A remote control with a built-in miniature television screen and sound system manages settings and display of media on an associated television screen. The remote control's user interface permits media guide perusal and channel selection for display on both of the main and miniature television screens. Media guides can be downloaded per request to, or cached within, the remote control for display on the miniature screen. The remote control supports media swapping between the main and miniature television screens and associated sound systems. The sound system of the remote control includes built in speakers and external wired and wireless headphone support. Media and media guides may be located and downloaded from Internet servers via a web browser and associated search engine tailored for remote control usage. Transcoding functionality is employed at various network nodes, such as a set top box, remote control, an intranet or Internet linked device, and television.

This invention generally relates to controlling selection and delivery of broadcast video signals; and, more particularly, to remote control interaction with televisions, set top boxes and other video sources.
A typical remote control (or "Remote" as used herein) has a series of predefined buttons that, when selected, directly interact with a corresponding TV ("Television") to perform a variety of tasks such as changing channels, adjusting TV settings, and controlling power to the TV. Such direct interaction typically comprises one-way infrared transmissions from the Remote to the TV but may also involve radio frequency transmissions.
A TV responds to transmissions received from a Remote by displaying on the TV's screen a selected channel, status or information, and/or a visual user interface for managing a control function. Upon receiving the visual user interface on the TV screen, the user may press further buttons on the Remote as needed to complete a task. Because of numerous buttons and non-standard button layout, Remotes are often difficult to use and often require users to look back and forth at the Remote and TV to complete a task.
Many types of video systems are used to provide supplemental or alternate video to the television. Many of these video systems directly source locally accessed video and others, alternatively or in addition, provide television broadcast tuners for managing television channel selection and video and audio settings. Exemplary video systems include cable, fiber and satellite Set Top Boxes (STBs), Personal Video Recorders (PVRs), and Digital Video Disk (DVD) players. Each of these video systems delivers video to a TV, and is controlled through direct interaction or via a Remote. To interact with a user, video systems deliver information via a TV's screen and speakers, and receive information directly from a Remote. Again, as previously mentioned, such interaction usually requires a user to look back and forth at the Remote and TV Screen in attempts to locate buttons and understand the Remote's operation.
With presently used Remotes, the user only finds out about channel content and button/interface effects upon selection and interaction via the TV screen. This causes disturbance to the other viewers, particularly when one viewer operates the Remote according to his and not the entire group of viewers' desires.
Also, typical interaction via a Remote, often results in undesirable channels being offered to an entire group of viewers. For example, when an adult scans through available channels by pressing an up or down button on the Remote (hereinafter "channel surfing"), channels with adult content might appear on the TV screen with an audience of young viewers present. Likewise, some viewers may be offended, shocked or otherwise dislike certain other types of content, and are often forced to view such content by the channel surfing process.
In a home TV entertainment environment, viewers typically dislike having the display of entertaining programs interrupted. A channel surfing viewer often becomes intolerable to other viewers that do not have control over the Remote. Likewise, during channel surfing, viewers that do not have control over the Remote cannot adequately participate in the channel surfing. Frustration arises when the surfing viewer goes too fast, too slow, or does not stop on one of the surfed channels. Similarly, the viewer with the Remote often finds their surfing constrained by the verbal commands from other viewers that attempt to control the process. These problems either drives away one or all of the viewers, causes viewer conflict, and/or limits channel surfing abilities.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional systems will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art through comparison of such systems with the present invention described herein.


In a method of locating problem areas in an image signal (I), a motion vector field (Df) is estimated for the image signal (I), and edges are detected in the motion vector field (Df). In a corresponding method of interpolating images between existing images (I), image parts are interpolated (MCI) in dependence upon a presence of edges; preferably, an order statistical filtering (med) is used at edges.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to problem area location in an image signal, and more specifically, to occlusion detection and halo reduction in motion compensated pictures.
2. Description of the Related Art
Every motion compensated scan-rate conversion method is confronted with the problem of occlusions in a sequence. Several approaches have been attempted to cope with it. In many cases, the effort has been devoted at improving the quality of the motion estimation method in order to have very precise motion boundaries (e.g., See Ref. 1). But in the regions where covering or uncovering occurs, and where the motion estimation is performed by analyzing two successive frames, motion estimation is an ill-posed problem (see Ref. 2) and cannot yield good results. To overcome this problem, many authors propose to use three frames (see Refs. 3, 4, and 5) or four frames (see Ref. 6), for both motion estimation and motion compensation. When architectural constraints suggest to use two frames only, an ad hoc interpolation strategy has to be introduced. This strategy can be applied on every pixel of the image or can be preceded by the localization of critical areas, i.e., by a segmentation of the image.
In Ref. 7, a method was disclosed for motion compensated picture signal interpolation this reduces the negative effect of covering and uncovering on the quality of interpolated images. In the described case, that applies an order statistical filter in the up-conversion to replace the common MC-averaging, interpolated pictures result from pixels taken from both adjacent fields.
In Ref. 2 and in Ref. 8, a segmentation for the same purpose was described. This segmentation is based on a motion detector, and can only produce reliable results if covering and uncovering occur of stationary backgrounds.
In Ref. 9, a method was disclosed that allows a reduction of halo defects in architectures that enable access to one field only, or in systems particularly designed to have access to one field only in order, to obtain the increased resolution of an interpolation according to Ref. 10.
In Ref. 11, a method was disclosed that uses two motion estimators, a causal motion estimator (that predicts the future from the past) and an anti-causal motion estimator (that predicts the past from the future). Depending on which one of the two estimators gives the xe2x80x98best matchxe2x80x99, the area is classified as covered or uncovered, and the corresponding luminance value is taken from the previous or the next field.
In Ref. 12, the interpolation strategy is tuned depending on the xe2x80x98difficultiesxe2x80x99 of the image part. It combines several of the well-known algorithms for motion compensation, aiming at exploiting their complementary strengths. The task of selecting the appropriate algorithm is assigned to an Ordered Statistical filter. Where no adequate strategy is available, like in covered/uncovered areas, it aims at softening the resulting artifacts.
Instead, in Ref. 13, it is stated that the general rule for an effective interpolation seems to be: xe2x80x9cif it is not possible to shift a small detail correctly because of faulty motion vectors, better suppress it than smooth itxe2x80x9d. This is achieved, when there is a faulty vector assigned and a correlated picture content, extending the median mask used to filter the candidates from the neighboring frames, and where there is no correlated picture content, using the probability distribution function of a Centered Median Filter, to select the candidates.
It is, inter alia, an object of the invention to provide a straightforward and reliable occlusion detection and halo reduction. To this end, a first aspect of the invention provides a method and device for locating problem areas in an image signal. A second aspect of the invention provides a corresponding method and device for interpolating images between existing images. A third aspect of the invention provides an image display apparatus incorporating such an image interpolation device.
In a method of locating problem areas in an image signal, a motion vector field is estimated for the image signal, and edges are detected in the motion vector field. In a corresponding method of interpolating images between existing images, image parts are interpolated in dependence upon a presence of edges; preferably, an order statistical filtering is used at edges.
The current invention basically adapts the interpolation strategy depending on a segmentation of the image in various areas. Contrary to Refs. 2and 8, the current invention aims to be valid even if both foreground and background are moving.
These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

Problem area location in an image signal


A circuit for attaining reduction in AC noise on power supply line caused by IR drop upon use of a decoupling capacitor represented by a cross-coupled decoupling capacitor with enhanced resistance to electrostatic breakdown, required in the case of a process of a high technology. There is also provided a circuit for suppressing the AC noise on power supply line due to resonance. MOS transistors composing the cross-coupled decoupling capacitor with enhanced resistance to electrostatic breakdown are caused to have lower threshold voltages Vth, thereby reducing a resistance between a source and a drain of each of the MOS transistors, resulting in reduction in IR drop. Further, a damping resistance is effective for suppressing the AC noise on power supply line, and the source-to-drain resistance of each of the MOS transistors is utilized as the damping resistance. At this point in time, a resistance value as desired is attained through combination of decoupling capacitors having threshold voltages Vth differing from each other.

