In an apparatus for decoding image information which has been variable-length coded on a block unit basis of a plurality of pixels, the image information is decoded on the block unit basis, the number of blocks decoded in a predetermined period of time is counted, and the decoded image information is corrected by using the result of the counting.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an image coding/decoding apparatus and, more particularly, to an apparatus for decoding image information which has been variable-length coded on a block unit basis of a plurality of pixels.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, in the field of the digital transmission of a color image, a high efficiency coding technique of information progresses and a high compression is being realized.
In association with such an improvement, a good image can be transmitted and received through a transmission line even at a low data rate. On the contray, an influence which is exerted on the image by an error of one word on the transmission line also increases. It is, therefore, necessary to take a countermeasure for the code error on the transmission line by an error detection code, an error correction code, and the like.
Particularly, in case of using a transmission line in which a deterioration of a transmission quality is presumed as in a magnetic recording medium, a communication satellite, or the like, it is necessary to particularly pay an attention to the countermeasure for such a code error.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a schematic construction of a conventional image transmitting and receiving system.
In the diagram, reference numeral 101 denotes a terminal to which an image signal is supplied. The image signal supplied from the terminal 101 is converted into the digital signal by an analog/digital (A/D) converter 102. The digital image signal is coded by a high efficient coding circuit 103 and its information amount (band) is compressed.
The image information compressed by the coding circuit 103 is supplied to an error correction coding circuit 104 and a parity check bit to correct a code error is added to the image information (the image information is error correction coded). After that, the image information is sent to a transmission line 105.
On the receiving side, a data train transmitted via the transmission line 105 is once accumulated in a memory 106. The code error correction using the above parity check bit is performed in an error correction unit 107 which accesses to the memory 106. The image information which has been code error corrected is generated from the memory 106 and sent to a high efficiency decoding circuit 108. The decoding circuit 108 executes the decoding process opposite to the coding process by the high efficiency coding circuit 103, that is, expands the information amount (band) and returns to the original digital image signal. the digital image signal is converted into the analog signal by a digital/analog (D/A) converter 109. The analog signal is generated as an analog image signal from a terminal 110.
In FIG. 5, as a construction of the high efficiency coding circuit 103, namely, an image compressing method, various kinds of methods have been proposed. As a typical one of the color image coding methods, what is called an ADCT (Adaptive Discrete Cosine Transform) method has been proposed. The ADCT method has been described in detail in Takahiro Saito, et al., "A Coding Method of Still Image", the magazines of The Institute of Television Engineers of Japan, Vol. 44, No. 2, 1990, Hiroshi Ochi, et al. "The International Standard Tendency of Still Image Coding", the papers of the National Convention of The Institute of Image Electronics Engineers of Japan, No. 14, 1988, and the like.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram schematically showing a construction of a high efficiency coding circuit of an image using the above ADCT method.
In the diagram, it is assumed that an image signal which is supplied to a terminal 111 is a digital data train which have been converted into eight bits, namely, 256 gradations/color by the A/D converter 102 in FIG. 6. The number of colors is set to three or four such as RGB, YUV, YPbPr, YMCK, or the like.
The input digital image signal is immediately subjected to a two-dimensional discrete cosine transformation (hereinafter, referred to as a DCT) by a DCT converter 112 on a subblock unit basis of (8.times.8) pixels.
The data of (8.times.8) words which has been DCT converted (hereinafter, such data is referred to as conversion coefficients) is quantized by a linear quantization circuit 113. The quantization step size differs every conversion coefficient. That is, it is assumed that the quantization step size for each conversion coefficient is set to a value which is obtained by multiplying (8.times.8) quantization matrix elements from a quantization matrix generating circuit 114 by 2.sup.S times by a multiplier 116.
The quantization matrix elements are determined in consideration of a fact that the visibility for quantization noises differs every conversion coefficient of the (8.times.8) words. An example of the quantization matrix elements are shown in Table 1.
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ Example of quantization matrix elements ______________________________________ 16 11 10 16 24 40 51 61 12 12 14 19 26 58 60 55 14 13 16 24 40 57 69 56 14 17 22 29 51 87 80 62 18 22 37 56 68 109 103 77 24 35 55 64 81 104 113 92 49 64 78 87 103 121 120 101 72 92 95 98 112 100 103 99 ______________________________________
On the other hand, although 2.sup.S data are obtained from a data generator 115, S denotes 0 or a positive or negative integer and is called a scaling factor. The picture quality and a generation data amount are controlled by the value of S.
The DC component in each of the quantized conversion coefficients, namely, the DC conversion coefficients (hereinafter, referred to as a DC component) in the matrix of (8.times.8) is supplied to a one-dimensional prediction differential circuit 117, by which a prediction error is derived. The prediction error is subsequently Huffman coded by a Huffman coding circuit 118. Practically speaking, a quantization output of the prediction error is divided into a plurality of groups. The identification (ID) number of the group to which the prediction error belongs is first Huffman coded. Subsequently, the information indicating to which value in the group the prediction error is equal is expressed by an equal length code.
The conversion coefficients other than the DC component, namely, the AC conversion coefficients (hereinafter, referred to as an AC component) are supplied to a zigzag scanning circuit 119 and are zigzag scanned by two-dimensional frequencies from a low frequency component to a high frequency component as shown in FIG. 7. The conversion coefficients in which the quantization output is not equal to 0 (hereinafter, such conversion coefficients are referred to as significant coefficients) and the number (run length) of conversion coefficients which exist between the significant coefficients just before those conversion coefficients and in which the quantization output is equal to 0 (hereinafter, such conversion coefficients are referred to as insignificant coefficients) are generated as a set from the zigzag scanning circuit 119 to a Huffman coding circuit 120.
In the Huffman coding circuit 120, the significant coefficients are classified into a plurality of groups in accordance with the values of the significant coefficients and the group ID number and the above run length are Huffman coded as a set. Subsequently, the information indicating to which value in the group the prediction error is equal is expressed by an equal length code.
Outputs from the Huffman coding circuits 118 and 120 are multiplexed by a multiplexing circuit 121. The multiplexed signal is supplied as a coded output from a terminal 122 to the error correction coding circuit 104 at the post stage.
According to the high efficiency coding as mentioned above, even when an information amount is compressed into a fraction of an integer, no image deterioration occurs and the information can be compressed at an extremely high efficiency.
However, when the information is compressed at a good compression efficiency as mentioned above, namely, at a high compression ratio, an influence which is exerted on the image by one code error becomes serious.
For example, in the case where the variable-length coding as mentioned above is executed, the subsequent decoding process cannot be performed, so that the image after the occurrence of the error is disturbed and it is very hard to see.
In recent years, particularly, such a kind of apparatus is used even for a transmission line such that there is also a case where the transmission quality changes by the weather and deteriorates as in the communication satellite, so that it is required to take a countermeasure to protect data for the occurrence of errors on the transmission line.

