An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device having a pressure roller. The surface of the pressure roller is coated with a PFA resin and has an average surface roughness Ra of 0.05 to 0.13 μm. A thermister is provided to detect the surface temperature of the pressure roller. The thermister includes a metal plate, a resister element attached to the metal plate, and a pair of fluorocarbon-resin films sandwiching the metal plate and the resister element. The fluorocarbon-resin film has a thickness of 15 μm to 80 μm.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fixing device used in an image forming apparatus, such as copying machines and printers.
2. Related Art
A fixing device used in an image forming apparatus is usually provided with temperature detecting means so as to maintain the surface temperature of a heat roller at a predetermined temperature as disclosed in Japanese Patent-Application Publication No. 2003-98899. As such temperature detecting means, there have been proposed contact type detecting means that includes a contact type thermister for detecting the surface temperature while contacting the surface of the heat roller and non-contact type detecting means that includes a non-contact type thermister for detecting the surface temperature without contacting the heat roller.
When the contact type detecting means is used, the thermister causes damages to the heat roller by contacting the same. Therefore, the thermister is usually arranged to contact an end portion of the heat roller outside of a sheet passage portion so that the damages to the heat roller do not affect the quality of printed images. The sheet passage portion of the heat roller indicates a region of the heat roller where a paper sheet contacts when passing by the heat roller.
However, using the contact type detecting means has the following disadvantage. That is, it takes time for heat to transfer in the axial direction of the heat roller. Although the sheet passage portion of the heat roller, which contacts a sheet and melts toner on the sheet, is decreased in its temperature as the sheet contacts the sheet passage portion, a portion of the heat roller other than the sheet passage portion does not decrease in its temperature in the same manner as the sheet passage portion because such a portion does not contact the sheet. As a result, the temperature of the heat roller detected by the contact type thermister differs from the temperature of the heat roller at the sheet passage portion. This makes it difficult to maintain the sheet passage portion of the heat roller at a predetermined temperature.
It has been proposed to switch the surface temperature of the heat roller according to the type of paper sheet. However, it is difficult to precisely control the temperature of the sheet passage portion of the heat roller based only on the detection result of the contact type thermister in contact with the heat roller at the non-sheet passage portion.
If the temperature of the sheet passage portion of the heat roller is lower than the predetermined temperature, then toner on a paper sheet is not completely melted, resulting in a cold offset phenomenon where the toner falls off the paper sheet. On the other hand, if the temperature is higher than the predetermined temperature, then a hot offset phenomenon in which the melted toner adheres to the heat roller and a phenomenon in which the paper sheet winds around the heat roller occur.
On the other hand, the non-contact type detecting means includes one that detects the temperature using infrared rays and one that detects radiation heat. Because the non-contact type detecting means can detect the temperature of the heat roller without contacting the heat roller, the non-contact type detecting means can be disposed to the side of the sheet passage portion of the heat roller without casing damages to the heat roller. Therefore, the non-contact type detecting means can detect the temperature more precisely than the above-described contact type detecting means. However, the non-contact type detecting means has the following disadvantages.
The non-contact type detecting means using the infrared rays includes a protection member for preventing the effects of air currents or atmospheric motions occurring near a detection element on temperature detection, causing the detecting means to have a large size and a large number of components. This makes it difficult to manufacture detecting means at reduced cost.
The non-contact type detecting means using the radiation heat usually includes a detection element, which is the same type of detection element as that used in the contact type thermister, disposed to the side of the heat roller while avoiding direct contact with the heat roller, for detecting the surface temperature of the heat roller via the air space. Thus, the detecting means has the simple configuration and has advantages in terms of providing compact and less expensive detecting means.
However, because the temperature is detected via the air space, there is time delay between when the surface temperature of the heat roller is changed and when this change in the surface temperature is actually detected by the detection element. As a result, it is difficult to maintain the surface temperature of the heat roller constant, causing the cold offset problems and hot offset problems. In a worse case, paper jams occur due to a paper sheet winding around the heat roller.

Image forming apparatus having a fixing device with improved temperature detection features


A hub for a local area network according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of communication ports connected to each of nodes in the network, through which a signal is transmitted among the nodes, a signal processing circuit having at least the functions of repeating the signal among the nodes and reshaping a waveform thereof, and a power supply circuit for supplying a dc current for driving the signal processing circuit. The power supply circuit further comprises an ac/dc converter for converting an ac current applied from an external ac power supply without passing through a power switch thereto into a predetermined dc current and supplying the dc current to a load circuit including the signal processing circuit without passing through a power switch, a backup secondary battery, a charging circuit for trickle charging the dc current output from the ac/dc converter into the backup secondary battery, and a control circuit for opening and closing a current path for supplying an output current of the backup secondary battery to the load circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a hub for a local area network (hereinafter referred to as LAN), more specifically relates to a backup construction of a power supply for a hub for maintaining its function even when power failure due to such an accident as a defect in power supply wiring occurs.
2. Background Art
A typical LAN employs a transmission line of 10BASE standards. Among them, a transmission line according to 10BASE-T standard has been widely implemented these days since it is easier to wire and more flexible in moving or increasing a node in the network such as a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as PC). In a 10BASE-T LAN, an unshield twisted pair wire (hereinafter referred to as UTP), which is similar to an usual telephone line wire, is used as a transmission line. Connection of the UTP is easier than those in other 10BASE standards. Each of the wires extended from LAN boards installed in the nodes such as PCs is simply connected to a communication port of a hub. The hub is typically defined as a common wiring point for star-topology network and has a similar functions to those of a line concentrator.
The basic functions of a hub includes electrical isolation of the nodes such as PCs connected to the communication ports using a signal processing circuit, transmission of the signals communicated among the nodes, and reshaping a waveform of those signals. Such high performance hubs as an intelligent hub or a switching hub provide additional functions as a multi-layer connection using a plurality of hubs and connection with a backbone.
The above-mentioned hubs usually operate with a commercial ac power supply. The supplied ac current is converted into a stabilized dc current by a power circuit such as an ac/dc converter provided in the hub to drive the load circuit including a signal processing circuit. An ordinary hub is not equipped with a power switch, therefore, the hub becomes operative when connected to an ac power supply. As a result, once connected to an ac power supply, the hub is continuously powered thereby. In general, the hub does not require frequent maintenance and access after installation. Thus, the hub is sometimes disposed below a floor panel with the wiring.
A computer system responsible for an important information processing usually employs a backup power supply system so that abrupt power failure does not affect the system. In a small-scale system, an uninterruptible power supply, hereinafter referred to as UPS, is usually provided with each of the equipments in a network such as PCs and hubs. The UPS is an apparatus connected to a commercial ac power supply so as to provide an ac current inverted from an output dc current of a built-in backup battery.
However, there are some shortcomings with employment of the UPS. One is that the UPS is large in size. Another is that the UPS is expensive. Due to these problems, the following disadvantages arise: significant increase in cost of a power supply facility; difficulty in determining appropriate arrangement of the UPS in a system and capacity thereof; awkwardness in wiring of the power supply cables; and necessity for a large space for installation of the UPS.
In view of the above problems, the present applicant has reached a basic concept of a hub provided with a built-in a backup function of a power supply. More specifically, like a notebook-sized PC, a backup secondary battery is equipped with the hub, which is trickle charged with a supplied ac current via a charging circuit and provides a dc output current for driving the load circuit when an ac power supply fails. The conventional apparatus such as a notebook-sized PC having a backup secondary battery has a manual power switch. While the manual power switch is opened, operation of the apparatus and discharging of the secondary battery are prevented except a small amount of self discharge of the battery.
However, since the hub does not have a power switch as previously mentioned, a conventional backup power supply circuit using a secondary battery has the following problem when applied to the hub.
The hub without a power switch is in operation continuously by a fully charged backup secondary battery since it is shipped. Therefore, the backup secondary battery installed during an assembling process is exhausted after several days depending on a capacity of the backup battery. Because of this problem, a user of the hub is required to charge the exhausted secondary battery so as to activate a backup power supply function before starting to use the hub, although the backup power supply function of the hub should become effective immediately after it is connected to a network system.

Hub for local area network with backup power supply system


A method and apparatus for communicating high definition television signals is provided. Video signals are divided into blocks of PCM data. The PCM data is processed using motion estimation and compensation to provide DPCM data. For each block, one of PCM and DPCM data is selected for transmission based on a predetermined criteria. The selected data is compressed using the discrete cosine transform to provide blocks of transform coefficients. The coefficients are quantized to improve their coding efficiency and variable length coded. The variable length coded coefficients are coded using a concatenated coding scheme with a Reed-Solomon outer code and trellis inner code to provide coded signals for transmission. The coded signals are transmitted using QAM.

