An in situ polymerized thermplastic resin incorporating hollow glass spheres, which are incorporated during polymerization of the resin, and a method of making a concentrate of hollow glass spheres dispersed in a thermoplastic resin with minimal sphere fracture by adding the spheres during polymerization of the resin.

Incorporating fragile additives, such as hollow glass spheres, into unfilled thermoplastic resins without substantial breakage of the spheres presents processing problems not heretofore encountered with traditionally used thermoset resins.
Before curing, thermoset resins have a relatively lower viscosity than thermoplastic resin and thereby provide a more readily workable medium. Generally speaking, the more viscous thermoplastic resins require more work and higher shear forces in order to process before cure. Hollow sphere fracture is undesirable because it raises the specific gravity of the composite and defeats the purpose for adding the spheres. Even further fracturing of the spheres is known to occur during subsequent compression and, in particular, injection molding processes, used to form articles, such as car bumpers. In order to take full advantage of the specific gravity reduction seen in the presence of hollow spheres, the integrity of the spheres must be maintained during compounding and subsequent processing or molding.
It has now been discovered that significant reduction in hollow sphere fracture can be realized by adding the spheres to the thermoplastic resin during the in situ polymerization of the resin. Additionally, a greater volume of spheres than heretofore known can be loaded into the resin by this method.
An in situ polymerized thermoplastic resin incorporating hollow glass spheres by this method, has utility as a masterbatch additive for compounding into other resins, particularly resins filled with fiberglass reinforcement. During the last decade, the automotive and aircraft industries have concentrated their efforts on reducing the overall weight of the vehicles and aircraft. Initially, weight reduction was achieved by replacing metal parts with suitable plastic parts made from thermoset resins. However, in structural applications, the plastic parts are very often lacking in mechanical performance. Thus, to improve their performance, various reinforcing fibrous materials, such as glass fibers, carbon fibers and aramid fibers, are added to the plastic resin. As a cost savings measure, low cost inorganic fillers, such as talc, calcium carbonate or clay, are additionally added to the resin.
However, the addition of the fibers and inorganic fillers undesirably increases the composite's specific gravity and weight per molded part. Accordingly, an increase in price per unit volume may follow. To counteract this weight increase, it is known that hollow glass spheres may be added, but their density lowering effect has not heretofore been fully realized. Substantial sphere fracture occurs during conventional melt compounding with fiber reinforced resins. To solve this problem the inventors add the spheres in the form of a concentrate of spheres dispersed in resin, or a masterbatch, (which is the subject of a copending application).
By using the inventive masterbatch, a significant reduction or elimination of hollow glass sphere fracture during compounding with a resin containing fibrous reinforcements, especially large amounts, will be realized. It is believed that the masterbatch resin covering the glass spheres protects them from breakage by lessening the effects of the shear forces exerted by the mechanical action of the compounding apparatus and the abrasive contact with the glass fibers. Consequently, the use of this inventive masterbatch permits the density-lowering effect of the spheres to be more fully realized in that the lowered density of reinforced resins incorporating the spheres can be better maintained throughout processing and reprocessing.

Method for reducing hollow glass sphere fracture in thermoplastic resin by melt or bulk polymerization/extrusion


A micropump check valve device which can be designed thin with good assemblability and applied with urging force. The micropump check valve device includes an upstream side member having a small-bore hole for passing therethrough a fluid, a downstream side member having a large-bore hole for passing therethrough the fluid, and a valve member having a valve mechanism sandwiched between the upstream side member and the downstream side member. The valve mechanism includes a passing hole formed in correspondence to a position and a size of the large-bore hole in the downstream side member, a contacting part formed inside the passing hole in correspondence to the position and size of the small-bore hole in the upstream side member thereby to close the small-bore hole, and supporting parts formed to bridge across the passing hole to support the contacting part. The valve member has a greater linear expansion coefficient than the upstream side and downstream side members.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a micropump that is a small apparatus for supplying small amounts of a fluid and is used in medical equipment, a chemical analyzer, a microreactor, a biochemical chip or the like, and in particular relates to a check valve device for such a micropump that carries out flow rate control to high accuracy in the case of any of a liquid, a gas or a gas/liquid mixture.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as art relating to micropumps that deliver small amounts of liquids, many mechanistic principles have been proposed based on ultra-microfabrication technology called nanotechnology or MEMS (microelectromechanical systems). Such micropumps are used as apparatuses for supplying small amounts of fluids in medical equipment or chemical analyzers, being used for quantitative injection of drugs or for transporting fluids such as mixed reaction gases. The development of small general-purpose micropumps for which highly accurate control is possible is currently still being proceeded with. In general, check valves are often used in micropumps. Under constraints on smallness and thinness, the valve mechanism of such a check valve is required to have springiness (pre-load) so as to make it such that the valve does not open unless the pressure exceeds a certain value. Hereinafter, this springiness is referred to as 'urging force'.
FIG. 15 is an example of a sectional view showing a conventional micropump. As shown in FIG. 15, such a micropump is often manufactured by laminating together a plurality of plates as described below. FIGS. 16A is a perspective view showing members relating to a check valve device in particular. First, a first valve plate 2, which is a second member, having therein a small-bore inflow hole 2a and a valve mechanism 10B is placed on a first fixing plate 1, which is a first member, having therein a small-bore inflow hole 1a and a large-bore outflow hole 1b for allowing passage of a fluid. A central plate 3, which is a third member, having therein a small-bore inflow hole 3a and a small-bore outflow hole 3b is then placed thereon. A second valve plate 4, which is a fourth member, having therein a valve mechanism 10A and a small-bore outflow hole 4b is then placed on the central plate 3, and a second fixing plate 5, which is a fifth member, having therein a large-bore inflow hole 5a and a small-bore outflow hole 5b is then placed thereon. A diaphragm 7 having a piezoelectric element 8 installed thereon is joined to the second fixing plate 5 via pressure chamber vertical walls 9. The space enclosed by the second fixing plate 5, the pressure chamber vertical walls 9 and the diaphragm 7 shall be referred to as the pressure chamber 6.
Here, the inflow hole 1a in the first fixing plate 1, the inflow hole 2a in the first valve plate 2, the inflow hole 3a in the central plate 3, a large-bore hole 13B provided in the valve mechanism 10A in the second valve plate 4, and the inflow hole 5a in the second fixing plate 5 communicate with one another, thus forming an inflow side flow path through which the fluid is introduced into the pressure chamber 6. Moreover, a pressure chamber 6 communicates with the outflow hole 5b in the second fixing plate 5 and the outflow hole 4b in the second valve plate 4, and the outflow hole 4b in the second valve plate 4 communicates with the outflow hole 3b in the central plate 3, a large-bore hole 13B provided in the valve mechanism 10B in the first valve plate 2, and the outflow hole 1b in the first fixing plate 1, thus forming an outflow side flow path through which the fluid is discharged from the pressure chamber 6. According to this constitution, a micropump having a flow path from the inflow hole 1a of the first fixing plate 1, through the valve mechanism 10A of the second valve plate 4, through the pressure chamber 6, through the valve mechanism 10B of the first valve plate 2, and up to the outflow hole 1b of the first fixing plate 1, and check valve devices due to the valve mechanisms 10A and 10B can be manufactured. Note that the first fixing plate 1 and the second fixing plate 5 have the same shape as one another, but with the face attached to the central plate 3 being reversed. Moreover, as with the fixing plates 1 and 5, the first valve plate 2 and the second valve plate 4 also have the same structure as one another, with only the face attached to the central plate 3 being different.
In the micropump, the valve mechanisms 10A and 10B are disposed in two locations, i.e. in the inflow side flow path and in the outflow side flow path. Here, the valve mechanism in the inflow side flow path is 10A, and the valve mechanism in the outflow side flow path is 10B. The valve mechanisms 10A and 10B are each composed of the large-bore passing hole 13A or 13B which is formed in correspondence to a position and a size of the large-bore hole (the inflow hole 5a or the outflow hole 1b) in the member (the second fixing plate 5 or the first fixing plate 1) on the downstream side of the valve mechanism 10A or 10B relative to the direction of flow of the fluid, a contacting part 11A or 11B for closing the small-bore hole (the inflow hole 3a or the outflow hole 3b) in the central plate 3, the contacting part being formed to face the position of and to have a size corresponding to that of the small-bore hole, and supporting parts 12A or 12B that are formed to bridge across the passing hole 13A or 13B so as to support the contacting part 11A or 11B from both sides. The contacting part 11A or 11B is formed inside this passing hole 13A or 13B to face the position of and to have a size corresponding to the size of the small-bore hole (the inflow hole 3a or the outflow hole 3b) in the central plate 3, which is the member on the upstream side of the valve mechanism 10A or 10B relative to the direction of flow of the fluid. Note that in the following, unless specifically stated otherwise, 'contacting part 11' and 'supporting parts 12' shall refer to either the contacting part 11A and the supporting parts 12A or the contacting part 11B and the supporting parts 12A. Similarly, 'valve mechanism 10' shall refer to either the valve mechanism 10A or the valve mechanism 10B. Moreover, regarding the definition of terminology, the case of a single valve in the valve plate 2 or 4 shall be referred to as 'valve mechanism', and the valve mechanism system in which are combined the valve plate 2 or 4 containing the valve mechanism 10, and the first fixing plate 1 and the central plate 3, or the central plate 3 and the second fixing plate 5, that sandwich the valve plate 2 or 4 from either side shall be referred to as 'check valve device'.
Regarding the urging force of each valve mechanism 10, as with the valve mechanism 10A shown in FIG. 16A, a method using a spacer 15 is usual, but various other inventions have also been disclosed. For example, as shown enlarged in FIG. 16B, there are an invention in which a projecting part 16 is formed from a resin on the contacting part 11B through post-processing (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 4-63973 (page 2; page 3, FIG. 1(d))), and an invention in which such a projecting part 16 is formed at the same time as manufacturing the first valve plate 2 having the contacting part 11B therein (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2-308988 (page 2; page 4, FIG. 3)). Furthermore, although not shown in the drawings, there is also an invention in which the contacting part 11 is not planar but rather is formed as a hemispherical projecting part (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-12356 (page 2; page 6, FIG. 2)).
Note that as the materials of the members constituting the check valve devices, metallic silicon is often used for each of the valve plates 2 and 4 having supporting parts 12 and a contacting part 11, and glass is often used for the central plate 3 and the fixing plates 1 and 5.
Next, a description of the liquid delivery principle of the micropump and the urging force of each of the check valve devices will be given with reference to FIGS. 17 and 18. FIG. 18A shows a state in which the micropump is at a standstill. As shown in FIG. 18B, when the piezoelectric element 8 deforms upward, the inside of the pressure chamber 6 instantaneously becomes at a negative pressure, and hence a pressure difference arises between in front of and behind the valve mechanism 10A; the contacting part 11A of the valve mechanism 10A thus moves upward, whereby a gap is produced, and hence fluid flows into the pressure chamber 6. Upon the fluid flowing into the pressure chamber 6, the negative pressure is relieved, whereby the pressure difference between in front of and behind the valve mechanism 10A gradually disappears, and hence the load opening the contacting part 11A disappears. At this time, because the valve mechanism 10A is provided with an urging force (springiness) as shown in FIG. 17, upon the pressure difference dropping as described above, the contacting part 11A of the valve mechanism 10A is brought into contact with the central plate 3 by the urging force, whereby the flow path can be closed.
FIG. 18C shows a phenomenon in which the piezoelectric element 8 deforms downward and thus pushes the fluid out from the pressure chamber 6, showing a situation in which the pressure increases due to the piezoelectric element 8 pushing the fluid in the pressure chamber 6, and hence a pressure difference arises between in front of and behind the valve mechanism 10B of the first valve plate 2, and thus the valve mechanism 10B opens. Again, in this case, upon the fluid being discharged from the pressure chamber 6 to some extent, the pressure difference between in front of and behind the valve mechanism 10B disappears, and hence the contacting part 11B is brought into contact with the contacting part 11 due to the urging force possessed by the valve mechanism 10B, whereby the flow path can be closed. As the liquid delivery principle of the micropump, liquid is thus delivered by repeating movement from the state shown in FIG. 18A, through the state shown in FIG. 18B and the state shown in FIG. 18C, and back to the state shown in FIG. 18A, at a frequency of from several tens of Hz to several hundred Hz.
Each valve mechanism 10 thus separates away from the central plate 3 to create a flow path only when required, thus controlling the flowing in and out of the fluid. Moreover, in general, a function of the valve mechanism 10 being brought into contact with the central plate 3 through a certain urging force to close the flow path is required. As described above, as prior art for bestowing such an urging force, the technical method of an invention in which a spacer 15 is inserted between the valve mechanism 10 and the central plate 3, or the technical method of an invention in which a projecting part 16 is formed integrally is usual.
However, with the conventional constitution described above, in the case that a spacer 15 is installed, the various plates must be laminated and fixed together in a state in which the axial center of the spacer 15 and the axial center of each of the contacting part 11 of the valve mechanism 10 and the inflow hole 3a or the outflow hole 3b of the central plate 3 are aligned, and advanced assembly technology is required for this operation. Moreover, the size of a micropump used in medical equipment or a chemical analyzer is approximately a flat shape of dimensions 1 cm×1 cm with a thickness of 1.0 to 1.5 mm, and hence the volume allocated to the spacer 15 is only a diameter of 100 to 200 μm by a thickness of several tens of μm, and thus handling during the assembly process, and manufacture of the spacer 15 are not easy. Moreover, there are many factors impeding making the micropump thin, for example, despite being thin, the spacer 15 still has a thickness of several tens of μm, and hence space is required for accommodating the spacer 15, and moreover there is also the thickness of the adhesive layer in the case of fixing the spacer 15 to the central plate 3 (or the valve plate 2 or 4) using an adhesive.
In the case that a projecting part 16 is formed on the contacting part 11B of the valve mechanism 10B as shown in FIG. 16B, again as in the case of the spacer 15, the projecting part 16 is thin, and hence there is a problem that the assemblability including handling is poor. Furthermore, despite being thin, the thickness of the projecting part 16 cannot be ignored from the viewpoint of the micropump, and hence there are many factors impeding making the micropump thin.

