An electrophotographic image forming apparatus of the present invention frees images from various defects including the thinning of horizontal lines, the omission of the trailing edge an image, background contamination, granularity particular to a halftone image, carrier scattering, and image noise. Further, the apparatus of the present invention solves problems ascribable to patches used to sense image density. Moreover, the apparatus of the present invention faithfully reproduces tonality and has a high developing ability.

The present invention relates to a printer, digital copier, facsimile apparatus or similar electrophotographic image forming apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a developing method for causing a developer to form a magnet brush on a developer carrier in a developing region for developing a latent image formed on an image carrier, and a device for practicing the same.
A developing device for an image forming apparatus is operable with either one of a one-ingredient type developer, or toner, and a two-ingredient type developer or toner and magnetic carrier mixture. The two-ingredient type developer allows the frictional charging of its toner to be easily controlled, causes the toner to cohere little, and therefore allows toner transfer to be effectively controlled by, e.g., a bias, compared to the one-ingredient type developer. Further, the toner of the two-ingredient type developer does not have to contain a magnetic material or needs only a small amount of magnetic material if necessary to obviate, e.g., fog. Particularly, the two-ingredient type developer insures images with clear colors. Moreover, when a developer layer contacts an image carrier in the form of a magnet brush, it sharply rises and contacts the image carrier in a desirable manner. This is why the two-ingredient type developer is predominant over the one-ingredient type toner although its toner must be controlled in amount relative to the carrier.
The two-ingredient type developer, however, brings about the following problems. A one-dot line formed in a direction perpendicular to a direction of sheet conveyance, i.e., a horizontal line is thinned, compared to a line formed in the direction of sheet conveyance (thinning of a horizontal line hereinafter). The trailing edge of, e.g., a halftone portion in the direction of sheet conveyance is lowered in density or practically lost (omission of a trailing edge hereinafter). In light of this, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 7-140730, for example, proposes to set the angle of the main pole of a magnet roller at the upstream side or to set up a preselected relation between a distance between a metering member and a developing sleeve and a distance between the developing sleeve and a photoconductive element. This kind of method should satisfy the following conditions (1) through (5):
(1) The main pole lies in a range of from 5xc2x0 to 20xc2x0 upstream of the closest position in a direction or developer conveyance;
(2) A doctor gap Hcut between the metering member and the developing sleeve or developer carrier is 0.25 mm to 0.75 mm;
(3) A development gap Dsd between the developing sleeve and the photoconductive element or image carrier is 0.30 mm to 0.80 mm;
(4) A ratio Dsd/Hcut is greater than 1.20, but smaller than 1.60; and
(5) A ratio of the moving speed Vs of the developing sleeve to the moving speed Vp of the photoconductive element is equal to or greater than 1.0, but equal to or smaller than 3.00.
The document mentioned above describes that when the conditions (1) through (5) are satisfied, a halftone portion or a solid portion is free from brush marks and the discontinuity of a fine line in a high copying speed range, achieving high, uniform density, and a clear-cut contour.
The method taught in the document, however, has the following problems left unsolved. As the ratio Dsd/Hcut shifts from 1, i.e., as the doctor gap Hcut becomes smaller than the development gap Dsd, the magnet brush between the developing sleeve and the photoconductive element becomes rough. The magnet brush therefore fails to uniformly contact the photoconductive element. Consequently, in a solitary dot image, in particular, in which dots with resolution of, e.g., 600 dpi (dots per inch) are recorded at the intervals of five to ten pixels, part of the dots is reduced in size or practically lost. This degrades the reproducibility and therefore tonality of a so-called high contrast portion. Further, as for a halftone image with image density ID ranging from 0.3 to 0.8, the irregular contact of the magnet brush aggravates granularity.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 2-59995 proposes to enhance a developing ability by bringing magnetic poles adjoining a main magnetic pole closer to the main magnetic pole. This document describes that although such a configuration lowers the density of a horizontal line (thinning of a horizontal line), this problem can be coped with by lowering the saturation magnetization of the carrier. However, when the saturation magnetization of the carrier is lowered, the deposition of the carrier is apt to occur. Should the amount of charge to deposit on the toner be reduced to avoid the deposition of the carrier, uncharged toner would increase and contaminate the background of an image.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 9-149063 teaches a non-contact type developing device using a two-ingredient type developer and arranging magnetic poles in such a manner as to prevent a magnet brush from contacting a photoconductive element. This developing device should satisfy the following conditions (1) through (3):
(1) The magnetic pole arrangement is set between a pair of N and S poles;
(2) The N and S poles make an angle of 40xc2x0 to 70xc2x0 therebetween, and each has a flux density of 500 mT or above; and
(3) A magnet angle between a position where an image carrier and, a magnet brush roll are closest to each other and the center between the poles is between 0xc2x0 and one-tenth of the angle between the poles, and a developing position is located between the poles of the magnet.
The document describes that when the conditions (1) through (3) are satisfied, a high quality image is attainable that is free from fog ascribable to the deposition of a carrier on the background of the image carrier and local omission around the deposited carrier. However, an electric field for development available with non-contact type development using the two-ingredient type developer is too weak to enhance a developing ability.
Generally, the absolute value of a difference between the charge potential of a photoconductive element and a bias for development, i.e., so-called background potential is related to the thinning of a horizontal line and the omission of a trailing edge. In the conventional developing device, the above defects can be reduced to an acceptable level it the background potential is reduced to, e.g., about 100 V or about 50 V. Such a low background potential, however, brings about background contamination or fog. This is particularly true in a hot, humid environment.
On the other hand, Japanese Patent application No. 11-318490 discloses an image forming apparatus capable of obviating the thinning of a horizontal line and the omission of a trailing edge. Further, this apparatus prevents solitary dots from being lost due to the irregular contact of a magnet brush and frees a halftone image from granularity. In addition, the apparatus obviates the deposition of the carrier to thereby maintain a high developing ability. However, a problem with this apparatus is that the magnet brush actively moves in a small gap between an image carrier and a developer carrier, causing the carrier to fly about during development and deposit on the image carrier as well as an the other members. Consequently, the image carrier is apt to convey the carrier to an image transfer position. The carrier therefore prevents toner around the carrier from being transferred to a paper sheet or similar recording medium, resulting in a defective image. Moreover, if the carrier is transferred to the paper sheet, it simply constitutes an impurity in the resulting image because it is not fixed on the paper sheet.
Granularity often appears in images, particularly halftone images, output by the conventional image forming apparatuses. Granularity is one of major causes that lower image quality.
It is a common practice with an image forming apparatus to maintain the density of a toner image by forming a particular toner image (patch hereinafter) on a photoconductive element or an intermediate image transfer body and sense the density of the patch with a density sensor. The sensed density is fed back in order to adequately control the quantity of light for exposure or a bias for development. With this scheme, it is possible to maintain images constant despite, e.g., the varying environment and aging. Because the patch is not expected to be printed by the image forming apparatus, it is simply collected by cleaning means after the sensing of the density. This wastefully consumes toner and needs replenishment of extra toner while increasing the amount of waste toner collected. Further, the patch is formed in a non-image portion not corresponding to a paper sheet and therefore smears an image transfer belt, an image transfer roller, an intermediate image transfer belt, and members contacting them. The toner deposited on such members is transferred to the back or the background of the resulting print, making the print defective
Moreover, the toner forming the patch flies about to contaminate the density sensor. Particularly, a light-sensitive portion forming part of the sensor, which adjoins the patch in order to enhance accuracy, is contaminated more than the other member. The toner deposited on the sensor lowers the output of the sensor and thereby obstructs the accurate sensing of density. To solve this problem, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 11-202696 proposes to inform the operator of the contamination of the sensor by using extra means for sensing it. This method, however, is not a drastic solution because it needs the extra means and requires the operator or a serviceman to clean the sensor. In addition, the patch size should be as small as possible because the contamination derived from the path lowers sensing accuracy.
In the conventional developing system using a magnet brush, a developing condition for increasing image density and a developing condition for rendering a low contrast image desirable are contradictory to each other. It is therefore difficult to improve both of a high density portion and a low density portion at the same time. More specifically, to increase image density, the gap between the image carrier and the developing sleeve (development gap) may be reduced, or the width of the developing region may be increased. On the other hard, to render a low contrast portion desirable, the development gap may be increased, or the developing region may be reduced. The two developing conditions are therefore contradictory. It is generally considered to be difficult to achieve an attractive image by satisfying the two conditions over the entire density range.
An increase in development gap serves to reduce the frictional force of the magnet brush acting on the image carrier, thereby reducing the omission of a trailing edge and promoting the faithful reproduction of a horizontal line. However, a greater development gap enhances an edge effect during development, i.e., develops solitary dots in a greater site than expected, thickens lines, enhances a portion around a solid image portion or a halftone image portion or causes the outside of such an image portion to be lost. As a result, sophisticated control over tonality reproduction is required, A small development gap reduces the edge effect and frees an image from noticeable granularity. A small development gap, however, intensifies the frictional force of the magnet brush and thereby aggravates the omission of trailing edge and that of dots while obstructing the reproduction of a horizontal line. The resulting image is therefore noticeably dependent on direction.
As for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, there is an increasing demand for higher resolution and higher tonality. A problem in this respect is that high pixel density reduces the individual pixel relative to the spot diameter of a beam to issue from an exposing unit, preventing sufficient tonality from being achieved.
Tonality is dependent on the beam spot diameter, as well known in the art. A large beam spot diameter relative to pixel density degrades the reproducibility of a low density portion or highlight portion. This is because when a solitary dot is written, a latent image representative of it is shallow due to low exposure energy density, making reproduction unstable. On the other hand, in a high density portion, nearby pixels are exposed in such a manner as to overlap each other with the result that image density rapidly saturates relative to a density area ratio, causing gamma to rise, i.e., lowering tonality. While the quantity of light for a dot may be increased to reproduce a solitary dot, the solitary dot increases in size and further aggravates tonality.
Therefore, to enhance resolution while maintaining tonality, the beam spot diameter rust be reduced in accordance with pixel density. In laser optics, for example, the beam spot diameter can be reduced if the wavelength of a laser beam is reduced or if the numerical aperture (NA) of an f/xcex8 lens is increased. On the other hand, in an LED (Light Emitting Diode) array or similar solid state optics, use may be made of a selfoc lens array (SLA), or LEDs may be reduced in size.
Today, high resolution and high tonality, which have been difficult to achieve with conventional image forming apparatuses due to accuracy and cost problems, are available with may products. However, as for exposure using a beam whose spot diameter is equivalent to a pixel size, tonality is not sufficient when it comes to recent, high density images. Particularly, reproducibility tends to decrease in a highlight portion with an increase in recording density for the following reasons. As for a latent image representative of solid dots, a charge distribution corresponding to a small dot size is attainable. However, during development, the edge effect renders the dots in a size greater than the target size. Further, the magnet brush with countercharge after development rubs itself against the toner image, so that the toner is returned to the developing roller. This aggravates irregularity in the area of the dot and thereby lowers the reproducibility of a highlight portion.
Moreover, when the recording density is as high as 1,200 dpi, solitary dots are further reduced in size and cannot be easily formed by development. In addition, the reproducibility of a highlight portion is lowered.
Technologies relating to the present invention are also disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 8-160725 and 2000-305360.
It is a first object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus capable of obviating the thinning of a horizontal line and the omission of a trailing edge and causing a minimum of background fog to occur, and a developing device therefore.
It is a second object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus capable of obviating the thinning of a horizontal line and the omission of a trailing edge, enhancing a developing ability, and causing a minimum of carrier from flying about, and a developing device therefor.
It is a third object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus capable not only of obviating the thinning of a horizontal line and the omission of a trailing edge but also of reducing granularity, and a developing device therefor.
It is a fourth object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus capable of obviating the thinning of a horizontal line and the omission of a trailing edge, obviating the omission of solitary dots and the granularity of a halftone image ascribable to the irregular contact of a magnet brush, and solving problems ascribable to a patch, and a developing device therefor.
It is a fifth object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus capable of obviating the omission of a trailing edge, the low reproducibility of a horizontal line and the omission of dots, obviating the omission of dots or similar noise, reducing granularity and enhancing the reproducibility of tonality even when a development gap is reduced, and a developing device therefor.
It is a sixth object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus capable of desirably reproducing a low contrast image, reducing image noise, and enhancing the reproducibility of tonality, and a developing device therefor,
It is a seventh object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus capable of achieving resolution and tonality at the same time by using an adequate beam spot diameter even when recording density is high, and a developing device therefore
In accordance with the present invention, in an image forming method using a developer carrier for conveying a developer, which is made up of toner and a carrier, deposited thereon, and a magnetic field generating body held stationary within the developer carrier for forming a magnet brush on the developer carrier. The magnet brush contacts an image carrier to thereby develop a latent image formed on the image carrier. An auxiliary magnetic pole exists between a main magnetic pole, which causes the developer to rise and form the magnet brush in a developing region, and a magnetic pole that conveys the developer. An amount of charge to deposit on the toner ranges from 10 xcexcC/g to 35 xcexcC/g. A background potential is 100 V or above.
Also, in accordance with the present invention, an image forming apparatus includes an image carrier. A developer carrier conveys a developer, which is made up of toner and a carrier, deposited thereon. A magnetic field generating body is held stationary within the developer carrier for forming a magnet brush on the developer carrier. The magnet brush contacts the image carrier for thereby developing a latent image formed on the image carrier. An auxiliary magnetic pole helps a main magnetic pole, which causes the developer to rise and form the magnet brush in a developing region, exert a magnetic force, thereby reducing the half width of the main magnetic pole. An amount of charge to deposit on the toner ranges from 10 xcexcC/g to 35 xcexcC/g. A background potential is 100 V or above.
Further, in accordance with the present invention, an image forming apparatus includes an image carrier and a developer carrier for conveying a developer, which is made up of toner and a carrier, deposited thereon. A magnetic field generating body is held stationary within the developer carrier for forming magnet brush on the developer carrier. The magnet brush contacts the image carrier for thereby developing a latent image formed on the image carrier. An auxiliary magnetic pole helps a main magnetic pole, which causes the developer to rise and form the magnet brush in a developing region, exert a magnetic force, thereby reducing the half width of the main magnetic pole. Assuming that the developer carrier and image carrier rotate at peripheral speeds of vd and vp, respectively, a ratio vd/vp is 2.5 or below. The main pole has a flux density whose peak value is 60 mT or above. The carrier of the developer has a saturation magnetization of 35 emu/g or above.
Moreover, in accordance with the present invention, an image forming apparatus includes an image carrier and a developer carrier for conveying a developer, which is made up of toner and a carrier, deposited thereon. A magnetic field generating body is held stationary within the developer carrier for forming magnet brush on the developer carrier. The magnet brush contacts the image carrier for thereby developing a latent image formed on the image carrier. A metering member regulates the thickness of the developer deposited on the image carrier. An auxiliary magnetic pole helps a main magnetic pole, which causes the developer to rise and form the magnet brush in a developing region, exert a magnetic force, thereby reducing the half width of the main magnetic pole. Assuming that a gap between the developer carrier and the metering member and a gap between the image carrier and the developer carrier are Gd and Gp, respectively, a ratio, Gd/Gp is between 0.8 and 1.0.