The present invention relates to trellis coded quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) and more particularly to a practical method for coding QAM transmission. The invention is particularly applicable to the transmission of compressed video information in a high definition television (HDTV) system.
Digital data, for example digitized video for use in broadcasting high definition television signals, can be transmitted over terrestrial VHF or UHF analog channels for communication to end users. Analog channels deliver corrupted and transformed versions of their input waveforms. Corruption of the waveform, usually statistical, may be additive and/or multiplicative, because of possible background thermal noise, impulse noise, and fades. Transformations performed by the channel are frequency translation, nonlinear or harmonic distortion and time dispersion.
In order to communicate digital data via an analog channel, the data is modulated using, for example, a form of pulse amplitude modulation (PAM). Typically, quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) is used to increase the amount of data that can be transmitted within an available channel bandwidth. QAM is a form of PAM in which a plurality of bits of information are transmitted together in a pattern referred to as a "constellation" that can contain, for example, sixteen or thirty-two points.
In pulse amplitude modulation, each signal is a pulse whose amplitude level is determined by a transmitted symbol. In 16-bit QAM, symbol amplitudes of -3, -1, 1 and 3 in each quadrature channel are typically used. In 32-QAM, symbol amplitudes of -5, -3, -1, 1, 3 and 5 are typically used. Bandwidth efficiency in digital communication systems is defined as the number of transmitted bits per second per unit of bandwidth, i.e., the ratio of the data rate to the bandwidth. Modulation systems with high bandwidth efficiency are employed in applications that have high data rates and small bandwidth occupancy requirements. QAM provides bandwidth efficient modulation.
On the other hand, modulation schemes such as quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), commonly found in satellite transmission systems, are well established and understood. In QPSK, a more simple constellation pattern than that provided in QAM results. In particular, QPSK systems use a constellation pattern having only four symbols that are typically positioned 90 degrees apart from each other in phase, but have the same amplitude. Thus, the four symbols are equally spaced about a circle.
QPSK modulation is suitable for power limited systems where bandwidth limitations are not a major concern. QAM modulation, on the other hand, is advantageous in bandwidth limited systems, where power requirements do not present a major problem. Therefore, QPSK has been the system of choice in satellite communication systems, whereas QAM is preferred in terrestrial and cable systems. As a consequence of the popularity of QPSK, integrated circuits that realize trellis coded QPSK modulation are readily available and easily obtained.
Trellis coded modulation (TCM) has evolved as a combined coding and modulation technique for digital transmission over band limited channels. It allows the achievement of significant coding gains over conventional uncoded multilevel modulation, such as QAM, without compromising bandwidth efficiency. TCM schemes utilize redundant nonbinary modulation in combination with a finite-state encoder which governs the selection of modulation signals to generate coded signal sequences. In the receiver, the noisy signals are decoded by a soft-decision maximum likelihood sequence decoder. Such schemes can improve the robustness of digital transmission against additive noise by 3-6 dB or more, compared to conventional uncoded modulation. These gains are obtained without bandwidth expansion or reduction of the effective information rate as required by other known error correction schemes. The term "trellis" is used because these schemes can be described by a state-transition (trellis) diagram similar to the trellis diagrams of binary convolutional codes. The difference is that TCM extends the principles of convolutional coding to nonbinary modulation with signal sets of arbitrary size.
The availability of components for implementing trellis coded QPSK modulation is a significant advantage in designing low cost communication systems for applications, such as satellite communications, wherein QPSK techniques excel. However, such components have not been of assistance in implementing other coded transmission systems, such as those in which QAM is preferred.
For applications that are both power limited and band limited, and require low cost components (particularly low cost data decoders), conventional QAM systems have not been feasible due to the complexity and relatively high cost of the required encoder and decoder circuits. In fact, it is typical to implement QAM trellis encoders and decoders in expensive custom integrated circuit chips.
One power limited and band limited application in which a low cost solution is necessary for communicating digital data is the digital communication of compressed high definition television signals. Systems for transmitting compressed HDTV signals have data rate requirements on the order of 15-20 megabits per second (Mbps), bandwidth occupancy requirements on the order of 5-6 MHz (the bandwidth of a conventional National Television System Committee (NTSC) television channel), and very high data reliability requirements (i.e., a very small bit error rate). The data rate requirement arises from the need to provide a high quality compressed television picture. The bandwidth constraint is a consequence of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission requirement that HDTV signals occupy existing 6 MHz television channels, and must coexist with the current broadcast NTSC signals. To achieve full HDTV performance in a single six MHz bandwidth, a highly efficient, unique compression algorithm based on DCT transform coding has been proposed by W. Paik, "Digicipher--All Digital, Channel Compatible, HDTV Broadcast System," IEEE Transactions on Broadcasting, Vol. 36, No. 4, December 1990, pp. 245-254, incorporated herein by reference.
This combination of data rate and bandwidth occupancy requires a modulation system that has high bandwidth efficiency. Indeed, the ratio of data rate to bandwidth must be on the order of 3 or 4. This means that modulation systems such as QPSK, having a bandwidth efficiency without coding of two, are unsuitable. A more bandwidth efficient modulation, such as QAM is required. However, as noted above, QAM systems have been too expensive to implement for high volume consumer applications.
The requirement for a very high data reliability in the HDTV application results from the fact that highly compressed source material (i.e., the compressed video) is intolerant of channel errors. The natural redundancy of the signal has been removed in order to obtain a concise description of the intrinsic value of the data. For example, for a system to transmit at 15 Mbps for a twenty-four hour period, with less than one bit error, requires the bit error rate (BER) of the system to be less than one error in 10.sup.12 transmitted bits.
Data reliability requirements are often met in practice via the use of a concatenated coding approach, which is a divide and concur approach to problem solving. In such a coding framework, two codes are employed. An "inner" modulation code cleans up the channel and delivers a modest symbol error rate to an "outer" decoder. The inner code is usually a coded modulation that can be effectively decoded using "soft decisions" (i.e., finely quantized channel data). A known approach is to use a convolutional or trellis code as the inner code with some form of the "Viterbi algorithm" as a trellis decoder. The outer code is most often a t-error-correcting, "Reed-Solomon" code. Such Reed-Solomon coding systems, that operate in the data rate range required for communicating HDTV data, are widely available and have been implemented in the integrated circuits of several vendors. The outer decoder removes the vast majority of symbol errors that have eluded the inner decoder in such a way that the final output error rate is extremely small.
A more detailed explanation of concatenated coding schemes can be found in G. C. Clark, Jr. and J. B. Cain, "Error-Correction Coding for Digital Communications", Plenum Press, New York, 1981; and S. Lin and D. J. Costello, Jr., "Error Control Coding: Fundamentals and Applications", Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1983. Trellis coding is discussed extensively in G. Ungerboeck, "Channel Coding with Multilevel/Phase Signals", IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, Vol. IT-28, No. 1, pp. 55-67, January, 1982; G. Ungerboeck, "Trellis-Coded Modulation with Redundant Signal Sets--Part I: Introduction,--Part II: State of the Art", IEEE Communications Magazine, Vol. 25, No. 2, pp. 5-21, February, 1987; and A. R. Caulderbank and N. J. A. Sloane, "New Trellis Codes Based on Lattices and Cosets", IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, Vol. IT-33, No. 2, pp. 177-195, March, 1987. The Viterbi algorithm is explained in G. D. Forney, Jr., "The Viterbi Algorithm", Proceedings of the IEEE, Vol. 61, No. 3, March, 1973. Reed-Solomon coding systems are discussed in the Clark, Jr. et al and Lin et al articles cited above.
The error rate performance at the output of the inner modulation code in concatenated coded systems is highly dependent on signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Some codes perform better, providing a lower error rate at a low SNR while others perform better at a high SNR. This means that the optimization of the modulation code for concatenated and nonconcatenated coding systems can lead to different solutions, depending on the specified SNR range.
In an HDTV broadcast system, a tradeoff exists between area of coverage/station spacing and picture quality. Lower order QAM (e.g., 16-QAM) offers better area of coverage and allows closer station spacing than higher order QAM (e.g., 64-QAM), because of its lower received carrier-to-noise ratio performance characteristic. On the other hand, higher order QAM offers better picture quality than lower order QAM, because of its higher bandwidth efficiency. Which order of QAM to choose is very often affected by such things as geographical location, available/permissible transmitter power, and channel conditions. These parameters can very often be determined at the transmitter, allowing the provision of a QAM communication system in which the QAM transmission mode can be automatically selected. Such a system must, of course, also provide receivers that can automatically and reliably detect the order of QAM used by the transmitter, to enable the correct reception of transmitted signals. A system providing these features is disclosed in copending, commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/852,330 filed on Mar. 24, 1992 for "Mode Selective Quadrature Amplitude Modulation Communication System" and incorporated herein by reference.
It would be advantageous to provide a data modulation system with high bandwidth efficiency and low power requirements for the communication of HDTV signals having compressed video. Such a system should provide a high data rate, with minimal bandwidth occupancy, and very high data reliability. The complexity of a receiver for use with such a system should be minimized, to provide low cost in volume production. Optimally, the system should be able to be implemented using readily available components with as little customization as possible.
The present invention provides a modulation system having the aforementioned advantages. In particular, the method and apparatus of the present invention expand a trellis coded QPSK system to a trellis coded QAM system particularly useful for HDTV communication, without sacrificing data reliability.

Method and apparatus for communicating digital information such as compressed video using treillis coded QAM


The present invention is directed to a vial including a stack of test sensors, wherein the vial includes a vial body and a vial cap and a seal. In one embodiment of the present invention, the seal includes an annular ledge, a flange attached to the annular ledge, a hinge, also referred to as an annular line of weakness, and a skirt. In one embodiment of the present invention, the annular line of weakness is positioned between the skirt and the flange such that the skirt folds outward when pressure is applied to the annular ledge, such as, for example, when the skirt is pressed against a sealing surface of the vial body.