Micropump check valve device and method of manufacturing the same

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


In an approach for managing updates of a mobile software application, a computer receives information regarding a mobile computing device and a mobile software application on the mobile computing device, wherein the information regarding the mobile computing device comprises at least one or more of a location of the mobile computing device, a network connection type, a security bit associated with the mobile computing device, and a checksum associated with the at least one mobile software application. The computer determines whether the mobile software application matches a stored mobile software application on a computing device. Responsive to determining that the mobile software application does not match the stored mobile software application on the computing device, the computer determines an update policy for scheduling an update to the mobile software application on the mobile computing device.

The present invention relates generally to the field of software applications, and more particularly to managing updates of mobile software applications.
Users of mobile computing devices install mobile software applications to enable the mobile devices to perform a variety of tasks. Mobile applications were initially geared towards general productivity and information retrieval (e.g., e-mail, calendar, weather, etc.) but have expanded into other categories, such as entertainment and mobile commerce (e.g., games, banking, online purchases, etc.). Mobile applications are available for purchase by a user through application distribution platforms, such as application stores that are operated by the owner of the mobile operating system. Mobile applications are also available to users for installation over a content delivery network (CDN). CDNs are large distributed systems of content servers deployed in multiple data centers across the Internet to serve content to end-users with high availability and high performance that content providers pay to have delivered to end-users.
For a mobile computing device to install and/or update mobile applications from the application store or CDN, the mobile computing device connects to the Internet (e.g., mobile broadband, wireless personal area network (WPAN), tethering, peer to peer (P2P), etc.). Mobile broadband delivers wireless Internet through mobile phone towers to mobile computing devices and other digital devices using portable modems. WPAN is a network for interconnecting devices centered on the workspace of an individual person when within range of the network, in which the connections are wireless. Tethering connects one device to another through WPAN, piconet, or a physical connection and allows the sharing of the Internet connection (e.g., mobile hotspot). A piconet is a small network composed of up to as many as eight active devices in a master-slave relationship. P2P is a network in which interconnected nodes share resources simultaneously functioning as both clients and servers to the other nodes on the network. Once a connection to the Internet is established, the mobile software application downloads to the mobile computing device.

International Business Machines Corporation


A tray-cooler combination for positioning upon a surface, such as a patio table, about an upwardly extending projection, such as an umbrella pole. The tray-cooler combination includes upper and lower tray members, each having a central aperture, an outer peripheral edge and a radial opening extending between the central aperture and the peripheral edge. The upper tray member may include a plurality of interior compartments for receiving items such as vegetables and dips, condiments, etc. The upper tray member may also be releasably attached to the lower tray member. When joined in combination, the lower tray member can hold ice or other cooling means cool or chill the contents of the upper tray member. Closure members can also be provided to close the radial slots in each tray member to, in combination with the tray member, define the central aperture in which an umbrella pole or the like is received. The connection of the closure members to the tray members is readily released, allowing the slot of each tray member to be opened to permit ready insertion around or removal from the umbrella pole or other upwardly extending like member.

In certain designs of outdoor patio furniture, a table is provided that includes an umbrella having a pole extending through a hole formed generally through the center portion of the table. Although the umbrella serves a desirable purpose in providing shade for persons using the table, the pole presents an obstacle for placement of food, condiments or other articles at the center of the table, particularly for any access by persons seated about the table.
To overcome this problem, the prior art has proposed trays that include a central opening through which the umbrella pole is received. One such portable tray for attachment to a beach umbrella comprises a solid disc with a central aperture and a pair of collars with set screws for locking onto the pole of the beach umbrella.
Another such prior art tray comprises two pieces forming a tray having a central opening for receiving an umbrella pole. This tray includes two separate half-circle shapes and connecting means for securing the halves together about the umbrella pole. Such trays sometimes include a bearing assembly under the base of the tray to permit its rotation upon the table.
Service trays of the foregoing types have not achieved significant commercial success. Perhaps one reason for this is the fact that it is awkward for these units to be installed upon a table around an umbrella pole. For unitary devices, it is necessary to remove the umbrella pole and then place the large and relatively heavy pole and umbrella assembly through a tight fitting aperture in the service tray. Other devices that provide separable tray elements that can be connected about the pole are not readily transported in disassembled form, nor easily aligned and connected about the pole. Accordingly, there has remained a desire for a tray that is easily disassembled and assembled, thus facilitating both transportation of the tray and convenient installation of the tray about a projection such as an umbrella pole.
Additionally, prior units have not been able to provide a means for keeping perishable food items and beverages cold. Trays of this nature are most frequently used outdoors in warm, sunny environments, where the risk of food spoilage is high. Thus, without a means for cooling the contents of the tray, the amount of time that perishable food could remain outside was limited. Accordingly, there has also remained a desire for a transportable tray that could provide means to keep perishable food items and beverages cold. These and other features and advantages are provided by the present invention.

