A fastener driving device comprising a magazine assembly including a rearward nosepiece portion cooperable with a fixed forward nosepiece portion to define a fastener guiding portion of a fastener drive track of the device. Cooperating guide structure disposed between the magazine assembly to be moved (1) into a normal operating position in a direction to move the rearward nosepiece portion toward a forward nosepiece portion and into cooperating relation together and (2) from said normal operating position in an opposite direction into an intermediate position wherein the nosepiece sections are spaced apart and beyond into separated relation with respect to the frame structure. A spring biased releasable latch assembly is manually movable between (1) a normal operating position resiliently biasing the magazine assembly into the normal operating position thereof enabling the rearward nosepiece portion of said magazine assembly in cooperating relation with the forward nosepiece portion to be yieldingly moved therefrom, (2) an intermediate position wherein the magazine assembly is resilient retained against movement beyond the intermediate position thereof to enable jammed fasteners to be removed from between the spaced apart rearward and forward nosepiece portions and (3) a separating position enabling the magazine assembly to be freely moved beyond the intermediate position into separated relation with respect to the frame structure.

Portable type fastener driving devices of the type herein contemplated are the type that include a portable frame structure having nosepiece structure defining a fastener drive track, a fastener driving element slidably mounted in the drive track, a magazine assembly for feeding a supply of fasteners along a feed track so as to move a leading fastener into the drive track and a manually actuated fastener driving system for moving the fastener driving element through successive cycles each of which includes a drive stroke and a return stroke.
The invention is particularly directed to devices of the type described which include a spring biased latch assembly, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,713, operable to allow the magazine assembly containing a rearward portion of the fastener guiding section of the drive track to yieldingly move rearwardly or to be moved rearwardly into a fastener jam clearing position. While the spring biased latch assembly has worked effectively in operation, there is always a need to provide a more cost effective latch assembly and has the following four operational features: (1) provides easy access to the drive track enabling the user to clear a jammed fastener quickly; (2) enables the user to unlatch the magazine assembly using one hand while holding the device with the other hand; (3) allows the user to clear a jam without tools; and (4) prevents self unlatching of the magazine assembly.

Fastener driving device with enhanced magazine latch assembly


A printer using ink jet printing technology to print one or more colors on a sheet for use in a box is described. The printer has a feeder, a transport mechanism for moving the sheet the print head, and a stacker to receive the printed sheet. Differential air pressure is applied by a suction box disposed in proximity to a conveyer belt for transporting the sheet. The suction box may sized so that the sheet may be oriented with a long dimension in the direction of feeding. Where multiple print heads are used, the print heads overlap in the direction transverse to the motion of the sheet so that an image larger than a print head may be produced. Two printing mechanisms disposed opposite each other may be used to print two sides of a sheet.

Where corrugated cardboard sheets for corrugated boxes are printed one-by-one, an area of the corrugated cardboard sheet to be printed is a portion of the surface of the corrugated cardboard sheet corresponding to four face sides of the box to be formed from the sheet. On the planar cardboard sheet to be printed, the four face sides have an overall rectangular shape.
As shown in an elevation view in FIG. 1, a printer system 1 for a corrugated cardboard sheet 5, includes a feeder 10 having a kicker 11 for feeding the sheets 5, one or more printer stages 20, a creaser or slitter 30, a slotter 40, and a stacker (not shown), disposed in sequence along the direction of travel of the sheet 5 to be printed. The direction of travel of the cardboard sheet from the feeder 10 through the remainder of the printer system 1 is from right to left as shown by the broad arrow. Each of the printer stages includes a pair of rollers, 22a and 22b, where one of the rollers 22b has a printing die 23 (shown in FIG. 2) on the peripheral surface thereof. The second of the rollers 22a acts as a pressure roller in the printing process. The corrugated cardboard sheet 5, shown in plan view, is passed between the rollers 22a and 22b of each of the stages of the printer, where the rollers 22a and 22b are sized and dimensioned so that a predetermined nip pressure causes the corrugated cardboard sheet 5 sheet to be propelled in the direction of feed. At the time of passage between the rollers 22a and 22b, one surface of the corrugated cardboard sheet 5 is printed by contacting the corrugated cardboard sheet 5 with the printing die 23. Thus the pair of rollers 22a and 22b serve both to transport the sheet from stage-to-stage of the printer 1 and to print the image on the sheet with the printing die 23 affixed to the periphery of the roller 22b.
Each of the colors which may be required in the printing process is applied by a separate printer stage 20, the printer stages being disposed along the direction of feed of the sheet 5. Examples of printing on the sheet 5 are shown in FIG. 1, each example representing the state of the sheet 5 after completion of the printing process represented by the stage 20 of the printer 1 disposed adjacent thereto.
FIG. 2a shows the relationship of a corrugated cardboard sheet 5 (or "sheet") to the printing cylinder of a stage 20 of the printer 1. A printing area 6, shown as a lined region of the sheet 5, represents that area of the surface of the sheet 5 where printing may be performed. The width of the area to be printed corresponds to the width W of the printing die 23. The longer dimension X of the sheet 5 may be termed the "longitudinal" dimension, and the shorter dimension Y of the sheet 5 may be termed the "transverse" dimension. In the example of FIG. 1, the sheet is being fed through the printer 1 in the transverse direction; that is, the transverse dimension of the sheet is oriented in the direction of travel of the sheet 5 through the printer 1. An edge of the sheet 5 is also shown where the corrugations may be seen to have an approximately sinusoidal shape having an upper and lower surface adhered thereto. As shown, the direction of corrugation is along the transverse direction of the sheet 5, such that the sinusoidal form extends in the longitudinal direction.
The length of the print area 6 determines the circumferential length of the print die 23 on the periphery of the printing cylinder 22b. The linear length along the direction of travel of the sheet 5 which can be printed by the printing die 23 depends on the diameter D of the cylinder 22b and the angular extent θ of the periphery occupied by the printing die 23. For a fixed angular extent θ, the diameter D of the print cylinder 22b depends linearly on the longitudinal dimension X of the sheet 5. As the size of the sheet 5 increases, the diameter of the printing cylinder 22b increases accordingly, and the overall dimensions of the printer 1 may be come quite large, and is determined by the longitudinal dimension of the largest sheet that the printer is intended to accommodate.
The corrugated cardboard sheet 5 may also be fed so that the longitudinal dimension X is perpendicular to the direction of feed, as shown in FIG. 1. This arrangement results in increasing the width of the printer 1 in accordance with the maximum longitudinal dimension X of sheets 5 to be accommodated by the printer 1. FIG. 1 shows a situation where an area on the corrugated cardboard sheet 5, corresponding to a faces of the completed box 50, are separately printed with a different color, and the color is represented by a differing symbol (circle, triangle, square and star). Of course each of the faces may be printed with all of the colors and the example is merely for clarity. However, particularly in the situation which obtains when there is a face on which not all of the colors are printed on each box face portion of the corrugated cardboard sheet 5, the orientation of the corrugated cardboard sheet 5 with respect to the direction of feed may be altered, resulting in a lack of registration of the images or colors.

Apparatus and method for printing corrugated cardboard sheets


A shaft engine including a piston moved in a cylinder to reciprocate at least one cylinder shaft causing it to turn a crank shaft, the at least one cylinder shaft having a respective longitudinal air passage linked to either raised air chamber on the cylinder through a respective extension tube on either raised air chamber for sending exhaust gas out of the cylinder.

The present invention relates to a shaft engine having cylinder shafts reciprocated by the piston thereof to move a crank shaft for power output, wherein the cylinder shafts comprise air passages for guiding a fuel gas into the cylinder and for sending exhaust gas out of the cylinder respectively.
The engine of a motor vehicle is generally comprised of a cylinder having a piston or pistons reciprocated, by means of the burning of a fuel gas in the cylinder, to turn a crank shaft. This structure of engine further comprises an exhaust piping system, intake and exhaust valves, and an exhaust cam. Therefore, this structure of engine is complicated and difficult to maintain. Because of a complicated structure, the manufacturing cost and weight of this engine are relatively increased. Further, in a two stroke engine, the exhaust and intake strokes are simultaneously performed when the piston is moved to the lower limit, and therefore the problem of low combustion efficiency and high exhaust emissions cannot be eliminated.

2F, No. 8, Alley 6, Lane 207, Sec. 3, Ho-Ping E. Rd.


