An image processing apparatus for processing a target radiation image generated by radiation transmitted through a radiographic object, which has an image data transforming device for practicing image processing in such a manner that image characteristics of the target radiation image correspond to image characteristics of a radiation image for reference determined beforehand, on the basis of image characteristics obtained from the radiation image for reference.

This invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, a program, and a storage medium for making easy the comparative reading of a plurality of images for medical use.
Up to now, a lot of radiation images such as X-ray images have been used in the diagnosis of disease etc., and for the purpose of obtaining these radiation images, what is called radiography, in which a fluorescent layer (fluorescent screen) is irradiated by X-rays transmitted through a radiographic object, the visible light which is produced by the irradiation is made to irradiate a film using silver halide in the same manner as a usual photographic film, and the irradiated film is developed, has been utilized very much for a long time.
On the other hand, in recent years, it has been put into practice to use a method of producing a radiation image without using a film coated with a silver halide layer, in which a radiation image is directly picked up as a digital signal from a radiation detector such as a stimulable phosphor detector or an FPD (Flat panel detector). Further, for the purpose of making a radiation image obtained by the above-mentioned method of producing a radiation image become an image suitable for diagnosis, it has been brought into practice to apply various kinds of image processing to digital image data.
Incidentally, as regards diagnosis based on the observation of the above-mentioned radiation image, the diagnosis is carried out, for example, with a plurality of films obtained for one and the same subject (radiation images of the chest region or the abdominal region taken once a year in the case of periodical health examination, radiation images for the observation in the course of recovery taken at the first medical examination and every several weeks in the case of a fracture of a bone, etc.) put side by side on a observation device to be compared with one another. However, in the case where the radiographs to be compared with one another are the combination of direct X-ray radiographs and indirect X-ray radiographs of one and the same subject, the combination of digital images read by a film scanner and digital images read from a stimulable phosphor detector, the combination of digital images read from a stimulable phosphor detector and digital images read through the conversion of X-ray energy into electric charge, or the like, caused by various factors, image characteristics such as the size of the whole of an image, the pixel size, the number of gray scales, the resolution, and the density (the luminance) become different between one image and another. For this reason, it sometimes occurred that the above-mentioned difference in the image characteristics became the obstacle of the exact comparative reading of images, which lowered the precision of diagnosis and the efficiency of diagnosis.
Therefore, for example, in the publication of the unexamined patent application H8-146540, it is disclosed a technology in which, by the correction of image data of a radiation image using supplementary image information concerning the radiographing conditions at the time of image data generation, the image characteristics are made equal between one and another of a plurality of images, and the difference in the image characteristics caused by the difference in the radiographing conditions etc. is corrected. Through this correction, it becomes possible to make the image characteristics equal between one and another of a plurality of images supposed to become the object of the comparative reading of images, and also it becomes possible to bring it out to the maximum, the effect of the extraction of diagnosis information based on the comparative reading of images and the correlation operation between images, and improve the precision of diagnosis and the efficiency of diagnosis.
However, as regards such a conventional image forming method, because the method is premised on the supplementary image information being attached to the radiographed image data, there have been cases where a radiation image taken in the past or a radiation image taken by an old-fashioned apparatus or an apparatus manufactured by another manufacturer had no supplementary image information attached or had deficient supplementary image information. For this reason, there has been a problem that correction processing for comparative reading of images could not be carried out, or the effect of correction processing was low even if correction could be made. As the result of this, there has been cases where a radiation image taken in the past or a radiation image taken by an apparatus of another model could not be utilized effectively, which lowered the precision of diagnosis and the efficiency of diagnosis.
It is an object of this invention to improve the precision of diagnosis and the efficiency of diagnosis by the correction of image data of an old radiation image taken under some other conditions or a radiation image taken by an apparatus of some other model to make comparative reading of images easy.
The structures to solve the above-mentioned problem are as follows:
(1) An image processing apparatus for processing a target radiation image generated by radiation transmitted through a radiographic object, characterized by comprising
an image data transforming means(device) for practicing image processing so as to make image characteristics of the target radiation images correspond to those of a radiation image for reference, on the basis of image characteristics obtained from said radiation image for reference determined beforehand.
In this specification, the term xe2x80x9cimage characteristicsxe2x80x9d is defined as those including, for example, the size of the whole of an image, the pixel size, the number of gray scales, the resolution, the density, the luminance, the gradation characteristic, the frequency response characteristic, etc.
(2) An image processing apparatus for processing a target radiation image generated by radiation transmitted through a radiographic object, characterized by comprising
an image characteristic obtaining means (device) for obtaining the image characteristics of a radiation image for reference and the image characteristics of the target radiation image, and
an image data transforming means (device) for practicing image processing of said target radiation image so as to make the image characteristics of said target radiation image correspond to the image characteristics of said radiation image for reference obtained by said image characteristic obtaining means.
Hence, by the image processing to make the image characteristics of a plurality of radiation images having different image characteristics correspond to those of a radiation image for reference, the difference in the image characteristics, for example, between radiation images taken under different radiographing conditions or radiation images subjected to different image processing methods can be dissolved, and it becomes possible to reproduce radiation images having their image characteristics made to correspond to one another.
(3) An image processing apparatus for processing a target radiation image generated by radiation transmitted through a radiographic object, characterized by comprising
a region recognizing means (device) for recognizing a specified region corresponding to a fixed structure of a radiographic object,
an image processing condition determining means (device) for obtaining the image characteristics through the analysis of the image signal of a specified region recognized by said region recognizing means, and determining the image processing conditions on the basis of said image characteristics, and
an image data transforming means (device) for practicing image processing of a radiation image on the basis of the image processing conditions determined by said image processing condition determining means,
said image processing condition determining means determining the image processing conditions on the basis of the image characteristics of a specified region to be obtained from a radiation image for reference, or on the basis of the image characteristics of a specified region to be obtained from a radiation image for reference and the image characteristics of a specified region to be obtained from the target radiation image, and
said image data transforming means practicing image processing of a part or the whole of the target radiation image in such a manner that the image characteristics of the target radiation image correspond to the image characteristics of a radiation image for reference on the basis of said image processing conditions.
Hence, by the practice of the image processing of the target radiation image on the basis of a specified region of a radiation image for reference, it becomes possible to reproduce a plurality of images with their image characteristics made to correspond to one another, and for example, even for a radiation image having no supplementary image information attached concerning the radiographing conditions and the image characteristics, image processing can be carried out so as to make its image characteristics correspond to the image characteristics of a radiation image for reference. Owing to this, in the case where a plurality of radiation images are subjected to comparative reading of images, it is possible to reproduce the region to be diagnosed with satisfactory image characteristics, and improve the precision of diagnosis and the efficiency of diagnosis. Further, by the practicing of image processing on the basis of the region supposed to be the object of diagnosis, an appropriate image processing can be carried out.
(4) An image processing apparatus for processing a target radiation image generated by radiation transmitted through a radiographic object, characterized by comprising
a region designating means (device) for recognizing a designated region as a specified region,
an image processing condition determining means (device) for obtaining the image characteristics through the analysis of the image signal of a specified region recognized by said region designating means, and determining the image processing conditions on the basis of said image characteristics, and
an image data transforming means (device) for practicing image processing of a radiation image on the basis of the image processing conditions determined by said image processing condition determining means,
said image processing condition determining means (device) determining the image processing conditions on the basis of the image characteristics of a specified region to be obtained from a radiation image for reference, or on the basis of the image characteristics of a specified region to be obtained from a radiation image for reference and the image characteristics of a specified region to be obtained from the target radiation image, and
said image data transforming means practicing image processing for a part or the whole of the target radiation image in such a manner that the image characteristics of the target radiation image correspond to the image characteristics of a radiation image for reference on the basis of said image processing conditions.
Hence, when image processing of the target radiation image is carried out so as to make its image characteristics correspond to the image characteristics of a radiation image for reference, a specified region of the radiation image for reference can be designated arbitrarily; therefore, in accordance with the state of the radiation image for reference, the image processing conditions can be determined with the optimum region used as the reference. Further, because it is possible to carry out an image processing of a high degree of freedom adapted to the preference of the diagnosis making person, the efficiency of diagnosis can be improved.
(5) An image processing apparatus as set forth in any one of the structures (1) to (4), characterized by the aforesaid radiation image for reference being generated on the basis of radiation transmitted through the same region of the same radiographic object as the aforesaid the target radiation image.
Hence, because it is possible to carry out image processing on the basis of a radiation image for reference with corresponding regions definitely specified in the radiation image for reference and the target radiation image, it is possible to reproduce a plurality of radiation images with uniform image characteristics. Further, for example, even for a radiation image which has undergone an image processing different from that of a radiation image for reference, if it is the one of the same region of the same radiographic object as that of the radiation image for reference, the difference in the image characteristics from the radiation image for reference can be recognized as the difference in the method of image processing, and the radiation image having undergone an image processing of a different method can be corrected to come to have an image characteristics close to the image characteristics of the image for reference. Owing to this, this invention can be applied to radiation images having diversified image characteristics, has a wide scope of application, and is good in facility.
(6) An image processing apparatus as set forth in the structure (3) or (4), characterized by
the aforesaid radiation image having supplementary image information showing the image characteristics attached, and
the aforesaid image processing condition determining means determining the image processing conditions on the basis of the image characteristics obtained from said supplementary image information, and the image characteristics obtained through the analysis of the image signal of the specified region recognized by the aforesaid region recognizing means or the aforesaid region designating means.
(7) An image processing apparatus as set forth in the structure (6), characterized by
