Provided is a seat cover for use with a seat, such as a seat of a shopping cart, high chair or the like. The seat includes a front wall, rear wall and a pair of opposed side walls. The seat cover includes a liner having a front panel, a pair of opposed side panels, and a rear panel. The linear is configured to be placeable within the seat such that front panel resides adjacent the seat front wall, the rear panel resides adjacent the seat rear wall, and the pair of opposed side panels reside adjacent respective ones of the pair of opposed seat side walls. The seat cover additionally includes a character connected to the liner and positioned relative to the liner such that when the liner is placed within the seat, the character appears to be seating within the seat.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to infant products, and more particularly to a seat cover for a shopping cart seat or high chair, wherein the seat cover includes a liner and a plush character.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is well known to parents, conventional shopping carts or buggies are typically equipped with a seat for accommodating an infant or toddler. The seat is typically located adjacent the handlebar used to push the shopping cart and oriented such that the infant or toddler placed within the seat faces the adult pushing the shopping cart. The shopping cart is outfitted with a plastic flap which may be extended along the seat bottom to provide a firm, smooth surface for the buttocks of the infant within the seat, with the shopping cart further being configured to define a pair of openings adjacent such plastic flap to accommodate respective ones of the infant's or toddler's legs.
Though the seat of the shopping cart is provided with the above-described plastic flap, the majority of the seat is defined by the structural rods or members used to form the shopping cart. In this regard, that portion of the shopping cart defining the backrest of the seat typically consists of the steel bars alone, thus being extremely uncomfortable for the infant or toddler leaning against the back of the seat.
In recognition of the configuration of the seats within most shopping carts, there has been developed in the prior art various shopping cart seat covers which are adapted to be placed within the seat of a shopping cart to function as a cushioning liner which makes the seat substantially more comfortable for the infant or toddler placed therein.
Though these shopping cart seat covers provide an increased comfort level for the infant, they are generally devoid of any features specifically designed to provide interest or entertainment to the infant when seated therein. Thus, the infant or toddler may be reluctant to be seated within the seat cover, or may quickly become bored after sitting in the seat cover for a short period of time.
The present invention provides a uniquely configured shopping cart seat cover or insert which may be interfaced to a shopping cart in a traditional manner, and is specifically adapted to include a plush character to provide an inviting environment for the toddler seated therein. These, and other advantages of the present invention, will be discussed in more detail below.

Combination shopping cart and high chair cover with plush character


A security apparatus connects an electronic device to a structure. The security apparatus includes a structural mount, a security enclosure, and a swivel mechanism. The structural mount extends from the structure. The security enclosure has a tray that can mount a variety of electronic devices externally to the security enclosure. The security enclosure also has a security housing that slidably receives the tray. The tray and the security housing define a substantially secure fastening volume wherein at least one electronic device fastener is located. The swivel mechanism, which is at least partially located within the fastening volume, engages the security housing and orients the security enclosure and the electronic device attached thereto with respect to the structure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an apparatus for mounting equipment in a public building or the like, and, more particularly, to an equipment security apparatus for securing equipment from theft.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic devices, such as projectors, are often used in public buildings for communicating information to the building's users. Such electronic devices typically include a power cord, control buttons and signal input/output connections, which are usually located around the outside surface of the devices. The control buttons control the performance and other aspects of the devices, while the power cord and signal input/output connections provide for interconnection of the devices with a source of power, a signal source, and with other electronic devices. Being valuable and relatively portable, such devices are often a target for theft. Accordingly, equipment owners wish to secure these electronic devices from theft.
Over the years, a variety of mounting devices have been developed to mount and secure electronic devices. One commercially available mounting device provides a cage into which a projector can be placed. The cage has a small opening on one side through which the images from the projector are projected. The cage, however, tends to unduly limit access to the various control buttons and signal input/output connections located on the projector's outside surface. In addition, the cage tends to reduce the ability of the projector to eliminate the heat generated during operation of the projector. The size of the cage also limits the size of the projector that can be secured.
Another commercially available mounting device includes a base unit that connects the projector to a ceiling or other surface. The base unit employs a mounting adapter secured by screws to the various internally threaded mounting holes on the projector. The base unit is also capable of independent pitch, roll, and yaw adjustments. These adjustments are made by loosening several mechanical fasteners, repositioning the base unit, and then tightening the fasteners. This base unit style mounting device is not convenient for several reasons. For example, due to the wide variety of electronic devices used and the numerous manufacturers thereof, the location of the mounting holes of each projector is different from one projector to the next. This requires the production of a multitude of different mounting adapters to fit the hole pattern of each different projector. In addition, the separate adjustment of pitch, roll, and yaw is tedious and difficult because the projector must be held in place while many fasteners are tightened. As a result, the pitch, roll, and yaw adjustment of the projector usually requires two people.
Other mounting devices that are commercially available employ simple mechanical fasteners that connect the electronic device to the mounting apparatus. These fasteners deter theft to some degree because they are designed to be removed only by special tools. However, because these fasteners are accessible to a would-be thief, they still can be removed relatively easily by an experienced thief.
Accordingly, there is a need for an equipment security apparatus that provides greater security for equipment, such as an electronic device, without severely limiting access thereto, and which allows the user to easily orient the equipment. In addition, there is a need for an equipment security apparatus that is versatile in that it can be used with many different types of equipment and different electronic devices without requiring different mounting adapters. The present invention satisfies these and other needs and provides further related advantages.


A frequency modulating equipment (20) for being used in an antenna (10) for modulating frequency of the antenna (10) to achieve a desired operating frequency, comprises a slide block (30) attached to a radiating element (11) of the antenna (10) and being capable of moving freely and a plastic element (21). The slide block (30) comprises a contact portion (300) contacting a free end of the radiating element (11) of the antenna (10). The plastic element (21) is fixed onto the antenna (10). The slide block (30) is installed on the plastic element (21). The antenna (10) can achieve a desired operating frequency by moving the modulating befittingly the slide block (30).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an antenna frequency modulating equipment, and more particularly to a PIFA (Planar Inverted-F Antenna) antenna or an H-shape antenna frequency modulating equipment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the development of wireless communication, more and more portable electronic devices, such as a notebook, install an antenna system for accessing to Internet. PIFA is a kind of minitype antenna usually used in portable electronic devices. PIFA is featured of compact size, light weight, small occupied space of the portable electronic device, low cost of manufacture, easy to achieve dual frequency bands or multi-bands, good impedance matching, and perfect horizontal polarization and vertical polarization.
It is well known, the radiating and receiving frequency of the antenna is proportional to the length of the radiating portion of the antenna. Designer can calculate the length of the radiating portion according to the working frequency before designing an antenna working at this frequency. However, the length of the radiating portion of the PIFA antenna from the mass production line has windage compared with the required length, and usually the actual length is longer than the required length. It leads to the radiating portion to appear the windage and thus, prevents the antenna from achieving a perfect working frequency. It also affects operating performance of the antenna. The worker must trim the length of the radiating portion of the antenna to desired length before installing the antenna into the notebook or other portable electronic device. On the other hand, the operating frequency of the antenna is infected by inner environment and structure of the notebook or other portable electronic device, so, a PIFA antenna design suitable for a notebook or other portable electronic device is difficult to be operated in another notebook without trimming. However, achieving perfect frequency by trimming the radiating portion of the antenna not only has lower efficiency but also easily makes the antenna become useless because of trimming excessively.
Hence, in this art, a frequency modulating equipment to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art will be described in detail in the following embodiment.


A fixing device includes a rotatable endless fixing belt, a heat source, a heat radiation plate, and a power supply. The fixing belt is operable between a non-expanded state and a thermally expanded state. The heat source is disposed adjacent the fixing belt, to heat the fixing belt. The heat radiation plate is adjacent the fixing belt to contact the fixing belt when the fixing belt is in the thermally expanded state as a result of being heated by the heat source. The power supply shutoff member adjacent the fixing belt to shut off the supply of power to the heat source based on a state of the fixing belt.

Some image forming apparatuses are provided with a fixing device that fixes onto a recording medium a toner image carried on the recording medium by heating and applying pressure on the recording medium. The fixing device pushes a pusher member disposed on an inner peripheral side of a fixing belt toward a pressure roller disposed on an outer peripheral side of the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the fixing belt and the pressure roller. Then, the fixing device heats the fixing belt via a heat source such as a halogen lamp disposed on an inner peripheral side of the fixing belt to heat a recording medium passing through the fixing nip.

Fixing device and image forming apparatus

HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.


2,5-Bis(benzoxazol-2′-yl)benzene-1,4-diol derivatives (Zinhbo derivatives) are used to detect zinc ions and have particular application in vivo and in vitro. Zinhbo derivatives upon excitation give a florescence response emission that can be used to determine the presence of zinc cation in solution. Zinhbo derivatives complexed with zinc cations upon excitation can produce a florescence response emission in the visible and near infrared range. Zinhbo derivatives complexed with zinc cations exhibit a large stoke shift between the excitation and emission wavelengths.