An image processing device may acquire original image data, acquire a level selected from a plurality of levels representing compression degrees, and compress the original image data according to the original image data and the selected level to generate compressed image data. The device compresses first original image data using a first-type compression method, when the original image data is the first original image data and the selected level is a specific level of the plurality of levels. The device compresses second original image data using a second-type compression method different from the first-type compression method, when the original image data is the second original image data and the selected level is the specific level.

In a known compression technique, image data representing an image including text is compressed in accordance with a compression degree (e.g., one of high compression, medium compression, and low compression) specified by a user. In the known technique, when the high compression is specified and black characters of the text included in the image are regarded as important, the image data is segmented into a foreground layer representing the text and a background layer representing a background other than the text. The foreground layer is compressed using a lossless compression method and the background layer is compressed using a lossy compression method. When one of the medium compression and the low compression is specified or when the black characters of the text are not regarded as important, the image data is compressed using the lossy compression method without being segmented into the foreground layer and the background layer.

Image processing device and computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions


A motor control device includes: an electric-current detection unit configured to detect an electric current that flows through a motor at a time when the motor is not to be driven; a voltage-polarity determining unit configured to determine polarity of a voltage corresponding to the detected electric current; and an operating-state management unit configured to perform control of stopping the motor depending on the polarity of the voltage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motor control device, a sheet conveying device, and an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an image forming apparatus, many motors including a motor for conveying sheets used in image forming are installed, for example. As a control technique for such a motor, known has been a technique in which a central processing unit (CPU) sends to a motor driver a drive signal such as a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal in accordance with a control voltage applied to the motor and the motor driver drives the motor based on the drive signal.
Normally, no electric current flows through the motor when the motor is not to be driven. However, if some kind of abnormality occurs on the drive signal sent to the motor driver from the CPU, the motor driver may cause a serious damage to the motor as the motor driver attempts to drive the motor at a maximum control voltage, even though it is a time when the motor is not to be driven. Therefore, preventing the erroneous operation during a time when the motor is not to be driven is desired.
As a technique to prevent the erroneous operation during a time when the motor is not to be driven, the technique described in Japanese Patent No. 3889669 has been known, for example. This technique interrupts control power supplies for both isolation circuits of two-division type to switches a driver unit into a state where the motor is not driven, and switches a braking device into a brake operating state, to maintain the motor in a stopped state at a time when the motor is not to be driven.
However, the technique described in Japanese Patent No. 3889669 is configured to bring the braking device into a brake operating state to maintain a stopped state of the motor at a time when the motor is not to be driven, and the scale of apparatus configuration becomes large. Therefore, preventing the erroneous operation during time when the motor is not to be driven more easily is desired.

Motor control device, sheet conveying device, and image forming apparatus


An electrically conductive structure of a micro switch capable of letting users know about the reciprocal movement of a switch button, comprising a base, having an electrode module installed in a containing groove formed at the top of the base; an axis cylinder slidably installed in the containing groove; a conical sleeve made of a soft high temperature resisting material and disposed between the axis cylinder and the electrode module; a metal conductive bump formed at the top of the conical sleeve and driven by the axis cylinder to compress and release the conical sleeve to connect and disconnect the electrode module, and the axis cylinder moves reciprocally to produce a hand-pressing feeling, and the containing groove has as sheathe made of a soft high temperature resisting material to block external liquid from entering into the containing groove to improve the service life of the switch.

Various types of electronic switches come with different sizes and specifications, the scope of applicability is very broad, and general precision equipments, small equipments or electric appliances usually use an electronic switch, and most electronic switches are smart switches, micro switches and touch switches. Since these types of switches have a light, thin, short and compact design, therefore they can be applied to electronic devices and instruments with a very limited space or having small or micro switches, such as the 3C electronic products or microcomputers.
In general, the convention micro switch comprises a plastic base, a movable shaft and a press button, and the base has a containing groove formed therein for installing an electrode module and an electrically conductive elastic plate, such that when the press button is touched to drive the movable shaft to press the electrically conductive elastic plate, the electrically conductive elastic plate will be twisted or distorted to touch positive and negative electrodes of an electrode module, so as to achieve the effect of turning on and off a power. The base generally has a plurality of electrically conductive terminals of the positive and negative electrodes at the bottom of the base, and the base can be installed onto a circuit board of the electronic device or instrument, and the electrically conductive terminal are soldered onto circuits on a surface of the circuit board by a solder paste.
The variable distance of the distortion and restoration of the conventional electrically conductive elastic plate is very short, so that the conductive elastic plate can be touched gently to turn on or off the switch. However, the micro switch adopting the electrically conductive elastic plate does not provide a noticeable means for users to notice the ON and OFF operation, and thus the micro switch adopting the electrically conductive elastic plate cannot be used as the press button of the electronic device or instrument that provides a way to let user know about the reciprocal movement of the switch.
In addition, the containing groove formed on the surface of the base of the conventional micro switch is opened to external atmosphere, so that moisture in the atmosphere or external liquid may enter into the containing groove along the movable shaft easily and affect the operation between the movable shaft, the electrode module and the electrically conductive elastic plate. As a result, the electrode module and the electrically conductive elastic plate may be rusted easily, and the switch may be damaged or may not be operated properly.

Electrically conductive structure of micro switch


A technique for controlling access to a bridge connected to at least two networks, such that buffer memory requirements are minimized. For at least one target network of the two networks, two dynamic lists are maintained, to keep track of data packets received from the target network and not yet forwarded, and to keep track of data packets stored for forwarding to the target network, but not yet forwarded. The target network uses a half-duplex medium and a CSMA/CD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection) protocol. The invention operates by adjusting network protocol parameters used in the target network, to either guarantee or deny priority to the target network in the event of a collision, based on the continually observed status of the two lists. One of the adjustments modifies a backoff value that determines the amount of time that the bridge device will wait, in the event of a collision, before attempting to retransmit a data packet. Another adjustment used is to apply backpressure to the target network, in the form of a carrier signal, to deny its use by other devices when buffer storage in the bridge is already full and there are no data packets ready to send to the target network.

This invention relates generally to communication networks and, more particularly, to devices known as bridges, connected to two or more networks and providing a convenient mechanism for transferring data packets between one network and another. Even more particularly, the invention applies to networks that employ a protocol commonly referred to as Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD). One such network is known as Ethernet.
Under the CSMA/CD rules for access to a network bus or cable, any station wishing to transmit must first "listen" to make sure that the cable is clear before beginning to transmit. All stations on the network have equal priority of access and may begin transmitting as soon as the line is clear and any required inter-packet delay has elapsed. However, if a first station that has started transmitting detects a "collision" with a transmission from another station, the first station continues transmitting for a short time to make sure that all stations wishing to transmit will detect the collision. Every other station detecting the collision also continues to transmit for a short time. Then each station that has detected a collision terminates transmission for some random period of time. The stations involved in the collision select random, and therefore usually different, delay times before trying transmission again.
Partly because of the half-duplex operation of the networks to which the bridge is connected, the bridge has to provide buffer memory for temporarily storing data packets that it is unable to forward immediately onto the destination network. The size of the buffer memory depends on the amount of traffic that the bridge is called upon to handle, the congestion of the destination network, and the accepted level of packet loss. One possible solution to this difficulty is simply to provide a very large amount of buffer memory, so that there is practically always sufficient memory to store a data packet received from one network and destined for another network that is temporarily busy. However, a bridge with a very large buffer memory is costly to implement. For a bridge of lower cost, and smaller buffer memory, some form of congestion control is required, to limit the flow of data packets into the bridge. One way of doing this is, when receiving a data packet through one port of the bridge, to simply "jam" or inhibit data flow from the other port or ports of the bridge. Although this and similar techniques provide for a low-cost bridge implementation, they do not make the most efficient use of the bridge. Clearly, there is much room for improvement in providing traffic congestion control for bridges, and the present invention is directed to this end.
Another aspect of the background to this invention is the manner in which the CSMA/CD protocols select delay times, known as backoff values, when a collision is encountered. The backoff value is expressed as a number of time slots, where one time slot is the network roundtrip delay for the maximum network configuration. After a collision, the normal CSMA/CD protocol calls for the use of randomly selected backoff value between 0 and 1. If there is a second collision, the backoff value is selected from 0 through 3; and after a third collision the backoff value may be between 0 and 7. After subsequent collisions on attempts to retransmit, the backoff value is selected from increasingly greater ranges of numbers, up to 0 to 1,023. Following sixteen attempts to transmit the same packet, it will be discarded, and a new packet will be transmitted, beginning with a backoff value of 0 or 1 following a first collision.
One goal of the present invention is to provide a congestion control mechanism in which the size of the buffer memory is greatly reduced while the packet loss due to the temporary inability of a bridge to accept data remains at an acceptable level. Packet loss is not a totally accurate term, since any "lost" packets will usually be retransmitted upon detection of the loss in some higher level of network protocol.
Another goal of the present invention is to provide a congestion control mechanism that will have little or no effect on the performance of a bridge in which it is installed. In particular, the throughput of the bridge should not be significantly affected by the presence of the congestion control technique, and the latency or transmission delay time should not be significantly increased. The present invention achieves these and other goals.

