In coding through adaptive quantization after transforming an image into frequency areas, such as JPEG, quantization step width control information and other information are efficiently coded. An input image is processed in a blocking circuit and a quantizer. A quantization step width is determined by multiplying a matrix of a basic quantization table by an SF value of a scaling factor calculating circuit. Quantized AC components are coded in an AC component coding circuit 51. Quantized DC components are converted into DC differences and further into group numbers and additional bits. SF values are also converted into SF value differences and further into group numbers and additional bits. The DC components and the group numbers of the SF values are converted into two-dimensional Huffman codes. The above described code elements are multiplexed and outputted.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image coding apparatus which converts an image into frequency areas and codes the image by adaptively performing quantization.
2. Description of the Related Art
More gradations and higher resolution are required to obtain higher quality digital images. The capacity of images is represented as the product of the number of pixels and the number of gradation bits, which represents an enormous amount of information. Therefore, an image size is compressed to reduce costs of storage or transmission of images.
A variety of image coding systems are proposed. A typical one is JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) Baseline system described in Pages 18 to 23 of xe2x80x9cInternational Standards of Multimedia Codingxe2x80x9d edited by Yasuda, published by Maruzen. This system will be explained using FIG. 12.
In FIG. 12, the reference numerals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 designate an input image, a blocking circuit, a DCT (discrete cosine transform) circuit, a quantizer, a quantization table, a scan converting circuit, a significant coefficient detecting circuit, a grouping circuit, a run length counter, a two-dimensional Huffman coding circuit, a DC difference calculating circuit, a grouping circuit, a one-dimensional Huffman coding circuit, a multiplexing circuit, and an output code, respectively.
In FIG. 12, an input image 1 is split into blocks (hereinafter called pixel blocks) of 8xc3x978 pixels each by the blocking circuit 2. The pixel blocks are subjected to a DCT operation by the DCT circuit 3 and transform coefficients output as a result of the DCT operation are quantized by the quantizer 4 according to quantization step information stored in the quantization table 5. The quantized transform coefficients can be represented as an 8-by-8 matrix. Usually, the transform coefficients are arranged in the array so that the vertical coefficients correspond to higher-order DCT coefficients as they go downward and the horizontal coefficients correspond to higher-order DCT coefficients as they go toward the right. The leftmost and topmost of the 64 transform coefficients is called a DC component or DC coefficient because it corresponds to a DC frequency area of a DCT area. The other 63 are called AC components or AC coefficients because they correspond to AC frequency areas.
The DC difference calculating circuit 11 calculates a difference between the DC coefficient and a DC component of a preceding image block and sends it to the grouping circuit 12. The grouping circuit 12 calculates, from the DC difference value, a group number and additional bits shown in FIG. 15. The additional bits are used to identify a DC difference value within an identical group. The number of bits of the additional bits is shown in FIG. 15. The group number calculated in the grouping circuit 12 is converted into a Huffman code by the one-dimensional Huffman coding circuit 13. The additional bits are sent to the multiplexing circuit 14.
The AC coefficients quantized by the quantizer 4 are scan-converted in a zigzag scan order shown in FIG. 13 and are sent to the significant coefficient detecting circuit 7. The significant coefficient detecting circuit 7 judges whether the quantized AC coefficients are xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d or not, and when xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d, supplies a count-up signal to the run length counter 9 to increment the counter value by one. When the AC coefficients are nonzero significant coefficients, the significant coefficient detecting circuit 7 supplies a reset signal to the run length counter 9 to reset the counter value and sends the AC coefficients to the grouping circuit 8.
The run length counter 9 counts the length of a run of xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9ds. The number NNNN of xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9ds between two significant coefficients is sent to the two-dimensional Huffman coding circuit 10. The grouping circuit 8 splits the AC coefficients into group numbers SSSS and additional bits shown in FIG. 14, and sends the group numbers to the two-dimensional Huffman coding circuit 10 and the additional bits to the multiplexing circuit 14. The additional bits are used to identify a DC difference value within an identical group. The number of bits of the additional bits is shown in FIG. 14.
The two-dimensional Huffman coding circuit 10 converts a combination of a run length NNNN and a group number SSSS into a Huffman code and sends it to the multiplexing circuit 14.
The multiplexing circuit 14 multiplexes a DC coefficient Huffman code of one pixel block, an AC coefficient Huffman code, DC coefficient additional bits, and AC coefficient additional bits and outputs code data 15.
This terminates a description of the JPEG Baseline coding system.
Furthermore, by changing the contents of the quantization table 5 of the standard image coding system described above, the following effects can be obtained:
(1) The amount of code of an input image can be controlled to a desired level.
(2) Quantization resistant to image degradation can be performed in accordance with the nature of an input image.
The above described two points will be described in more detail.
The first point will be described. When a quantization step width is small, the amount of code increases because probably the number of significant coefficients will increase and the absolute values of the significant coefficients will become large. Conversely, when a quantization step value is large, the amount of code decreases because probably a run length will increase due to a small number of significant coefficients and the absolute values of the significant coefficients will become small. By providing a basic quantization table and multiplying a quantization step value within the basic quantization table by a constant called a scaling factor, the value of quantization step width can be increased or decreased. When the amount of code is to be increased to enhance image quality, the scaling factor should be reduced. When the amount of code is to be reduced, the scaling factor should be set to a large value.
Generally, a larger amount of code makes image quality better and a smaller amount of code makes image quality worse. However, the limit of storage capacity and transmission capacity may limit the amount of code. In this case, the best image quality can be obtained by controlling the amount of code to a limit.
Numerous methods of calculating a scaling factor with the objective of controlling the amount of code as described above are proposed in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application Nos. Hei 7-107296 and Hei 7-212757, and the like.
These methods are used to obtain a scaling factor of an entire input image. However, when an image size is large, there are cases where it is necessary to split the image into smaller partial images and control the amount of code for each of the partial images. In this case, if the split partial image is viewed as one image, these methods are also applicable to the control of code amount for each of the partial images.
Next, the second point will be described. Usually, halftone images produced from photographs input through an image scanner or the like tend to be power-intensive in low-frequency portions of blocks subjected to a DCT operation. Accordingly, in order to reduce an error power after quantization, the quantization table 5 is organized to have small step widths for low frequencies of DCT coefficients and large step widths for high frequencies.
However, in the edge portion (a point where a sudden change of density values or brightness values is found) of an image, power is distributed also in high-frequency portions of blocks subjected to a DCT operation. As is already known, quantizing an edge portion with a quantization table for halftone images causes image distortion called mosquito noise. To suppress the occurrence of the image distortion, a quantization table suitable for each of image parts should be selected for quantization. Alternatively, without changing a quantization table, the amount of code can be increased by reducing a scaling factor in the edge portion of an image, whereby the occurrence of image distortion can be suppressed.
Numerous methods of analyzing input images to select a quantization table so as to prevent the occurrence of image distortion are proposed in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Hei 5-103208, and the like. Also, numerous methods of analyzing input images to select a scaling factor so as to prevent the occurrence of image distortion are proposed in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application Nos. Hei 7-288809, Hei 6-98307, Hei 5-145773, and Hei 8-265769, and the like.
As described above, when a scaling factor is changed or a quantization matrix is selected for each of parts, scaling factors or quantization matrix selection information must be coded for each of the parts. Without a method of coding scaling factors, it would be impossible to perform image coding operations which actually change scaling factors.
How to code scaling factors is not described in the conventional systems proposed in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application Nos. Hei 7-107296 and Hei 7-212757, and the like. Also, how to code a selected quantization table is not described in the conventional methods proposed in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Hei 5-103208 and the like. Furthermore, the systems described in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application Nos. Hei 7-288809, Hei 6-98307, Hei 5-145773, and Hei 8-265769, and the like have the same method of coding the scaling factors as the MPEG (Moving Picture Coding Experts Group) system.
Hereinafter, a description will be made of conventional systems for coding scaling factors or quantization matrix selection information.
Conventional systems for coding scaling factors or quantization matrix selection information include:
(1) JPEG Extended system
(2) MPEG System
Hereinafter, the two conventional systems will be described.
The JPEG Extended system is described in ITU-T, T. 84, ISO/IEC 10918-3 (pages 32 and 33). This system makes it possible to change scaling factors for each pixel block. Coding is performed for each block in the following steps:
(S1): If a scaling factor is the same as that of a preceding block, the same coding as that of a normal JPEG system is performed.
(S2): If a scaling factor is different from that of a preceding block, in place of the code of DC difference, the code xe2x80x9cQS_CHANGExe2x80x9d to indicate change of the scaling factor is generated. xe2x80x9cQS_CHANGExe2x80x9d is followed by 5-bit information (SCALE_CODE) to indicate a scaling factor. Thereafter, the same coding as that of a normal JPEG system is performed. SCALE_CODE is 5-bit information as shown in FIG. 16, and either of the linear and non-linear tables is referenced to find a scaling factor (Q_SCALE). Letting a DCT coefficient be X, a basic quantization step S, and an quantization index Y, the quantization index is found by the following expression.
Y=Xxc3x9716/(Sxc3x97Q_SCALE)xe2x80x83xe2x80x83[Expression 1]
Hereinafter, referring to FIG. 17, a description is further made of an example of the operation of a conventional system. In FIG. 17, the same portions in FIG. 12 use the same reference numerals and will not be described. The reference numeral 51 designates an AC component coding circuit, which integrates the scan converting circuit 6, significant coefficient detecting circuit 7, grouping circuit 8, run length counter 9, and two-dimensional Huffman coding circuit 10. 52 denotes a pixel value of an input block, DCT coefficient, or the like, 53 a scaling factor calculating circuit, 54 a basic quantization table, 55 a scaling factor, and 56 a basic quantization step.
The scaling factor calculating circuit 53 calculates a scaling factor 55 and sends it to the quantizer 4 and the multiplexing circuit 14, as do the foregoing conventional systems, that is, those described in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application Nos. Hei 7-107296, Hei 7-212757, Hei 7-288809, Hei 6-98307, Hei 5-145773, and Hei 8-265769, and the like. Input information 52 can be pixel value information itself, DCT coefficient, or other information. The basic quantization table 54, which stores quantization step values, sends a quantization step value 56 to the quantizer 4. The quantizer 4 finds a quantization index by the following expression, letting a DCT coefficient be X, a basic quantization step S, a quantization index Y, and a scaling factor Q.
Y=Xxc3x9716/(Sxc3x97Q)xe2x80x83xe2x80x83[Expression 2]
Furthermore, as described above, the multiplexing circuit 14, if the scaling factor is different from that of a preceding block, in place of the code of DC difference, generates the code xe2x80x9cQS_CHANGExe2x80x9d to indicate change of the scaling factor. xe2x80x9cQS_CHANGExe2x80x9d is followed by 5-bit information (SCALE_CODE) to indicate a scaling factor. Thereafter, the same code as that of a normal JPEG system is appended.
Next, the MPEG system is described. The MPEG standard, which is a moving picture coding system, comprises numerous systems such as a method of coding a plurality of components, and a method of coding different frames. Herein, a description is made of a system of coding scaling factors. The system of coding scaling factors can also be applied to the coding of static pictures.
In the MPEG system, an input image (frame) is split into pixel blocks of 8xc3x978 pixels each. As shown in FIG. 18, a collection of a plurality of the split pixel blocks forms a macro block. Coding is performed for each macro block. A macro block type is appended as the header of a macro block. Macro block types fall into two categories, depending on whether QS is provided or not. The existence of QS indicates that a macro block type is followed by information (QS) for changing a scaling factor. The absence of QS indicates that information (QS) for changing a scaling factor is not provided. A macro block type is coded with a variable length. QS is the same as SCALE_CODE shown in FIG. 16 and is appended with five bits.
The MPEG system can also be described with reference to FIG. 17. The following description focuses on quantization by use of scaling factors and the coding of the scaling factors.