Many modern industries and in particular the diabetes monitoring industry are presented with the challenge of providing a vial that provides isolation from environmental factors, convenience and easy opening of the vial and facilitates the extraction of a test sensor from a vial. Yet another challenge is the use of the test sensors by people with disabilities. Yet another challenge is providing a seal for a vial that can be used for automated dispensing of a test sensor from a vial.
The invention aims to alleviate at least some of the above-identified problems and/or needs. The present invention may optionally be used for a test sensor for testing for an analyte or indicator such as glucose concentration, HbAlc, cholesterol, etc in a bodily fluid such as urine, interstitial fluid (ISF), plasma or blood.
Patent application number GB2222821A describes 'Closures for Releasably Sealing Containers'. Patent application number. GB788148A describes 'Improvements in or Relating to Closures for Containers'. U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,281 describes a 'Moisture Tight Closure and Container'. Patent application number WO95/24301 describes a 'Partially Laminated Rubber Closure'. Patent number EP0625948B1 describes 'A Releasable Cap'.


A light emitting section outputs an optical signal having an intensity corresponding to a transmission timing signal, the optical signal modulated based on a radio transmission signal. A received photocurrent detection section detects an intensity of an optical signal received by a light receiving section. In accordance with the detected intensity, a high frequency amplification section amplifies the output signal of the light receiving section, and a transmission timing signal reconstruction section reconstructs the transmission timing signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical transmission device transmitting and receiving a radio band signal in a burst manner by an optical fiber, and a radio communication system using the above-described optical transmission device.
2. Description of the Background Art
Conventionally, a radio optical fiber (Radio On Fiber: hereinafter, referred to as ROF) technique utilizing a wide bandwidth advantage of an optical fiber for transmitting a radio band signal by the optical fiber is known. Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. H05-136724, for example, discloses the ROF technique. The above-described ROF technique is used, for example, in communications between a center station and an antenna side base station in a mobile communication system. FIG. 27 is a block diagram showing the structure of the mobile communication system using the ROF technique. The system shown in FIG. 27 includes a center station 1, antenna side base stations 2, optical fibers 3, and mobile phones 4, and allows the mobile phone 4 to perform bi-directional communications with another mobile phone 4 in the system.
Radio communications are performed between the antenna side base station 2 and the mobile phone 4. The optical fiber 3 interconnects the center station 1 and the antenna side base station 2, and optical communications are performed therebetween. The center station 1 is connected to other center stations (not shown). In order to allow the mobile phone 4 to perform bi-directional communications with another mobile phone 4 in the system, the center station 1 receives a signal transmitted from the mobile phone 4, and transmits the received signal to the antenna side base station 2 or other center stations.
When transmitting a signal to the mobile phone 4, the center station 1 converts a transmission signal into a radio signal. Then, the center station 1 converts the obtained radio signal into an optical signal, and sends the obtained optical signal to the optical fiber 3. The antenna side base station 2 converts the optical signal transmitted over the optical fiber 3 into an electric signal, and transmits an electric wave based on the obtained electric signal. The electric wave transmitted from the antenna side base station 2 is received by the mobile phone 4. On the other hand, an electric wave transmitted from the mobile phone 4 is received by the antenna side base station 2. The antenna side base station 2 obtains a radio band reception signal based on the received electric wave, converts the obtained reception signal into an optical signal, and sends the obtained optical signal to the optical fiber 3. The center station 1 reconstructs the radio band reception signal by converting the optical signal transmitted over the optical fiber 3 into an electric signal, and obtains a reception signal by demodulating the reconstructed radio band reception signal.
FIG. 28 is a block diagram showing the structure of a conventional optical transmission device and a conventional radio communication system. Note that, in the radio communication system, FIG. 28 shows only a downlink system from a center station 100 to an antenna side base station 200. In FIG. 28, a radio transmission signal 182 is a transmission signal to be transmitted to the mobile phone 4, the transmission signal being converted into a radio signal. A transmission timing signal 181 is a signal indicating whether the radio communication system is in a transmission state or in a non-transmission state, that is, indicating whether or not the radio transmission signal 182 is generated. As shown in FIG. 29, the transmission timing signal 181 is frequency multiplexed with the radio transmission signal 182, and transmitted from the center station 100 to the antenna side base station 200.
A modulation section 101 modulates the transmission timing signal 181 using these methods such as ASK (Amplitude Shift Keying) or PSK (Phase Shift Keying). A multiplexing section 102 frequency multiplexes the signal output from the modulation section 101 with the radio transmission signal 182. A light emitting section 104 obtains a supply of a fixed bias current from a bias circuit 103, and sends an optical signal, whose intensity is modulated based on the signal output from the multiplexing section 102, to a downlink optical fiber 3a.
A light receiving section 201 converts the optical signal, which is output from the light emitting section 104 and transmitted over the downlink optical fiber 3a, into an electric signal. A demultiplexing section 202 including a low pass filter (LPF) 251 and a band pass filter (BPF) 252 demultiplexes the electric signal output from the light receiving section 201 so as to obtain the two original signals, that is, the signal output from the modulation section 101 and the radio transmission signal 182, which have been multiplexed by the multiplexing section 102. A high frequency amplification section 204 amplifies one signal demultiplexed by the demultiplexing section 202 by a fixed amplification factor, and supplies the amplified signal to an antenna switch 205. A demodulation section 203 demodulates the other signal demultiplexed by the demultiplexing section 202, and outputs a transmission timing signal 281 varying in a manner similar to the transmission timing signal 181.
The antenna switch 205 changes the function of an antenna 206 in accordance with the transmission timing signal 281. In accordance with the transmission timing signal 281, the antenna 206 either transmits an electric wave based on the signal amplified by the high frequency amplification section 204, or receives an electric wave. When the antenna 206 receives an electric wave, the antenna switch 205 outputs the radio band reception signal received by the antenna 206 to a terminal 207. An uplink system (not shown) from the antenna side base station 200 to the center station 100 is connected to the terminal 207. The signal output from the terminal 207 is transmitted from the antenna side base station 200 to the center station 100 by the above-described uplink system.
In the case where communications between the center station and the antenna side base station are performed using the ROF technique as described above, a radio signal modulation/demodulation function is provided to the center station, not to the antenna side base station. Thus, the use of the ROF technique allows small and low cost antenna side base stations to be realized.
In the radio communication system typified by the mobile communication system, TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access), for example, maybe used in order to accommodate a plurality of terminals in a single network. Also, TDD (Time Division Duplex), for example, maybe used in order to perform multiplexed transmission of uplink and downlink signals using a single transmission path. In the radio communication system using TDMA or TDD, data is transmitted based on time division transmission technique, whereby a radio signal is transmitted in a burst manner.
Also, a permissible deviation is defined in the antenna side base station with respect to power of an electric wave emitted from the antenna. Therefore, the antenna side base station has to be provided with an automatic power control circuit (hereinafter, referred to as APC circuit) stabilizing the power of the electric wave emitted from the antenna. Thus, the antenna side base station included in the mobile communication system using TDMA or TDD has to be provided with the APC circuit for a radio signal transmitted in a burst manner (hereinafter, referred to as a burst radio signal).
As the APC circuit for the burst radio signal, an APC circuit (FIG. 30) disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-16506 is known. In FIG. 30, a variable gain circuit 301 and a power amplification circuit 302 amplify a modulated transmission signal. A switch circuit 303 is controlled based on a transmission control signal so as to be switched between an ON state and an OFF state, and outputs the amplified transmission signal intermittently. The transmission signal output from the switch circuit 303 is transmitted from an antenna 305 as an electric wave. A directional coupler 304 branches the transmission signal output from the switch circuit 303. A detection circuit 306 finds a power level of the transmission signal branched by the directional coupler 304. In a transmission state, a detection hold circuit 307 outputs a detected output from the detection circuit 306. In a non-transmission state, on the other hand, the detection hold circuit 307 holds the detected output in the previous transmission state and outputs the held output. A gain control circuit 308 compares a level of the signal output from the detection hold circuit 307 with a pre-set reference level, and controls a gain of the variable gain circuit 301 so as to reduce the difference between the above-described two levels.
In the above-described APC circuit, the detection hold circuit 307 outputs, to the gain control circuit 308, the signal whose level is substantially equal to the above-described reference level irrespective of whether it is in the transmission state or in the non-transmission state. Thus, the gain control circuit 308 outputs a gain control signal whose level is substantially constant. As a result, when the non-transmission state is switched into the transmission state, it is possible to quickly stabilize the level of the amplified transmission signal (the level corresponding to power of the electric wave emitted from the antenna 305).
However, the above-described conventional optical transmission device and the conventional radio communication system have the following problems. First, in the conventional optical transmission device, noise such as relative intensity noise (RIN) caused in the light emitting section or thermal noise caused in the light receiving section is amplified in the high frequency amplification section of the antenna side base station. As a result, in the non-transmission state of the radio signal, the antenna produces extraneous emissions, or noise in the downlink system has an adverse effect on the uplink system in the antenna side base station, thereby degrading the sensitivity of the uplink system in the non-transmission state of the radio signal. Also, in the conventional optical transmission device, the transmission timing signal is frequency multiplexed with the radio transmission signal and transmitted, which results in the high cost of the device due to the complicated circuits of the center station and the antenna side base station. Furthermore, in the optical transmission device, in general, a change in signal power with a change in optical power fluctuates in proportion to the square of the optical power. Thus, in order to accommodate a change in signal power with a change in optical power, the APC circuit has to be able to control the gain over a wide range of the optical power. As a result, there arises a problem that the APC circuit has to be provided with a high-performance variable attenuation circuit or variable amplification circuit.