the aforesaid supplementary image information including at least one or more of the size of the whole of an image, the pixel size, the number of gray scales, the resolution, the density, the luminance, the gradation characteristic, the condition of the irradiation by radiation, the characteristics of the radiation image conversion medium, and the condition of image reading.
Hence, in the case where supplementary image information showing the image characteristics is attached to a radiation image for reference and the target radiation image, the image processing conditions can be determined on the basis of not only the image characteristics obtained through the analysis of the image signal of the specified region obtained by the region recognizing means or the region designating means, but also the information such as the size of the image as a whole, the pixel size, the number of gray scales, the resolution, the density, the luminance, the gradation characteristic, the condition of the irradiation by radiation, the characteristics of the radiation image conversion medium, and the condition of image reading; therefore, the processing speed can be raised, and also an image processing of a high precision can be carried out.
(8) An image processing apparatus as set forth in any one of the structures (1) to (4), characterized by the aforesaid image processing including at least one of gradation processing, frequency processing, correction processing of pixel size, correction processing of the number of gray scales, compression processing of dynamic range, detection processing of an abnormal shade, position adjustment processing for correcting the positional deviation in the corresponding parts among a plurality of images, and frequency processing using a multiple resolution method.
Hence, for example, in the case where the radiation images are a plurality of time-serial images of one and the same region of one and the same radiographic object, the part changing with the passage of time can be selectively emphasized with a good precision by the practice of correction processing of the pixel size and the number of gray scales; owing to this, a change to a morbid state which has been newly generated, or a morbid part whose symptoms have varied can be easily detected. Further, by the practice of gradation processing, it is possible to correct the output density so as to make it of a constant density or of a constant contrast, on top of the gradation characteristic of the target radiation image having been made to correspond to that of a radiation for reference. Further, by the practicing of frequency processing, it becomes possible to prevent the sharpness of a radiation image being lowered and make the output of a stable image. Further, because gradation characteristic processing and frequency processing are practiced on top of the correction processing of the pixel size and the number of gray scales being carried out, it is possible to carry out an image processing of a higher precision. Besides, by the application of various kinds of image processing, it is possible to provide a high-quality radiation image.
(9) An image processing method for processing a target radiation image generated by radiation transmitted through a radiographic object, characterized by comprising
a process for carrying out image processing so as to make the target radiation image have image characteristics agreeing with the image characteristics of said radiation image for reference on the basis of the image characteristics of a radiation image for reference determined beforehand.
(10) An image processing method for processing a target radiation image generated by radiation transmitted through a radiographic object, characterized by comprising
a process for obtaining the image characteristics of a radiation image for reference and the image characteristics of the target radiation image, and
a process for carrying out image processing of said the target radiation image so as to make the target radiation image have image characteristics agreeing with the image characteristics of said radiation image for reference.
(11) An image processing method for processing a target radiation image generated by radiation transmitted through a radiographic object, characterized by comprising
a process for recognizing a specified region corresponding to a fixed structure of a radiographic object,
a process for obtaining the image characteristics of a radiation image for reference or of a radiation image for reference and the target radiation image through the analysis of the image signal obtained from a specified region of a radiation image for reference or of a radiation image for reference and the target radiation image, and determining the image processing conditions on the basis of the image characteristics of said radiation image for reference or of said radiation image for reference and said target radiation image, and
a process for practicing image processing for a part or the whole of the target radiation image in such a manner that the image characteristics of the target radiation image correspond to the image characteristics of a radiation image for reference on the basis of said image processing conditions.
(12) An image processing method for processing a target radiation image generated by radiation transmitted through a radiographic object, characterized by comprising
a process for recognizing a designated region as a specified region,
a process for obtaining the image characteristics of a radiation image for reference or of a radiation image for reference and the target radiation image through the analysis of the image signal obtained from a specified region of a radiation image for reference or of a radiation image for reference and the target radiation image, and determining the image processing conditions on the basis of the image characteristics of said radiation image for reference or of said radiation image for reference and said the target radiation image, and
a process for practicing image processing of a part or the whole of the target radiation image in such a manner that the image characteristics of the target radiation image correspond to the image characteristics of a radiation image for reference on the basis of said image processing conditions.
(13) A program for actualizing a function to make a computer for processing a target radiation image generated by radiation transmitted through a radiographic object practice image processing so as to make, on the basis of the image characteristics of a radiation image for reference determined beforehand, the image characteristics of the target radiation image correspond to the image characteristics of said radiation image for reference.
(14) A program for actualizing
a function to make a computer for processing a target radiation image generated by radiation transmitted through a radiographic object obtain the image characteristics of a radiation image for reference and the image characteristics of the target radiation image, and
a function to make said computer practice image processing so as to make the image characteristics of said target radiation image correspond to the image characteristics of said radiation image for reference.
(15) A program for actualizing
a function to make a computer for processing a target radiation image generated by radiation transmitted through a radiographic object recognize a specified region corresponding to a fixed structure of a radiographic object,
a function to make said computer obtain the image characteristics through the analysis of the image signal of said specified region recognized and determine the image processing conditions on the basis of said image characteristics,
a function to make said computer practice image processing of a radiation image on the basis of said image processing conditions determined,
a function to make said computer determine the image processing conditions on the basis of the image characteristics of a specified region to be obtained from said radiation image for reference, or on the basis of the image characteristics of a specified region to be obtained from said radiation image for reference and the image characteristics of a specified region to be obtained from the target radiation image, and
a function to make said computer practice image processing for a part or the whole of the target radiation image in such a manner that the image characteristics of the target radiation image correspond to the image characteristics of a radiation image for reference on the basis of said image processing conditions.
(16) A program for actualizing
a function to make a computer for processing a target radiation image generated by radiation transmitted through a radiographic object designate a specified region,
a function to make said computer obtain the image characteristics through the analysis of the image signal of said specified region designated and determine the image processing conditions on the basis of said image characteristics,
a function to make said computer practice image processing of a radiation image on the basis of said image processing conditions determined,
a function to make said computer determine the image processing conditions on the basis of the image characteristics of a specified region to be obtained from a radiation image for reference, or on the basis of the image characteristics of a specified region to be obtained from a radiation image for reference and the image characteristics of a specified region to be obtained from the target radiation image, and
a function to make said computer practice image processing for a part or the whole of said the target radiation image in such a manner that the image characteristics of the target radiation image correspond to the image characteristics of a radiation image for reference on the basis of said image processing conditions.
(17) A storage medium having a program stored capable of being practiced by a computer for processing a target radiation image generated by radiation transmitted through a radiographic object, characterized by
having a program stored including a program code capable of being practiced by a computer for practicing image processing so as to make, on the basis of the image characteristics of a radiation image for reference determined beforehand, the image characteristics of the target radiation image correspond to the image characteristics of said radiation image for reference.
(18) A storage medium having a program stored capable of being practiced by a computer for processing a target radiation image generated by radiation transmitted through a radiographic object, characterized by
having a program stored including
a program code for obtaining the image characteristics of a radiation image for reference and the image characteristics of the target radiation image, and
a program code capable of being practiced by a computer for practicing image processing so as to make said obtained image characteristics of said target radiation image correspond to said obtained image characteristics of said radiation image for reference.
(19) A storage medium having a program stored capable of being practiced by a computer for processing a target radiation image generated by radiation transmitted through a radiographic object, characterized by
having a program stored including
a program code capable of being practiced by a computer for recognizing a specified region corresponding to a fixed structure of a radiographic object
a program code capable of being practiced by a computer for obtaining the image characteristics of said specified region through the analysis of the image signal of said recognized specified region, and determining the image processing conditions on the basis of said image characteristics,
a program code capable of being practiced by a computer for practicing image processing of a radiation image on the basis of said image processing conditions determined,
a program code capable of being practiced by a computer for determining image processing conditions on the basis of the image characteristics of a specified region to be obtained from a radiation image for reference, or on the basis of the image characteristics of a specified region to be obtained from a radiation image for reference and the image characteristics of a specified region to be obtained from the target radiation image,
a program code capable of being practiced by a computer for practicing the image processing of a part or the whole of said the target radiation image in such a manner that the image characteristics of the target radiation image correspond to the image characteristics of a radiation image for reference on the basis of said image processing conditions.
(20) A storage medium having a program stored capable of being practiced by a computer for processing a target radiation image generated by radiation transmitted through a radiographic object, characterized by
having a program stored including
a program code capable of being practiced by a computer for designating a specified region
a program code capable of being practiced by a computer for obtaining the image characteristics of said specified region through the analysis of the image signal of said specified region designated, and determining the image processing conditions on the basis of said image characteristics,
a program code capable of being practiced by a computer for practicing image processing of a radiation image on the basis of said image processing conditions determined,
a program code capable of being practiced by a computer for determining image processing conditions on the basis of the image characteristics of a specified region to be obtained from a radiation image for reference, or on the basis of the image characteristics of a specified region to be obtained from a radiation image for reference and the image characteristics of a specified region to be obtained from the target radiation image,
a program code capable of being practiced by a computer for practicing the image processing of a part or the whole of said the target radiation image in such a manner that the image characteristics of the target radiation image correspond to the image characteristics of a radiation image for reference on the basis of said image processing conditions.