The scaling factor calculating circuit 53 calculates a scaling factor for each macro block. A calculating method can be performed as in the foregoing conventional systems, that is, those described in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application Nos. Hei 7-288809, Hei 6-98307, Hei 5-145773, and Hei 8-265769. The scaling factor 55 is sent to the quantizer 4 and the multiplexing circuit 14. Input information 52 can be pixel value information itself, DCT coefficient, or other information. The basic quantization table 54, which stores quantization step values, sends a quantization step value 56 to the quantizer 4. The quantizer 4 finds a quantization index by the following expression, letting a DCT coefficient be X, a basic quantization step S, a quantization index Y, and a scaling factor Q.
Y=Xxc3x9716/(Sxc3x97Q)xe2x80x83xe2x80x83[Expression 3]
Furthermore, the multiplexing circuit 14, when the scaling factor is different from that of a preceding macro block, generates, as a macro block type, a code indicating that QS is present, and appends 5-bit information (SCALE_CODE) indicating a scaling factor after that code. Thereafter, the macro block is coded. If the scaling factor is the same as that of a preceding block, a code indicating that QS is not present is generated, and thereafter the macro block is coded.
In the conventional systems, the higher the frequency with which scaling factors are changed, the more necessary it is to append scaling factor information to most pixel blocks or macro blocks. The amount of code will increase because of the large overhead.
Also, in the conventional systems, it has been impossible to code at the same time both information of scaling factor change and quantization matrix change information.
An object of the present invention is to achieve efficient coding by coding DC difference information and scaling factor information or quantization matrix change information, or scaling factor information and quantization matrix change information in combination.
The present invention makes coding more efficient by combined coding of DC difference values and scaling factors or quantization matrix selection information than by independent coding of them.
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described.
According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, an image coding apparatus is provided with an image splitting unit for splitting an input image; an orthogonal transformation unit for orthogonally transforming images split by the image splitting unit; a quantization step width control information output unit for outputting one or more types of quantization step width control information of the split images; a DC differential signal calculating unit for calculating a difference between a DC signal of signals orthogonally transformed by the orthogonal transformation unit and a DC signal of a split image split immediately before; and a DC differential signal and quantization step width control information coding unit for coding the DC differential signal and the one or more types of quantization step width control information, wherein the DC differential signal and quantization step width control information coding unit changes the code of the DC differential signal and at least one predetermined code of the respective codes of the one or more types of quantization step width control information in accordance with the value of the DC differential signal and at least one of the values of the one or more types of quantization step width control information which is not corresponding to the predetermined code(s).
The image splitting unit splits an input image into pixel blocks. The orthogonal transformation unit can split an input pixel block into DC components and AC components, such as discrete cosine transform (DCT), for example. The quantization step width control information denotes scaling factors, or quantization table selection information, and the like. The DC signal denotes DC coefficients in the case of DCT.
The DC differential signal and quantization step width control information coding unit may code DC differential signals and quantization step width control information singly as discrete codes or collectively as one code.
In this configuration, DC differential signals and quantization step width control information can be efficiently coded by expanding information sources or using the correlation between the information sources.
In this configuration, codes can be changed in the following states.
(1) Methods of coding scaling factors or quantization table selection information are switched by a DC difference value.
(2) Methods of coding DC difference values are switched by the value of a scaling factor or quantization table selection information.
(3) By the value of either of a scaling factor or quantization table selection information, methods of coding the other are switched.
(4) DC difference values, and scaling factors or quantization table selection information are collectively coded using the correlation among them.
The image coding apparatus, further provided with a basic quantization table storing unit, uses quantization step width control information as one variable numeric value and multiplies some or all values of a basic quantization table stored in the basic quantization table storing unit by the quantization step width control information, thereby calculating quantization step values used for quantization.
Briefly, quantization step control information can be used as a scaling factor. Multiplying some quantization step values of a basic quantization table stored in the basic quantization table storing unit by quantization step width control information means, for example, application of multiplication to only AC components but not to DC components.
The image coding apparatus, further provided with a basic quantization table storing unit for storing a plurality of basic quantization tables, can use, as quantization step width control information, information for selecting a quantization table used for quantization from a plurality of basic quantization tables stored in the basic quantization table storing unit. Briefly, quantization table selection information can be used as quantization step control information.
The DC differential signal and quantization step width control information coding unit can be configured to include a unit for grouping DC differential signals; a unit for degenerating N types of quantization step width control signals; and a multidimensional Huffman coding unit for converting a group number of DC differential signals and N types of quantization step width control degeneration signals degenerated by the quantization step width control signal degenerating unit into (N+1)-dimensional Huffman codes.
This configuration example intends to perform efficient coding taking advantage of the fact that the correlation is high between scaling factors and DC differences or the correlation between quantization table selection information and DC differences. For example, it is anticipated that a pixel block having a DC difference of 0 has almost the same nature as a preceding block. Accordingly, scaling factor difference information also will probably become 0. In two-dimensional Huffman coding, efficient coding can be performed by shortening codes which have a DC difference of 0 and scaling factor difference information of 0.
A quantization step width control degeneration signal is a signal generated by the following two types of processing, for example.
(S1): Calculate a difference between the scaling factor of a pixel block to be coded and the scaling factor of a preceding pixel block.
(S2): Group scaling factors like DC difference values and AC coefficients, split the scaling factors into a group number and additional bits, and convert the group number into a variable-length code.
The DC differential signal and quantization step width control information coding unit can be configured to include a DC differential signal threshold comparing unit; a DC differential signal coding unit; a quantization step width control signal degenerating unit; and a quantization step width control degeneration signal coding unit, wherein the quantization step width control degeneration signal coding unit performs variable-length coding while switching coding tables for coding quantization step width control degeneration signals, depending on a magnitude relation between the absolute value of a DC differential signal and a predetermined threshold value.
This configuration example takes advantage of the fact that the probability of the occurrence of the difference values of scaling factors and the difference values of quantization table selection information is different depending on DC difference values. For example, if a DC difference value is small, by using a coding table assuming that the difference values of scaling factors and the difference values of quantization table selection information are small, efficient coding is performed. If variable-length coding is Huffman coding, coding tables refer to Huffman tables.
The DC differential signal and quantization step width control information coding unit is configured to include a DC differential signal coding unit; a unit for detecting the states of N types of quantization step width control signals; a quantization step width control signal degenerating unit; and a quantization step width control degeneration signal coding unit, wherein the unit for detecting the states of N types of quantization step width control signals judges whether or not a quantization step width control signal is in a predetermined state. The DC differential signal coding unit performs variable-length coding while switching 2N types of coding tables, depending on in which of the two states N types of quantization step width control signals are. The quantization step width control degeneration signal coding unit, without coding a quantization step width control signal when it is in a predetermined state, codes the quantization step width control degeneration signal when the quantization step width control signal is not in a predetermined state.
In this configuration example, when a scaling factor is unchanged from that of a preceding block, no scaling factor information is appended and the efficiency of coding DC difference values can be increased.
A state of quantization step width control signal refers to, for example, a case where a scaling factor changes, or a case where it is unchanged. Another example is a case where quantization table selection information is 0 and a case where it is not 0.
A predetermined state refers to a state which will occur more frequently, of two states, such as a state in which a scaling factor is unchanged, or a state in which quantization table selection information is 0.
Specifically, two types of DC difference codes, one for a case where a scaling factor changes, and the other for a case where a scaling factor is unchanged, are provided to perform coding. In the case where scaling factors are unchanged, scaling factor information is not appended to codes. During decoding, it can be judged by DC difference codes whether or not a scaling factor is appended to codes.
The DC differential signal coding unit performs variable-length coding while switching 2N types of coding tables, depending on whether N types of quantization step width control signals are the same or different. All the 2N types of codes must exist in one type of code tree.
The quantization step width control signal degenerating unit can be configured to include a quantization step width control differential signal calculating unit. Specifically, differences between scaling factors are calculated and converted into variable-length codes.
Also, the quantization step width control signal degenerating unit can be configured to include a unit for grouping quantization step width control signals or quantization step width control differential signals. Specifically, scaling factors or scaling factor differences are grouped and the groups are converted into variable-length codes.
It is, of course, possible that differences between scale factors are calculated and grouped, and the groups are converted into variable-length codes.
The quantization step width control signal degenerating unit can also be configured to output quantization step width control signals without modifications. For example, the values themselves of scaling factors are coded.
The unit for grouping DC differential signals or the unit for grouping quantization step width control differential signals can also be configured to put a signal in a different group for a case where a difference value of the signal is positive and a case where it is negative. Correlation coefficients of DC differences and scaling factor differences are different for a case where DC difference values or scaling factor difference values are positive and a case where they are negative. By changing groups depending on whether they are positive or negative, the correlation can be used additionally. Conventionally, if absolute values are the same, the signals have been put in the same group.
The unit for grouping DC differential signals or the unit for grouping quantization step width control differential signals can also be configured to put small portions of the absolute value of a signal in an identical group regardless of whether the signal value is positive or negative, and put large portions of the absolute value of the signal in a different group for a case where the difference value of the signal is positive and a case where it is negative. For small portions of the absolute value of DC difference, it is anticipated that correlation values are unchanged regardless of whether the DC difference value is positive or negative. In this case, since it is useless to put the absolute value in different groups, small portions of the absolute value are put in an identical group.
According to the present invention, to achieve the above described object, an image coding apparatus is provided with an image splitting unit for splitting an input image; an orthogonal transformation unit for orthogonally transforming images split by the image splitting unit; a quantization step width control information output unit for outputting one or more types of quantization step width control information of the split images; a coding unit for coding signals orthogonally transformed by the orthogonal transformation unit; and a quantization step width control information coding unit, wherein the quantization step width control information coding unit includes a quantization step width control information change pattern creation unit for judging whether or not N types of quantization step width control signals have changed; a quantization step width control information change pattern coding unit for converting a quantization step width control information change pattern created by the quantization step width control information change pattern creation unit into variable-length codes; and a unit for coding N types of quantization step width control signals that, only when individual quantization step width control signals have changed, codes the quantization step width control signal.
In this configuration, since a plural items of quantization table control information are coded in such a way that only changed information is coded, efficient coding can be performed. Of course, efficient coding can be performed by expanding information sources or using the correlation between the information sources.