An image processing method, including: receiving image content and metadata of the image content, the metadata content comprising flag information indicating whether to perform image processing on the image content and image processing information; determining whether to perform the image processing for each frame based on the flag information; performing, in response to determining to perform the image processing for an image frame, the image processing based on the image processing information on the image frame; and outputting the image processed image frame on which the image processing is performed.

Field
Apparatuses and methods consistent with one or more exemplary embodiments relate to an image processing apparatus and an image processing method thereof, and more particularly, to an image processing apparatus and an image processing method thereof for processing an image by using metadata included in image content.
Description of the Related Art
Various image processing methods for improving a quality of image content have been provided. For example, an image processing method for improving various image quality elements such as sharpness, brightness of image content, and color has been provided.
High-definition image content have also been provided recently. To perform image processing on high-definition image content, image processing information is required. However, metadata in the related art includes only information on a resolution and a size of the existing image content, but does not include information for image processing.
In particular, blur, noise, and the like may cause degradation of the quality of the high-definition image content (for example, 4K image content). Of blur which appears in movie content, there is a blur due to camera motion and a blur due to film scanner jitter. Blur due to the camera motion may be an intended effect of a director, and an image processing apparatus may have difficulty automatically determining and processing the content according to the director's intention. As to blur due to the film scanner jitter, the image processing apparatus needs to perform image processing to remove the blur due to a problem of a scanner. That is, it may be desirable to remove the blur depending on a producer's intention even in the same image.
Further, noise may include film grain noise, Gaussian noise, breathing noise in which noise among I/B/P frames excessively occurs, etc. Film grain noise may be inserted according to a producer's intention, and it may be desirable that the image processing apparatus not unconditionally remove the film grain noise. On the other hand, the Gaussian noise may not be intentional, but appears during a producing process, and should be removed by the image processing apparatus. The breathing noise occurs in a flicker form by a periodic repetition of gradually blurring noise, which stands out in the I frame, in the B/P frames, and blurring the noise which again stands out in the I Frame, and typically occurs in an image which is excessively compressed. The breathing noise needs to be removed to provide a clear screen, but it is difficult to determine whether there is noise and to know I/B/P frame information in an image quality enhancement algorithm, and as a result, it is difficult to process the breathing noise.
That is, as described above, the existing system of using metadata in which information associated with the image processing is not included may not perform the optimum image quality processing to fit a producer's intention.