A transient variation (referred to as an AC noise on power supply line) in power supply voltage, attributable to a current flowing at the time of a circuit in operation, (a current flowing at the time of transition in circuit condition, called a switching current in a CMOS circuit) occurs to a semiconductor integrated circuit. If the AC noise on power supply line is large in magnitude, this will cause malfunction of a circuit in the worst case, and there is therefore the need for suppressing the AC noise on power supply line to fall within a normally operable range.
As a margin for the AC noise on power supply line has since decreased due to reduction in voltage of a semiconductor integrated circuit, as seen lately, in particular, so has increased importance attached to suppression of variation in power supply voltage. Further, there is the need for lowering the AC noise on power supply line occurring to the semiconductor integrated circuit in consideration of an increase in importance attached to EMC (Electro-Magnetic-Compatibility).
For example, in JP-A-2001-339288, an RC filter is added to a power supply line, attempting to decrease the noise. With the RC filter, however, there occurs drop in power supply, due to current flowing to the power supply line, and a resistor as a component of the filter.
If a capacitor called a decoupling capacitor is placed between power supplies (VDD and VSS) in order to suppress the AC noise on power supply line, this will provide effective means. JP-A-2004-327820 has disclosed an example of using the decoupling capacitor. In JP-A-2004-327820, there has been proposed a design idea whereby the decoupling capacitor is connected to power supply lines during a circuit operation period, and is electrically separated from the power supply lines during a non-operation period, thereby reducing a leak current in order to cope with an increase in gate leak current accompanying process miniaturization.
FIG. 1 shows an example of a decoupling capacitor. The decoupling capacitor has a configuration wherein an NMOS transistor 1 has a gate connected to VSS, having a source and a drain, connected to VDD, respectively. Further, the decoupling capacitor has a configuration wherein a PMOS transistor 2 has a gate connected to VDD, having a source and a drain, connected to VSS, respectively. Further, "a MOS transistor" referred to in description given hereinafter may be a common field effect transistor including a MIS (Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor) transistor.
Further, progress has since been made in reduction in film thickness of a gate oxide film, accompanying miniaturization in process. In IEEE Proceedings of 7th International Symposium on Quality Electronic Design 2006, a cross-coupled decoupling capacitor as shown in FIG. 2 has been proposed for the purpose of enhancement in resistance to electrostatic breakdown occurring as a result of reduction in the film thickness. With the cross-coupled decoupling capacitor, if a gate is directly connected to VDD, VSS, respectively, there occurs deterioration in electrostatic breakdown resistance, so that with respect to MOS transistors 3, 4, respectively, source-to-drain resistance is inserted between the gate and VDD, VSS, respectively, thereby implementing enhancement in the electrostatic breakdown resistance.
The AC noise on power supply line is influenced by not only the decoupling capacitor but also electrical characteristics of a package, a PCB (Printed-Circuit-Board), and so forth. For example, in IEEE Signal Propagation on Interconnects, 2004, Proceedings, pp. 45-48, it has been proposed to suppress a voltage bounce of a power supply line, due to resonance occurring to a power source, by insertion of a resistor of a suitable resistance (the resistance is called a damping resistance).

Semiconductor integrated circuit device and method for manufacturing the same


A user supported portable sail assembly and method uses the force of the wind to help propel a user on a mobile device such as skis, snowboards, skateboards, in-line or ice skates, for example, in a controlled and safe manner. A sail is attached to the ends of a pair of parallel, flexible poles which the user holds onto, usually one pole in each hand. The user orients the sail to optimize direction and speed. As the sail catches wind currents, the poles flex and form an optimal airfoil. Should the user wish to stop using the sail assembly, the user simply brings the poles together and brakes or glides to a gentle stop. The poles may be constructed of multiple interlocking segments for easy and quick disassembly and compact stowing.

Extreme sports like skating, surfing, snowboarding and skateboarding have grown tremendously in popularity in the past few decades. The world of in-line skating and snowboarding has become mainstream as is evidenced in the growing number of televised events, video games and general world-wide interest on the subject. All sporting goods and toy stores sell a wide variety of skates and boards to be used on a variety of terrains for all seasons. Wide arrays of accessories including ramps, rails and slides have evolved in order to increase the fun and challenges that these sports provide. Of course a proportionate number of safety products like knee, palm and elbow guards and helmets have evolved to-keep up with the increased risk of injury during these highly popular activities.
As part of the evolution of these sports people are constantly finding ways to increase their thrills and experiences by combining technologies together. For example, the sport of windsurfing uses a sail attached to a surfboard. Similarly, new sports using hand-held sails in conjunction with ice-skates, in-line skates and skateboards have been recently introduced. Thus, while many of these mobile devices are powered by the person using them, it is sometimes desirable to have an auxiliary method of propulsion.
There remains a need for a personal sailing device that is affordable, safe, lightweight, and easy to use for the novice yet offering new challenges for those more experienced in the art of using personal mobile devices such as in-line skates, skateboards, ice skates, skis, snowboards, scooters, kayaks, and the like (hereinafter "personal mobile devices").

Personal sail assembly and method for use in conjunction with a mobile device


In a multi-channel analog-to-digital converter (ADC), in which the ADC sequentially converts analog values that are input from different analog sensors, separate sample-and-hold circuits may be used to read all the analog values at the same time, and the ADC may then sequentially convert the values from each sample-and-hold circuit. This approach allows a single ADC to be used in time-critical applications that require all the analog sensor values to be measured at the same time.

Many types of sensors must have their analog outputs converted to digital values so the sensor readings may be processed in a digital computer. When multiple sensors of the same type are being used (for example, audio inputs from multiple microphones in different parts of a room), a single analog-to-digital converter (ADC) may be used for all of them by using a multiplexer to select and sample each sensor at different times. By successively sampling and converting the output of each sensor in turn, every sensor may be sampled at reasonable intervals, while still using only using a single precision (and expensive) ADC. However, when the instantaneous difference between inputs from different sensors is important (e.g., determining the originating point of the sound based on the time it takes the sound to reach each microphone), this sequential sampling technique can produce significant errors in the final result. Providing a separate ADC for each sensor may bring improvement, but at a substantial increase in cost.

ADC for simultaneous multiple analog inputs


An undersea hydraulic coupling has a male member with a stepped outer body that may be inserted into a female member having a bore which has retained therein three seals and a three part seal retaining member. Two of the seals engage different diameters of the male member, prior to opening of the valves in the male and female members.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hydraulic couplings used in undersea drilling and production applications and seals used in those couplings. More particularly, the invention involves an undersea hydraulic coupling with three retained seals, at least one being an elastomeric seal that is restrained from radial movement into the bore of the female member by a dovetail interfit with a seal retainer, and at least one being a radial metal seal retained in the female member bore, wherein two of the seals engage different diameters on the outer circumference of the male member of the coupling.
2. Description of the Related Art
Subsea hydraulic couplings are old in the art. The couplings generally consist of a male member and a female member with soft seals positioned within the female member to seal the junction between the male and female members.
The female member is generally a cylindrical body with a relatively large diameter longitudinal bore at one end and a relatively small diameter longitudinal bore at the other. The small bore facilitates connections to hydraulic lines, while the large bore contains soft seals and receives the male portion of the coupling. The male member includes a cylindrical portion or probe at one end having a diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the large bore in the female portion of the coupling. The male member also includes a connection at its other end to facilitate connection to hydraulic lines. When the cylindrical portion of the male member is inserted into the large bore of the female member, according to the various embodiments of the device, the soft seals, or o-rings, either abut the end or face of the male member or engage the cylindrical probe wall about its outer circumference. The hydraulic fluid is then free to flow through the female and male members of the coupling, and the seals prevent that flow from escaping about the joint and the coupling.
In some instances, a check or poppet valve may be installed in the female member and also in the male member. Each valve opens when the coupling is made up and closes when the coupling is broken so as to prevent fluid from leaking out of the system of which the coupling is a part.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,859 to Robert E. Smith III, assigned to National Coupling Company, Inc. of Stafford, Tex., an undersea hydraulic coupling and metal seal is disclosed. This patent provides a reusable metal seal which engages the circumference of the probe and is positioned within the female member body. The metal seal is held in place by a retainer. A clip holds the retainer within the body, preventing escape of the retainer or metal seal from the body. When the male and female portions of the coupling are parted under pressure, the retainer prevents the metal seal from blowing out through the bore of the female member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,859 also discloses a soft annular seal or o-ring at the inner cylindrical surface of the retainer, which engages the probe's circumference. The soft annular seal generally is used as a secondary seal, to prevent escape of hydraulic fluid should the metal seal fail. As the probe begins to enter the retainer bore, it begins to engage a soft annular seal intermediate the retainer bore. This contact compresses the seal and creates a sliding seal between it and the probe wall. The annular seal or soft seal is of a relatively pliable material, for example, rubber or synthetic elastomer. The annular seal is generally ring-shaped and is located in a sealed groove.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,439 to Robert E. Smith, III, assigned to National Coupling Company, Inc. of Stafford, Tex., discloses an undersea hydraulic coupling having an elastomeric seal configured to engage the male member as it is inserted into the bore of the female member, in which the elastomeric seal is interposed between a two-piece retainer and has a dovetail interfit whereby the elastomeric seal is restrained from radial movement into the central bore and is retained in the female member upon separation of the female member and the male member. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,071 discloses an undersea hydraulic coupling having an elastomeric dovetail seal and an annular metal seal which also engages the outer circumference of the male member or probe wall.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,832,080, 5,099,882 and 5,277,225 to Robert E. Smith, III, undersea hydraulic couplings are shown having at least two radial metal seals for sealing between the male member and the female member bore. Pressure energized seals are shown which are configured to seal radially between the male and female members, and the couplings are pressure balanced for fluid communication through mating radial passages and the annular space between the members.
Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,390,702 to Robert E. Smith, III discloses an undersea hydraulic coupling having a male member with a stepped outer body that is inserted into a female member with a stepped internal bore. This step ensures that the male member is more accurately positioned and guided into the seals in the bore, ensuring greater seal reliability and longer seal life. The stepped surfaces also help prevent implosion of the seals due to sea pressure when the end of the male member comes out of the seals.
Improved sealing between the male member and female member is desirable as pressures increase at deeper ocean depths. Although the undersea hydraulic couplings of the type described above provide advantages over conventional undersea hydraulic couplings with soft seals or o-rings, it is desirable to include a third retained seal and to have seals that engage different diameters of the male member or probe.