Image processing apparatus, image processing method, program, and storage medium


A multimedia interaction system is disclosed, including: a plurality of member electronic devices; a plurality of displays respectively arranged on the member electronic devices; and a location detection circuit configured to operably detect respective member electronic device's spatial location and orientation dynamically and to transmit detection results to at least one of the member electronic devices. When an user instructs a source electronic device of the member electronic devices to transmit a target image object toward a target direct, the source electronic device transmits a target command corresponding to the target image object to a candidate electronic device of the member electronic devices to perform corresponding multimedia interaction operations only if a relative position between the candidate electronic and the target direct satisfies a predetermined condition.

The disclosure generally relates to a multimedia interaction system and, more particularly, to a multimedia interaction system including multiple displays and capable of avoiding unexpected interaction behavior and a related computer program product.
As technology progresses, multimedia interaction systems allowing multimedia interactions to be carried out among different electronic devices and related applications have become more and more important. In the design of many interaction applications related to multimedia content, it is expected that particular multimedia interaction operations can only be performed if a relative position among multiple electronic devices participating in the multimedia interaction satisfies a specific condition. In a traditional multimedia interaction system, however, a transmitting-end electronic device of a multimedia interaction command is unable to determine the relative position among itself and other electronic devices, and unable to restrict the transmission direction of multimedia contents or interaction commands. Accordingly, multimedia interaction results that do not conform to normal user experiences, multimedia interaction results that are not supposed to occur in the design of the multimedia interaction applications, multimedia interaction results that violate rules configured by the interaction applications, or unexpected multimedia interaction results often occur among the electronic devices.
For example, in the design of some multimedia interaction applications, it is expected that a particular image object or command can only be transmitted from the transmitting-end electronic device to a receiving-end electronic device if the receiving-end electronic device and its user are in front of a user of the transmitting-end electronic device. In practical operations, however, even if the receiving-end electronic device and its user are both behind the user of the transmitting-end electronic device, the receiving-end electronic device can still receive the particular image object or commands originated from the transmitting-end electronic device. Such kind of unexpected interaction does not conform to normal user experience and is not supposed to occur according to the original design of the multimedia interaction applications, but it still often occurs. This is because in order to acquire better signal transmission quality, conventional electronic devices are typically designed to be able to transmit/receive signals to/from various directions, but a specific direction.
One way to reduce the afore-mentioned problems is to redesign communication circuits of the electronic devices so that the electronic devices are only allowed to transmit/receive signals to/from a specific direction. But such approach severely influences the signal transmission ability and signal receiving range of the electronic device. Apparently, it will be obstructive to the development and progress of cross-device multimedia interaction applications if the multimedia interaction system is unable to deliver user experience that conforms to the original design purpose of the multimedia interaction applications.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Multimedia interaction system and related computer program product capable of avoiding unexpected interaction behavior


A doll includes a dress having at least a portion thereof formed of a multi-layered embossible fabric having a malleable layer such as metal foil or the like together with one or more soft flexible layers such as cloth fabric bonded together to form a readily formable and crimpable fabric. An embossing tool used in combination with the doll and the embossible fabric includes a pair of movable jaws hingedly coupled each defining a corresponding embossing raised portion and mating recess on the inwardly facing portions thereof. The embossing tool is applied to the embossible fabric and used to impart a plurality of raised or recessed embossed designs upon the fabric. The malleable character of the foil layer together with the softness and flexible of the fabric layer permit the embossed designs to be removed by simple smoothing of the fabric for repeated use. Embodiments are shown in which a pair of fabric layers are secured to each side of a malleable foil layer as well as a single soft layer secured to a malleable foil layer formed either as a fabric material or a sprayed on particulate material.

Dolls and toy figures have enjoyed long term extended popularity among children of a wide age group and continue to be a strong group of product lines for most toy manufacturers. Because of the great and extending popularity of dolls and toy figures, a virtually endless variety of dolls and toy figures have been created by practitioners in the art through the years. The dolls and toy figures have been provided in human resembling figures, fantasy-type figures including cartoon and other fictional characters as well as animal-like figures which generally resemble fanciful animals such as teddy bears or the like. In addition, toy figures generally described as action figures have also been provided in a variety of appearances generally characterized by exaggerated human-like appearances representing characters such as warriors, heroes, villains or the like.
In many dolls and toy figures, the clothing or apparel or other associated fabric accessories of the doll or toy figure form an essential component in the entertainment and amusement provided by the doll or toy figure. For example, dolls having removable clothing which the child user may "dress" in a variety of fashion items and combining accessories are quite common in the marketplace. One of the more popular types of such dolls or toy figures are often referred to as fashion dolls in which elaborate and often exotic clothing is provided. A similar type of doll or toy figure generally referred to as fantasy dolls is provided with clothing is best described as costuming and provides the doll with a well recognized or highly fantasized appearance such as a ghost or fairy godmother or other recognizable character. In such clothing article related type dolls, very extended wardrobes are often available to provide numerous clothing changes.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,944,368 issued to O'Brian, et al. sets forth TOY DOLL STRUCTURES in which a human-like doll figure is independently supported by a base member and a plurality of clothing articles are formed of a resilient material such as plastic and are elastically deformable to be fitted upon the doll body in a snap-fit or resilient attachment. The clothing articles are preferably formed of a sheet of resilient thermoplastic material or the like and may be imprinted with clothing appearance or designs.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,783,554 issued to Shapero sets forth APPLIABLE DOLL DECORATIONS in which a doll construction kit enables a child to mold a three-dimensional doll and decorate it with preprinted labels such that the doll has an attractive appearance similar to that of a doll wholly constructed at a factory. Preprinted labels defining clothing and facial and hair features are provided for application to a molded doll. The labels are constructed of a rubber-like material which facilitates the stretching of the labels when applied to a contoured doll surface to eliminate wrinkles.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,293,796 issued to Strader sets forth a FORMABLE SHEET HAVING PILE FABRIC SECURED TO BOTH SURFACES in which a flexible simulated animal hide is bonded to a malleable metal foil liner to provide a moldable or formable animal hide. This moldable or formable animal hide is then applied to a basic animal figure and formed to correspond to the animal body and secure the animal hide to the toy animal figure.
While the foregoing prior art devices referred to and described above have provided a substantial degree of enjoyment and amusement for a wide variety of child users, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for evermore interesting and improved toy figures and dolls.