Method and apparatus for traffic congestion control in a communication network bridge device


A protective cap (13') for a needle (12) has a stabilizing foot (16), the bottom surface (17) of which is provided with an adhesive (18). When the needle (12) is removed from its sterile package (11), a protective cover (19) is peeled off the foot (16) to expose the adhesive (18). The foot (16) may then be adhered (temporarily) to a suitable supporting surface, such as a patient's roll-away table (14), so that the cap (13') is substantially in an upright or fixed position and will not fall over even if the table (14) is moved or jarred. After use on the patient, the used needle (12') is inserted within the cap (13') with a "snap" or other suitable interference fit and, thereafter, the assembled cap (13') and used needle (12') are simply lifted or otherwise removed from the table (14) and tossed into a suitable "sharps" container (23) for ultimate disposal. In a preferred embodiment (FIGS. 12A-12C) the protective layer (29) is automatically pulled away from the foot (16) as the needle and cap assembly (10) is removed from the sterile package (11).

Millions of needles are used every day in hospitals, clinics and medical offices for taking blood samples, injecting fluids via a catheter, and for other purposes in the practice of clinical medicine. The needle is part of an overall assembly packaged in a suitable sterile container. The container is broken into, the needle assembly is removed, and the needle is withdrawn from its protective cover or cap. The needle is then used on a patient, as for example, in conjunction with a syringe.
Thereafter, the nurse (or other health care provider) often picks up the cap in one hand--and the used needle in the other hand--and inserts the used needle into the cap. Sometimes, and especially if the nurse is distracted or in a hurry, the nurse will miss the cap completely and accidentally stick her (or his) hand with the used needle. Some nurses even hold the cap between their lips, then insert the used needle into the cap; unfortunately, they sometimes miss and stick their lips or tongue!
Accordingly, there is a definite risk of acquiring the deadly human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or "AIDS" virus from a patient. As reported by R. Marcus, "Surveillance Of Health Care Workers Exposed To Blood From Patients Infected With the Human Immunodeficiency Virus", New England Journal of Medicine, 1988, the risk of HIV transmission from a single needle-stick injury is approximately 0.4%. The risk of transmission of the hepatitis-B virus is even higher.
The results reported by Marcus are similar to a study conducted by the Needle Stick Surveillance Committee of the Centers For Disease Control ("CDC"). Their study showed that out of around 3,900 cases of needle sticks incurred by health care providers (where AIDS patients were involved) 13 health care providers--roughly 1 out of 300--subsequently tested HIV positive.
Even if routine testing of patients is performed, some HIV-infected individuals would test "false negative" since there is a six-month incubation period for the HIV virus. Because of the difficulty in determining which patients are infected with HIV, the CDC has issued guidelines called "Universal Precautions". Under these Universal Precautions, all patients are treated as if infected with the AIDS virus; and all bodily fluids which may be contaminated with blood, semen or other internal body fluids are assumed to be infectious.
The greatest risk of transmission occurs from parenteral exposure (i.e., through broken skin) to contaminated instruments. Eighty percent (80%) of exposures reported by Marcus were due to needle-sticks and eight percent (8%) were due to cuts with HIV contaminated instruments. Thirty-five percent (35%) of needle stick injuries involve disposable syringes, and twenty-five percent (25%) involve intravenous tubing and needle assemblies (as reported by Jagger et al "Rates Of Needle-Stick Injury Caused By Various Devices In A University Hospital, New England Journal of Medicine, 1988). Furthermore, seventeen to thirty percent (17-30%) of these needle stick injuries occur while recapping used needles (from Marcus, Jagger).
As a result, the CDC has recommended that recapping of needles be abandoned, and that needles be promptly discarded into a puncture-resistant "sharps" container. Despite widespread promulgation of these recommendations by the CDC, health care workers continue to recap 21.5% of used needles (as reported by Kaczmarek et al, "Multistate Investigation Of Needle-Handling by Health Care Workers", MMJ, 1991).
If a health care worker is exposed to the blood of a known AIDS patient, periodic testing is required (more or less indefinitely) to determine if the worker has become HIV positive. This is an inconvenient, worrisome, costly and time-consuming procedure. Besides, the very threat of becoming HIV positive from a needle stick injury is disconcerting and distracting and interferes with the worker's concentration on the job. Additionally, the health care worker may refrain from intimate relations and may delay childbearing to protect his or her partner and children from possibly acquiring the deadly AIDS virus.
Moreover, the failure to properly dispose of "sharps" has led to countless injuries among housekeeping, laundry and janitorial personnel.
The problem of safely recapping a used needle has long been recognized in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,041,099 issued to Gelabert on Aug. 20, 1991, discloses a non-reusable syringe in which the cap has three splayed feet on the end thereof, and the cap is intended to remain in an upright position while recapping the needle. However, if the cap is placed on an uneven surface or on a patient's roll-away table (which is on casters) the cap will be unsteady, and the cap will fall over if the table is jarred.
Additionally, some disposable instrument trays provide a channel for placement of the needle cap. Nevertheless, the acceptance of these prior art devices has been quite limited.
Needle stick injuries remain an occupational hazard, and the risk continues to escalate as the AIDS disease multiplies. As a result, doctors, nurses and other health care workers have modified their practices or, in some cases, have quit their jobs altogether.

Stabilizing foot means for cap of needle assembly and method thereof


The present disclosure relates to a dual holography three dimensional display device. The present disclosure suggests thin flat type holography 3D display device comprises: a left-eye display panel for representing a left-eye 3D image; and a right-eye display panel disposed at one side of the left-eye display panel for representing a right-eye 3D image. By combining the left-eye holography display panel with the right-eye holography display panel, it is possible to suggest high quality and high speed processed holography 3D images/video without expensive high speed processing display panel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a dual holography three dimensional display device. Especially, the present disclosure relates to a non-glasses type 3D display device in which the holography 3D images are divided into the left-eye 3D images and the right-eye 3D images for representing the real 3D images.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Recently, many technologies and researches for making and reproducing the 3D (Three Dimensional) image/video are actively developed. As the media relating to the 3D image/video is a new concept media for virtual reality, it can improve the visual information better, and it will lead the next generation display devices. The conventional 2D image system merely suggests the image and video data projected to plan view, but the 3D image system can provide the full real image data to the viewer. So, the 3D image/video technologies are the True North image/video technologies.
Typically there are three methods for reproducing 3D image/video; the stereoscopy method, the holography method and the integral imaging method. Among them, the holography method uses laser beam so that it is possible to observe the 3D image/video with naked eyes. The holography method is the most ideal method because it has an excellent visual autostereoscopic property without any fatigue of observer.
To produce a recording of the phase of the light wave at each point in an image, holography uses a reference beam which is combined with the light from the scene or object (the object beam). If these two beams are coherent, optical interference between the reference beam and the object beam, due to the superposition of the light waves, produces a series of intensity fringes that can be recorded on standard photographic film. These fringes form a type of diffraction grating on the film, which is called the hologram. The central goal of holography is that when the recorded grating is later illuminated by a substitute reference beam, the original object beam is reconstructed (or reproduced), producing a 3D image/video.
There was a new development of the computer generated holography (or CGH) that is the method of digitally generating holographic interference patterns. A holographic image can be generated e.g. by digitally computing a holographic interference pattern and printing it onto a mask or film for subsequent illumination by suitable coherent light source. the holographic image can be brought to life by a holographic 3D display, bypassing the need of having to fabricate a "hardcopy" of the holographic interference pattern each time.
Computer generated holograms have the advantage that the objects which one wants to show do not have to possess any physical reality at all. If holographic data of existing objects is generated optically, but digitally recorded and processed, and brought to display subsequently, this is termed CGH as well. For example, a holographic interference pattern is generated by a computer system and it is sent to a spatial light modulator such as LCSML (Liquid Crystal Spatial Light Modulator), then the 3D image/video corresponding to the holographic interference pattern is reconstructed/reproduced by radiating a reference beam to the spatial light modulator. FIG. 1 is the structural drawing illustrating the digital holography image/video display device using the computer generated holography according to the related art.
Referring to FIG. 1, the computer 10 generates a holographic interference pattern of an image/video data to be displayed. The generated holographic interference pattern is sent to a SLM 20. The SLM 20, as a transmittive liquid crystal display device, can represent the holographic interference pattern. At one side of the SLM 20, a laser source 30 for generating a reference beam is located. In order to radiate the reference beam 90 from the laser source 30 onto the whole surface of the SLM 20, an expander 40 and a lens system 50 can be disposed, sequentially. The reference beam 90 out from the laser source 30 is radiated to one side of the SLM 20 passing through the expander 40 and the lens system 50. As the SLM 20 is a transmittive liquid crystal display device, a 3D image/video corresponding to the holography interference pattern will be reconstructed/reproduced at the other side of the SLM 20.
The holography type 3D display system according to the FIG. 1 comprises a light source 30 for generating the reference light 90, an expander 40 and a lens system 50 which have relatively large volume. In case that this kind 3D display system is configured, it may have large volume and huge weight. That is, the conventional arts for the holography type 3D display system are not adequate to apply to the thin, light and portable display systems which are recently required. Therefore, it is required to develop a thin flat type holography 3D display system which can represent the real 3D images with the naked eyes.