Organic fluorescent probes are useful labeling for biomolecules. For in vivo applications, molecular imaging reagent is required to be biocompatable and to emit optical signals in the near infrared (NIR) region (700-900 nm), as NIR light can penetrate more deeply into biological tissues. On the practical side, optical imaging is dependent on the availability of the luminescent NIR reagents that exhibit high quantum yield, chemical and optical stability, and suitable pharmacological properties including aqueous solubility, specific binding, and low toxicity. At present time, most of the NIR probes are based on cyanine dyes, whose emission maxima are in the region of 650-900 nm. A notable drawback for the parent cyanine dyes is their small Stokes shift (typically about 20-50 nm), which hampers their broad application.
Among the new emerging design principles applied in fluorescent sensing, excited-stated intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) has recently received considerable attention due to its unique photophysical properties. Different from other organic chromophores, ESIPT molecules exhibit dual emissions from both the excited enol and keto tautomers, which are well separated from each other. In addition, emission of ESIPT dyes generally have large Stokes shift (ca. 150-200 nm), making them the ideal candidates for fluorescent sensors. Some ESIPT-based molecules, including 2-(2′-hydroxyphenyl)benzoxazole (HBO) and 2-(2′-hydroxyphenyl)benzimidazole (HBI), have been reported for cations and anion sensing. Most studies utilize ESIPT turn-off mechanisms since the interaction with a cation (or anion) removes the phenolic proton, thereby inhibiting ESIPT and resulting in blue-shifted fluorescence. Removal of the phenolic proton during metal chelation, however, permanently turns-off ESIPT. Thus far, only a few examples are known to utilize ESIPT turn-on mechanism in the chemosensor design, which involves the deprotection of the protected hydroxyl group. Among the known examples, nearly all ESIPT-based probes give emission in the visible region (400-650 nm).
As the second most abundant transition-metal ion in the human body, the Zn2+ ion is a component of enzymes and proteins, and plays an important role in various biological processes. In order to discover the vital roles of Zn2+ in biological processes, there is growing demand for sensing Zn2+ in living systems. Although many fluorescent chemosensors for Zn2+ cation have been studied, few near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent zinc probes are available to give emission in the desired 700-900 nm range. An ideal Zn2+ probe requires not only NIR emission (to minimize autofluorescence) but also large Stokes shift (for improved signal detection). It is thus desirable to incorporate the ESIPT process into the sensing scheme. Achieving the ESIPT emission signals in the NIR region, however, remains an attractive and challenging task.

Class of near infrared optical probes for biological applications


An electric energy transmission system which does not need a reservation has a generator generating a multi-phase electric current, a converter converting it into another electric current, an electric current network connected with the converter and having a first group of electric current lines extending towards electric current users and a second group of electric current ones electrically connecting the electric current lines of the first group with each other, and a plurality of consumer blocks connected with the network and having users which use different electric currents and further converters converting the electric current transmitted by the network into the different electric currents and supplying the different electric currents to the electric current users.

Electric energy transmission systems for transmitting electric current over large distances are known, which usually include an electric current generator that generates a multi-phase electrical current, for example a three-phase electric current and transmits it through main multi-wire electric current lines or so called electric current trunk lines over significant geographic distances. These systems are analogous to a system of a horizontal tree. The trunk line which resembles a tree trunk transmits energy from an electric current generator, and then further electric current lines extend from the electric current trunk line to corresponding objects or customers which use electric currents.
If wires break in the electric current trunk line or in the electric current lines extending from it, then a part of a territory will be without electric current. In order to deal with these critical situations a 100% reservation is made by using actually at least a double of the electric current lines of the main system. This leads to double expenses for transmission of electrical energy.
The existing electrical energy transmission systems therefore use a great number of expensive wires. They also require high and expensive supports. Often the systems occupy vast parts of territories that are needed for other purposes. They also have a high level of losses associated with connection to electrical energy withdrawing lines. Furthermore, they practically make impossible to build underground and underwater lines because it is necessary to provide big distances between the wires. Finally, there are difficulties in building stations for a quick charging of vehicles because of absence along the roads of energy sources with a high voltage and a high power.

Electrical energy transmission system which does not require reservation


Systems, methods and devices for timing manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination competitions are provided. In various embodiments, the present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for timing cup stacking competitions. The present disclosure includes a timer for timing various competitions and wherein the timer comprises a plurality of trigger points or touch points to ergonomically require a user to perform certain actions to activate and operate the timer.

Cup stacking first became popular in the mid-1990s as a method of teaching physical coordination, including hand-to-eye coordination, to youngsters. Cup stacking helps students use both sides of their bodies and brains, develop ambidexterity, develop quickness, and improve concentration. Cup stacking also helps teach sequencing and patterning, which can help in developing math and reading skills. Since the mid-1990s, the sport has grown in popularity throughout the world, primarily in elementary schools, where it has become a part of many physical education programs, afterschool, and sports programs. The sport involves stacking and unstacking a set of specially designed cups in pre-arranged sequences while being timed. The object of the competitions is to complete the sequence in as short a time as possible. There are several standard sequences and the competitions can be performed by an individual or by a team in a relay fashion. Timing of the competition has conventionally been performed by a judge with a stopwatch. The competitor begins with both hands face down on the table where the cups are to be stacked. The judge gives a verbal cue, usually "Ready, Get Set, Go", starting the stopwatch on the word GO. Time is stopped when the sequence is completed.
One of the major drawbacks to the sport has been the inaccuracy associated with having different individuals time the competitors using stopwatches. Errors in timing due to variations in human reaction time often exceed several tenths of a second and are significant (as much as 10% off) when measuring competitive times. Competitive times in this sport range from 2 to 15 seconds with winners of the competition usually determined thousandths of seconds. To mitigate against the human reaction time, in final competitions, three judges are used and the high and low times are not counted against the competitor. This measure, however, is inefficient and does not cure the inaccuracies inherent with using human judges since the measured time to complete the sequence is still subjective.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,940,783 and 7,042,806, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, disclose a mat for timing competitions. The teachings of these patents address the timing problem discussed above. The disclosures of these patents include a timing mechanism. The timing mechanism may be incorporated into a mat or otherwise be associated with the mat. In either case, the timing mechanism mitigates the inaccuracies associated with utilizing human judges. In particular, these patents teach a trigger means with a timing means operatively connected to the trigger means. The trigger may be pressure or touch sensitive so that the timer begins to accrue time with a first activation of the trigger and stops with a second activation of the trigger. This timing approach is implemented such that the timer requires the competitor to place both hands on the timer to start it and both hands on the timer again to stop it after completing the sequence. This type of timer has two separate pads to sense the presence of each of the competitor's hands and these pads activate an electronic timing circuit within the timer. By requiring both of the competitor's hands to be engaged with the timer before and after the stacking sequence, the timer prevents competitors from gaining an advantage by starting the timer after the stacking sequence has begun or stopping the timer before the stacking sequence is completed.
As used herein, the terms "sport stacking" and "cup stacking" may be used interchangeably. Sport stacking is often used as a broader term and includes but is not limited to cup stacking. Embodiments and features of the present disclosure are well suited to sport stacking, but it should be recognized that they may be used for various competitions and timing competitions. Embodiments and features of the present disclosure are not limited to timed stacking competitions.
However, there remain disadvantages associated with the trigger-based timing approach discussed above. In particular, one of the rules in cup stacking is that the competitor can activate the two pads with any part of their hand as long as it is above the wrist and so competitors usually activate the timer using the part of their hand that is as close to the wrist as possible, which allows the rest of their hands to be as close to the cups as possible. Other sport stacking rules prohibit the competitor from holding the cups before the timer is started and from holding the cups when the timer is stopped. During official competition, competitor's stacking attempts are evaluated by a judge and are also video recorded and evaluated in slow motion at a later time by officials to look for infractions of these and other rules.
As the sport has matured, competitors have become so fast that live judges at the competition cannot accurately determine whether or not a competitor's hands are holding the cups when the timer is stopped. Even high-speed video played frame by frame cannot consistently confirm compliance with this rule. Therefore, an improved timer design that prevents the competitor's hands from holding the cups when the timer is started and stopped would improve the sport by relieving judges from monitoring for this rule and would eliminate the need to video review these parts of the sequence, saving time and money.
The timing device described above has also been adopted for use in other competitions, such as competitive cubing, where competitors compete for time to solve a combination or sequential move puzzle such as a Rubik's Cube. These timing devices are well suited for competitive cubing because the same requirement for a competitor's hands to be in a known position prior to and following the solving of the puzzle also apply. However, problems with a competitor's hands holding the puzzle before the timer is started or after the timer is stopped have not developed in competitive cubing because other rules prevent them from occurring. Therefore, an improved device for cup stacking should ideally be designed with an alternate mode for use with competitive cubing in which only two of the touchpads are active, including an ability to switch between these modes.
Because timers used for both cup stacking and competitive cubing are often connected to remote displays so that spectators and judges can see the resulting time of each competitor, an improved timing device should include a feature which indicates on the remote display which mode of operation the timer is set to. For example, in one embodiment, the timer could blink the time being displayed on the timer's LCD display and on the remote display whenever the timer is in a mode intended for competitive cubing competitions, where only two of the touchpads are active. The resulting time would not blink when the timer is set to the mode in which all touchpads are active.

