Disclosed herein is a battery pack locking apparatus for mobile communication terminals that is capable of detachably locking a battery pack to a terminal body of a mobile communication terminal. The battery pack locking apparatus includes a mounting groove formed at a prescribed position of the rear casing frame, a push locker unit mounted in the mounting groove such that the push locker unit can be moved toward the front and the rear of the terminal body when the push locker unit is pushed, a slide locker unit coupled with the push locker unit at the lower part of the push locker unit such that the slide locker unit can be slid toward the upper and lower ends of the terminal body, as the push locker unit is moved toward the front and the rear of the terminal body, for locking the battery pack to the battery pack locking space or popping the battery pack out of the battery pack locking space when the battery pack is unlocked from the battery pack locking space, and a coil spring mounted to the slide locker unit for providing an elastic force so that the push locker unit is moved toward the front and the rear of the terminal body and the slide locker unit is slid toward the upper and lower ends of the terminal body.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a battery pack locking apparatus for mobile communication terminals, and more particularly to an apparatus that is capable of detachably locking a battery pack to a terminal body of a mobile communication terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a battery pack 10, which serves to supply electric power to a mobile communication terminal, is detachably locked to the rear part of a terminal body 1 of the mobile communication terminal, as shown in FIG. 1. The battery pack 10 is locked to or detached from the terminal body 1 by means of a battery pack locking apparatus 20 mounted to the terminal body 1.
The battery pack 10 may be locked to the rear part of the terminal body 1 through the use of a slide-type locking mechanism for slidably locking pack 10 to the rear part of the terminal body 1 by means of guide ribs and a latching member, so that the battery pack 10 is pushed toward the terminal body 1 until the battery pack 10 is completely locked to the terminal body 1.
The battery pack 10 is typically provided at front and rear parts of the lower end thereof with electric contacts (not shown) such that at least one pair of the electric contacts are exposed. The electric contacts provided on the front surface of the battery pack 10 contact electric contacts (not shown) formed on an electric charger when the battery pack 10 is to be charged while the electric contacts provided at the rear part of the battery pack 10 contact electric contacts (not shown) formed on the rear surface of the terminal body 1.
As shown in FIG. 1, the battery pack 10 is detachably locked to the rear part of the terminal body 1 by means of the conventional battery pack locking apparatus 20 mounted to the terminal body 1, specifically to a rear casing frame 1a of the terminal body 1.
The terminal body 1 is provided with a battery pack space 1b formed at the rear casing frame la. At one end of the battery pack space 1b is formed electric contacts (not shown). At a prescribed position of the rear casing frame 1a adjacent to the other end of the battery pack locking space 1b is formed a mounting groove 1c, in which the battery pack apparatus 10 is mounted for locking the battery pack 10 to the terminal body 1.
When the battery pack 10 constructed as described above is to be locked to the terminal body 1, the battery pack 10 is fitted into the battery pack space 1b of the terminal body 1. At this time, lockers 21 of the battery pack locking apparatus 20 are engaged into an engaging groove 11 formed at the battery pack 10 (See FIG. 2). Consequently, the battery pack 10 is securely locked to the terminal body 1 by means of the lockers 21.
When the battery pack 10 is to be detached from the terminal body 1, the lockers 21 are pulled toward the upper end of the terminal body 1, by sliding the lockers away from the battery pack. As a result, the lockers 21 are disengaged from the engaging groove 11 of the battery pack 10, and therefore the battery pack 10 may be detached from the terminal body 1.
The mounting groove 1c has a sufficient space defined therein so that the lockers 21 can be slid toward the upper and lower ends of the terminal body 1.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the construction of the conventional battery pack locking apparatus for mobile communication terminals shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the conventional battery pack locking apparatus 20 includes two guide ribs 23, which are mounted to the rear casing frame 1a to guide the guide ribs 23 toward the front and the rear of the terminal body 1.
At one end of each guide rib 23 is formed a hooking member 23a, which is by means of a corresponding catching protrusion 2 formed on the rear casing frame 1a. Consequently, separation of the lockers 21 from the engaging groove 11 of the battery pack 10 is effectively prevented during a sliding movement of the lockers 21 toward the upper/lower end of the terminal body 1 once the lockers 21 are engaged into the engaging groove 11. The battery pack locking apparatus 20 further includes an elastic member, such as a spring 30, for providing a prescribed elastic force to the lockers 21. The spring 30 presses against the lockers while being supported by means of the rear casing frame 1a.
With the conventional battery pack locking apparatus for mobile communication terminals, however, it is necessary that a sufficient space be provided in the mounting groove, in which the lockers can be slid toward the upper and lower ends of the terminal body. As a result, the size of the terminal body of the mobile communication terminal is increased, and the external appearance of the mobile communication terminal is poor. As a further result, the structure of the battery pack locking apparatus is very complicated, which deteriorates productivity and reliability of the battery pack locking apparatus. The space groove must also be kept clear of debris.
Also, it is necessary that the lockers be pulled toward the upper end of the terminal body while the lockers are pressed by means of a fingernail of a user when the battery pack is to be detached from the terminal body. As a result, the fingernail of the user may be injured.