A manually rotatable antenna is set forth including an antenna with a bearing sleeve rotatably mounted with upper and lower spaced bearing plates securable to a dwelling. First and second cables are directed through a guide plate and through associated and respective guide bushings and rollers to a position interiorly of the control housing, including a chain member operative through a control gear manually manipulatable by an associated handle to rotate an antenna gear coaxially mounted about the bearing sleeve of the antenna mast.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to rotatable antennas, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved manually rotatable antenna wherein the same utilizes gear-driven cable links to manually rotate an associated antenna for positioning of the antenna in response to signal direction.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art has utilized rotatable antennas of various types for positioning of the antenna in response to signal direction. Antennas of the prior art, however, have failed to utilize the precise gear-driven arrangement as set forth by the instant invention to more correctly orient an associated antenna in response to a control mechanism. For example the prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 2,787,169 to Farr, et al., wherein a spaced cable is wound about a first pulley secured to an antenna mast directly downwardly to a lower pulley positioned about a shaft to reposition the antenna by repositioning of the cable. The Farr patent is typical of the prior art wherein the single cable and its associated positioning is utilized instead of the use of chain-link portions, as provided by the instant invention to provide a more accurate positioning of the antenna mast in response to a rotation of the chain portions.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,665,477 to Budrow, et al., sets forth an elevatable antenna wherein a cable is positioned to associate an extensible and retractable antenna portion in response to repositioning of the cable.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,642,754 to Conti sets forth the use of an antenna mast directed to an underlying handle portion wherein the coaxially aligned handle portion is rotated to rotate the associated antenna.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,008,140 to Rose sets forth a handle crank that is insertable into a gear drive to operatively reorient an antenna, wherein the Rose patent, as in other prior art, fails to set forth the convenience and precise positioning of the instant invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,739,387 to Budrow, et al., sets forth a modification of the previous Budrow, et al., utilizing a rotatable gear cooperating with a worm gear formed about a lower portion of the shaft of the mast for reorienting of the mast organization.
As such, it may be appreciated that there is a continuing need for a new and improved manually rotatable antenna as set forth by the instant invention which addresses both the needs of precise positioning of an associated antenna as well as ease of use of such an organization, and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


A constant speed drive control unit, comprising a device for driving a throttle valve for a car provided with a fuel injection controller for cutting a fuel supply to an engine when the throttle valve comes to a first predetermined opening (0%) or below, and an automatic transmission controller for setting a speed stage of a speed change mechanism, an opening detector for detecting a throttle valve opening, a speed detector for detecting a car running speed, a speed controller for energizing the device for driving the throttle valve to coordinate the running speed with a desired car speed, and generating a shift-down assignment signal when the running speed exceeds the desired speed to the throttle valve coming to a second predetermined opening (5%) or below, and a speed change controller for changing the speed stage of the speed change mechanism to a lower stage in response to the signal. When the car comes to run on a descent while running on a high speed stage, the running speed becmes higher than the desired speed, thus the speed controller contracting the throttle opening. When the throttle valve comes to the second predetermined opening (5%), the speed controller generates the shift-down assignment signal, and the speed change controller shifts the speed change mechanism down to a lower speed stage in response to the signal.

1Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a constant speed drive control unit for adjusting an opening of a throttle valve automatically so as to equalize a running speed of a car with a desired speed from comparing the two.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A constant speed drive control unit operates a throttle so as to adjust a current car running speed to a desired speed from increasing an opening of the throttle valve to acceleration when the car running speed is lower than the desired speed through comparison or from decreasing the throttle valve opening to deceleration when the former is higher, however, particularly at the time of descending where a speed change mechanism is set at high speed stage, the running speed becomes higher than the desired speed, and even from minimizing the throttle valve opening, the running speed does not decrease, and while the throttle valve opening gets gradually small, the running speed does not come up with the desired speed for unsatisfactory engine brake effect.
For prevention, for example, according to the constant speed driving gear disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2740/1988, when the throttle valve is full close and the running speed is increasing, a speed stage of the speed change mechanism is changed (or shifted down) to a low speed stage.
However, in a car provided with fuel injection controller (or electron-controlled fuel injector, which is called "EFI" hereinafter), a fuel supply to an engine is subjected to an optimal control on throttle valve opening, air flow, engine rotational frequency and others by means of an electronic controller such as microcomputer or the like, and the fuel supply is cut (called "fuel cut" hereinafter) when the engine runs at a predetermined rotational frequency or over with the throttle valve in idling opening (may be called "full close" for example). This is an effective manner of control to cause enhancement of the power of an engine brake and enhancement of a fuel consumption, however, the following disadvantages may result:
That is, if the constant speed drive control unit drives and closes the throttle valve for suppressing acceleration of a car at running on a steep descent, then the valve may be closed full sometimes. In this case, a fuel cut condition is realized and EFI operates accordingly, however, if a car speed is decreased suddenly from having a brake power applied to the car from the engine for the fuel cut, the constant speed drive control unit then drives to open the throttle valve so as to suppress a deceleration of the car, therefore the fuel cut condition comes unrealized this time, and thus EFI removes the fuel cut (feeding the fuel). The car speed is increased again by resupply of the fuel, thus repeating what has been mentioned above to surging of the car.


New techniques are presented for providing proportional activation of model railroad functions with control keys. This permits for example a compact throttle device connected to a digital layout control system to provide for a xe2x80x9cplayablexe2x80x9d or variable-pitch whistle sound effect where prior art was severely limited in providing this effect realistically. This invention allows multiple proportional keys in a cost-effective manner that is compatible with existing keyboard designs.

