc can compress or even damage the nerve tissue, and this can cause weakness, tingling, or pain in the back area and into one or both legs.
A discectomy is a surgical procedure generally to remove part of an intervertebral disc that is putting pressure on a nerve as it leaves the spinal column. The procedure is most commonly performed on lumbar discs (located in the lower back) creating leg pain. However, it may also be used for cervical discs in the neck.
Open discectomy is usually performed under general anesthesia (the patient is unconscious) and typically requires a one-day hospital stay. It is performed while the patient is lying face down or in a kneeling position. During the procedure, the surgeon will make an approximate one-inch incision in the skin over the affected area of the spine. Muscle tissue is removed from the bone above and below the affected disc and retractors hold the muscle and skin away from the surgical site so the surgeon has a clear view of the vertebrae and disc. In some cases bone and ligaments may have to be removed for the surgeon to be able to visualize and then gain access to the bulging disc without damaging the nerve tissue, this is called a laminectomy or laminotomy depending on how much bone is removed.
Once the surgeon can visualize the vertebrae, disc and other surrounding structures, he or she will remove the section of the disc that is protruding from the disc wall and any other disc fragments that may have been expelled from the disc. This is often done under magnification. No material is used to replace the disc tissue that is removed. The incision is then closed with sutures and the patient is taken to a recovery room.
The most common problem of a discectomy is that there is a chance that another fragment of disc will herniate and cause similar symptoms down the road. This is a so-called recurrent disc herniation, and the risk of this occurring is about 10-15%


A carrier comprising an elongated flexible portion comprising a base having a first side and a second side, a first pair of arms extending from the first side of the base, a second pair of arms extending from the second side of the base, the first pair of arms being joined to a first end portion having a central area, the second pair of arms being joined to a second end portion having a central area, a first strip portion having a first end and a second end; the first end of the first strip portion being detachably connected to the first side of the base, and the second end of the first strip portion being connected to the first end portion, a second strip portion having a first end and a second end; the first end of the second strip portion being detachably connected to the second side of the base, and the second end of the second strip portion being connected to the second end portion.

Typically, square or rectangular boxes are used for carrying food items, such as pizza, for which it is necessary to secure and carry the box in a substantially horizontal position while transporting the box containing the food item. Conventional grocery carriers are not useful for this purpose, since the bags are of insufficient size, and the opening of the bag too narrow, to accommodate a pizza box.
Prior art carriers for boxes have thus been adapted by providing cut-out portions in the carrier to accommodate the four corners of the box, typically for boxes which are required to be carried in one particular orientation to prevent the contents of the box from spilling out, or to prevent the contents from moving around inside the box.
One of the shortcomings of the prior art carriers, however, is that the boxes are usually insufficiently secured within the carrier, so that the boxes can easily fall out of the container, especially if one of the carrying handles is accidentally released by the user.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a box carrier which would keep the box or boxes held in the carrier in a secure position.
It is a further objection of the present invention to provide a box carrier which would prevent the box or boxes from falling out of the carrier if one of the handles of the carrier is accidentally let go by the user.


An electronic data recorder including an electronic data storage device disposed within an enclosure having a main housing and a cover adapted to engage a base region of the housing. The main housing forms a cavity housing the electronic data storage device. A mounting wall extending from the main housing and including an attachment foot for attachment to a vehicle wherein an impact during a vehicle crash preferentially fractures one or both the mounting wall and attachment foot as opposed to the main housing.

The present disclosure relates to a electronic data recorder mounted on a vehicle, such as an automotive vehicle. The recorder can store at least acceleration data of the vehicle prior to, during, and after a traffic accident.
As an example of representative apparatus for storing data at a traffic accident occurrence time, a flight data recorder mounted on an aircraft is well known. The flight recorder for an aircraft receives and records data such as the speed and acceleration of the aircraft through wires from hydraulic cylinders, the speed indicator and other sensors, while the aircraft is flying. However, because an aircraft flight recorder is a very large scale apparatus, it is not practical to apply such a system to automotive vehicles because of the complex mounting requirements, cost, etc.
Nonetheless, in order to investigate the cause of an automotive accident, it is advantageous to know the condition, or state of an automotive vehicle at the time a traffic accident has occurred involving the vehicle. In a traffic accident involving the vehicle, it is advantageous to analyze data, such as, acceleration, angular velocity, etc., at the accident occurrence time, in order to look into the cause of the accident. This information is most readily stored in an electronic condition.
Unfortunately, most electronic data recorders are susceptible to damage from environmental factors. This is particularly true for an electronic data recorder that has experienced accident conditions. The present disclosure is focused upon a suitable enclosure to protect an electronic data storage device and maintain its environmental isolation, and therefore its integrity, both before and after a crash.