Image forming apparatus, image forming method, image processing apparatus and image processing method thereof


A transparency adapter includes a frame configured to removably receive and support a transparent media to be scanned, and a housing cooperating with the frame to position the frame at a comfortable viewing angle. A method of scanning an image residing on transparent media and a system for improving the scanning of transparencies on the platen of a reflective scanner are also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of optical scanners, and more particularly to an adapter for viewing and scanning transparent media.
2. Related Art
A document scanner converts a visible image such as a photograph, transparency, or printed paper into an electronic form suitable for copying, storing, or processing by a computer. Reflective document scanners typically have a controlled source of light which is reflected off of the surface of a document onto an array of photosensitive devices. The photosensitive devices convert received light intensity into an electronic signal. Transparency scanners pass light through a transparent image such as a photographic positive slide image, or perhaps a photographic negative, and then onto an array of photosensitive devices.
A transparent image may be scanned in a reflective scanner by placing a white surface behind the transparency, slide, negative or other transparent media. In such an arrangement light passes through the transparent media to a white background, reflects off the white background and passes through the transparent media a second time before impinging onto the photosensitive devices. As a result, light is filtered twice by the transparent image. In general, this double filtering creates an unacceptable distortion of gray scale, color, contrast, and other image characteristics of interest.
Reflective document scanners may also be adapted to scan transparent images by providing a separate light source to backlight the image so that the light passes through the transparent media only once. Such scanners, as well as reflective document scanners utilizing a white surface behind the transparent medium, typically employ a separate template, which is generally pre-positioned on the glass reflective image area or platen of the scanner to assist in the arrangement and alignment of the transparent media on the platen prior to scanning. Generally speaking, the process of arranging the transparent media, particularly slides and negatives, within the template on the platen is a time-consuming task. In addition, the scanner light is typically off during this process, thus viewing the slides and/or negatives while positioning them for scanning is impractical if not impossible.
As a general rule, the user may utilize a light source unrelated to the transparency adapter or scanner itself to view the slides and/or negatives prior to scanning to determine which, if any of the slides and/or negatives should be scanned and thereafter stored in memory. The selected slides and/or negatives may then be positioned within the template on the platen. A separate transparency adapter may then be positioned atop of the template and slides to facilitate scanning operations. This practice, however, requires additional equipment, which in turn increases the costs associated with scanning transparent media such as slides and negatives.

Adapter for viewing and scanning images residing on transparent media

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


Methods and apparatus for detecting a sensor angle error in a system in which a measured quantity is determined on the basis of a phase of a signal. A signal derived from the measurement of multiple sensors is ascribed to a vector in a two-dimensional space, and a norm is calculated characterizing that vector. A value is calculated characterizing variation of that norm over a specified period of time and that value is compared with a threshold in order to identify a sensor fault.

A class of sensors, including, for example, position sensors (rotary or linear), or optical interferometers (including Sagnac-Effect gyroscopes, for example), derive a measure of a sensed quantity, such as rotation angle, based on the phase of a periodic envelope of a modulated waveform, shown in FIG. 1, where the modulated waveform is a higher-frequency excitation 'carrier.' The phase may be derived by sensing two quadrature components of the demodulated waveform. For analog measured signals of the form,Sxm=A cos θs cos ωet Sym=A sin θs cos ωet′, where ωe is the angular frequency of the excitation signal, the demodulated signals are of the form:Sx=Ax cos θs+Bx Sy=Ay sin θs+By
The physical meaning of the sensor angle θs depends upon the particular application. For example, in the case of a magnetic rotary sensor (as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,443,536). Ps sensor magnet poles may be spaced at equal submultiples of an armature revolution such that the relationship of θs to mechanical position θm of the shaft is given by
      θ    s    =                    P        s            2                          θ        m            .      Other embodiments of measurements, such as of linear displacement (as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,307,365) or rotation rate (as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,342,517), for example, based upon the measurement of a phase angle, may all advantageously benefit from the invention described herein. Sensing by electrical, magnetic, optical or any other means leading to the sensing of a modulation from which phase may be derived are encompassed within the scope of the present invention.
More generally, the quadrature components, Sx and Sy, may be derived from two or more sensor signals, Sk, of known phase relationship, and, thus, may be represented as
                              S          x                =                                                                            A                xc                                          cos                                                                                θ                s                                      +                                          A                xs                                          sin                                                                                θ                s                                      +                          B              x                                =                                    ∑              k                                                                  w                kx                                                          S                k                                                                                S          y                =                                                                            A                yc                                          cos                                                                                θ                s                                      +                                          A                ys                                          sin                                                                                θ                s                                      +                          B              y                                =                                    ∑              k                                                                  w                ky                                                                            S                  k                                .                                                        It is sufficient to sensor two signals (not necessarily orthogonal) that span the 2-dimensional space in which the phase angle to be measured is represented as a polar angle. In the case of rotation sensors, it is convenient to space N magnetic sensors magnet poles at equal submultiples of a revolution, such that:
                              w          kx                =                                              2            N                              cos                                              2                            π                                                                                k                        N                                                                        w            ky                    =                                                        2              N                                    sin                                                      2                                π                                                                                k                            N                                      ,            however the present invention does not limit the choice of basis function set for deriving the sensor phase angle θs.
The sensor angle θs may be estimated by ordinary rectangular-to-polar coordinate conversion, i.e., as tan−1 (Sy/Sx), but only to the extent to which the derived signals Sx and Xy are in quadrature and have equal magnitudes (i.e., if the singular values A1 and A2 of the matrix
      [                                        A            xc                                                A            xs                                                            A            yc                                                A            ys                                ]     are equal) and have zero DC offsets (i.e., the extent to which both By and Bx are zero). Gain imbalance (A1≠A2) and offsets may be caused by out-of-tolerance, or degraded, components, and their variability with time may give rise to inaccurate measurement and erratic performance of control systems based on the sensed quantities. For example, if a control loop is used to the control speed of a motor based on an inaccurate measure of rotary position, a periodic speed error ("tach ripple") will result.
Consequently, a simple method for detecting sensor errors in a context of quadrature detection is highly desirable so as to enable fault-handling procedures to be taken in cases of failure or degradation of the sort discussed above.


Systems and methods are provided herein for responding to a voice command at a volume level based on a volume level of the voice command. For example, a media guidance application may detect, through a first voice-operated user device of a plurality of voice-operated user devices, a voice command spoken by a user. The media guidance application may determine a first volume level of the voice command. Based on the volume level of the voice command, the media guidance application may determine that a second voice-operated user device of the plurality of voice-operated user devices is closer to the user than any of the other voice-operated user devices. The media guidance application may generate an audible response, through the second voice-operated user device, at a second volume level that is set based on the first volume level of the voice command.

It has become increasingly common for homes to contain voice-operated user devices. Voice-operated devices can tailor their response volumes to the volume of a user's voice command. However, with multiple voice-operated user devices in one home becoming more and more common, it becomes increasingly difficult to coordinate between multiple devices when determining which device should respond to a query and at what volume. Furthermore, matching the response volume to the volume of the user's voice, may, in some circumstances, prevent the user from hearing the response. Manually choosing a device and setting a response volume each time a user wants a response to a voice command may be cumbersome to the user and ultimately make the device response less useful.

Systems and methods for generating a volume-based response for multiple voice-operated user devices


The present invention provides a liquid-crystal display device that can efficiently provide both effects of improvement in a response time and suppression of image sticking in a display screen. The liquid-crystal display device according to the present invention is a liquid-crystal display device including a pair of substrates each including an electrode and an alignment film and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the pair of substrates, wherein the alignment film comprises a copolymer comprising a first monomer unit including a first side chain including a photoreactive functional group and a second monomer unit including a second side chain including a repeated structure.

Liquid-crystal display devices are widely used as display devices for televisions, personal computers, and PDAs because these have a thin profile, a light weight, and low power consumption. Particularly, recently, enlarging of the size of the liquid-crystal display device has been rapidly progressed as shown in liquid-crystal display devices for television, for example. For the enlarging of the size, a vertical alignment mode (VA) is suitably used in which a liquid-crystal display device having a large area can be produced at a higher yield, and a wide viewing angle is provided. In the vertical alignment mode, when no voltage is applied within a liquid crystal layer, liquid crystal molecules are aligned orthogonal to the surface of a substrate. Thereby, a high contrast ratio can be obtained.
As an example of application of the vertical alignment mode, for example, a method is disclosed in which a protrusion (rib) is formed in a surface facing a liquid crystal layer to give a pretilt angle to liquid crystal molecules in the vicinity of the rib, and voltage is applied to control the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules when the liquid crystal molecules are horizontally aligned to secure a wide viewing angle (for example, see Patent Literature 1.). Other method is known in which a slit is provided in a display electrode to generate an inclined electric field region, thereby to control the horizontal alignment orientation of liquid crystal molecules (for example, see Non-Patent Literature 1.).
Unfortunately, the method using the rib or the electrode slit is susceptible to improvement because not the whole surface of pixels is subjected to the pretilt aligning treatment, most of the pixel region has the pretilt angle of 90°, and the response time is slow. Then, a method is disclosed in which an alignment film is rubbed in four directions to divide pixels into four domains; thereby, the pretilt angle of liquid crystal molecules in a whole pixel region is approximately 88° (for example, see Patent Literature 2.). Other method is disclosed in which an alignment division is performed by a photoalignment method to give substantially the same pretilt angle as that in the method above to liquid crystal molecules (for example, see Patent Literature 3.).
Thereby, the pretilt angle can be given to the liquid crystal molecules in the whole pixel region to improve the response time. Unfortunately, in these methods, display of the same pattern for a long time may cause "image sticking" in the display. As a countermeasure, a method for suppressing occurrence of image sticking is disclosed in which an alignment film is formed using a polymer material including a side chain including a predetermined or more weight average molecular weight to the molecular weight of liquid crystal molecules (for example, see Patent Literature 4.).