Undersea hydraulic coupling with three retained seals


Embodiments of the invention utilize advanced statistical data analytics to predict and provide recommendations for root-cause analysis for service access QoE issues in networks, such as 3G/4G networks. Using FCAPS data as predictor variables, embodiments are configured to set up the problem as a predictive regression or classification problem to estimate service access QoE related indicators. Some embodiments perform training and tuning of various non-linear statistical modelling algorithms, based for example on tree and ensemble methods, using network deregistration information from RAN logs.

1. Field
Embodiments of the invention generally relate to communication networks and, more specifically, to network management and operations, as well as data analytics and machine learning.
2. Description of the Related Art
Communication networks provide network performance data to enable the monitoring and managing of the network. Fault, configuration, administration, performance, and security (FCAPS) is the international organization for standardization's (ISO) telecommunications management network model and framework for network management. Fault, configuration, administration, performance, and security are the management categories into which the ISO model defines network management tasks.
Fault management is used to recognize, isolate, correct and log faults that occur in a communications network. Fault management may use trend analysis to predict errors so that the network is always available.
Configuration management may include the gathering and storing configurations from network devices, identifying ways in which to simplify the configuration of devices, tracking configuration changes, and planning for expansion and scaling.
Accounting management bills users or customers based on their usage statistics. Accounting management may also ensure that usage quotas are enforced.
Performance management monitors and determines the efficiency of the network, and may prepare the network for future requirements. Network performance includes, for example, the throughput, percentage utilization, error rates and response times.
Security management generally refers to the procedures for controlling access to elements of the network. These procedures may include authentication and encryption, for example.
The deregistration of services/devices used by consumers or users for abnormal reasons causes service access issues and can significantly impact the quality of experience (QoE) for the user. As a result, network service providers utilize FCAPS data for the monitoring, analysis, and performing of corrective actions for abnormal network deregistration. Such events may happen, for example, during network entry/session establishment, when a session is in progress, or upon handover during a session in progress. Network deregistration can be initiated by mobile devices or stations, network elements in the radio access network (RAN), the core network, and/or the serving entity.

Method and system for prediction and root cause recommendations of service access quality of experience issues in communication networks


A sheet folding apparatus for folding a set of sheets into two at a center thereof, includes: a sheet number recognition section that recognizes the number of sheets in the set; a pair of rotating rollers pressed against each other to form a nip portion; a blade member retractably moves with respect to the nip portion; and a blade member control section that controls the blade member to move toward the nip portion to push the set of sheets in the nip portion at a depth corresponding to the number of sheets recognized by the sheet number recognition unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet folding apparatus for folding a set of sheets into two at the center.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, some of image forming apparatuses such as a copying machine or printer have a function called a booklet process. In the booklet process, the center of the sheets in which the image is formed is stapled and the set of sheets is folded into two at the center.
In the image forming apparatus having this kind of function, while the set of sheets stapled at the center is delivered to the nip portion where the pair of rotating rollers is pressed against each other, the set of sheets is folded into two at the center by passing the set of sheets through the nip portion (for example, see Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 11-332734).
However, in the image forming apparatus proposed by the above reference, forming an image on the sheet sometimes decreases frictional force between a sheet in direct contact with the rotating roller and a sheet beneath the sheet in direct contact with the rotating roller. In this case, it is reported that only the sheet in direct contact with the rotating roller is stripped from the set of sheets and thereby taken into the nip portion ahead of other sheets.
As a countermeasure, it is proposed to use a blade member to deliver the set of sheets to the nip portion by pushing them in. In this proposal, a sheet in direct contact with the rotating roller and a sheet beneath the sheet in direct contact with the rotating roller are caused to come into contact with each other by pressure of the blade member, which prevents the sheet in direct contact with the rotating roller from being stripped from the set of sheets and taken into the nip portion ahead of other sheets.
However, only by pushing the set of sheets in with the blade member, a trace of the blade member may remain on the sheet depending on the number of sheets included in the set of sheets.
The above problem is generated not only in the case where the blade is pressed against paper, but also in the case where the blade is pressed against sheet-like medium other than paper. Further, the problem is also generated in the set of sheets which is not stapled.


Methods and apparatus are provided for efficiently generating test components for testing and evaluating a design under test. As a design is being configured, generated test components are made available. In one example, test components are automatically generated and included in a simulation testbench based on selected components in the design. Generally, the test components complement the selected components in the design. Moreover, the test components can be automatically seeded with initial contents.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to design automation tools for electronic devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus for evaluating the device's design under test (DUT) by automatically generating test components and including them in a simulation testbench.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The increasing complexity of electronic devices has prompted logic designers to use a variety of design automation tools to assist in implementing a design on electronic devices such as programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), and system-on-a-chip devices (SOCs). In one example, a simulation testbench is used to subject the design to a stimulus, such as a test component, whereby the design can be tested and evaluated for implementation.
However, the mechanisms for simulating a design having an on-device component (i.e., component located on the device) interacting with an off-device component (i.e., component located off the device) are limited. Generally, manual installation of an off-device test component in the simulation testbench is required. That is, a logic designer needs to either construct an off-device test component from scratch or obtain an already constructed off-device test component from a vendor. The test component is then manually wired to the design under test for stimulation. Before stimulation can begin, however, the logic designer is typically required to also manually configure and seed the test component with initial contents. Further, manual installation is required every time an off-device test component is needed to stimulate a DUT having an on-device component counterpart.
The manual installation of the off-device test component is often a tedious, time-consuming, and error prone task. It is therefore desirable to provide improved methods and apparatus for efficiently testing and evaluating designs that have on-device components interacting with off-device components.

Automatic test component generation and inclusion into simulation testbench


The invention provides methods of driving a pixel and liquid crystal display panels implementing the methods. The invention generates an ideal data voltage corresponding to a gray level of the pixel, and generates a compensated data voltage corresponding to the gray level according to a polarity change of the pixel. The charging period of the pixel is divided into a first charging time segment and a second charging time segment. The invention charges the pixel by the compensated data voltage during the first charging time segment, and charges the pixel by the compensated data voltage during the second charging time segment.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to liquid crystal display panels, and more particularly relates to a method of driving a pixel and a liquid crystal display panel implementing the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional liquid crystal display panels employ a scanning frequency of about 60 Hz. Although a scanning frequency of 60 Hz is largely adequate, it is too slow for dynamic images and often results in image smear. To prevent image smear, one solution for preventing image smear is to increase the scanning frequency, for example, 120 Hz.
In a 120 Hz monitor, a frame displayed in a 60 Hz monitor is processed and divided into two sub-frames. For a pixel, the sum of the generated brightness in the two sub-frames is equal to the brightness generated in the original frame, but in another embodiment, the two sub-frames may have different brightness.
Although the increased scanning frequency can reduce image smear in dynamic images, it also reduces the charge/discharge period, and the voltage level of the pixel may not be capable of achieving the required data voltage. FIGS. 1A and 1B show voltage waveforms of a pixel of a 60 Hz monitor being charged, and voltage waveforms of a pixel of a 120 Hz monitor being charged. Vcom represents the voltage level of a common electrode. Pixels are enabled/disabled by their corresponding gate voltages Vgate. When a pixel is enabled by its gate voltage Vgate, a data voltage Vdata begins charging the pixel. Pixel voltage Vpixel represents the voltage level of the pixel. Referring to FIG. 1A, after the gate voltage Vgate enables the pixel, the pixel voltage Vpixel begins charging to the data voltage Vdata. At the end of time period T, the pixel voltage Vpixel achieves the data voltage Vdata. Referring to FIG. 1B, the amount of time for charging is T/2, half of that for conventional 60 Hz monitors, and is thus too short to charge the pixel voltage Vpixel to the data voltage Vdata. As shown in FIG. 1B, at the end of charging period, there is a voltage difference ΔVd-p between the pixel voltage Vpixel and the data voltage Vdata. The voltage difference ΔVd-p damages the image contact of the liquid crystal display panel. Thus, novel methods for driving a pixel capable of overcoming the described shortcomings are desirable.

Method of driving a pixel and liquid crystal display panel implementing the method


This invention describes a novel electronic device consisting of one—or more—vertically stacked gate-all-around silicon nanowire field effect transistor (SNWFET) with two independent gate electrodes. One of the two gate electrodes, acting on the central section of the transistor channel, controls on/off behavior of the channel. The second gate, acting on the regions in proximity to the source and the drain of the transistor, defines the polarity of the devices, i.e. p or n type. The electric field of the second gate acts either at the interface of the nanowire-to-source/drain region or anywhere in close proximity to the depleted region of the SiNW body, modulating the bending of the Schottky barriers at the contacts, eventually screening one type of charge carrier to pass through the channel of the transistor. This is achieved by controlling the majority carriers passing through the transistor channel by regulating the Schottky barrier thicknesses at the source and drain contacts.