An optical scanner comprises a light source device; a linear image forming device for forming an approximately parallel light beam from the light source device as a linear image extending in a main scanning corresponding direction; a rotary polygon mirror having a deflection-reflecting face in the vicinity of the image forming position of the linear image; and an image forming optical system arranged between the rotary polygon mirror and a scanned face and setting the scanned face and a deflecting start point of the deflection-reflecting face in an approximately conjugate relation in geometrical optics with respect to a secondary scanning direction, the image forming optical system forming the deflected light beam from the deflection-reflecting face as an image of a light spot on the scanned face. The linear image forming device has a transparent elastic parallel plate, a cylindrical lens, a deforming device for flexing the elastic parallel plate in the shape of an arc by applying a deforming force thereto to change a radius of curvature of a face of the elastic parallel plate, and a controller for controlling the application of the deforming force in synchronization with an optically scanning operation by the deflected light beam. The linear image forming device may have other constructions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical scanner using a rotary polygon mirror.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an optical scanner, an approximately parallel light beam from a light source device is focused and formed by a cylindrical lens as a linear image extending in a main scanning corresponding direction and is deflected by a rotary polygon mirror having a deflection-reflecting face in the vicinity of an image forming position of this linear image. The deflected light beam is formed as an image in the shape of a light spot on a scanned face by an image forming optical system to perform an optical scanning operation. This optical scanner is well known in association with an optical printer, a laser facsimile, a digital copying machine, a laser photoengraving machine, etc.
As is well known, in the optical scanner using the rotary polygon mirror, there is a problem about the inclination of a reflecting face. To correct the inclination of the reflecting face in the optical scanner, the approximately parallel light beam from the light source device is focused and formed by the cylindrical lens as the linear image extending in the main scanning corresponding direction in the vicinity of the deflection-reflecting face of the rotary polygon mirror. A start point of the deflection by the deflection-reflecting face and the scanned face are arranged by the image forming optical system in an approximately conjugate relation in geometrical optics with respect to a secondary scanning direction.
Therefore, the image forming optical system becomes an anamorphic optical system having a strong power in the secondary scanning direction in comparison with that in the main scanning direction. Accordingly, when a curvature of a field in the main scanning direction is preferably corrected, a large field curvature tends to be caused with respect to the secondary scanning direction.
As mentioned above, the curvature of a field in the secondary scanning direction causes the diameter of the light spot for scanning the scanned face in the secondary scanning direction to change together with the position of the formed image. Further, the diameter of the light spot in the secondary scanning direction becomes uneven in a main scanning region, which is a great obstacle in realizing an optical scanning operation of high density.
There are various kinds of trials for correcting the above field curvature in the secondary scanning direction by a performance of the image forming optical system. However, these trials have the problems that it is very difficult to design the image forming optical system so as to satisfy the requirement of high density.


A lapping machine control system which utilizes a electromechanical probe to generate a signal responsive to the separation of the laps, which also represents the thickness of the part being lapped. The separation signal, which is unsuitable for direct control since it is too noisy, is used with a best fit algorithm to estimate the time to reduce the part to the desired thickness, based on the rate of material removal provided by extrapolated line representing the best fit of the lap separation signal. The machining is terminated when the extrapolated line reaches the intercept of time and thickness.