Cooler table tray for installation around an umbrella pole


A control system and method for use in vehicles, such as automotive vehicles. The control system and method is particularly adapted for use in vehicles having by-wire control systems. The control system uses three system controllers. Each of the controllers is adapted to receive redundant control inputs from at least one input device, such as a steering actuator, an accelerator actuator and a brake actuator. Each controller is adapted to receive a different unprocessed actuator sensor signal and a processed actuator sensor signal which are associated with the input device. Each controller may also be adapted to receive a sensor status signal which is also associated with the input device. In accordance with the method of the invention, these signals may be used to determine a sensor signal which may be used as the basis for control of control systems or components in response to the input device. Depending on the status of these signals, the sensor signal used for control may comprise the processed sensor signal or a resolved sensor signal. The sensor signal used for control may be determined by implementing a voting process in conjunction with the controllers which utilizes both the unprocessed sensor signals and the processed sensor signals.

By wire vehicle control systems provide a number of advantages with regard to system packaging. The associated electronic control systems and the implementation of advanced computer control algorithms facilitate a number of new control features. However, such systems also typically remove any direct mechanical or hydraulic force transmitting path between the vehicle operator and the controller. Therefore, much attention has been given to designing by wire vehicle control systems and control architectures that ensure their operability in response to an event (e.g., any event which negatively impacts or affects control signals, data, hardware, software or other elements associated with the operation of such systems) occurring in the control path between the control command initiated by the operator and the associated controller. One general technique which has been employed in such systems is redundancy, to provide fault tolerance to such events. One design approach to provide fault tolerance which has been utilized in by wire vehicle control systems has been to design control systems and control architectures which ensure that no single point event in the portion of the system associated with the operator control commands will cause an inability to determine the intended control command.
FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a vehicle 200 having a related art vehicle control system 210. A configuration such as illustrated for vehicle control system 210 would be applicable to a vehicle having a plurality of by-wire control systems, such as by-wire steering control, accelerator control and braking control systems. Vehicle control system 210 comprises three vehicle or system controllers to provide the desired redundancy associated with the control of vehicle, a first controller 212, a second controller 214 and a third controller 216. These controllers are each operatively connected to a controller bus 218 and are each in signal communication with one another, such that any information or input received by one of the controllers may be shared with any or all of the other controllers. Controllers 212,214,216 are adapted to receive a plurality of unprocessed or raw sensor signals associated with a corresponding plurality of respective sensors and signal lines, including steering actuator sensor signals 220,222,224, accelerator actuator sensor signals 226,228,230 and brake actuator sensor signals 232,234,236. Each of the controllers receive the redundant sensor signals and utilize known voting techniques to assure that a representative steering, accelerator and braking control signal or command will be available even in the event of a single point event related to a sensor, signal line or a controller. However, this control architecture does not provide significant redundancy or fault tolerance with respect to a single point event related to controller bus 218 because such an event may make it impossible for controllers 212,214,216 to vote to determine the representative steering, accelerator and braking sensor signal to be used for control of these systems.
FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a vehicle 300 having a second related art vehicle control system 310. A configuration such as illustrated for vehicle control system 310 would also be applicable to a vehicle having a plurality of by-wire control systems, such as by-wire steering control, accelerator control and braking control systems. Vehicle control system 310 comprises three vehicle or system controllers to provide the desired redundancy associated with the control of vehicle, a first controller 312, a second controller 314 and a third controller 316. These controllers are each operatively connected to a controller bus 318 and are each in signal communication with one another, such that any information or input received by one of the controllers may be shared with any or all of the other controllers. Controllers 312,314,316 are each adapted to receive a processed steering sensor signal 319, which is determined using a steering actuator sensor module 321 from a plurality of unprocessed steering actuator sensor signals 320,322,324 from a corresponding number of redundant steering actuator sensors, a processed accelerator sensor signal 325, which is determined using an accelerator actuator sensor module 327 from a plurality of unprocessed accelerator actuator sensor signals 326,328,330 from a corresponding number of redundant accelerator actuator sensors, and a processed brake actuator sensor signal 331 which is determined using a brake actuator sensor module 333 from a plurality of unprocessed brake actuator sensors signals 332,334,336 from a corresponding number of redundant brake actuator sensors. The processed sensor signal of each of the controls is determined from the respective raw sensor signals in an associated signal processing module. The controllers receive the redundant processed sensor signals and may utilize known voting techniques to assure that a representative steering, accelerator and braking control signal or command will be available should a single point event occur related to a sensor, signal line or controller. However, this control architecture does not provide significant redundancy or fault tolerance with respect to a single point event related to one of the signal processing modules, because such an event may affect the processed sensor signal associated with the module in which the event occurs, thus making it impossible for controllers 312,314,316 to provide vehicle control associated with such signal. Also, if voting is utilized, this architecture does not provide significant redundancy or fault tolerance with respect to a single point event related to the controller bus, as described above.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a control system and system architecture that provides enhanced redundancy and fault tolerance with respect to various single point events of the types described above.


A method and system create, on a portable electronic device, a real-time graphical view of an in-store product display that pinpoints the location of one or more target products on the product display. The graphical view is generated by capturing merchandise display data, such as a video feed of the in-store product display, and processing the data to detect the one or more target products based on predefined product recognition criteria uniquely associated with the respective target products.

Shoppers sometimes find it difficult to find particular products in a physical brick-and-mortar sales outlets, such as retail stores. It is a feature of modern-day stores, particularly retail stores such as supermarkets and hypermarkets, that a vast variety of products and product variants are offered, typically provided by a multitude of different brands and in different quantities/sizes.
In stores where products are provided for customer-collection on in-store displays (e.g., on display shelving that flank shopping aisles), shoppers in general, and sporadic shoppers in particular, struggle to identify particular products on their shopping lists among the many available products that are simultaneously visible.
In this disclosure, "store" means a real-world establishment where merchandise is sold, usually at a retail basis. "In-store" refers to something or someone being physically present at customer/merchandise interface where merchandise products are displayed or presented for collection by shoppers, regardless of whether or not the product display is indoors. An "in-store product display" may thus include an outdoor stall (e.g., at a mall or a fleamarket), and may also include outdoor portions of the relevant store (e.g., a gardening section of a supermarket).


A light emitting diode includes a light emitting structure including first and second conductive type semiconductor layers, an active layer, a first electrode electrically connected to the first conductive type semiconductor layer, a current blocking layer disposed on a lower surface of the light emitting structure, and a second electrode electrically connected to the second conductive type semiconductor layer. The second electrode includes a first reflective metal layer adjoining the second conductive type semiconductor layer, and a second reflective metal layer covering a lower surface of the current blocking layer and a lower surface of the first reflective metal layer, and adjoining the second conductive type semiconductor layer. A contact resistance between the second reflective metal layer and the second conductive type semiconductor layer is higher than a contact resistance between the first reflective metal layer and the second conductive type semiconductor layer.

Field
Exemplary embodiments relates to a light emitting diode, and, more particularly, to a light emitting diode including a reflective metal layer for improving light extraction efficiency.
Discussion of the Background
A light emitting diode (LED) is a solid state device configured to convert electrical energy into light. LEDs are generally applied to various light sources, such as backlight units, lighting apparatuses, signal boards, large displays, and the like. As the usage of LEDs for lighting and its application to high current and high output devices is increasing, there is a need for development of an electrode technology, which may improve reliability of electrodes that provide electrical connection to an external structure, such as a module or semiconductor layers of an LED, and improve light extraction efficiency of an LED.

Light emitting diode with high efficiency


A filter assembly for a vacuum cleaner of the type having a motor, a housing enclosing the motor, a fan driven by the motor for producing a vacuum, and a canister removably attached to the front end of the housing and having an intake nozzle for reception of foreign matter, liquid and air drawn into the canister in response to the vacuum developed by the fan. The filter assembly includes an air permeable filter member disposed within a framework. The filter member includes a front wall. A hollow member extends axially from the front wall towards the open end of the canister. The hollow member is readily graspable by a user when the canister is removed. The filter assembly further includes a filter housing disposed within the canister and having a front wall. A member axially extends from the front wall towards the open end of the canister and is accessible by the user when the filter is removed from the filter housing.