This invention pertains to the field of control systems for scale model railroad layouts, and specifically to improvements in control of whistle sound effect generation capabilities.
The era of prototype steam-powered locomotives carrying significant railroad tonnages has passed, but nostalgic model railroaders enjoy the sounds of xe2x80x9clive steamxe2x80x9d on model railroad layouts. In addition to steam xe2x80x9cchuffxe2x80x9d sounds of moving steam locomotives, bell and steam whistle effects are particularly favored by modelers.
A steam powered locomotive whistle is very distinctive, and many new innovations in model railroad sound systems strive to provide realistic and controllable whistles on scale model railroad layouts. Examples of this would be modern DCC controlled sound decoders from Soundtraxx Inc. and ESU Electronics. Novosel et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,855,004 show us the benefit of digitally generated sounds in locomotive decoders, and follows prior work done by pioneers such as Soundtraxx and others.
On non-digital or conventional analog DC controlled model railroads the Pacific Fast Mail or PFM sound system has been very popular and creates very realistic sound images that are synchronized to the motion of the model locomotives, particularly narrow-gauge models. A favorite PFM sound effect is a xe2x80x9cplayablexe2x80x9d or variable pitch steam whistle, which recreates the action of a prototype engineer varying the whistle steam valve to modulate the steam whistle pitch, harmonics and intensity. This provides a lot of realistic xe2x80x9ccharacterxe2x80x9d to the operation of a model locomotive. The PFM system effects the playable whistle with a hand operable pivoting whistle pitch control lever on the control unit. In the rest position this whistle pitch control lever ensures that no whistle sound is generated. As the lever is actuated and its angle is changed the whistle sound effect is generated and is modified in pitch proportionally to the lever angle. Thus moving the lever up and down allows the generation of a controllable, continuously variable and playable whistle.
In the PFM design the sounds created in this manner are conducted from the control unit via the layout rails to a speaker mounted in the locomotive, and optionally to speakers mounted around the layout. This arrangement permits a single high quality sound system for one train on the rails connected to a single control unit. Several other sound control units exist, for example units from Model Rectifier Corporation and Chicago International that employ slider controls to allow a modeler to create a playable whistle on a conventional DC model railroad layout.
To date the only variable pitch whistle effects that have been introduced into digitally controlled model railroads are within the Marklin GmbH 1-Guage sound units on layouts controlled by their digital control system. In this system an accessory control key associated with whistle control is depressed on the control unit, or throttle, that activates the whistle in the digital sound generator in the model locomotive, and is also used to indirectly control a variable whistle pitch. After the locomotive whistle is activated by the whistle key depression, the whistle pitch begins to change in the digital sound generator in a manner controlled in proportion to the time the key is depressed. This provides a controllable whistle pitch with the standard Marklin control system components, but lacks the impression of continuously variable pitch that a lever or slider control creates. This Marklin control method, since it is a digital control system, has the desirable advantage that it permits the realistic operation of a multiplicity of whistle equipped digital locomotives in the same area of layout tracks. In this manner the prior art provides playable whistle effects, but with limitations in all the implementations.
This invention overcomes the limitations of prior user interfaces on model railroad digital control systems and provides for a more realistic feeling variable whistle control feature. This invention allows existing accessory control key array designs to be upgraded to add proportional Z-axis or force measurement localized or explicitly attached to any existing individual keys. This allows the improved proportional control of any feature controlled by such upgraded accessory control keys. This is of great benefit to expanding the control capability of user interfaces for digitally controlled model railroads.
Computer input devices have been developed to a fine, art with examples such as Parsons in U.S. Pat. No. 5,287,089 and Ono et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,004. All this work is aimed at providing force sensitive computer input pointing devices that are fully integrated as a device that is manufactured as a single assembly. These mechanisms are not designed as an adjunct or upgrade to add capabilities to an existing conventional key array structure. The implied or derived force measurement is used to provide X and Y position or a selection click or double-click as a user input, and is not localized to attaching extra sense capability to any single key in a key array.
For model layouts using digital control systems the fundamental problem for allowing realistic playable whistle effect is that the user input or control devices such as throttles have all been designed for binary state or on-off actuation of accessory function devices on the layout. Prior art digital control designs have made no provision for throttles to have proportional actuation of accessory function controls, excepting that rotary knobs or slide controls are allocated for locomotive speed control. It is possible to mount a control lever or slider on a throttle for proportional actuation accessory control but these require extra space and add extra cost, as they are additional to the standard controls that have been heretofore provided.
Prior art railroad digital control systems associate sound controls with a small array of general-purpose on-off accessory function keys or switches on the input device or throttle. This has been sufficient to date to allow a repertoire of sounds to be controlled. For example accessory function keys are individually allocated to simply toggle on or off a bell, coupler clank noise, steam dynamo, steam cylinder blow-down and other discrete effects. This array of accessory function keys for controlling effects needs to be redesigned to permit proportional control input actuation capability.
A proportional control actuation key capability may be awkward to implement, and needs to fall within the control format of the overall accessory key array, so that for example, a steam whistle effect function key on one locomotive may be used for some other feature on a different type of locomotive that has no whistle but needs available function controls for other features. It is undesirable to allocate and specially build a non-array key that is only associated with a single type of capability.
The solution to this problem that this invention employs is to add an extra dimension of controllability to the accessory function switch array by allowing a Z-axis or force normal to a function key to be used as an analog or continuous input associated with that key. This means that the pressure exerted by a fingertip on a key may be used to both start an accessory function active and also then be used to vary the same accessory function by applied pressure changes. This provides a variable control input capability while allowing the key to be a standard unit within a standard function key array.
There are a number of everyday items that permit proportional control by a human hand. For example; a computer game joystick, a force sensitive eraser-head pointing device added between keys in a computer keyboard and a force sensitive touch pad computer pointing device. All these common examples differ from this invention in that the proportional force sensing capabilities are specialized devices, and are not used to upgrade a force insensitive general-purpose control switch array to a higher level of control capability.
This invention specifically is used to add Z-axis sensing capability to a key array design without Z-axis sense capability. This may be applied selectively to either a single key or any number of keys in the array. This feature is of value since it permits the selective design upgrade of a standard or inexpensive key array, or array of same types of key devices, to have a new and useful proportional control capability. The addition of proportional control capability is accomplished within the footprint of the key array so outwardly to the human interface there is no need for extra tooling or package design changes to the exterior of the enclosure supporting the keys.

Variable whistle pitch control for model train layouts


In a tomographic image diagnostic apparatus, a region of interest is automatically set on a tomographic image by recognizing actual positions of a phantom based upon CT (computerized tomographic) values of the phantom. The phantom is made of a base portion having a first reference CT value and a plurality of rods each having a second reference CT value. The region of interest is defined by recognizing the gravity centers of these rods. Said apparatus comprises: image memory for storing image data of an object and a phantom made of a plurality of reference substances and a base portion; a storage for previously storing a first reference CT value used for the base portion of the phantom, and also a second reference CT value used for each of the reference substances; a first detector for detecting a position of the phantom by comparing an actually measured first CT value of the base portion with the first reference CT value previously stored in the storage; a processor for performing both profile and filtering processes on the detected position of the phantom so as to obtain processed positional data of the phantom; a second detector for detecting positions of the reference substances contained in phantom by comparing an actually measured second CT value of each of the reference substances with the second reference CT value previously stored in the storage; and, a defining units for automatically defining a position of a region of interest with respect to the tomographic image data based upon the detected positions of the reference substances.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a method and apparatus for diagnosing tomographic images acquired by an X-ray CT (computerized tomography) apparatus, or an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) apparatus. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a tomographic image diagnosing method and an apparatus capable of setting a region of interest on the tomographic image with the recognition on positions of reference substances imaged in the tomographic image.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a conventional method for measuring an amount of bone mineral contained in an object under medical examination, e.g., a patient by way of an X-ray CT apparatus, the following comparison method has been known in the art. That is, both the object under medical examination and a so-called "phantom", i.e., an article having a plurality of reference substances therein are simultaneously imaged, and thereafter a comparison is made between an averaged CT value of the bone of the patient and a CT value (i.e., an X-ray absorption value) of each of the reference substance. In FIG. 1, there is an example for utilizing such a phantom in conjunction with the X-ray CT apparatus. In this figure, an object 2 under examination is mounted on a couch plate 12 above a couch 30 of the X-ray CT apparatus 1. A plate-like curved phantom 3 is interposed between this object 2 and the couch plate 12.
FIG. 2 illustrates a shape of this phantom 3. FIG. 2A is a plan view of the phantom 3, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view, taken along the line I--I' and viewed along an arrow direction. As apparent from FIG. 2B, a width "H" of the phantom 3 is substantially equal to another width "H" (see FIG. 1) of the couch plate 12. One major surface "M" of the phantom 3 is placed on the couch plate 12, whereas the other major surface "N" thereof receives the object 2 under examination thereon. A plurality of reference substances "13a" to "13e", so-called "rods", are provided within the phantom 3. These reference substances "13a" to "13e" contain different amounts of a known, constant substance (for example, CaCO.sub.3) similar to the bone mineral. A base portion 15 in which no rod 13 is present is made of an urethane resin. Both the diameters of the respective rods and positions thereof are previously known. Both such a phantom 3 and the object 2 under medical examination are imaged by the X-ray CT apparatus 1 so as to obtain a CT (computerized tomographic) image as shown in FIG. 3. As previously explained, the plural rods 13a to 13e have been embeded within the phantom 3 on the couch plate 12, and the object 2 under examination is being positioned on the phantom 3. As shown in FIG. 3, regions of interest (referred to as "ROIs") "Ra" to "Rf" are successively set on the CT image by the manual operation of the operator with respect to the positions of the rods "13a" to "13e" and the bone 31 of the object 2 under medical examination. Since the respective pixels in the resultant image obtained by the X-ray CT apparatus 1 have the CT values inherently corresponding thereto, the amount of the bone mineral of the object 2 under examination can be predicted by comparing these CT values with the averaged CT values of the pixels of the respective ROIs "Ra" to "Rf". However, according to the above-described conventional ROI setting method, since ROIs "Ra" to "Rf" must be manually set by the operator while observing the CT image, the very cumbersome operation is necessarily unavoidable.
As another conventional ROI setting method with utilizing the positions of the rods contained in the phantom, another phantom 3' with a marker is employed as represented in FIG. 4. This phantom 3' contains a plurality of rods 13a' to 13e' similar to those of FIG. 2, and also two markers 32 and 33. These markers 32 and 33 have known very higher (or lower) CT values than the CT values of the organs inside the object 2 under examinations. FIG. 4A is a plan view of the phantom 3' and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view thereof, taken along a line J--J' and viewed along another arrow direction. It should be noted that the mutual positional relationships between the markers 32, 33 and rods 13a' to 13c' are previously known. In this conventional method, both the object 2 under examination and the phantom 3' with the markers 32 and 33 are simultaneously imaged by the X-ray CT apparatus 1, whereby a CT image as shown in FIG. 5 is acquired. Then, as the CT values of these markers 32 and 33 are already known, and there is no pixel having the CT value similar to those of the markers 32, 33, a measurement is carried out for the CT values of the respective pixels within the CT image, whereby the positions of these markers 32 and 33 of the phantom 3 can be readily recognized. Thus, as previously described, since the mutual positional relationships between the markers 32, 33 and the rods 13a' to 13e' are previously known, the positions of the respective rods 13a' to 13e' can be readily recognized. As a result, regions of interest (ROIs) can be set for the positions of the respective rods. However, according to the second conventional method, it is not possible to use a normal phantom, i.e., a phantom having no marker. The manufacture cost of such a specific phantom having markers becomes extremely high, as compared with the normal phantom without any marker.
Moreover, the similar disadvantages to those of the above-described X-ray CT apparatus are caused in another phantom containing the rods which have different water contents when this phantom is imaged in an MRI apparatus.
As previously described, in the conventional method where the positions of the reference substances contained in the phantom are recognized so as to set the regions of interest, the positions of ROIs must be manually set by an operator in case of using the normal phantom without markers. Moreover, the specific phantom with markers is required so as to set ROIs. In particular, when employing such a specific phantom, there are great possibilities that an artifact may occur from the marker, which will give an adverse influence to the image information required for the diagnosis.
The present invention has been made in an attempt to solve the above-described problems of the conventional ROI setting methods, and therefore has an object to provide such a tomographic image diagnostic method and also a tomographic image diagnostic apparatus capable of automatically recognizing positions of reference substances and also automatically setting a region of interest by employing the normal phantom having no marker without any cumbersome operation by an operator.