Timing apparatus for timing competitions


In a picture display device driven with an active matrix the voltage across the picture elements is accurately adjusted by discharging or charging the associated capacitances, if necessary, first to beyond the transition range in the transmission/voltage characteristic. Redundancy is advantageously used in the switching units employed for this purpose.

The invention relates to a display device comprising an electro-optical display medium between two supporting plates, a system of picture elements arranged in rows and columns, with each picture element being formed by picture electrodes arranged on the facing surfaces of the supporting plates, and a system of row and column electrodes for presenting selection and data signals by means of which a range of voltages dependent on the electro-optical display medium can be presented across the picture elements for the purpose of picture display.
A display device of this type is suitable for displaying alphanumerical information and video information by means of passive elector-optical display media such as liquid crystals, electrophoretic suspensions and electrochromic materials.
A display device ofthe type described in the opening paragraph is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,811,006, issued March, 1989, in the name of the Applicant. In the device shown in this Application diodes are used as non-linear switching elements in an active matrix, namely two diodes per picture element. Two successive rows of picture elements each time have one row electrode in common. The drive mode is such that in television applications (for example, with a drive mode in accordance with the PAL or NTSC system) the information of two successive even and odd lines is presented across each picture element at an alternating polarity and at the field frequency. The information of a picture element is therefore determined by the average signal of two successive even and odd lines. Since each time two rows of picture electrodes are simultaneously written, because two successive rows each time have one row electrode in common, such a device provides little flexibility as regards the choice of colour filters to be used. In fact, this choice is limited to strip-shaped colour filters.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 208,185, filed Jun. 16, 1988; in the name of the Applicant describes a picture display device of the type mentioned in the opening paragraph in which the row electrodes are not common and in which the rows of picture elements are separately driven without the omission of common row electrodes, leading to an increase of the number of connections.
This ensures a considerable freedom in the choice of the colour filters to be used.
This is possible by giving the picture elements a given adjustment per row by charging or discharging the capacitances associated with these picture elements after first having discharged or charged them too far (whether or not accurately).
To this end such a picture display device comprises means to apply, prior to selection, an auxiliary voltage across the picture elements beyond or on the limit of the voltage range to be used for picture display.
In the embodiment shown in the said Patent Application diodes are used as non-linear switching elements.

Electro optical display device with redundant switching means


The method relates to a method for boosting the braking force in an electromotor operated slip-controllable vehicle brake system having electromechanical brake boosting. The vehicle brake system includes a braking-intention detection device, an electromechanically actuatable brake booster, and an electronically actuatable brake-pressure control device. In the event of a malfunction of the brake booster, the boosting of the brake pressure is alternatively assumed by the brake-pressure control device. In the event of a malfunction of the brake boosting, it is checked whether a generation and a transmission of a trigger signal representing the actuation of the braking-intention detection device from the first electronic control device of the brake booster to a second electronic control device of the brake-pressure control device is possible, and if this is so, the trigger signal is transmitted via an existing communications link between the control devices.

Vehicle brake systems are generally equipped with a device for detecting a braking intention. A variable control force is externally applicable to these braking-intention detection devices, which then convert the control force into a correlating actuation travel. For this purpose, braking-intention detection devices normally have a brake master cylinder which a driver is able to operate with the aid of a brake pedal or a brake lever.
Vehicle brake systems forming the basis of the present invention are furthermore equipped with an electromechanical brake booster, which executes an actuation travel as a function of the actuation travel of the braking-intention detection device via a first electronic control device in order to boost the brake pressure generated by the driver.
In this context, an existing travel sensor system supplies a travel signal that correlates with the actuation travel of the braking-intention detection device to the first electronic control device. For this purpose, known travel sensors may be equipped with an absolute travel sensor or, as an alternative, with a differential travel sensor. While an absolute travel sensor is used for measuring the actuation travel of the braking-intention detection device, a differential-travel sensor measures the actuation travel of the braking-intention detection device relative to the actuation travel of the electronic brake booster, and thus measures a travel difference between the two devices.
In addition, vehicle brake systems that form the basis of the present invention are also equipped with an electronic brake-pressure control device. It adapts the brake pressure of the individual wheel brakes to the slip conditions of the respectively allocated wheels of the vehicle. The brake-pressure control device is equipped with a second electronic control device for this purpose, which, in addition to valves that may be acted upon electronically, controls a pressure generator able to be driven by an electric motor. Depending on the function scope, vehicle brake systems having such brake-pressure control devices are also known under the terms ABS, ASR or ESP vehicle brake systems.
A data bus connection or a communications link is available between the first electronic control device of the brake booster and the second electronic control device of the brake-pressure control device, via which a first signal, which represents the operativeness of the brake boosting, and a second signal, which represents the actuation of the braking-intention detection device, are able to be transmitted. This second signal may be a binary trigger signal, which is set when a driver has exceeded a specifiable actuation threshold, e.g., a minimum actuation travel of the braking-intention detection device.
In certain vehicle brake systems, during a state of an existing function interruption of the brake boosting, this brake boosting is alternatively assumed by the pressure generator of the brake-pressure control device. An actuation signal for the pressure generator is supplied by the allocated second electronic control device. A method for calculating this actuation signal is described in the earlier patent application DE 10 2016 225 694. This method is based on the described binary trigger signal, which is offset against a signal that considers the system or brake pressure generated in the brake-pressure control system by the actuation of the braking-intention detection device.
In this context it is disadvantageous that the binary trigger signal has to be transmitted to the second electronic control device of the brake-pressure control device via a discrete connection line because a transmission of this trigger signal via the communications link between the first electronic control device of the brake booster and the second electronic control device of the brake-pressure control device is no longer possible. The reason for this is that a status signal is superimposed onto the trigger signal, which sets the status of the trigger signal from currently "signal valid" to "signal invalid" when an interruption has been detected at the electronic brake booster. That is to say, the described method is used even when the travel signal from the braking-intention detection device is still available since the components for the generation and the transmission of this travel signal continue to be operational. For example, the latter case may arise when an exclusively mechanical fault exists at the brake booster but the electronic system is still functional; when a deactivation of the electronic brake booster takes place due to a detected rise in temperature or due to an excessive vehicle system voltage or a vehicle system voltage that is too low; or when the trigger event is a fault that occurred when a data memory in which, for example, the function status of the brake booster is stored is read out.

Method for boosting the braking force in an electronically slip-controllable vehicle brake system having electromechanical brake boosting


Systems and methods are provided for determining channel state information (CSI) at a receiver for feedback to a transmitter to indicate properties of the communication channel. A signal is received at a receiver over a communication channel. An optimization value is determined based on the received signal and a plurality of matrix indicators. An amount of change in wideband properties of the communication channel is determined from the optimization value. Based on the determined amount of change, a CSI including a selected type indicator and a selected subset of the plurality of the matrix indicators is selected.

In a multiple input-multiple output (MIMO) data communication system, it is desirable for information, often grouped into packets to be accurately received at a destination. A transmitter at or near the source precedes the information according to parameters of a codebook and transmits the preceded information in a signal on a communication channel. The communication channel includes wideband properties and narrowband properties, both of which may vary over time. Depending on the used channel bandwidth that determines properties of the channel that are changing, a subset instead of a full set of the precoder parameters may be adjusted at the transmitter for a subsequent transmission to maintain a quality of the transmitted signal when received by a receiver.
A receiver at or near the destination processes the signal sent by the transmitter to determine the wideband and narrowband properties of the communication channel, and to further determine whether the wideband or narrowband properties are changing over a time interval. Based on which of the wideband or narrowband properties have changed over an interval, the receiver selects channel state information (CSI) to feed back, to the transmitter. Based on the CSI selected by the receiver, the transmitter adjusts parameters for transmission of a subsequent signal, e.g., a precoder for preceding a subsequent signal, and the modulation and coding scheme (MCS).

Methods and systems for determining indicators used in channel state information (CSI) feedback in wireless systems


According to one embodiment, a camera shake correction device includes a substrate, a fixed part, a linking part, a movable part, a first spring part, a second spring part, a first damper, and a second damper. The fixed part is provided on the substrate and fixed to the substrate. The linking part is provided around the fixed part on the substrate that can move in a first direction within a plane of the substrate with respect to the fixed part. The movable part is provided on the substrate and arranged around the fixed part and the linking part that can move in a second direction that intersects with the first direction within the plane of the substrate.

In some solid state imaging devices, a camera shake correction device that adjusts the relative position between the imaging lens and the imaging sensor is provided for suppressing camera shake at the time of imaging. In existing camera shake correction devices, an electromagnetic actuator type voice coil motor (VCM) is widely used. In recent years, there has been demand to miniaturize camera shake correction devices in conjunction with the miniaturization of imaging elements.