The present invention relates generally to portable vacuum cleaners and more particularly, to a vacuum cleaner capable of cleaning both air and liquid.
Portable vacuum cleaners which pick up or vacuum solid or liquid material are known in the prior art. These portable vacuum cleaners are frequently referred to as "wet-dry" vacuum cleaners. Typically, such vacuum cleaners include a filter assembly to deflect or resist the passage of dirt through a passage way to the motor.
An example of a conventional wet/dry vacuum cleaner presently known is a product marketed by The Hoover Company under its trademark "DUBL-DUTY". Details of this wet/dry vacuum cleaner are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,831,685. The filter assembly of the Hoover product includes a liquid air separator further functioning as a filter housing and a filter member disposed within the separator or housing. The filter member includes a flange having an annular groove or recess which mates with an annular rim or tongue extending from the rear of the separator for connecting the separator to the filter member. The filter member flange also includes a gasket which provides a liquid and air tight seal with the interior surface of the canister of the cleaner. The frictional force holding the filter assembly within the canister is relatively strong.
When the canister is removed from its housing so that the user of the vacuum cleaner can clean the filter, the filter member and separator are removed as an integral unit. In fact, a significant number of the users of such vacuum cleaners do not recognize that the filter must be removed from the separator or housing to clean the same. If the filter is not properly cleaned, a significant degradation of the operating performance of the vacuum cleaner will take place.
Another example of a "wet-dry" vacuum cleaner is the "POWER PRO" cleaner sold by Black & Decker (U.S.) Inc. While this vacuum cleaner has proven generally satisfactory in actual performance, it initially suffered from the same problem associated with the "DUBL-DUTY" vacuum cleaner as previously discussed.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to enable a user of a handheld vacuum cleaner to readily remove the filter of the filter assembly when the filter requires cleaning.


An apparatus for carrying out a block-change in a ring spinning machine, in which a block of roving bobbins which each supply an associated spinning station are changed together when the rovings wound on the bobbins run out. Preferably, more than one block of roving bobbins is provided. The roving bobbins used to form a block are combined in such a manner that all of them have at least substantially the same length of roving wound on them. The end of the roving on at least one of the bobbins of the block is detected before that end passes through the associated drafting unit, and the block-change is triggered at an instant of time when the roving end has not yet passed through the drafting unit.

At present bobbin changing on ring spinning machines is usually a random operation, meaning that roving bobbins are exchanged and replaced by new full bobbins only when empty or substantially empty, the exact position of the emptying bobbins not being known in advance but being distributed statistically over the whole length of the ring spinning machine.
However, random changing leads to lost output since discovering that a particular roving bobbin is empty, removal of this empty bobbin and insertion of a full bobbin takes some time. There is also some downtime since the operators are often not in a position to immediately change all of the bobbins which are becoming empty. Another cause of lost output is that the roving of a new full bobbin must first be led through the drafting unit and then connected to the trailing or running-out end of the ring-spun yarn produced from the previous bobbin.
To obviate this loss of time an apparatus has already been suggested which enables the trailing end of the roving to be connected automatically to the entering or leading end of the new roving. The aforementioned known apparatus is disclosed in published European Patent Application No. 296,546, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The design of that known apparatus makes it easier to employ bobbin exchanging in blocks, i.e., a so-called block change, in accordance with the present invention.

Apparatus for block changing in a ring spinning machine


A banknote handling apparatus 10 comprises a casing 12, an inlet 20 configured for inserting banknotes into the casing 12 from the exterior thereof, a plurality of storages 40 provided in a lower portion of the casing 12, in a substantially horizontal direction and in parallel relative to one another, and respectively adapted for storing therein the banknotes, and an escrow storage 42 juxtaposed with the respective storages 40 in the casing and adapted for escrowing therein the banknotes inserted into the casing 12 from the exterior thereof through the inlet 20. A transport unit 30 adapted for transporting the banknotes between any two of the inlet 20, respective storages 40 and escrow storage 42 is provided above the respective storages 40 and escrow storage 42 in the casing 12. In addition, a plurality of diverters 36 are provided at diversion points 35 in the transport unit 30 toward each of the storages 40 and escrow storage 42, respectively. Each diverter 36 is adapted for diverting the banknotes transported by the transport unit 30 into a specified storage 40 or escrow storage 42.

In the past, as disclosed in JP10-188077A, various banknote handling apparatuses, each designed for performing the depositing process and/or dispensing process for the banknotes, have been known. In the conventional banknote handling apparatus as disclosed in JP10-188077A, a plurality of storages (or storage units), each adapted for storing therein the banknotes, for each denomination thereof, are provided to a lower portion of a casing, while an escrow unit adapted for escrowing or temporarily storing therein the banknotes is provided above the respective storages in the casing. Additionally, a transport unit adapted for transporting the banknotes inserted in the casing from an inlet is provided above the escrow unit in the casing. Further, a bundling unit for bundling each batch of the banknotes accumulated in a stacked condition is provided above the transport unit.
In the banknote handling apparatus disclosed in JP10-188077A, the banknotes inserted in the casing from the inlet are first transported into the casing by the transport unit, while being recognized about the denomination or the like thereof by a recognition unit provided along the transport unit. Then, the banknotes are escrowed (or temporarily stored) in the escrow unit. Once the depositing process for the banknotes is confirmed, the banknotes escrowed in the escrow unit will be stored in the respective storages, for each denomination of the banknotes. Meanwhile, upon dispensing the banknotes stored in the respective storages, as bundled banknotes, the banknotes are first transported to the bundling unit from the respective storages, then a bundling process for forming each batch of the banknotes is performed, and finally the bundled banknotes are dispensed from a bundled-banknote outlet.


Novel fused tricyclic compounds represented by formula (I) are described. Q, Y, xe2x80x94Lxe2x80x94Xxe2x80x94, A, Axe2x80x2, B, E, D, n and m are as defined in the disclosure. Also described are the processes for the manufacture of these compounds and agriculturally suitable compositions containing these as active ingredients which are useful as herbicides for general or selective pre-emergent or post-emergent control of undesired plant species.

It is known that some benzoxazine type compounds show herbicidal activity. They are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,734,124, 4,761,174, 5,084,084 or 5,281,571, European Patent publication No. 0170191 or German Patent publication No. 3927438. Certain fused tricyclic compounds with herbicidal activity were described in European Patent publication No. 406993.
However, it is not known that benzoxazine type compounds with a functional group introduced at position 5 followed by cyclization afford fused tricyclic compounds which exhibit herbicidal activity.
This invention delineates a method for the control of undesired vegetation in a plantation crop by the application to the locus of the crop an effective amount of a compound described herein. The herbicidal compounds of the present invention are described by the following formula (I) or its salt:
wherein Q is a heterocycle selected from the group consisting of Q1 to Q24:
wherein R1 is hydrogen, alkyl, haloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, amino, alkoxyalkyl, acetyl, alkoxycarbonylamino, alkylcarbonylamino or alkoxycarbonyl;
R2 is alkyl, haloalkyl, alkoxy, haloalkoxy or unsubstituted or substituted phenyl;
R3 is hydrogen, halogen, nitro, amino, alkylamino, haloalkylamino, cyano or amide;
R4 and R5 are independently oxygen, sulfur or imino;
Q6, Q7, Q10, Q16 or Q17 may be unsaturated containing one or two double bonds in the 6-membered ring;
Y is hydrogen or halogen;
xe2x80x94Lxe2x80x94Xxe2x80x94 is xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94Sxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94S(O)xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94S(O)2xe2x80x94 xe2x80x94CR6R7xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94CR6R7xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94CR6R7xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94CR6R7xe2x80x94Sxe2x80x94, Sxe2x80x94CR6R7xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94CR6R7xe2x80x94S(O)xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94S(O)xe2x80x94CR6R7, xe2x80x94CR6R7xe2x80x94S(O)2xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94S(O)2xe2x80x94CR6R7xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94CR6R7xe2x80x94CR6R7xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94CR6xe2x95x90CRxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94NR6xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94CR6xe2x95x90Nxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94Nxe2x95x90CR6xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94Nxe2x95x90Nxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94CR6R7xe2x80x94NR6xe2x80x94 or xe2x80x94NR6xe2x80x94CR6R7xe2x80x94;
A is xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94Sxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94S(O)xe2x80x94, S(O)2, xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94C(S)xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94C(NH)xe2x80x94 or xe2x80x94CR6R7xe2x80x94;
Axe2x80x2 is xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94Sxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94S(O)xe2x80x94, S(O)2, xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94C(S)xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94C(NH)xe2x80x94 or xe2x80x94CR10R11xe2x80x94;
n is an integer of 0 to 2;
m is an integer of 0 to 2;
B is N, CH, C, or N+
E is a bond, xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94Sxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94S(O)xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94S(O)2xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94C(S)xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94C(NH)xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94CR12R13xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94CR12R13xe2x80x94CR12R13xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94CR12xe2x95x90CR13xe2x80x94, xe2x95x90CR12xe2x80x94 or xe2x80x94NR12xe2x80x94;
D is xe2x80x94NRxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94Nxe2x95x90CR14xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94Sxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94S(O)xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94S(O)2xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94CR14R15xe2x80x94 or xe2x80x94CR14xe2x95x90CR15xe2x80x94;
R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, R11, R12, R13, R14 and R15 are independently hydrogen, halogen, hydroxy, cyano, nitro, amino, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, phenyl, benzyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkoxy, haloalkoxy, aryloxy, heteroaryloxy, alkylcarbonyl, arylcarbonyl, alkoxycarbonyl, aryloxycarbonyl, amninocarbonylamino, alkylaminocarbonylamino, arylaminocarbonylamino, alkoxyalkyl, alkylthioalkyl, alkoxycarbonylalkyl, cycloalkoxycarbonylalkyl, alkylcarbonyloxyalkyl, alkylcarbonylaminoalkyl, alkoxyalkylcarbonylalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, alkenylcarbonyl, alkynylcarbonyl, cycloalkylcarbonyl, heteroarylcarbonyl, alkylthiocarbonyl, cycloalkyloxycarbonyl, arylthio-carbonyl, aryl-thiocarbonyl, heteroaryloxycarbonyl, aminocarbonyl, alkylaminocarbonyl, arylaminocarbonyl, heteroarylaminocarbonyl, alkoxycarbonylcarbonyl or arylcarbonylcarbonyl where any of these groups may be substituted with at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of halogen, cyano, nitro, amino, dialkylamino, hydroxyl, carboxyl, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, alkylcarbonyl, alkylcarbonyloxy, alkoxy, alkoxycarbonyl, alkylthio, alkylthiocarbonyl, alkoxythiocarbonyl alkylaminocarbonyl, arylaminocarbonyl, alkylsulfonyl, alkenyloxycarbonyl, alkynyloxycarbonyl, aryl, arylcarbonyl, aryloxy, aryloxycarbonyl, arylthio, heteroaryl, heteroaryloxycarbonyl and methylenedioxy, wherein the alkyl moiety or aryl moiety may be substituted with at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of halogen, cyano, nitro, alkyl, alkoxy, haloalkyl, haloalkoxy, alkoxycarbonyl, cycloalkyl, aryl and heterocycloalkyl;
R is hydrogen, alkyl alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, alkoxyalkyl, alkoxyalkoxyalkyl, alkylcarbonyl, arylcarbonyl, alkoxycarbonyl, aryloxycarbonyl, alkoxycarbonylalkyl, alkoxyalkoxycarbonylalkyl, cycloalkoxycarbonylalkyl, aralkyl, heteroaralkyl, aryloxyalkyl or heteroaryloxyalkyl where any of these groups may be substituted with at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of halogen, cyano, nitro, amino, carboxyl, alkylthioalkyl, hydroxyalkyl, CON(R16)R17 and COON(R16)R17;
R16 and R17 are independently hydrogen, halogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, alkoxyalkyl, alkylthioalkyl, alkoxycarbonylalkyl, cycloalkoxycarbonylalkyl, alkylcarbonyloxyalkyl, alkylcarbonylaminoalkyl, alkoxyalkylcarbonylalkyl, phenyl or benzyl where any of these groups may be substituted with at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of halogen, cyano, carboxyl, hydroxy, nitro and amino.