Bulk CMOS technologies are predicted to face crucial technological challenges in the next decade. At the same time, novel devices such as Carbon Nanotube Field Effect Transistors (CNTFETs) and Silicon Nanowire Field Effect Transistors (SNWFETs), which do not suffer from the same constraints, are expected to play a primary role as devices in future ultra-large scale integration technologies.
The interest in these devices is motivated not only by their small size, but also their superior characteristics, such as quasi-ballistic transport, steep sub-threshold slopes and one-dimensional channel geometry. Channel geometry, specifically, plays a major role in the current efforts towards miniaturization of devices, with transistor manufacturers currently moving from planar bulk MOSFETs to fully depleted SOI and FinFETs. Fully depleted SOIs, in particular, exploit the presence of a buried oxide layer below the device channel to screen the drain electric field from interfering with the gate electric field, thus reducing short channel effects. Moreover, fully depleting the channel enhances the device switching speed by requiring less gate field to turn on the device. FinFETs are a further evolution of this concept, exploiting vertical fin-like device channels, which can fully deplete and can be controlled on three surfaces by the electric field. In order to obtain the best electrostatic control over the device channel, however, one-dimensional channel structures need to be implemented. These include semiconducting mono or poly-crystalline nanowires and carbon nanotubes (CNTs).
Among the types of CNTFETs demonstrated in literature, double-gate ambipolar CNTFETs are four-terminal devices where a second gate terminal is added to control the device polarity [3]. These devices combine performance exceeding that of current scaled MOSFETs, with the possibility to control the device polarity by electrostatic doping of the nano-tubes [1]. Nevertheless, CNTFETs, as well as catalyst-grown nanowires, require a bottom-up fabrication approach, where nanotubes/nanowires are first grown in dedicated furnaces and subsequently purified, selected and transferred on the final substrate. Bottom up approaches have not been successful in proposing a large-scale device integration method primarily due to the challenges in selecting and positioning channel elements on the final substrates.

Ambipolar silicon nanowire field effect transistor

ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FÉDÉRALE DE LAUSANNE (EPFL)


The present invention relates to a fluorine-containing polymerizable monomer having a structure of the general formula (1),

The present invention relates to (a) novel, fluorine-containing, styrene derivatives (monomers) containing a special structure, that is, a hydroxyl group or a substituent for protecting or modifying hydroxyl group, (b) polymers prepared by polymerization or copolymerization of such monomers, and (c) materials (e.g., anti-reflection coating materials and resist compositions) containing such polymers.
Fluorine-containing compounds have been used and developed in various fields particularly in the field of advanced materials due to their good qualities (e.g., water repellency, oil repellency, low water absorption, heat resistance, weather resistance, corrosion resistance, transparency, photosensitivity, low refractive index, and low dielectric property). In particular, there have been active researches and developments of fluorine-containing compounds in the fields of (a) anti-reflection films utilizing low refractive index and visible light transparency of fluorine-containing compounds and (b) resist compositions utilizing transparency of fluorine-containing compounds in ultraviolet region (particularly vacuum ultraviolet wavelength region). In these fields, the common task of designing polymers is to achieve adhesion to the substrate and high glass transition point (hardness), while achieving transparency at each wavelength for use by introducing as many fluorine atoms as possible into the polymer. Although there have been various proposals for increasing transparency at each wavelength by increasing the fluorine content in the polymer, there is no or very few proposals for improving water repellency and adhesion and for obtaining higher glass transition point by newly designing fluorine-containing monomers themselves. Recently, there have been some reports of hydroxyl group-containing and fluorine-containing styrenes and hydroxyl group-containing and fluorine-containing norbornene compounds in the field of the next generation F2 resist in vacuum ultraviolet region. However, there are demands for new materials (i.e., novel polymers and novel monomers for providing novel polymers) having a sufficiently low refractive index necessary for anti-reflection films.

Fluorine-containing polymerizable monomers and polymers, anti-reflection film materials and resist compositions using same

Abstract: where each of R1 and R2 is independently a methyl group or trifluoromethyl group, and        each of R3 and R4 is independently a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, a fluorinated alkyl group, a ring structure having an aromatic ring, or an acid-labile protecting group, each of the alkyl group and the fluorinated alkyl group independently having a straight-chain, branched or ring form and having a carbon atom number of 1–25, each of R3 and R4 optionally and independently containing at least one of an oxygen atom and a carbonyl bond.


A nonvolatile memory device includes a memory cell array including a main memory area and a dummy memory area, a row decoder, a bit line selection circuit, a data input/output circuit, a control circuit, and a voltage generator. The bit line selection circuit is configured to select a first main bit line during a program time and is configured to select a dummy bit line during a column address switch time. During the column address switch time, a second main bit line is selected. The voltage generator is configured to output, to the row decoder, a source line voltage to be applied to a selected source line during the program time and during the column address switch time, wherein the source line voltage is maintained at a voltage level during the program time and during the column address switch time.

A semiconductor memory device is a storage device that is implemented by using semiconductor such as silicon. A semiconductor memory device may be classified as a volatile memory device, examples of which include a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or a static RAM (SRAM), or may be classified as a nonvolatile memory device, examples of which include an electrically erasable and programmable ROM (EEPROM), a flash memory device, a phase-change RAM (PRAM), or a ferroelectric RAM (FRAM).
A nonvolatile memory device may retain data stored therein when electrical operating power to the nonvolatile memory device is turned off or disabled. Among the nonvolatile memory devices, the flash memory device has advantages such as a high program speed, low power consumption, and storing a large amount of data. Flash memory devices that store bit information through injecting charges into floating gates formed of polysilicon are being used to implement various storage media. Such flash memory devices may be referred to as floating gate-type flash memory devices. There is an increasing demand for reducing program error while increasing a program speed of floating gate-type flash memory devices.

Nonvolatile memory devices and operating methods thereof


A method and system for delivering a package is provided. The method includes a receiving by a delivery vehicle delivery, rules and a temporary passcode for delivering a package to a secure indoor location of a customer premises. The delivery vehicle, including the package, is directed to the secured indoor location and upon arrival the temporary passcode is transmitted to a control system for the secure indoor location. In response, access to the secure indoor location is enabled and the delivery vehicle is directed into the secure indoor location for delivery of the package within the secure indoor location such that the package is placed within the secure indoor location. After delivery, the delivery vehicle is directed out of the secure indoor location. The passcode is again transmitted to the control system and in response access to the secure indoor location is disabled.

Determining an area for delivery of products typically includes an inaccurate process with little flexibility. Resolving accuracy issues with respect to the delivery area may include a complicated process that may be time consuming and require a large amount of resources. A delivery method may not take into account difficult delivery factors and therefore is unable to execute appropriate delivery actions. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art to overcome at least some of the deficiencies and limitations described herein above.

International Business Machines Corporation


Disclosed is an improved spring brake assembly, and a method for making same, which is particularly resistant to unauthorized disassembly and its consequent hazards. A diaphragm is locked between two opposing portions of a housing. The two opposing portions of the housing are both made of steel and are welded rather than clamped to one another. The weld is performed in such a way that the diaphragm is not burnt or otherwise damaged by the welding process. The opposing portions are configured as a cylindrical coupling between a male member having an inwardly extending lip, and a female member preferably having an inner circumferential ledge, which cooperate to trap the periphery of the diaphragm at an end of the coupling remote from the weld.

A common type of spring-operated brake actuator used on heavy trucks and other commercial vehicles utilizes a powerful compression spring to provide the required braking force when the air pressure inside a pressurized chamber falls below a predetermined minimum, for example when the vehicle is parked or there is a malfunction in the air-operated service brake system. The spring is located between an end wall of a brake head housing and the pressurized chamber, with a flexible diaphragm extending across the interior of the housing and dividing it into an unpressurized spring chamber and a pressurized air chamber. The force exerted on the diaphragm by the pressurized air exerts a counter-force on the spring, which holds it in a compressed position inside the spring chamber. When the pressure inside the air chamber drops, the unbalanced force exerted by the compression spring is transmitted through the diaphragm to an actuator rod that extends from the pressurized side of the diaphragm to the exterior of the actuator. In a so-called "double diaphragm" spring brake actuator, a service brake housing is provided in line with the spring brake housing, and a second diaphragm inside the service brake housing transits a modulated force to the actuator rod during normal operation of the service brake system.
Because the spring brake assembly is a critical safety system, it has to be designed and manufactured for exceptional reliability. Moreover, because the compression spring inside the spring actuator must exert a sufficient force to apply a maximum braking force to the vehicle independent of any external air pressure assistance from the service brake system, the spring in its compressed state stores sufficient kinetic energy to be lethal if the spring brake housing is opened without first taking adequate precautions to secure the spring in its compressed state or to release the stored energy in a controlled manner.
It is conventional to fabricate the spring brake housing containing the compression spring and diaphragm in two opposing sections (an aluminum adapter housing and a steel cap) separated by the periphery of the diaphragm, with the two opposing sections being clamped together with sufficient force to maintain an air-tight seal between the diaphragm and the housing. Since unauthorized opening of the housing is potentially dangerous to the inexperienced mechanic, and since unauthorized re-sealing using defective seals or improper procedures could result in a poor diaphragm seal or other internal defect, it is also conventional to discourage unauthorized access, disassembly, and reassembly of the housing by appending a warning label to the housing and using a clamping means which is tamper-resistant or at least tamper- o evident, so that a new clamping means, not readily available to unauthorized personnel, is required before the housing can be reassembled.
Despite these relatively obvious safety precautions, the known clamping means can be removed by simple handtools and the warning labels are exposed to dirt and road hazards and are thus effective only when the assembly is relatively new and not likely to require inspection or repair. Thus, there is a need for an improved spring brake housing that is even less prone to unauthorized disassembly and its consequent hazards.
Another disadvantage of the clamping means used in the prior art is that they present cavities and crevices in which moisture and debris can accumulate, which may eventually cause corrosion of the housing in the vicinity of the seal between the housing and the diaphragm, which in turn may lead to premature failure of the seal, or even of the diaphragm itself, requiring early replacement or rebuilding of the entire spring brake assembly.
As an alternative to a separate conventional clamping means, it has also been proposed to form an annular metal retaining member as an integral part of the steel cap, which is then deformed beyond its elastic limit around an annular flange on the aluminum adapter housing. However, such an alternative construction does not permit a major structural component of the spring brake assembly (the steel cap) to be reused, and is thus relatively expensive and environmentally undesirable.