Camera shake correction device and imaging device


A method of data management for optimizing the patient outcome from the provision of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is described. A regression equation is constructed using 3 data points on a plot of AV delay vs. HR. The x-axis consist of the three points consist of resting HR, HR at the optimal AV delay value during light exercise, and the upper tracking or paced HR. The y-values associated with the three points consist of the AV delay values computed using an equation for ventricular filling time and the optimally determined AV delay value. Also described is a process for determining the sensed to paced AV delay offset. The combined processes yield 4 (the three constant values in the polynomial regression equation Y=b2X2+b1X+a and the sensed to paced AV delay offset) which can be stored on the patient's pacemaker for determining dynamically the AV delay value which is physiologically fine-tuned for each patient from resting HR to the upper tracking or paced HR. In combination with visual observation and computer-assisted ranking of the dependent variables, a physician can utilize the resulting information to render decisions on the optimal choice of the programming biventricular pacemakers/ICDs and DDDR pacemakers for individual patients.

I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), and more specifically, to a physiologic method for determining optimal atrioventricular (AV) delay values over a range of heart rates from rest to the upper tracking or paced heart rate (HR) and for determining the sensed to paced AV delay offset for optimizing the patient outcome from such therapy. The disclosed method enables physicians to improve the process of programming biventricular pacemakers/ICDs and DDDR pacemakers.
II. Related Art
Several pacemaker manufacturers have the capability of programming a dynamic or auto-decrementing AV delay which decreases linearly from the resting programmed heart rate to the upper tracking or paced HR. The decrement range is not physiologically based upon required left ventricle (LV) filling times or a mid-point AV delay between the lower and upper pacemaker rates which is shown to be the most effective in terms of combined cardiac pump function and breathing efficiency.
The status of the clinical use of a dynamic AV delay is that it has been met with reluctance by the follow-up physician since there is presently no way to assign an adequate resting AV delay. All too often, the dynamic AV delay is set too aggressively based on the use of a linear function which shortens the time at the upper rate excessively. In doing so, ventricular filling and stroke volume output of the heart is compromised, and gas exchange in the lungs and breathing efficiency are adversely affected. The scientific literature has noted that AV conduction times vary inversely to fluctuation of atrial excitement rhythm (Beat-to-beat Modulation of Atrioventricular Conduction During Dynamic Exercise in Humans, Nakamoto, et al, Japanese Journal of Physiology Vol. 55, 37-51, 2005). The cited article also describes this relationship as curvilinear rather than straight line.
In addition to the above, there is no physiologic method other than a pacemaker programmer and an electrically based intra-cardiac electrogram (IECG) technique to estimate the correct AV sensed to paced offset for a cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) patient experiencing both sensed and paced atrial activity via the device's data logger. The electrophysiologist typically guesses at whether the optimal AV sensed/paced offset is 30 msec, 45 msec or 50 to 60 msec. It is known that paced conduction time to the left ventricle takes longer since the conduction pulse travels more slowly through atrial/ventricular muscle tissue vs. specialized conducting tissue, as with a paced atrial beat from the atrial appendage or lateral RA vs. an intrinsic atrial beat originating from the sinus node.
Regarding the programming of the upper tracking or paced HR, the only means to select the HR is by "x" percent of the patient's age predicted max HR, the level of patient activity or whether they have ischemic heart disease. Upper tracking or paced HR can range from 110 to 150 bpm, depending on the above criteria and other programmed timing intervals such as the post ventricular atrial refractory period (PVARP).
U.S. Pat. No. 7,225,022, "Method for Optimizing Patient Outcome from Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy", of common inventorship as the present application, discloses a method for determining the optimal AV and VV delay interval using "variables indicative of one or more functions selected from the group consisting of forward pump function (stroke volume output) and retrograde effects of filing pressures, pulmonary venous flow, and gas exchange at the alveolar/capillary membrane interface during exercise". That patent also discloses a method in which a single set of equipment is utilized to optimize all phases/aspects of cardiac resynchronization therapy, including appropriate rate response during exercise/activity and device programming, including dynamic AV and VV delay of which resting AV and VV delay are a portion. Accordingly, the above-referenced patent is deemed incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for any purpose. In the present application, a novel method for determining dynamic AV delay and AV delay offset is disclosed that may be accomplished using a set of equipment such as that used in the above-referenced patent, and as described in FIG. 1.
Definitions of Terms
The following contains definitions and explanations of certain terms as used in the present context.    Upper tracking or paced HR—The programmed Upper tracking or paced Rate is the highest pacing rate at which ventricular tracking of atrial sensed or paced events can occur (in the DDDR, DDD, and VDD modes).    End-Tidal Partial Pressure of CO2 (PetCO2, ETCO2)—The partial pressure of carbon dioxide at the end of expiration, or the highest value of PCO2 during a single expiration.    Forward Pump Function—Refers to the ability of the heart to contract and eject blood which has returned to the heart during its relaxation, or filling, cycle via the aorta against a given amount of resistance, or after load.    Oxygen Pulse (O2 Pulse)—O2 Pulse is an indirect index of combined cardiopulmonary oxygen transport. It is calculated by dividing oxygen uptake (ml/min) by heart rate. In effect, O2 Pulse is equal to the product of stroke volume and arteriovenous O2 difference. Thus circulatory adjustments that occur during exercise, that is, widening arteriovenous O2 difference, increased cardiac output, and redistribution of blood flow to the working muscle, will increase O2 Pulse. Maximal O2 pulse is higher in fitter subjects, lower in the presence of heart disease, and, more importantly, higher at any given workload in the fitter or healthier individual. On the other hand, O2 Pulse will be reduced in any condition that reduces stroke volume . . . " V. Froelicher, J. Myers, et al., Exercise and the Heart. Mosby-Year Book, Inc. 1993, p. 38    Retrograde Pump Function—Refers to the filling of the heart during the relaxation part of the cardiac cycle. Filling pressure and the volume of blood that returns to the heart during diastole are termed preload. Any forward pump failure of the heart can increase the preload on the heart to undesirable levels which, in turn, has an adverse retrograde effect on gas exchange in the lung.    Ventilation-Perfusion Coupling—"For gas exchange to be most efficient, there must be a precise match, or coupling, between ventilation (the amount of gas reaching the alveoli) and perfusion (the blood flow in pulmonary capillaries). Changes in the PCO2 within the alveoli cause changes in the diameters of the bronchioles. Passageways servicing areas where alveolar carbon dioxide levels are high dilate, allowing carbon dioxide to be eliminated from the body more rapidly; those servicing areas where the PCO2 is low constrict. As a result of the modifications these two systems (also for PO2), alveolar ventilation and pulmonary perfusion are always attempting to synchronize. Poor alveolar ventilation results in low oxygen and high carbon dioxide levels in the alveoli; consequently, the pulmonary capillaries constrict and the airways dilate, bringing airflow and blood flow into closer physiological match. High oxygen and low carbon dioxide alveolar partial pressures cause constriction of the respiratory passageways and a flushing of blood into the pulmonary capillaries. At all times, these homeostatic mechanisms provide the most appropriate conditions for efficient gas exchange." E. Marieb, Human Anatomy and Physiology. Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company, 1992, p. 749    Ventilatory Equivalent for carbon dioxide (VE/VCO2, EQCO2)—The EQCO2 is calculated by dividing ventilation (L/min) by VCO2 (L/min). "VE/VCO2 represents the ventilatory requirement to eliminate a given amount of CO2 produced by the metabolizing tissues. Since metabolic CO2 is a strong stimulus for ventilation during exercise, VE and VCO2 closely mirror one another, and after a drop in early exercise, VE/VCO2 normally does not increase significantly throughout sub-maximal exercise. However, in the presence of chronic heart failure, VE/VCO2 is shifted upward compared to normal, and high VE/VCO2 values are one of the characteristics of the abnormal ventilatory response to exercise in this condition." Ibid Froehlicher.    Estimate of the Drive to breathe (VT/Ti)—Tidal volume is the volume of an average breath; inspiratory time is the average time it takes to inspire. The ratio has been used as an index of ventilatory drive (the combined stimulation to breathe).

Method of defining continuous heart rate vs AV delay values and sensed to paced AV delay offset in patients undergoing cardiac resynchronization therapy


A guide and support device (1) for the door (7) of an item of furniture (13) is described, comprising a support (2)—which carries at least one body (3), a second body (4) slidable on the support (2) and a spring (5) placed between the first and the second body (3, 4)—and a cable (6), having one end fixed to the door (7) and the other end fixed to the support (2), which slides at least in a first pulley (8) carried by the second body (4).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention refers to a guide and support device for a furniture door, designed to support the door when it is open (that is, when it is practically horizontal) and to make the opening movement and the closing movement of said door gradual.
2. Description of Related Art
Many types of guide and support devices are known in the art, ranging from cables or chains (suitable only for supporting the door when it is open) to devices comprising pairs of rods, frictionally movable with respect to one another, which are designed to make the door opening movement gradual.
There is currently a demand on the market for guide and support devices which, besides supporting the door when it is open and making the opening movement gradual, also make the door-closing movement easier and are more aesthetically pleasing than the devices of the prior art.
No guide and support devices are currently available that are able to meet the above-mentioned market demand, in particular making the closing of the door easier.
Object of the present invention is to produce a guide and support device that is able to meet the demands of the market, overcoming the limitations of the devices of the prior art; this object is achieved by means of a guide and support device having the characterizing features set forth herein.
In the appended figures like elements will be denoted by the same reference numerals.