Optical transmission device and optical transmission method for transmitting a burst radio signal

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


The present invention provides an improved system and method for estimating range of the objects in the images from various distances. The method comprises receiving a set of images of the scene having multiple objects from at least one camera in motion. Due to the motion of the camera, each of the images are obtained at different camera locations Then an object visible in multiple images is selected. Data related to approximate camera positions and orientations and the images of the visible object are used to estimate the location of the object relative to a reference coordinate system. Based on the computed data, a projected location of the visible object is computed and the orientation angle of the camera for each image is refined. Additionally, pairs of cameras with various locations can then be chosen to obtain dense stereo for regions of the image at various ranges. The process is further structured so that as new images arrive, they are incorporated into the pose adjustment so that the dense stereo results can be updated.

A persistent issue in the sensing system is the need to determine the structure of a scene, including objects seen at long distances using a mobile platform. Scene structure recovered in the range of 50 m-1000 m is useful for planning for autonomous mobility and mapping unobserved areas. Sensing from 100 m-200 m is useful for reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA), target designation, and cueing automatic target recognition (ATR). The difficulty with using images from a moving platform is knowing the precise relationship (position and direction) between the cameras that acquired the images. In particular, the relative pointing angles between the cameras must be known to a milliradian or better.
A conventional approach is to use a laser range finder or LADAR, but these ranges require high power, and LADAR is emissive. So, the scene structure typically recovered from LADAR sensing has power/speed/resolution limitations at the ranges of interest (hundreds of meters to a kilometer or more).
Vision stereo with a fixed baseline can also be used to acquire range information. Accurate range estimates for objects that are a kilometer away, however, requires a 10 m baseline, which is impractical for a mobile, fixed-baseline system. Passive depth recovery at mid-ranges requires longer baselines than can be achieved by a practical fixed-baseline stereo system. So, scene structure recovered from conventional stereo vision systems have a fixed baseline that limits range and/or mobility of the stereo system.
Thus, a need exists in the art for an improved sensing system for estimating range and detecting the objects from large distances.

System and method for providing mobile range sensing


An apparatus comprises a processing platform including a plurality of processing devices. The processing platform receives a request to generate a checkout interface on a user device in connection with a transaction to purchase a product and/or a service being performed over one or more networks, wherein the checkout interface comprises a plurality of selectable indicators each respectively indicating a payment option of a plurality of payment options, and to generate the checkout interface on the user device responsive to the request. The plurality of selectable indicators are simultaneously displayed on the checkout interface. The processing platform is further configured to receive a selection of a selectable indicator from the user device, and to automatically display on the checkout interface details of a payment option corresponding to the selected indicator responsive to the selection. The details are simultaneously displayed with the plurality of selectable indicators on the checkout interface.

Various merchants, service providers and/or enterprises offer online or web-based shopping and payment options enabling a customer to shop and pay for goods and services using online interfaces offered via a website. Conventional online checkout interfaces typically offer payment options through selection on radio or option buttons, or through selection of an option in a drop-down menu or list. Radio or option buttons are graphical control elements that allow a user to choose one of a predefined set of mutually exclusive options. A drop-down menu or list is a graphical control element that allows a user to choose one value from a list. An inactive drop-down menu displays a single value, while an activated drop-down menu displays a list of values, from which a user may select a value. Once selection of a value has been made from the drop-down menu, the drop-down menu returns to its inactive state, displaying the selected value.
The use of radio buttons and drop-down menus in connection with conventional online checkout interfaces requires a large number of clicks (e.g., an affirmative activation step performed by a user utilizing, for example, a mouse, pointer, stylus, finger on a touchscreen, or other appropriate interfacing means), and also does not provide a user with a clear overview of all supported payment types. Navigation between payment types when using conventional online checkout interfaces is also not intuitive.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved online payment interface which addresses the problems associated with conventional online payment interfaces.

Payment processing platform providing tab based payment options


A backrest system for use in an automobile storage space includes a back rest member with a front surface, a back surface and a channel coupled to the back surface. The channel extends along a longitudinal axis of the backrest member and includes a first open end and a second open end opposite from the first open end. A first extension member is positionable in the channel and is movable within the channel with respect to the first open end. A second extension member is positionable in the channel and is movable with respect to the second open end. A first coupling member and a second coupling member are positionable on opposite sides of an automobile storage space so as to provide a coupling location for the first extension and the second extension to secure the backrest system in an automobile storage space.

Pickup trucks and other types of vehicles, such as hatchback cars and station wagons, include an area toward a rear of the vehicle that provides cargo space. In the case of a pickup truck, this space is called a "truck bed," while in other types of vehicles this space is often called a "trunk." In some cases, these automobiles also include a horizontally-opening door positioned at a rear end of the vehicle to provide access to the cargo space. In some cases, the door is hingedly attached to the automobile at a lower end of the storage space so that the door opens to a horizontal, substantially flat position. In many cases, this type of door is called a "tail gate."
Because tail gates and other horizontally-opening doors are positioned in a horizontal orientation when opened, users often utilize the door as a place to sit. However, prolonged sitting on a tailgate can be very uncomfortable as the horizontal door is not designed as a seat and thus does not include a backrest. It would be beneficial to have a removable backrest for use near a horizontally-opening door of an automobile storage space to allow for more comfortable use of the door as a seat.

Removable backrest for an automobile storage area


An image processing apparatus includes a processor; memory storing instructions causing the apparatus to perform: acquiring original image data including an object; specifying margin area, which is located at a periphery of the original image and in which the object is not located; specifying a non-printable area, which is located at a periphery of a print medium and to which the printing apparatus is not capable of printing; determining, on the basis of information representing the non-printable area and information representing the margin area, whether the printing apparatus is capable of printing the whole of the object of the original image within a printable area on the print medium, to which the printing apparatus is capable of printing, without performing a reducing process on the object; and generating print data, from the original image data, according to a result of the determining.

There are various types of image processing for printing images. For example, there is a technology for setting the maximum paper size available in a printer as a document forming size and reducing document data which is a print target such that a document fits into a printable area. According to this technology, even if document data which is a print target does not have the concept of a page size like HTML data, it is possible to prevent a document from spreading out from the printable area, resulting in a data loss.
However, in a case of performing a reducing process on document data, there is often the case where the load of data processing is large. For example, there is a case where a data processing time increases. Also, in a case of omitting such data processing, a part of the document may not be printed. These problems are not limited to a case of printing a document and are common to a case of printing an arbitrary image.

Image processing apparatus for printing object of original image within printable area on print medium, and non-transitory computer readable medium


Porous metal components for high temperature fuel cells which are made by integrating the heretofore employed, separate tape casting and pack cementation processes. Particles of a base metal and a master alloy are suspended in a liquid medium in which a binding agent and a halide activator are dispersed. The suspension is cast into the shape wanted in the component, typically by tape casting; and the cast structure is heated to remove the liquid medium, leaving a flexible, green cast structure commonly referred to as a tape. The green tape is so heated as to: (a) burn out the binder in the tape; (b) form an alloy of the base metal and an alloying metal in the master alloy; and (c) sinter the alloy particles into a porous, coherent metal structure.