A method and apparatus for displaying received data, analyze the quality of the displayed data formulating a media-parameter suggestion for the encoder to alter the characteristics of data to be sent to the receiver, and sending from the receiver, the formulated suggestion.

Remote interactivity is an important issue in both multimedia research and standards development. In the known art, when an encoder transmits multimedia data to a decoder, the status of the transmission can be determined at the decoder and then fed back, through a back channel, to the encoder.
Historically, many people were convinced that using a backchannel with real-time multimedia was either impractical or impossible. The concept of a back channel is known in the art. Currently, broad status reports are sent from a receiver to a transmitter. These status reports provide very general information to the transmitter, such as whether a terminal is receiving a transmission at all. Detailed information regarding how a transmission is received, or how a transmission is displayed, is typically not fed back to the transmission source. And typically, if this information is fed back to the transmission source, the transmitter may adjust the transmission or may not, but does so without regard to the receiver's individual preferences.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Interaction modalities for multimedia delivery and presentation


Polypeptides encoded by the nef gene of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which is the major etiological agent of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), are identified. The polypeptides, a diagnostic method for detecting antibodies to HIV in biological fluids, a diagnostic kit for carrying out the method, and pharmaceutical compositions containing the polypeptides are described. The polypeptides are useful in viral vaccines and for the early detection of HIV infection in humans.

This invention relates to polypeptides that correspond to peptides encoded by the nef gene of strains of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). More particularly, this invention relates to natural and synthetic polypeptides, a diagnostic method for detecting antibodies to HIV strains in biological fluids, to a diagnostic kit for carrying out the method, and to vaccine compositions containing the polypeptides.
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a condition which is now of major importance in North America, Europe, and Central Africa. The casual agent of AIDS is believed to be a retrovirus. Recent estimates suggest that approximately 1 million Americans may have been exposed to the AIDS virus. The individuals affected show severe immunosuppression, which may be followed by the onset of fatal diseases. The transmission of the disease most frequently takes place through sexual contact, although people using narcotics intravenously also represent a high-risk group. Furthermore, a large number of individuals have been infected with this virus after receiving contaminated blood or blood products.
The isolation and characterization of the first retrovirus, known as LAV, was described in a paper by F. Barre-Sinoussi, et al. Science, 220:868-871 (1983). The use of some extracts of this virus, and more especially of some of its proteins, to detect antibodies against the virus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,818 issued to Dr. Luc Montagnier, et al.
Several isolates of the AIDS retrovirus were subsequently reported by different investigators and the isolates were referred to in the literature by different designations. It is now universally recognized that viruses previously denominated lymphadenopathy associated virus (LAV), immune deficiency associated virus (IDAV1 and IDAV2), human T-lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III), and AIDS related virus (ARV) are all variants of the same retrovirus. See, e.q., Nature, 313:636-637 (1985).
A subcommittee empowered by the International Committee on the Taxonomy of Viruses recently proposed that the AIDS retroviruses be officially designated as the "Human Immunonodeficiency Viruses," to be known in abbreviated form as "HIV." Isolates of human retroviruses with clear but limited relationship to isolates of HIV (for example, more than 20% but less than 50% nucleic acid sequence identity) are not be called HIV unless there are compelling biological and structural similiarities to existing members of the group.
Recently, another pathogenic human retrovirus, termed HIV-2 (formerly LAV-2), was recovered from West African patients with AIDS. HIV-2 infection is associated with an immunodeficiency syndrome clinically indistinguishable from that caused by the prototype AIDS virus, HIV-1. Clavel et al., New Eng. J. Med., 316:1180-1184 (1987). HIV-2 is related to but distinct from HIV-1 Guyader et al., Nature, 326:662-669 (1987).
Retroviruses genetically related and biologically similar to HIV have been isolated from subhuman primates. These retroviruses are designated as immunodeficiency viruses of the appropriate host species, such as simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). SIV was first isolated from captive rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) at the New England Regional Primate Research Center (NERPRC). This was soon followed by a report of isolation of an SIV called STLV-III from African green monkeys. Extensive serologic cross-reactivity exists between HIV-2 and SIV.
Many of the HIV isolates analyzed have a distinct restriction map, even if recovered from the same place and time. Identical restriction maps have been observed for the first two isolates designated LAV and HTLV-3, and thus appear as an exception.
Although there is fairly wide genetic variability in the virus, the different HIV-1 strains isolated to date from American, European, Haitian, and African patients have certain common antigenic sites conserved on some proteins. This relationship has made it possible to use the prototype LAV strain as a source of antigens for detecting antibodies against all HIV-1 class viruses, in all people who carry them, regardless of their origin. Work to date has focused on the use of core proteins, envelope proteins and glycoproteins, transmembrane proteins, and fragments of these proteins as antigens in immunoassays for antibodies to HIV.
Nevertheless, the existence of multiple human immunodeficiency viruses, such as HIV-1 and HIV-2, presents a complex epidemiologic picture. Simple serologic tests that unambiguously distinguish among these retroviruses are essential for sorting out their patterns of transmission and pathogenesis. Immunoassays in which whole virus lysates are used as antigens have poor specificity due to partial cross-reactivity against conserved core antigens. Thus, there exists a need in the art for peptide antigens that have the inherent advantage of high specificity.
Moreover, there are compelling epidemiological considerations that make early detection of infection by the AIDS virus essential. Thus, for example, infection of an individual with the AIDS virus may be suspected because of the clinical symptoms manifested by the individual, but the infection may be in a very late stage before these symptoms are observed. Meanwhile, transmission of the disease may have taken place.
Finally, there is a common belief that an effective vaccine against HIV infection must be developed in order to stem the spread of the virus. Work is progressing on the development of a vaccine, but an effective vaccine has not yet been found.
In summary, there exists a need in the art for reagents, means, and methods for the detection of the AIDS virus and viruses associated with lymphadenopathies in general. The reagents, means, and methods should make it possible to detect different strains of HIV and their viral components from different isolates. Further, there is a need for reagents, means, and methods for the early detection of HIV infection. Moreover, there exists a need for pharmaceutical compositions capable of inhibiting or preventing infection of cells by HIV in vivo.