Guide and support device for a furniture door

Abstract: Preferably, the first body (3) also carries a second pulley (9), at least the first pulley (8) carried by the second body (4) is a multiple pulley and the cable (6) passes in the races of both pulleys (8, 9).

Abstract: The first body (3) advantageously comprises means (10, 11) able to adjust the position thereof at the time of installation of the device (1).


A document transport module for moving a document along a bidirectional feed line from an upstream area to a downstream area in, for example, an automated teller machine. The document transport module comprises first and second generally planar supports, with the first generally planar support having a first cooperating member and a second cooperating member located thereon. The first and second cooperating members each have ends which have ramp portions secured thereto. In addition, the first and second cooperating members each have an arcuately shaped recess therein which faces a second support. A document can be moved between the first and second supports and guided into the arcuately shaped recessed portions of the first and second cooperating members by the ramp portions. The ramp portions guide the document between the arcuately shaped recessed portions and a drive roller mounted in the second support. The drive roller, when rotated, forces or pinches the document into engagement with the arcuately shaped recessed portions, thereby causing the document to be transported through the document transport module.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a document transport module for moving a document from a first area to a second area, and more particularly, this invention relates to a document transport module which includes a cooperating member having an arcuately shaped recess therein which cooperates with a drive roller to move the document in the document transport module from the first area to the second area.
2. Description of Related Art
Many business machines, like printers, include document feeding mechanisms. For example, Automated Teller Machines (ATM's), which are used in the banking industry, include a receipt printer which is used to print transaction information on a receipt document. The document is fed or transported in a document track from the printer to a slot in the face of the ATM where it can be easily retrieved by a customer. Typically, the document track includes a pinch roller which forces or "pinches" the document against a drive roller. The document is then moved in the document track by causing the drive roller to rotate.
A problem with the arrangement described above is that it can require the use of numerous parts, such as a pivot or swing arm, springs, and bearings, which are expensive. Another problem is that the friction between the pinch roller and the drive roller may cause excessive wear and tear on both the drive roller and the pinch roller. Yet another problem is that the pinch roller may require a significant amount of space in the ATM.
There is, therefore, a present need to provide a document transport which eliminates the use of a pinch roller, which reduces wear and tear on the drive roller, and which is simple in design.


An assembler and splitter of a Weston PAL (W-PAL) video signal has filter functions F.sub.1, F.sub.2 at the assembler for the luminance and chrominance components and corresponding functions F.sub.3, F.sub.4 at the splitter. The transfer functions are defined as F.sub.1 =(L.sub.2 +L.sub.1)/2+(L.sub.2 -L.sub.1)z-.sup.1 /2, F.sub.2 =-(H.sub.1 -H.sub.2)/2+(H.sub.1 +H.sub.2)z.sup.-1 /2, F.sub.3 =(L2-L.sub.1)/2+(L.sub.2 +L.sub.1)z.sup.-1 /2, F.sub.4 =(H.sub.1 +H2)/2-(H.sub.1 -H.sub.2)z.sup.-1 /2 and wherein H.sub.1 (f)=L.sub.2 (2fsc-f) and H.sub.2 (f)=L.sub.1 (2fsc-f). Thus the filters are non-sharp cut and are compatible with normal PAL.

The Weston Clean PAL system is described in GB Nos. 1534268 to 1534270 and in BBC Research Department Report No: 1980/1. The contents of these four documents are incorporated herein by reference. W-PAL obtains separation of luminance and chrominance by phase segregation, whereby the luminance is sampled at a frequency of twice the colour subcarrier frequency thereby causing it to appear as double sideband modulation of the colour subcarrier. At the same time the two chrominance components are formed into a single signal consisting of the quantities (U+V)/.sqroot.2 and (U-V)/.sqroot.2 on alternate lines which modulates the subcarrier directly. If PAL compatibility were not required the two modulation processes could be in quadrature so enabling the subcarrier to carry both luminance and chrominance without interaction in spite of their occupying the same spectral space. FIG. 1 shows the two-dimensional spectrum of the alternate-line chrominance and the sampled luminance, from which it can be seen that there is a considerable overlap of the luminance and chrominance spectra, amounting to the region 3.36-5.5 MHz in system I PAL. This region is the region in which aliasing will occur at 2 Fsc sampling (8.86 MHz-5.5 MHz=3.36 MHz) and varies with different PAL standards.
Compatibility with normal PAL, however, requires that the signals are further processed before combination. In particular, the combined chrominance signal must be phase shifted so that spectral components at 3/4 line offsets are in phase quadrature with components at 1/4 line offsets, restoring the phase quadrature between U and V. This must be done in such a way as to preserve the potential phase separation between chrominance and luminance. At the receiver, the UV phase separation is removed and the luminance and chrominance are separated by synchronous demodulation. These complex functions are provided by so-called assembler and splitter circuits which lie at the core of the Weston Clean PAL system. These circuits are described in GB Nos. 1534268 and 1534270.

Non-sharp cut filters for assembling and splitting in Weston Clean PAL


A display processor and computer-implemented method are provided for processing three-dimensional [3D] image data for display on a 3D display. The 3D display is arranged for emitting a series of views of the 3D image data which enables stereoscopic viewing of the 3D image data at multiple viewing positions. The series of views may be displayed on the 3D display using overscan. The degree of overscan may be determined as a function of one or more depth range parameters, the one or more depth range parameters characterizing, at least in part, a degree of depth perceived by a viewer when the series of views is displayed on the 3D display.

Increasingly, display devices such as televisions, digital photo frames, tablets and smartphones comprise 3D displays to provide a user with a perception of depth when viewing content on such a device. For that purpose, such 3D display devices may, either by themselves or together with glasses worn by the user, provide the user with different images in each eye so as to provide the user with a perception of depth based on stereoscopy, e.g., a stereoscopic perception of depth.
3D display devices typically use content which contains depth information in order to establish the content on screen as having a degree of depth. The depth information may be provided implicitly in the content. For example, in the case of so-termed stereoscopic content, the depth information is provided by the differences between a left and a right image signal of the stereo content. Together, the left and right image signal thus constitute a stereoscopic 3D image signal. The depth information may also be provided explicitly in the content. For example, in content encoded in the so-termed image+depth format, the depth information is provided by a 2D depth signal comprising depth values which are indicative of distances that objects within the 2D image signal have towards a camera or viewer. Instead of depth values, also disparity values may be used, e.g., the 2D depth signal may be a 2D disparity signal, or in general, a 2D depth-related signal. Techniques are known to generate a 2D depth-related signal from a stereo 3D image signal, e.g., for view synthesis for autostereoscopic displays.
These autostereoscopic displays provide said stereoscopic perception of depth without needing the viewer to wear polarized, color-filter-based or shutter-based glasses. For that purpose, optical components are used, such as lenticular lens arrays (or more general lenticular or barrier means), which enable the display to emit a viewing cone from each given point on the 3D display, the viewing cone comprising at least a left view and a right view of a scene. This enables the viewer to see a different image with each eye when positioned accordingly within the viewing cone. Certain autostereoscopic displays, sometimes referred to as automultiscopic displays, provide multiple views of the same scene, rather than only a left and a right view. This allows the viewer to assume multiple positions in the viewing cone, e.g., move left-right in front of the display, while still obtaining a stereoscopic perception of the scene, and also experiencing motion parallax.
Examples of such autostereoscopic displays are described in a paper by C. van Berkel et al. entitled "Multiview 3D—LCD" published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 2653, 1996, pages 32 to 39 and in GB-A-2196166. In these examples the autostereoscopic display comprises a matrix LC (liquid crystal) display panel which has rows and columns of pixels (display elements) and which acts as a spatial light modulator to modulate light from a light source. The display panel may be of the kind used in other display applications, for example computer display screens for presenting display information in two-dimensional form. A lenticular sheet, for example in the form of a molded or machined sheet of polymer material, may overlay the output side of the display panel with its lenticular elements, comprising (semi) cylindrical lens elements, extending in the column direction with each lenticular element being associated with a respective group of two, or more, adjacent columns of display elements and extending in a plane that runs parallel with the display element columns. In an arrangement in which each lenticule is associated with two columns of display elements, the display panel may be driven to display a composite image comprising two 2D sub-images vertically interleaved, with alternate columns of display elements displaying the two images, and the display elements in each column providing a vertical slice of the respective 2D (sub) image. The lenticular sheet directs these two slices, and corresponding slices from the display element columns associated with the other lenticules, to the left and right eyes respectively of a viewer in front of the sheet so that, with the sub-images having appropriate binocular disparity, the viewer may perceive a single stereoscopic image. In other, multi-view, arrangements, in which each lenticule is associated with a group of more than two adjacent display elements in the row direction and corresponding columns of display elements in each group are arranged appropriately to provide a vertical slice from a respective 2-D (sub-) image, then as a viewer's head moves a series of successive, different, stereoscopic views are perceived for creating, for example, a look-around impression.
Autostereoscopic displays of above kind may be used for various applications, for example in home or portable entertainment, medical imaging and computer-aided design (CAD).
Autostereoscopic displays are often said to provide a window on the (virtual) world that is displayed on them. In the case of an autostereoscopic display, the motion parallax provided by such a display may allow the viewer to look around the bezel, assuming the scene is displayed behind the display plane. The latter is often the case in 3D displays to avoid so-called window violations. Since content is often converted from existing content, and distributed in standard resolutions with an aspect ratio that matches the display, such as 16:9, the part of the scene that would become visible by looking around the corner of the bezel is not present in the source video.
One option is to treat this as any de-occlusion would be treated, e.g., by extrapolating or in another manner estimating what would become visible from the available image data, often by repeating background information.
Another option may be to stretch the content relative to the display plane, e.g., horizontally, or both horizontally and vertically, so that the outer edges of the stretched video only become visible when 'looking around the corner'. This principle is conceptually the same as the principle of 'overscan' known from television and broadcast television, and is in the following also simply referred to as overscan.