Liquid-crystal display device, process for producing liquid-crystal display device, and composition for forming alignment film


Apparatus for turning pads through an angle of 90.degree. about an axis perpendicular to their plane as they are orbited with a drum from a pad pickup station to a pad transfer station. The drum has a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart supports inside of it. A hollow shaft extends radially out of each support and has a vacuum pickup shoe on it. A pinion is fastened concentrically to the hollow shaft and a gear in the support turns the pinion. A cam follower engages in the groove of a stationary circular cam. As the drum rotates the cam follower arrives in a part of the cam groove which turns the gear and results in the hollow shaft and the vacuum shoe being turned through an angle of 90.degree. as the shoe is orbited from the pad pickup station to the pad transfer station. Flexible tubes connect ports in the base of the drum to the hollow vacuum shaft. The ports run over a curved groove in a stationary vacuum platen at times when vacuum must be applied to the shoe and run off of the groove and cut off the vacuum of the shoe at the pad transfer station where pads are transferred to a rotating vacuum drum.

The invention disclosed herein is a machine for rotating articles such as female sanitary pads as they advance along a production line. Oblong sanitary pads are the articles which will be used to demonstrate the structure and function of the new machine, but it should be understood that the machine can be used to turn other articles having any shape also.
Sanitary pads are oblong articles composed of a core of fluid absorbent material captured between a front sheet of fluid permeable material and a back sheet of fluid impermeable material. When the pads are discharged from the output of the pad fabricating machine to a conveyor, they are moving along a path that is coincident with or parallel to their long or longitudinal axis. This is not the proper orientation for transferring the pads to a folder or a stacker which groups them for packaging. The back sheet is rather stiff so the pads are folded before being packaged with the soft front sheet areas overlaying and with the stiffer back sheet on the outside. Folding oppositely would result in the stiffer back sheet bunching up or wrinkling which is undesirable.
Before stacks of pads are pushed into cartons or bags in a packaging machine, it is common practice to fold them to form two or three layers and encapsulate them in individual packages. This allows the user to remove one wrapped pad at a time from the carton and carry it in a purse, for instance, for use when occasion arises. Prefolding results in the pad being shortened and made more compact to make it easier to carry in a purse. Folding machines are so designed that it is necessary to convey the pads to the input of the machine while their long dimension is transverse to the direction in which they are moving on the conveyor to facilitate folding. The machine combination described herein rotates the pads 90.degree. about an axis which is perpendicular to the center of the pad.
Two different kinds of pad turning machines are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,619,357 and 4,751,997, respectively, which are assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The pad turning machine described herein is adapted for higher production rates than could be achieved with the machines described in the patents.


Systems and methods for starting an engine of a hybrid vehicle are described. In one example, the method uses the engine to generate larger amounts of thermal energy while the engine is rotated under power of an electric machine. The systems and methods described herein may be applied to series and parallel hybrid vehicles.

An engine may be started during vehicle operation to provide propulsive effort and to charge an electric energy storage device by way of providing torque to an electric machine. The engine may include an exhaust system and a catalyst. Exhaust gases from the engine maybe processed via the catalyst after the engine is started. However, if the catalyst is operating at less than a threshold temperature, the engine exhaust gas may flow through the catalyst with very little of the exhaust gas being converted to CO2 and H2O. The exhaust gases that pass through the catalyst may include regulated emissions and the regulated emissions that pass through the catalyst when the catalyst is operating at less than the threshold temperature may represent a majority of tailpipe emissions produced by the engine during a vehicle drive. Therefore, it may be desirable to provide a way of reducing engine exhaust emissions that flow through the catalyst when the catalyst temperature is less than a threshold temperature.
The inventors herein have recognized the above-mentioned issues and have developed a method for starting an engine, comprising: rotating the engine unfueled at a speed and generating an intake manifold absolute pressure of the engine less than a threshold in response to an engine start request, the engine rotated via an electric machine; and after rotating the engine unfueled at the speed, supplying an amount of fuel to the engine and combusting the amount of fuel while rotating the engine at the speed, while the intake manifold pressure of the engine is less than the threshold, and while controlling torque of the engine such that torque of the engine is insufficient to maintain the engine at the speed.
By rotating an engine unfueled so that the engine's intake manifold absolute pressure (MAP) may be reduced before the engine is fueled, it may be possible to provide the technical result of starting the engine with reduced tailpipe emissions. In particular, reducing the engine's MAP may allow the engine to initially combust less fuel as compared to if the engine intake manifold was at barometric pressure. Further, the engine may be operated such that the engine may produce little if any torque output from the engine's crankshaft. Thus, a more significant amount of the fuel that is supplied to the engine may be applied to heat the engine's catalyst instead of generating torque. As a result, the increased thermal output of the engine may be applied to the exhaust system's catalyst so that the catalyst may reach operating temperature sooner. Consequently, the catalyst may begin converting engine output emissions sooner so that tailpipe emissions may be reduced.
The present description may provide several advantages. In particular, the approach may reduce tailpipe emissions. Further, the approach may reduce an amount of fuel used to heat a catalyst to operating temperature. In addition, the approach may reduce an amount of time it takes for a catalyst to reach light-off temperature.
The above advantages and other advantages, and features of the present description will be readily apparent from the following Detailed Description when taken alone or in connection with the accompanying drawings.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.

Methods and system for starting an engine


A human-machine interface can detect when a user's ear is pulled back to initiate a plurality of procedures. Such procedures include turning on a TV using a laser attached to the user, starting an additional procedure by speaking a command, communicating with other users in environments which have high ambient noise, and interacting with the internet. Head position sensors are used to detect the position of the head of a user and to either initiate a procedure if a characteristic of the head position or positions meets a certain criteria, or to pass the head position information to another device.

There are many human activities which can be made possible or made easier using a human-machine interface wherein a human can select certain options, such as turning a TV on or off, without having to use his or her hands, communicate with a computer using only his or her voice. Also, information about the condition of a person such as heart rate for example can be monitored without restricting the movements of the person.
Human-machine interface structures are known in the art. For example U.S. Pat. No. 6,696,973 to Ritter et al., and the references cited therein, teach communications systems which are mobile and carried by a user. U.S. Pat. No. 6,694,180 to Boesen describes biopotential sensing and medical monitoring which uses wireless communication to transmit the information from the sensors.
However, a human-machine interface that is convenient to use and is relatively inexpensive to manufacturer is still highly desirable.


Identifying the geolocation of POS terminals using non-payment events to predict when the geolocation of a computing device at a time when the device detects events corresponds to the geolocation of the terminal. The device monitors for pre-selected events and transmit data to the account system. The account system determines a frequency of the events and it reaches a pre-defined threshold, the account system identifies the location of the terminal by identifying the common geolocation of the events. The identified geolocation is saved so that when a user then enters the location and transmits event data to the account system, the system can compare the geolocation of the event data to the saved geolocation to determine whether the computing device is located at the terminal. If the computing device is located at the terminal, the account system transmits offers or other content for display and use at the identified terminal.