Battery pack locking apparatus for mobile communication terminals


A material which is suitable for equipment in oilfield technology and a process for making the material. The material consist essentially of C, Si, Mn, Cr, Mo, Ni, Cu, N in certain weight percentages, with the balance iron and contaminants due to manufacture. The material is hot formed in a condition free of nitride precipitates and without precipitated associated phases. After a cooling, it is cold formed in a condition free of ferrites. The material has certain values of relative magnetic permeability, yield strength (Rp0.2), notched impact strength, fatigue strength under reversed stresses, and fracture appearance transition temperature.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a material with a high corrosion resistance in media with a high chloride concentration, suitable for equipment in oilfield technology, in particular for drilling line components, comprising the elements carbon (C), silicon (Si), manganese (Mn), chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), nitrogen (N), iron (Fe) and contaminants due to manufacture, which material is hot formed and, after cooling, is cold formed.
2. Discussion of Background Information
Corrosion resistant materials which show paramagnetic behavior and feature a high degree of strength, can be used for equipment in oil field technology, particularly for drilling line components. However, higher demands are always being made on the parts and stricter standards are always being set for the materials.
In order to be able to conduct directional measurements during the sinking or boring of a drill-hole with the necessary precision, the material must have a permeability of less than 1.005.
A high mechanical strength, in particular a high 0.2% elongation value, is necessary in view of an advantageous design in terms of industrial engineering and of high operational safety of the parts, because it is intended to stress same up to the limiting values of the respective material load capacity, and because increasingly large drilling depths are required. Furthermore, a notched impact strength of the material is important, because the parts often have to withstand high stresses in the form of impacts or shocks.
A high fatigue strength under reversed stresses is important in many cases, in particular for drilling line parts and drill stems, because increasing or changing stresses can be present during a rotation of the parts or of the drill stems, respectively.
The parts are often installed or used at low temperatures so that the fracture appearance transition temperature (FATT) of the material also plays an important role.
The corrosion behavior for parts used in oilfield technology is of crucial importance, that is, on the one hand stress corrosion cracking (SCC) and on the other pitting corrosion (pitting, CPT).
As shown by the above statements, materials which have a high degree of corrosion resistance in media with a high chloride concentration and are suitable for equipment in oilfield technology are simultaneously exposed to a plurality of high stresses.
The object of the invention is to provide a paramagnetic material with a high yield strength, high notched impact strength and high fatigue strength under reversed stresses as well as a low fracture appearance transition temperature, which at the same time is corrosion-resistant, in particular resistant to pitting, in chloride-containing media.
This object is attained with a material of the type mentioned at the outset by this consisting essentially of the elements in percent by weight
and contaminants due to manufacture, which material is hot formed in a condition free of nitride precipitates and without precipitated associated phases and, after a cooling, cold formed in a condition free of ferrites, and having
a permeability of less than 1.0048
a yield strength (Rp0 2) of more than 710 N/mm2
a notched impact strength of over 60 J
a fatigue strength under reversed stresses of more than xc2x1310 N/mm2
at N=107 load reversal and
a fracture appearance transition temperature of less than xe2x88x9228xc2x0 C. (FATT).
Accordingly, the present invention provides a material which is suitable for equipment in oilfield technology. This material consists essentially of the following elements, in percent by weight, xe2x89xa60.03 C; xe2x89xa60.89 Si; 0.51 to 4.49 Mn; 25.1 to 38.9 Cr; 2.1 to 5.9 Mo; 22.9 to 38.9 Ni; 0.51 to 1.49 Cu; and 0.17 to 0.29 N, with the balance iron and contaminants due to manufacture. The material is hot formed in a condition free of nitride precipitates and without precipitated associated phases. Moreover, after a cooling, the material is cold formed in a condition free of ferrites. The material has a relative magnetic permeability of less than 1.0048 xcexcr, a yield strength (Rp0.2) of higher than 710 N/mm2, a notched impact strength of higher than 60 J, a fatigue strength under reversed stresses of at least xc2x1310 N/mm2 at N=107 load reversal, and a fracture appearance transition temperature (FATT) of below xe2x88x9228xc2x0 C.
In one aspect, the material contains any of the elements in the following weight percentages: Cxe2x89xa60.02, e.g., 0.01 to 0.02; Sixe2x89xa60.75, e.g., 0.20 to 0.70; Mn 1.1 to 2.9, e.g., 2.01 to 2.6; Cr 26.1 to 27.9, e.g., 26.5 to 27.5 ;Mo 2.9 to 5.9, e.g., 3.2 to 3.8; Ni 27.9 to 32.5, e.g., 30.9 to 32.1; Cu 0.98 to 1.45, e.g., 1.0 to 1.4; and N 0.175 to 0.29, e.g., 0.18 to 0.22.
In another aspect, the material is hot formed at least 3.6-fold and/or cold formed with a degree of forming of less than 38%, e.g., 6 to 19%. In the case of cold forming, the forming temperature may be from 100 to 590xc2x0 C., e.g., from 360 to 490xc2x0 C. For example, the material may be hot formed at least 3.6-fold and cold formed with a degree of forming of 6 to 19% at a temperature ranging from 360 to 490xc2x0 C.
In another aspect, the material has a pitting potential in a neutral solution at room temperature of more than 1,100 mVH/1,000 ppm chlorides and/or more than 1,000
The present invention also provides a drilling line component and a drill stem comprising the above material.
A further aspect of the present invention is represented by a process for making a material suitable for equipment in oilfield technology and having a relative magnetic permeability of less than 1.0048 xcexcr, a yield strength (Rp0.2) of higher than 710 N/mm2, a notched impact strength of higher than 60 J, a fatigue strength under reversed stresses of at least xc2x1310 N/mm2 at N=107 load reversal and a fracture appearance transition temperature (FATT) of below xe2x88x9228xc2x0 C. The process comprises hot forming a material which consists essentially of, in percent by weight, xe2x89xa60.03 C; xe2x89xa60.89 Si; 0.51 to 4.49 Mn; 25.1 to 38.9 Cr; 2.1 to 5.9 Mo; 22.9 to 38.9 Ni; 0.51 to 1.49 Cu; and 0.17 to 0.29 N, with the balance iron and contaminants due to manufacture, in a condition free of nitride precipitates and without precipitated associated phases and, after a cooling, cold forming the material in a condition free of ferrites.
In one aspect, the material contains any of the elements in the following weight percentages: Cxe2x89xa60.02, e.g., 0.01 to 0.02; Sixe2x89xa60.75, e.g., 0.20 to 0.70; Mn 1.1 to 2.9, e.g., 2.01 to 2.6; Cr26.1 to 27.9, e.g., 26.5 to 27.5;Mo 2.9 to 5.9, e.g., 3.2 to 3.8; Ni 27.9 to 32.5, e.g., 30.9 to 32.1; Cu 0.98 to 1.45, e.g., 1.0 to 1.4; and N 0.175 to 0.29, e.g., 0.18 to 0.22.
In another aspect, the process comprises hot forming the material at least 3.6-fold and/or cold forming it with a degree of forming of less than 38%, e.g., 6 to 19%. In the case of cold forming, the forming temperature may be from 100 to 590xc2x0 C., e.g., from 360 to 490xc2x0 C. For example, the material may be hot formed at least 3.6-fold and cold formed with a degree of forming of 6 to 19% at a temperature ranging from 360 to 490xc2x0 C.
The advantages achieved by the invention lie in particular in the alloying technology effect of a balanced nitrogen concentration. Surprisingly, it was found that a particularly high output can be achieved in the manufacture of parts. Although there cannot be any nitride precipitates with a hot forming, the forming property of the material at a varying forging temperature is abruptly impaired at contents of over 0.29 percent by weight nitrogen. In the narrow concentration range of 0.17 to 0.29 percent by weight N a precipitation of associated phases can also be easily prevented if the other alloying elements are present in the provided content ranges. Nitrogen, nickel and molybdenum thereby also synergistically produce an extremely high resistance to pitting.
At 0.03 percent by weight, the carbon content of the alloy has an upper limit for corrosion chemistry reasons, with a further reduction thereof increasing the corrosion resistance of the material, in particular pitting and stress corrosion cracking.
The silicon content in the material according to the invention should not exceed 0.89 percent by weight for corrosion chemistry reasons and in particular because of the low magnetic permeability.
The nitrogen solubility of the alloy and the austenite stabilization are promoted by manganese. However, to prevent pitting, the manganese contents must have an upper limit of 4.49 percent by weight with nickel being added to the alloy instead. A minimum content of 0.51 percent by weight manganese is necessary for an effective sulfur binding.
One of the particularly important alloying elements with regard to corrosion resistance is chromium, because chromium is the basis for forming a passive layer on the surface of the parts. Contents of at least 25.1 percent by weight Cr are necessary in synergistic effect with the other alloying elements, in particular Mo and N, in order to largely prevent a possible piercing of this layer in places. With contents higher than 38.9 percent by weight the danger of a precipitation of intermetallic phases increases.
Although the alloying element molybdenum is extremely important for a resistance of the material to crevice and pitting corrosion, the content should not exceed 5.9 percent by weight, because then there is a sudden increased tendency to form associated phases. Contents lower than 2.1 percent by weight impair the corrosion behavior of the material disproportionally.
The alloying element nickel is important in the provided concentrations for stabilizing the cubic face-centered atomic lattice, thus for low permeability, and interacting with chromium and molybdenum it is effective for avoiding pitting corrosion. Up to 38.9 percent by weight, the toughness, the FATT and the fatigue strength under reversed stresses are advantageously increased. If it falls below 22.9 percent by weight, the stabilizing effect regarding corrosion, in particular stress corrosion cracking, is reduced to an increasing extent in chloride-containing media and with respect to the magnetic values in cold working; thus there is an increased tendency to form zones with strain-induced martensite.
A copper content within the limits of the alloy is also provided to increase corrosion resistance, even though the effect of this element has occasionally been questioned.
As mentioned earlier, the nitrogen content is synergistically adapted to the remainder of the alloy composition. This content of 0.17 to 0.29 percent by weight has the further advantage that a block can be left to solidify under atmospheric pressure without gas bubbles being formed therein by exceeding the solubility limit during solidification.
The magnetic, the mechanical and in particular the corrosion resistance values of the material can be set at a particularly high level, if it consists essentially of the elements in percent by weight:
High mechanical property values at a relative magnetic permeability of 1.004 and below are achieved when the material is hot formed at least 3.6-fold in a condition free of precipitates and is cold formed at a temperature of 100 to 590xc2x0 C., preferably 360 to 490xc2x0 C., with a degree of forming of less than 38%, preferably 6 to 19%. According to the invention the material features a pitting corrosion potential in a neutral solution at room temperature of more than 1,100 mVH/1,000 ppm chlorides and/or 1,000 mVH/80,000 ppm chlorides.

Choeller-Bleckmann Oilfield Technology GmbH and Co. KG


Methods and systems are disclosed for structuring and using information pertinent to in vivo biomarkers, specifically quantitative imaging biomarkers, using semantic web technology for personalized medicine and discovery science. It supports the development and application of statistical evidence at a level of granularity and sophistication more closely tied to the complexity of the disease itself and its underlying biology, including technology linking multiple biological scales, than has previously been eedisclosed. It provides data and computational services to analyze quantitative imaging and non-imaging data, coupled with multi-scale modeling to elucidate pre-symptomatic and clinical disease processes. It may be used to assess technical or analytical performance for its own sake and/or to further annotate the quantitative analysis. It supports statistical hypothesis testing to determine and present analytical performance, determine the clinical relevance and establish to what extent a biomarker is causally rather than coincidentally related in clinical contexts of use.