Coding and/or decoding apparatus for decoding variable-length coded image information


A control circuit corrects duty-cycle distortion of clock signals accurately and with a fast and continuous response over a wide dynamic range. In one embodiment, the duty-cycle correction circuit includes a self-biased loop that corrects duty-cycle distortions to preferably less than +/−1%. The duty-cycle correction circuit also compensates for changes in a supply voltage. These corrections may take place on a continuous basis, not only during a testing period but also during normal operation of the host system driven by the clock signals.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to processing signals, and more particularly to a system and method for performing duty-cycle correction of clock and other frequency signals.
2. Background of the Related Art
Synchronous chips often use a latch design in which a logic path propagates in one phase (high or low) of a clock signal. In chips of this type, phase paths are influenced by duty-cycle distortion of the clock signal. This mainly occurs because of process variations and/or changes in the level of the voltage supply (e.g., changes in transistor characteristics with voltage supply level). As a result, if one of the clock phases in a synchronous chip is reduced, data may be sampled earlier than expected and this may lead to phase-path failure.
To overcome this problem, the frequency of the clock signal can be reduced to a value that compensates for and thus restores the original phase duration. For example, a 2% duty-cycle distortion in a 2 GHz clock frequency results in a 10 ps reduction of the clock phase. Thus, to restore the original clock phase period of 250 ps, the clock frequency may be reduced to 1920 MHz.
In higher frequency CPUs, phase-path designs have increasingly been used. As presently implemented, this design has a number of drawbacks, not the least of which include increasing the sensitivity of the maximum operating frequency of the CPU relative to duty-cycle distortion of a core clock signal. In fact, core clock duty-cycle distortion is one of the main factors that limits the maximum frequency of the CPU.
Conventional high-performance CPUs use static duty-cycle correction circuits. These circuits are based on a digitally controlled phase shifter that varies the clock phase duration with a predetermined resolution. The clock phase is shifted in automatic test equipment based on test programs to optimize the maximum frequency of the CPU. This approach is undesirable for at least two reasons. First, valuable tester time is wasted which makes the procedure inefficient. Second, testing is performed at only one voltage point, which tends to diminish the effectiveness of the overall process.