Machine tools of different types have long been operated under both open and closed loop computer control. In an open loop system, the position of the cutting surface of the machine tools is calibrated and then the tool is operated to advance the cutting tool the prescribed distance or depth to perform the desired operation. Open loop systems are more common in drilling and cutting operations such as performed by punch presses, jig borers, drill presses, lathes and milling machines.
Grinding operations are sometimes performed under closed loop control since the position of the abrasive wheel may not provide an accurate measurement of the part being machined. That is, the grinding operation is controlled by measurements taken directly from the part rather than relying on the position of the grinding wheel itself. For example, the system described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,655,652 uses a linear variable differential transformer to accurately measure the workpiece. The output of the linear variable differential transformer is digitized and used to derive an indication of the amount of material removed from the workpiece, the rate of removal of the material from the workpiece, and the degree of out-of-round of the workpiece. The system of the patent does not develop a signal by means of curve fitting techniques nor does it extrapolate to determine the point in time when the desired amount of material has been removed.
The gear tooth grinding system described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,906,677 provides for modification of the cam control by signals stored in a computer. The system avoids sudden, and therefore, large feed movements by interpolating the command and dividing it into a series of smaller increments. There is no direct measurement from the gear tooth being ground and the system does not involve extrapolation to determine when the grinding operation is complete.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,027,245, the described control system does not utilize extrapolation nor are direct measurements made from the workpiece to determine the rate of material removal. The grinding wheel position is under direct control of the program which responds to the angular position of the workpiece, but without regard for the dimensional change of the workpiece. A position transducer is utilized only for the purpose of the serve system control and lies outside the computer loop.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,502,125 describes a numerical controller for an angular slide grinding machine which accommodates the change in diameter of the grinding wheel in a dressing operation. The described system does not apply curve fitting techniques to the transducer signal nor does it extrapolate to determine the point in time when the desired amount of material has been removed.
The grinder control system shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,385 is designed to operate in a teach mode, wherein manual control movements are recorded by the computer, and an operate mode in which the previously entered and recorded control movements are reexecuted by the system to duplicate the original movements. The system does not apply curve fitting techniques nor does it extrapolate to determine the point in time when the desired amount of material has been removed.
The system shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,584,796 is directed to a grinding machine which has a dressing tool fixedly mounted to the bed of the machine and a control system which accommodates both the wear on the grinding wheel caused by the dressing tool and the wear on the dressing tool caused by the dressing operation. The system includes registers which may be manually loaded in the situation where a new grinding wheel is used. The system of the patent does not include means for measuring changes to the workpiece and relies on the measurement of the grinding wheel itself. There is no disclosure of curve fitting or extrapolation to determine when the machining operation has removed the desired amount of material.
The system described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,546,573 utilizes optical detectors in conjunction with reference lines to accurately position the workpiece for a grinding operation. The control system does not apply curve fitting techniques nor does it employ extrapolation to determine when the grinding operation should be terminated.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,233,784 addresses the problem of uneven grinding wheel wear in an apparatus for edge grinding lenses. When lenses are edge ground at the same point of the grinding wheel, the resulting wear causes the formation of a groove in the wheel. To prevent this, a sensor is moved over the surface of the wheel to detect the high point of any irregularity and subsequent grinding takes place at the high point, tending to restore the surface to a flat profile. This system does not utilize curve fitting nor does it employ extrapolation to determine the point in time when the grinding operation should be terminated.
An article in the IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 1P, No. 1, June 1969, pp 152-55, described a numerical control system which compensates for the dimensional inaccuracy of the cutting tool. The control program provides a linear compensation formula and a circular arc compensation formula. The system does not apply curve fitting techniques to measured values nor does it extrapolate to determine the point in time when the grinding should be terminated.
The control system described in the U.K. Patent No. 2,108,024 provides for additional material to be removed from the workpiece if the stored control program has been completed and the gauge responsive to the dimension of the workpiece indicates that the proper size has not yet been achieved. There is no teaching of curve fitting nor is there any suggestion that the machining operation be terminated in accordance with a value determined by extrapolation from the rate of material removal.
In the control system of French Patent 2,478,515, the grinding machine is controlled to remove a specific volume of material in a unit time. The abstract contains no reference to curve fitting, nor extrapolation as a means for determining when the grinding operation is completed.
The abstract of Russian Patent 1,278,181 describes a system for detecting the point where the cutting tool on a lathe first touches the workpiece. The resulting vibrations are transmitted to a sensor which initiates the automated program for control of the cutting tool. The abstract does not mention the use of curve fitting nor the application of extrapolation techniques to determine the point in time when the turning operation is completed.
While the described turning and grinding systems are in some respects similar to the removal of material by the lapping process, there are certain significant differences which make it difficult to successfully apply the same control techniques. For example, the location of the workpiece between the fixed and movable laps makes it difficult to obtain a direct measurement of the workpiece. Additionally, the nature of the process makes the secondary measurements, those obtained from the lap, very noisy. That is, there is no assurance that any one measurement, or even a series of measurements, is an accurate representation of the workpiece dimension. Since the measurements differ from the actual dimension in random fashion, termination of the lapping operation in response to the first sensing of the desired dimension will virtually ensure an oversize part. If the lapping operation is continued until the average of the sensed dimension is at the desired dimension, there is the likelihood that the lapping operation will have proceeded too long a time and the finished part will be undersized.