Smartphones and other mobile computing devices are being used in new ways to streamline interactions between consumers, merchants, and third parties. Methods of providing advertisements, coupons, payment transactions, and other interactions are changing quickly as mobile computing device technology improves.
Location data from a mobile computing device can be used for numerous applications. Many applications use the location data for locating friends, playing games, and assisting a user with directions, for example. The location data can also be used to alert a user when the user and the user's computing device are in the vicinity of a point of interest. Mobile communication device application can trigger notifications with checkout-related information (for example, gift cards, offers, or loyalty information) when the user comes within a predefined radius of the merchant location. However, the more appropriate time to trigger this information is when the user is in a close proximity to the merchant's point of sale terminal.
In other conventional point of interest alert systems within a merchant location, a point of interest beacon is marked to represent a known point of interest within the merchant location. For example, a beacon placed near a known location of a display is marked so that the beacon, and the information provided in response to communicating with the beacon, is associated with the display. However, associating the beacon with the correct point of interest and the correct response information can be troublesome for the merchant's employees and is prone to error. For example, the beacon can be easily moved or wrongly programmed. Accordingly, there is a need for a method of precisely identifying the location of the merchant point of sale terminal so that the location data can be used to can trigger notifications with checkout-related transactional information (for example, gift cards, offers, or loyalty information) at a time when the user is most in need of this information.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Provided are a reflective electrode and a compound semiconductor light emitting device, such as an LED or an LD, including the same. The reflective electrode, which is formed on a p-type compound semiconductor layer, includes: a first electrode layer forming an ohmic contact with the p-type compound semiconductor layer; a second electrode layer disposed on the first electrode layer and formed of transparent conductive oxide; and a third electrode layer disposed on the second electrode layer and formed of an optical reflective material.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reflective electrode and a compound semiconductor light emitting device, and more particularly, to a reflective electrode with low contact resistance, high reflectance, and improved electrical conductivity, and a compound semiconductor light emitting device including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Compound semiconductor light emitting devices, for example, semiconductor laser diodes such as light emitting diodes (LEDs) and laser diodes (LDs), convert electric signals into optical signals using the characteristics of compound semiconductors. Laser beams of the compound semiconductor light emitting devices have practically been applied in the fields of optical communications, multiple communications, and space communications. Semiconductor lasers are widely used as light sources for data transmission or data recording and reading in the field of optical communications and such apparatuses as compact disk players (CDPs) or digital versatile disk players (DVDPs).
A compound semiconductor light emitting device can be categorized into a top-emitting light emitting diode (TLED) and a flip-chip light emitting diode (FCLED) according to the emission direction of light.
The TLED emits light through a p-type electrode, which forms an ohmic contact with a p-type compound semiconductor layer. The p-type electrode includes a Ni layer and an Au layer, which are sequentially stacked on a p-type compound semiconductor layer. However, since the p-type electrode formed of the Ni layer and the Au layer is translucent, the TLED including the p-type electrode has low optical efficiency and low brightness.
In the case of the FCLED, light emitted from an active layer is reflected by a reflective electrode formed on a p-type compound semiconductor layer, and the reflected light is emitted through a substrate. The reflective electrode is formed of a material having good optical reflectance, such as Ag, Al, and Rh. The FCLED including this reflective electrode can have high optical efficiency and high brightness. However, owing to a relatively high contact resistance between the reflective electrode and the p-type compound semiconductor layer, a light emitting device including the reflective electrode has a shortened life span and unreliable characteristics.
To solve these problems, research on materials and structures for an electrode having low contact resistance and high reflectance has progressed.
International Patent Publication No. WO 01/47038 A1 discloses a semiconductor light emitting device including a reflective electrode, which is provided with an ohmic contact layer disposed between the reflective electrode and a p-type compound semiconductor layer. However, the ohmic contact layer is formed of a material having low optical transmissivity, such as Ti or Ni/Au, thus degrading optical efficiency and brightness.

Reflective electrode and compound semiconductor light emitting device including the same

Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology


An applicator is configured with an optical window formed from a first and a second lens section. The applicator is configured for modulating the temperature of a working surface while simultaneously exposing the working surface to a radiation source. The first and the second lens sections form boundaries of a medium cavity for channeling a temperature regulating medium which is preferably a cooled liquid medium. The first lens section has an outer lens and an inner lens which are preferably separated by a distance in the range of 0.1 to 1.0 cm and form boundaries of an insulating region. In a preferred method, a temperature regulating medium is circulated through the medium cavity while exposing a target tissue to laser radiation through the optical window. The insulating region helps reduce fogging of the optical window thereby improving visibility through the window and reducing scattering of the laser radiation. Preferably, the insulating region is under vacuum. Alternatively, the insulating region is configured to channel a second temperature regulating medium. The applicator and system of the instant invention are preferably configured for exposing dermis to a pulsed laser source while simultaneously cooling dermis during procedures to remove hair or treat the cutaneous vascular lesions.

The present invention relates to devices and systems for modulating the temperature of a working surface. More specifically, this invention relates to a device and a system for modulating the temperature of a working surface while exposing the working surface to radiation.
Lasers are known to have numerous medical applications. For example, lasers are used to ablate and cauterize tissue. Lasers are also used in a variety of therapeutic dermal procedures including removal of unwanted hair and treatment of Port Wine Stains or cutaneous vascular lesions. Some of the earliest attempts to develop therapeutic dermal procedures using lasers are described by Solomon and Goldman in xe2x80x9cHistopathology of Laser Treatment of Port Wine Lesions: Biopsy Studies of Treated Area up to Three Years After Laser Impactsxe2x80x9d, published in The Journal of Investigative Dermatology 50, 141, 1968.
During the early stages of developing these therapeutic dermal procedures there was speculation regarding the transient modification of the skin prior to treatment with the laser source. Gilchrest et al. teach cooling the epidermis prior to treatment of Port Wine Stains with an argon laser in xe2x80x9cChilling Port Wine Stains Improves Response to Argon Laser Therapyxe2x80x9d published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 69, 2, 1982. Gilchrest et al. states that Port Wine Stains are more violaceous (pinkish red) when cooled and thus exhibit improved absorption of the laser radiation. In xe2x80x9cArgon Laser Therapy of Port-Wine Stains: Effects and Limitationsxe2x80x9d published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 75 (4) 1985, Yanai et al. reported one of the first attempts to treat dermis with a laser source while simultaneously cooling. Yanai et al. used an admixture of cold water and ice circulated through an apparatus formed from two acrylic plates. The apparatus was placed on the target tissue and the laser therapy was conducted through the apparatus. The results of Yanai et al. were not statistically convincing of the benefits of cooling dermis during exposure to a laser source. Never-the-less further studies have been convincing regarding the benefits of cooling dermis during laser treatment and today cooling dermis while exposing the dermis to a laser source is a preferred method for both hair removal, vascular lesions and malformations and the treatment of Port Wine Stains.
A cooling apparatus and method for removing hair is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,735,844 and 5,595,568, both issued to Anderson et al. A cooling apparatus and method for targeting cutaneous vascular lesions is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,057,104 and 5,282,797, both issued to Chess. The cooling devices described within these patents have a propensity to develop or collect condensation on the optical window of the cooling device during laser treatment. The condensation or xe2x80x9cfoggingxe2x80x9d not only obstructs the physician""s view of the tissue, but also scatters the laser light leading to incomplete or inconsistent treatment of the target dermis. Because of the fogging, some physicians apply a wax or ointment to the optical window of the cooling device to reduce the condensation. However, waxes and ointments wear off or streak the optical window and again reduce the physician""s visibility of the target tissue and increase laser scatter.
The apparatus of the current invention is configured for modulating the temperature of a working surface while simultaneously exposing the working surface with a radiation source. The apparatus has lens sections which form an optical window that is transparent to the radiation being used. The lens sections are formed from any suitable transparent material, but preferably include at least one formed from sapphire. The apparatus of the instant invention preferably is configured for regulating the temperature of a target tissue while the target tissue is simultaneously being exposed to a laser source. The apparatus, also referred to herein as an applicator, is preferably used in procedures to remove hair or to treat cutaneous vascular lesions or other dermal malformations.
The applicator has a first lens section and a second lens section. The first lens section has an outer lens and an inner lens. The outer lens and the inner lens are preferably spaced apart by an average distance of 0.1 to 1.0 cm to form an insulating region between the outer lens and the inner lens. The second lens section is preferably positioned coincident to the first lens section such that the first lens section and the second lens section form the optical window. The optical surface area of the first and the second lens sections are preferably matched or, alternatively, are different. Further, the lens sections are flat or shaped to focus or modulate the radiation being used. Preferably, the optical surface area of the second lens section is in a range of 1.0 to 50 cm2 and has a shape that is suitable for use in medical laser procedures, such as curved or flat.
The first and the second lens sections form the boundaries of a medium cavity configured to channel a temperature modulating medium. The first and the second lens sections are preferably secured together by a frame section which secures the first and the second lens sections in a position, whereby the first and the second lens sections are separated by an average distance between 0.05 to 0.5 cm. The frame section has a first and a second aperture through which the temperature modulating medium enters and exits the medium cavity. At least one of the first and second apertures is preferably fenestrated to control the flow of the temperature modulating medium through the medium cavity. The first aperture is coupled to an inlet section and the second aperture is coupled to an outlet section each configured to be coupled to a corresponding outlet and inlet of a circulating mechanism. The circulating mechanism urges the temperature regulating medium through the medium cavity and preferably controls the temperature of the medium.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention the insulating region is under vacuum. Accordingly, the outer lens and the inner lens of the first lens section form a thermo-pane structure. Alternatively, the insulating region may contain an insulating gas, such as dry nitrogen or air. Alternatively, the insulating region is configured with a second inlet and a second outlet, wherein a second temperature modulating medium is channeled through the insulating region.
The applicator is a hand-held applicator configured to be controlled independently from a laser source, wherein a handle section secures to the frame section at a preferred angle relative to the optical window. Alternatively, the handle section is hingably coupled to the frame section, such that the optical window can assume a range of angles relative to the handle section. In further embodiments, the inlet and outlet sections are integral with the handle section and pass through the handle section to couple to the circulating mechanism.
In the system of the instant invention, the applicator is coupled to a laser source or optics for delivering the radiation from the laser source to the target tissue. Accordingly, the system includes a bracket section for coupling the applicator to a laser housing structure. Preferably, the bracket secures the applicator in a position which allows the laser to pass directly through the optical window of the applicator. The applicator is coupled to the laser housing by any number of bracket designs, but is preferably coupled through the inlet and outlet sections, whereby the bracket attaches to the inlet and outlet sections.
In an alternate system of the instant invention, the system has an optical configuration for delivering radiation from a radiation source to a target tissue. The optical configuration includes an applicator coupled to a radiation source or suitable optics for delivering the radiation to the target tissue. Suitable optics include, but are not limited to, focusing lens, mirrors and optical fibers. Preferably, the radiation source is a laser source with a wavelength in the range of 400 to 11,000 nm. More preferably, the laser source is a pulsed laser source configured to generate a predetermined pulsed sequence during procedures for removing hair or for treating cutaneous vascular lesions.
In use the epidermis of the target tissue is exposed to the predetermined sequence of laser pulses through the transparent window of the applicator. A temperature modulating medium is channeled through the medium cavity and through the inlet and outlet sections. In the preferred method of the instant invention, the medium is cooled and removes heat from the target tissue.
As mentioned, the bottom lens section is flat or contoured depending on the desired focusing properties of the window and/or the morphology of the target tissue being treated. The outer surface of the bottom lens section is placed in contact with the epidermis of the target tissue during the laser exposure. Alternatively, a dye, a gel, an oil or other suitable contact medium is placed between the epidermis and the outer surface of the second lens section to facilitate the transfer of radiation to the tissue, the transfer of heat to the applicator and/or to reduce friction between the applicator and tissue when pressure is applied.
The temperature modulating medium is preferably a cooled liquid medium, such as a mixture of approximately 50% water and 50% ethylene glycol. The cooled liquid medium is circulated through the medium cavity by a circulation mechanism with a pump unit and a refrigerator unit. The refrigerator unit preferably cools the liquid medium to temperatures between xe2x88x9210 to +10 degrees centigrade before recirculating the liquid medium through the medium cavity of the applicator.
During treatment of the target tissue, the insulating region helps to modulate or regulate the temperature of the outer surface of the first lens section. Accordingly, while cooling the target tissue, the insulating region helps to prevent the transfer of heat from the outer lens of the first lens section to the cooling medium and, thereby, reduces fogging on the outer surface of the first lens section.
The insulating region is preferably a vacuum insulating region or a dry gas. Alternatively, the insulating region is configured with an inlet and an outlet to channel a second temperature modulating medium, whereby the second temperature modulating medium modulates the temperature of the outer lens of the first lens section.