Fused tricyclic compounds, process for their preparation, and herbicidal compositions containing them


A stirrer is provided such that a fluid being processed can be more efficiently shown by way of the action of an intermittent jet flow and processing capacity can be improved. The stirrer concentrically includes a rotor that includes a plurality of flat vanes and that rotates, and a screen that is place around the rotor. The screen includes a plurality of slits in the circumferential direction thereof, and screen members that are positioned between adjacent slits. The fluid being processed is discharged by rotation of the rotor from the inside of the screen to the outside as an intermittent jet flow through the slits. The width of the distal working face on the distal end of the vane in the rotational direction is smaller than the width of the basal end of the vane in the rotational direction.

Various stirrers have been proposed as an apparatus to carry out processing of emulsification, dispersion, or mixing of a fluid, however, today, it is required that the stirrer can satisfactorily process a fluid to be processed containing a substance having a small particle diameter such as nanoparticle.
For example, a bead mill and a homogenizer are known as a kind of widely known stirrer, emulsifier, and disperser.
There is a problem in the bead mill, however, that a crystal state in surface of particle is destructed and damaged thereby decreasing in a performance thereof. In addition, there is a big problem of generation of foreign materials as well as a high-cost problem of the beads which are frequently replaced or fed.
In a high-pressure homogenizer, problems such as unstable operation of the machine as well as a large power requirement have not been solved yet.
A rotary-type homogenizer has been conventionally used as a preliminary mixer; but, in order to carry out nano-dispersion or nano-emulsification, a finishing machine is required to further finish the particles to a nanometer


A media supply is provided for use in an imaging device having an entry port. The media supply has a housing defining a media storage area to hold media, an opening to receive media, and a device engagement surface shaped for insertion into the entry port A media enclosure is mounted to the housing and is movable between an open position wherein the media storage area can be accessed through the opening and a closed position blocking the opening. Wherein the media storage area, media enclosure, and engagement surface are arranged so that the media enclosure can be moved between the closed position and the open position when the engagement surface is inserted into the entry port.

Many types of imaging devices such as thermal printers, inkjet printers, laser printers, scanners, and other like imaging devices receive stored media in the form of cut sheets. Often, such imaging devices have media supply areas that comprise racks, trays or other structures that are positioned to receive media and to properly position the media for use by the imaging device. One example of such imaging device is the Kodak Personal Picture Maker 200 ink jet photo printer sold by the Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N.Y. The Personal Picture Maker holds sheet media in a paper support tray that supports the media and positions the sheet media for use. The paper support tray is outside of the printer and has an open configuration to allow a user to freely access the paper in the paper support tray to add, remove, change or otherwise organize the paper.
Other printer types such as the Hewlett Packard Laser Jet 5SI, sold by Hewlett-Packard, Boise, Id. use a combination of removable bins and a paper support tray to store media. The bins are removed from the printer for loading and, after loading, the bins are reinserted into the printer. When a bin is re-inserted, the bin properly orients the media for use by the printer. This allows large volumes of media to be loaded and stored in the printer. For example, such bins are typically adapted to receive 500 or more sheets of media in a single loading operation. This greatly reduces the amount of time required to load and/or reload such printers. However, it is necessary to remove the bins from the printer in order to access the media stored therein such as where it is desired to change or reorder media. Accordingly, printers such as the LaserJet 5SI are often adapted with a separate paper support tray and loading system adapted to receive individual sheets of media. This separate paper support and loading system is used to allow the printer to maintain a single type of media in a tray while being readily adaptable to additional or other forms of media by way of the loading tray. It will be appreciated, however, that the use of such a separate loading tray increases the cost, size and complexity of the printer.
Still other types of printers use media supply cartridges that are fully or partially inserted into the printers. Such cartridges provide many of the advantages of the trays described above. Such cartridges typically use a clamshell type structure having a media holding structure and a separable containment surface that joins to the media holding structure to contain media within the cartridges. This clamshell type configuration allows a user to insert media into the clamshell by separating the containment surface from the media holding surface. However, this separation can only be made when the clamshell is removed from the printer. Accordingly, in such printers, it is not possible to access the media in a cartridge for example to load or change the media in the cartridge while such a clamshell cartridge is in the printer. In some printers, the containment surface is pivotally connected to the media holding structure. However, here too, the clamshell cartridge structure cannot be pivotally opened when the cartridge is in place on the printer.
What is needed therefore, is a media supply and imaging system that can provide the advantages of a cartridge or bin media supply yet also affords a user with the ability to access the media stored therein without requiring the user to remove the media supply re from the imaging device.

Imaging system and media supply for use in imaging system


A piling for use in building construction having an upper and a lower piling connected at a hinge. The hinge has a first and a second axis. The hinged connection allows an entire wall to be framed at ground level leaving one end of each upper piling connected to the lower piling, by a first pin on the first axis, and the upper end of each upper piling tilted onto the ground. A variety of framing pieces are used to connect the upper pilings together to frame a wall. Once framing of a wall is complete, the wall is hoisted into an upright position, about the first pins, bringing the entire hinge together. A second pin is inserted along the second axis in each of the hinges to secure the upper pilings in an upright position.

Typically, post-frame construction of buildings employs setting a series of pilings, usually made of wood, into the earth to define the perimeter of the building. Once the perimeter is set with the pilings, the building is framed in an upright position by connecting wall girts to the adjacent pilings. A disadvantage of using wood piling is that they can break down in the earth over time and, in the case of chemically treated wood, the pilings can release chemicals into the ground. To overcome this particular problem, it is known in the art to use a two-piece piling assembly having an upper and a lower piling where the lower piling is reinforced concrete. Once the lower piling is set into the ground, the upper piling is attached to the upper piling and framing of the building commences.
To facilitate this type of construction, the upper and lower pilings can be connected at a hinge. The building walls are framed on the ground using the upper pilings. Following construction of the frame, each wall is rotated upward about the hinged connection and pinned for retention.
An example of this type of construction can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,146 to Parry (the '146 patent). A lower hinge plate is connected to the top of the lower piling by fasteners. The hinge plate is a generally flat plate having a pair of opposing walls that extend vertically from edges of the hinge plate. A pair of opposing grooves are defined in front edges of the opposing walls, at the plate. Similarly, a pair of opposing holes are defined near the rear edges of the opposing walls. A shoe is attached to a lower end of the upper piling by fasteners. The shoe has a flat bottom and three walls that extend vertically from edges of the bottom. Two of the walls are opposing with the third wall extending between the rear edges. A pair of opposing pins extend from the lower front edge of the opposing walls, at the bottom. Similarly, a pair of opposing holes are defined in the opposing walls near the rear of the walls, spaced from the bottom.
The lower end of the lower piling is set in the ground, leaving the upper end of the piling exposed. On the ground, frames, made up of columns with rafters or beams, are connected together at a gable. The shoes are attached to the lower ends of the columns. Each frame is positioned such that the pins of the shoe are slid into the corresponding grooves on the lower hinge plate. Using a cable assembly, the frame is pulled into an upright position, rotating about the pins. This brings the holes on the shoe into alignment with the holes on the lower hinge plate. The frame is retained in an upright position by inserting pins through the holes.
This type of construction increases the amount of work that can be performed at ground level and could conceivably allow a single individual to hoist the frame into an upright position. However, it would still require more than one person to align the pins of the frame to the hinge plates of the lower pilings that are pre-set into the ground. The present invention is aimed at one or more of the problems identified above.