Fuel cells were invented in 1839 by Sir William Grove. A fuel cell is an electrochemical device which directly combines a fuel and an oxidant such as hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity and water. It has an anode and a cathode spanned by an electrolyte. Hydrogen is oxidized to hydrated protons on the anode with an accompanying release of electrons to form water, consuming electrons in the process. Electrons flow from the anode to the cathode through an external load, and the circuit is completed by ionic current transport through the electrolyte.
Fuel cells do not pollute the environment. They operate quietly, and high temperature fuel cells have a potential efficiency of ca. 80 percent. Virtually any natural or synthetic fuel from which hydrogen can be extracted--by steam reforming, for example--can be employed.
It is well-known that oxidation-reduction reactions are accompanied by the transfer of electrons from the reductant to the oxidant. In fuel cells, the oxidation reaction and reduction reactions take place at spatially separated electrodes. Each of these reactions is called a half-cell reaction. The anode is the site of the oxidation half-cell reaction. A reactant, referred to as the fuel, that is oxidizable with respect to some oxidant, is supplied to the anode and is there electrochemically oxidized. Oxidation of the fuel releases electrons to the anode.
The cathode is separated from the anode by a tile which is a mixture of electrolyte and an inert material which remains solid at the fuel cell operating temperature. The other half-cell reaction simultaneously takes place at the cathode. The oxidant, which is reducible with respect to the fuel, is supplied to the cathode and is there electrochemically reduced. This reaction takes up electrons from the cathode.
These two half-cell reactions result in the cathode having a deficiency of electrons and the anode an excess of electrons. Therefore, a current will flow in an external circuit connected between the anode and the cathode as long as fuel and oxidant are available at the anode and cathode and waste (or reaction) products are removed from the reaction sites.
Modern, state-of-the-art fuel cells typically employ molten carbonate electrolytes and operate at temperatures in the range of 500.degree.-750.degree. C. Such cells have an operating efficiency in the 40 to 80 percent range.
Molten carbonate (MCFC) fuel cells require porous electrodes which have a uniform microstructure and will remain stable over long periods of time (typically required to be at least 40,00-50,000 hours) at the high temperatures and in the corrosive environments in which they operate.
Also, MCFC and other fuel cells commonly have a porous, electrode compatible, metallic bubble barrier on the face of the fuel cell anode or cathode or both of these electrodes. If the electrolyte filled tile does not pose an adequate barrier to the fuel and oxidant or the tile cracks, the fuel and oxidant may mix. At a minimum, this may result in a voltage drop and/or a loss of fuel. In more severe cases, there may be service life shortening oxidation of the anode and/or the creation of a potential safety hazard. In fuel cells equipped with bubble barriers, the pores of those components fill up with the electrolyte and prevent mixing of the fuel and oxidant in circumstances less catastrophic than those which result in a blowout of the electrolyte. Bubble barriers are required to remain stable and serviceable for the same periods of time under the same operating conditions as the electrodes with which they are associated in a MCFC or other high temperature fuel cell.
The porous metal MCFC components discussed above--cathodes, anodes, and bubble barriers--are currently fabricated from very fine base metal powders such as the 2-3 micron carbonyl nickels. Alloying metals such as Cu, Al, Ti, etc. are commonly added to the base metal to improve critical properties of the component being fabricated. For example: a nickel anode alloyed with one of these metals can be internally oxidized to form a dispersion of the alloy metal oxide in the nickel matrix. This produces a creep resistant anode.
Fine alloy powders are generally costly to produce, and they are often not readily available in the marketplace.
Furthermore, alloyed metal components for high temperature fuel cells such as the state-of-the-art Ni-Cr anodes are made by either tape casting or by loose sintering a physical mixture of metal powders and heat treating the resulting shape at elevated temperatures to diffuse the alloying metal throughout the base metal. To obtain a uniform dispersion of the second phase requires prolonged time at temperature. This may result in an unacceptable decrease in the porosity of the metal component.
The use of pack cementation to fabricate components for high temperature fuel cells has also been proposed. In this process, a porous component fabricated from the selected base metal is imbedded in a cementation pack consisting of an activator salt, a master alloy containing the alloying metal to be added, and an inert filler. The electrode is prevented from sintering to, or being contaminated by, the pack via a costly, inert ZrO.sub.2 or Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 loaded, porous paper. The electrode and pack are placed in a container having a reducing environment and raised to elevated temperatures at which the master alloy, such as Ni-3Al, reacts with the activator salt, such as NaCl, forming metal halide vapors such as aluminum chlorides. The metal halide vapors deposit on the base metal surface, and inward diffusion of the alloying metal results in alloy formation with the base. This is an expensive, batch-type process which adds considerably to the cost of making the electrode or other fuel cell component. And, as yet, a simple method of ensuring the even distribution of the pack materials required for needed homogeneity in the component being fabricated has not been discovered.

Methods of manufacturing porous metal alloy fuel cell components


A portable device comprising a light detector, a correction calculator and a correction output element. In some aspects, (1) correction (and/or adjustment) is of color point, lumen output, or both, (2) the portable device is a smart phone or a computing device, and/or (3) a wireless correction signal is transmitted and received. Lighting system, comprising a light source, and a portable device that comprises a light detector, a correction calculator, and a correction output element. Lighting device comprising a light source and a receiver. A method comprising detecting light with a light detector of a portable device, generating a correction signal, and outputting the correction signal with a correction output element of the portable device. Method comprising placing a portable device in a calibration location, illuminating a lighting device, and detecting light emitted from the lighting device with a light detector of the portable device that has a correction calculator.

There is an ongoing effort to develop systems that are more energy-efficient. A large proportion (some estimates are as high as twenty-five percent) of the electricity generated in the United States each year goes to lighting, a large portion of which is general illumination (e.g., downlights, flood lights, spotlights and other general residential or commercial illumination products). Accordingly, there is an ongoing need to provide lighting that is more energy-efficient.
Solid state light emitters (e.g., light emitting diodes) are receiving much attention due to their energy efficiency. It is well known that incandescent light bulbs are very energy-inefficient light sources—about ninety percent of the electricity they consume is released as heat rather than light. Fluorescent light bulbs are more efficient than incandescent light bulbs (by a factor of about 10) but are still less efficient than solid state light emitters, such as light emitting diodes.
In addition, as compared to the normal lifetimes of solid state light emitters, e.g., light emitting diodes, incandescent light bulbs have relatively short lifetimes, i.e., typically about 750-1000 hours. In comparison, light emitting diodes, for example, have typical lifetimes between 50,000 and 70,000 hours. Fluorescent bulbs have longer lifetimes than incandescent lights (e.g., fluorescent bulbs typically have lifetimes of 10,000-20,000 hours), but provide less favorable color reproduction. The typical lifetime of conventional fixtures is about 20 years, corresponding to a light-producing device usage of at least about 44,000 hours (based on usage of 6 hours per day for 20 years). Where the light-producing device lifetime of the light emitter is less than the lifetime of the fixture, the need for periodic change-outs is presented. The impact of the need to replace light emitters is particularly pronounced where access is difficult (e.g., vaulted ceilings, bridges, high buildings, highway tunnels) and/or where change-out costs are extremely high.
General illumination devices are typically rated in terms of their color reproduction. Color reproduction is typically measured using the Color Rendering Index (CRI Ra). CRI Ra is a modified average of the relative measurements of how the color rendition of an illumination system compares to that of a reference radiator when illuminating eight reference colors, i.e., it is a relative measure of the shift in surface color of an object when lit by a particular lamp. The CRI Ra equals 100 if the color coordinates of a set of test colors being illuminated by the illumination system are the same as the coordinates of the same test colors being irradiated by the reference radiator.
Daylight has a high CRI (Ra of approximately 100), with incandescent bulbs also being relatively close (Ra greater than 95), and fluorescent lighting being less accurate (typical Ra of 70-80). Certain types of specialized lighting have very low CRI (e.g., mercury vapor or sodium lamps have Ra as low as about 40 or even lower). Sodium lights are used, e.g., to light highways—driver response time, however, significantly decreases with lower CRI Ra values (for any given brightness, legibility decreases with lower CRI Ra).
The color of visible light output by a light emitter, and/or the color of blended visible light output by a plurality of light emitters can be represented on either the 1931 CIE (Commission International de I'Eclairage) Chromaticity Diagram or the 1976 CIE Chromaticity Diagram. Persons of skill in the art are familiar with these diagrams, and these diagrams are readily available (e.g., by searching "CIE Chromaticity Diagram" on the internet).
The CIE Chromaticity Diagrams map out the human color perception in terms of two CIE parameters x and y (in the case of the 1931 diagram) or u′ and v′ (in the case of the 1976 diagram). Each point (i.e., each "color point") on the respective Diagrams corresponds to a particular hue. For a technical description of CIE chromaticity diagrams, see, for example, "Encyclopedia of Physical Science and Technology", vol. 7, 230-231 (Robert A Meyers ed., 1987). The spectral colors are distributed around the boundary of the outlined space, which includes all of the hues perceived by the human eye. The boundary represents maximum saturation for the spectral colors.
The 1931 CIE Chromaticity Diagram can be used to define colors as weighted sums of different hues. The 1976 CIE Chromaticity Diagram is similar to the 1931 Diagram, except that similar distances on the 1976 Diagram represent similar perceived differences in color.
The expression "hue", as used herein, means light that has a color shade and saturation that correspond to a specific point on a CIE Chromaticity Diagram, i.e., a point that can be characterized with x,y coordinates on the 1931 CIE Chromaticity Diagram or with u′, v′ coordinates on the 1976 CIE Chromaticity Diagram.
In the 1931 Diagram, deviation from a point on the Diagram (i.e., "color point") can be expressed either in terms of the x, y coordinates or, alternatively, in order to give an indication as to the extent of the perceived difference in color, in terms of MacAdam ellipses. For example, a locus of points defined as being ten MacAdam ellipses from a specified hue defined by a particular set of coordinates on the 1931 Diagram consists of hues that would each be perceived as differing from the specified hue to a common extent (and likewise for loci of points defined as being spaced from a particular hue by other quantities of MacAdam ellipses).
A typical human eye is able to differentiate between hues that are spaced from each other by more than seven MacAdam ellipses (but is not able to differentiate between hues that are spaced from each other by seven or fewer MacAdam ellipses).
Since similar distances on the 1976 Diagram represent similar perceived differences in color, deviation from a point on the 1976 Diagram can be expressed in terms of the coordinates, u′ and v′, e.g., distance from the point=(Δu′2+Δv′2)1/2. This formula gives a value, in the scale of the u′ v′ coordinates, corresponding to the distance between points. The hues defined by a locus of points that are each a common distance from a specified color point consist of hues that would each be perceived as differing from the specified hue to a common extent.
A series of points that is commonly represented on the CIE Diagrams is referred to as the blackbody locus. The chromaticity coordinates (i.e., color points) that lie along the blackbody locus obey Planck's equation: E(λ)=A λ−5/(e(B/T)−1), where E is the emission intensity, λ is the emission wavelength, T is the color temperature of the blackbody and A and B are constants. The 1976 CIE Diagram includes temperature listings along the blackbody locus. These temperature listings show the color path of a blackbody radiator that is caused to increase to such temperatures. As a heated object becomes incandescent, it first glows reddish, then yellowish, then white, and finally blueish. This occurs because the wavelength associated with the peak radiation of the blackbody radiator becomes progressively shorter with increased temperature, consistent with the Wien Displacement Law. Illuminants that produce light that is on or near the blackbody locus can thus be described in terms of their color temperature.
The emission spectrum of any particular light emitting diode is typically concentrated around a single wavelength (as dictated by the light emitting diode's composition and structure), which is desirable for some applications, but not desirable for others, (e.g., for providing general illumination, such an emission spectrum by itself would provide a very low CRI Ra).
In many situations (e.g., lighting devices used for general illuminations), the color of light output that is desired differs from the color of light that is output from a single solid state light emitter, and so in many of such situations, combinations of two or more types of solid state light emitters that emit light of different hues are employed.
The most common type of general illumination is white light (or near white light), i.e., light that is close to the blackbody locus, e.g., within about 10 MacAdam step ellipses of the blackbody locus on a 1931 CIE Chromaticity Diagram. Light with such proximity to the blackbody locus is referred to as "white" light in terms of its illumination, even though some light that is within 10 MacAdam step ellipses of the blackbody locus is tinted to some degree, e.g., light from incandescent bulbs is called "white" even though it sometimes has a golden or reddish tint; also, light having a correlated color temperature of 1500 K or less is reddish.
Light that is perceived as white can be made by blending two or more colors (or wavelengths). "White" solid state light emitting lamps have been produced by providing devices that mix different colors of light, e.g., by using light emitting diodes that emit light of differing respective colors and/or by converting some or all of the light emitted from the light emitting diodes using luminescent material. For example, as is well known, some lamps (referred to as "RGB lamps") use red, green and blue light emitting diodes, and other lamps use (1) one or more light emitting diodes that generate blue light and (2) luminescent material (e.g., one or more phosphor materials) that emits yellow light in response to excitation by light emitted by the light emitting diode, whereby the blue light and the yellow light, when mixed, produce light that is perceived as white light. While there is a need for more efficient white lighting, there is in general a need for more efficient lighting in all hues.