Doll having embossible fabric and embossing tool


An operation-control lever unit for regulating engine power of an engine-powered working machine to control operation of a working tool includes a throttle-lever holding mechanism operative in response to pivotal movement of a lock lever in a locking direction to frictionally hold the throttle lever at a desired position. The throttle-lever holding mechanism includes a stationary cam formed integrally with the head portion of the operator's control handle for the machine, a movable cam on the lock lever and cooperating with the stationary cam to displace the lock lever along a support shaft in a direction away from the stationary cam, and a resilient member disposed behind the movable cam and resiliently urging the movable cam toward the stationary cam.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an operation-control lever unit for regulating power of an engine of an engine-powered working machine to control operation of a working tool of the engine-powered working machine. The engine-powered working machine may include a carrying bush cutter, a chemical sprayer, a vacuum dust collector and so on.
2. Description of the Related Art
A carrying bush cutter having a circular cutter driven for rotation by an engine carried on the back of an operator is known from Japanese Utility Model Publication No. (SHO) 63-14035. The circular cutter is attached to one end of a hand-operating rod. The rod is provided with an operation handle near the other end thereof. In use of the known bush cutter, the operator swings the rod up and down and right and left while gripping the operation handle. With this swinging operation, bushes are cut or removed by the rotating circular cutter.
In order to control the rotational speed of the cutter, output power of the engine is regulated by a throttle lever provided on a grip portion of the operation handle. However, because the operator is forced to continue gripping of the throttle lever and the operation handle throughout the bush-removing work, a heavy work load is put on the operator.
According to somewhat successful prior improvements, a lock mechanism is associated with a throttle lever to temporarily lock the throttle lever in a desired position, so that the work load on the operator can be reduced. Typical examples of the prior improvements are disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication Nos. (SHO) 53-42661 and (SHO) 55-21536, Japanese Utility Model Laid-open Publication No. (SHO) 60-41539, and Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. (HEI) 8-303263.
According to the disclosed operation lever units, the throttle lever is displaced to a predetermined operating position, then locked in this operating position by activating the lock mechanism. The lock mechanism is released at need.
More specifically, the operation lever unit disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication Nos. (SHO) 55-21536 includes a throttle adjustment lever and a throttle release lever provided side by side on the operating handle. However, because these levers have different axes of pivotal movement, the operation lever unit is complicated in construction, requires an increased number of structural components, and is uneasy to manipulate. Additionally, due to wear and deformation occurring during a long period of use of the engine-powered working machine, a frictional force acting on the throttle lever to lock the same lever in position against pivotal movement tends to decrease and eventually allows the throttle lever to move from the locked position. The throttle lever may sometimes return to its original position when the operation lever unit is subjected to vibration. The operation lever unit has no means to adjust the frictional force acting on the throttle lever.
In the operation lever unit shown in Japanese Utility Model Laid-open Publication No. (SHO) 60-41539, a throttle lever and a lock lever are mounted on the same pivot pin. However, due to a strong spring force acting directly on respective pivoted portions of the levers, a great muscular effort or force is required to turn each lever. Thus, the manipulability of the operating lever unit is relatively low. If the spring force is weakened, the lock lever will fail to lock the throttle lever at a desired position with sufficient reliability.
The operation lever unit disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. (SHO) 53-42661 includes a locking pawl pivotally mounted between the pivot axis of a throttle lever and the pivot axis of a lock lever for operatively interlocking the two levers. Because of the presence of the locking pawl, the operating lever unit is complicated in construction and requires an increased number of structural components.
In the operation lever unit shown in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. (HEI) 8-303263, a throttle lever and a lock lever are pivotally mounted on the same pivot pin. However, because the lock lever is normally held stationary against pivotal movement using the force of a spring only, this operation lever unit has the same problem as the operation lever unit disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-open Publication No. (SHO) 60-41539 previously described.

Operation-control lever unit for engine-powered working machine


The present invention involves an optical assay device and method of use for the detection of an analyte of interest in a sample that conveniently allows control of the flow characteristics of the sample through the device without significant user intervention. The optical assay device includes a base having an absorbent material, and a member having an optically active test stack that is rotatably coupled to the base for rotation between a lowered position and a raised position. In the lowered position, the optically active test stack contacts the absorbent material for drawing the sample through the surface. In the raised position, the optically active test stack does not contact the absorbent material.