A disk storage device is shown of the type used to store computer floppy diskettes. A series of springs are utilized to urge a floppy disk outward from a storage slot provided in the body of the device. One corner of the floppy disk is utilized to temporarily restrain the disk within its associated storage slot. A moveable lever is utilized to lift the restraining corner of the floppy disk from behind the restraint and permit the spring loaded slot to eject the computer floppy disk.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to storage containers of the type used to store floppy diskettes or similarly shaped objects, and particularly to such a container having means whereby one of a plurality of adjacent disks may be elevated for ease in removing that disk from the storage device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Articles in the form of substantially flat, rectangular or square diskettes are commonly found in the office and work environment. The use of personal computers both in the home and office has steadily increased in recent years. Most such computers use flexible magnetic disks for information storage. While these disks are provided in various sizes, they all generally comprise a thin rotatable disk having a magnetically encodable surface. The disk is usually housed in a generally square cardboard pocket or plastic holder.
Since such floppy disks or floppy diskettes commonly contain not only stored information but application programs and other information related to the use of the computer, a single user will typically have a large number of floppy diskettes. The organized storage and retrieval of such diskettes offers obvious advantages in any computer environment.
There are other similarly shaped objects which likewise can benefit from an organized storage and retrieval system. For example, compact discs (referred to as CD's) are becoming increasingly popular as a medium for audio recording. The relatively fragile disc containing the audio recording is typically housed within a square or rectangular plastic container which has a similar shape to the plastic holder used with many of the computer floppy diskettes.
A need exists for a storage device for storing disk shaped objects which allows a user to quickly select and retrieve any desired disk from among all of the disks that may be at the user's disposal, while at the same time providing for safe storage of those disks that are not in use.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a disk storage device for storing disk shaped objects such as floppy diskettes in which the diskettes are not only stored safely and securely, but can be selected and retrieved from the device with a minimum amount of handling.
Another object of the invention is to provide a disk storage device of the type used to store floppy diskettes and similarly shaped objects which enables rapid and easy identification and retrieval of such objects from the storage device.
Another object of the invention is to provide a disk storage device in which each stored disk may be individually lifted above the adjacent stored disks and identified in order to facilitate removal.


Zebra mussels are controlled by contacting them with the active portion of a Phytolacca plant.

An undesirable bivalved mollusc, Dreissena Polymorpha, commonly known as a Zebra mussel is infestating the Great Lakes and its tributaries. It is estimated that over the next ten years this Zebra mussel invasion may cost $2 billion to $5 billion. This problem is especially severe in Lake Erie.
The mussels attach and cluster firmly on the intake pipes and grating systems associated with water intakes. This is done by the mussels generating a tuft of fibers known as byssae, or byssal threads, which protrude through their hinged shell and attach to any subsurface with an adhesive secretion to tenaciously anchor them in place. Any firm surface will be colonized by the Zebra mussel including rock, metal grating, wood, glass and so forth. All that is required is for the surface to be hard. Thus the Zebra mussels adhere to the auxiliary equipment associated with water intake and cooling systems and firmly attach and then form large clusters and layers. This obviously ends up severely reducing the water flow. One utility company has been reported to have had a reduction in the water systems' intake capacity from 210 million gallons a day to 150 million gallons a day as a result of the attachment and clustering of the Zebra mussels. Another water department was incapacitated in December, 1989 because of a combination of ice and significantly reduced capacity of the water intake pipes resulting from Zebra mussel infestation.
This problem caused by Zebra mussels needs a solution.


An image processing method and device are provided. The method includes: choosing content-associated sub pixels in an image to be processed; obtaining an initial color level value of each of the content-associated sub pixels in the image to be processed; adding to least one digit to an end of the initial color level value and assigning a preset value to each added digit so as to obtain a processed color level value; and replacing the initial color level value with the processed color level value.

With the development of image processing technology, a user may watch static images or videos, such as photography works, or a video chat with a family member, on screens of various electronic devices like a TV, a computer and a cell phone.
When an electronic device displays a static image or a frame image of a video, the static image or the frame image actually consists of a number of pixels. Then, by controlling the display color of each of the pixels, a complete image may be displayed on the screen of the electronic device.
Specifically, each pixel may be divided into a plurality of sub pixels, for example, for a electronic device using a RGB sub-pixel mode, each pixel of which contains a sub pixel of a red channel (Red, denoted as "R" in "RGB"), a sub pixel of a green channel (Green, denoted as "G" in "RGB") and a sub pixel of a blue channel (Blue, denoted as "B" in "RGB"). Then, by controlling the color level value of each sub pixel, multiple combinations may be obtained from the three sub pixels, thus obtaining multiple pixel colors.


In the described examples a given graphical user interface (GUI) instance of a set of GUI instances for a given transaction with an external system is provided. The given GUI instance of the given transaction comprises a set of data fields for completing the given transaction. The set of data fields exposed in the given GUI instance are dependent on execution of an operation in another GUI instance in the set of GUI instances for the given transaction, wherein the given GUI instance of the transaction receives a given data set for the set of data fields. The given data set characterizes user input for the given GUI instance of the given transaction, and the given data set and the given GUI instance of the given transaction correspond to a given state of the given transaction. A transaction state logger tracks the given transaction.

Transaction processing is information processing in computer science that is divided into individual, indivisible stages (e.g., operations) called transactions. Each transaction must succeed or fail as a complete unit. For example, when purchasing a book from an online bookstore, money (in the form of credit) is exchanged for a book. If the credit is good, a series of related stages ensures that selected book is provided to an orderer and that the online bookstore receives the money. However, if a single stage in the series fails during the exchange, the entire exchange fails. That is, in the example, the book is not provided to the orderer and the online bookstore does not receive the money. The technology responsible for making the exchange balanced and predictable is called transaction processing. Transactions ensure that data-oriented resources are not permanently updated unless all stages within the transactional unit complete successfully. By combining a set of related stages into a unit that either completely succeeds or completely fails, error recovery is simplified and the application is more reliable.
Transaction processing systems include computer hardware and software hosting a transaction-oriented application that performs the routine transactions necessary to conduct business. Examples include systems that manage sales order entry, airline reservations, payroll, employee records, manufacturing and shipping. Since most, though not necessarily all, transaction processing today is interactive, the term transaction processing is often treated as synonymous with online transaction processing.
Additionally, in standard transaction processing, a user provides user input for each required field. Moreover, transaction processing includes a validation check for data entered in the required fields at a time that the transaction is saved for processing. However, in standard transaction processing, transactions are not saved until each required field is entered and each input entered by the user passes the validation check.