A drive transmission device includes: a driving member configured to rotate by a first electric current and having an attracting portion configured to generate magnetic force by a second electric current; a driven member having an attracted portion, the attracted portion facing the driving member and configured to be attached to the attracting portion by the magnetic force, so that the driven member integrally rotates with the driving member when the attracting portion is coupled to the attracted portion; and a controller configured to control the first electric current and the second electric current, the controller configured to apply the first electric current and then the second electric current.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a drive transmission technique to transmit a rotational driving force to a rotator in a device such as an image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a medium.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional image forming apparatus, such as a printer, a copy machine, a facsimile machine, or a MFP (Multi-Function Peripheral), configured to form an image on a recording medium, includes a drive transmission device for an image forming unit. The drive transmission device includes: a driven member, which is a drum flange provided at an axial end of a photosensitive drum (image carrier) and having a conical concave gear; a driving member, which is a drive shaft flange provided at an axial end of a drive shaft and having a conical convex gear configured to interlock with the conical concave gear of the drum flange; and a coupling mechanism configured to couple the conical convex gear with the conical concave gear with a biasing member such as a spring to drive the photosensitive drum to rotate with the drive shaft (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 09-134094).

Drive transmission device and image forming apparatus


An image processing device and an image processing method capable of clarifying a specific region, especially a stained region of the cell nucleus, by correcting in consideration of overlap of staining, thereby making discrimination easy, and a pathological diagnosis assistance system using the same are provided. A pathological stained image is decomposed into dye concentration images of respective dyes, dye information on the respective staining dyes are correlated, and the respective dye concentration images are corrected to emphasize a specific region.

Conventionally, in pathological diagnosis, a specimen collected from a patient is observed by a specialist such as a pathologist or a clinical laboratory technologist with a microscope or the like to obtain a guideline for selection of a therapeutic drug or a treatment policy. In such observation, generally, the specimen is stained using a plurality of dyes.
For example, in diagnosis of breast cancer, hematoxylin which selectively stains the cell nucleus and diaminobenzidine (DAB) designed to selectively stain specific proteins closely associated with breast cancer prognosis prediction are combined to stain.
In such pathological diagnosis, in recent years, deep learning which is a kind of machine learning realized by developing a neural network is increasingly applied to pathological diagnosis image analysis.
In such pathological diagnosis, as described above, staining is performed with a plurality of dyes, so that, at the time of presentation of an image of a specimen obtained by an imaging element to an observer, or at the time of learning of a classifier in a machine learning method, it is often decomposed to concentration images of respective dyes using a dye base, and the decomposed image is often corrected to be used.
For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a display method of a digital slide image in which a method of decomposing a captured image into dye concentration images corresponding to respective staining dyes and presenting the same as a single-stained image, or a method of performing a digital emphasizing process for the respective staining dyes and then recombining to present are disclosed.
Note that decomposition (color deconvolution) into the dye concentration images is to perform following arithmetic operation for each pixel of the captured image.
When a matrix consisting of dye bases representing dye-specific absorption contribution to respective channels of RGB of the imaging element is represented by M, a vector C representing an amount of dye contained in a pixel of interest may be estimated based on following equation (A) from a vector y obtained by arranging RGB values converted to an optical concentration (OD).C=M−1[y]  [Equation 1]
M−1 represents an inverse matrix of M. This equation is derived from the Lambert-Beer law which formulates absorption of light by a substance as in following equation (B).I=I0 exp(−Ac)  [Equation 2]
Herein, I0 and I represent intensity of incident light and light intensity after passing through the substance, respectively. A and c represent the amount of dye and an absorption coefficient per unit, respectively.

Image processing device, image processing method, and pathological diagnosis assistance system using same


A vibration display device including a vibration acquisition unit that acquires a vibration state of a distal end section of a robot that is a robot in a simulation or in a real world, the distal end section being moved based on an operation program, and a vibration trajectory drawing unit that draws, on a display device, the vibration state along a trajectory of the distal end section of the robot or that draws, on the display device, the vibration state as the trajectory.

There is a known technique for displaying, on a display device, a trajectory of a distal end of a robot when the robot is moved, together with an image of the robot. Such a technique is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 6385627.
Furthermore, there is a known robot control technique in which a vibration of a robot while being operated is measured by using an acceleration sensor and in which learning is performed so as to bring the measured value close to a target value. Such a technique is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2011-167817.

Vibration display device, operation program creating device, and system


When the density (DO) of the inclusions whose major axis exceeds 5 μm observed in the axis position of a section perpendicular to the axial direction of a forged product is made 70 nos/cm2 or below and the radius of the forged product is made R, the ratio of the density (DR) of the inclusions whose major axis exceeds 5 μm observed in the R/3 position from the axis position toward the radial direction and the density DO satisfies an inequality (1) below.0.5≦DR/DO≦1.50  (1)

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a forged product obtained by hot forging of a steel ingot and a crankshaft obtained using it, particularly to a forged product wherein the dispersion state of inclusions present in steel is controlled.
2. Description of the Related Art
For machinery, a vessel, a generator or the like, a rotary motion part (crankshaft, for example) is used as a member transferring energy of a driving source. The rotary motion part is manufactured using, for example, a forged product obtained by hot forging of a steel ingot manufactured by an ingot-making method, and fatigue properties wherein a fatigue failure hardly occurs even under a severe using environment are required.
With regard to low alloy steel adopted for a crankshaft for a vessel, "Study on fatigue strength properties of high strength crankshaft material", Journal of the JIME, 2001, Vol. 36, No. 6, p. 385-390, describes that (1) an inclusion is liable to become a starting point of a fatigue failure and such tendency becomes conspicuous as the steel is high-strengthened, (2) as the size of inclusions becomes large, fatigue properties lower, (3) steel material containing elongated inclusions is liable to show anisotropy of fatigue strength, and the like. Also it describes that, in order to improve fatigue properties of a forged product, it is effective to make the shape of inclusions spherical and to make the size small.
Incidentally, in order to manufacture a large-size crankshaft used for a vessel or the like, a large-size ingot is naturally required. When a large-size ingot is manufactured by an ingot-making method, a settled crystal zone is formed in the bottom part of the ingot (that means the end part in the gravity direction). The settled crystal means a crystal nucleus of steel formed on the surface of molten steel (boundary face between heat insulating material and oxidation inhibitor and molten steel) during and after molten steel is poured into a mold, molten from its root by molten steel convection within the mold, physically divided, and settled in the molten steel by density difference with the molten steel. While the crystal nucleus settles in the molten steel, a part of inclusions in the molten steel is caught, and inclusions segregate in the bottom part of the steel ingot. Aggregation of the settled crystals and inclusions thus formed is the settled crystal zone. Formation of the settled crystal zone becomes a cause of deterioration of fatigue properties in the bottom part of the steel ingot. The settled crystal zone does not appear in the steel ingot manufactured by a continuous casting method.
As a technology for reducing and inhibiting accumulation of inclusions in the settled crystal zone, Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. S49-35232 discloses that, in manufacturing killed steel by a bottom-pouring method or top-pouring method, the top surface of the molten steel in the mold is to be covered with an early combustion type high-calorie heat insulating agent during pouring of the molten steel or immediately after pouring of the molten steel.
In Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. S59-178153, it is described that, in order that inclusions do not concentrate and remain in the bottom part of a steel ingot, a top part heat insulating material-cum-antioxidant is to be used, the pouring temperature of the molten steel is to be made in the range of the melting point plus 75-100 DEG. C., and 90% or more of the top part heat insulating material-cum-antioxidant is to be added prior to pouring of the molten steel or within 60% or less of the total pouring time.
As described in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application Nos. S49-35232 and S59-178153, in order to inhibit formation of the settled crystal zone, it is effective to heat-insulate the upper part of the steel ingot (which means the end part opposite to the bottom part), however the fatigue strength may possibly vary between the upper part and the bottom part of the steel ingot, and there was a case that a homogenous forged product could not be obtained. Also, when the fatigue strength of an axis position of the steel ingot and the peripheral part apart from the axis position in the radial direction are measured, a difference in the fatigue strength is recognized according to the measuring position.