The invention relates, in general, to methods and devices useful for analytical testing and, in particular, to methods and devices for flow-through optical assay.
An optical assay device is a device used to detect an analyte such as an antigen. These devices may carry an optically active test member to which a sample is applied for determining the presence or amount of an analyte of interest.
It is desirable in an assay device for the optically active test member to be extremely sensitive to the existence of an analyte, and for the assay performance time, i.e., incubation time, to be as short as possible. This is accomplished in flow-through optical assay devices by maximizing the sample volume which is brought in contact with an analyte specific receptive material or the test member and controlling the flow characteristics of the sample through the optical member.
Although the sample will flow through the optical member without external assistance, the flow characteristics of the sample across the optical member and through channels within the optical member or around the optical member can be modified by the use of absorbent materials. Absorbent material allows for wicking which acts to draw fluid from the surface that the adsorbent material is in contact with which can cause fluid to be drawn across the layers of the optical member and through the channels within the optical member or around the optical member. The absorbent material also provides drying of the optical member when contacted with the optical stack. This drying helps to distinguish the signal produced by the optical member.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,418,136 (Miller et al.) describes a blotting device and blotting method which uses an optically reactive surface as the receptor for samples and reagents related to the particular assay being performed. The device contains an optically reactive layer supported on a pedestal of the device in order to allow placement of various solutions, e.g. sample, washing reagents, substrate, directly onto the reactive layer""s top surface. The solutions are removed by blotting the reactive surface with an absorbent material by physically pressing the absorbent material onto the reactive surface.
These optical assay devices require that the user apply a discrete volume of sample (approximately 25-30 xcexcL) on the surface and that the incubation times be controlled by user intervention. Sample incubates on the surface in a static mode as the surface is solid and impermeable. The drying process also requires user interaction to bring the adsorbent material into contact with the solid optical test surface from above the test surface. While the solid surface optical assays are extremely sensitive, an improvement in sensitivity can be gained by using all of the available sample (dependent on sample processing but generally greater than 200 xcexcL). In many testing sites, the requirement for user intervention in timing and drying the optical test device is inconvenient and not cost effective.
The prior art also includes assay devices that allow for sample flow through the surface of a porous material or across a tortuous path material. Detection is based on the generation of a calorimetric signal through the use of a chromophore or a light scattering particle and signal generation is external to and independent of the surface characteristics of the porous support. In these assays, sample flows through the device with a very limited contact time with the capture element of the device. Thus, sensitivity of the assay is limited by the capture efficiency of the system. Many of these devices suffer from highly variable flow rates as minor changes in the sample composition occur.
The devices of the current invention allow the sample incubation to occur over a period of time to improve capture efficiency but also minimize the user intervention required to complete the assay. The devices also provide an increase in assay performance by allowing all available sample to flow across the optical member and through channels within the optical member. Because the contact time of sample with the test surface is controlled, the devices are less sensitive to variable flow rates than other prior art devices. Also in the devices of this invention, the signal generation is inherent in the composition and construction of the flow through support. Drying of the optical surface from below instead of from above decreases the risk of damaging the optical surface prior to the detection step.
To this end, an aspect of the present invention involves an optical assay device for the detection of an analyte of interest that conveniently allows the device, not the user, to control the flow rate and mass transport of a sample, i.e., any fluid medium, gas or liquid, through the device. The optical assay device includes a base having an absorbent material, and a member having an optically active test membrane or stack that is rotatably coupled to the base for rotation between a lowered position and a raised position. The optically active test stack includes all of the components necessary to generate the optical signal on the test surface including the capture reagent and to allow for sample flow. In the lowered position, the optically active test stack contacts the absorbent material for drawing the sample across the optical member and through channels within or around the optical member. In the raised position, the optically active test stack does not contact the absorbent material and allows for increased sample contact time with optical test surface.
This simple control feature improves analyte capture efficiency by increase sample contact time with the capture reagent and for rapid fluid flow. The control feature is a simple manually operated rotation of the device that minimizes user interaction while allowing for the execution of a number of assay manipulations.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the optical assay device may include any or all of the following:
the member is rotatably coupled to the base through a cam mechanism, the cam mechanism including at least one ramp, whereby the member moves up at least one ramp when the member is moved from the lowered position to the raised position, and down at least one ramp when the member is moved from the raised position to the lowered position;
the optical assay device also includes a retaining mechanism for retaining the member to the base;
the optical assay device also includes a stop mechanism for restraining the rotation of the member to the lowered position, the raised position, and therebetween;
the member includes a projection adapted to be manipulated by a user""s fingers to assist in rotating the member;
the base includes a pair of finger grips to assist in holding the base;
the optically active test stack includes an optically functional layer made of an amorphous silicon or other material to make the test surface reflective and having a thickness between 1000 and 5000 xc3x85;
a support carries the optically active test stack, the support preferably made of nylon, track-etch polycarbonate, nitrocellulose, or polysulfone;
the optically functional layer is coated with an antireflective layer having a thickness between 400 and 700 xc3x85; and
the antireflective layer is coated with an attachment layer made of a diamond-like carbon (alternatives to diamond-like carbon include thin layers of Ni, Ge, or polymers like siloxones or film forming latexes) having a thickness between 50 and 1000 xc3x85.
Another aspect of the present invention involves an optical assay device that includes a base having absorbent material, and a member including an optically active test stack. The base lies generally in a first plane, and the member lies generally in a second plane that is parallel to the first plane. The member is operatively associated with the base for movement between a lowered position and a raised position. In the lowered position, the optically active test stack contacts the absorbent material and the member lies generally in the same plane as the base for drawing a sample through the stack. In the raised position, the optically active test stack does not contact the absorbent material and the member does not lie in the same plane as the base.
If sample is applied with the member in the lowered position, flow will initiate immediately. This is advantageous in an assay system where extremely high sensitivity is not required. The sample will flow until exhausted and then wash can be directly applied to the member in the lowered position. Additional reagents can be applied to the member in the lowered position until the assay is complete. An alternative would be to add a reagent, preferably the amplification reagent, to the member in the raised position. In this case, the amplification reagent will incubate on the optically active surface until the member is moved into the lowered position for removal of the amplification reagent and a final wash prior to read.
In assay systems where sensitivity is a requirement, the sample should be applied with the member in the raised position to allow for efficient capture of the available analyte. After the incubation period, the sample flow is initiated by moving the member to the lowered position. The member will remain in the lowered position until the wash step is complete. Then the member will be moved to the raised position for the addition of other reagents. The member remains in the raised position until the incubation period is complete and then is moved to the lowered position to remove reagent and wash the test surface. If necessary the reagent cycle could be repeated until the assay is complete.
A further aspect of the present invention involves an optical assay device for the detection of an analyte of interest that includes a base having absorbent material, and a generally circular member including a central axis. The generally circular member includes a central aperture and an optically active test stack that covers the aperture. The generally circular member is rotatably coupled to the base through a cam mechanism for rotation about the axis between a lowered position and a raised position. In the lowered position, the optically active test stack contacts the absorbent material for drawing a sample through the stack. In the raised position, the optically active test stack does not contact the absorbent material. The optical assay device further includes a stop mechanism for restraining rotation of the generally circular member between the lowered position and the raised position, and a retaining mechanism for retaining the generally circular member to the base.
In a preferred embodiment of the aspect immediately described above, the cam mechanism includes a plurality of ramping members extending from the base, and a plurality of respective ramping members extending from the generally circular upper member that are adapted to slidably cooperate with the ramping members upon rotation of the generally circular member for raising and lowering the generally circular member; and
the base includes a well that carries the absorbent material.
Another aspect of the present invention includes an optical assay device including a base having absorbent material, and a member including an optically active test stack. The device further includes means for raising and lowering the member between a lowered position and a raised position. In the lowered position, the optically active test stack contacts the absorbent material for drawing a sample through the surface. In the raised position, the optically active test stack does not contact the absorbent material.
In a preferred embodiment of the aspect immediately described above, the optical assay device includes means for retaining the member to the base.
A still further aspect of the present invention involves a method for detecting an analyte of interest in a test sample. The method includes providing an optical assay device, the optical assay device comprising a base including absorbent material, and a member including an optically active test stack, the member rotatably coupled to the base for rotation between a lowered position where the optically active test stack contacts the absorbent material and a raised position where the optically active test stack does not contact the absorbent material; providing the optical assay device in the lowered position where the optically active test stack contacts the absorbent material for drawing a sample through the stack; applying the test sample to the optically active test stack; applying a conjugate to the optically active test stack; applying a wash to the optically active test stack; rotating the member to the raised position where the optically active test stack does not contact the absorbent material; applying an amplifying reagent in solution to the optically active test stack; rotating the member to the lowered position so that the solution containing the amplifying reagent is drawn through the optically active test stack, thereby depositing the amplifying reagent; and observing the optically active test stack for a visual indication of the presence of the analyte of interest.
Other features and advantages of the inventions are set forth in the following detailed description and drawings, which are intended to illustrate, but not limit, the invention.


A porous membrane includes a modacrylic copolymer. The modacrylic copolymer includes, with respect to 100 parts by mass of all structural units constituting the modacrylic copolymer, 15 to 85 parts by mass of a structural unit derived from acrylonitrile, 15 to 85 parts by mass of a structural unit derived from at least one halogen-containing monomer selected from the group consisting of vinyl halide and vinylidene halide, and 0 to 10 parts by mass of a structural unit derived from a vinyl monomer having an ionic substituent. The porous membrane can be produced by preparing a modacrylic copolymer solution by dissolving the modacrylic copolymer in a solvent, and bringing the modacrylic copolymer solution into contact with a non-solvent for the modacrylic copolymer such that the modacrylic copolymer solution is solidified.

Many water treatment methods for removing impurities contained in, e.g., river water and industrial water have been developed. One of the methods is a membrane filtration method. The membrane filtration method is used in many fields such as cartridges for water purifiers and membrane units for waste water treatment. A wide variety of filter media, including ceramics, inorganic materials, and polymers, have been developed for use in the membrane filtration method. In particular, a polymeric porous membrane has the following features: the membrane with a stable quality can be continuously produced in large quantities; and the pore size of the membrane can be relatively freely controlled by adjusting the membrane formation conditions.
The polymeric porous membrane is required to improve properties such as membrane strength, a water permeation rate, a rejection rate for components to be filtered out, and antifouling properties. A number of technologies have been developed so far to improve these properties. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for producing a polymer membrane for water treatment that is composed of a vinyl chloride copolymer containing a vinyl chloride monomer and a hydrophilic monomer as structural units. Patent Document 2 discloses a technology that relates to a polyvinylidene fluoride porous membrane.


The suction roll, especially for a paper web drier, comprises a perforated roll shell containing therein an internal chamber partitioned by a wall member transversely arranged with respect to the lengthwise axis of the suction roll. A connection flow communicates the interior of the suction roll with a suction device, preferably a vacuum pump. At least one blade or vane within the suction roll at least reduces or prevents a possibly arising rotational or cyclone-like flow. Thus, the pressure differential brought about by the suction device can be completely used for creating the suction action and for fixing the paper web at the suction roll. This rotational or cyclone-like flow particularly occurs when the suction action is applied through a hollow shaft or duct.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a new and improved suction roll, especially for a paper web drier of a papermaking machine.
Generally speaking, the suction roll of the present development, especially for use in a paper web drier of a papermaking machine, is of the type comprising a perforated roll shell or jacket having an inner surface or wall. Within this perforated roll shell there is located an internal chamber or space divided by a wall member which is transversely arranged with respect to the lengthwise axis of the suction roll. The suction roll also has a connection or connection means flow communicating or connecting the internal chamber with a suction device, preferably a vacuum pump. At least one blade or vane which extends transversely with respect to the inner surface of the roll shell is arranged in the internal chamber.
2. Discussion of the Background and Material Information
Such type equipment is known in the papermaking art from, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,876,803, granted Oct. 31, 1989. The suction roll constructions disclosed therein are considered to be afflicted with the appreciable drawback that there are required large pressure differentials, and thus, also large vacuum pumps. Due to the air flows occurring internally of the suction roll there arises a pressure drop, and frequently there is no longer present an adequate pressure differential in order to retain the paper web at the suction roll.
Additional constructions of suction rolls have been taught, for example, in European Published Patent Application No. 0,413,671, published Feb. 20, 1991. In this case, a disk is arranged at the end of the suction roll at the neighborhood of the suction action which takes place through a shaft of the suction roll. This disk is fixedly connected by individual webs or struts with a cover of the suction roll, and thus, co-rotates with the suction roll. Also these suction roll constructions are only capable of reducing cyclone-type or rotary flow conditions to a limited extent.