Color point and/or lumen output correction device, lighting system with color point and/or lumen output correction, lighting device, and methods of lighting


A composition for protection from scale and as a lubricant for the hot processing of metals is disclosed. The composition includes a mixture of fine-powder materials containing at least the following constituents:                (a) 0 to 15% by weight of secondary or tertiary calcium phosphate compound, hydroxyapatite or a mixture thereof,        (b) 0.1 to 35% by weight of fatty acid, fatty acid salt or a mixture thereof,        (c) 1 to 90% by weight of ground borosilicate glass which in relation to the borosilicate glass contains Na, B, Si and Al in the following proportions by weight expressed by their respective oxides:        1 to 30% by weight of Na2O,        2 to 70% by weight of B2O3,        10 to 70% by weight of SiO2, and        0 to 10% by weight of Al2O3,        (d) 9 to 85% by weight of condensed alkali metal phosphates,        (e) boric acid, boric acid salt or a mixture thereof in an amount corresponding to a boron content, expressed by the oxide, of 0 to 3.2% by weight of B2O3, and        (f) 0 to 10% by weight of graphite. The mixture has a mean particle size D50 of <300 μm.

In the hot working of metals, in particular steel, in a temperature range of 500-1300° C., such as for example in rolling or drop forging, scale formation occurs at the heated metal surface at the ambient air, and that scale formation can be pronounced to different degrees depending on the respective transfer times to the next process step. In hot rolling processes for steel for the production of seamless tubes a solid material is pierced and a hollow block is formed, which is then elongated in subsequent rolling steps. Here the danger of scale formation on the heated metal surface of the hollow block during the transfer to the elongation process is particularly high. In the subsequent rolling steps that scale formation can result in internal flaws in the seamless tube. For that reason the scale which occurs is blown out for example with compressed air or inert gas. In addition widely differing substances in powder form are applied to the inside surface of the hollow blocks as a lubricant or etching agent or scale dissolution agent. Examples of such agents contain graphite, boronitride, molybdenum sulphide, silicates, sodium salts, alkali metal sulphates, saponified fatty acids or alkaline earth metal phosphates and mixtures thereof. Alkali metal borates with different water of crystallisation or boric acid are frequently used.
In a further area of application, the forging process, in particular for large and heavy parts such as for example railway wheels, a cylindrical metal block which is preheated to >1200° C. is upset in a pre-shaping press prior to the main shaping steps of contour forging, wheel rolling and finishing forging, that is to say it is roughly pre-shaped into a disc form. Because of the relatively long residence times of the heated parts, due to the process conditions involved, secondary scale phenomena occur at the surface, and they have an adverse influence on the shaping operation as well as the quality of the surfaces of the parts. If such a metal part is coated prior to the heating operation or the first shaping step with lubricants, etching agents and scale dissolution agents of the above-mentioned kind those adverse influences are markedly reduced.
To guarantee the rapid formation of a melt for lubrication and for protection from scale the above-mentioned agents are applied to the glowing surfaces by mist spraying in the form of power or granular material. The consequence of this is that the boron compounds contained in the known agents, because of the water solubility and the difficulties involved in stopping them from spreading spatially, pass into the waste water and represent a potential danger for water sources. In addition when using boron salts and boric acid in the described application in the form of powder or granular material there is a risk of aspiration. Studies in that respect point to an impairment in fertility and danger to the child in the womb and have resulted in the boron compounds and the mixtures made up therewith being classified as reproductionally toxic. Those properties therefore represent a significant danger to people and the environment and are therefore relevant in terms of production of the power mixtures, storage, transport, handling, disposal and the actual use and purpose of those materials in metal working. A lubricant for hot working of metals, which has a high proportion of water-soluble boron compounds, is described for example in WO 2008/000700.
Many lubricants for the hot working of metals contain graphite because of its good forging properties and temperature stability. It will be noted however that graphite suffers from serious disadvantages like for example the absorption of graphite carbon into the worked metal surface, whereby the composition and properties of the metal surface can be altered. In addition graphite is undesirable for reasons relating to working hygiene as graphite powder is easily atomised into the ambient atmosphere and represents a risk of slipping for people working in the proximity. In addition the graphite dust can put at risk the operability of electrical equipment in operation thereof. It would therefore be desirable to provide a lubricant without graphite or with a proportion of graphite which is as low as possible, with at the same time a good lubrication action.
In addition many known lubricants, because of their physical properties and grain sizes, do not have a good free-flowing or flow behaviour. A coarse material with large grain sizes frequently results in inadequate and irregular coating of the metal surface and thus poor reduction in scale. A finer grain size would therefore have the advantage that better layer formation can be achieved. Known fine-grain materials with small grain sizes, for example below 50 μm, frequently tend however to lump formation, in particular upon storage, for which reason it is only with difficulty that they can be sprayed in powder form on to the metal surface, which again nullifies the advantage of a fine grain size of known compositions.

Composition for protection from scale and as lubricant for hot processing metals


A monitoring system apparatus used for monitoring a plurality of diagnostic statistics for a plurality of monitoring receivers. All of the monitoring receivers can be linked together. Each monitoring receiver can be programmed to transmit at least one diagnostic statistic to a selected master receiver at a fixed or variable schedule. The master receiver will generate a report according to the pre-programmed parameters. The report can be printed on a printer or sent to at least one computer that is connected to the master receiver.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates generally to a monitoring system including a central monitoring station having a plurality of receivers that receive information from a number of different security systems at different locations wherein the receivers are connected to an automation system and at least one printer. More particularly, the invention relates to a monitoring system receiver being operably coupled to a plurality of receivers using a serial port connection such that all of the receivers that are operably coupled can generate and transmit diagnostic statistics to one master receiver for transmission to an automation system and printer.
2. Background
Security systems, such as for homes and businesses, have become commonplace as people seek to protect themselves and their property. The security system typically includes a central monitoring station that is in communication with a plurality of local security systems that are located at a home or business.
The central monitoring station is staffed with operators to monitor incoming communications and to determine when one or more of the monitored local security systems communicate an alarm. Upon receipt of an alarm, alert or an alarming event, an operator contacts emergency services such as fire or police personnel in the appropriate municipality by telephone to report the alarm.
In response to a received message, the central monitoring station processes the message and performs the necessary response. The messages from the respective security systems may include identifiers that identify the security systems.
The central monitoring station includes receivers and transmitters for communicating with different security systems via one or more networks. The receivers receive messages via a communication link from the local individual security system. Each receiver is connected to an automation system. The automation system is typically an automation computer that is programmed with control and processing instructions. The receivers are connected to the automation computer by an automation computer port. Additionally, each receiver is connected to a printer such that the data the receiver receives can be printed for the operator. Each receiver is connected to its printer via a printer port and a printer cable.
Each receiver generates diagnostic statistics regarding its operation. For example, a receiver will generate line card usage statistics such as number of calls, number of bad calls, type of alert, etc.
Currently, each receiver transmits the diagnostic statistics to its own printer and automation system using its own serial port. Therefore, there is a need for a printer to be attached to each receiver.
However, there is a need for a central monitoring station to have a means to reduce the hardwire and peripheral devices needed at the central monitoring station. Additionally, the central monitoring station operator needs a means to schedule the transmission and collection of at least one diagnostic statistic to a master receiver and/or printer.