High-accuracy continuous duty-cycle correction circuit


An image forming apparatus and method for controlling the temperature of a fixing device. When any key of the image forming apparatus is pressed, the temperature of the fixing device is raised from a normal waiting temperature to a high waiting temperature. Alternatively, only when a key related to an image forming operation is pressed is the temperature of the fixing device raised to the high waiting temperature. At the high waiting temperature, when a command is given to perform an image forming operation, the temperature of the fixing device is raised to the fixing temperature and after the image forming operation and the fixing operation is completed, the temperature of the fixing device returns to the high waiting temperature. The temperature of the fixing device is lowered from the high waiting temperature to the normal waiting temperature after a predetermined period during which there are no image forming operations performed and no keys are pressed. As an alternative, the temperature is lowered from the high waiting temperature to the normal waiting temperature when a key related to the image forming operation is not detected and no image forming operation has occurred. A key related to an image forming operation include keys for starting and controlling the image forming operation and also keys for setting the parameters of the image forming operation such as a key to control the density of the printed image, and a key to control the number of copies which are made.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image recording apparatus having a heated fixing device used in a facsimile machine, a copier, a printer of a multifunction printing apparatus. This invention more specifically relates to an image recording apparatus in which it is possible to change the temperature of the fixing roller heater for saving electric power in a multifunction device.
2. Discussion of the Background
In general, an electro-photographic image recording apparatus is used in a facsimile machine, a copier or other printing apparatus. The image recording apparatus has a heated roller for fixing a toner image on recording paper. That is to say, it supplies electric power to the heated fixing roller and raises the temperature thereof to the fixing temperature. The heated roller then fixes the toner image on the paper.
In order to properly fix the toner image on the paper, it is necessary to hold the temperature at the heated roller at the fixing temperature. However, holding the fixing heated roller at the temperature when not performing a fixing operation consumes unnecessary electric power and raises the temperature of the apparatus. Therefore, in a conventional system, the image recording apparatus holds the fixing roller at a preliminary temperature which is lower than the fixing temperature, starts to raise the fixing roller temperature to the fixing temperature before fixing, and is set to the fixing temperature when fixing. For example, in the case of a facsimile apparatus, the temperature of the fixing roller begins rising at the time of detecting a ring signal.
In a copier shown in the patent specification of Japanese patent application laid-open (KOKAI) No. 1-284886, the temperature of the heated roller is ordinarily set to a low temperature. The temperature of the fixing roller is set to a higher temperature upon detection of opening the cover of the glass platen. A predetermined time after copying, the heated roller used for fixing is set to a low temperature.
However, the above mentioned technique of controlling the fixing temperature in a conventional copier is not effective in a facsimile machine because the roller temperature starts to rise from the preliminary temperature to the fixing temperature when the ring signal is detected. Therefore, the conventional technique shown in the patent specification of Japanese laid-open patent application (KOKAI) 1-284886 is only effective in a copier in which the fixing temperature is raised upon opening the cover and setting a sheet of paper on the glass platen.

Image recording apparatus and method which controls the fixing temperature


A 4G magnetron is disclosed. The magnetron may include an anode, having a cylindrical member and anode vanes disposed within the cylindrical member which define resonant cavities therebetween, and a dispenser cathode, suitable for heating and located coaxially within said anode. The magnetron may operate in a temperature range of about 850-1050 C. The magnetron may include conductive cooling. The magnetron may comprise inventive anode and cathode structures. A method for preparing a plurality of magnetron tubes substantially simultaneously is further provided.