Suction roll, especially for a paper web drier


Fertilizer containing microorganisms of the rhizosphere packaged by microencapsulation in a polysaccharide matrix. The inoculum obtained after microencapsulation can be mixed with a granular solid fertilizer, then stored, or with a liquid fertilizer immediately before spreading.

This invention relates to fertilizers containing microorganisms and process for producing such fertilizers.
It is known that plants cultivated on a large scale maintain a microflora consisting, for example, of bacteria for fixing nitrogen associated with their roots and that these rhizospheric microflora have an effect of promoting plant growth.
By adding an inoculum of a bacteria of the rhizosphere, a modification of the root development is observed (elongation, dry weight, degree of branching, number of absorbent hairs), a modification of the total dry matter and an increase in the grain yield. These effects are probably due to a combination of several phenomena such as nitrogen fixation, production of plant growth hormones, and pectinolytic activities that make better mineral absorption possible. The influence of the addition of bacteria inocula in the rhizosphere of plants is described, for example, in the article by Gaskins, M. H., Albrecht, S. L. and Hubbel, D. H. Agric. Ecos. Environ. 1984 (12), pp 99-116.
The methods used by the researchers: inoculation in liquid or granular form independently of any other agricultural practice is hard to achieve in the field because of the extra work it would impose on farmers. It has been proposed for cultivation of leguminous plants to package some inocula on some peat and to coat the seeds with the product obtained, but this process has the drawback of putting the microorganisms in direct contact with the different pesticides that generally coat grains. Now, these pesticides most often exhibit a high toxicity with respect to most bacteria species.
It would be advantageous to be able to mix fertilizers and the inocula of rhizosphere bacteria because it has been shown that the effect of an inoculation was better in the presence of mineral, and in particular nitrogenous, fertilizers. Actually, plants having good mineral nutrition exhibit a great deal of root exudation, which promotes the development of rhizospheric microflora. However, up to now the difficulty has been encountered that the inocula did not have sufficient viability upon contact with the fertilizer.

Fertilizers containing microorganisms and their production processes


An assembly for maintaining the orientation of a coil having a longitudinal axis and an interior diameter defining a bore, the assembly comprising a core having a longitudinal axis; a plurality of members extending from the perimeter of the core and having inner and outer surfaces, where the plurality of members are biased radially outward; where the assembly has an expanded state where the members are radially unconstrained, the expanded state defining an expanded diameter greater than the interior diameter of the coil.

Over the past decades, welding has become a dominant process in fabricating industrial and commercial products. Applications for welding are widespread and used throughout the world. Examples include the construction of ships, buildings, vehicles and pipe lines. Welding is also used in repairing or modifying existing products.
Large volumes of welding wire, or electrodes, may be stored and shipped in drums or boxes containing a central core designed to prevent shifting of the wire during transport or payoff of the wire. Even when such central cores are provided, there remains the possibility that the uppermost loops of the coiled wire may fall between the coiled wire and the core, resulting in wire tangles and the resultant downtime in remediating such tangles.

System for maintaining the orientation of a coil


Algorithms for synthesizing speech used to identify media assets are provided. Speech may be selectively synthesized from text strings associated with media assets, where each text string can be associated with a native string language (e.g., the language of the string). When several text strings are associated with at least two distinct languages, a series of rules can be applied to the strings to identify a single voice language to use for synthesizing the speech content from the text strings. In some embodiments, a prioritization scheme can be applied to the text strings to identify the more important text strings. The rules can include, for example, selecting a voice language based on the prioritization scheme, a default language associated with an electronic device, the ability of a voice language to speak text in a different language, or any other suitable rule.

Today, many popular electronic devices, such as personal digital assistants ("PDAs") and hand-held media players or portable electronic devices ("PEDs"), are battery powered and include various user interface components. Conventionally, such portable electronic devices include buttons, dials, or touchpads to control the media devices and to allow users to navigate through media assets, including, for example, music, speech, or other audio, movies, photographs, interactive art, text, and media resident on (or accessible through) the media devices, to select media assets to be played or displayed, and/or to set user preferences for use by the media devices. The functionality supported by such portable electronic devices is increasing. At the same time, these media devices continue to get smaller and more portable. Consequently, as such devices get smaller while supporting robust functionality, there are increasing difficulties in providing adequate user interfaces for the portable electronic devices.
Some user interfaces have taken the form of graphical user interfaces or displays which, when coupled with other interface components on the device, allow users to navigate and select media assets and/or set user preferences. However, such graphical user interfaces or displays may be inconvenient, small, or unusable. Other devices have completely done away with a graphical user display.
When devices have no graphical user displays, or displays that are small, poorly illuminated, or unviewable by the user (e.g., an electronic device is in a user's pocket), a user may not be able to graphically identify the audio content being presented via the device. Thus, it may be useful to provide alternate mechanisms for identifying the audio content presented by the device.

Systems and methods for determining the language to use for speech generated by a text to speech engine


Tone forming channels generate tone signals corresponding to tone pitch information assigned thereto with characteristics responsive to tone element control signals supplied thereto. An assignment order setting section selects desired channels and establishes an order of assignment of the selected channels. An assignment section sequentially changes, at each timing of generation of a tone, a channel to which a tone to be generated should be assigned in accordance with the established assignment order. In the channels whose assignment order has been established, tones whose tonal quality are different from one another are formed. A group setting section divides the tone forming channels into plural groups. The assignment section performs, group by group, assignment of a tone to be generated to any of channels in each group. Tones of different tonal quality are formed between different groups.

This invention relates to a tone signal generation device used for an electronic musical instrument and other tone generation devices and, more particularly, to a tone signal generation device capable of changing tone elements such as tone color sequentially at each timing of generation of a tone.
This invention further relates to a tone signal generation device capable of generating a tone signal in channels in which tone elements such as tone color are different from one another.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,214,500 discloses a tone signal generation device in which tone elements such as pitch, tone color and tone envelope of a tone to be generated are changed randomly at each timing of generating the tone. In this prior art device, tone elements such as pitch, tone color and tone volume envelope of a tone to be generated are independently controlled in plural tone forming channels and sounding of tones of depressed keys is assigned in accordance with a normal tone generation assignment principle (i.e., tone generation is assigned to an empty channel if there is one whereas, if there is no such empty channel, it is assigned in accordance with truncating processing to a channel in which the oldest released key exists or in which attenuation of the tone has progressed to the furthest degree). Accordingly, relationship between the order of depression of keys (i.e., order of sounding of tones) and a channel to which tone generation is assigned is entirely random and, as a result, tone elements such as pitch, tone color and tone volume envelope of a tone to be generated change randomly at each timing of generation of a tone.
In the above described prior art device, pitch, tone color and tone volume envelope of a tone to be generated can be changed only randomly so that only a random performance effect can be obtained.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,387,617 discloses a device in which generation of a tone corresponding to one depressed key is assigned to channels which are different depending upon tone colors and plural tone signals corresponding to the same depressed key are thereby generated with different tone colors in different channels. If, for example, tone colors 1 and 2 have been selected and keys C4 and D4 have been depressed, the key C4 and the tone color 1 are assigned to channel 1, the key C4 and the tone color 2 are assigned to channel 2, the key D4 and the tone color 1 are assigned to channel 3 and the key D4 and the tone color 2 are assigned to channel 4. In this manner, tone generation is assigned to plural channels in correspondence to all combinations of selected number of tone colors and selected number of depressed keys.
When plural tone colors have been selected in the above described prior art device, tones of plural channels of the same number as the number of the tone colors are automatically generated and all tones of the depressed keys become automatically tones of plural channels. It was not possible in the prior art device to easily perform a complicated multi-channel control such as sounding tones of a part of depressed keys as multi-channel tones while sounding the rest of tones as a single channel tone and differing the number of channels between tones of a part of the depressed keys and the rest of tones.

Tone signal generation device having a tone element control function


Disclosed is a method for manufacturing an electrode, that is, a large-sized cathode, used for a molten carbonate fuel cell. In the disclosed method, a substrate and a pressure plate, used for electrolyte impregnation, are surface-treated so as to control the bending and cracking of the electrode during the impregnation of an electrolyte.