These teachings relate generally to methods and systems for making image-derived information available to enable analyses with semantic annotations accessible using semantic web technology for personalized medicine and discovery science.
Despite high levels of diagnostician competency levels, accurate assessment of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other disease categories often rely on relatively simple observations as standard of care. From its inception, imaging has allowed visualization of the in vivo characteristics of disease. Increasingly incisive clinical insights are possible and image analysis methods are continuously developed to implement them, yet the increasing capability requires ever more sophisticated computational techniques to exploit.
Imaging, particularly with safe and non-invasive methods, represents the most powerful methods for locating the disease origin, capturing its detailed pathology, directing therapy, and monitoring progression to health. Imaging is also an extremely valuable and low cost method to mitigate human and financial costs by allowing for appropriate early interventions that are both less expensive and disruptive.
Quantitative imaging techniques are developed for use in the clinical care of patients and in the conduct of clinical trials. In clinical practice, quantitative imaging may be used to detect and characterize disease before, during, and after a course of therapy, and used to predict the course of disease.
Quantitative imaging assessment of phenotype implemented in an architecture which proactively optimizes interoperability with modern clinical IT systems provides power to the clinician as they manage their patients across the continuum of disease severity for improved patient classification across surgical, medical, and surveillance pathways. More timely and accurate assessments yield improved outcomes and more efficient use of health care resources, benefits that far outweigh the cost of the tool—at a level of granularity and sophistication closer to the complexity of the disease itself rather than holding the assumption that it can be simplified to a level which belies the underlying biology.
With newer high resolution imaging techniques, unaided, the radiologist would "drown" in data. Integrating quantitative imaging for individual patient management will require a new class of decision support informatics tools to fully exploit the capabilities of these new tools within the realities of existing work flows.
Ex vivo biomarkers (e.g., genomic, proteomic, etc.) as well as in vivo biomarkers (e.g., imaging) are of particular interest in drug development for their potential to accelerate the drug development pipeline. Various collaborative efforts have been established to coordinate efforts in biomarker discovery and development. On the material side, numerous biobanks (e.g., Karolinska Institute Biobank, British Columbia BioLibrary) store patient tissue and fluid samples that can later be allotted for ex vivo biomarker research. In addition to biological samples, probes and tracers can also be banked. The Radiotracer Clearinghouse has been developed to broker the sharing of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Single Positron Emission Computed Tomography radiotracers between stakeholders for in vivo biomarker research. On the information side, various databases store information on ex vivo biomarkers (e.g., Early Detection Research Network Biomarker Database, Infectious Disease Biomarker Database). However, information resources for in vivo biomarkers, specifically quantitative imaging biomarkers, are notably lacking.
Quantitative imaging techniques also have potential applications in translational research. In clinical research, quantitative imaging biomarkers are used to define endpoints of clinical trials. There is a large and growing body of knowledge at the molecular/cellular and organism level enabling quantitative imaging techniques in computer-aided detection, diagnosis, and targeted therapies. Technology linking these levels through the analysis of quantitative imaging and non-imaging data, coupled with multi-scale modeling elucidates both pre-symptomatic and clinical disease processes. Although there is great value in application of quantitative imaging techniques in translational research, few technologies facilitate bridging the two bodies of knowledge; at the molecular/cellular level and at the organism level.
Statistical hypothesis testing is usually stated along with a characterization of variability under defined scenarios. Determining the clinical relevance of a quantitative imaging readout is a difficult problem. It is important to establish to what extent a biomarker reading is an intermediate endpoint capable of being measured prior to a definitive endpoint that is causally rather than coincidentally related. A logical and mathematical framework is needed to establish how extant study data may be used to establish performance in contexts that have not been explicitly tested.
However, existing capabilities only rarely relate the logical world of ontology development with the biostatistical analyses that characterize performance. In general, existing tools do not permit the extrapolation of statistical validation results along arbitrary ontology hierarchies. Despite decades of using statistical validation approaches, there is no methodology to formally represent the generalizability of a validation activity.

Methods and systems for representing, storing, and accessing computable medical imaging-derived quantities


A flexible design of a transmission system for a magnetic resonance tomography apparatus has multiple radio-frequency control units, connectors that are connected to the radio-frequency control units, a unit to which at least one first connector is connected, which connector is also connected to a first radio-frequency control unit of the radio-frequency control units. The unit is connected via a connector to only some—in particular only one—of the radio-frequency control units. One of these few radio-frequency control units is connected to an additional radio-frequency control unit via an additional connector.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a transmission system for a magnetic resonance tomography apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Magnetic resonance apparatuses, in particular for the examination of patients via magnetic resonance tomography, are generally known (for example from DE10314215B4).
Modern magnetic resonance systems (also called MR or MRT) normally operate with multiple different antennas (also called coils in the following) to emit radio-frequency pulses for nuclear magnetic resonance excitation and/or to receive induced magnetic resonance signals. A magnetic resonance system often has a larger coil (known as a whole-body coil, also called a body coil) that is normally permanently installed in the apparatus, as well as multiple small surface coils (also called local coils). In contrast to the whole-body coil, surface coils serve to acquire detailed images of body parts or organs of a patient that are located relatively close to the body surface. The controller of the transmission coils of an MRT is also designated as the transmission system of the MRT.
A transmission system in which a central unit 1 transfers data or clock pulses to the plurality of modulators or, respectively, radio-frequency control units 2 that are used (as is also similarly shown in FIG. 2 of this application) is respectively known from DE 10124465A1 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,969,992. It is common to these proposals that at least one central unit 1 (the unit 106 in DE 10124465A1 or the unit 105 in U.S. Pat. No. 6,969,992) transfers data or clock pulses to the plurality of modulators or, respectively, radio-frequency control units 2 that are used.
Given a previously unconsidered, retroactive, marked increase of the number of transmission channels or RF control units, in arrangements that have previously been used internally it has been achieved (for example) that the central unit could be replaced by a unit with a higher number of output signal connections.

Scalable multichannel transmitter system for an MR transmission array


A method, device and software are disclosed which permit testing of both the optical portion and the electrical portion of an imaging device in a live bug configuration. Once an automated handler has positioned the device to be tested, the optical sensor on the image device is illuminated with electromagnetic radiation and electrical test signals are provided through the electrical pins on the integrated circuit package. These electrical and optical tests can be performed in sequence or simultaneously. The automated handler does not need to reposition or disengage from the device under test until both the electrical and optical tests are completed.

The present invention relates generally to testing a device using an automated tester, and more particularly to testing both the electrical and optical portions of the device.
Imaging devices are used in many of today""s consumer electronic products, as well as in various commercial and government applications. These imaging devices must be made as small as possible to facilitate use in portable products such as hand-held video recorders and the like. In order to make these imaging devices as small as possible, it is often desirable to include an optical sensor in the same package with associated electronic circuitry. Such an imaging device is shown in prior art FIG. 1.
In order to test an imaging device using an automated handler, for example an integrated circuit handler, the imaging device, for example imaging device 100, is normally positioned with electrical leads 102 pointing toward the test hardware such as is illustrated in orientation 111 of FIG. 1. Note that manufacturers often place the optical sensor 104, which may be an individual sensor or an array of sensors, on the top of imaging device 100 so that the optical sensor 104 is positioned away from the test hardware when electrical leads 102 are positioned for testing using automated handling equipment. An imaging device 100 oriented for electrical testing is shown in orientation 111, which is sometimes referred to as a xe2x80x9clive bugxe2x80x9d orientation because the integrated circuit package of imaging device 100 resembles a crawling bug.
Since the imaging device 100 includes an optical sensor 104, full parametric and functional testing of imaging device 100 requires the use of a controlled light source in addition to electrical test signals. These light sources are relatively large and are therefore usually placed inside of a test head (not shown) located beneath load-board/plate 105, where sufficient space is available. As a result, the light source cannot illuminate optical sensor 104 when imaging device 100 is positioned in a live bug orientation.
Consequently, in order to test the optical sensor portion of imaging device 100, imaging device 100 must be flipped over so that optical sensor 104 faces the test head and electrical leads 102 face away from the testing equipment as illustrated in orientation 120. The orientation of imaging device 100 shown in orientation 120 is sometimes referred to as a xe2x80x9cdead bugxe2x80x9d orientation because imaging device 100 resembles a bug lying on its back with its legs sticking up in the air.
One disadvantage of having to position the imaging device 100 in both live bug and dead bug orientations is that some package configurations cannot be properly positioned in both orientations using currently available integrated circuit handlers. Even where currently available integrated circuit handlers can properly position an image device in a dead bug orientation, extra positioning steps are required to completely and fully test devices having both optical and electrical portions. The requirement of extra positioning steps can add extra time and expense to the testing of devices such as imaging device 100.
Another factor to consider when testing devices in a dead bug orientation, is the need for more electrical connections to the handler. Extra connections are needed because in a dead bug orientation, the electrical pins face away from the tester, and signals must somehow be routed back to the tester. Normally these extra connections are provided by pogo pins, which sometimes fail and need to be replaced. For each electrical pin on the device being tested in dead bug orientation, two pogo pins are needed. Therefore, if a device to be tested includes eight electrical pins, sixteen pogo pins are required. Each of these sixteen pogo pins has a failure rate, and if any one of them fails the handler may be unusable until the pogo pin is replaced.
As should be apparent from the above discussion, currently available testing methodologies for devices including both optical and electrical portions are less than ideal, because fully automated testing can not be performed in some cases, and in other cases extra positioning steps are required to fully test imaging devices. What is needed is some way to permit testing of devices including both optical and electrical portions using a single device orientation.

Method, apparatus and software for testing a device including both electrical and optical portions


A differential circuit having a predefined voltage gain of the order of unity and with a high linearity includes a differential pair of input transistors fed by a DC current source (S) each through an emitter resistor having a resistance value R. A number p of forward biased junctions and a control branch of a current mirror are inserted in the emitter path of each of the input transistors to the current source. The output branch of each current mirror feeds a respective output resistor in series with a number k of forward biased junctions. A voltage gain of k/2(2+p) is obtained when the value of the output resistors is selected to be equal to k.R/(2+p). At the same time, compensation is provided for the linearity errors of the input transistors.

The present invention relates to a high linearity differential circuit, comprising a DC current source feeding from a supply voltage reference terminal the emitter-collector paths of a differential pair of input transistors, the collector of each of these input transistors being fed from another supply voltage terminal, the base receiving an input voltage signal and the emitter being connected to the DC current source via an emitter load resistor which has the value R, practically identical for each of the input transistors.
A differential circuit of this type forms the basis of the greater part of the input stages of prior-art differential amplifiers in which an output signal of such a stage may be tapped either from the emitter load resistors or also from paired impedances inserted in the connection between the collectors of the transistors of the differential pair and said other supply terminal.
One particular object of the invention is to provide an integrable differential circuit whose gain, which is close to unity (or less than that), is well defined and reproducible, and in which the linearity of the output signal relative to the input signal is satisfied to better than 1%. A circuit having a differential voltage gain equal to 1 is known from the article entitled: "A 10-b 75-MSPS Subranging A/D Converter with Integrated Sample and Hold"--Reinhard Petschacher et al.--published in IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, Vol. 25, No. 6, December 1990. This circuit has a linearity compensation as a result of a forward biased junction inserted in the connection from the collector of each of the input transistors to the supply voltage terminal.
The known circuit has the disadvantage that the output amplitude is considerably limited.
A differential circuit having little gain and a high linearity is sought in analog signal measuring means and, for example, in analog-to-digital converters.
Another prior-art way of obtaining the desired result consists of utilizing an operational amplifier to which substantial feedback is applied so as to determine the desired gain, but this solution is not entirely satisfactory because of the limitation of the pass-band and/or the power consumption and also from the point of view of the complexity of the circuit, thus of the surface area the semiconductor requires and, consequently, of its relatively high price.