Diagnostic method and composition for early detection of HIV infection

Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique


A cable guide mechanism for evenly winding a cable for an electric powered vehicle onto an on-board reel having a cable guide that is reciprocated across the reel to neatly and closely wind the cable onto the reel. The cable guide is driven by a drive linkage to reciprocate in proportion to rotation of the take-up reel. The drive linkage includes a lever having a fixed pivot end and a free end attached to the cable guide. An eccentric crank driven by the rotation of the take-up reel is attached to a connecting rod that connects the end of the crank to an intermediate point on the lever arm. Accordingly, the range of reciprocation of the cable guide is substantially greater than the diameter of the path swept out by the crank, and the drive linkage may be contained in a compact package.

Electric vehicles powered by trailing cables are used in underground mining operations where internal combustion vehicles are unsafe, and battery powered vehicles are impractical. To avoid dragging the entire cable, a cable reel is typically mounted on the vehicle to pay out and take up cable as the vehicle moves away from and toward the power source to which the cable is connected. Although the mining vehicle is operated to remain facing generally away from the direction of the trailing cable to avoid treading on its own cable, the vehicles must maneuver around corners and over sloped obstacles. Consequently, the trailing cable may extend at an angle substantially offset vertically or horizontally from the rear of the vehicle. This causes the cable to wrap unevenly about the cable reel, risking snags and resulting in a looser, more random wrap of cable about the reel. Because space is at a premium in underground mining vehicles, the larger reel required to accommodate a loosely-wrapped length of cable is disadvantageous.
Various mechanisms have been employed to reciprocate a guide to effect a more uniform wrap of cable or other material on a reel. A conventional ball reverser of the type employed in fishing reels is functionally suitable, but is prohibitively expensive, particularly for such large-scale, heavy duty applications as mining vehicles. In addition, the harsh and abrasive environment in which mining vehicles operate is likely to damage a precisely machined ball reverser.
Although unknown in applications for winding electrical cable in a closely coiled configuration, a conventional reciprocating block such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,650,036 to Berkepeis has been used as a reciprocating thread guide. This apparatus employs a conventional crank and connecting rod assembly for converting rotational motion into reciprocating linear motion of a generally sinusoidal nature. Such a mechanism is unsuitable for a mining vehicle because it is undesirably bulky. The entire mechanism extends well beyond the planar ends of the spool on which the wire is being wound; the crank disk alone must have at least as large a diameter as the desired reciprocating range of the guide.

Wagner Mining and Construction Equipment Co.


An organic light emitting display device includes: a substrate including an emission region and a non-emission region; a pixel circuit on the substrate, a portion of the pixel circuit overlapping with the emission region; a planarizing conductive member on the pixel circuit; and a pixel electrode on the planarizing conductive member, the pixel electrode having a planarized surface at the emission region.

1. Field
One or more aspects of example embodiments relate to display devices. More particularly, one or more aspects of example embodiments relate to organic light emitting display devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
An organic light emitting display device is a self-luminous display device, which includes organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) for emitting light to display an image. Unlike a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, the organic light emitting display device may not require a separate light source, and thus, thickness and weight of the organic light emitting display device may be reduced. Moreover, the organic light emitting display device may exhibit high quality characteristics, such as low power consumption, high luminance, fast response speeds, and/or the like, and thus, has been receiving attention as a next generation display device for a portable electronic device.
The OLED may include a hole injection electrode, an organic light emitting layer, and an electron injection electrode. The OLED may emit light according to energy generated when excitons, which are combinations of holes injected from the hole injection electrode and electrons injected from the electron injection electrode, fall from an excitation state to a ground state.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is for enhancement of understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and therefore, it may contain information that does not constitute prior art.


An endoscope objective lens system is disclosed in which the lens disposed just in front of a diaphragm stop in the lens system is a divergent lens having a concave surface on the image side and the convergent lens disposed immediately after the diaphragm stop is in the form of a convergent lens unit comprising, in order from the object side, a first optical element and a second optical element. The two optical elements are made of optical materials having different Abbe numbers (.nu. values) in such a way that the relation .nu..sub.2 <.nu..sub.3 is satisfied, where .nu..sub.2 is the Abbe number of the first optical element and .nu..sub.3 is the Abbe number of the second optical element.

The present invention relates to an endoscope objective lens system that is effectively compensates for lateral chromatic aberration.
Objective lenses for use in endoscopes require that their outside diameter and overall length be made as compact as possible in consideration of the fact that they are assembled in the tip portion of an endoscope together with illumination optics and air/water supplying channels.
The assignee of the present invention previously filed Japanese Patent Application No. 117629/1987 on May 14, 1987 and proposed an invention of a compact endoscope objective lens system of a three-group-four-element composition (this invention is hereunder referred to as prior invention A). A diagrammatic cross section of this lens system is shown in FIG. 26. The same assignee improved the prior invention A and filed Japanese Patent Application No. 125381/1987 on May 22, 1987, in which they proposed an invention of a lens system characterized by a further improvement in lateral chromatic aberration (this invention is hereunder referred to as prior invention B). A diagrammatic cross section of this lens system is shown in FIG. 28.
The lens systems proposed by the two prior inventions A and B employ the necessary minimum number of lens elements (three-group-four-element composition) in order to attain compactness, so they have only a cemented positive lens disposed on the image side to effect achromatism and the result is not necessarily satisfactory in terms of compensation for lateral chromatic aberration.
As shown in FIGS. 26 and 28, the prior inventions A and B depend on providing a deep interface in the cemented positive lens with a view to achieving achromatism. In the prior invention A (FIG. 26), the center of curvature of the interface is on the side of a diaphragm stop, so extra-axial rays of light encounter the interface in a near-perpendicular direction and the difference in refractive index that is caused by the difference in wavelength is not substantial. This is effective for the purpose of compensating for longitudinal chromatic aberration but not so effective in compensation for lateral chromatic aberration. If the curvature of the interface is increased in order to ensure more effective compensation for lateral chromatic aberration, the degree of meniscus of the negative lens element in the cemented lens is increased and the thickness of the peripheral portion of the positive lens element is decreased, making the manufacture (or working) of a small endoscope objective lens either difficult or entirely impossible. If a thicker lens is used in order to ensure a peripheral portion thick enough to be worked, the overall size of the optics is increased and its composition is not at all suitable for use in an endoscope.
In the prior invention B (FIG. 28), the center of curvature of the interface is positioned on the side opposite to the side of a diaphragm stop, so extra-axial rays of light encounter the interface at an angle way off the perpendicular direction. As a result, the difference in refractive index that is caused by the difference in wavelength is increased, which is effective in compensating for not only longitudinal chromatic aberration but also lateral chromatic aberration. However, if an attempt is made to further increase the effectiveness of this lens system, problems can occur as in the case of the prior invention A, such as increased difficulty involved in fabricating positive and negative lens elements or the increase in the overall size of the optics. In addition, the angle of incidence of extra-axial rays will increase with respect to the line normal to the interface, thereby increasing the chance of the occurrence of coma. Furthermore, total reflection becomes highly likely to occur and in order to avoid it, some design compromise must be made by adopting a suitably large radius of curvature of the interface.
In order to achieve achromatism, another cemented lens might be incorporated in the lens system of the prior invention A or B. This would not be the best solution, however, since the most important requirement for an endoscope objective lens system is its compactness.
As described above, attempts to achieve further improvements in compensation for lateral chromatic aberration in the prior inventions A and B have caused problems in association with lens fabrication and the size of optics.
With objective lenses for use in endoscopes, it is desired that lateral chromatic aberration is minimized with reference to the distance between optical fiber cores (or a dimension corresponding to one pixel in an imaging device in an electronic endoscope using the imaging device). If lateral chromatic aberration is compensated insufficiently, the image transmitted will produce noticeable color diffusion, especially in the marginal portion, and the resulting deterioration of image quality will not only cause perception of a defective image but also prevent correct viewing (diagnosis in medical applications).
Endoscopes generally employ optical fibers spaced at a core-to-core distance of about 10 .mu.m. But with the recent advances in fiber production technology, fibers of smaller diameter have become available and the resolution of fibers per se as image guides is becoming correspondingly higher. A need therefore has arisen to minimize the lateral chromatic aberration of an endoscope objective lens so as to achieve high image quality (i.e., high contrast and high resolution).