A fuel cell is a new electricity generating device that uses a fuel and an oxidant to create electricity by an electrochemical Process. The fuel cell is continuously supplied with a fuel and an oxidant from the external BOP System on the other hand, A general electric cell is exhausted from electrochemical reaction within the electric cell.
A fuel cell includes a molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) operating at 500˜700° C., a phosphoric acid electrolyte fuel cell operating at 200° C., an alkaline electrolyte fuel cell operating at 100° C. or less, and a polymer electrolyte fuel cell.
The polymer electrolyte fuel cell is divided into a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) using a hydrogen gas as a fuel, and a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) using liquid methanol as a fuel.
Like other types of fuel cells, the MCFC shows high efficiency, an environmental friendliness, and a desirable modulation characteristic, and requires a reduced occupied space. Furthermore, the MCFC is operated at a high temperature of 650° C., and thus has advantages which are not expected from a low-temperature type fuel cell (such as a phosphoric acid fuel cell or a polymer fuel cell), as described below.
In other words, the MCFC is advantageous in economical efficiency because it can employ an inexpensive nickel electrode instead of a platinum electrode due to a high-speed electrochemical reaction at a high temperature. Furthermore, the nickel electrode can use, as a fuel, even carbon monoxide which functions as a poisonous material in the platinum electrode, through a Hydrogen gas transfer reaction. Thus, in the MCFC, various fuels such as coal gas, natural gas, methanol, biomass, may be selectively employed.
Also, high-temperature waste heat can be recovered and used through a bottoming cycle using an HRSG (Heat Recovery Steam Generator), thereby improving the heat efficiency of the entire electricity generating system by about 60% or more.
Meanwhile, lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) and potassium carbonate (K2CO3), used as raw materials for an electrolyte in a MCFC, have very high melting points, respectively. However, when they are mixed in a predetermined ratio, and made into powder with an average particle size (D50) of 50 μm or less, the melting point is lowered to about 500° C. according to the composition. Accordingly, a carbonate electrolyte used for the MCFC is in a solid state at a room temperature, but is molten and impregnated into matrix pores at an operating temperature of 650° C., thereby causing an electrochemical reaction between an electrode in a solid state with a reactive gas in a gas state.
In a conventional MCFC, a dry-electrolyte powder is molten at a high operating temperature, thereby reducing the height of the stack. This causes damage to configuration elements by an impact, and disadvantages in manufacturing peripheral devices for insulation and piping. Furthermore, the melting of the dry-electrolyte powder increases a contact resistance, and also the contraction of the electrode causes damage due to a thermal shock of a matrix.
Meanwhile, in order to solve the above described problems, Korean Patent Application No. 1999-0034894, titled "A method for impregnating an electrolyte for molten carbonate fuel cell" discloses a method for electrolyte-impregnated cathode by using an electrolyte green sheet manufactured by tape casting. Also, Korean Patent Application No. 2007-0135794 titled "Fabrication method of large-sized electrolyte-containing electrodes for MCFC" discloses a method for impregnating an electrolyte in a cathode by using dry-electrolyte eutectic carbonate powder.
However, these methods require a complicated manufacturing process such as a long-time removal of an organic compound in an oxidizing atmosphere at 450° C., and temperature rise in a reducing atmosphere. Furthermore, a residual carbon is formed on a sintered cathode surface, or causes a defect on the surface. Thus, the methods have a problem in that uniformity and manufacturing efficiency are significantly reduced in a large-sized electrode in mass production.
Also, in manufacture of a large-area electrode according to the methods, electrode contraction occurring during electrolyte impregnation causes the bending and cracking of a large-area cathode. Thus, it is required to solve these problems.

Fabrication method of electrolyte impregnanted cathodes

Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Co., Ltd.


An intranasal composition comprising a dosage amount of 50-150 mg/ml 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5MeODMT) in a liquid medium, wherein the 5MeODMT is formulated as the chloride salt of 5MeODMT (5MeODMT hydrochloride) and wherein the 5MeODMT hydrochloride is crystalline and characterised by one or more of: peaks in an XRPD diffractogram; an endothermic event in a DSC thermograph; an onset of decomposition in a TGA thermograph; and a DVS isotherm profile.

5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5MeODMT) is a pharmacologically active compound of the tryptamine class and has the chemical formula:

5MeODMT is a psychoactive/psychedelic substance found in nature and is believed to act mainly through serotonin receptors. It is also believed to have a high affinity for the 5-HT2 and 5-HT1A subtypes, and/or inhibits monoamine reuptake.
However, 5MeODMT is not well understood and uses of this compound have not been well explored. Further, 5MeODMT is not easy to handle, and there are challenges in formulating it for effective delivery in pharmaceutically useful compositions.
There remains a need in the art for improved formulations and uses of 5MeODMT.

Pharmaceutical composition comprising 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine


Novel spectroscopy techniques using entangled photons are disclosed. In one technique, entangled photons are directed to a sample of interest, while the photons with which they are entangled are resolved according to frequency. The photons transmitted by or reflected from the sample and the frequency-resolved photons are detected. Such detection may be by way of an electronic coincidence counter or a biphoton sensitive material, which absorbs entangled photons while allowing other photon pairs to pass. Detection information is used to derive spectroscopic properties of the sample. In another technique, a Fourier transform spectroscopy technique using entangled photons is disclosed. Entangled photons are directed to a sample, while the photons with which they are entangled are directed to a Michelson interferometer. The photons transmitted by or reflected from the sample and the photons leaving the Michelson interferometer are detected. Such detection may be by way of an electronic coincidence counter or a biphoton sensitive material. Detection information is used to derive spectroscopic properties of the sample.

Techniques for performing spectroscopy are known. In many of these techniques, light from a broadband source, (e.g., a tungsten filament lamp), impinges upon a sample and is then separated into spectral components via a prism or grating. The prism or grating is rotated to bring each spectral component in turn into a detector where a measurement is performed. In other known spectroscopy techniques, tunable narrowband light sources (e.g. lasers) are directed at a sample, and the transmitted light is detected.
While traditional absorption methods in the near and mid-infrared regions may be performed, such techniques suffer from poor sensitivity due to low resolution and low sensitivities of available detectors. Far-infrared (far-IR) and terahertz (THz) spectral regions are not easily accessible using current technology, yet these bands are rich in spectroscopic information. Another disadvantage of existing techniques is the requirement for cumbersome and frequent calibration. Further, in conventional spectroscopy, noise from background radiation degrades both resolution and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).
Photons are quanta of electromagnetic energy. Multiple photons may be random or entangled. Random photons are not entangled together and exist as independent entities. In contrast, entangled photons have a connection between their respective properties.
Two photons entangled together are referred to as an entangled-photon pair (also, "biphotons"). Traditionally, photons comprising an entangled-photon pair are called "signal" and "idler" photons. Measuring properties of one photon of an entangled-photon pair determines properties of the other photon, even if the two entangled photons are separated by a distance. As understood by those of ordinary skill in the art and by way of non-limiting example, the quantum mechanical state of an entangled-photon pair cannot be factored into a product of two individual quantum states.
Photon properties that may be entangled include time, frequency, and angular momentum. Photons that are entangled in time are generated nearly simultaneously. For given optical path lengths traveled by constituent photons in a temporally-entangled-photon pair, detecting one of the photons places limits on the times at which the other photon may be detected. Photons that are entangled together in frequency have their frequencies related, in that measuring the frequency of one such photon determines the frequency of the photon with which it is entangled to within the bandwidth of the originating pump photon (for biphotons produced via a spontaneous parametric downconversion process).

Entangled photon fourier transform spectroscopy

General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems Inc.


This invention provides a user with information by which the reliability of a measured blood pressure value can be determined. A blood pressure measurement device includes a cuff which presses a blood pressure measurement portion, a pressure control means for pressurizing or depressurizing the interior of the cuff, a pressure sensor which senses the internal pressure of the cuff, a pulse wave signal extracting means for extracting time-series data of a pulse wave signal superposed on the cuff internal pressure sensed by the pressure sensor, in the process in which the pressure control means pressurizes or depressurizes the cuff, and a display means for displaying a pulse waveform corresponding to a pulse wave signal of at least one period, together with the value of a cuff internal pressure corresponding to the pulse wave signal, based on the extracted pulse wave signal time-series data.