A damping assembly for a structure includes a housing with a first fixed end and a second movable opposite end. A first translatable portion of the housing is slidably movable relative to an adjacent second section of the housing, the former being fixedly secured to a base when the structure is under load. A viscous damper disposed within the housing is engaged only after the first translatable section has first moved beyond an initial predetermined distance indicative of a higher amplitude loading event. At least one biasing feature prevents the viscous damper from operating until the first translatable section has first moved beyond the initial predetermined distance.

In certain supporting structures, such as suspension bridges, fairly small service loads and deflections of the structure are routinely and frequently encountered, these service loads having fairly small amplitudes. There is typically no need to provide damping for these service loads, wherein the structure should be permitted to move in response to same. However, there is still a need or requirement to provide damping for larger and more significant loads, such as seismic loads or high amplitude loads, that could be imparted to the supporting structure.
The frequent application of lower amplitude service loads in known damping assemblies for these supporting structures create issues due to fatigue upon the sealing elements of the dampers used given the overall number of cycles, thereby leading to premature failures that require replacement of these assemblies.

Load damping assembly with gapping feature


An accessory (10) mounted for relative rotation with respect to a conventional ceiling fan (100); wherein, the accessory (10) includes a housing unit (13) suspended from the ceiling fan (100) and bearing visual elements (60) whose appearance will change relative to a stationary viewer, in response to the rotation of the housing unit (13) due to air currents generated by the ceiling fan (100) impinging upon a propulsion unit (14) contained within the housing unit.

As can be seen by reference to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,581,185; 4,863,346; 2,711,165; and 4,666,670; the prior art is replete with myriad and diverse accessories and housings for fans in general and ceiling fans in particular, such as lights, scent holders, and sound markers.
While all of the aforementioned prior art constructions are more than adequate for the basic purpose and function for which they have been specifically designed, these patented devices are neither suited for, nor adapted to serve the particular purpose and function provided by the subject matter of the present invention.
While mobile sculptures are well recognized as a source of visual entertainment for both adults and children, to date no one has combined a moveable accessory that can be attached directly to, and driven by the air currents generated by the blades of a ceiling fan.
As a consequence of the foregoing situation, there has existed a longstanding need for a ruggedly constructed moveable accessory for a ceiling fan that will produce an aesthetically pleasing, changeable, yet sequential visual appearance for a ceiling fan which is both directly and indirectly moveable in response to the actuation of the ceiling fan; and, the provision of such a construction is a stated objective of the present invention.