A magnetron is a very efficient and economical source of microwave energy, and thus is widely used in a variety of applications, such as microwave ovens. A magnetron may also be used to provide power to, for example, a sulfur lamp, such as a street lamp, such as is disclosed in an application entitled "SULFUR LAMP", filed by the inventor hereof on even date herewith. For example, a sulfur lamp may be a microwave power-driven, electrodeless discharge lamp that may be driven by a magnetron. The magnetron in use in known ones of such an application is the so-called "3G" magnetron, which was originally developed for use in microwave ovens.
In typical embodiments of the 3G magnetron, the magnetron is adapted primarily for microwave oven use, has a short lifetime of about 3,000 hours, and has a high power available of about 700˜1,300 W. Further, in general, the 3G magnetron is cooled by a fan, which has a motor and other moving parts, and has a cathode of the tungsten filament type (3% Thorium). Additionally, the 3G magnetron is typically of the direct heating type, has an operating temperature of ˜1,800 C, and includes magnets of ferrite—which are generally bulky and sensitive to temperature.
Although a 3G magnetron is a very efficient and cheap source of microwave power suitable for oven use, it is not compatible with other uses, such as for the aforementioned street lighting purposes. One of the most serious problems for the 3G magnetron in these other applications, such as in uses for lighting, is the short lifetime of the 3G magnetron. For example, when compared with the lifetimes of other conventional discharge lamps, which are typically about 8,000 hours for the metal halide lamp and 12,000 hours for the sodium lamp, the lifetime of the 3G magnetron is very short. The lifetime may occasionally reach 10,000 hours, but is still far from satisfactory, particularly in certain applications such as street lighting.
A significant reason for the short lifetime of the 3G magnetron is the fact that a tungsten filament is used for the cathode. This type of cathode runs at high temperature, and the thorium added into the tungsten to help the electron emission thus evaporates quickly. It is very hard to substantially increase the lifetime of the 3G magnetron if this type of the cathode is used.
An additional issue with the 3G magnetron is the cooling fan, which requires an electric motor to drive it. Moving parts, such as the fan and the motor, eventually break down with the passage of time. Furthermore, the openings in the magnetron for the cooling fan may allow for entry of bugs and dust.
Nevertheless, because while generating microwaves magnetrons also generate heat, this heat must be quickly dissipated for proper operation. In the conventional magnetrons used in microwave ovens, many thin aluminum cooling fins are press fitted to the outside wall of the magnetron and cooled by forced air flow from the aforementioned cooling fan. Although this method of cooling is quite effective and adequate for domestic microwave ovens, it is unsuitable for use in lighting applications, especially lighting applications that require a nominal lifetime of many years with minimal maintenance, for various reasons. For example, the cooling fan motor can be a source of mechanical breakdown and service problems applications requiring a long lifetime with minimal maintenance. Furthermore, the cooling fan and motor consume more power than is needed strictly for certain applications, such as for lighting, and occupy more space than is needed strictly for lighting, which makes it more difficult than necessary to fit the magnetron into the space provided in existing lighting fixtures.
Most magnetrons have resonant cavities constructed with vanes formed of a highly electrically conductive material such as copper, which is also an excellent thermal conductor. Most of the heat sources in a magnetron are concentrated near the edges of the vanes disposed nearest to the magnetron cathode. In particular, the main heat sources include the cathode itself, which is heated by a cathode heater to produce free electrons. The cathode thus radiates heat directly onto the edges of the anode vanes that are facing the cathode and are in closest proximity to it. Moreover, the free electrons are influenced by a magnetic field and formed into rotating electron beams between the cathode and anode. Another source of considerable heat is current arising in the same anode vane edges that face the cathode, resulting from those free electrons as they lose energy to microwaves generated in the anode, and are collected at the vane tips of the anode.
Some components of the magnetron are sensitive to this heat, including the strap rings and the magnets. The strap rings are located close to the hot vane tips and are thus exposed to its high temperature. Unless the heat is removed quickly, it can cause thermal deformation of the strap rings that results in thermal fatigue and shortens their lifetime, and can also undesirably change the resonant frequency of the magnetron.