The present invention relates to an improved sliding hooded mail carrier tray for a conventional rural mailbox structure. The rural type mailbox has a rectangular bottom panel, a back panel extending from one end of the rectangular bottom panel, a U-shaped roof portion extending from opposite sides of the bottom panel and a swinging pivotal door at another end. The improvement consists of a transparent hooded mail carrier having a slightly smaller cross sectional configuration compared to a cross-sectional configuration of the mailbox. The hooded mail carrier comprises a rectangular bottom wall, a back wall extending from the back end of the rectangular bottom wall and a U-shaped hood portion extending from opposite sides of the rectangular bottom wall defining an enclosure with the front end of the hooded mail carrier having an opening for receipt of mail. The hooded mail carrier also has upper rails on opposite sides thereof mounted on the outside of the U-shaped hood portion and lower rollers positioned on a rear portion of the hooded mail carrier beneath the upper rails. The upper rails of the hooded mail carrier are cooperable with upper mailbox rollers attachable at opposite sides of an inside wall of the mailbox and the lower rollers of the hooded mail carrier are cooperable with lower mailbox rails attachable at opposite sides of an inside wall of the mailbox in order for the hooded mail carrier to slide smoothly in horizontal telescoping engagement in and out of the mailbox. A stop lever is mounted on an inside wall of the mailbox for coaction with the upper rails to ensure that the hooded mail carrier does not come all the way out from the mailbox wherein any mail can be easily inserted and retrieved protecting the mail from weather elements when the hooded mail carrier is extended from the mailbox. When the hooded mail carrier is fully inserted into the mailbox, then the mailbox can be closed with the hooded mail carrier enclosed within the mailbox.

The present invention relates in general to a conventional rural type mailbox used on rural mail delivery routes, and more particularly to a rural type mailbox having sliding hooded tray inserts therein utilized to assist in the depositing and gathering of mail as well as protecting the mail from damage from adverse weather conditions.
There have been several different methods directed to inserting and removing mail from rural type mailboxes. Such rural mailboxes are generally mounted on wooden posts or poles alongside a road so as to be easily accessible for the post office to deliver mail. Unfortunately, it is not always convenient for delivery persons or homeowners to gain access to the rural type mailbox. It is often difficult for a person in a vehicle to position their window close enough to the mailbox in order to reach the mail that is in the mailbox and it is often impossible to even see and/or reach any mail that is located in the rear portion of the mailbox.
Because of the problems of inserting and retrieving mail in rural type mailboxes, there have been many different types of mailbox inserts that deal with the retrieval of mail, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,600,143 and 4,714,192 to Harlow et al, 4,753,385 to Phipps et al., 4,896,827 to Economon, 5,009,366 to van Druff, Jr. et al, and 5,083,703 to Blyakharov among others. These mailbox inserts do not protect the mail from adverse weather conditions such as harsh winds that can blow the mail out of the tray or rain that can cause the mail to get inconveniently wet while the mail is being inserted or retrieved. These mailbox inserts can also cause problems after extensive use and can no longer easily slide in and out of the mailbox.
The object of the present invention is to provide a mail tray insert that will provide long term easy retrieval and insertion of mail as well as protecting the mail as it is being retrieved from adverse weather conditions such as rain, wind, snow, slush and the like. My mail tray insert is hooded and is made of a transparent synthetic plastic material. Therefore the mail is protected from the top as well as the sides while being retrieved. Also, one can also easily look through the transparent hooded mail carrier and see if all of the mail has been retrieved instead of searching the mail tray by sense of feel. My sliding hooded mail carrier tray is also equipped with rails and rollers that make it easy for the hooded mail tray to slide in an out horizontally without the tray tipping or causing any undue friction on the mailbox or the mail carrier tray, therefore providing a mail carrier tray with a long life.

Sliding hooded mail carrier tray for a mailbox


An electrical connector assembly includes a receptacle member (14) and a pin shroud member (16) adapted to be mounted to opposite sides of a printed circuit board. Each receptacle member (14) is adapted to mate with a pin shroud member (16) mounted to another circuit board so that a parallel stack of circuit boards may be interconnected and supported. Each pin shroud member (16) has ground shields (60) which engage terminals (42) in the mating receptacle member (14). The ground shield (60) and the engaged terminal members (42) have pin portions (62, 64) extending through apertures of the respective circuit boards for connection to ground planes on the circuit boards. Each receptacle member (14) is also provided with further terminal members (36) having portions (38) which extend through respective apertures (35) in the circuit board and through the pin shroud member (16) mounted to the opposite side of the circuit board for engagement with corresponding terminal members (36) of a receptacle member (14) mounted to another circuit board, which latter receptacle member (14) is mated with the pin shroud member (16).

This invention relates to electrical connector assemblies and, more particularly, to an electrical connector assembly which functions to provide electrical interconnections between circuit boards, provide shielding for the connections, and provide support for circuit boards which are arrayed in a stacked parallel configuration.
In large electronic systems, such as computers and the like, it is common practice to provide a mother board, or backplane, to which a plurality of daughter boards are mounted and electrically interconnected. Traditionally, right angle connector assemblies have been utilized so that the daughter boards extend orthogonal to the mother board. U.S. Pat. No. 5,104,329 discloses an electrical connector assembly which provides for such orthogonal mounting and in addition provides shielding for the connections between the mother board and each daughter board. However, there are applications where the daughter boards and the mother board are to be supported in a stacked parallel configuration. An advantage of such a configuration is that a lower profile can be attained. Also, even though a plurality of daughter boards are connected orthogonally to a mother board, it may be desirable to interconnect the parallel daughter boards directly, rather than have such interconnections pass through the mother board.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide an electrical connector assembly which supports and electrically interconnects a plurality of circuit boards in a stacked parallel configuration.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an electrical connector assembly of the type described wherein continuous ground protection and shielding is provided between all of the boards in the stack.

Shielded stacking electrical connector assembly


In one embodiment of the present invention, a fault detection system for a dynamometer includes circuitry for measuring the armature voltage of the dynamometer. The voltage can used as an indicator of dynamometer speed to prevent reverse rotation of the dynamometer and to prevent overspeed operation of the dynamometer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to dynamometer control.
2. Description of the Related Art
Dynamometers are used extensively in the testing of internal combustion engines. In speed control of a typical DC dynamometer, closed-loop speed control is effected by feeding back dynamometer speed to the dynamometer controller. Speed is frequently sensed by a sensor having magnetic pickup which senses the rotation of a toothed wheel which rotates with the dynamometer output shaft. The pickup provides both a DC voltage proportional to dynamometer speed and a directional bit, the bit indicating whether the dynamometer is rotating in the forward or reverse direction.
Such a speed detection system can at times be unreliable. The unreliability is sometimes due to the failure of a component in the speed detection system. The unreliability is also sometimes due to the precision required in the installation of the magnetic pickup. If such precision is not present, the speed and direction detection may fail.
A failure in the detection of the speed of a dynamometer can result in the dynamometer going into an overspeed condition. This would result because the dynamometer control strives to keep the dynamometer running at a speed regulation point. If the speed feedback provided by the speed sensor fails, the dynamometer control will believe that the dynamometer is not running fast enough. The dynamometer control will then try feverishly to increase the speed of the dynamometer to reach the speed regulation point. The result will be overspeed of the dynamometer, which can damage an engine coupled to the dynamometer.
Failure of the directional bit of the dynamometer's speed sensor can also have an adverse effect. During an emergency stop of a dynamometer, the dynamometer controller attempts to force the speed of the dynamometer to zero as quickly as possible. This typically entails reversing the polarity of the field voltage of the dynamometer. The directional bit tells the dynamometer controller when the dynamometer has crossed zero speed and is beginning reverse rotation. At this point, the emergency stop procedure is ended. If the directional bit fails, the dynamometer will continue to be driven in reverse. As those familiar with internal combustion engines will attest, driving an automobile engine in reverse has the potential to do great damage to the engine.
As a backup in the case of failure of the directional bit, the speed pickup of the dynamometer can be used to prevent reverse rotation. When the speed pickup is so used, the speed of the dynamometer is sensed during an emergency stop. When the speed reaches a low-speed cutout threshold, the controller ends the emergency stop procedure to prevent reverse rotation of the dynamometer. However, the use of the speed pickup in this way has disadvantages. First, the speed pickup has fundamental reliability limitations, as was discussed above. Further, if the deceleration of the dynamometer is fast enough, the dynamometer can move through zero speed and begin to accelerate into reverse rotation very quickly. Because a typical speed pickup is unipolar, reverse rotation looks the same as forward rotation. If acceleration in reverse occurs quickly, the dynamometer may run above the low-speed cutout threshold in the reverse direction. The controller has no way to distinguish this rotation from proper forward rotation.
In light of the aforementioned limitations in conventional dynamometer control systems, a system which provides improved reliability in preventing overspeed and reverse rotation conditions will provide advantages over the prior art.