[PROBLEMS] To provide an efficient process for producing an optically active chromene oxide compound which is an important intermediate for a benzopyran compound effective in the treatment of arrhythmia.

A benzopyran compound which is useful for an antiarrhythmic drug and a process for producing the same have been disclosed. That is, a benzopyran compound is produced by asymmetric epoxidation of chromene compound using an optically active manganese complex to obtain an optically active chromene oxide compound and then ring-opening the epoxide with an amine compound (see Patent Document 1).
A process for producing an optically active chromene oxide compound by asymmetric epoxidation of chromene compound using an optically active manganese complex has already been disclosed (see Patent Document 2, Patent Document 3, Patent Document 4, Patent Document 5 and Patent Document 6). In the above-described patent documents, production examples of optically active chromene oxide compounds using optically active manganese complexes as catalysts and iodosobenzene, sodium hypochlorite or 30% hydrogen peroxide aqueous solution as co-oxidizing reagent have been described.
For an asymmetric oxidation reaction using an optically active manganese complex, an additive called for an axial ligand such as 4-phenylpyridine-N-oxide is needed other than a co-oxidizing reagent, so that a different process for producing an optically active chromene oxide without using an axial donor ligand has been desired.
In contrast, it has been described that even 0.01 to 0.2 mol % use of an asymmetric optically active manganese complex can produce an optically active chromene oxide compound in high chemical yield and optical yield (see Patent Document 7). However, only the example of iodosobenzene used as co-oxidizing reagent is described in this patent document. Accordingly, more advantageous and efficient process for producing has been desired.
In an optically active titanium complex, it has been reported that use of a di-μ-oxotitanium-salalen complex provides a highly enantioselective reaction in the asymmetric epoxidation of various simple olefins not having heteroatom(s). However, there were no examples of olefinic compounds having heteroatom(s) and chromene compounds in the report (Non-patent Document 8).    [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-2001-151767    [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-05-301878    [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-07-285983    [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-08-245668    [Patent Document 5] WO 2005/090357A1    [Patent Document 6] WO 2005/080368A2    [Patent Document 7] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-11-335384    [Non-patent Document 8] K. Matsumoto, Y. Sawada, B. Saito, K. Sakai and T. Katsuki, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. (2005), 44, 4935-4939.

Process for producing optically active chromene oxide compound

Abstract: [MEANS FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS] The process for producing an optically active chromene oxide compound comprises using an optically active titanium complex represented by, e.g., the formula (1) or (2)

Abstract: as a catalyst to asymmetrically oxidize an optically active chromene compound with high enantioselectivity in high chemical yield.


The present invention is a method to increase the intrinsic compressive stress in plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) silicon nitride (SiN) and silicon carbonitride (SiCN) thin films, comprising depositing the film from an amino vinylsilane-based precursor. More specifically the present invention uses the amino vinylsilane-based precursor selected from the formula: [RR1N]xSiR3y(R2)z, where x+y+z=4, x=1-3, y=0-2, and z=1-3; R, R1 and R3 can be hydrogen, C1 to C10 alkane, alkene, or C4 to C12 aromatic; each R2 is a vinyl, allyl or vinyl-containing functional group.

The Present Invention is in the field of integrated circuit fabrication and particularly materials of construction in the films that are adjacent to or are a part of electronic devices in the integrated circuit, such as transistors, capacitors, vias, electrically conductive lines and buss bars. As the dimensions of such electronic devices continue to shrink and the density of such devices in a given area increases, the films adjacent to or a part of such electronic devices must exhibit higher electrical properties. Designing stress into such films can alter their electrical properties. Stress engineering of PECVD silicon nitride films is currently being used to enhance the performance of cutting edge metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) technology. Device speed has been significantly increased through the application of highly stressed SiN films deposited on top of MOSFET gate structures. Compressive stress enhances "P" type field effect transistors (pFET) devices through increases of hole mobility, while tensile stress is beneficial for "N" type field effect transistors (nFET) devices through enhancing electron mobility. Stress is generated from differences in the thermal expansion between two materials in contact. Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) silicon nitride films generally generate compressive stress. Presently, compressively stressed films are deposited using silane and ammonia with reported compressive stresses up to ˜−3.5 giga pascales (GPa). Increasing compressive stress further is becoming particularly challenging. The industry is currently aiming for compressively stressed films of −4 GPa or higher.
Patents related to this technology include: US 2006/0045986; EP 1 630 249; US 2006/0258173; EP 1 724 373; U.S. Pat. No. 7,288,145; U.S. Pat. No. 7,122,222; US20060269692; WO2006/127462; and US2008/0146007, as well as the literature reference; "Methods of producing plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition silicon nitride thin films with high compressive and tensile stress."; M. Belyansky et al. J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 26(3), 517 (2008).

Amino vinylsilane precursors for stressed SiN films


The apparatus, system and method of the present invention provide a three-dimensional polarimeter probe having a coupler for coupling three components of an electromagnetic field that fluctuates in three-dimensions and an emitter for re-emitting a radiation corresponding to said three components. The radiation includes a polarized and an unpolarized component of said electromagnetic field and is used to determine the elements of a field-field correlation martix. In an embodiment, the system includes a detector located a distance from said probe for sensing said re-emitted radiation from said probe and a processor for determining a polarized and an unpolarized component of said electromagnetic field evaluating the polarized component to produce said polarimetry of said three-dimensional optical field.

The field of optics has been dominated by the study of beam-like fields which obey the transversality condition. However, different manifestations of electromagnetic fields exist where one cannot assign a direction for the net flow of energy. Situations where the electromagnetic fields are essentially three-dimensional occur close to the surface or inside optically inhomogeneous media or in the proximity of radiation sources. Similar circumstances are at the heart of near-field optics and multi-photon microscopies.
In one way or another, all properties of light are exploited as carriers of information. Intensity and wave vectors are at the core of various imaging techniques. The spectral composition of light provides the spectroscopic information characteristic to the intricate interaction between radiation and matter. The state of polarization of optical radiation offers even more insights into phenomena such as light generation and its interaction with material systems. Unfortunately, measuring the detailed characteristics of electromagnetic fields of visible light is a formidable task because it requires discriminating about 10^15 oscillations per second. This is why light fields are usually characterized by average rather than instantaneous properties.
In general, it is considered that light whose electric field oscillates in a particular way is polarized. More specifically, an electric field is said to be polarized if and only if the field vector at a point traces an ellipse with increasing time. The situation is of course idealized; in practice, one encounters electromagnetic fields which are not perfectly harmonic but rather fluctuating quantities. This happens because light is usually generated by a large number of random atomic oscillators. Their emissions combine momentarily to form a polarized wave, but this will persist only for a very short time before different atomic oscillators emit new randomly polarized waves causing a different polarization of the resultant superposition. Consequently, the polarization of light fluctuates too rapidly to be detectable, a situation which is called random polarization. In many cases, the electromagnetic fields are neither fully polarized nor completely random or, in other words, the light is partially polarized as described in J. Ellis and A. Dogariu, "On the degree of polarization of random electromagnetic fields", Optics Communications, Vol. 253, (15 Sep. 2005) pp. 257-265, and describing these properties of electromagnetic fields constitutes the aim of polarimetry.
The polarization properties of light have been researched for more than 300 years and there is a plethora of experimental methods for determining the correlations between orthogonal components of the electric field, and from these, the conventional polarimetric parameters.
Traditionally, this was limited to beam-like fields where the electric field vector fluctuates in a plane perpendicular to the direction of propagation. However, electromagnetic fields can also be three-dimensionally structured. Such field manifestations occur in the study of multiple light scattering, in the proximity of radiation sources, or in various situations pertinent to near-field optics and multiphoton microscopies. So far, determining directly the properties of three-dimensional fields was not possible and one had to rely on measurements performed far from the source and then relate these to the properties of the field of interest. While the direct problem of calculating the properties of the far-field for a given source can be straightforward, the inverse problem—which is usually of interest in practice—does not have a unique solution. Progress in solving the inverse problem can be achieved only by either making assumptions regarding the properties of the field to be determined or by performing additional measurements along different directions of propagation. Nevertheless, having direct access to the three-dimensional field would be a better option!
The complete determination of the characteristics of a three-dimensional field requires simultaneous measurements of the properties of the field in three different directions. This is realized by using three orthogonal dipole-like probes which are overlapped spatially and which are detected simultaneously. In the optical domain however, this approach cannot be implemented because an ensemble of three dipoles which can be read independently simply does not exist.
Instead of superposing three dipole-like detectors, the device, system and method of the present invention uses a probe that is placed within the three-dimensional field. The probe couples all three components of the field and then re-emits the radiation. The probe acts a secondary source for the radiation which will eventually be sensed by a conventional detector placed away from the point of measurement. The result is a linear combination of the measurements possible with three independent dipoles. In order to determine the entire polarimetric information, measurements are performed with multiple probes. Different probe designs can be implemented.
The apparatus, system and method of the present invention provide a novel approach for characterizing the polarization properties of electromagnetic fields which fluctuate three-dimensionally. The state of polarization of an optical field provides detailed information concerning both the radiation emission processes and the intricate interaction between light and matter. Using probes which couple all three components of the field, the polarized and unpolarized components of such fields are extracted to produce what could be called "three-dimensional polarimetry".