Another problem with a 3G magnetron is that a ferrite magnet is used to produce the magnetic field that is critical to proper operation of the magnetron. Although the ferrite magnet is an inexpensive way to create the magnetic field, it is bulky and sensitive to changes of temperature. Since the temperature coefficient of a ferrite magnet is large, it is not suitable for outdoor use, such as in street lighting. This is, in part, because the magnets' magnetic field strength is adversely affected by increasing temperatures, thereby adversely affecting the operation of the magnetron. In the prior art, the side wall of the magnetron anode is made entirely of a single copper block, and heat is conducted easily to the top and bottom of the anode where the magnets forming the magnetic field are disposed. Prior art magnetrons, such as those used in domestic microwave ovens, dissipate this heat, which would otherwise excessively heat the magnets, by coupling a plurality of thin aluminum vanes to the outside of the magnetron anode, and forcing air through the vanes by the fan driven by the motor.
Yet further, although the magnetron radiates most of its microwave power through an antenna, it is difficult to avoid a small amount of leakage of electromagnetic (EM) power from aspects of the magnetron, such as through high voltage power lines of the cathode of the magnetron. This leakage adversely affects magnetron operation.
Efforts have been made to reduce or shield the EM leakage of a magnetron through its cathode end. Such efforts have been made because, for example, even a very low level of EM leakage may interfere with computers, communication devices, sensors, and the like. The regulation of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) levels is expected to be much stricter in certain applications, such as for street lighting applications, than for other uses, such as for domestic oven uses.
Three stages of efforts to suppress the EM leakage may be exercised to meet regulatory and performance requirements. The first stage is to control the source side, i.e., to design and operate the magnetron in such a way that the portion of the microwave leaking toward the cathode end is minimized. The second stage is to absorb or block the microwave power propagating toward the outside of the magnetron. The third stage is to shield, i.e., to enclose, the entire cathode end by a shield box.
In most of the magnetrons used in domestic microwave ovens, for example, the top and the bottom concentric ones of the aforementioned strap ring pairs short circuit the aforementioned vanes that form the anode of the magnetron in order to limit EM leakage. Strap rings are typically attached to the anode vanes alternately in prior embodiments. That is, if a one of the concentric top rings, such as the inner top strap ring, contacts a given anode vane, its correspondent concentric lower ring, such as the inner bottom ring in this example, does not contact the same anode vane This is referred to as an asymmetric type strap ring configuration.
The cathode is at the center of the resonant anode cavities in a magnetron. The cathode is generally heated. As such, the cathode and the heater contained therein receive a feed from a correspondent lead line. The cathode-heater lead may have a pair of metal plates that block the EM leakage, to some degree, but the performance thereof is far from satisfactory. More systematic measurement, and a completely new design, is needed to achieve the desired level of blocking EM leakage.
At the end of the cathode assembly, a filter circuit is generally installed and enclosed in a shield box. However, the filter circuit is effective only for low frequency noise, and not for the high frequency component typical in EM leakage. The shield box is generally press fitted to the cathode assembly, and the shielding effect on the main microwave frequency leakage is dubious at best.
In the 4G magnetron disclosed hereinbelow by the inventor hereof, a dispenser cathode is used. The dispenser cathode runs at very low temperature (˜950 C), and the active material, i.e. the barium, is continuously dispensed from within the tungsten matrix structure. The dispenser cathode may run at a much lower temperature than known magnetrons, and as such may offer very long life.
However, a dispenser cathode that provides such a long lifetime needs to operate in an UHV (Ultra High Vacuum) environment, such as on the order of 10-8 Torr or below. In order to achieve such a condition, one must exercise a great care in fabricating and processing the 4G magnetron. Furthermore, the dispenser cathode requires an activation process that can only be checked by an emission test.
It presents a challenge to carry out processes to create a 4G magnetron under mass production conditions. The UHV condition can be obtained only with a lengthy vacuum pumping and bakeout process under tightly sealed environment. Therefore, a continuous process to create a 4G magnetron is impractical and a batch job process is generally required. Moreover, because the 4G magnetron uses a different cathode from the 3G magnetron, and consequently the processing technologies used for the 3G magnetron are not helpful in designing processing systems for a 4G magnetron
Therefore, the need exists for improvement in the overall performance, EM leakage, temperature control, and processing of a magnetron.