Tomographic image diagnostic method and apparatus including automatic ROI setting means


A single-poly non-volatile memory includes a PMOS select transistor (210) formed with a select gate (212), and P+ source and drain regions (211, 213) formed in a shared n-well region (240), a serially connected PMOS floating gate transistor (220) formed with part of a p-type floating gate layer (222) and P+ source and drain regions (221, 223) formed in the shared n-well region (240), and a coupling capacitor (230) formed over a p-well region (250) and connected to the PMOS floating gate transistor (220), where the coupling capacitor (230) includes a first capacitor plate formed with a second part of the p-type floating gate layer (222) and an underlying portion of the p-well region (250).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of integrated circuit technology. In one aspect, the present invention relates to a circuit design and method for manufacturing a non-volatile memory device, such as an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) or other embedded flash memory devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Non-volatile memory devices, such as EEPROM and flash memory, are used in computers and other electronic devices to store data and/or programming instructions that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed and that must be saved when power is removed. Embedded non-volatile memory (NVM) has become increasingly important in applications ranging from data and code storage to circuit trimming and customization. By embedding a non-volatile memory in a CMOS device, a single chip device can be manufactured and configured for a variety of applications. To combine non-volatile memory (such as flash EEPROM) into a standard CMOS process flow, additional processing steps (and associated costs) are typically added to the standard CMOS process in order to construct the additional device features (such as a floating gate or control gate) along with other system components. Some EEPROM fabrication techniques have been proposed which reduce the additional processing cost. For example, single poly EEPROM designs have been proposed which form the charge storage element (e.g., the floating gate of a MOSFET) with a single layer of polysilicon, and which form the control gate using a well that is junction-isolated from the substrate so that a bias voltage can be applied to the control gate when operating the NVM bitcell. However, single poly NVM designs typically have very large bitcells due to the requirement of electrical isolation between different wells, thereby increasing the total chip size, which translates into a cost increase for the integrated circuit. Other single poly NVM designs have been proposed to address the size concern, such as the single poly PMOS bitcell designs described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,617,637 and 6,711,064 in which PMOS bitcells are formed by connecting a PMOS select transistor in series with a floating gate transistor which serves as the charge storage element. To reduce the bitcell size, the PMOS bitcells described in these patents do not use a dedicated control gate to control the floating gate potential during bitcell operation, but instead add an extra ion implant step to form an erase gate that provides a mechanism to erase the memory bitcell using band to band tunneling of hot holes (as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,617,637) or by using edge Fowler-Nordheim tunneling (as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,711,064). Both approaches turn part of the floating gate into an N+ doped region, thereby destroying any data retention benefit of using a PMOS floating gate because the N+ portion of the floating gate in effect makes the bitcell look like an NMOS bitcell from the charge retention standpoint. In addition, the use of band-to-band tunneling of hot holes to erase the bitcell can damage the gate oxide, thereby reducing device reliability.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved embedded NVM design and manufacturing methodology to overcome the problems in the art, such as outlined above. Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional processes and technologies will become apparent to one of skill in the art after reviewing the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings and detailed description which follow.


An apparatus for loading BIOS stored on a direct access storage device in a personal computer system, the system comprising direct access storage device, and a processor card removably mounted to a planar board. The processor card comprises a system processor and ROM memory, while the planar board includes a main memory. A master boot record is stored on the direct access storage device. The master boot record contains a data segment and an executable code segment, the data segment representing the hardware configuration of the personal computer system. A first portion of BIOS included in the ROM memory initializes the system and causes loading of the master boot record into main memory. This first portion of BIOS further compares the hardware configuration data of the master boot record with the hardware configuration data in the ROM memory to verify compatibility with the system processor. Once compatibility of the master boot record with the system processor is verified, the first portion of BIOS transfers control to an executable code segment of the master boot record to effect loading of the remaining portion of BIOS into main memory, and the first portion of BIOS is discarded.

Personal computer systems in general and IBM personal computers in particular have attained widespread use for providing computer power to many segments of today's modern society. A personal computer system can usually be defined as a desk top, floor standing, or portable microcomputer that consists of a system unit having a single system processor, a display monitor, a keyboard, one or more diskette drives, a fixed disk storage, and an optional printer. One of the usual characteristics of these systems has been the use of a motherboard or system planar to electrically connect these components together. These systems are designed primarily to give independent computing power to a single user and are inexpensively priced for purchase by individuals or small businesses. Examples of such personal computer systems are IBM's PERSONAL COMPUTER AT and IBM's PERSONAL SYSTEM/2 Models 25, 30, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and 95.
These systems can be classified into two general families. The first family, usually referred to as Family I Models, uses a bus architecture exemplified by the IBM PERSONAL COMPUTER AT and other "IBM compatible" machines. The second family, referred to as Family II Models, uses IBM's MICRO CHANNEL bus architecture exemplified by IBM's PERSONAL SYSTEM/2 Models 50 through 95.
Beginning with the earliest personal computer system of the Family I models, such as the IBM Personal Computer, it was recognized that software compatibility would be of utmost importance. In order to achieve this goal, an insulation layer of system resident code, also referred to as "microcode," was established between the hardware and software. This code provided an operational interface between a user's application program/operating system and the device to relieve the user of the concern about the characteristics of hardware devices. Eventually, the code developed into a BASIC input/output system (BIOS), for allowing new devices to be added to the system, while insulating the application program from the peculiarities of the hardware. The importance of BIOS was immediately evident because it freed a device driver from depending on specific device hardware characteristics while providing the device driver with an intermediate interface to the device. Because BIOS was an integral part of the system and controlled the movement of data in and out of the system processor, it was resident on the system planar and was shipped to the user in a read only memory (ROM). For example, BIOS in the original IBM Personal Computer occupied 8K of ROM resident on the planar board.
As new models of the personal computer family were introduced, BIOS had to be updated and expanded to include new hardware and I/O devices. As could be expected, BIOS started to increase in memory size. For example, with the introduction of the IBM PERSONAL COMPUTER AT, BIOS grew to require 32K bytes of ROM.
Today, with the development of new technology, personal computer systems of the Family II models are growing even more sophisticated and are being made available to consumers more frequently. Because the technology is rapidly changing and new I/O devices are being added to the personal computer systems, modification to the BIOS has become a significant problem in the development cycle of the personal computer system.
For instance, with the introduction of the IBM PERSONAL SYSTEM/2 computer system with MICRO CHANNEL architecture, a significantly new BIOS, known as Advanced BIOS, or ABIOS, was developed. However, to maintain software compatibility, BIOS from the Family I models had to be included in the Family II models. The Family I BIOS became known as Compatibility BIOS or CBIOS. However, as previously explained with respect to the IBM PERSONAL COMPUTER AT system, only 32K bytes of ROM were resident on the planar board. Fortunately, the system could be expanded to 96K bytes of ROM. Unfortunately, because of system constraints, this turned out to be the maximum capacity available for BIOS. Luckily, even with the addition of ABIOS, ABIOS and CBIOS could still squeeze into 96K of ROM. However, only a small percentage of the 96K ROM area remained available for expansion. With the addition of future I/O devices, CBIOS and ABIOS will eventually run out of ROM space. Thus, new I/O technology will not be able to be integrated easily within CBIOS and ABIOS.
As a result of these problems, and of the desire to make modification in Family II BIOS as late as possible in the development cycle, it has become necessary to off load portions of BIOS from the ROM. Because marketability and consumer acceptance of personal computer systems appear to require the ability to add new I/O devices and to minimize cost, it should be appreciated that easy modification of Family II models' BIOS is a substantial factor in achieving success in accordance with this invention. Thus, there exists a need for a method and apparatus which permits portions of BIOS to be stored on a direct access storage device such as a fixed disk or on the diskette drive. These portions can then be easily modified and loaded into the personal computer system when required.
Finally, it is difficult to replace the system processor, ROM and associated components with changed (e.g., upgraded) components when all of these components are fixed on a single motherboard or planar board. Processor cards have been suggested in which a microprocessor and related components are mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) that can be plugged into a mating connector on a planar board. However, it has become desirable to develop other designs in view of thirty-two bit wide data and address paths employed in some personal computer systems.