Polarimetry of three-dimensional optical fields

University of Central Florida Research Foundation, Inc.


A method for producing semiconductor device includes: performing first, second and third exposures of a photoresist film formed on a semiconductor wafer via a mask; wherein: first, second and third shot regions respectively defined by the first, second and third exposures are aligned in a first direction; the mask has a shot region including a peripheral scribe region having a first and second side crossing the first direction; the photoresist film is of positive type, a first pattern is formed as a light shielding pattern disposed on the first side, and a second pattern is formed as a light transmitting region disposed on the second side; the first and second exposures are performed in such a manner that the first and second patterns do not overlap each other; and the second and third exposures are performed in such a manner that the first and second patterns overlap each other.

For the numerous semiconductor chips formed on a semiconductor wafer, the individual chips are managed in such processes as primary test (PT) and mounting (assembling) (for example, see JP2005-277232A). For managing individual chips, a reference chip is specified, and the other chips are specified on the basis of the reference chip.
Since the diameter of a semiconductor wafer becomes larger while the size of chips becomes smaller, the number of chips on a wafer reaches tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands (for example, the number of 1 mm square chips formed on a semiconductor wafer with a diameter of 300 mm is approx. 65000), making it difficult to specify the reference chip on a wafer.
Meanwhile, in the technique disclosed in JP2008-102360A, inspection marks for inspecting whether or not a mask pattern for forming semiconductor chips is formed as designed are formed on the peripheral scribe region of an exposure mask (reticle). The inspection marks are transferred onto a photoresist film when the semiconductor wafer is exposed via the exposure mask. Consequently, the exposure process is performed in such a manner that the inspection marks may be erased when the region having the inspection marks transferred thereon is irradiated with light in the subsequent exposure. The inspection marks are erased on the entire surface of the semiconductor wafer.

Semiconductor device and a method for producing semiconductor device


This invention relates to security procedures in a communication system, specifically to production of key material. The invention provides a method for producing key material in a highly secure way for use in communication with a local network of a company. The method uses authentication information obtained from the communication system and information exchanged locally between a mobile station and the authentication systems of the company to produce a communication key for use in authentication procedures or e.g. for signing and/or encrypting data.

A communication system is a facility that enables communication between two or more entities such as user terminal equipment and/or network entities and other nodes associated with a communication system. The communication may comprise, for example, communication of voice, electronic mail (email), text messages, data, multimedia and so on.
The communication may be provided by fixed line and/or wireless communication interfaces. A feature of wireless communication systems is that they provide mobility for the users thereof. An example of a communication system providing wireless communication is a public land mobile network (PLMN). An example of the fixed line system is a public switched telephone network (PSTN).
A cellular telecommunication system is a communications system that is based on the use of radio access entities and/or wireless service areas. The access entities are typically referred to as cells. Examples of cellular telecommunication standards include standards such as GSM (Global System for Mobile communications), GPRS (General Packet Radio Servers), AMPS (American Mobile Phone System), DAMPS (Digital AMPS), WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System) and CDMA 2000 (Code Division Multiple Access 2000).
A communication system typically operates in accordance with a given standard or specification which sets out what the various elements of a system are permitted to do and how that should be achieved. For example, the standard of specification may define if the user, or more precisely user equipment is provided with a circuit switched service of a packet switched service or both. Communication protocols and/or parameters which should be used for the connection are also typically defined. For example, the manner in which communication shall be implemented between the user equipment and the elements of the communication network is typically based in a predefined communication protocol. In other words, a specific set of "rules" on which the communication can be based needs to be defined to enable the user equipment to communicate via the communication system. Typically, given standards will also define how authentication and authorisation mechanisms as well as how accounting systems should work.
Certain authentication methods are known for allowing the user of a mobile station to authenticate himself to a service provider, or for example for remotely accessing corporate information systems. One way to authenticate corporate user is to authenticate him based on the same password that he is using for logging into the corporate network within the corporate premises. For example, a VPN connection is typically established using the IKE protocol, and Internet based authentication schemes such as HTML Forms and HTTP Digest can be used to obtain corporate network login and password from the user. These methods require that the user knows the password. However, these methods have the problem that the username and password of the user may have been illegitimately obtained by observing the user while the user is logging in, or via other routes.
A stronger security model requires the use of an item the user has in addition to something the user knows. For example, the item can be a physical key, a smart card, or a device. One such device is the SecurID device manufactured by the RSA Security Corporation. A SecurID device has an accurate internal clock, and displays access codes. These access codes are dependent on time and initialization information within the SecurID device.
However, even that solution has certain drawbacks. It is inconvenient for the user to take care that the device is with him when it is needed. The user may need to remember another PIN (personal identification number), in case the device requires input of a PIN. The access code provided by the device is valid for only a rather short time, which is too inflexible for certain use cases. For example, a travelling user may have no good network connection and the network delays may cause authentication failures due to time-out of the access code. Also, purchasing these devices for each user may be expensive for an organization.
Another solution which would provide a second authentication factor in addition to knowing a password would be installing a secret in a station, such as a mobile station, of the user and using that secret as a factor in the authentication. Modern mobile stations have a smart card such as an UICC (UMTS IC Card) for storing subscription information. Thus, the secret could be stored in the UICC.
However, this solution also has certain drawbacks. This solution would require purchasing special UICC:s from the mobile network operator, and obtaining such UICC:s for the whole organization may cost a substantial sum of money. Moreover, an employee might be required to use a new telephone number if he changes his UICC.

Method for producing key material for use in communication with network


A method and apparatus for sealingly fixing a lid (20) to the opening flange (11) of a container body (10) includes a reception device (30) with a support surface (34) for receiving and supporting the container body by abutment of the flange against the support surface. A sealing device (60) applies a pressure to the lid placed between the sealing device and the flange to form a joint which units the lid with the flange. The reception device has a part-spherical surface (3) and a resting device (40) has a part-spherical surface (41) for cooperation with the spherical bounding surface of the reception device. A closed space (49) is formed between the reception device and the resting device, this space being supplied with pressure medium for the formation of a gap (43) between the part-spherical surfaces, whereby the sealing device (60), under abutment against the lid, adjusts through the intermediary of the lid and the opening flange, the reception device (30) into a position in which the pressure of the sealing device against the lid substantially uniformly distributed.

In many physical applications, there is a need for sealingly closing containers of substantially plastic material by means of an oblate or a lid of substantially plastic material. In particular for containers intended for the long-term storage of foods, extreme demands are placed on the closure technology, since unsealed closures may entail that, after a time, the contents of the containers will be tainted, with the consequential risk of poisoning if the contents are consumed. In certain physical applications, pasteurization of the filled container takes place in conjunction with the filling operation, which places extremely high demands on the strength of the closure, because of the combination of high temperature and high interior pressure which occurs during the pasteurization.
In order for a satisfactory and tight closure to be obtained, it is, in such instance, necessary that a substantially uniform abutment pressure be applied between those surfaces in which lid and container body are united with one another. In practice, it has proved that even at relatively slight variations in the pressure in different parts of the region of the intended joint, unacceptable sealing in the closure will occur. The requirement of uniform pressure distribution described here applies, for example, in hot glue sealing, using hot melt adhesive, and particularly in physical applications in which the lid is welded against the opening edge of the container.
Containers of plastic material for foods are often produced from laminate material, there being on occasions as many as 8-10 layers in the laminate. One problem which occurs in thick and/or laminated plastic material is that the thickness of the material occasionally varies. In such an event, it is generally at the opening portion of the container where such thickness variations occur, in which instance for example an opening flange will, as a rule, have in its circumferential direction, only one thicker portion and only one thinner portion which gradually and continually merge into one another. The thickness variation described in the foregoing particularly occurs in the opening flange of containers produced by thermoforming.
In certain other physical applications in which the material thickness in the anchorage regions of the lid and the opening portion of the container body is great, hot welding is not a practical proposition, since such a welding technology would entail low manufacturing capacity output because of the good thermo-insulation properties of the plastic material. Consequently, attention has recently been directed at the possibility of employing so-called ultrasonic welding for fixing the lid to the opening portion of the container. It is obvious to the person skilled in this art that securement of the lid by means of ultrasonic welding can also be employed in physical applications in which the lid and/or opening portion in the anchorage region consists of thin material. However, it generally applies that, on the employment of ultrasonic welding, extraordinarily uniform distribution of the abutment pressure is required in those surfaces where the weld is formed in order that a tight and continuous joint be obtained in the weld region.
In ultrasonic welding, one of the components (lid or opening portion, respectively) is generally designed with at least one welding indication in the form of a cam-like ridge. In such instance, it is important that this ridge which, for example, is placed on the flange of the container and/or the lid, abuts with constant pressure against the anchorage region of the lid and/or the container in all of its parts, in order that the connection in the weld be tight and complete. To achieve the constant pressure during the circumferential welding, attempts have been made in the art to employ a resilient support. In such instance, it has, granted, proved possible to attain a certain degree of compensation for any possible misalignments which may be present in the structure, and which entail that the support on which the opening flange of the container body rests makes an angle with that plane made by the abutment surface of the welding electrode (the sonotrode) of the welding device, but because of the characteristics of the springs involved, an unacceptable variation of the abutment pressure may occasionally occur in the region of the contemplated joint. The same applies if the springs are replaced by an elastically yieldable material, for example a pad of rubber.
Attempts have also been made to render the structures highly rigid so as to avoid these problems. However, also in such physical applications it has proved impossible to achieve such strict tolerances that the requisite correspondence of the abutment surfaces of the support and the welding device is realized, and thereby the desired weld quality. Nor can any compensation for unevenness in material thickness be achieved using a technology geared to the employment of rigid structures.
It has proved, in ultrasonic welding, that the distance between the welding surface of the welding device and the back-up may only vary by at most 0.1 mm in order that the desired quality in the joint between the lid and the opening portion can be achieved. This limit of 0.1 mm also includes calculated variation in thickness of both the lid and the opening flange. In injection molded lids, it is possible to attain a deviation of at most 0.05 mm, but in vacuum molding, the maximum deviation is larger. If the container body is injection molded, there will thus be obtained, for the opening portion thereof, also a maximum thickness variation of 0.05 mm, which entails that the maximum permitted deviation of 0.1 mm is "consumed" by the plastic material. Hence, even in a substantially completely matching alignment of the plane of abutment of the welding device and the support (for supporting the container body which is to be sealed) there is a risk that an unacceptable joint will be created. In order to achieve completely satisfactory quality of the joint, there is thus required, in ultrasonic welding, a technology which compensates both for differences in the thinner and thicker portions of the opening flange for differences in thinner and thicker portions of the lid, and/or for misalignments in the equipment.