A system processes an audio signal and a video signal by using different devices, thereby preventing a so-called lip sync error. The processing time (represented by processing-time information) from the start of reception of a supplied video signal in a video processor apparatus to the start of displaying a video corresponding to the video signal on a display screen of a display device is acquired in an amplifier device from the video processor apparatus through a control signal line. In accordance with the acquired processing time, a delay processor delays processing of an audio signal supplied from the delay processor.

The present invention relates to a Video/audio processor system having, for example, a Video processor apparatus such as a television (TV) receiver, and an AV (audio/Video) amplifier. The invention further relates to an amplifier device and an audio delay processing method for use with the video/audio processor system.
For example, with an Video/audio terminal device of a TV conference system, when processing and playing back a Video signal and audio signal being sent, the amount of data and of the Video signal is greater than that of the audio signal, and also the processing is relatively complex, so that outputting of video is delayed with respect outputting of audio, whereby there occurs an offset between audio and video inherently required to be accurately synchronized, consequently generating non-synchronous (or, asynchronous) audio and Video (event of the unmatch between audio and Video character's mouth movements), i.e., so-called lip sync error.
To address the problem of such lip sync error, below-described Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 07-059030 discloses a technique as briefed herebelow. According to the technique, in an apparatus for coding video signals and audio signals and produces outputs thereof, a necessary amount of delay of an audio signal from the coded state of the audio signal is set. Then, in accordance with the set amount of delay, the coded audio signal is delayed, whereby the video and audio signals are synchronized with one another and output. Then, the Video and audio signal are sent to a destination, thereby to prevent the occurrence of the lip sync error in a destination terminal device.
In recent years, configuration of so-called home theater systems has become popular. For example, the configuration of a home theater system can be configured by interconnecting a DVD (digital Versatile disc) player, an AV amplifier, and a TV receiver with a relatively large display screen.
In this case, the AV amplifier, which forms audio signals for supply to respective speakers corresponding to multiple channels, such as the 5.1 channels, supplies audio signals to a corresponding speaker, and synchronously supplies video signals to the TV receiver. In the TV receiver, the video signals from the AV amplifier are processed to form video signals for supply to a display device of, for example, an LCD (liquid crystal display), a PDP (plasma display panel), or CRT (cathode-ray tube), and the signals are supplied to the display device.
In this manner, an audio signal is processed by an AV amplifier, and a video signal is processed by a TV receiver; that is, the audio signal and the video signal are processed by different devices. As such, the time taken for the processing of the video signal in the TV receiver cannot be known in the AV amplifier. Thus, different from the case of the technique disclosed in the technique disclosed in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 07-059030, the delay cannot be provided in the manner that the delay time of the audio signal is easily and automatically set.
In such a case as described above, if an AV amplifier capable of performing delay processing of an audio signal is used, a user has to manually set the amount of delay of the audio signal, and has to finely adjust the delay. However, in many cases, such setting and fine adjustment of the amount of delay of the audio signal are complex processing for an unskilled user, so that the amount of delay cannot be adjusted to satisfaction.
Of course, a case can be considered in which, to form a home theater system from the beginning, a set of a DVD player, AV amplifier, and TV receiver is purchased, and the adjustment is performed by, for example, a technical or service person stationed in an electrician store. However, it is time-consuming and burdensome to call for such a service person every time the adjustment is performed, and costs, such as service fees to be paid to the for the adjustment, can occur.
In view of the above, the present invention proposes a system, apparatus, and method capable of preventing so-called lip sync error in a system that uses different devices to process audio signals and video signals.

Video-audio processor system, amplifier device, and audio delay processing method


A device for identifying a type of a bearing is provided. The device includes a detection unit for detecting a vibration frequency of the bearing, and an identification unit for identifying the type of the bearing based on the detected vibration frequency.

Bearings are used in different kind of machines, for example rotating machines. Sometimes, the built-in bearings are unknown to the customers. In such a case, it is difficult to replace a bearing and to have an appropriate bearing ready when the bearing deteriorates or is faulty. Further, there are also some difficulties in the detection and analysis of the bearing condition when the type of bearing is unknown. It is therefore object of the present invention to provide a simple way of identifying an already installed bearing.

Device for identifying a type of a bearing


A computer-implemented method of answering questions comprises: receiving, by one or more processors, a query; based on the query, generating, by the one or more processors, a matrix; based on the matrix, modifying, by the one or more processors, a dynamic memory; based on the matrix, determining, by the one or more processors, a first response from the dynamic memory; based on the matrix, determining, by the one or more processors, a second response from a database; based on the first response and the second response, determining, by the one or more processors, a third response; and in response to the query, providing, by the one or more processors, the third response.

Existing solutions for understanding natural language and answering questions either rely on massive amounts of annotated data to train many domain-specific intents or rely on handcrafted rules. These solutions are generally expensive, hard to manage, do not incorporate context information, and perform poorly on interactive dialogue.
A neural Turing machine may encode information received using a distributed word representation of the received information encoded by a deep recurrent neural network. The neural Turing machine may provide answers to questions using the encoded data. This model bases computations on a distributed word representation and encodes semantic meanings of sentences using a deep recurrent neural network.
A long short-term memory (LSTM) is a recurrent neural network that can learn from experience. A LSTM comprises a set of LSTM cells. Each LSTM cell provides an output based on an input and one or more internal states. Compared with other recurrent neural networks, LSTMs tend to be better at remembering values for long or short periods of time because LSTMs do not use an activation function within the recurrent components. As a result, stored values within the LSTM cells do not inherently degrade over time. LSTMs find application in, among other things, natural-language text compression, handwriting recognition, and automatic speech recognition.

Dynamic semantic networks for language understanding and question answering


A three-dimensional display includes a display panel having a plurality of first pixels arranged in the odd row, and a plurality of second pixels arranged in the even row. Each first pixel has a first and a second transparent regions and a first semiconductor pattern. Each second pixel has a third and a fourth transparent regions and a second semiconductor pattern. In any two adjacent first and second pixels, the first and the third transparent regions are mirror images of each other, and the second and the fourth transparent regions are mirror images of each other. In the adjacent first and second pixels arranged in any two rows, the loss of the light transmittance at any position along the row direction due to overlapping of the first semiconductor and the first transparent region and overlapping of the second semiconductor and the fourth transparent region remains unchanged.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a display, and more particular to a three-dimensional display.
2. Description of Related Art
Currently, continuous advancement of display technologies results in increasing demands on display quality of displays, such as image resolution, color saturation, and so on. Further, in process of purchasing a display, whether the display is able to display 3D images is also taken into consideration in addition to high image resolution and high color saturation.
In current 3D image display technologies, a barrier mainly utilized for controlling images captured in respective eyes of a viewer is configured between the display panel and the user. According to visual characteristics of human eyes, a 3D image may be produced when two images with the same content but different parallax are respectively captured by a viewer's left and right eyes. The images respectively captured by a viewer's left and right eyes respectively pass through the slits of the barrier.
Since, in the display panel, the geometric arrangement relationships of the black matrix regions or the metal wiring regions are in accordance with the extending direction of the slits of the barrier, it is easy to produce uneven fringes after the light beam from the display panel passes through the barrier. Under the circumstance mentioned above, it is easy for the viewer to see the 3D image accompanied with equidistant bright-and-dim fringes. That is, the so-called Moire effect. Thus, the display quality of the 3D display is seriously affected.
Particularly, when the display panel uses a low-temperature polysilicon active device array substrate, the non-completely-transparent polysilicon wirings lead to a worse light strength distribution in each of the pixel of the display panel. Hence, the Moire effect is getting more obvious. Therefore, how to prevent the 3D display from the Moire effect at the time for improving the display quality of the 3D display becomes the major task to be developed immediately.


The force and moment sensor of the present invention has first and second load paths for transferring forces and moments from an input member to the output member. The first and second path forming members cooperating with one another to divide the forces and moments which are transferred through the sensor whereby minor components of the moments and substantial components of the forces are transferred through the second load path forming means. Strain sensors are located in the second load path for sensing the forces and moments applied to the second load path forming members from which the total value of the forces and moments transferred from the input member to the output member may be determined while simultaneously transferring large moments and small forces.

This invention relates to force and moment sensors.
In many fields such as robotics it is necessary to determine the forces and moments which are applied by a drive member to a driven member. The most commonly used force moment sensor which is presently available has a crusiform configuration and strain guages are mounted on the arms of the crusiform so that the forces and moments applied to the sensor can be determined. The principal difficulty with this type of sensor is that all of the forces and moments which are applied to the system must pass through the sensor and in circumstances where these forces may be very high it is necessary to make the crusiform structurally strong. This has the effect of reducing the sensitivity of the sensor because the strain applied by very small forces is not readily detected. It is, therefore, necessary to compromise between the structural strength requirements of the system and the level of sensitivity which is required.