Automated system for machining parts to close tolerances


An improved separation system and its method of operation for the separation of solutes, colloidal particles, or suspended matter from solutions of suspensions containing the same is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, this invention relates to a simple and economic membrane filtration system that can be operated in many of the modes of operation of a membrane filtration system, especially suction backwashing, without mixing the filtrate with the feed stream.

Separation techniques such as reverse osmosis, ultrafiltration and microfiltration are widely used today in industry. Many advantages have been realized by employing these techniques, among which are the reduction in time required for effecting separation, efficiency in separation, the use of mild operating conditions such as room temperature separations, the reduction in operating costs as compared to older techniques such as evaporation, chemical precipitation, and ultracentrifugation, and the capability to separate species previously considered inseparable. The present invention is particularly concerned with membrane separations by ultrafiltration techniques, although it can be applied to some of the other above-mentioned separation techniques.
Ultrafiltration is a separation process wherein a solution or suspension containing a solute, colloidal particle or suspended particle of greater dimensions than the solvent it is dissolved in, is fractionated by being subjected to such pressure as to force the solvent through a porous filter, particularly a polymeric membrane (see for example U.S. Pat. Nos.; 3,615,024; 3,526,588; 3,556,305; 3,541,005; and 3,549,016; all of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference to be generally illustrative of the types of polymeric membranes contemplated), although the filter can be of the nonpolymeric type such as ceramic. The membranes used in ultrafiltration may be of various configurations such as hollow fiber, flat sheet, spiral wound or tubular. Preferably, for the purposes of the present invention, hollow fiber polymeric membranes are employed.
Membrane separation systems are usually operated in a cross-flow mode whereby the process fluid flow (i.e. the "feed stream" to be separated) is tangential to the surface of the polymeric membrane. That is, the process fluid to be treated enters the separation module via the process fluid inlet, flows parallel to the surface of the membrane on the same side as the process fluid inlet and outlet are located, leaves the separation module via the process fluid outlet, and optionally, is recycled back to the separation module for further treatment. A portion of the process fluid passes through the membrane as permeate. This type of separation module may be used for various purposes such as; to concentrate a fluid, in which case the desired product is the fluid leaving the separator through the process fluid outlet; to purify a fluid, in which case the desired product can be the permeate or the fluid leaving the separator through the process fluid outlet; or to separate one or more components from a fluid, in which case the desired product may be the fluid passing through the membrane as permeate, the fluid leaving the separator through the process fluid outlet, the component(s) retained by the membrane, or combination thereof.
During use, the side of the membrane contacting the process fluid can become fouled by material retained by the membrane. Such fouled membranes can be cleaned for reuse by such techniques as; mechanical cleaning, the removal of foulant material by, for example, using a brush, rod or sponge; fast-flush, the pumping of fluid across the fouled surface of the membrane at high flow rate to physically dislodge and remove the foulant; fast-flush with reverse flow, the pumping of fluid across the fouled surface of the membrane at high flow rate with periodic reversal of the flow direction to physically dislodge and remove the foulant; chemical cleaning, the contacting of the fouled surface of the membrane with a chemical cleaning fluid; pressure backwash, the pumping of fluid, for example permeate or water, under pressure through the membrane from the permeate side to the process fluid side such that the fluid physically dislodges and removes foulant material from the surface of the membrane; or a combination of two or more of the above-mentioned techniques.
In the above-described techniques of fast-flush, chemical cleaning and pressure backwashing, pressure is usually created by means of a pump. This can give rise to hydraulic pressure surges that can damage the membrane. Therefore, it is important that the fluid pressure is carefully controlled so the pressure difference between the fluid on one side of the membrane and that on the other side of the membrane does not exceed the maximum allowable transmembrane pressure difference for that particular membrane. The maximum allowable transmembrane pressure difference for a particular membrane is the maximum pressure difference between opposite sides of a membrane that can be accommodated by the membrane without damage resulting.
Certain membrane configurations with narrow process fluid flow paths may become severely fouled, whereby the foulant restricts or even prevent the free flow of process fluid across the membrane surface. If this occurs, the fast-flush and chemical cleaning techniques may be insufficient to adequately clean the membrane, and mechanical cleaning and/or pressure backwashing may be required to achieve satisfactory cleaning. However, mechanical cleaning may be impractical for these membrane configurations because of their narrow process fluid flow paths, and pressure backwashing, as discussed above, has the disadvantages of; having to carefully control the pressure of the fluid in order to avoid damage to the membranes; and the addition of extra pumping capacity which adds to both the initial cost of the system and to the overall operating cost of the system.
The system design described in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 331,471 and the operation of this system described in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 331,476 (both commonly assigned to the same assignee as the present invention) presumably solves the problem of hydraulic pressure surges leading to damaged fibers. A suction backwash procedure is described in the above-mentioned patent applications to aid in the cleaning of the membranes. To activate the suction backwash procedure, a permeate pump is used to draw permeate through the hollow fibers by way of the process lines. While otherwise an improvement to the systems available heretofore, there are several problems and limitations to this design. First, the system described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 331,471 is very complex, more costly than necessary and requires at least two pumps of equal size, one process pump, and one permeate pump. This additional pumping capacity not only adds cost to the initial system construction, but also increases the energy requirement during operation. Secondly, because the process fluid comes into contact with the permeate pump and associated permeate lines, the permeate lines and permeate pump become contaminated with the process fluid. This limits the possible applications of this design. After use of the suction backwash procedure and prior to operation in the standard mode, the system must be recleaned and/or re-sterilized.
An essential part of many separation techniques, as in membrane filtration, is the ability to keep the filtrate separate from the feed and therefore avoid mixing the permeate with the process fluid. This is beneficial in applications where the filtrate stream must remain sanitary, such as in food or pharmaceutical applications, or where the feed stream can contaminate the filtrate, such as in waste applications.