Method and apparatus for closing containers


A remotely controlled lock apparatus is attached to a container, such as a tool box, that includes a container lid portion and a container body portion. The apparatus includes a manual key-operated cylinder connected to a wall of the container. A manually-operated lock latch assembly is supported by a wall of the container and includes a pivoted manually-operated lock latch member which includes a latch-to-container locking portion and a blocking-member abutment portion. A remotely controlled electrically powered linear mechanism assembly is connected to a wall of the container, and a dual latch control unit, is connected between the electrically powered linear mechanism assembly and the manually-operated lock latch assembly and between the manual key-operated cylinder and the manually-operated lock latch assembly, for selectively controlling locking and unlocking of the lock latch assembly by the electrically powered linear mechanism assembly or by the manual key-operated cylinder.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to lockable tool boxes carried by motor vehicles, and, more particularly, to lockable tool boxes which can be locked and unlocked by remote control.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Lockable tool boxes that are carried by motor vehicles are well known in the art. In this respect, throughout the years, a number of innovations have been developed relating to lockable tool boxes that are carried by motor vehicles, and the following U.S. patents are representative of some of those innovations: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,123,691, 5,727,835,and 6,409,064.
More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,691 discloses an electric lock apparatus for a vehicular tool box. Two means are provided for controlling a latch. One means include a key-operated lock. The other means include an electric motor and gear system. The providing both manual means and electrical means for controlling a lock for a tool box is a very desirable feature. To implement this apparatus, a rotatable gear is installed on the key-operated lock. Also, a complementary rotatable gear is installed on an electric motor, and this complementary gear engages the gear on the key-operated lock. It is noted that the need to install a gear on a key operated lock and the need to install a complementary gear on a motor makes it very difficult to use the principles of this apparatus to retrofit a conventional lockable tool box. In this respect, it would be desirable if a lockable tool box were provided which does not have the need to install a gear on a key operated lock and the need to install a complementary gear on a motor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,835 discloses an alarmed truck mounted tool box in which both a key operated entry lock and a remotely operated solenoid lock release are provided. A flexible operation cable is employed between the solenoid and the lock release. Such a flexible cable provides a strong pulling action but does not provide a strong pushing action. In this respect, it would be desirable of a lockable tool box were provided which does not employ a flexible operation cable between a solenoid and a lock release.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,409,064 discloses a locking tool box which includes a remote control for raising and lowering the tool box lid portion with respect to the tool box container portion. No disclosure relates to providing both manual means and electrical means for controlling a lock for the tool box.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 6,081,186 may be of interest for its disclosure of a security system that is integrated into a door lock mechanism for a vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,155,616 may be of interest for its disclosure of a mechanical locking mechanism and closure assembly including the same.
As suggested hereinabove, it would be desirable to provide a remotely controlled lock apparatus that can be easily retrofitted to a conventional lockable tool box.
With reference to the PRIOR ART drawing FIGS. 1-4 herein, a particular type of lockable tool box 29 includes a key-operated cylinder lock which includes a key receiver lock portion 17, a key-controlled support 19, and a conventional latch motion blocking arm 15 attached to the key-controlled support 19. The key-operated cylinder lock is supported support plate 25. Also supported by the support plate 25 is a latch control handle 13, a lock latch pivot 21, and a manually-operated lock latch member 11 supported by the lock latch pivot 21. The support plate 25 is attached to a wall of the container. The manually-operated lock latch member 11 includes a latch-to-container locking portion 23. When a user pulls on the latch control handle 13 to unlock the tool box lid portion 31 of a lockable tool box 29, the latch control handle 13 causes a rotational movement of the manually-operated lock latch member 11 around the lock latch pivot 21.
In addition, the key-controlled conventional latch motion blocking arm 15 selectively blocks or permits rotational movement of the manually-operated lock latch member 11 around the lock latch pivot 21. When, the conventional latch motion blocking arm 15 is in locking position, shown in FIG. 3, the manually-operated lock latch member 11 is prevented from rotating out of a locking position. That is, a blocking-member abutment portion 37 of the manually-operated lock latch member 11 abuts the conventional latch motion blocking arm 15 in the locking position. Also, in the locking position, the latch-to-container locking portion 23 of the manually-operated lock latch member 11 is in locking engagement with a container-to-latch locking portion 35 on the lockable tool box 29.
On the other hand, when the conventional latch motion blocking arm 15 is in an unlocking position, as shown in FIG. 4, the conventional latch motion blocking arm 15 is not in contact with the blocking-member abutment portion 37 of the manually-operated lock latch member 11, and the manually-operated lock latch member 11 is permitted to rotate around the lock latch pivot 21, such that the latch-to-container locking portion 23 disengages from a container-to-latch locking portion 35 and permits opening of the lockable tool box 29.
In view of the popularity of the conventional key-operated tool box lock shown in FIGS. 1-4, it would be desirable if a remotely controlled lock apparatus were provided that could easily be used to retrofit a key-operated tool box lock which includes a latch control handle and a pivoted lock latch member which includes a latch-to-container locking portion.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use tool box locks, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a remotely controlled tool box lock apparatus which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) provides both manual means and electrical means for controlling a lock for a tool box; (2) does not have the need to install a gear on a key-operated lock and does not have the need to install a complementary gear on a motor; (3) does not employ a flexible operation cable between a solenoid and a lock release; (4) provides a remotely controlled lock apparatus that can be easily retrofitted to a conventional lockable tool box; and (5) can easily be used to retrofit a key-operated tool box lock which includes a latch control handle and a handle-operated pivoted lock latch member which includes a latch-to-container locking portion for engaging a container-to-latch locking portion. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique remotely controlled tool box lock apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.

Remotely controlled tool box lock apparatus


Exemplary spinal fixation devices, systems, and method are provided for stabilizing vertebrae in a patient's spine. In one exemplary embodiment, methods and devices are provided for coupling one or more bone anchors, such as hooks, screws, etc., and/or one or more spinal fixation elements, such as spinal rods, cables, plates, etc. In certain exemplary embodiments, a cross connector is provided for connecting and stabilizing two bone anchors, a bone anchor and a spinal fixation element, or a bone anchor and bone.