An image adjustment method includes the steps of: a) configuring a weight-value generator to receive first image data and specified data and to generate an adaptive weight value according to the first image data and the specified data; and b) configuring an image blender to receive the first image data and second image data, and to generate adjusted image data by blending the first image data and the second image data with reference to the adaptive weight value. The adaptive weight value has a magnitude that corresponds to a difference between the first image data and the specified data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image enhancement technique, more particularly to an image adjustment method and an image adjustment device for adjusting an image based upon specified data.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional image enhancement techniques generally include noise reduction, edge sharpening, color adjustment, etc. However, all pixels of an image that is subjected to such conventional image enhancement techniques generally undergo an equal level of adjustment. Differences among the pixels as perceived by a user are thus ignored.


A method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade component in form of a shear web is described. The method comprising the steps of: a) providing a pre-manufactured shear web body having a first side and a second side as well as a first end and a second end; b) providing a first pre-formed web foot flange comprising a fibre-reinforcement material; c) arranging a first fibre layer from the first pre-formed web foot flange and to a part of the first side of the shear web body; d) arranging a second fibre layer from the first pre-formed web foot flange and to a part of the second side of the shear web body; e) supplying a resin to said first fibre layer and second fibre layer simultaneous with or subsequent to steps c) and d); and f) allowing the resin to cure so as to form the shear web.

Wind turbine blades are often manufactured according to one of two constructional designs, namely a design where a thin aerodynamic shell is glued or otherwise bonded onto a spar beam, or a design where spar caps, also called main laminates, are integrated into the aerodynamic shell.
In the first design, the spar beam constitutes the load bearing structure of the blade. The spar beam as well as the aerodynamic shell or shell parts are manufactured separately. The aerodynamic shell is often manufactured as two shell parts, typically as a pressure side shell part and a suction side shell part. The two shell parts are glued or otherwise connected to the spar beam and are further glued to each other along a leading edge and trailing edge of the shell parts. This design has the advantage that the critical load carrying structure may be manufactured separately and therefore easier to control. Further, this design allows for various different manufacturing methods for producing the beam, such as moulding and filament winding.
In the second design, the spar caps or main laminates are integrated into the shell and are moulded together with the aerodynamic shell. The main laminates typically comprise a high number of fibre layers compared to the remainder of the blade and may form a local thickening of the wind turbine shell, at least with respect to the number of fibre layers. Thus, the main laminate may form a fibre insertion in the blade. In this design, the main laminates constitute the load carrying structure. The blade shells are typically designed with a first main laminate integrated in the pressure side shell part and a second main laminate integrated in the suction side shell part. The first main laminate and the second main laminate are typically connected via one or more shear webs, which for instance may be C-shaped or I-shaped. For very long blades, the blade shells may further along at least a part of the longitudinal extent comprise an additional first main laminate in the pressure side shell, and an additional second main laminate in the suction side shell. These additional main laminates may also be connected via one or more shear webs. This design has the advantage that it is easier to control the aerodynamic shape of the blade via the moulding of the blade shell part.
The shear webs act to reinforce the blade structure, and prevent excessive bending or buckling. Some blade designs use shear webs formed from beam members having I- or C-shaped cross-sections, the members having a main body with load-bearing flanges extending therefrom at opposed ends of the main body.
One method of manufacturing such I- or C-webs is through the provision of a sandwich panel body to which layers of fibre material are applied at the opposed ends in the shape of the desired flanges, the fibre material being infused with a resin and subsequently cured to form rigid flanges.
It is well-known to manufacture such shear webs in a suitably shaped mould structure, wherein a C-web can be manufactured using a relatively simple U-shaped mould, where the sandwich panel body extends between opposed walls of the mould structure, with the flanges formed through the layup of fibre material against the said walls.
Similarly, an I-web can be manufactured using a mould having a central support bounded by flexible support members on either side to define an adjustable channel between the flexible support members and the opposed mould walls. In this situation, the sandwich panel body is arranged on the central support, while the adjustable channel is arranged to receive fibre layers to form the flanges on a first side of the panel body, with the flanges on the second side of the panel body formed by the layup of fibre material against the opposed mould walls.
An example of such manufacturing systems can be seen in International Patent Application Publication No. WO 2013/037466 A1.
However, such systems require the provision of dedicated moulding tables for the formation of such shear webs, which can often be continuous structures in excess of 30-40 metres length, taking up considerable space in a blade factory. Also, the application, infusion and subsequent curing of the fibre layers to form the flanges of the shear webs require relatively precise alignment and working, resulting in considerable time and operational costs.
Furthermore, in the case of I-web manufacture, the particular flexible profiles used can be unique to the different design of blade and the associated I-web required. This can therefore result in additional manufacturing and setup costs when it is desired to produce I-webs for use in different wind turbine blades.
In addition to the above, shear webs having such resin-infused fibre-based flanges can be an area of interest for the prevention of structural faults and cracks, due to the relatively large forces transferred through said flanges.
It is an object of the invention to provide an alternative system and method for the manufacture of wind turbine blade components in form of shear webs, which provides for increased ease of manufacture combined with a reduced risk of structural failure.

Method of manufacturing a shear web using a pre-formed web foot flange


A hollow-chamber profile for fastening a battery module in a vehicle includes a first side wall and a second side wall which lies opposite the first side wall, where the first side wall and the second side wall are connected to one another via a bottom wall. Additionally, the hollow-chamber profile has a top wall which lies opposite the bottom wall, where the top wall is designed to interact with at least one fastening device for fastening the battery module. The hollow-chamber profile has at least one intermediate wall which extends between the side walls from the top wall in the direction of the bottom wall, where a wall thickness of the at least one intermediate wall is dimensioned in such a way that the fastening device can be introduced at least partially into the wall thickness of the at least one intermediate wall.