Systems and methods for normalizing entities via name normalization are disclosed. In some implementations, a computer-implemented method of identifying duplicate objects in a plurality of objects is provided. Each object in the plurality of objects is associated with one or more facts, and each of the one or more facts having a value. The method includes: using a computer processor to perform: associating facts extracted from web documents with a plurality of objects; and for each of the plurality of objects, normalizing the value of a name fact, the name fact being among one or more facts associated with the object; processing the plurality of objects in accordance with the normalized value of the name facts of the plurality of objects. In some implementations, normalizing the value of the name fact is optionally carried out by applying a group of normalization rules to the value of the name fact.

Data is often organized as large collections of objects. When objects are added over time, there are often problems with data duplication. For example, a collection may include multiple objects that represent the same entity. As used herein, the term "duplicate objects" refers to objects representing the same entity. The names used to describe the represented entity are not necessarily the same among the duplicate objects.
Duplicate objects are undesirable for many reasons. They increase storage cost and take a longer time to process. They lead to inaccurate results, such as an inaccurate count of distinct objects. They also cause data inconsistency.
Conventional approaches identifying duplicate objects assume a homogeneity in the input set of objects (all books, all products, all movies, etc). Identifying duplication for objects of different type requires looking at different fields for different type. For example, when identifying duplicate objects in a set of objects representing books, traditional approaches match the ISBN value of the objects; when identifying duplicate objects in objects representing people, traditional approaches match the SSN value of the objects. One drawback of the conventional approaches is that they are only effective for specific types of objects, and tend to be ineffective when applied to a collection of objects with different types. Also, even if the objects in the collection are of the same type, these approaches tend to be ineffective when the objects include incomplete or inaccurate information.
What is needed is a method and system that identifies duplicate objects in a large number of objects having different types and/or incomplete information.

Entity normalization via name normalization


One or more embodiments relate to a semiconductor device that includes: a conductive layer including a sidewall; a conductive capping layer disposed over the conductive layer and laterally extending beyond the sidewall of the conductive layer by a lateral overhang; and a conductive via in electrical contact with the conductive capping layer.

In modern integrated circuits, conductive lines may be arranged within dielectric layers to interconnect semiconductor devices. These conductive lines may be formed of metal and may be arranged, for example, on different metallization levels. The conductive lines may be surrounded by, as well as separated by, interlevel dielectric (ILD) layers. Conductive vias can be formed between the conductive lines in order to provide a conductive connection between different metallization levels.

Semiconductor device and method for making same


An ignition apparatus for an internal combustion engine is able to reduce generation of noise and energy loss due to wiring to a substantial extent. A capacitor 4 is connected at one end thereof to a DC power supply so as to be charged thereby, and at the other end thereof to an ignition coil 5. A switching element 9 is connected between the capacitor and a primary winding of the ignition coil to form part of a discharge path through which the capacitor discharges. The switching element is made conductive by means of an ignition or trigger signal which is generated by a signal generator in synchronism with the rotation of the engine, so that the charged capacitor discharges through the primary winding of the ignition coil. The capacitor, the ignition coil and the switching element are formed integrally with each other, housed in a single casing 13 and connected to each other without the use of a wire harness.

The present invention relates to an ignition apparatus for an internal combustion engine, and more particularly, to such an ignition apparatus of the capacitor discharge ignition (CDI) type.
FIG. 3 shows a typical example of such an ignition apparatus of the capacitor discharge ignition type for an internal combustion engine. In this figure, a DC power source 1 in the form of a battery for use with a motor vehicle is connected to a DC-DC converter or amplifier 2 which serves to convert or amplify the output voltage of the battery 1 to several hundred volts. A rectifying diode 3 has an anode coupled to an output terminal of the converter 2 and a cathode coupled to one end of a capacitor 4, the other end of which is connected to an ignition coil 5. The ignition coil 5 has a primary winding and a secondary winding which is connected to a spark plug 6. An ignition signal generator 7 is connected to the battery 1 at a node between the battery 1 and the converter 2, and it generates an ignition signal in synchronism with the rotation of an internal combustion engine (not shown). A trigger circuit 8 is connected to the battery 1 and the ignition signal generator 7 for generating a trigger signal in response to an ignition signal from the ignition signal generator 7. The ignition signal generator 7 and the trigger circuit 8 together constitute a signal generating means. A switching element 9 in the form of a thyristor has an anode connected to a node between the rectifying diode 3 and the capacitor 4 and a cathode connected to the primary winding of the ignition coil 5 and to ground. The thyristor 9 has a control gate connected to an output terminal of the trigger circuit 8 so that it is made conductive or switched on by a trigger signal from the trigger circuit 8 to thereby allow the capacitor 4, which is charged by the battery 1 through the DC-DC converter 2 and the rectifying diode 3, to discharge by way of the primary winding of the ignition coil 5. The DC-DC converter 2, the diode 3, the capacitor 4, the ignition signal generator 7, the trigger circuit 8 and the switching element 9 are housed in a power unit 10, as depicted by a phantom line in FIG. 3, whereas the ignition coil 5 is housed in a casing 11 disposed separately from the power unit 10, the ignition coil 5 being connected to the elements in the power unit 10 by means of a wire harness 12 which includes a conductor wire 12a connected between the capacitor 4 and the ignition coil 5 and a conductor wire 12b connected between the primary winding of the ignition coil 5 and the switching element 9.
In operation, the DC-DC converter 2 increases or amplifies the DC voltage generated by the battery 1 to an enlarged voltage of several hundred volts, which is then supplied via the rectifying diode 3 to the capacitor 4 for charging it. When the switching element 9 is made conductive or turned on by a trigger signal from the trigger circuit 8, which is generated in response to an ignition signal produced by the ignition signal generator 7 at a predetermined crankshaft position or ignition timing, the charged capacitor 4 begins to discharge by way of a closed discharge path comprising the capacitor 4, the switching element 9, the conductor wire 12b, the primary winding of the ignition coil 5, the conductor wire 12a and the capacitor 4. As a result, a high voltage is developed across the secondary winding of the ignition coil 5, thus causing the spark plug 6 to generate a spark.
With the known ignition apparatus as described above, upon discharge of the charged capacitor 4, a large discharge current flows through the discharge path including the now conductive switching element 9, the wire harness 12 and the ignition coil 5. In this connection, however, since the ignition coil 5 alone is formed separately from, and connected through the wire harness 12 to, the other components such as the capacitor 4 and the switching element 9 included in the discharge path, the discharge path becomes long. That is, the use of the wire harness 12 connecting the ignition coil 5 with the capacitor 4 and the switching element 9 inevitably results in a long or elongated discharge path, which not only forms a major noise source but also leads to a relatively large loss in electrical energy.

Ignition apparatus for an internal combustion engine


An application is comprised of a plurality of processes. A process is able to accesses a remote service using a service access credential which is adapted to the particular requirements of the process. By providing a process with customized credential, the process is constrained from performing unnecessary operations, and the overall security of the application is improved. When processes are deployed to a host computer, an agent on a host computer collects credential information and other metadata associated with the processes running on the host computer. The agent makes the metadata available to a credential provider running on the host, and the credential provider exposes an interface that is accessible to the processes. The processes include a credential proxy which communicates with the credential provider. The credential proxies relay credential requests to the credential provider, and return the provided credentials from the credential provider to the processes.

Many computer applications rely at least partially on access to remote services to implement a portion of their functionality. For example, an application running on a computer system may submit service requests to remote services such as storage services, backup services, key management services, and cloud-computing services. The service requests are authenticated and authorized using credentials. The credentials are issued to the application by the provider of the remote service, and grant access rights that are necessary to fulfill the service requests. Some applications are comprised of a plurality of processes, and different processes may access a different set of remote services in different ways. If a number of processes require different access rights, the credentials provided by the remote service provider to the application may grant the union of the required access rights. This may result in some processes receiving access rights that are greater than what is necessary.
This can be particularly problematic if the processes have very different or conflicting access requirements. For example, a first process may require access to a storage volume owned by a first customer, while a second process may need to be denied access to the storage volume owned by the first customer. In another example, a first process may require administrative access privileges, whereas a second process may require only minimal access rights. If credentials are issued on a per-application or per-host basis, many processes may be forced to share the same access rights and privileges, creating an unnecessary security risk. Therefore, adjusting the credentials that are supplied to each process is an important problem.