Spinal fixation devices are used in orthopedic surgery to align and/or fix a desired relationship between adjacent vertebral bodies. Such devices typically include a spinal fixation element, such as a relatively rigid fixation rod, that is coupled to adjacent vertebrae by attaching the element to various anchoring devices, such as hooks, bolts, wires, or screws. Alternatively, two rods can be disposed on the lateral or anterior surface of the vertebral body in a substantially parallel relationship. The fixation rods can have a predetermined contour that has been designed according to the properties of the target implantation site, and once installed, the rods hold the vertebrae in a desired spatial relationship, either until desired healing or spinal fusion has taken place, or for some longer period of time.
Spinal cross connectors are often used in conjunction with spinal fixation devices to provide additional stability to the devices. For example, it has been found that when a pair of spinal rods are fastened in parallel on either side of the spinous process, the assembly can be significantly strengthened by using a cross connector to bridge the pair of spinal rods. The connectors are typically in the form of a rod having a clamp formed on each end thereof for mating with a spinal rod.
While current spinal cross connectors have proven effective, difficulties have been encountered in mounting the cross connectors, and maintaining them in a desired position and orientation with respect to the spinal rod, or other spinal fixation device to which they are attached. In particular, the clamp assemblies often consist of several parts which make surgical application tedious, and which can also increase the manufacturing costs. Since the cross connector is often applied as the last step in a lengthy surgical procedure, ease of application is paramount. Fixation of the cross connector to spinal rods can also be difficult where the rods are not parallel to one another, or they are diverging/converging with respect to one another, or where other spinal fixation devices interfere with proper placement.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved spinal cross connector that can be easily installed and that securely mates to and connects spinal fixation devices.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Rod attachment for head to head cross connector


A ripple current reduction circuit includes a supply node coupled to the output of a high ripple voltage source such as a charge pump. A first current mirror is referred to the supply node and mirrors a current I1 to a second node, the mirrored current (I3) including a ripple current induced by the ripple voltage. A second current mirror is referred to the second node and mirrors a current I2 to an output node, which provides a current ILOAD to a load. The mirrors are sized such that the current provided at the second node is greater than the current required by the second mirror to provide ILOAD. The excess current, at least a portion of which includes a ripple component induced by the ripple voltage, is shunted to ground. As such, the magnitude of the ripple component in ILOAD is less than that present in I3.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to switching circuits, and, more particularly, to means for reducing ripple currents that arise in such circuits.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many electronic circuits include signals which are created by a periodic switching means. For example, a switching voltage regulator creates an output voltage by controlling the flow of current through an inductor with a switching circuit. This switching can give rise to ripple voltages in one or more of the circuit's signals, which are generally undesirable.
One circuit which is particularly prone to ripple voltages is the charge pump. Charge pumps are electronic circuits that use capacitors as energy storage elements to convert DC voltages into other DC voltages; switches are used to control the connection of voltages to one or more capacitors. For instance, to generate a higher voltage, during a 'charging' phase, a capacitor is connected across a voltage and charged up. In a 'transfer' phase, the capacitor is disconnected from the original charging voltage and reconnected with its negative terminal to the original positive charging voltage. Because the capacitor retains the voltage across it (ignoring leakage effects), the positive terminal voltage is added to the original, effectively doubling the voltage. Note that a charge pump could alternatively be configured to provide a negative output voltage.
A basic charge pump is shown in FIG. 1a. During the charging phase, switches S2 and S3 are closed and S1 and S4 are open, and capacitor C is charged to a voltage VC which is approximately equal to VDD. During the transfer phase, switches S2 and S3 are opened and S1 and S4 are closed, making the voltage at the output terminal OUT equal to VDD+VC≈2*VDD.
A 'reservoir' capacitor CR is typically connected across the output to smooth out the output waveform. However, due to the switching required to operate the charge pump, there is still a considerable ripple present in the output voltage. When the charge pump output is used to, for example, provide a supply voltage for an operational amplifier, this output ripple can feed through to and unacceptably degrade the output of the amplifier.


Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and an apparatus for unlocking an operating system, which are used to unlock the system with personal information data when a user forgets a password, thereby increasing a probability of successful unlocking of the user. The method of the embodiment of the present invention includes: when a user fails in unlocking the system via an unlock pattern in an unlocking interface for pattern unlocking, displaying an unlocking interface for personal information authentication, and matching personal information input by the user with personal information pre-stored in a local database.

With the rapid development of information technologies, an operating system plays a more and more important role in people's lives. The operating system is a collection of system software that controls operation of other programs, manages system resources and provides an operation interface for a user. Commonly used operating systems include a computer operating system (such as a windows operating system), a mobile phone operating system (such as an Android operating system) and so on. Attentions should be paid to data security protection while data is conveniently and rapidly managed by the user using the operating system. For a user of an ordinary mobile phone operating system, data security is protected through a locking function of the mobile phone operating system, for example, a pattern lock is set in an Android operating system, and a mobile phone user needs to input a pattern lock password to unlock a mobile phone before performing the next operation on mobile phone data. Meanwhile, when the mobile phone user forgets the password, how the operating system authenticates the identity of the current user to protect the data security in the mobile phone is also a key problem to be solved.
In the prior art, when the user of the Android operating system of the mobile phone unlocks the mobile phone by using the pattern lock password, the system performs authentication on the password input by the user and records the number of times when the user inputs a wrong password. Unlocking is not allowed if the password is wrong, and if the user continue to input the wrong password, processing is carried out based on the following two cases:
1. When the user does not establish a Google account bound with the mobile phone:
The unlocking can be implemented only after the user inputs the correct password on a pattern lock interface; otherwise, the system interface stays on an unlocking interface of the pattern lock.
2. When the user has established the Google account bound with the mobile phone:
After the user inputs the wrong password for five times, a button of "Forget the pattern?" will appear on the interface of the operating system, and the user can click the button to enter an interface for unlocking via the Google account, and then input, on this interface, the Google account and a password that are bound with the mobile phone, to unlock the mobile phone. If the user does not use the account for unlocking at this time, but still continue to input the wrong password on the pattern lock interface, when the number of wrong times reaches 15, the system will prompt that the user will be forced to use the Google account for unlocking if the wrong password is input for five more times, that is, the user has to perform unlocking via the Google account after consecutively inputting the wrong pattern password for 20 times. If the user fails to input a correct Google account and password, the mobile phone stays on an unlocking interface of the Google account and does not return to the unlocking interface of the pattern lock.
In the foregoing technical solution, when forgetting the pattern lock password, the user can only log in to the Google account bound with the mobile phone to unlock the pattern lock of the mobile phone; and the user cannot unlock the pattern lock of the mobile phone if the user does not bind a Google account with the mobile phone; or the mobile phone will stay on the unlocking interface of the Google account when the user forgets the account number or password of the Google account and inputs the wrong password for a certain number of times, and in this case, the user cannot return to the pattern unlocking interface for unlocking even if the user recalls the password, and the password can be cleared only by restoring factory defaults or upgrading the operating system, but all user data in the mobile phone may be lost as a result, which will cause great trouble to the user.

Method and apparatus for unlocking operating system


A device for controlling wireless charging output power based on a PWM integrating circuit includes a magnetic-resonance transmitting module and a magnetic-resonance receiving module. The magnetic-resonance transmitting module includes a wireless charging base, a Bluetooth master circuit, a DC/DC regulator circuit, a PWM integrating circuit, a radio-frequency power amplifier source, a radio-frequency current sampling circuit and a magnetic-resonance transmitting antenna. Both the radio-frequency power amplifier source and the magnetic-resonance transmitting antenna are mounted at the wireless charging base. The magnetic-resonance transmitting antenna is connected to the magnetic-resonance receiving module. The magnetic-resonance receiving module includes a cooling fin, a magnetic-resonance receiving antenna, a Bluetooth slave circuit, a receiving rectifier and regulator circuit and a charging control circuit. The magnetic-resonance receiving antenna, the receiving rectifier and regulator circuit and the charging control circuit are connected successively. The magnetic-resonance receiving antenna is arranged directly above the magnetic-resonance transmitting antenna.

Various household appliances, consumer electronic products and mobile communication apparatus have been widely popularized in proportion to the continuous development of electronic information and automation control technologies. Both traditional household appliances and electronic apparatus with built-in batteries are powered through a wired connection between a power line and a power socket. Electric utility lines and wires for supplying power to these electronic apparatus are ubiquitous. Such lines and wires not only occupy an activity space and limit the convenient use of the devices and apparatus, but also present dangers with respect to electrical safety, some of which are hidden. Thus, with increased demand for a wireless-based portable device and a green energy system, research and application of a wireless energy transmission technology has rapidly become a focus in academic and industrial circles at China and throughout the world.
Currently, the wireless energy transmission technology is being gradually applied to low-power electronic products in people's daily lives, and replaces the original power line to charge the apparatus wirelessly, making lives more convenient. For example, a wireless charging toothbrush and a wireless charging blanket are charged based on a magnetic induction coupling technology. Moreover, the wireless energy transmission technology has a much greater application value and a much greater market potential. For example, the application of the wireless energy transmission technology in the field of smart homes will change a usage mode of traditional household appliances, mobile communication devices and consumer electronics. Considering a residential building structure as a platform, all the power lines in a domestic living area can be completely removed by using a medium-distance wireless energy transmission technology, a concealed wiring technology and an automatic control technology. At the same time, apparatus are charged or powered continuously without wire connection, thereby improving a home's safety, residential convenience, comfort and aesthetics. A high-efficiency, environment-friendly and energy-saving living environment is achieved. In addition, the same wireless energy transmission technology is important in the context of biomedical research and apparatus and medical diagnosis and treatment.

Device for controlling wireless charging output power based on PWM integrating circuit


Methods of treating developmental syndromes with a PDE10A inhibitor are provided.