The present invention relates to an extruded hollow-chamber profile for fastening a battery module in a vehicle.
Currently, for the purpose of fastening the battery modules in high-voltage storage devices, aluminum press-drawn profiles are used, to which the battery modules are clamped. The aluminum press-drawn profiles in this case usually have two side walls, which are substantially parallel to each other, are connected to each other via a bottom wall, and which are closed, on the side opposite the bottom wall, by means of a top wall. To enable a screwed connection to be constituted in the press-drawn profile, bores are first made in the top walls of the extruded profile, and then threaded bushings are pressed or welded into these bores, or plate metal strips, having pressed-in/welded-in nuts, are inserted, or fitted, into the bores.
The insertion of threaded bushings, or nuts, in this case is associated with high production costs and with an increased amount of assembly work, because of the high number of individual parts that have to be joined together. Moreover, the press-drawn profile becomes weakened, especially in the region of introduction of force, as a result of the insertion of the threaded bushing, such that cracks in material, which can occur when the bushings are pressed in, may result in defective fastening of the battery modules.
Moreover, the insertion of the weld nuts into the profile results in very heavy components. Furthermore, the high surface pressure, in the case of the plate metal strips, and the heat-affected zone, in the case of welding, likewise result in weakening of the profile, in particular in the region of introduction of force, such that, in the case of the other, alternative known fastening possibility, also, the service life may be reduced and reliable fastening of the battery modules cannot be ensured.
Furthermore, in the case of the known profiles, if the fastening means for the battery module are tightened beyond the elastic limit, the profile as a whole may become deformed, which likewise may result in a premature failure. In order to counteract this deformation, the profile must be designed to be as solid as possible, and this consequently involves a large amount of weight, and thus higher costs.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a press-drawn profile, for fastening a battery module in high-voltage storage devices, that mitigates the above-mentioned disadvantages.
Provided in the following is a hollow-chamber profile for fastening a battery module in a vehicle, wherein the hollow-chamber profile has a first side wall and a second side wall that is opposite the first side wall, a bottom wall that joins the first and second side wall, and a top wall that is opposite the bottom wall. In this case, the side walls, and the bottom and top walls, may preferably be substantially parallel to each other.
The term "substantially parallel" in this context means that the walls may be actually parallel to each other, but it is also possible for the two walls to be offset in relation to each other only in the direction of the respectively other wall, such that they may also be at an angle in relation to each other.
In addition, the top wall acts in combination with at least one fastening means, in particular a screw, for the purpose of fastening the battery module.
In order to mitigate the disadvantages of the prior art that are associated with the use of additional threaded bushings, the proposed hollow-chamber profile has at least one intermediate wall, which extends, between the side walls, from the top wall toward the bottom wall, wherein a wall thickness of the at least one intermediate wall is dimensioned in such a manner that the fastening means can be inserted at least partly into the wall thickness of the at least one intermediate wall. The wall thickness in this case may be selected in such a manner that, when in the inserted state, the fastening means is completely surrounded by the material of the intermediate wall, but it is also possible for the fastening means, when in the fitted state, to be only partly surrounded by the material of the intermediate wall. Thus, for example, a screw can be screwed-in directly, or a bore can be made directly, in the intermediate wall. The functions of the threaded bushing can thus be assumed by the intermediate wall itself, such that it is possible to dispense with the use of a threaded bushing.
In order to provide a hollow-chamber profile that is as light as possible, the hollow-chamber profile may, instead of the solid intermediate wall, also have a first and a second intermediate wall, which are spaced apart from each other and which between them realize a cavity, into which the fastening means can be inserted. Advantageously in this case, the wall thickness of the first and second intermediate wall is reduced, in comparison with an exemplary embodiment having a single, solid intermediate wall, such that there can be savings in weight, material and costs. Moreover, such a design ensures that the fastening means is supported by the top wall, not only at the intermediate walls, but is also supported on the top side in the region of the cavity. Furthermore, the overall stability of the profile can be increased by this design.
In addition, in order to save yet more weight, the top wall may have a first top-wall portion, which is connected to the first side wall and to the first intermediate wall, and a second top-wall portion, which is connected to the second side wall and to the second intermediate wall, wherein the first and the second intermediate wall between them realize a slot, into which the fastening means can be inserted.
Also because of this slot, realized by the intermediate walls, it is possible to dispense with the use of a threaded bushing, since the slot provided integrally by the hollow-chamber profile can assume the functions of the threaded bushing.
Additionally, there may be provided in the hollow-chamber profile at least one stiffening wall, which extends, between the bottom wall and the top wall, from the first side wall to the second side wall, and/or at least one first stiffening-wall portion is provided, which extends from one of the side walls as far as the at least one intermediate wall. It can thereby be ensured that, even in the case of thin-walled hollow-chamber profiles, the shape of the hollow-chamber profile remains largely unchanged, even in the case of introduction of a large amount of force. It is also possible in this case to provide a plurality of stiffening walls, or stiffening-wall portions, which, in particular, support the intermediate walls in order to ensure a particularly good hold of the fastening means.
To achieve yet better assumption of the function of the threaded bush, it is additionally advantageous if the at least one intermediate wall extends at least as far as the stiffening wall and/or a stiffening-wall portion, and is connected thereto. As a result, not only the side walls, but also the at least one, or the first and the second, intermediate wall can be held in a dimensionally stable manner in their position, such that the shape of the intermediate wall, or of the cavity, or slot, remains constant along the intermediate wall, even in the case of introduction of a large amount of force.
Furthermore, the stiffening wall may be a single piece, and thus realize a cavity bottom, or slot base, but it is also possible for the stiffening wall to have a first stiffening-wall portion, which extends from the first side wall as far as the first intermediate wall, and to have a second stiffening-wall portion, which extends from the second side wall as far as the second intermediate wall. Such a design ensures that particularly large fastening means can also be received in the slot.
According to a further exemplary embodiment, a diameter of the fastening means is less than the wall thickness W of the intermediate wall, or is greater than an inside width of the slot defined by the intermediate walls, and a wall thickness of the intermediate wall is dimensioned in such a manner that the fastening means, even when having been inserted in the slot, is surrounded by sufficient material for the hollow-chamber profile not to be damaged. Alternatively or additionally, a diameter of the fastening means is greater than the wall thickness W of the intermediate wall, or is greater than an inside width of the slot, defined by the intermediate walls, and the wall thicknesses W of the intermediate wall, wherein in this case, also, a wall thickness of the intermediate wall is dimensioned in such a manner that the fastening means, even when having been inserted in the slot, is surrounded by sufficient material for the hollow-chamber profile not to be damaged. The wall thickness in this case may be adapted, in particular, to the anticipated introduction of force. According to a particularly advantageous exemplary embodiment, the diameter D of the fastening element, the wall thickness W of the intermediate wall(s) and/or the inside width B of the slot are selected in such a manner that it is the case that:|W−D| or |(2W+B)−D|>=0.5 mm.
According to a further advantageous exemplary embodiment, the wall thickness of the intermediate wall is adapted in such a manner that the wall thickness is up to 30% less than a diameter of the fastening element. As a result, the intermediate wall is sufficiently stiff, the load capacity of the fastening means, for example of a thread, is sufficiently high, and the mass per unit area of the extruded profile is minimized.
This means, for example in the case of a screw being used as a fastening means, that the screw is screwed into the material of the side wall, but does not break through this material. It can thereby be ensured that, on the one hand, the fastening means is securely fastened in the slot and, on the other hand, the intermediate wall does not undergo material fatigue, even in the case of introduction of a large amount of force. In particular, it is advantageous in this case if, when the fastening means has been inserted, the remaining wall thickness is at least ⅛, better ¼, and yet better ⅓ of the original wall thickness. It can thereby be ensured that, even in the region of the fastening means, the intermediate wall(s) maintains/maintain a sufficient stability, and a sufficient hold is ensured for the fastening means. As a result, material stability and integrity can also be ensured, even in the case of introduction of a large amount of force.
According to a further advantageous exemplary embodiment, a height of the intermediate wall is adapted in such a manner that the height is at least double, preferably three times, an inside width of the slot defined by the intermediate walls and/or a diameter of the fastening element. The relationship, of height H to diameter D, H/D>2, is thus advantageous. It can thereby be ensured that the fastening means is also sufficiently supported in its longitudinal direction by the material of the intermediate wall, such that, here also, no damage to the intermediate walls can occur, even in the case of introduction of a large amount of force.
According to a further advantageous exemplary embodiment, the fastening means is a screw and/or a bore into which the screw can be inserted. It is likewise possible for a thread to be cut into the side walls, via the bore. Also possible is the use of self-tapping screws, which cut a thread into the intermediate walls as they are being screwed into the intermediate wall, the cavity, or the slot.
According to a further exemplary embodiment, the hollow-chamber profile is an extrusion profile, in particular a press-drawn profile and/or an aluminum press-drawn profile. Such profiles can be produced easily and inexpensively, and have a low weight.
Further advantages and advantageous embodiments are specified in the description, the drawings and the claims. In this case, in particular, the combinations of the features specified in the description and in the drawing are purely exemplary, such that the features may also be present singly or in other combinations.
The invention is to be described in greater detail in the following on the basis of exemplary embodiments represented in the drawings. In this case, the exemplary embodiments and the combinations shown in the exemplary embodiments are purely exemplary, and are not intended to define the scope of protection of the invention. The scope of protection is defined solely by the appended claims.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Hollow-chamber profile for fastening a battery module

Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft


An ultrasonic apparatus is disclosed that includes a transducer having a plurality of transducer elements, a controller operatively connected to the transducer and driving the transducer elements to produce a first ultrasonic transmitting beam having a first frequency and a second ultrasonic transmitting beam having a second frequency; and a processor operatively connected to said transducer for forming and moving reception beams to receive echo signals and extracting frequency components corresponding to said first ultrasonic transmitting beam and said second ultrasonic transmitting beam.

A scanning sonar has been used for detecting underwater objects. The scanning sonar includes an approximate cylindrical transducer to detect an object in all directions around the transducer as shown in FIG. 1. Each vibrator of the transducer is driven to form an ultrasonic transmitting beam in all directions therearound. Signals for driving each of transducer elements (vibrator) are controlled to provide a transducer element array in each row with an appropriate delay time or phase difference so that a transmitting beam, which has specific umbrella type tilt angle keeping a directivity in vertical direction being within the specific angle, can be formed. A detection over all directions can be made by turning a direction of a receiving beam sequentially by switching over a combination of specific number of transducer element arrays disposed cylindrically which forms receiving beam in a specific direction.
In a conventional scanning sonar, there are a horizontal mode where a detection with a specific tilt angle is made in all surrounding directions and a vertical mode where a detection with a larger tilt angle is made for searching a sector-form cross section in a vertical direction. The horizontal mode is mainly used for detecting objects within a specific range around the boat. The vertical mode is mainly used for detecting objects locating within an area with specific width approximately directly below the boat.
Normally either the horizontal mode or the vertical mode is chosen according to the purpose of detection. In some cases, however, detecting objects both within a specific range around the boat and within an area with specific width approximately directly below the boat is desired at the same time. For that purpose, there is a horizontal-vertical multiple mode which displays detected two images from both the horizontal mode and the vertical mode on a single screen.
In the detecting method using a conventional scanning sonar, detected image of specific cross section is formed by transmitting an ultrasonic pulse of a single frequency toward the area to be detected and receiving the pulse reflected from the object and others sequentially at every specific direction. Consequently a control of forming both transmitting beam and receiving beam for the horizontal mode for obtaining the detected image in horizontal mode, and a control of forming both transmitting beam and receiving beam for the vertical mode for obtaining the detected image in vertical mode must be performed in turn.
This causes to make it slow to renew the detected image, in other words images which shows quick change cannot be detected. Also when the two detected images from the horizontal mode and the vertical mode are displayed on the same screen, the time those two images are detected is different (neither the same nor close to each other), which leads to difficulty in reading and understanding the relation therebetween while comparing the two images.
The problem described above arises not only in the above case, but also in the case where both objects in lateral direction, i.e. direction horizontal or direction tilted from horizontal by specific angle and objects in longitudinal direction, i.e. direction vertical or direction tilted from vertical by specific angle are tried to be detected in the same time or within a short period of time.
It is also important to avoid interference between two kinds of received signals when transmitting/receiving ultrasonic signal for detecting objects and receiving ultrasonic signal which has been transmitted for another purpose are performed concurrently. For example, at the time of transmitting/receiving ultrasonic signal for fish-finding or tidal current measuring, detecting operation as a scanning sonar is temporally suspended. This makes, however, the detecting operation intermittent and it difficult to perform detection in a short time period.

Ultrasonic transmitting/receiving apparatus and scanning sonar employing same