Method and system of automatically generating global diagnostic statistics for a plurality of monitoring receivers at a master receiver


A controller includes: a communication section configured to be selectively communicable with an electronic apparatus through a first communication system or a second communication system, and configured to acquire system priority information from the electronic apparatus by communicating with the electronic apparatus through the first communication system, the electronic apparatus being capable of executing one or a plurality of functions; and a control section configured to select one of the first communication system and the second communication system, based on the system priority information, and configured to instruct the communication section to communicate with the electronic apparatus through the selected communication system.

The present disclosure relates to a controller, an electronic apparatus controlled by the controller, a control system provided with the controller and the electronic apparatus, and a control method used in the control system.
In recent years, a communication function is mounted on various electronic apparatuses. Such electronic apparatuses are allowed to operate in conjunction with one another by communicating with one another, which makes it possible to enhance usability of a user. Examples of systems of such communication may include wireless local area network (LAN), Bluetooth (registered trademark), TransferJet (registered trademark), near field communication (NFC), universal serial bus (USB), and wired LAN.
Incidentally, there is a communication system that performs communication with use of a plurality of communication paths. For example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Nos. 2006-54841 and 2012-15725 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (Translation of PCT Application) Nos. 2010-531565 and 2013-528018, wired or wireless communication apparatuses that change over a communication path based on contents to be transmitted or received, used application, etc. have been disclosed.

Controller, electronic apparatus, control system, and control method for communicating via first or second communication system based on system priority information


Methods, apparatus and systems related to packaging a multimedia content for distribution are described. In one example aspect, a method includes receiving media files comprising video or audio data captured at a production stage and determining a hierarchical structure of the multimedia content based on production stage information of the multimedia content. The hierarchical structure indicates that the multimedia content comprises multiple scenes, each of which comprises multiple shots produced with corresponding devices and cast. The method also includes identifying characteristics associated with the individual scenes based on the production stage information, generating multiple copies of the multimedia content at different compression levels, and dividing each of the multiple copies of the multimedia content into segments based on the hierarchical structure. The compression levels and a length of a segment are adaptively adjusted based on the characteristics associated with the individual scenes.

Multimedia streaming offers a linear viewing experience of the content that provides limited viewing options by viewers. Viewers are offered a single storyline in a particular movie or TV show even when multiple storylines have been explored during the production time. The linear viewing experience becomes a barrier to many contents to be offered interactively to consumers in the era of the increasingly digitization of various processes and progresses in cloud technologies in the movie and TV production and distribution.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Content structure aware multimedia streaming service for movies, TV shows and multimedia contents


An optical fiber connector includes a sleeve having a first end surface, an abutment having a second end surface, the abutment being located within the sleeve and axially movable within the sleeve, and at least three balls located between the first end surface and the second end surface within the sleeve for clamping an optical fiber, the balls having centers disposed in a plane and being axially and radially displaceable in the sleeve and biased radially inwardly toward a central axis of the sleeve. At least one of the first end surface and the second end surface includes a conical surface.

Optical fibers, which are used for transmitting high power laser light, include a light-guiding core and at least one cladding that has a lower optical refractive index than the light-guiding core, due to a dopant in the cladding, such that, up to certain angles, total reflection is produced at the interface between the core and the cladding. A protective jacket surrounds the cladding. In optical fiber production, either the core diameter may be produced to have smaller tolerances and the cladding diameter larger tolerances or vice versa. The beam quality of the light guided in the optical fiber is generally better when smaller tolerances of the diameter of the light-guiding core are used.
German patent application serial number DE 2853649 C2 discloses two connectors for coupling two optical fibers. Each connector has a sleeve that is disposed to be axially resilient, with three balls that are disposed in one plane and between which the optical fiber is clamped. The balls simultaneously center the optical fiber and define the jacket diameter of the optical fiber relative to the three balls. When two connectors are connected, the balls of each connector are aligned with each other, and the jacket diameters of both optical fibers are concentrically aligned to each other. However, the production of optical fibers entails eccentricities between core and jacket, such that the light-guiding cores may be disposed in a corresponding eccentric relation to each other, with the consequence that a large portion of the light energy is not coupled from one fiber into the other fiber but is absorbed in the connector and converted into waste heat.
For solid state lasers, such as, for example, a Nd:YAG laser, the beam quality tends to increase at higher output powers. When the high power solid state laser beam is transported in an optical fiber, to obtain this beam quality also on a work piece to be processed, the cross-section of the light-guiding core of the optical fiber must be reduced. To ensure "plug and play" capability of the optical cable on the laser or on the processing unit with minimum loss, the light-guiding core of the laser optical fiber must be positioned in a very precise manner in a radial direction within the connector.


A gate driving circuit is capable of improving yield by virtue of acquisition of a design margin and reduction of a fabricating cost. The gate driving circuit includes a shift register having N stages driven by a start signal and first to fourth clock signals output from the exterior, and an externally input reset signal is applied to reset terminals of the N−1th stage and the Nth stage of the shift register, respectively.

1. Field of the Invention
This specification relates to a gate driving circuit, and particularly, to a gate driving circuit capable of improving yield by ensuring a design margin and reducing a fabricating cost, and a liquid crystal display device having the same.
2. Background of the Invention
In general, a liquid crystal display (LCD) device displays an image by adjusting light transmittance of liquid crystal (LC) having dielectric anisotrophy using an electric field.
The LCD device includes a liquid crystal (LC) panel for displaying image data input from the exterior, and a driving circuit for driving the LC panel.
Recently, an LCD device, which employs a Gate In Panel (GIP) type, in which the driving circuit is mounted in the LC panel to reduce a fabricating cost and minimize power consumption.
FIG. 1 shows a GIP type LCD device according to the related art.
As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of gate lines GL and data lines DL are arranged on an LC panel 10 with perpendicularly intersecting with each other, and a pixel is disposed at each intersection between the gate line GL and the data line DL. Each pixel includes a thin film transistor (TFT) and a pixel electrode connected to the TFT. Here, the TFT operates in response to a signal input from the gate line GL and allows an electrical connection between the data line DL and the pixel electrode.
A gate driving circuit 20 receives a control signal CONT1 from a timing controller 40 to generate a gate signal, and sequentially supplies the generated gate signal to the gate line GL to turn on the corresponding TFT connected to the gate line GL.
A data driving circuit 30 receives a control signal CONT2 and an image signal DAT from the timing controller 40 to apply a data voltage corresponding to the image signal DAT to the data line DL. Such data voltage supplied for each pixel forms an electric field between the pixel electrode and a common electrode to adjust transmittance of an LC layer, accordingly, an image is displayed.
The timing controller 40 controls the gate driving circuit 20 and the data driving circuit 30, and applies the control signal CONT1 to the gate driving circuit 20 and the control signal CONT2 and the image signal DAT to the data driving circuit 30.
Here, the gate driving circuit 20 may be formed on the LC panel 10 at the same time of a TFT process, and the data driving circuit 30 may be formed on the LC panel 10 or may not be formed thereon.
FIG. 2 shows the gate driving circuit of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a timing diagram showing a start signal and a clock signal used in the gate driving circuit.
As shown in FIG. 2, the gate driving circuit 20 includes a shift register 21 having N stages, which are driven by a start signal Vst and four clock signals CLK1 to CLK4 applied (output) from the timing controller 40, and a dummy shift register 23 having first and second dummy stages.
Among the N stages, the first stage receives the start signal Vst and the first clock signal CLK1 to output a gate signal Voutl on the first gate line. Accordingly, the Nth stage receives a gate signal Vout(N−2) of N−2th shift register as a start signal and the fourth clock signal CLK4 to output an Nth gate signal VoutN.
Here, each of the N stages first outputs a gate signal, namely, a high level gate signal, and then outputs a low level gate signal by a reset signal RESET. For example, the first stage first outputs the high level gate signal Vout1, and then outputs a low level gate signal by receiving a gate signal Vout3 of the third stage as the reset signal RESET.
In the meantime, each of the N−1th stage and the Nth stage should first output a high level gate signal and then output a low level gate signal by receiving a reset signal. However, the timing controller 40 of FIG. 1 does not separately provide a reset signal for resetting the N−1th stage and the Nth stage. Hence, the dummy shift register 23 is further formed on the LC panel 10 so as to provide a reset signal to each of the N−1th stage and the Nth stage.
FIG. 4 shows a bidirectional gate driving circuit for the GIP type LCD device.
As shown in FIG. 4, the bidirectional gate driving circuit 50 includes a shift register 51 having N stages, which are driven by a start signal Vst and four clock signals CLK1 to CLK4 output from the timing controller 40, and first and second dummy gate driving units 53 and 55 having first and second dummy stages, respectively.
The shift register 51 having the N stages are the same as the shift register 21 of FIG. 2 in configuration and operation. The first and second dummy gate driving units 53 and 55 include first and second dummy stages, respectively, although not shown.
Upon operating as a forward gate driving circuit, the first dummy gate driving unit 53 is driven by a start signal Vst and first and second clock signals CLK1 and CLK2 received from the timing controller 40, and the shift register 51 having the N stages is driven by the start signal Vst, the first and second clock signals CLK1 and CLK2 and a reset signal RESET output from the first dummy gate driving unit 53.
As such, for the forward operation of the gate driving circuit 50, each of the N−1th stage and the Nth stage of the shift register 51 should first output a high level gate signal and then output a low level gate signal by receiving the reset signal RESET, as shown in FIG. 2. However, the timing controller 40 of FIG. 1 does not separately provide reset signals for resetting the N−1th stage and the Nth stage, the first dummy gate driving unit 53 is further formed on the LC panel 10 to provide the reset signals to the N−1th stage and the Nth stage.
Also, upon operating as a backward gate driving circuit, the second dummy gate driving unit 55 is driven by the start signal Vst and the first and second clock signals CLK1 and CLK2 output from the timing controller 40, and the shift register 51 having the N stages is driven by the start signal Vst, the first and second clock signals CLK1 and CLK2 and the reset signal RESET output from the second dummy gate driving unit 55. Here, since the gate driving circuit operates in 25 the backward manner, the first stage operates as the Nth stage, the second stage as the N−1th stage, and the Nth stage as the first stage.
Each of the N−1th stage and the Nth stage of the shift register 51 should first output a high level gate signal and then output a low level gate signal by receiving a reset signal RESET. However, the timing controller 40 of FIG. 1 does not separately provide a reset signal for resetting the N−1th stage and the Nth stage. Hence, the second dummy gate driving unit 55 is further formed on the LC panel 10 so as to provide a reset signal to each of the N−1th stage and the Nth stage.
As such, upon employing the GIP type gate driving circuit of FIG. 2 and the GIP type bidirectional gate driving circuit of FIG. 4, the dummy shift register 23 and the first and second dummy gate driving units 53 and 55 should be respectively formed on the LC panel 10, which causes reduction of a design area and difficulty in ensuring a process margin, resulting in an increase in a fabricating cost of the LC panel 10.
Referring to part 'A' of FIG. 3, the first and second clock signals CLK1 and CLK2 additionally have signal waveforms for operating the dummy shift register 23 and the first and second dummy gate driving units 53 and 55, thereby causing an increase in a memory capacity within the timing controller 40.
Furthermore, in the structure of the GIP type bidirectional gate driving circuit shown in FIG. 4, since the start signal Vst output from the timing controller 40 is input to the shift register 51 not directly but via the first and second dummy gate driving units 53 and 55, an output characteristic of a signal may be lowered. Consequently, when the performance of the first and second dummy gate driving units 53 and 55 is degraded due to a long-term driving of the bidirectional gate driving circuit, the output of the gate signals output from the shift resistor 51 is lowered.