The present invention provides a phase locked loop (10) for generating a variable output frequency signal. The phase locked loop (10) includes a controlled oscillator (14) to generate the variable output frequency signal in response to a tune signal. A feedback frequency divider (16) coupled to the controlled oscillator (14) is operable to generate a divided frequency signal from the variable output frequency signal. A phase detector (18) generates an error signal representing a difference between a reference frequency signal and the divided frequency signal. A sample and hold circuit (22) is activable in response to a gating signal (20) derived from the reference frequency, to sample the error signal and generate a sampled signal. A loop filter (12) filters the sampled signal and generates the tune signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to phase locked frequency synthesizers, and in particular to phase locked loops that suppress the leakage of spurious energy from the phase detector to the controlled oscillator.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A phase locked loop (PLL) is a negative feedback system that maintains a constant phase and zero frequency difference between a variable frequency and a reference frequency. Conventional PLL""s include a phase detector element to compare the frequency and phase of an oscillator to that of the reference frequency. The oscillator is then controlled to maintain the constant phase and frequency difference.
Often, it is desirable to design a PLL so that the PLL can be rapidly tuned from one lock point (or frequency) to another. This is accomplished through a xe2x80x9cwidexe2x80x9d PLL control system bandwidth. However, the xe2x80x9csamplingxe2x80x9d nature of the phase detector limits the PLL control system bandwidth and therefore tuning speed to substantially less than the sampling rate. Further, imperfections in the phase detector produce undesirable leakage of the phase detector sampling (reference) frequency into the forward path of the PLL control system. Filtering is generally employed to attenuate the impact of the leakage. The additional filtering causes an even greater reduction of PLL bandwidth below the sampling rate.
Still another problem occurs in PLLs having multiple bandwidths. In multi-bandwidth PLLs, a wide bandwidth is employed for PLL acquisition and a narrower bandwidth is switched to for tracking. The wide acquisition bandwidth improves acquisition speed, while the narrow tracking bandwidth provides increased tracking. accuracy. In such a design if additional filtering is used to attenuate leakage, it is necessary to use a switch(es) to alter the filtering time constant to accommodate the separate bandwidths. Physically realizable switches and the associated circuits suffer from a phenomenon, known as xe2x80x9ccharge injectionxe2x80x9d, which introduces a disturbance into the other circuit elements at the time the switch is activated. Charge injection is also commonly referred to as xe2x80x9cswitch feedthroughxe2x80x9d and generally occurs as the result of the switch control signal entering the signal path via parasitic capacitive coupling. The resulting effect is the injection of an amount of charge equal to the voltage change in the control signal times the size of the parasitic capacitor. The disturbance caused by charge injection may form a new limitation on the speed of the phase locked loop tuning because the disturbance must be resolved by the slower tracking bandwidth PLL control system.
The phase locked loop system and method provides a system and method for generating a variable output frequency signal. The phase locked loop includes a controlled oscillator to generate the variable output frequency signal in response to a tune signal. A feedback frequency divider coupled to the controlled oscillator is operable to generate a divided frequency signal from the variable output frequency signal. A phase detector that is driven by a reference frequency generates an error signal representing a difference between the reference frequency signal and the divided frequency signal. A sample and hold circuit is activable in response to a gating signal related to the reference frequency, to sample the error signal and generate a sampled signal. A loop filter filters the sampled signal and generates the tune signal.
For a more complete understanding of the invention, its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following specification and to the accompanying drawings.

Phase locked loop using sample and hold after phase detector


An illuminated display for displaying logos, messages, pricing information and the like, utilizes the large glass surfaces of modern office buildings, banks, hotels and shade material adapted to be backlit from the building interior. The shade material may contain translucent and opaque portions configured to provide, when combined with adjacent shade portions, a representation of the information to be conveyed to an observer of the structure. In the most preferred embodiment the shades are coupled to a timer mechanism so they may be operated simultaneously, e.g. to close them at sunset or to open them at sunrise. Various degrees of transparency may be provided, as may color, to give the designer a large selection of options for carrying out the informational and artistic aspects of the invention.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the art of illuminated displays, and more particularly to display systems which employ the window areas of buildings, such as office buildings, hotels, banks and the like to convey informational or artistic images to an observer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of signs on buildings to provide information is well known, as exemplified in most big city skylines. An observer today would note logos of insurance companies, banks, manufacturing and service companies, hotels and the like. In many cases the logos are painted onto the structure, and some may be illuminated for nighttime viewing by lighting directed at the building. Others may be made from translucent plastic materials (usually colored) which contain internal lighting to provide viewing capability during the day or at nighttime. Other systems in common use include various electronic display devices, e.g. the time, temperature and interest rate signs used by numerous banks.
It has also been proposed to use the building structures as a "screen" for receiving an image, as is the case with some relatively new laser technology. Furthermore, in some instances it has been proposed to use the windows of certain large buildings to provide information by illuminating only certain ones of the windows in a preselected pattern, darkening surrounding windows to convey the desired information.
While these latter two systems differ substantially from merely adorning a building with a sign, logo or electronic display, the former is very expensive and effective mainly in situations where a building stands apart from other illuminated structures. The latter suffers from a lack of detail and the need to isolate building areas from employees who may be working late, in which case windows other than those preselected for the desired pattern would be illuminated.
Another type of illuminated display is that used by filling stations, convenience stores and the like which employ a translucent, usually internally illuminated, cabinet, having a plurality of open areas for displaying information, e.g. the price of a gallon of gasoline. Some of these displays are very large, as exemplified by the highway signs mounted many feet above the ground on huge poles. Observers receive information from electronic displays or in some cases from scrolling rolls of transparent film having opaque indicia on them. Electronic controls allow the individual scrolls to be adjusted so that the price display may be changed. These devices provide illuminated displays of information at discrete openings.
To the knowledge of the present inventor, no building display systems are known in which different displays in adjacent window openings interact to create an overall artistic or informational impression. Such a system would provide very substantial opportunities to artists and provide users of the system with opportunities to provide information, advertize their goods or services, obtain advertising income from others or create unique visual statements of an artistic nature designed to enhance the appearance of a skyline or an individual structure.


A waste gas scrubber utilizing a liquid body within an enclosure. The enclosure forms a chamber to confine the body of liquid to a portion of the chamber. A rotatable member includes an inside and an peripheral portion and possesses a multiplicity of passages extending from the inside portion to the peripheral portion. A stator surrounds the rotatable member and forms a channel between itself and the stator. The stator includes the first opening communicating with the body of liquid, permitting liquid to pass to the peripheral portion of the rotatable member, and into the channel between the stator and the peripheral portion of the rotatable member. The stator includes a second opening to the liquid body in the chamber. Waste gases traveling through the rotatable member are purified by turbulent contact with liquid forced into the channel. The purified gases are then led from the chamber to the outside environment.

The present invention relates to a novel waste gas scrubbing apparatus.
Many industrial facilities produce toxic gases as a byproduct. This problem is especially acute in the electronics industry. For example, the semi-conductor manufacturing process requires the deposition of a layer of silicon on a silicon wafer. The photographic tracing process involves etching away the silicon from around the traced lines. Layers of conductive materials are then layered atop etched areas. Waste gases such as silane, trichlorosilane, tetraethyl orthosilicate, phosphine and the like are produced in such electronics fabrication process and must be safely disposed.
Toxic gases such as silanes, also include particulate matter which form viscid substances tending clog scrubbing machinery used in the prior art. In the past, toxic gases from the chip making manufacturing plants were diluted with water and transported to a sprinkler treatment plant. Moreover, the sprinklers employed in this scrubbing system were ineffective in capturing a high percentage of the gases. In addition, mechanical portions of the prior system were easily clogged and rendered, inoperable by the viscid substances resulting from the solid and gas admixtures heretofore described. Since failure to quickly remove noxious gases from the chip making process extends to spoil the newly manufactured chips, breakdown of a scrubbing system severely interrupts the manufacturing process. Needless to say the prior systems required extensive maintenance and consequential exposure of maintenance personnel to toxic fumes.
Reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,520 which describes a hydrodynamic fume scrubber particularly usable in the electronics manufacturing industry. Unfortunately, the scrubber described in this patent includes a filter media which serves as a collection area for particulate matter. The filter media tends to clog and requires constant cleaning to permit the scrubber to operate.
A gas scrubbing apparatus which solves the problems encountered in the prior art would be a great advance in the field of air pollution control.


A time division multiple access mobile communications system employing frency division multiplexing and perfect noise codes to enable utilization of the system. A central node, or repeater, is employed, with all transmissions to it being performed at a first frequency, and with the frequency division multiplexing being such that all re-transmissions from the central node are performed at a second, different frequency. The noise codes employed are of a type termed code mates having correlation functions which upon detection provide an impulse autocorrelation function. The described arrangement enables random access, or direct call-up, to be accomplished with total non-interference between users. Large improvements in signal-to-noise power ratio and in signal-to-jamming power ratio will be seen to result.