Spring brake assembly having tamper-resistant welded housing and method for making same


The invention relates to a refrigerator having two movably connected housing parts that delimit a heat-insulated interior and a seal member that is fastened to a first of the housing parts and contacts the other of the housing parts in an airtight manner in the closed disposition of both housing parts. A lifting element lifts the seal member from a contact surface on the second housing part to permit pressure compensation between the inner chamber and the surroundings of the refrigerator. The lifting element is at least in part formed by a thermally deformable material and, in a first shape thereof, it establishes a sealed contact between the seal member and the contact surface, and in a second state resulting from the effect of heat or cold, it lifts the seal member from the contact surface in order to ensure pressure compensation.

DE 36 02 200 A1 discloses a refrigerating device of said kind. In the case of this device, a lifting element which is configured on a door handle engages in a fold of a magnetic door seal and, when the door handle is activated, lifts said seal along a part of its length from its contact surface on the body of the refrigerating device. A flow path for air is created thus. This is intended to equalize a negative pressure in the refrigerating device shortly before the door is actually opened, wherein said negative pressure can occur, for example, if warm air enters the internal space when the door is opened and cools down within the internal space after the door is closed. A negative pressure within the internal space of the refrigerating device is disadvantageous because it makes opening the door considerably more difficult. However, it is disadvantageous that the lifting element must be activated manually by pulling on the handle. This gives rise to the hazard that the user opens the door by forcefully pulling on the handle in order to overcome a residual negative pressure, thereby possibly jeopardizing the stability of the device.

Refrigerating device with door opening aid


A swiveling device includes a housing, an output shaft mounted in the housing and led out of the housing, a drive arranged in the housing for swiveling the output shaft, a swiveling element connected for conjoint rotation to the output shaft in the region thereof which is led out of the housing, and with a receptacle mounted in the swiveling element and connected thereto, wherein the receptacle can be arranged at different angular positions. The swiveling device provides that the swiveling element has a receiving profile for the receptacle, and the receptacle has a mating profile which corresponds to the receiving profile, wherein the receiving profile and the mating profile are configured so that the profiles can be arranged in different positions of receptacle and swiveling element with respect to each other.

Swiveling devices of this type are used in particular in body manufacturing in the motor vehicle industry. In said swiveling devices, the drives differ in configuration and are designed here in particular in a manner acting pneumatically or electrically. In particular, a tool can be connected to the receptacle, which is mounted in the swiveling element and is connected thereto, in order, by means of said tool, to carry out the function of a clamping device, welding tongs, a stamping tool, a clinching tool or a pin locating cylinder.
A swiveling device of the type mentioned at the beginning is known from WO 2013/104355 A2. Said swiveling device has a swiveling element which is in the form of a swiveling arm consisting of two arm parts which are designed to be connectable fixedly to each other in different positions. The arm parts here each have a pattern of holes with through bores and threaded bores and at least partially aligned with each other in different positions, and are designed to be connected to each other with screws. In the case of this swiveling device, two identically oriented swiveling arms which are therefore arranged at the same angular position are provided. The receptacle which is in the form of a receiving plate is connected fixedly, but releaseably, to the two swiveling arms and has a pattern of holes for fastening devices which can be swiveled, and thus tools to be mounted in the receiving plate. The two-part design of the respective swiveling arm has the advantage that, depending on the application, the receiving plate can be arranged at different angular positions. Stockpiling of different swiveling arms having receiving plates arranged differently thereon can therefore be dispensed with. However, the swiveling arm has a complicated configuration since it is in two parts, and the two arm parts forming the swiveling arm have to be provided with the patterns of holes.
A swiveling device is furthermore known from WO 03/047815 A1. In the case of this swiveling device, a worm gearing can be driven via an electric motor. The worm wheel of the worm gearing cooperates with a toggle lever which, for its part, cooperates with an output shaft which is led out of the housing of the swiveling device and is connected for conjoint rotation to a swiveling element. By means of a reversal in the direction of rotation of the electric motor, the swiveling element can be swiveled to and fro. The electric motor is in the form of an AC motor or three-phase motor.


Toner exhaustion is sensed in cartridge (1) having a toner chamber (3), a rotation paddle (7) extending across the long dimension. Chamber (3) has a transparent window (21) at its bottom and a reflective surface (23) in chamber (3), also at the bottom. An optical emitter and receiver (31) periodically senses for returned light, which indicates toner low. Paddle (7) carries a wiper to clean window and reflective surface. This provides improved accuracy by a cost-effective system.

This invention relates to electrophotographic process cartridges having toner and is directed to sensing the exhaustion of toner so that such information can be signaled to the imaging machine operator or otherwise acted upon.
A number of alternatives are known for sensing the amount of toner is an imaging process cartridge. In cartridges in which a toner paddle stirs the toner during operation, the paddle has been driven through a torque sensitive drive train and the torque sensed has been used to determine the amount of toner remaining. The toner-low sensing of this invention is believed to be more accurate and more cost-effective than such systems in practices.
Similarly, the amount of toner has been determined by weighing the cartridge, with the reduction in weight defining the use of toner. This requires accurate knowledge of the empty weight of the cartridge and accurate weighting mechanism in the printer in varying environment and over the life of the printer. The toner low sensing of this invention also is believed to be more accurate and more cost-effective than such systems.
A number of optical systems are known, using transparent windows in the toner cartridge and optical paths through the toner. In some of these systems a relative small well is formed in the cartridge for toner to occupy, and an optical source is positioned on one side of the well and an optical receiver is positioned to receive light which passes through the well. If no or very low level of light reaches the sensor, this is interpreted as toner still being in the cartridge at the level of the well. It is known to have the well at or near the bottom of the cartridge so as to sense toner exhaustion or near exhaustion. Some of such optical paths might be somewhat complex or lengthy. The toner low sensing of this invention employs optical sensing, but in a short path and without a well.
In accordance with this invention, the cartridge may have a single window wide enough to permit light to enter the cartridge from a source in the imaging device, be reflected, and then return through the window to a sensor in the imaging device. The window is positioned near the bottom of the toner chamber. The cartridge has a long dimension and has an internal stirring paddle mounted along the long dimension. The cartridge has at least on side generally perpendicular to the long dimension of the cartridge in which the window (or windows) is located. A reflector is mounted in the toner chamber, also near the bottom of the toner chamber, parallel to the window, and not more than 40 millimeters from the window. The paddle carries a compliant blade across the window and the reflector to clean them for sensing.
A high level of light from the source reaching the sensor senses toner low. Because of the positioning near the bottom of the toner container, the most critical information indicative of toner exhaustion is obtained in an accurate and cost-effective system.


Proposed is a novel positive-working photoresist composition of the chemical sensitization type capable of giving a finely patterned resist layer having an excellent cross sectional profile even for a discretely isolated pattern with high sensitivity and high resolution. The composition comprises, besides (a) a compound generating an acid by the irradiation with actinic rays, (b) a resinous ingredient capable of being imparted with increased solubility in an alkaline developer solution in the presence of an acid and (c) an organic solvent which is a ketone, ether or ester as the basic ingredients of the chemical sensitization type photoresist compositions, (d) an N,N-dialkyl carboxylic acid amide such as N,N-dimethyl formamide and N,N-dimethyl acetamide in a specified proportion relative to the component (b).