Bios load for a personal computer system having a removable processor card


Systems and methods for detecting the presence and/or location of defects (e.g., incomplete solders, broken cables, misconnections, defective sockets, opens, shorts, etc.) along electrical lines are described. The systems and methods described herein may use time-domain reflectometry (TDR), a measurement technique used to determine the characteristics of electrical lines by observing reflected waveforms. TDR may be performed in some embodiments by determining the times when a first event and a second event occur, and by determining the space traveled by a probe signal based on these times. The first event may occur when a first signal transition crosses a first threshold and the second event may occur when a second signal transition crosses a second threshold, where the second signal transition may arise in response to the first signal transition reflecting against a defect along the electrical line.

Electronic systems are inevitably subject to defective parts, such as incomplete solders, broken cables, misconnections, defective sockets, etc. These defective parts can negatively affect, or even destroy, the operation of the electronic systems. Detection of these defective parts is very onerous, since it involves disassembling the entire system and then probing all its parts until the defect is identified. This process is especially cumbersome in data center applications, in which the number of lines and connections can be in the thousands or even more.

Systems and methods for on-chip time-domain reflectometry


A construction concept for high-pressure sensors is provided, which enables simple and economical production of reliable high-pressure sensors even for pressure ranges above 2200 bar. A high-pressure sensor of this kind encompasses a sensor element for pressure sensing and a connector piece for coupling the sensor element to a system to be measured. A diaphragm is embodied in the base element of the sensor element, and a pressure conduit is embodied in the base element of the connector piece. The sensor element is mounted on the connector piece so that the pressure to be measured is able to act upon the diaphragm via the pressure conduit. Firstly the base element of the sensor element is mounted on the base element of the connector piece, a full-area connection being generated between the mounting surfaces of the two base elements. Only thereafter is the pressure conduit configured in the connector piece, and the diaphragm of the sensor element exposed.

A variety of concepts for constructing high-pressure sensors having a sensor element and a connector piece are known from practical use.
These two components are usually fabricated independently of one another from a metallic base element. In the case of the sensor element, the base element is equipped with a blind opening in order to expose a diaphragm in the oppositely located surface of the base element. Circuit elements for signal acquisition are disposed on this surface, semiconductor technology methods being used, for example, for this purpose. A pressure conduit is embodied in the base element of the connector piece. In addition, the connector piece can also be equipped, for example, with a thread for coupling to the system to be measured. The sensor element is then mounted on the connector piece in such a way that the rearward blind opening of the sensor element is disposed in alignment with the pressure conduit in the connector piece.
This mounting of the sensor element on the connector piece proves to be problematic in practical use.
For cost reasons, the sensor element is usually welded to the connector piece. Care must be taken in this context that neither the pressure conduit in the connector piece nor the blind opening of the sensor element becomes sealed off, contaminated, or unfavorably deformed; this complicates production of a welded connection having reproducible mechanical properties. The compressive strength of the welded connection is influenced by the geometry of the weld bead and of the contact surfaces with respect to the sensor element and the connector piece. Notches or depressions in the welded connection constitute initiation points for cracks under high pressure loads, in particular in the case of pulsating loads. The field of application of such high-pressure sensors is therefore typically limited to pressure ranges below 2200 bar.
Clamped connections are more reliable than a welded connection between the sensor element and connector piece. They are suitable even for use at pressures greater than 10,000 bar. The costs associated therewith are, however, very high, so that this construction and connection technology is utilized only in very small production runs for special applications.
The sensor element and the connector piece can also be produced in one piece from a metallic base element. In this case, however, because of the component size, the circuit elements for signal acquisition cannot readily be applied onto the sensor diaphragm using semiconductor technology methods.

Method for producing high-pressure sensors


An electronic device and its operating method according to various embodiments, may detect information related to an electronic card, based on a preset condition, display a graphic user interface to include a first area displaying the electronic card and a second area displaying an icon associated with the information around the first are, detect selection of the icon in the second area, and display the information in the first area.

With development of mobile communication technology, an electronic device may perform various data communication functions as well as a voice call function. The electronic device may provide various services through various applications. The electronic device may provide a multimedia service, for example, a music service, a video service, or a digital broadcast service, or a network-based communication service such as a call, wireless Internet, a short message service (SMS), or a multimedia messaging service (MMS). The electronic device evolves from a simple communication medium to a device enabling various functions such as communication, distribution, Internet, or payment, and may be used throughout a social, cultural, financial, or distribution industry.
The electronic device may provide a mobile payment service. That is, the electronic device may perform electronic payment using an electronic card. For example, using the electronic card, the electronic device may perform the electronic payment, to purchase services and goods online or offline.

Electronic device and operation method therefor


An oil additive concentrate comprising. (1) a mixture of a graft and derivatized polymer and a mineral oil of lubricating viscosity said mixture characterized by comprising from about 5 to 35 weight percent of said polymer and the balance said mineral oil and having a bulk viscosity measured as the Kinematic Viscosity at 100.degree. C. above about 2000 Centistokes, and PA0 (2) a minor amount of a co-solvent effective for substantially reducing the bulk viscosity of said mixture, said co-solvent being selected from the group represented by the formulas: ##STR1## in which R represents hydrogen and a hydrocarbyl radical having from 1 to 25 carbon atoms and n has a value from 0 to 10, and ##STR2## in which R represents a hydrocarbyl radical having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms and n has a value from 0 to 10, and a lubricating oil composition containing same is provided.

Multi-functional graft and derivatized polymers or copolymers for lubricating oil compositions are well known. In general, a hydrocarbon solution of a polymer substrate, as for example a copolymer, terpolymer or higher polymer base, is reacted with an olefinic carboxylic material in a graft reaction to prepare a grafted polymer. This is then further functionalized by a reaction with a variety of compounds to produce an oil concentrate of the multi-functional polymeric additive. The oil concentrate will generally contain from about 5 to 35 weight percent of the multi-functional polymeric additive based on the total weight of the mixture. Ethylene copolymers which have been grafted with maleic anhydride and then functionalized with an amine compound represent one class of multi-functional lubricant additive. Examples of grafted and derivatized multi-functional additives may be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,146,489 to Stambaugh et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,181 to Elliott et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,089,794 to Engel et al.
A serious problem which has been encountered with oil concentrates of certain high molecular weight grafted and derivatized polymers and copolymers is their very high bulk viscosity. Bulk viscosities determined as the Kinetic Viscosity at 100.degree. C. of over 2000 Centistokes have been observed relative to the identical underivatized polymer with a Kinetic Viscosity at 100.degree. C. of less than 100 Centistokes. Some of the graft and derivatized copolymers are so viscous that their bulk viscosity cannot be measured. The high bulk viscosity of these product concentrates makes them extremely difficult to handle, process and/or transport and this is a serious drawback to their usefulness.
A method has now been found for substantially reducing the high bulk viscosity of oil concentrates of high molecular weight graft and derivatized polymers and copolymers greatly enhancing their usefulness as lubricant additives.