As is well known and understood, one of the problems associated with mobile subscriber accessing systems offering direct call-up is that of interference between users. As is also well known and understood, this results from the utilization in such communications systems of omnidirectional antennas. Attempts at utilizing such antennas with very narrow pulses to reduce the probability of self-interference has been shown to be limited. Use of time division multiple accessing, by itself, has not completely solved the interference problem, as signals from moving transmitters often threaten the channel (or time slot) in which another signal is being received. Interference has especially been found prevalent when a call-up is first initiated, before any synchronized acquisition is first established. Although time division multiple accessing communications systems have been developed where directional antennas have been used (see, for example, my issued U.S. Pat. No. 3,908,088), it was not until my concurrently filed application entitled "Self-Adaptive Mobile Subscriber Access System Employing Time Division Multiple Accessing" issued as U.S. Pat. No. 4,215,244 on July 29, 1980 that a workable implementation has been proposed for the mobile arena where omnidirectional antennas are utilized.

Orthogonal spread spectrum time division multiple accessing mobile subscriber access system

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army


A stackable bin includes two spaced apart side walls, and a rear wall connecting rear edges of the side walls together. The side walls and rear wall are slightly inclined inwardly with respect to a vertical plane. A bottom wall is connected to lower portions of the side walls and rear wall and a central partition wall is connected with the bottom wall and rear wall to define first and second compartments open at front ends thereof. A channel extends parallel to and in alignment with the partition wall, and is formed at an underside of the bottom wall, for receiving an upper edge of a partition wall of a another stackable bin, for a supporting stackable arrangement therewith. Vertically oriented ribs are provided on outer surfaces of the side walls, for further supporting the stackable bin on the upper edges of side walls of the other stackable bin, and for increasing structural rigidity of the side walls. An elongated post is formed at the front edge of the partition wall and extends above the upper edge of the partition wall so as to define a post extension, and a recess is formed at a lower end of the elongated post for receiving the post extension of another stackable bin, thereby preventing forward sliding movement of the stacked bins relative to each other.

The present invention relates generally to stackable bins, and more particularly, is directed to stackable bins dimensioned to hold consumer articles, such as shoes.
Stackable bins for holding articles are well known. In order to prevent relative movement between the bins while enabling a stacking relation, the lower periphery of each bin is typically provided with a horizontally oriented shoulder or wall that seats on an upper peripheral edge or shoulder of another such bin. However, in order to provide such shoulders, additional material is typically added about the periphery of the bin and/or the side walls of the bin are formed in a complex shape. In either case, the walls must generally be made thicker in large portions thereof. This is disadvantageous from a molding standpoint, since it not only requires additional material, but also presents problems such as the time for hardening of the material, warping of the material, and the like, as well as requiring the formation of complex molds.
Further, the aforementioned stacking arrangement presents problems in that the stackable bins can easily become disengaged from each other. This is because it is difficult, by means of the aforementioned shoulders, to maintain the stackable bins in the stacked arrangement. That is, a slight force typically can easily knock one stackable bin off of another.


A method includes acquiring signals generated from operating a multi-component induction tool in a wellbore. The multi-component induction tool has a plurality of receiver arrays. The method includes generating, for each receiver array at a fixed frequency, a combination of components from the acquired signals, wherein the components corresponds to components of an apparent conductivity tensor. The generating of the combination of components includes generating vertical magnetic dipole (VMD) data and horizontal magnetic dipole (HMD) data. The method includes mixing together the combination of VMD data and HMD data measured from the plurality of receiver arrays and generating data, with respect to evaluation of a formation around the wellbore, from the mixing together of combinations.

In drilling wells for oil and gas exploration, understanding the structure and properties of the associated geological formation provides information to aid such exploration. Measurements in a wellbore, as referred to as a borehole, are typically performed to attain this understanding. However, the environment in which the drilling tools operate is at significant distances below the surface and measurements to manage operation of such equipment are made at these locations.
Logging is the process of making measurements via sensors located downhole, which can provide valuable information regarding the formation characteristics. For example, induction logging can utilize electromagnetic signals that can be used to make measurements. Further, the usefulness of such measurements may be related to the precision or quality of the information derived from such measurements.

Apparatus and method of processing multi-component induction data


An interposer for an optical module includes a first substrate having an optical device mounting part on which an optical device is mounted, and a second substrate including a connection via electrically connected to a terminal pattern of the optical device mounting part. The first and second substrates are coupled with each other while forming a predetermined inclination angle therebetween.

In optical communication, a photoelectric conversion device of a transmitter converts electrical signals into optical signals, and the converted optical signals are transmitted to a receiver through an optical fiber or an optical waveguide. Then, the optical signals, which have been received, are converted into electrical signals in a photoelectric conversion device of the receiver.
In order to apply the photoelectric conversion device to a system for the purpose of commercialization, the photoelectric conversion device requires effective electrical connection and optical connection.
FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing the structure of a photoelectric conversion device according to the related art.
The photoelectric conversion device according to the related art includes a holder 10 to expose one end of an optical waveguide 1 while surrounding the optical waveguide 1, an optical device 20 to receive an optical signal output from the exposed end of the optical waveguide 1 or to output an optical signal to the exposed end of the optical waveguide 1, an interposer 30 having the optical device 20 mounted thereon and a terminal electrically connected to the optical device 20, and a gap maintaining part 50 fixed to the holder 10 and the interposer 30 while being interposed between the holder 10 and the interposer 30 and provided therein with a through hole in which the optical device 20 is placed.
The structure is mounted on a printed circuit board 60, and a driving circuit chip is mounted on the printed circuit board 60. The terminal of the interposer 30 is electrically connected to the driving circuit chip.
Electrical pads 41a, 41b, 43a, and 43b and terminals 51, 52, and 53 are used to connect components to each other.
However, according to a photoelectric conversion module of the related art, in addition to a process of installing the interposer 30 having the optical device 20 mounted thereon and a substrate having the driving circuit chip mounted thereon in the printed circuit board 60, a wire bonding process of electrically connecting the interposer 30 and the substrate is additionally required. Accordingly, light loss may be increased.

Interposer for optical module, optical module using the same, method for manufacturing the same


A device for informing whether fresh toner should be newly supplied into a developer (20) into an electrophotography machine comprises a sleeve (22) for delivering toner (29) to a photosensitive drum, a blade (23) for regulating the distribution of the toner deposited on the sleeve (22), an agitator (24) for agitating the toner, a hopper (21) for loading the toner, a lever (25) with an upper projection (26) and lower support (27) pivotally moved with a pivot pin (25') attached on an inside wall (21') of the hopper (21) towards the sleeve (22), a metal plate (28) supported by the lower support (27), an actuator (32) with a magnet (36) and light shield (34) pivotally moved with another pivot pin (35), and a photosensor (31). Wherein, if the hopper (21) is devoid of the toner by consuming, the magnet (36) is attracted towards the metal plate (28) so as to cause the light shield (34) to block the photosensor (31).

The present invention relates to a developer which develops an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive drum in an electrophotography machine, and more particularly to a device for informing whether fresh toner should be newly supplied into the developer.
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional developer 1 includes a sleeve 4 for delivering toner 7 to a photosensitive drum 3, a blade 5 for regulating the distribution of the toner 7 deposited on the sleeve 4, an agitator 6 for agitating the toner 7, a hopper 2 for loading the toner, and a toner sensor 8 mounted on an inside wall of the hopper below the agitator 6. The toner sensor 8 consists of a piezoelectric element that is subjected to the pressure of the toner 7 in the hopper so as to generate a voltage informing whether the toner is existent or not in the hopper by consuming. Namely the weight of the toner in the hopper actuates the piezoelectric element to generate the voltage. The voltage from the piezoelectric element is applied to a central processing unit (CPU) so as to turn on an indicating lamp for user for indicating the existence of sufficient amount of the toner in the hopper 2. On the other hands, if there is no toner in the hopper, the piezoelectric element does not generate the voltage so that the indicating lamp is turned off.
Another conventional device for informing whether ferritic toner is existent or not in the hopper includes, as shown in FIG. 2, a photosensor 8 pivotally moved with a pivot pin, and an actuator 10 with a magnet 9 at one side thereof and with a light shield 12 for shielding a light at another side thereof. When the ferritic toner 7 is loaded into the hopper 2, the ferritic toner attracts the magnet 9 so as to cause the light shield 12 to prevent the photosensor from receiving the light. Hence an indicating lamp is turned on for user for indicating the existence of sufficient amount of the ferritic toner in the hopper. Conversely, if there is no ferritic toner 7 the hopper 2, the magnet 9 is separated from the bottom of the hopper 2 so as to cause the light shield 12 to move away from the photosensor. Accordingly, the indicating lamp is turned off.
In these two conventional devices, the former has the drawbacks that the piezoelectric element is very expensive compared to the photosensor. Further, it is very difficult to install the piezoelectric element within the hopper, and the output voltage of the piezoelectric element varies with the loaded amount of the toner, thus resulting in technical complexity. Meanwhile the latter must use only the ferritic toner.

Device for detecting toner used in an electrophotography machine