Forged product and crankshaft manufactured from it


The valve device for exhaust gas feedback in an internal combustion engine comprises a controlled valve (1) whose valve plate (1a) cooperates with a valve seat (2) in a valve housing (7b). The exhaust gas inlet of the valve housing is connected via an exhaust gas feedback pipe (7) to the exhaust gas side of the internal combustion engine and the exhaust gas outlet is connected through a connecting pipe (16) to the induction side of the internal combustion engine. The valve housing is formed by an end section (7b) of the exhaust gas feedback pipe (7) itself and the valve seat (2) is formed by a constriction (8) formed in the end section. The pipe part (9) of the end section (7b) connected to the constriction (8) carries the regulating actuator housing (3). The pipe part (9) is provided at the side with an opening (14) forming the exhaust gas outlet and the connecting pipe (16) is brazed to the pipe part (9) in the region of this opening (14).

In order to reduce the nitrous oxides (NO.sub.x) in the exhaust gases of internal combustion engine it is known to feed back a proportion of the exhaust gas from the exhaust gas side of the internal combustion engine to the induction side of the same. The amount of exhaust gas fed back must however be regulated very accurately in dependence on several factors, such as for example the temperature of the engine (temperature of the coolant), the amount of induced air and the speed of rotation, in order to avoid poor running in the start-up phase and to ensure as high as possible a reduction of the nitrogen oxide proportions during operation. In order to regulate the amount of exhaust gas fed back a valve is provided between the exhaust gas feedback pipe coming from the exhaust manifold and the connecting pipe leading to the induction side of the engine, this valve being controlled by an regulating actuator, e.g. a vacuum-sensitive diaphragm. In order to optimise the amount of exhaust gas fed back an electronic regulator is used, which controls the vacuum acting on the diaphragm in dependence on the aforesaid different parameters and thus controls the valve position of the valve. Such an electronic control (Pressure Drop Feedback Electronics .delta.PFE) comprises a programmed electronic control module, to whose inputs are applied the speed of rotation, coolant temperature and the air throughput. The control module sends a signal to a vacuum regulator which controls the vacuum acting on the diaphragm. The diaphragm opens the valve of the valve device in accordance with the vacuum pressure. A control throttle orifice is provided in the exhaust gas feedback pipe. A transducer compares the pressure obtaining before and after the throttle orifice and sends a feedback signal to the control module. Any deviation in this again effects control of the valve by means of the vacuum regulator and the diaphragm.
In the initially mentioned known valve device a housing consisting of a die casting is provided, having relatively large dimensions and a correspondingly high weight. In order to ensure satisfactory performance of the valve, the valve seat is formed as a separate turned part and is fitted into the cast housing. The exhaust gas feedback pipe is provided with a backnut and a beading retaining the same. The back nut is screwed into a thread on the exhaust gas inlet of the cast housing. The cast housing has a flange on the exhaust gas outlet side, to which the connecting pipe provided with a complementary flange is fixed. The diaphragm housing is fixed to the cast housing by three screws. The manufacture of the cast housing is however relatively expensive, since the valve seat is separately made and has to be fitted into the cast housing. Moreover the thread on the exhaust gas inlet and the flange on the exhaust gas outlet have to be machined. In addition it is necessary to provide the exhaust gas feedback pipe with a back nut and the beading and to provide the connecting pipe with a complementary flange. The cast housing is also relatively large and heavy. On account of the large mass stable brackets, which are thus also expensive to manufacture and heavy, are needed to fix it. Since the angular position of an inlet bend provided on the cast housing is fixed relative to the flange provided on the exhaust gas outlet and cannot be altered, different cast housings are mostly required for different engine types, which additionally increases the manufacturing costs. In all the assembly costs are relatively large, since the valve seat must be pressed into the cast housing and the screwing of the exhaust gas feedback pipe and connecting pipe to the cast housing require a corresponding expenditure of time.

Valve device for exhaust gas feedback in an internal combustion engine


A Christmas decoration assembly includes a plurality of parts overlapped to each other and each part is composed of rods. The parts have first connection devices on lower edges thereof and a second connection device on an upper edge thereof. The first and second connection devices connect the parts to each other. Each part includes rings connected thereto so as to position bulbs and a plurality of wires are wrapped to the parts and plastic beads or ribbons are attached to the wires.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Christmas decoration assembly that can be quickly assembled by connection devices.
2. The Prior Arts
Most of the Christmas decoration assemblies are composed of different parts which are connected with each other by wires so that when assembling the Christmas decoration assemblies, the assemblers need some hand tools to tie the wires and the operation of the hand tools takes a lot of time especially when some assemblers cannot operate the hand tools properly. The parts are then connected with bulbs and/or ribbons. The bulbs usually are connected with an electric cable which needs to be well positioned on the parts of the Christmas decoration assembly and the Christmas decoration assemblies existed in the market do not provide proper positioning device to position the electric cables and/or bulbs. As shown in FIG. 8, the Christmas decoration assembly includes a hat part 10a, a head part 20a and a body part which is composed of an upper part 30a and a lower part 40a. These parts 10a, 20a, 30a and 40a are connected with each other by clamping devices. Each part has an electric cable 50a with bulbs and ribbons (not shown).
Nevertheless, the clamping devices are simply attached to the parts and no further positioning means are used to position the clamping devices so that the clamping devices easily drop from the parts by any unintentional impacts. Once the clamping devices fail to connect the parts, the electric cables might be tangled and pulled to more damage to the Christmas decoration assembly.
The present invention intends to provide a Christmas decoration assembly that can be quickly assembled by the connection devices and the bulbs are well positioned in each part of the Christmas decoration assembly.


Techniques and systems are disclosed for implementing textile-based screen-printed amperometric or potentiometric sensors. The chemical sensor can include carbon based electrodes to detect at least one of NADH, hydrogen peroxide, potassium ferrocyanide, TNT or DNT, in liquid or vapor phase. In one application, underwater presence of chemicals such as heavy metals and explosives is detected using the textile-based sensors.

This application relates to devices and techniques that use electrochemical technologies, including sensors printable on textile.
Various healthcare monitoring systems are available for home-based or personal management of healthcare. Efforts in this direction commonly incorporate physical sensors into clothing for monitoring of vital signs. Little attention has been given to wearable chemical sensors despite the fact that electrochemical sensing devices are ideally suited for meeting the requirements of on-body physiological monitoring.

Textile-based printable electrodes for electrochemical sensing

The Regents of the University of California


The present invention provides an image acquisition and viewing system that employs a fish-eye lens and an imager, such as, a CCD array, to obtain a wide angle image, e.g., an image of a hemispherical field of view. The system of the invention further includes a primary display for displaying the image, and a secondary display for presenting a perspective-corrected view of a selected portion of the image. A processor effects correction of a selected portion of the image for distortions introduced by the fish-eye lens by utilizing methods according to the teachings of the invention. The processor further effects the display of the image and its perspective-corrected portion thereof on the primary and the secondary displays, respectively. Moreover, the processor effects the display of a graphical object on the first display to delineate the portion that is presented on the secondary display. This allows a viewer to view simultaneously the image and the perspective-corrected portion, thereby gleaning information regarding the context of the perspective-corrected portion within the entire image while viewing it.

The present invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for generating a perspective corrected view of a portion of a wide angle image acquired, for example, by utilizing a fish-eye lens. More particularly, the invention provides methods and apparatus for linking the wide angle image and a perspective-corrected view of a portion of that image.
Imaging systems that utilize fish-eye lenses are known in the art. A fish-eye lens captures an image corresponding to a hemispherical, or a partially hemispherical, field of view. That is, fish-eye lenses allow imaging much-enhanced angular views relative to views obtainable by ordinary camera lenses. An image obtained by a fish-eye lens, however, contains radial distortions that need to be rectified to allow convenient viewing.
Methods and devices for selecting and undistorting a portion of a fish-eye image are also known. Such conventional methods and devices, however, suffer from a number of limitations. For example, although such conventional devices present an undistorted view of a portion of a fish-eye image, they do not allow a viewer to observe simultaneously the relation of the undistorted view to the entire image using a single imaging device. In other words, such conventional devices do not allow a viewer to observe simultaneously an undistorted view of a portion of a fish-eye image, and the remainder of that image, albeit with distortions introduced by the fish-eye lens present.
Moreover, conventional methods for undistorting a portion of a fish-eye image have a number of shortcomings. Such conventional methods can only be utilized for removing distortions from image portions corresponding to a small field of view. For example, these methods break down completely when applied to image portions corresponding to fields of view of tens of degrees, resulting in smeared images. Such limited viewing angles provided by conventional methods diminish considerably the benefits of panoramic observation of a scene.
Accordingly, there is a need for methods and apparatus for acquiring and viewing a fish-eye image that provide canonical undistortion capability, and afford enhanced flexibility for viewing portions of the fish-eye image throughout the full 180-degree field of view while compensating for distortions introduced by the fish-eye lens.
Further, there is a need for methods and apparatus which allow readily selecting a portion of a fish-eye image, generating a perspective-corrected view of the selected portion at a desired magnification without losing the benefits of panoramic aspects of viewing a scene provided by the fish-eye lens.