PDE10A is of the known 12 families of phosphodiesterases, the one with the most restricted expression, largely confined to the brain. It is a dual specificity enzyme with both cAMP and cGMP as substrates. As such, PDE10A inhibition increases the levels of both these second messengers and therefore augments receptors and signaling positively coupled to either PKA or PKG. The functional consequences of such inhibition are dependent on both the expression pattern or localization of the enzyme, as well as the activity of the relevant network of neurons. As PDE10A expression is most highly expressed in the caudate and putamen (also referred to as the striatum in lower species), the emphasis of the vast majority of investigators has been on the effect of PDE10A inhibition in disorders with altered caudate/putamen function, specifically schizophrenia and Huntington's Disease (HD). The enzyme is however more widely expressed, including cortex, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex and outside the CNS, the testis.
Developmental syndromes range in severity and include disorders such as Prader-Willi syndrome, 16p11.2 deletion syndrome, 16p11.2 recurrent microdeletion, Albright hereditary osteodystrophy, Alstrom syndrome, Bardet-Biedl syndrome, Borjeson-Forssman-Lehmann syndrome, Cohen syndrome, fragile X syndrome, fragile X syndrome (Prader-Willi Subtype), Down syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome, Turner syndrome, Smith-Magenis syndrome, Angelman syndrome, 21-Hydroxylase-Deficient Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia, 2q37 Microdeletion syndrome, 3q29 Recurrent Deletion, Achondroplasia, ADNP-Related Intellectual Disability and Autism Spectrum Disorder and melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) deficiency. For example, Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a genetic disease caused by lack of expression of genes from an imprinted region of the paternally inherited chromosome 15q11-q13, near the centromere (Aycan and Bas, J Clin Res Pediatr Endocrinol, 6(2):62-67 (2014)). The frequency of the disease is between about 1/10,000 and 1/30,000 with approximately 400,000 PWS patients living worldwide. PWS is a spectrum disorder which affects many systems in the body. Subjects with PWS typically suffer from a host of symptoms including neurologic, cognitive, endocrine, and behavioral abnormalities. Initially, infants exhibit hypotonia (floppy baby syndrome) and experience difficulty in sucking and feeding which can lead to growth delay. Subjects with PWS frequently have poor muscle tone, growth hormone deficiency, low levels of sex hormones, a constant feeling of hunger and excessive appetite (hyperphagia). They overeat, leading to weight gain, obesity and a high incidence of diabetes. Other signs appear including short stature, poor motor skills, underdeveloped sex organs, and mild intellectual and learning disabilities. PWS subjects may experience delayed speech and language development, and infertility. Behavioral symptoms may include cognitive impairment, cognitive rigidity, emotional lability and obsessive-compulsive behavior, with autistic symptomology, psychotic episodes, and biopolar disorder with psychosis. Additional clinical manifestations may include excessive daytime sleepiness, scoliosis, osteopenia/osteoporosis, decreased gastrointestinal motility, sleep disturbances, and reduced pain sensitivity.
There remains a need for methods for treating developmental syndromes.

Methods of treating developmental syndromes with PDE10A inhibitors


This invention is a method and apparatus for low-cost detection and alerting of bed-departure, which causes significant stress to caretakers of patients who often wander out of bed as a result of their dementia, Alzheimer's, or other medical conditions. The apparatus comprises a sock embedded with a pressure sensor and a battery-powered microcontroller unit with a radio frequency module. Once the user wanders out of bed and steps onto the floor, the sensor on the sock will immediately detect the pressure caused by his or her body weight and wirelessly trigger an audible sound at a caretaker's monitoring unit, which can be a smart phone or PC. The sensor and the microcontroller unit can be packaged in one assembly to be mounted on an ordinary sock, slipper, or shoe. The apparatus also accurately counts steps and measures the time interval between them.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for detecting and alerting of patients' bed-departure using a sock embedded with a pressure sensor and a microcontroller unit to trigger an alert on a caretaker's monitoring unit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The population of seniors who suffer from Alzheimer's, dementia, and other medical conditions has increased in recent years. Their frequent accidents and injuries as a result of wandering out of bed cause significant stress to their caretakers at home as well as those in hospitals and nursing facilities. There is an increasing need for detecting and alerting of such bed departures to protect the safety of these patients and reduce the stress of their caretakers.
Prior art has used load sensors installed on a patient's bed to detect his or her bed departure. The art disclosed in patent document 1 uses weight information to determine whether a user is still on the bed or has left the bed. The arts disclosed in patent documents 2 to 4 calculate the center of gravity from the weight information of four points on the bed, and use the center-of-gravity position information to monitor the movement of a user in bed.
All of the prior art inventions for bed-departure detection require specialized beds installed with load sensors. The associated costs and cumbersome set-up prevent their wide applications in homes as well as in nursing facilities and hospitals.
On the other hand, there are patent and non-patent prior art on shoes and socks embedded with sensors. The art disclosed in patent documents 5 through 9 and patent document 12 use pressure sensors on athletic shoes to measure strides length, running speed and other stride characteristics for sport training purposes. The art disclosed in patent document 10 uses strain sensors on a shoe to monitor patient force during rehabilitation. The art disclosed in patent document 11 uses force sensors on a shoe insole for remote gait analysis. The non-patent document 1 is a sensor sock for measuring plantar pressure used in the diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy. None of the prior arts on shoes or socks with sensors addresses the needs for detecting bed-departure of wondering patients.
Prior Arts on Bed-Departure Detection:
    Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2-280733    Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent No. 3093745    Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent No. 3322632    Patent Document 4: U.S. Pat. No. 5,276,432Prior Arts on Shoes, Insoles, and Socks with Pressure/Force Sensors    Patent Document 5: U.S. Pat. No. 4,736,312    Patent Document 6: U.S. Pat. No. 5,221,088    Patent Document 7: U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,445    Patent Document 8: U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,269    Patent Document 9: U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,405    Patent Document 10: U.S. Pat. No. 6,122,846    Patent Document 11: U.S. Pat. No. 6,360,597    Patent Document 12: U.S. Pat. No. 8,280,681    Non-Patent Document 1: Sensor Sock, www.csiro.au.


A tissue-image creating unit creates a tissue image including depth values by volume rendering from three-dimensional tissue data stored in a three-dimensional data storage unit. A blood-flow data converting unit scatters a blood flow in three-dimensional blood-flow data stored in the three-dimensional data storage unit into particles, and converts the three-dimensional blood-flow data into three-dimensional particle data. A blood-flow image creating unit creates a blood-flow image including depth values from the three-dimensional particle data. A composite-image creating unit then creates a composite image by coordinating the order of rendering particles and tissue based on the depth values of respective pixels included in the tissue image and the depth values of respective particles included in the blood-flow image. A display control unit then controls display of the composite image so as to be displayed in order onto a monitor included in an output unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and a computer program product.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is used in a medical practice of today for an examination of and a diagnosis on various living body tissues, such as a heart, a liver, a kidney, and a mammary gland, as an apparatus that has advantages, such as simple to operate, noninvasive, and without risk of radiation exposure, compared with other medical image diagnostic apparatuses, for example, an X-ray diagnostic apparatus, and an X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) apparatus.
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus transmits an ultrasonic wave from an ultrasonic probe, and receives an ultrasonic wave reflected from internal tissue of a subject, thereby creating a tomogram (B-mode image) of histology inside the subject in real time. Furthermore, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus creates blood-flow information as a Doppler image in real time by using the Doppler effect of ultrasonic waves, the blood-flow information including, for example, an area in which a blood flow is present inside a subject, and the velocity, dispersion (disturbance in the blood flow) and power (diffusion strength of the blood flow) of the blood flow.
Recently, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus has come into practical use, which creates a three-dimensional ultrasonic image in real time by scanning three-dimensionally the inside of a subject by using a two-dimensional array transducer ultrasonic probe. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that performs a three-dimensional scan can collect in real time, for example, a B-mode image of three-dimensional histology of a heart that is beating time-sequentially, and can display the B-mode image.
When displaying the three-dimensional B-mode image, a method of volume rendering is used. For example, the histology of a heart includes a heart wall and a heart valve to be depicted with high brightness in a B-mode image, and a heart cavity of which almost all part of the inside is to be depicted in black. Accordingly, by volume-rendering a half of the heart as a display subject region, a stereoscopic image of the heart wall and/or the heart valve viewed from the inside of the heart cavity can be displayed. By referring to a stereoscopic image of a half of a heart that is volume-rendered, a doctor can efficiently diagnose a disease in a heart valve or a heart wall, or congenital anomaly in the heart valve or the heart wall.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that performs a three-dimensional scan can simultaneously collect three-dimensional information about a blood flow with three-dimensional information about histology by using the Doppler effect, and can display a three-dimensional blood-flow distribution by performing volume rendering on a three-dimensional Doppler image.
For example, when performing volume rendering on a three-dimensional Doppler image, three-dimensionally highlighted turbulence in a blood flow can be rendered by using dispersion of blood-flow velocities in blood-flow information (for example, see JP-A 2007-296333 (KOKAI)), accordingly, a turbulent blood flow caused by anomaly in a hear wall or a heart valve can be clearly displayed.
According to the above conventional technology, there is a problem that a blood flow cannot be displayed in three dimensions in a format suitable for diagnosis.
For example, blood is filled in a heart cavity of the heart, and the velocity of a blood flow continuously changes, as a result, a region in which the blood flow is present does not have clear border. For this reason, when performing volume rendering on a three-dimensional Doppler image, the blood flow cannot be stereoscopically displayed.
For a doctor to perform diagnosis efficiently, information about histology is needed simultaneously with blood-flow information; however, if a three-dimensional B-mode image on which volume rendering is performed is displayed in a superposed manner over a three-dimensional Doppler image on which volume rendering is performed, histology behind a blood flow is hidden. For this reason, the information about histology cannot be clearly displayed along with the blood-flow information.
As described above, according to the conventional technology, although a turbulent blood flow caused by anomaly in a heart valve or a heart wall can be clearly displayed, three-dimensional information about the blood flow cannot be displayed in a format suitable for diagnosis as well as three-dimensional information about histology.

Image processing apparatus and computer program product