A method of filtering in sub-bands that eliminates or greatly restricts aliasing effects is disclosed. First, a source digital signal is transformed into at least two distinct frequency sub-bands. Next, each of the frequency sub-bands is filter processed. The filter processing includes the steps of defining an overall filtering profile, determining a set of partial filtering profiles each associated with one of the sub-bands, and filtering each of the sub-bands according to the associated partial filtering profile. Finally, the filtered sub-bands are reverse transformed to deliver a reconstructed filtered signal. The determined partial filtering profiles are applied so that the reconstructed filtered signal corresponds substantially to a forward filtering of the source digital signal according to the overall filtering profile. In particular, the partial filtering profiles are applied such that the aliasing terms still present after filtering are substantially compensated for.

The field of the invention is the filtering of digital signals. More specifically, the invention relates to a new method for filtering digital signals transformed into sub-bands.
In signal processing, it is common practice to transform a source signal from the temporal domain to the frequency domain. A transformation such as this has many advantages. It makes it possible to concentrate the energy of the signal on a reduced number of coefficients, and to carry out various processing operations as a function of the application, taking into account psychovisual or psychoacoustic criteria, maximum flow-rate and other criteria.
These techniques of transformation therefore find application in numerous fields. They can be used to reduce the bit-rate of a digital sound signal, for broadcasting (for example of the DAB or digital audio broadcasting type), or for storage on optical disks or on magnetic media. They also can be applied to the reduction of the bit rate of still or moving pictures. For example, they can be applied to 4.2.2 television, high-definition television, earth digital television, visiophony, telecopies, the storage of images, and other applications such as the conversion of image formats. More generally, such techniques are also used to make changes in the representation of the signal, multiplexing and demultiplexing operations such as in radar signal processing.
The invention can be applied to all of the above-mentioned fields, and to many other fields, and to many other fields as well.
Among the known transformation techniques, there are notably the block transform techniques, such as the DCT (discrete cosine transform), FFT (fast Fourier transform), DST (discrete sine transform), KLT (Karhunen and Lowe Transform) and other types; transformation techniques using the application of a bank of filters such as QMF (quadrature mirror filters), CQF (conjugate quadrature filters), PQMF (pseudo quadrature mirror filters), and many other techniques using banks of filters implementing FPR (finite pulse response) type as well as IPR (infinite pulse response) type filters. Many other means of transformation are also known and are compatible with the method of the present invention.
From a general point of view, all these transformations have the common feature of transposing the source signal towards a representation that is frequential in varying degrees while, at the same time, preserving a spatial aspect with the transformation being done locally in the signal.
Subsequently, all these techniques will be grouped together, for purposes of simplification, under generic term of "transformation into sub-bands". These transformations into sub-bands shall therefore be seen as the application of a bank of analysis filters followed by a sub-sampling for the forward transformation. For the reverse transformation, they will be seen as an over-sampling followed by a bank of synthesis filters and an addition of all the outputs of these synthesis filters.
For the forward transformation, the sub-sampled output of each filter shall be designated by the term "sub-band". This term naturally covers sub-bands delivered by a bank of filters but also covers any type of signal delivered by any transformation which may be considered to be sub-bands, and covers signals delivered by a blockwise transformation, also called transformed coefficients.
The usefulness of splitting up a signal into sub-bands is based upon the fact that these sub-bands are sampled at a frequency below the sampling frequency of the source signal. It is clear that it is easier to carry out processing operations on sampled sub-bands which are at a lower frequency than on the original signal. It is also easier because usually, only certain sub-bands undergo a particular processing operation.
In a standard way, as shall be seen in greater detail hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8, the processing of the sub-bands according to the known prior art methods, consists simply of the multiplication of certain of the sub-bands by a given weighting coefficient. This enables the reduction, and even the cancellation, of certain of the sub-bands.
However, these techniques have one major drawback. During the reconstruction of the signal, namely after the attenuation of certain sub-bands, "pollution" terms appear (see for example FIG. 8, terms 81 to 84) due to the phenomenon of aliasing. Techniques described below have been found to attenuate the extent of the aliasing terms. However, these techniques imply a larger number of aliasing terms with lower values. Furthermore, the filtering operations performed by means of these known techniques are often highly selective in frequencies. This prompts ripple phenomena around contours, notably in the case of image processing.
The invention provides a method for filtering a signal transformed into sub-bands that can be used to obtain a reconstituted signal that is undisturbed or little disturbed by aliasing terms. The filtering method permits the use of a very large number of filtering profiles associated with one or more sub-bands, particularly profiles of the following types: low-pass, high-pass, pass-band, rejection, and multi-band of the type accentuating or attenuating certain bands.
The invention also provides a method based on a bank of filters that is simple to implement, easy to install, particularly on an integrated circuit and greatly limits the number of multiplications needed for implementation.
The invention also provides a method of performing an adaptive filtering operation and of varying the adaptive filtering operation as a function of a maximum bit rate or of an information element related to the analysis of the signal to be filtered.
The invention also provides a method of smoothing or attenuating filtering profiles that introduce no contour ripple phenomena (in image processing) which are generally prompted by highly selective filters such as PQMF filters, used to split signals into sub-bands.
The invention can be used in various applications, including sound or image (still or moving image) processing, multiplexing, multidimensional signal processing, or other types of applications. The invention makes it possible carry out conversions of image formats, notably for interleaved images, without introducing flickering into the image. The invention may be implemented in integrated circuits.