Panoramic imaging and display system with canonical magnifier


A multiangular pen comprising a multiangular pen nib; a pen core having holder pieces fitted the surface of the pen nib and a rod-like connector formed integral to the base end of the holder pieces, said pen core being made by tamping and molding a fibers material, having liquid permeability and serving to hold the pen nib with its holder pieces fitted the surface of the pen nib; and a penholder for housing a pen nib assembly of the pen nib and the pen core; wherein the body of said pen core is inserted into the ink holding member.

1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to a multiangular pen excellent in rigidity and durability and easily manufactured.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
In order to overcome the disadvantage that writing can be done only in one angular direction when the conventional writing means having a piece of pen nib is used, there has been proposed a multiangular pen comprising plural pen nib pieces (or three pen nib pieces, for example) each having substantially same construction as that of the conventional pen nib and said pen nib pieces being bonded back-to-back to one another to enable writing to be done in all directions.
The conventional one of these multiangular pens is disclosed by U.S Pat. No. 4,465,391, for example. This multiangular pen comprises a pen nib having a trunk extending in the longitudinal center axis and projections radially and outwardly projected from the trunk with a certain angular interval of about 120.degree. interposed between the projections, and a pen core closely contacted with the outer surface of the pen nib to hold the latter.
In the case of this pen nib assembly, however, it must be arranged that the pen core is made of synthetic resin and that fine ink passages which allow ink to flow to the front end of the pen nib due to the capillarity are formed at the barrel portion of the pen core. This takes a long time and makes the process difficult.
Holder pieces which are intended to closely contact with the outer surface of the pen nib must be shaped to meet the pen nib and this asks accuracy in the manufacturing process.
The pen nib is fitted into a holder at the front end of the pen core and supported by this holder. Depending upon force added to the pen nib, therefore, it happens that the holder is bent and deformed to make the pen nib unsteady.


A photoconductor for electrophotography including a conductive substrate, an undercoat layer provided on the conductive substrate, and a photosensitive layer provided on the undercoat layer and a manufacturing method thereof. The undercoat layer contains metallic oxide fine particles and is formed by applying a coating liquid for the undercoat layer onto the conductive substrate. The coating liquid contains an organic solvent having a boiling point at 1xc3x97105Pa of about 160xc2x0 C. or less and a viscosity at 20xc2x0 C. of about 3.0 mPa.s or more. This improves dispersion stability of metal oxide fine particles in the coating liquid to realize a uniform undercoat layer and, in turn, provides the photoconductor with uniform electrophotographic characteristics, in particular, with uniform image characteristics and external appearance characteristics.

This application is related to, and claims priority to, Japanese Application No. JP 2001-337832 filed Nov. 2, 2001, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photoconductor for electrophotography (hereinafter also referred to simply as xe2x80x9cphotoconductorxe2x80x9d) and a manufacturing method thereof. The invention more particularly relates to a layered or a single layer photoconductor having a photosensitive layer containing an organic material, and a manufacturing method thereof. The photoconductor of the invention is used in devices such as an electrophotographic printer, an electrophotographic copying machine, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
A photoconductor has a structure in which a photosensitive layer having photoconductivity is layered on a conductive substrate. Prevailing photoconductors may be classified as single layer and layered. The single layer photoconductor has a single photoconductive layer with combined functions of charge generation and charge transport. The layered photoconductor has photoconductive layers functionally separated into a layer contributing charge generation and a layer contributing surface charge holding and charge transport. Further, in recent years, a photoconductor using organic material has been brought into practical use because of advantages of having excellent thermal stability and film formability. In such photoconductors, however, it is difficult to form mechanically stable photosensitive layers with only functional material performing charge generation and charge transport. Therefore, photosensitive layers are normally formed with resin binders and used together to form the photoconductors.
A photoconductor that has recently become mainstream is the layered photoconductor in which a charge generation layer including a charge generation material, and a charge transport layer including a charge transport material, are used. In particular, in the negative charging photoconductor, the charge generation layer is formed with organic pigments vapor deposited or dispersed in resin binder. Also, the charge transport layer includes particles of an organic low-molecular-weight compound having charge transporting properties that are dispersed in resin binder as charge transport material. In addition, in a positively charged photoconductor, a single photosensitive layer is used with charge generation material and charge generation material dispersed in resin binder.
Furthermore, to enhance the quality of printed images, an undercoat layer is generally provided between the conductive substrate and the charge generation layer or the photosensitive layer. In particular, when a photoconductor is applied to a Carson process electrophotographic device, the undercoat layer is provided under the charge generation layer or the photosensitive layer to prevent defects such as black spots and white spots from being produced on a printed image.
The undercoat layer is formed of materials such as casein, polyamide resin, polyvinyl butyral resin, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, acrylic resin, polyvinyl chloride resin, polyvinyl acetate resin, polyvinyl formal resin, polyurethane resin, epoxy resin, phenoxy resin, polyester resin, melamine resin, and silicone resin.
To prevent interference by laser exposure light and provide conductivity for the undercoat layer, dispersed in a resin of the undercoat layer are metal oxide fine particles, resin particles insoluble in a solvent of coating liquid for the undercoat layer (hereinafter simply referred to as xe2x80x9ccoating liquidxe2x80x9d), or particles for which those resin particles are surface treated.
The metal oxide fine particle, however, has a larger specific gravity compared with that of the resin binder used in the undercoat layer. Thus, the particles are easily sedimented or separated in the coating liquid for the undercoat layer. This tends to cause nonuniformity in characteristics and nonuniformity in external appearance of the undercoat layer when the undercoat layer is formed. Therefore, for obtaining uniformity of the coating liquid for the undercoat layer, dispersion stability in the coating liquid is required for the metal oxide fine particles.
Several methods have been proposed to deal with this problem. Such methods include, for example, a dip coating method for an electrophotographic photoconductor using a solvent having specified boiling point and viscosity (see Japanese patent application JP-A-4-352159); a manufacturing method of an electrophotographic photoconductor using metal oxide fine particles surface treated by a specified coupling agent, a binder resin, and a coating liquid for an undercoating containing a specified organic solvent (see Japanese patent application JP-A-10-148959); and a coating liquid for manufacturing an electrophotographic photoconductor using a combination of a specific binder resin, titanium oxide particles, and a solvent (see Japanese patent application JP-A-2000-258941). However, none of these methods sufficiently satisfies the currently required level of dispersion stability of metal oxide fine particles. Thus, a photoconductor has been desired that provides excellent uniformity in a coating liquid for an undercoat layer without producing a poor image due to the coating liquid.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to achieve a uniform undercoat layer by improving dispersion stability of metal oxide fine particles in a coating liquid for the undercoat layer of a photoconductor for electrophotography, and a manufacturing method thereof. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a photoconductor for electrophotography with uniform electrophotographic characteristics, in particular, with uniform image characteristics and external appearance characteristics.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows, and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
Dispersion stability of the coating liquid can be improved by bringing a boiling point and a viscosity of an organic solvent used for the coating liquid for the undercoat layer within a specified range. Such an organic solvent can eliminate nonuniformity in photosensitive characteristics and external appearance characteristics of the obtained photoconductor to obtain an excellent photoconductor having uniform characteristics.
To achieve the above and other objects according to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a photoconductor having a conductive substrate, an undercoat layer provided on the conductive substrate, and a photosensitive layer provided on the undercoat layer. The undercoat layer contains metallic oxide fine particles and is formed by applying a coating liquid for the undercoat layer onto the conductive substrate. The coating liquid for the undercoat layer contains an organic solvent having a boiling point at 1xc3x97105 Pa of about 160xc2x0 C. or less and a viscosity at 20xc2x0 C. of about 3.0 mPa.s or more.
The photosensitive layer can be either a layered type, formed with a charge generation layer and a charge transport layer, or a single layer type, which is formed in a single layer and contains a charge generation material and a charge transport material.
The organic solvent is an alcohol solvent having 4 or more carbon atoms or, alternatively, an alcohol solvent having 4 or more carbon atoms with a branch structure.
To achieve the above and other objects according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a photoconductor including applying a coating liquid onto a conductive substrate to form an undercoat layer. The coating liquid contains metallic oxide fine particles and an organic solvent, and the organic solvent has a boiling point at 1xc3x97105 Pa of about 160xc2x0 C. or less and a viscosity at 20xc2x0 C. of about 3.0 mPa.s or more.

Photoconductor for electrophotography and manufacturing method thereof