Gate driving circuit and liquid crystal display device


Fabrics that are exhibit water repellency, abrasion resistance, and optionally flame resistance are described herein. The fabrics include a plurality of fibers (such as flame resistant fibers) and a finish that imparts water repellency and abrasion resistance to the fibers. The fabrics are free or substantially free from alkylfluoropolymers. Also described herein are garments including the fabrics.

Firefighters, emergency responders, search and rescue personnel, and those engaged in military service can be exposed to extreme heat and/or flames while working. Protective garments are designed and constructed as a way of combatting injury. These protective garments, commonly referred to as turnout gear (including coveralls, trousers, and jackets), can be constructed of special flame resistant materials designed to protect workers from both heat and flames. These garments typically include several layers of material such as an outer shell that protects the wearer from flames, a moisture barrier that prevents the ingress of water into the garment, and a thermal barrier that insulates the wearer from extreme heat.
Some individuals including, but not limited to, emergency personnel such as firefighters and other first responders, are not only exposed to extreme heat or flames, but are also exposed to water. In those instances it would be desirable for a flame resistant fabric to also have water repellant properties. Thus, turnout gear and other protective garments may include woven fabrics formed of one or more types of flame resistant fibers, and the fabrics may also have water repellant properties. These protective fabrics are expensive, so durability of the fabrics is important. Abrasion refers to the wearing away of any part of a material by rubbing against another surface. While flame resistant fibers will retain their flame resistance even if the fabric becomes abraded, a protective fabric that becomes abraded is more subject to ripping or tearing. An abraded garment may not provide the protection needed by a firefighter, emergency responder, or other individual. Therefore, if a protective garment becomes abraded, that garment must be replaced. Garments having increased abrasion resistance would need to be replaced less frequently than conventional protective garments. A fabric's resistance to abrasion can be measured by various test methodologies and equipment such as the test procedures described by ASTM standards D3886 and D3884.
It is known in the art to treat fabrics with finishes that impart a particularly useful property to the fabric. For example, many prior art finishes are water repellant finishes that include an alkylfluoropolymer. However, due to the current perception that alkylfluoropolymers and other fluoro-based chemistries may be unsafe, alternative options for finishes that impart desired properties to fabrics are needed. There remains a need for fabrics and protective garments that are water repellent, resistant to surface abrasion, and flame resistant, and that are fluorine-free due to industry demands.

Flame resistant finished fabrics exhibiting water repellency and methods for making the same


A self-contained battery-powered portable fragrance sprayer activated by a text message received by wireless signal that initiates the fragrance dispersal.

This invention utilizes the cellphone texting function and the wireless relay function of many cellphones to control local area networked wireless devices. The invention relates to the distant automatic function of releasing a fragrance from a container where the release is controlled by a wirelessly linked local network to a cellphone that is capable of receiving a specific text message designed for the control of the fragrance sprayer.
It is an object of the present invention to control the dispersal of fragrance from a container by using a control text message to initiate the spraying function. It is a further object of the invention to initiate the spraying function using a wireless control signal that is carried over the local area network of rf wireless paired devices.
Other objects will appear hereinafter.

Text message activated fragrance sprayer


A photometering device in a single lens reflex camera having a photometering device mounting portion on a magnifier of a finder optical system, and a photometering element which is mounted to the photometering device mounting portion, including a substrate to which the photometering element is secured, a pair of horizontally elongated holes for the vertical adjustment and at least one adjusting hole for the horizontal adjustment, formed in the substrate, adjusting pins which are rotatably supported on the photometering device mounting portion and which have eccentric disc portions which can be fitted in the associated elongated holes of the substrate, and a reference hole corresponding to said adjusting hole and formed in the photometering device mounting portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device having a photometering element (light receiving element), and more precisely, relates to a photometering device in a single lens reflex camera.
2. Description of Related Art
In a known photometering device in a single lens reflex camera in which light measurement is effected on a focusing plate of a finder optical system, the photometering element is usually located on the upper portion of a magnifier. The photometering element must be adjusted during assembly in the vertical and horizontal directions thereof to meet a predetermined metering position. There are many types of position adjustment mechanisms for adjusting a photometering element, for example, the mechanism which uses two holes and two screws, wherein the two screws are loosely fitted in the corresponding holes and fastened after the adjustment is completed, or the use of an eccentric pin in combination with an adhesive, or an adhesive only, etc.
However, in the first mentioned type, there is a possibility that the photometering element may be accidentally displaced before the photometering element is fixed, even after the adjustment is completed. In the second type mechanism using an eccentric pin, it is difficult to precisely adjust the photometering element in both the vertical and horizontal directions since the eccentric pin tends to rotate.
Furthermore, it is also known to provide a protection frame having a waterproof filler (waterproof plastic) which covers the photometering element. The protection frame decreases the freedom of adjustment particularly in the vertical direction. The larger the protection frame, the lesser the freedom. To increase the freedom of adjustment, the height of the camera must be increased.
Furthermore, air tends to enter the waterproof filler upon injection into the protection frame producing air bubbles in the solidified waterproof filler. The air bubbles tend to decrease the sensitivity of the photometering element. The mixture of air into the waterproof filler is basically caused by an inconsistent flow of the waterproof filler when it is injected into the protection frame.

Photometering device in single lens reflex camera


A permanent magnet, a rotor, a motor and a compressor are provided. A work face of the permanent magnet includes a first edge and a second edge, a head endpoint of the first edge is connected to a tail endpoint of the second edge by means of a transition edge, the transition edge is located at a side, adjacent to a center of the work face, of a line connecting the head endpoint with the tail endpoint, and the transition edge includes at least one sub-arc segment, or a combination of at least one sub-arc segment and at least one sub-straight segment.

A rare earth embedded permanent magnet generally has a square work face, i.e. a long edge and a short edge of the work face directly intersect. The coefficient of flux utilization is low and the cost of the permanent magnet is high due to the structure. The cost performance of a permanent magnet motor is low.
In the related art, the work face of the permanent magnet is made into an irregular shape in order to reduce the cost of the permanent magnet and raising the coefficient of flux utilization. However, inappropriate arrangement of the irregular shape results poor mechanical strength character of the permanent magnet and poor manufacturability.

Permanent magnet, rotor, motor, and compressor