Method for the adaptive filtering of a transformed signal in sub-bands and corresponding filtering method

France Telecom and Teldiffusion de France S.A.


The present invention comprises a device which may be used as a substitute for one or more of a plurality of DC batteries used as a power source. The device includes an electrically conducting elongated structure which is sized such that it forms an electrical contact with a DC battery contained in a battery compartment or a battery compartment. In one embodiment, the elongated structure includes a permanent magnet which is capable of replacing one or more of a plurality of DC batteries used as a power source and of extending the life of the batteries used. In an alternate embodiment, the elongated structure is electrically conducting.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to DC batteries and, more particularly, to a device which may be used as a substitute for a conventional dry cell DC battery.
2. Description of Background Art
Commonly, many devices such as a portable radio, flashlight or toy use DC batteries as power sources. A universal problem has existed since the advent of these batteries in that dry cell batteries have a limited operating life span and are usually not rechargeable. Once the energy in a conventional DC battery has been expended, its usefulness ceases and the battery must be discarded and replaced. Research continues to be conducted to develop batteries with extended life spans. This research has led to the relatively recent development of the alkaline battery. However, this battery will also eventually lose its energy and cease to operate. Therefore, problems associated with the use of conventional DC dry cell batteries still exist; that is, the device will not operate if the battery fails.
Therefore, a need still exists for a device which may replace one or more conventional DC batteries used as a power source. Further, a need exists for a device which may extend the life of a DC battery used as a power source.


A control system, a safety system, etc., within a process plant may each use one or more state machine function blocks that can be easily integrated into a function block diagram programming environment. Such a state machine function block may include one or more inputs, which may cause a state machine implemented by the state machine function block to change states. The state machine function block may determine a next state to which it is to transition based, at least in part, on data indicative of the next state to which to transition, if any. The configuration data may be retrieved from a database based on the current state of the state machine and at least one of the inputs. The state machine function block may also include one or more outputs that are generated based on the state of the state machine.