The present invention relates to a novel positive-working photoresist composition or, more particularly, to a chemical sensitization-type positive-working photoresist composition in the form of a solution capable of giving a finely discrete patterned resist layer having an excellent cross sectional profile with high sensitivity to actinic rays and high pattern resolution.
As is known, the photolithographic patterning process by utilizing a positive-working photoresist composition is widely practiced in the manufacture of various kinds of semiconductor devices such as ICs, LSIs and the like. The photolithographic patterning work using a positive-working photoresist composition is performed by first forming a layer of the photoresist composition on the surface of a substrate such as a semiconductor silicon wafer and the photoresist layer is exposed to actinic rays such as ultraviolet light patternwise through a photomask bearing a desired device pattern to form a latent image of the pattern, which is then developed by dissolving away the resist layer in the ultraviolet-exposed areas with a developer solution leaving a patterned resist layer to serve as a protective resist in the subsequent treatment of the substrate surface such as etching. Positive-working photoresist compositions used in the above described photolithographic patterning typically-have a formulation comprising an alkali-soluble novolac resin as a film-forming agent and a quinone diazide group-containing compound as a photosensitive ingredient uniformly dissolved in an organic solvent.
Along with the trend in the semiconductor technology toward a high degree of integration in the semiconductor devices increasing year by year, the manufacturing process of VLSIs and the like requires an extremely high fineness of the photolithographic patterning works sometimes in the ranges of the sub-micron order or quater-micron order. This requirement for the high fineness of patterning to be accomplished naturally depends on the performance of the photoresist composition and also on the effective wavelength of the actinic rays, e.g., ultraviolet light. For example, the wavelength range of the ultraviolet light used in the photolithographic patterning work is under a trend of decreasing from the g-line and i-line to deep-ultraviolet light and excimer laser beams such as KrF laser beams as an important light source in this technology.
Chemical sensitization-type photoresist compositions as a class of the photoresist compositions are now under active development works because an ultraviolet light of a shorter wavelength such as deep ultraviolet and excimer laser beams can-be utilized for the patternwise exposure than for the conventional photoresist compositions of the above mentioned type comprising a novolac resin and a quinone diazide group-containing compound so as to provide a possibility of obtaining a high resolution and a high sensitivity by virtue of the catalytic reaction and chain reaction of a quantum yield larger than 1 by the acid generated by the irradiation with actinic rays,
Since the chemical sensitization-type photoresist composition has been developed with an object to comply with the requirement for an extremely fine patterning of a width of 0.3 .mu.m or even finer, an attention is recently directed to the cross sectional profile of discrete or isolated resist patterns. For example, it is sometimes the case that, when a patterned resist layer has a cross sectional profile standing on the substrate surface with a downwardly decreasing width toward the substrate surface, the patterned resist layer eventually falls down on the substrate surface. This phenomenon is a very serious problem to be solved when a chemical sensitization-type photoresist composition is to be used for the photolithographic patterning of extreme fineness.


An x-ray diagnostic apparatus has an x-ray radiator, a control device connected thereto, a radiation detector and a patient-positioning table. The x-ray diagnostic apparatus has a device that calculates the BMI (body mass index) of the patient to be examined from detection of the body length and the weight. The device is connected with the control device to influence the parameters associated with obtaining an x-ray image.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns an x-ray diagnostic apparatus of the type having an x-ray radiator, a control device connected thereto, a radiation detector and a patient-positioning table.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In modern medical systems such as, for example, cardio systems, angiography systems or computed tomography systems, current patient data such as, for example, pulse, blood pressure etc. are only considered In part. An optimal adaptation of the generator settings for the respective applications to the patient thickness, however, is desired. Therefore, the system should be adaptable as flexibly as possible to the respective patient in order to achieve an optimally low radiation exposure of the patient.
From German OS 198 09 738, an x-ray diagnostic apparatus is known with a control unit to preset the radiation diaphragm setting necessary for the image acquisition, the control unit being provided with a computer that, based on direct access to patient data, makes a calculation for a presetting adapted to the patient, and adjusts the optimal diaphragm value by motors. An optimum adaptation of the generator settings to the patient thickness does not ensue in this known x-ray diagnostic apparatus.
Data such as the patient thickness can be taken from patient records, and thus can significantly deviate from the true current data. Often such data are not determined and used at all, but rather are only roughly estimated. Generally, a number of operating programs known as organ programs are available, with which the desired values for thin or thick patients are selected.

X-ray diagnostic apparatus with a body mass index calculator for controlling x-ray emissions


A method for determining the fundamental oscillation frequency in an optical fiber during the drawing thereof from an optical preform, the oscillation of the optical fiber being measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis thereof for the formation of a frequency spectrum using Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT), from which the fundamental oscillation frequency is determined, the method including the following steps:                i) the determination of the frequency spectrum,        ii) the mathematical processing of a number of spectra as determined in step i) to obtain a composite spectrum,        iii) the re-determination of the spectrum,        iv) the removal of the oldest spectrum from the composite spectrum,        v) the mathematical processing of the spectrum according to iv) and the spectrum obtained according to iii) to obtain the composite spectrum,        vi) the determination of the fundamental oscillation spectrum from the composite spectrum,        vii) the repetition of steps iii)–vi).

The present invention relates to a method for determining the fundamental oscillation frequency in an optical fibre during the drawing thereof from an optical preform, the oscillation of the optical fibre being measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis thereof in order to form a frequency spectrum using Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT), from which the fundamental oscillation frequency is determined. The present invention also relates to a specific application of a fundamental oscillation frequency measured using such a method, which fundamental oscillation frequency can be converted into the tensile force.
The method referred to in the introduction is known per se from U.S. Pat. No. 4,692,615, the tensile force in a fibre being determined during the drawing process by determining the fundamental oscillation frequency by means of Fast Fourier Transformation. From this document it is known that the vibration behaviour of an optical fibre during the drawing corresponds to the vibration or oscillation behaviour of a string that is under tension fixed at both ends. According to the method known therefrom it has been found that the transverse movement of an optical fibre during the drawing process can be divided into a number of harmonic partitions whose frequency is related to the tension in the fibre. The harmonic analysis of the transverse vibration movement of the optical fibre is thus used to determine the tensile force, with the drawing rate and the tensile force at a constant furnace temperature being linearly related to one another. The accuracy of the frequency method for monitoring the tensile force was thus further increased by applying a linear regression model to the measured values. However, the tensile force that is determined via such a method proves to show substantial spread in practice, to which it can be added that the fundamental oscillation frequency cannot be accurately determined from the FFT spectrum thus obtained.
A method for determining the fundamental oscillation frequency using FFT is also known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,079,433, according to which an extra check is applied to the second harmonic oscillation frequency. A drawback of such a second harmonic oscillation frequency is that, in practice, it has a peak level that lies several orders below the fundamental oscillation frequency and it is difficult to determine it in the frequency spectrum.
In the manufacture of glass fibres for tele- or data communication a preform is with heating thereof drawn into a glass fibre with a diameter of 125 μm. In this manufacturing step the preform is slowly introduced into a furnace, the preform being heated to around 2000° C. In the furnace the preform melts and is drawn into a glass fibre, which leaves the furnace at the other end. The formed glass fibre is cooled, provided with a protective coating and wound onto a reel. The tensile force with which the fibre is drawn from the hot furnace is an important parameter, which partly determines the strength and optical properties of the fibre.
Before the glass fibre has been provided with a protective coating it is very susceptible to damage. Damage weakens the glass fibre, with the risk of it fracturing, which is undesirable. The concentration of dust in the area through which the unprotected glass fibre passes is therefore reduced by means of known clean-room techniques. Nevertheless, all optical fibres deriving from one preform or large parts of the optical fibre from one preform are sometimes too weak for further processing.
Microscopic analysis of such an optical fibre has shown that this was often caused by minute scratches on the optical fibre. It is believed that this is caused by the unprotected optical fibre touching a component in the drawing tower, or a glass splinter, or a small glass fibre particle, for example in a cooling tube. In spite of precautionary measures such as visual inspection or the cleaning of cooling tubes with brushes prior to the drawing process, weak fibres are sometimes produced.

Method for determining the fundamental oscillation frequency in an optical fiber and an application of a tensile force thus measured


A station in a communication bus system is connected to a signal transmission line. The station contains a wave splitter coupled to the transmission line and a transmission section coupled to an input of the wave splitter for transmitting an outgoing wave signal to travel out over the transmission line from the wave splitter. The station contains a reception section coupled to an output of the wave splitter for receiving an incoming wave signal that travels into the wave splitter from the connector. The station has a control unit being arranged to operate in different control modes, according to the presence or absence of a further apparatus connected to the transmission line, dependent on whether the reception section does not detect or does detect a reflection of a wave transmitted by the transmission section, respectively.