Membrane separation system and method of operation


A television receiving device includes an operating mode determining unit and a power supply control unit. The operating mode determining unit is configured to determine an operating mode of the television receiving device. The power supply control unit is configured to automatically turn off the television receiving device when a default time elapses. The power supply control unit is further configured to change the default time to a modified time that is shorter than the default time based on the operating mode determined by the operating mode determining unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a television receiving device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a television receiving device having an automatic power supply OFF function.
2. Background Information
A conventional television receiving device includes an automatic power supply OFF function. The automatic power supply OFF function automatically switches a power supply OFF when a predetermined time has elapsed without any operation being performed in a state in which the power supply is ON (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2000-92743, for example). With the automatic power supply OFF function, the power supply is automatically switched OFF after a period of 3 hours has elapsed even if the user falls asleep while watching a movie or the like late at night.
Another conventional television receiving device includes an improved automatic power supply OFF function (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 11-284934, for example). The automatic power supply OFF function does not abruptly switch the power supply OFF when the predetermined time has elapsed, but first lowers the audio output level. The automatic power supply OFF function determines that the user is no longer watching when an operating unit is not operated within a predetermined time after the audio output level has been lowered. Then, the automatic power supply OFF function switches the power supply OFF.
Another conventional television receiving device displays a message onscreen when it is determined that the user is watching the television outside a normal viewing time band. The message prompts the user to confirm whether the user wishes to continue watching the television. Then, the television receiving device switches off the power supply automatically if the user does not respond within a predetermined time (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2004-349946, for example).
Yet another conventional television receiving device includes a setting value holding unit. The setting value holding unit holds a predetermined time until the television receiving device is switched OFF (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2000-244844, for example).
In the automatic power supply OFF function of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2000-92743, the power supply is switched OFF only when the predetermined time (e.g., 3 hours) has elapsed without any operation being performed while the power supply is ON. Accordingly, even if the user is not watching at some intermediate point, the power supply is not switched OFF until the predetermined time has elapsed.
The automatic power supply OFF function of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 11-284934 informs the user that the default time has elapsed before the power supply is switched OFF. However, this is irrelevant unless the user is already in front of the conventional television receiving device when the automatic power supply OFF function informs. Accordingly, the power supply is not switched OFF until the default time has elapsed.
With the conventional television receiving device of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2004-349946, when there is a departure from an ordinary television viewing time band, the television power supply is switched OFF. However, if a state in which the user is not watching occurs in the ordinary television viewing time band, the television power supply is not switched OFF.
With the conventional television receiving device of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2000-244844, the predetermined time can be set as desired by the user. However, even if there is a continued state in which the user is not watching before the predetermined time has elapsed, the television power supply is not switched OFF.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved television receiving device. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.