Blood pressure measurement is very important in antihypertensive therapies. According to the guidelines for antihypertensive therapies of WHO/ISH, the degrees of hypertension are classified in accordance with blood pressure values measured every 5 mmHg, and therapeutic methods suitable for the individual degrees are recommended. Therefore, whether appropriate therapies can be performed depends on the measured blood pressure values. Also, as the aging of population advances in recent years, demands for high accuracy and high reliability of blood pressure measurement are greatly increasing in order to prevent circulatory organ diseases and metabolic syndrome on which hypertension has large effects.
Conventionally, measurement methods used for a non-invasive sphygmomanometer for measuring the blood pressure include winding a cuff around a blood pressure measurement portion, and gradually changing the cuff pressure from a pressure higher than the systolic blood pressure (also called a maximum blood pressure) to a pressure lower than the diastolic blood pressure (also called a minimum blood pressure), a microphone method that measures the blood pressure by detecting the Korotkoff sounds as in an auditory method and an oscillometric method that measures the blood pressure by detecting the change in pulse wave superposed on the internal pressure of an internal air bag of a cuff.
In addition, PLT1 has disclosed a double cuff method that further increases the measurement accuracy of the oscillometric method by setting a pulse wave detection cuff in a position slightly shifted toward the periphery from the center of a blood flow blocking air bag. Also, PLT2 has disclosed a technique that displays a two-dimensional graph having a first axis on which the pressing force of a cuff is a variant and a second axis on which the amplitude of a cuff pulse wave is a variant, in order to determine the reliability of a measured blood pressure value.    PLT1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-79101    PLT2: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2-25610

Blood pressure measurement device and control method of the same

Public University Corporation Yokohama City University


A head-up display device including a screen; a projector that projects a visual image to the screen using a projection lens; and an image generator that generates a virtual image of the visual image to be visually recognized by a user from the visual image projected to the screen, wherein the visual image is composed of a first visual image and a second visual image; and the image generator generates a first virtual image, which is a virtual image of the first visual image, from the first visual image, and generates a second virtual image, which is a virtual image of the second visual image, from the second visual image.

The present disclosure relates to a head-up display device that is mountable on a mobile body and that generates various visual images to be visually recognized by a passenger of the mobile body.
Hitherto, various means have been used as an information providing device for providing a passenger of a mobile body such as a vehicle with route guidance and drive information such as a warning of an obstacle. Examples of such means include display on a liquid crystal display installed in the mobile body and audio output from a speaker. In recent years, a head-up display device (hereinafter referred to as an "HUD") has been provided as an example of the information providing device.
As described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-150947, an HUD installed in a vehicle, in particular, as an example of a mobile body can generate drive information (such as display of the speed and display of route guidance, for example) as a virtual image as superimposed on the foreground in the forward field of view ahead of a window (e.g. the windshield) of the vehicle as seen from a passenger of the vehicle. As a result, it is possible to reduce movement of the line of vision as much as possible when the passenger visually recognizes the drive information, and to reduce a burden during drive.


Disclosed is a hardware controller of a Nand device, a control method and a liquid crystal display. The hardware controller includes: a bad block management module, configured to manage bad block information of the Nand device, where the bad block information represents a bad block set in the Nand device; a main control module, configured to receive an operation command of a terminal; wherein the operation command is used to indicate a read/write operation on a target block set of the Nand device and a data transmission mode to perform the read/write operation, and the data transmission mode includes at least one of parallel transmission and serial transmission; and a read/write module, configured to skip a block in the Nand device that exists both in the bad block set and the target block set, and perform the read/write operation on remaining blocks in the target block set.

With the continuous development of electronic technology, large-volume, high-density data often needs to be stored and managed in practical applications. For instance in a Timer Control Register (TCON) application of a liquid crystal display, configuration parameters, operation data, compensation data and the like need to be stored, and as the resolution of the panel increases, various compensation data are refined. The amount of data stored is getting bigger and bigger. Therefore, various parameter requirements for a memory for storing data are also becoming higher and higher. In the prior art, the Nand (not and) device is widely used as a non-volatile storage device with good performance (for example, Nand Flash memory) because of its large capacity, low cost and long life. Nand devices are usually composed of blocks. During the production and use of Nand devices, bad blocks may generate due to hardware physical defects or abnormal shutdown, power failure, termination of service and process abnormalities. A bad block is a block in a Nand device that does not support read/write operations due to some failure. Its characteristic is that an operation error occurs when page program or block erase is performed to this block.
In order to reduce the impact of bad blocks on the use of the Nand device, the prior art solution is to perform bad block management on the Nand device through the processor based on the software program. However, this solution has the defects of occupying large memory and low read/write speed.

Hardware controller of NAND device, control method and liquid crystal display

SHENZHEN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


The present invention relates to a method for generating control data for controlling a shoe part production machine for making shoes or elements for optimizing traction properties of the shoe by customizing modules to be mounted on the sole for a specific user, said method comprising the steps of: receiving user profile data describing the characteristics of the user where the user profile data comprise use data and test data, receiving a user selection identifying a selected shoe from a number of shoe models or a selected element influencing the property of a shoe, generating modified template data by modifying a shoe sole template corresponding to the selected shoe model or by modifying an element influencing the properties corresponding to the selected element, said modifications being performed based on said received user profile data, generating control data based on said modified template data.

Comfort of shoes can be crucial to the persons wearing them, both in respect of the persons' general well-being, where shoes are worn often every day and for many hours, but also in connection with the performance of a person when using the shoes.
Typically, shoes are being made in series having different kinds of properties, where one shoe series has a sole with a specific flexibility and another shoe series has another flexibility. The properties of each series are then determined based on different tests being made on models of a shoe and based on feedback from users of prior series.
All users have feet, which are uniquely shaped, and similarly, the dynamics of a foot is unique—for this reason, it will be impossible or at least difficult for a user to find a shoe, which has the optimal properties. Since the user will have to choose between series of produced shoes, the user will have to compromise and find the best shoe series available—not the optimal shoe.
Furthermore, making specific measurements at the shoe store by looking at the feet of the user, making a short usage test (e.g. on a running belt or similar) and further by looking at the wear characteristics of the older pair of shoes is typically the full extent of identifying the best shoe for the user.
A further problem by having series of shoes is that both shoes in a pair of shoes are made having similar properties being basically mirrored to fit respectively a left and a right foot, but when it comes to the feet of a user then the dynamics and shape can be quite different, whereby the shoes in a pair of shoes will be more suitable to one foot than the other.

System and a method for controlling a shoe part production machine


Embodiments of the present invention provide an uplink open loop power control system in which interference over thermal information is transmitted to mobile stations. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

Orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) communications use an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) digital modulation scheme to deliver information across broadband networks. OFDMA systems may access the broadband network through a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) interface. Uplink power control is an important component of a MIMO OFDMA/OFDM system as it relates to a balance of link performance and terminal battery power as well as to reducing the inter-base station uplink co-channel interference.


An apparatus is disclosed that surrounds a connector and places it within the printer body in such away as to allow for the connector to float against the intrusion of a sliding can mounted with electronics and to set up and enable the printer. The problem solved is that of the blind-mating connectors within a printer system for which an industry standard connector set for flex cable must be used. It is advantageous to allow a connector that is attached to a flex cable to float even though the floating feature has not been considered in the original design and the connector was not made for the amount of misalignment present in a blind-mate connection. In addition, by a single-rib design, an extra degree of freedom for rotational around Y-axis is provided to the floating connector to further guide the lead-in of the contacting face of the mating connector.

Proper mechanical mating and electrical connection are two features crucial both to implement the application and to protect the equipment from accidental damage due to loose connection. To this end, various designs have been proposed in the past. One of the main common problems in connecting the cables in any computer or electrical hardware is the issue of misalignment. If the pins and holes, for instance, are not perfectly aligned, a proper connection is almost impossible and might lead to damage to the connectors or other hardware. While they might be possible in theory, perfectly aligned connectors are either not manufacturable or their manufacture is associated with high costs. On the other hand, perfectly aligning the pins and holes manually is a tedious and time-taking task. It is highly advantageous to implement a connector system that has some controlled degree of freedom to allow the receiving connector to shift or rotate to facilitate a proper lead-in and a successful electrical connection.

Apparatus and method for floating connector capture

International Business Machines Corporation