The invention relates to a communication bus system in which a plurality of stations is connected by signal transmission lines to enable communication between the stations using a bus like the USB bus.
A USB system has connectors, which the user may use to connect and disconnect stations at will, even when the system is running. The system detects whether a station has been connected to a connector and, if so, it logically incorporates the connected station into the system, so that communication with the station becomes possible. The system also detects when a station has been disconnected and; if so, logically disincorporates the station from the system, so that no more communication with the station is performed or expected. This automatic incorporation and disincorporation is an important feature to make the system easy to use for non-specialist consumers.
In a USB system one station, for example a personal computer, is at the root of the bus structure. This station is the bus master. This station has one or more connectors, which can be used to connect the root to xe2x80x9cdownstreamxe2x80x9d stations, each via its own cable connected to a connector. In the USB system the downstream stations in turn may have connectors that may be used to connect them to further downstream stations and so on in a tree structure. The interconnected stations, which are thus directly or indirectly coupled to the root, together form the bus system.
It is not necessary that all connectors are permanently connected to downstream stations. The user of the system may connect or disconnect a downstream station or leave the connector unused as desired. The system detects whether or not a downstream station is connected to or disconnected from the connector and operates accordingly: no messages commands etc. are transmitted via connectors to which no downstream station is connected. In the USB system detection of the presence of a station is performed by means of current drawn through resistors. Each downstream station contains a resistor connected to the cable that connects the downstream station to the connector via which it is connected to the bus system. When a downstream station is connected to the bus, its resistor draws current via the cable. This current causes a change in the voltage on the cable and this change is detected by another xe2x80x9cupstreamxe2x80x9d station to whose connector the downstream station is connected.
Normally, detection of disconnection takes a period of xe2x80x9csilencexe2x80x9d in the communication on the bus. In the case of the USB bus, a time-slot is reserved for this purpose, during which no transmission is possible. This may cause a delay in disconnection and reduced transmission capacity. Furthermore it is desirable to reduce the voltage swing on the cables, both for reasons of increasing the speed and for reducing the power consumption of the bus system. However, a reduction of the voltage swing makes the detection of the voltage change due to connection of a station harder to detect.
Amongst others, it is an object of the invention to reduce the time that the bus needs to reserve to detect connection and/or disconnection.
An apparatus according to the invention is set forth in claim 1. According to the invention wave reflection is used to detect the presence or absence of stations coupled to the bus system. The time dependent voltages and currents in an electrical transmission line for example can be described by two vectors, each representing the phase and amplitude of a respective one of two traveling waves that travel through the transmission line in mutually opposite directions. At an end of the transmission line, where an impedance is connected to the transmission line, the ratio between the two wave vectors is equal to the reflection coefficient associated with the impedance. The reflection coefficient is zero when the impedance is equal to the transmission line impedance of the transmission line. As a result there will be a wave traveling in only one direction when an impedance equal to the characteristic impedance of the transmission line is connected to the transmission line.
According to the invention this effect is used to control the incorporation and especially disincorporation of downstream stations into and from the system. Stations are designed to apply the characteristic impedance of the transmission line to the transmission line. An upstream station in the system located at the other end of the transmission line transmits a wave signal via the transmission line and spits off the returning wave (if any) from the transmitted wave. If during transmission the amplitude of the returning wave is not substantially zero or substantially increases from zero, it is concluded that the transmission line is no longer terminated and therefore that a downstream station is disconnected from the transmission line. Thereupon the upstream station takes the appropriate actions to remove the downstream station logically from the system. Similarly, to enter a station logically into the system, if the amplitude of the returning wave is substantially zero, it is concluded that the transmission line is terminated and therefore that a downstream station is connected to the transmission line. Thereupon the upstream station takes the appropriate actions to incorporate the downstream station into the system.

Communication bus system and apparatus and device for use in such a system


An exercise machine may comprise a plurality of weights arranged in a stack, a stem, and a plurality of weight selector switches mounted to the stem. Each weight selector switch of the plurality of weight selector switches may be positioned and configured to selectively couple a corresponding weight of the plurality of weights to the stem. A method of manufacturing a weight selecting device may comprise providing a stem, and mounting a plurality of weight selector switches to the stem.

Exercise machines including a weight stack wherein an amount of weight applied to an attached cable may be selected by a user have been very popular. Such exercise machines may provide various selectable amounts of resistance, and thus may accommodate various exercises and various users with a single machine. There have been shortcomings, however, with conventional exercise machines that include a weight stack.
One problem with conventional exercise machines that include a weight stack lies in the way that weight is selected. Typically, a stem includes a plurality of apertures, each aperture corresponding to an aperture through a respective weight plate. To select a desired weight, a pin is inserted through an aperture of a weight plate and a corresponding aperture in the stem, thus coupling the weight plate to the stem. These pins may become misplaced, which may render the machine unusable. Additionally, misplaced, damaged, or stolen pins may be replaced with a pin that is of insufficient strength or size.
Another difficulty is that the insertion and/or removal of a weight selector pin may be difficult for some users. For example, the apertures in the stem and weights may become misaligned, making it difficult to insert and/or remove the weight selector pin.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,047,970 to Nalley teaches a weight plate with a detachable locking cartridge. Each weight plate in a weight stack may include such a detachable locking cartridge that includes a toggle switch that controls the displacement of a locking pin. Accordingly, a toggle switch may be rotated to position a pin into an aperture of a lifting pin. The locking cartridge of Nalley, however, has many shortcomings. For example, the locking cartridge is attached to the face of each weight. Since the pin, toggle switch, and associated linkages occupy significant space, the locking cartridges extend, cantilevered, a significant distance from the face of each weight. Accordingly, the locking cartridges may be susceptible to damage. Furthermore, each of the detachable locking cartridges and pins are separate from the lifting pin, being mounted to the weights, and do not provide weight selecting features that remain coupled to the lifting pin.
In view of the foregoing, improved devices and methods for weight selection would be desirable.

Weight selector assemblies, exercise machines including such weight selector assemblies, and related methods


In a wireless communication receiver (31) of a wireless communication system that utilizes transmit diversity and turbo coding, symbol decisions are based at least in part on a posteriori probabilities (47, 48) produced by SISO decoders (35, 36). These probabilities are produced iteratively in alternating fashion to support the symbol decision process. The SISO decoder associated with the weakest (92) wireless communication channel goes first (93) in the iterative process.

Each of the documents listed below is referred to herein by the corresponding number enclosed in square brackets to the left of the document. Each of these documents is also incorporated herein by reference.    [1] Y. Liu, M. P. Fitz, and O. Y. Takeshita, "Qpsk space-time turbo codes," in IEEE ICC, June 2000.    [2] X. Li and J. A. Ritcey, "Bit-interleaved coded modulation with iterative decoding, using soft feedback," Electronic Letters, vol. 34, pp. 942–943, 4 Mar. 1998.    [3] X. Li and J. A. Ritcey, "Bit-interleaved coded modulation with iterative decoding," in IEEE ICC, vol. 2, pp. 858–863, June 1999.    [4] X. Li and J. A. Ritcey, "Trellis-coded modulation with bit interleaving and iterative decoding," IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications, vol. 17, pp. 715–724, April 1999.    [5] X. Li and J. A. Ritcey, "Bit-interleaved coded modulation with iterative decoding," IEEE Communications Letters, vol. 1, pp. 169–171, November 1997.
Coding and interleaving techniques are often used in wireless communication systems to improve the communication performance. FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a conventional wireless communication system described in [1]. This example implements turbo coding by using two convolutional coders (CC). One of the convolutional coders receives at its input the data stream that is to be transmitted, and the other convolutional coder receives at its input an interleaved (see 10) version of the data stream. The outputs of the convolutional coders are then modulated using QPSK (Quadrature Phase Shift Keying) and transmitted by respective transmit antennas. At the receiver, the signal from the antenna is input to a probability generator which generates symbol (or bit) probabilities. These symbol probabilities are fed to soft-input, soft-output (SISO) decoders that iterate to get estimates of the transmitted symbols (or bits). The SISO decoders use knowledge of the trellis of the convolutional coders to produce the estimates.
FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a conventional wireless communication system described in [2] and [3]. The system of FIG. 2 uses a single convolutional coder and an interleaver 21 before modulation and transmission by a single antenna. At the receiver, the signal from the antenna is demodulated and de-interleaved (see 22), and is then input to a SISO decoder. The a posteriori symbol probabilities output from the SISO decoder are interleaved (see 23) and fed back into the demodulator to get a better estimate of the symbol probabilities. This loop is iterated over. Systems similar to the one illustrated in FIG. 2 have also been suggested in [4] and [5], but those systems implement hard decoding decisions instead of soft decisions.
It is desirable in view of the foregoing to provide for improved performance in wireless communication systems that utilize turbo coding and transmit diversity.
According to the invention, in a wireless communication system with transmit diversity, a posteriori probabilities from SISO decoders are produced iteratively in alternating fashion to make symbol decisions. The SISO decoder associated with the weakest wireless communication channel goes first in the iterative process. This advantageously improves the symbol decisions.

Ordered decoding in wireless communications that utilize turbo coding and transmit diversity


An external electrical metal conductor strap mounted a spaced distance from the external steel wall of an electrolytic cell where the steel wall is internally joined to the cathodes of the cell with the interspace between the external metal conductor strap and the external steel wall filled with an electrical conductor filler metal so that the external metal conductor strap and the external steel wall of the cell is in continuous electrical contact across the entire surface area interface between the external metal conductor strap and the external steel wall of the electrolytic cell. The filler metal may be a metal alloy that melts and becomes liquid at the normal operating temperature of the cell, or the filler metal may be chosen so that it remains solid at the normal operating temperature of the cell. Alternatively, the filler metal may be an alloy which does not have a precise melting temperature, but rather a melting range through which the alloy first softens, then forms a semi-liquid "slush," and finally becomes a liquid as the temperature is increased.