Flowable graft and derivatized polymer concentrate and lubricant containing same


A faucet that uses a gearing mechanism to allow the faucet handle to be placed much closer to the mixing valve is disclosed. Various embodiments involve geared mechanical operation of a mixing faucet, where the gears transfer motion of a handle to a faucet valve, which may allow for a lower handle (e.g., a handle placed closer to the faucet body). In some embodiments, an upper gear is provided in a faucet handle, and the upper gear may be held in a carrier. A set screw may lock the handle in place. Finally, a lower gear may be pushed onto the top of a valve stem. When the handle is lifted, the upper gear rotates against the lower gear, causing the valve to open. The carrier may rotate within the valve body, thus allowing for temperature control of the valve.

Conventional faucets mix hot water and cold water coming into the faucet from separate source lines. To do this, a mixing valve is provided in the faucet, and generally a handle is used to control the flow of hot and cold water, which mix with one another to form create an output water of a desired temperature. Many conventional faucets are operated by a single lift-handle, which is usually mounted on top of a faucet. A conventional lift-handle is mounted to a faucet at its back end with a handle extending upward and forward from the mounting point. The lift-handle is thus configured such that lifting the handle causes the flow of hot and/or cold water to be opened, and pivoting the handle from left to right about its mounting point controls the temperature of the water dispensed.
The handle of a lift-handle faucet generally is a long arm structure that allows the user to actuate the lift-handle. Due to the conventional structure and operation of such mixing valves, the arm tends to extend upwardly from the rear of the faucet and make a substantial, albeit acute, angle with the faucet outlet.
Furthermore, in conventional lift-handle faucets, the lift-handle sits high above the faucet body itself because a valve stem of the mixing valve extends above the top of the faucet body such that the mixing handle, when rotated upward about its mounting point where it joins the faucet body, rotated about the axis of rotation of the valve stem and causes the mixing valve to open to allow the flow of water. Thus, because the axis of rotation of the valve stem must align with the axis of rotation of the lift-handle, the lift-handle must sit at a predetermined height above the top of the faucet body. Furthermore, because conventional lift-handles are configured to rotate about an axis of rotation of a valve stem, lift handles are substantially linearly displaced with respect to the faucet body when they are lifted, requiring large mounting structures and skirt structures to mask the substantial linear movement and cover the large gaps that are necessitated by said movement.


Methods of making paper or paperboard are described. According to one method, fibrous cationic colloidal alumina microparticles and a polymer are introduced to a papermaking pulp to form a treated pulp having improved retention properties. The fibrous cationic colloidal alumina microparticles are preferably a fibrous cationic acetate salt of boehmite alumina having a zeta potential of greater than about 25 and a weight ratio of alumina to acetate of less than about 4. The polymer can be a cationic polymer, a nonionic polymer, an amphoteric polymer under cationic conditions, or combinations thereof. The pulp may also be treated with at least one coagulant, at least one flocculant, at least one cationic starch, at least one cellulytic enzyme, and/or other conventional papermaking pulp additives. The resulting pulp is formed into a sheet of pulp and then drained to form a paper or paperboard. Other papermaking processes are also described as is a papermaking apparatus for carrying out the methods. Paper and paperboard containing dried pulp that has been treated with fibrous cationic colloidal alumina microparticles and polymer are also described.

The present invention relates to papermaking pulps, papermaking processes employing the pulps, and paper and paperboard products made from the pulps. More particularly, the present invention relates to treating papermaking pulp with at least one microparticle-containing retention aid system.
Microparticles and other particulate materials have been added to papermaking pulps as retention aids. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,653 to Rushmere, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference, describes a papermaking stock including cellulose fibers and a two-component combination of an anionic polyacrylamide and a cationic colloidal silica sol.
One problem with microparticle sols that have been employed in papermaking pulps has been with instability. Because of the instability of sols used in connection with papermaking pulps, the sols are often made on-site for immediate delivery to a papermaking process. A need exists for a stable microparticle sol retention aid for use in papermaking processes which can be formed off-site, exhibits a long shelf life, and can be shipped to a papermaking plant for immediate or future use in a papermaking process.
A need also exists for a papermaking pulp that exhibits even better retention of fines and even better resistance to shear forces during a papermaking process. A need also exists for a papermaking pulp that produces a paper or paperboard product with improved strength characteristics.
The present invention relates to the use of a combination of fibrous cationic colloidal alumina microparticles and at least one polymer as a retention aid system for a papermaking pulp or stock. The fibrous cationic colloidal alumina microparticles can preferably be a cationic fibrous acetate salt of boehmite alumina. The fibrous product can be obtained by stirring a slurry of water and basic alumina acetate to ensure substantially complete mixing thereof, and then reacting the slurry to produce a fibrous cationic acetate salt of boehmite alumina preferably having a zeta potential, when measured in deionized water, of greater than about 25 and preferably having a weight ratio of alumina to acetate of less than about 4. The surface area to volume ratio of the salt is preferably about 50% or greater. The polymer can be a cationic polymer, a nonionic polymer, or an amphoteric polymer used under cationic conditions. The polymer is preferably a synthetic nitrogen-containing cationic polymer, for example, a cationic polyacrylamide. If nonionic, the polymer can be, for example, a nonionic polyacrylamide or a polyethylene oxide.
The present invention also relates to papermaking pulp or stock that includes fibrous cationic colloidal alumina microparticles in combination with at least one polymer as a retention aid system.
Exemplary fibrous boehmite alumina microparticles suitable for use in the retention aid system of the present invention include the fibrous alumina products obtainable by the processes described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,915,475 to Bugosh, and those described in WO 97/41063, which are both incorporated herein in their entireties by reference. The fibrous cationic colloidal alumina microparticles are preferably very stable, preferably have a long shelf life, and preferably can be made off-site and then shipped to a paper mill for future use. The pulps or stocks of the present invention may also contain or be treated with at least one coagulant, at least one flocculant, at least one filler, at least one polyacrylamide, at least one cationic starch, at least one enzyme, and/or other conventional papermaking pulp additives. The resulting pulp or stock is then formed into a wet sheet of pulp or stock having improved retention properties compared to a wet sheet made of conventionally treated pulp. After drainage and drying, the resulting paper or paperboard preferably exhibits excellent opaqueness and/or other physical properties.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are only intended to provide a further explanation of the present invention, as claimed. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate several exemplary embodiments of the present invention and together with description, serve to explain the principles of the present invention.

Papermaking pulp including retention system

Buckman Laboratories International, Inc.


A system for detecting the abnormality of a steering angle sensor comprises a steering angle sensor for detecting the steering angle of a wheel of a vehicle to be steered, a reference motional parameter determining apparatus for determining a reference value of a vehicle motional parameter on the basis of the steering angle, a motional parameter detector apparatus for detecting a vehicle motional parameter indicative of the same physical quantity as the reference motional parameter, and an abnormality judging apparatus for judging the abnormality of the steering angle sensor by use of the reference motional parameter and the vehicle motional parameter. It is possible to reliably and promptly detect the abnormality of the steering angle sensor. Further, abnormality judging conditions are stabilized by a delaying timer adapted to start the judgement by the abnormality judging apparatus at a given interval after satisfaction of the abnormality judging conditions, and this contributes to a further correct judgement.

1 Field of the Invention
The field of the present invention is a system for detecting the abnormality of a steering angle sensor which is mounted in a vehicle to detect the steering angle of a steering wheel of the vehicle.
2 Description of the Prior Art
There are conventionally known such systems which are designed so that the steering angle is judged to be abnormal, if the steering angle is not varied more than a predetermined value during travelling of a vehicle, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 200423/86.
In the above prior art system, however, the abnormality is necessarily not detected reliably, because the steering angle may be maintained constant in some cases during travelling of the vehicle. In addition, even if a timer is used to judge the continuation of the constant steering angle in order to ensure the judgement of the abnormality, the detection of the abnormality may be delayed by setting of such duration.

System for detecting abnormality of steering angle sensor