A system for administering gas to a patient during an endoscopic or medical procedure includes elements for regulating the temperature, pressure, and volumetric flow rate of the gas. A gas source operating with a heated pressure regulator and filter provide a smoothly regulated flow of any medically necessary gas, such as CO.sub.2, to a main body of the gas delivery system. The main body comprises a primary heater for control of the temperature of the gas administered to the patient, a fine pressure regulator for controlling its pressure in a safe manner, and a flow regulator for controlling its volumetric flow rate. Temperature, pressure, and volumetric flow rate indicators allow the physician continuous monitoring of the quantitative status of each of these important physiologic parameters; this data may also be recorded for documentation purposes. The system allows increased safety in endoscopic or medical procedures in which gas is used, greater operational convenience for the physician, enhanced quantitative observation and documentation capability, while retaining flexibility in using conventional alternate gas sources.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of medical devices, in general, and, in particular, to a gas delivery system for use in medical or veterinary procedures which require the introduction of a gas into a human or animal body, or to create or maintain a controlled gas environment. More specifically, the invention is applicable to devices and methods for safely administering gases to patients for insufflation of organs, such as during endoscopic procedures.
2. Related Art
Endoscopy is an important procedure for the effective diagnosis and treatment of many disorders, and is particularly useful in diagnosing and treating various gastrointestinal disorders. Successful inspection of the gastrointestinal tract is dependent upon both the expertise of the physician and the quality of the endoscopic instruments and accessories used in the procedure. Two particular types of endoscopes used in the field of gastroenterology are the gastroscope for upper intestinal visualization, and the colonoscope for the visualization of the colon.
During an endoscopic procedure, the endoscope is attached to a light source to illuminate the area under examination. The endoscope then transmits an image of the inside of a patient's bowel to the physician via either fiber optic bundles or a microchip-based communication system. The endoscope also provides a conduit for the delivery of a gas to insufflate the bowel to facilitate examination. Both light and gas are thus critical to successful completion of all diagnostic or therapeutic endoscopic procedures.
Known endoscopic devices utilize an air compressor which is housed inside a light source to deliver the gas. Limits for the volume and pressure of the delivered gas are pre-set in the compressor at the time it is manufactured. The temperature of the delivered gas is not controlled in known systems, and varies according to the ambient air temperature and any negligible heat which may be generated during compression of the air by the internal air compressor.
Since known systems do not provide a quantitatively accurate system within the light source for accurately regulating the delivery of the gas, there can be large variations in the pressure, volume and temperature of gas administered during an endoscopic procedure. A physician who uses a standard light source during an endoscopic procedure must rely upon the pre-set adjustments of the internal air compressor which, generally, only allows adjustments to settings of "low," "medium," "high" and "off." The instruments are not provided with means to finely calibrate the pressure and volume of the gas. Furthermore, the air compressors of known systems operate by compressing air in a series of spurts or pulses due to reciprocating action, potentially causing unwanted variation in actual pressure delivered. Thus, a physician cannot determine or accurately control the exact volume or pressure of the gas which is being used to insufflate a patient's bowel during the procedure. No instruments are now available to record these variables for documentation in a patient's chart.
Moreover, known gas delivery systems are not provided with a means to control the temperature of the gas delivered to a patient. Under Boyle's and Charles' Laws, it is known that the variables of pressure of a gas in a constant volume is proportional to the temperature of gas. Thus, known systems which do not regulate the temperature of the gas being administered lose thermodynamic control over the performance of the gas delivery system.
It is therefore desirable to provide a gas delivery system in which the pressure, volume, and temperature are all quantitatively controlled, regulated, and capable of being monitored by the physician for the safety of the patient.
It is known that air pressure is a cause of a potentially fatal perforation of a colon during a colonoscopic examination, or may cause the development of late perforations. Dr. R.A. Kozarek et al, in an article entitled "Air Pressure Induccd Colon Injury During Diagnostic Colonscopy," Gastroenterology 78:7-14 (1980) cites that, using four different light sources and determining pressure needed to perforate the colons of dogs, pigs, human cadavers and in vivo human investigation, all four of the light source machines used are capable of delivering pressure that exceed the rupture point in all but the dog's colon. (The dog's colon could not be perforated, possibly because is has two layers of smooth muscle, in contrast to human and pig colons only having one layer of smooth muscle, plus taenia coli.) Therefore, rupture of the human colon is a very real possibility using known light source machines, as the pressure, volume, and temperature of the insufflating gas are not accurately controllable.
For these reasons also, it is desirable to provide a gas delivery system to the endoscopic device in which the delivered gas is reliably regulated so as to minimize possible injury caused by gas.
Another safety factor is the lack of a voltage regulator on the known light sources. Electrical power fluctuations during an endoscopic procedure present a danger to the patient. A power surge may cause the air compressor to function abnormally by putting out transient increased volumes or pressures of the delivered ambient air. If a colonoscope were in a particularly delicate orientation (such as in a diverticulum, in a delicate "slide-by" during the procedure, or in a fixed or partially obstructed loop of bowel), this increased pressure could cause a serosal tear, perforation or sub-mucosal infiltration of gas.
Other phenomena contribute to possible danger to patients. A valsalva maneuver, if performed by the patient during an examination, can increase the pressure in a colon by an average of 38 mm Hg. Furthermore, external pressure exerted by the examining physician to expedite movement of the colonoscope through the bowel can exert up to an average of 17 mm Hg. These pressures are additive to the intraluminal pressure already present in the colon during colonoscopy, so that any pressure component added by the gas delivery system risks pushing the total pressure over a threshold where injury will occur.
Therefore, it is desirable, when using a pressurized gas delivery system, to prevent unwanted transient increases in pressure, as this prevention would guard the safety of the patient.
It is known that the endoscopic use of gas such as ambient air interferes with other diagnostic procedures such as barium enemas which might need to be performed the same day on a patient. Furthermore, just performing a colonoscopic procedure can usually stop fairly brisk diverticular bleeding of the colon, but that, unfortunately, the exact site of bleeding cannot therefore usually be found. This stoppage of diverticular bleeding defeats the purpose of the diagnostic procedure. The cause of this defeat of the diagnostic procedure may be that the insufflation and distention of the bowel lumen with ambient air or a barium examination with cold barium may cause the small bleeding vessels to go into spasm and stop bleeding, perhaps for hours after the examination.
In this case, the reduced usefulness of bleeding scans or arteriograms are due to the amount of air or barium which is left in the gastro-intestinal tract after the examination. If surgery is elected as a subsequent step, a surgeon does not know accurately the point in the bowel where the patient is bleeding. Surgical intervention may result in the removal of an unnecessarily large segment of bowel, or a sub-total colectomy, because of an inadequate diagnostic procedure.
Therefore, it is desirable to use a gas at a controlled volume, pressure and temperature which does not interfere with any diagnostic procedures conducted in conjunction with the gas delivery system.
Although ambient air generally is used when delivering a gas to a patient through a gastroscope or a colonoscope, carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) gas is used to great advantage as an alternative gas insufflation source when performing a colonoscopy. The advantages of using CO.sub.2 gas for routine colonoscopy are significant. For instance, CO.sub.2 gas reduces the likelihood of an explosion of volatile gas which may be present in the colon when electro-coagulating equipment is used during a procedure. Also, since CO.sub.2 is rapidly absorbed from the intestines in less than one hour after the procedure is performed, it is possible to schedule additional necessary procedures (such as an X-ray, an ultrasound or a CT scan) the same day after the colonoscopy. Presently, this is not the case in the use of ambient air.
The virtual elimination of a potential explosion of a volatile gas in the colon is an advantage which applies both to patients who have not been adequately prepared for an examination, or to those who have inadvertently consumed a fermentable food substance in the time period preceding the colonoscopy. That CO.sub.2 should be used for all colonoscopies is a statement which has been made by some of the leading endoscopists in the world. The logic is not just that the use of CO.sub.2 is a "fire extinguisher." The use of CO.sub.2, as will be discussed in greater detail below, has advantages over insufflation with ambient air for all patients, even for those in whom combustion is not a danger.
Hussein, A.M.J. et al, in an article entitled "Carbon Dioxide Insufflation For More Comfortable Colonoscopy," Gastrointestinal Endoscooy 30:68-70 (1984), documents that patients who receive CO.sub.2 as the sole insufflation gas source have less discomfort and less flatus from the examination. Also, patients reabsorb the CO.sub.2 gas within approximately one-half hour after the examination, facilitating further endoscopic examination or other tests such as barium enemas, CT scans, ultra-sound tests or arteriograms. These tests can be performed the same day as the colonscopy.
The use of CO.sub.2 also provides benefits in the field of radiology as well as for colonoscopy. Patient comfort, fast reabsorption and adequacy as a gas source for double-contrast barium enema studies are included. CO.sub.2 is inexpensive and is sterile. It causes less discomfort during and after a colonoscopic procedure, as evidenced by a study of over 5000 colonoscopy patients by B. H. Rogers, M.D., reported in Gastrointestinal Endoscooy 31:108-9 (1985). Other articles cite no contraindication in the use of CO.sub.2 in patients with serious lung disease. Studies monitoring arterial blood gas confirm the safety of this gas for colonoscopic examination in patients even with lung disease.
Significantly, the use of CO.sub.2 increases blood flow to the colon, and increases the amount of pO.sub.2 in the perivascular areas, apparently due to the dissociation of the oxy-hemoglobin curve in the colonic mucosa. Ambient air, on the other hand, which comprises 80% nitrogen, causes both increased and sustained intraluminal pressure and significantly decreases blood flow to the colon. As noted by Christopher B. Williams, increased blood flow to the colon, using CO.sub.2, may facilitate determination of the source and potentiate endoscopic treatment of lower gastro-intestinal bleeding in patients with diverticular or arterial-venous malformations.
Therefore, it is desirable to use a gas which has minimal detrimental and undesirable physiologic effects, so that the patient is examined and treated under physiologic, or near-physiologic, conditions.
Even if CO.sub.2 is presently used in a procedure using the known delivery system, certain shortcomings exist. These include poorly controlled pressure and volume regulators, clumsy manual irrigation of the distal lens system, awkward placement of the CO.sub.2 button on the colonoscope, inadvertent injection of small metal flakes from the CO.sub.2 cylinder into the colonoscope's insufflation tubing, potential freeze-up of the CO.sub.2 valve nozzle, fluctuation of CO.sub.2 gas pressure (sputtering), accidental injection of liquid CO.sub.2 into the colonoscope itself, or, potentially, into the patient.
In known CO.sub.2 delivery systems, the CO.sub.2 is administered by connecting an external CO.sub.2 gas cylinder pressure regulator, via plastic tubing, directly to a CO.sub.2 insufflation valve device on the colonoscope. However, since the CO.sub.2 insufflation valve is not conveniently located on the colonoscope, it is awkward to use by the physician performing the procedure. With the use of the inventive device (described below), the CO.sub.2 valve is no longer required. CO.sub.2 now passes through the usual air insufflation pathway, thus bypassing the air compressor.
Further, CO.sub.2 gas delivered in the known delivery manner during a colonoscopy is not regulated by the internal gas compressor of the light source as it would if ambient air were being employed. The physician must manually adjust the pressure valve settings on the CO.sub.2 cylinder itself, leaving many inherent possibilities for error due to imprecise pressure gauges and volume regulators on the CO.sub.2 cylinder.
Of particular concern, even when a CO.sub.2 gas source is employed, is the lack of any means to control its temperature. Without temperature control, the volume and/or the pressure of the insufflated gas will increase after the gas has entered the lumen of the bowel due to heating of the gas by the body itself. This is non-physiologic and potentially harmful to the patient. As in systems where ambient air is employed, insufficient control over the gas temperature, pressure, and volume can cause over-distension or even perforation of the bowel.
Thus, a need exists for a system and method for administering gas to a human or animal body which provides a means to accurately determine and control the temperature, volume and pressure of the gas being delivered to the patient. It is desirable that the system be both comfortable in its use for the physician, and also use the standard air insufflation pathway without using the light source air compressor. Determination and control of all three of these parameters constitutes determination and control of three independent variables in Boyle's and Charles' Laws.
Currently, upper endoscopy has no means to use CO.sub.2 for insufflation. An accurate control system would make it possible to use CO.sub.2 gas when performing upper endoscopy, which has many of the same advantages discussed for colonoscopy.
More generally, a need exists for a system which overcomes the above-described limitations, whether CO.sub.2 or another gas is used for insufflation.

Method and device for controlling pressure, volumetric flow rate and temperature during gas insuffication procedures


Systems and methods for drilling a wellbore. The method includes measuring a first distance that a drilling device is raised while connected to a drill string, determining a weight-on-bit in the drill string, determining a second distance to lower the drilling device such that a drill bit at a lower extremity of the drill string approaches toward a bottom of the wellbore, based on the first distance and the weight-on-bit, and lowering the drilling device by the second distance.

In drilling operations, the length of the drill string may be monitored and updated by various instruments. Maintaining an accurate and generally up-to-date measure of the drill string length may have a variety of uses. For example, knowledge of the drill string length may facilitate maintaining operational safety. If drilling depth is not tracked properly, a driller may run the whole drill string into the rock at full speed without realizing the bottom end of the hole is approaching, potentially causing severe equipment damage and operational problems.
Another use is for depth correlation. For example, a specific target (e.g., a reservoir) may have a certain depth, or a kick-off point for a deviated section of a well may be specified in terms of drilling depth. Drill string length may be used as a proxy for the drilling depth, and thus, a drilling operator may recognize that such an event has occurred (or is to occur) when a certain string length is reached. Further, recorded event occurrences, logs, etc. may be linked to drilling depth through drill string length, which may provide insight into the subterranean formation properties.
Generally, drill string length is measured using an encoder at the drawworks of the rig. In many rigs, the drawworks is a winch that controls the raising and lowering of the travelling block, which in turn adjusts the elevation of the top drive and the drill string attached thereto. The encoder records the revolutions, or otherwise the angular position, of the winch, which in turn provides the distance that the travelling block has been lowered. When a stand is fully deployed, the block can be raised again using the drawworks, and the process can be repeated.
However, the drawworks encoder measurement may have an inherent error caused by the radius of the drill line layer relative to the center of the drawworks, the stretch of drill line under the hookload (which itself may fluctuate, e.g., by downhole pressures, etc.), and the like. Accordingly, a geolograph line is sometimes used to calibrate the drawworks encoder. The geolograph line is a cable that is attached directly to the top drive or the block. A cable retrieval system for the cable is provided, along with an encoding sensor, and both are attached to a fixed point on or near the rig floor. The geolograph line then travels up and down the derrick with the top drive while the encoder measures the amount of line being paid out or retrieved.

Drill bit distance to hole bottom measurement