Television receiving device and power supply control method


A flight path angle symbol is positioned on an aircraft attitude display indicator as a function of either a measured flight path angle or a flight path angle commanded by the pilot. When the aircraft is operating within a selected airspeed, angle of attack, pitch attitude or load factor range, or the difference between measured flight path angle and commanded flight path angle is within a selected range, the symbol is positioned on the display as a function of commanded flight path angle. However when the aircraft is operating outside any of these ranges, the symbols is positioned on the display as a function of the measured flight path angle. To avoid a rapid jump in symbol position when transitioning between measured and commanded flight path angle displays, a phase lag filter is used to attenuate and lag the symbol positioning signal.

It is known technology to display the flight path angle of an aircraft on an aircraft attitude display indicator. Since flight path angle is the angle between the velocity vector of the aircraft and the horizon, it has been found useful to navigate the aircraft in a vertical direction by reference to a flight path angle symbol.
For example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,668,622 by Gannett et al there is disclosed an aircraft attitude display having superimposed thereon a first symbol indicating aircraft actual flight path angle and a second symbol indicating aircraft potential flight path angle.
A heads up display which has superimposed thereon a symbol representing the aircraft flight path is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,686,626 by Bateman et al.
In U.S. Pat. 2,896,145 by Snodgrass, flight path angle is determined by two different methods and the results combined to operate a flight path angle indicator. And, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,184 by Lambregts there is disclosed an attitude indicator on which the actual flight path angle of an aircraft and the commanded flight path angle of the aircraft are both displayed.
Furthermore, an aircraft flight path angle display system using a "quickened" flight path angle indicator is discussed in U.S Ser. No. 499,290 filed May 31, 1983, now abandoned, entitled "Aircraft Flight Path Angle Display System" by Lambregts and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
A number of problems have arisen with conventional flight path angle displays. For example, in those displays which show both commanded flight path angle and actual flight path angle, there is sometimes a tendency for the pilot to be confused by the presence of both symbols. No intuitively clear symbology exists to indicate which symbol is commanded flight path angle and which symbol is actual flight path angle.
In some displays only one flight path angle symbol is shown. Typically this flight path angle symbol represents the actual flight path angle of the aircraft. In turbulent conditions or where sudden, abrupt changes are made to the direction of aircraft flight, the actual flight path angle symbol tends to be unstable thereby making it difficult to navigate the aircraft by reference to this symbol.
Another problem with navigating an aircraft by reference to the actual flight path angle symbol is due to the lag in the symbol movement when responding to changes in aircraft pitch. This lag is due to the fact that when the aircraft pitches up from level flight, for example, the center of gravity of the aircraft, and hence the aircraft velocity vector, initially is directed downward. This is a result of a downward force on the tail when the pilot pulls back on the control column to pitch the aircraft up. In this manner the initial value of flight path angle is negative until the aircraft begins climbing, and it accounts for the lag in the flight path angle display.

Apparatus and method for displaying aircraft flight path angle on an attitude display indicator