Electrolytic cells for the production of chemicals such as chlorine and caustic soda from aqueous solutions of NaCl generally include a carbon steel cell within which anodes and cathodes are arranged and surrounded by electrolyte. Normally several anodes or a networked grid-like anode is placed within the cell from the bottom and the cathode walls of the cell are connected by a similar grid-like network of fingers so that anodes and cathodes are relatively evenly and closely spaced throughout the electrolyte. Current is supplied to the cathodes via a conductor strap (usually copper) attached to the exterior of the steel cell walls. Current flows from the cathodes through the electrolyte to the anodes and is carried from the anodes by a conductor which insulatingly passes through the bottom of the cell.
Conventional methods of fastening the copper conductor strap to the cathode's steel outer wall include fillet welding, brazing, or silver soldering. Unfortunately, the copper-steel bond is difficult to create and maintain and at best there remain air gaps between the copper strap and the steel cell wall. At worst, fine cracks, fissures, or separations occur in the steel wall of the cell or in the solder joint between the copper and steel. A crack, fissure, or separation allows a small amount of electrolyte to invade the crack, fissure, or separation. The invading corrosive electrolyte may be brine or any other corrosive fluid which spills onto or collects on the exterior surface of the cell. The corrosive liquid begins to attack the cell wall at the small crack, fissure, or separation. As the corrosive attack progresses, the crack, fissure, or separation becomes larger and results in the invasion of progressively more and more corrosive electrolyte. The end result is an ever compounding corrosive attack.
Eventually, large quantities of iron oxide and other contaminants are generated between the copper conductor strap and the cell's steel outer wall. The buildup of rust and other contaminants causes the forcing of the copper conductor strap away from the cell's outer wall. The force of escaping electrolyte actually breaks the welded or brazed or soldered bond between the outer wall and the copper conductor strap. At that point, a very large crack or fissure or separation traps corrosive fluid between the copper conductive strap and the cell's outer steel wall. If this contagion of corrosive attack is unchecked, it will continue until the copper strap is completely separated from the cell wall and the cell wall begins to leak its electrolyte at a rate which renders the cell functionally inoperative.
In practice, cells are removed from a productive cell line for repair prior to such extensive damage. However, the cells are usually allowed to function until the corrosive attack has pushed the copper conductor strap away from the steel outer wall in several places. During the progression of this corrosive attack, the electrolytic cell becomes progressively less efficient as the cracks, fissures, or separations between the copper conductor strap and the cathode's steel outer wall grows larger. The resultant loss in efficiency is caused by several factors, primarily the loss of continuous and uniform electrical conductivity between the copper conductive strap and the cathode's outer cell wall. Under these circumstances, parts of the damaged cathodes carry more electrical current than others. This means that part of the cell is working less efficiently than others. Electrical energy is lost, and the cell produces less product per kilowatt hour as a result.
There have been improvements in the design of electrolytic cells, but most of these improvements relate to the design and placement of the anode rather than improvements to the cathode. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,591,483 to Loftfield et al (the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference) discloses
Diaphragm-Type Electrolytic Cells; Use of Dimensionally Stable Anodes" where the cell is provided with a metal base serving as a rigid support and conductor for anodes and which supports the cell itself but is insulated from the cell by a sheet of non-conductive material which also provides an hydraulic seal to prevent leakage of electrolyte through the bottom of the cell.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,873,437 to Pulver (the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference) discloses an "Electrode Assembly for Multipolar Electrolytic Cells" where an anode carried by a lateral surface of a compartment wall is movable in a direction towards an opposed cathode surface to maintain a narrow gap between the electrodes. A cathode carried by the opposed lateral surface of the same compartment wall is optionally provided with means for moving it in a direction towards the opposed anode surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,878,082 to Gokhale (the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference) discloses a "Diaphragm Cell Including Means for Retaining a Preformed Sheet Diaphragm Against a Cathode" where a preformed sheet material is used as a diaphragm through the use of elasto-polymeric retainers.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,883,415 to Kokubu et al (the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference) discloses a "Multiple Vertical Diaphragm Type Electrolytic Cell for Producing Caustic Soda" where a large number of unit cells are installed compactly in a cathode tank in electrically parallel connection, each cell having two anode plates interwelded by at least two conductive supporting rods which in turn are connected to outer bus bars. An iron mesh cathode frame lined with an asbestos diaphragm surrounds the anode plates. A corrosion resistant cap is mounted on the iron mesh cathode and a bottom dish is inserted thereinto. The upper part of the anode plates are secured by insulated set screws.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,960,697 to Engler et al (the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference) discloses a "Diaphragm Cell Having Uniform and Minimum Spacing Between Anodes and Cathodes" where a continuous net is provided between the anodes and the diaphragm to permit minimum and uniform anode-cathode spacing while preventing the diaphragm from adhering to the surface of the anodes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,211,629 to Bess et al (the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference) discloses an "Anode and Base Assembly for Electrolytic Cells" where downwardly facing annular portions of the anodes are welded to a perforated metal cell base cover which seals electrolyte in the cell from the cell base eliminating corrosion in the cell base and anode risers.
These improvements, while worthy in their own right, do not address the problem discussed herein, namely, the connection of a conductor strap to the exterior wall of the cell.
In connection with the present invention, it is also noted that bismuth alloys are known to have very low-melting temperatures and low physical strength and have been used as low temperature melting solders for safety devices like sprinkler links, plugs in compressed gas tanks and in fire alarm devices. Bismuth is a heavy, coarse crystalline metal which expands when it solidifies. Water and antimony also expand on freezing, but bismuth expands much more than the former, namely 3.3% of its volume. When bismuth is alloyed with other metals, such as lead, tin, cadmium and indium, this expansion is modified according to the relative percentages of bismuth and other components present. As a general rule bismuth alloys of approximately 50 per cent bismuth exhibit little change of volume during solidification. Alloys containing more than this tend to expand during solidification and those containing less tend to shrink during solidification. After solidification, alloys containing both bismuth and lead in optimum proportions grow in the solid state many hours afterwards. Bismuth alloys that do not contain lead expand during solidification with negligible shrinkage while cooling to room temperature.

Method and device for electrically coupling a conductor to the metal surface of an electrolytic cell wall


A plurality of communication bursts are used to communicate data in a shared spectrum in a time slot of a time division duplex communication system. Each burst has an associated midamble sequence of a set of known sequences. A wireless communication apparatus has a receiver component configured to receive the plurality of communication bursts and to define a received vector corresponding to the received bursts. A channel estimator is provided that is configured to estimate channel information of the plurality of communication bursts by constructing a block matrix having a plurality of identical right circulant matrix blocks using the known midamble sequences and the received vector. A data detector then recovers data from the received communication bursts using the estimated wireless channel information.

The invention generally relates to wireless communication systems. In particular, the invention relates to channel estimation in a wireless communication system.
FIG. 1 is an illustration of a wireless communication system 10. The communication system 10 has base stations 121 to 125 which communicate with user equipments (UEs) 141 to 143. Each base station 121 has an associated operational area where it communicates with UEs 141 to 143 in its operational area.
In some communication systems, such as code division multiple access (CDMA) and time division duplex using code division multiple access (TDD/CDMA), multiple communications are sent over the same frequency spectrum. These communications are typically differentiated by their chip code sequences. To more efficiently use the frequency spectrum, TDD/CDMA communication systems use repeating frames divided into time slots for communication. A communication sent in such a system will have one or multiple associated chip codes and time slots assigned to it based on the communication's bandwidth.
Since multiple communications may be sent in the same frequency spectrum and at the same time, a receiver in such a system must distinguish between the multiple communications. One approach to detecting such signals is single user detection. In single user detection, a receiver detects only the communications from a desired transmitter using a code associated with the desired transmitter, and treats signals of other transmitters as interference. Another approach is referred to as joint detection. In joint detection, multiple communications are detected simultaneously.
To utilize these detection techniques, it is desirable to have an estimation of the wireless channel in which each communication travels. In a typical TDD system, the channel estimation is performed using midamble sequences in communication bursts.
A typical communication burst 16 has a midamble 20, a guard period 18 and two data bursts 22, 24, as shown in FIG. 2. The midamble 20 separates the two data bursts 22, 24 and the guard period 18 separates the communication bursts 16 to allow for the difference in arrival times of bursts 16 transmitted from different transmitters. The two data bursts 22, 24 contain the communication burst's data. The midamble 20 contains a training sequence for use in channel estimation.
After a receiver receives a communication burst 16, it estimates the channel using the received midamble sequence. When a receiver receives multiple bursts 16 in a time slot, it typically estimates the channel for each burst 16. One approach for such channel estimation for communication bursts 16 sent through multiple channels is a Steiner Channel Estimator. Steiner Channel Estimation is typically used for uplink communications from multiple UEs, 141 to 143, where the channel estimator needs to estimate multiple channels.
In some situations, multiple bursts 16 experience the same wireless channel. One case is a high data rate service, such as a 2 megabits per second (Mbps) service. In such a system, a transmitter may transmit multiple bursts in a single time slot. Steiner estimation can be applied in such a case by averaging the estimated channel responses from all the bursts 16. However, this approach has a high complexity. Accordingly, it is desirable to have alternate approaches to channel estimation.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Channel estimation for time division duplex communication systems