Process control systems, like those used in chemical, petroleum or other processes, typically include one or more process controllers communicatively coupled to at least one host or operator workstation and to one or more field devices via analog, digital or combined analog/digital buses or lines. The field devices, which may be, for example valves, valve positioners, switches and transmitters (e.g., temperature, pressure and flow rate sensors), perform functions within the process plant such as opening or closing valves and measuring process parameters. The process controllers receive signals indicative of process measurements made by the field devices and/or other information pertaining to the field devices, use this information to implement control routines and then generate control signals which are sent over the buses or lines to the field devices to control the operation of the process. Information from the field devices and the controllers is typically made available to one or more applications executed by the operator workstation to enable an operator to perform any desired function with respect to the process, such as configuring the process, viewing the current state of the process, modifying the operation of the process, etc.
Additionally, in many processes, a separate safety system is provided to detect significant safety related problems within the process plant and to automatically close valves, remove power from devices, switch flows within the plant, etc., when a problem occurs which might result in or lead to a serious hazard in the plant, such as a spill of toxic chemicals, an explosion, etc. These safety systems typically have one or more separate controllers apart from the standard process control controllers, called logic solvers, which are connected to safety field devices via separate buses or communication lines installed within the process plant. The logic solvers use the safety field devices to detect process conditions associated with significant events, such as the position of certain safety switches or shutdown valves, overflows or underflows in the process, the operation of important power generation or control devices, the operation of fault detection devices, etc. to thereby detect "events" within the process plant. When an event (typically called a "cause") is detected, the safety controller takes some action (typically called an "effect") to limit the detrimental nature of the event, such as closing valves, turning devices off, removing power from sections of the plant, etc. Generally, these actions or effects include switching safety devices into a tripped or "safe" mode of operation which is designed to prevent a serious or hazardous condition within the process plant.
Systems within a process plant, such as process control systems and safety systems, typically may keep track statuses of various processes and/or the systems themselves. Input signals to a system may cause the status tracked by the system to change, and output signals generated by the system may depend on the current status of the system in addition to input signals to the system. Currently, the status of a system may be tracked using routines written in a programming language. Writing such routines can be tedious, time consuming and fraught with errors. In safety systems, such errors can be serious because a failure of the safety system to operate properly can lead to serious injury or even death on the part of plant personnel and to the destruction of potentially millions of dollars of equipment and material within a plant.
Also, the status of a system can be tracked using a programming technique for programmable controllers standardized by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), commonly referred to as a "sequential function chart" (set forth in the IEC 61131-3 standard). But as is known to those of ordinary skill in the art, using a sequential function chart to keep track of the status of a system can be difficult. Additionally, similar to the routines written in a programming language, creating a sequential function chart can be tedious, time consuming and fraught with errors.

State machine function block with a user modifiable state transition configuration database


A sealing or bearing structure for sealing or separating moving surfaces is provided. The sealing or bearing structure includes a main body that defines a body axis going through the main body. A contact surface is configured to slidingly contact another surface, such as a rod, and defines a contact axis that is parallel to the body axis. At least one geometric surface feature, such as a shaped edge, is located between the body axis and the contact axis. The geometric surface feature has an entry angle that is less than 5 degrees relative to the contact axis.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to bearings and seals, and, more particularly, to geometric surface features of bearings and seals and their mating surfaces.
2. Description of the Related Art
A seal is a structure included in devices to prevent media from flowing past the seal into other areas of the device. Seals come in a great variety of shapes and sizes, depending on their intended application(s). When seals are used to seal areas with moving parts (dynamic seals), friction between the seal and the moving part(s) are of concern. Friction caused by a moving surface that is in contact with the seal can cause the seal's sealing surface to abrade away, which can lead to premature failure of the seal. Likewise, bearings are used to prevent two moving parts from being in contact with each other. Friction can also cause the bearing's sealing surface to abrade away, which can lead to premature failure of the seal. In addition, too much friction with a seal or bearing results in excessive heat and resulting degradation of system performance. To counteract this problem, lubricants are provided between the seal or bearing and the moving surface to reduce the frictional forces by acting as a fluid separation. However, during operation, the lubricants don't always stay in place or form an adequate separation between the seal or bearing and the moving surface.
The prior art describes different surface texturing designs which are engineered to provide oil lubricant pockets, and various friction results (higher and lower) have been reported. Typical lubricant pocket designs provide evenly spaced rectangular or round pockets of varying size and density on one of the surfaces in contact.
What is needed in the art is an improved way of reducing friction between a seal and a moving surface.

Friction-reducing geometric surface feature


The present disclosure provides a stream processor, an associated stream controller and compiler, and associated methods for data processing, such as image processing. In some embodiments, a method includes defining a kernel pattern associated with an image frame, and processing the image frame using the defined kernel pattern. The method can further include generating a kernel switch lookup table based on the defined kernel pattern. In various implementations, the stream controller is operable to direct execution of kernels on the image frame according to the defined kernel pattern and the kernel switch lookup table.

Digital cameras and image sensor devices (such as CCD/CMOS image sensors) have gained significant popularity in recent years. Various efforts have been made to improve image processing in image sensor devices. For example, a camera typically includes an analog/digital front-end and a digital back-end. Complex digital back-end processors have been developed to improve camera performance, such as DIGIC 5 manufactured by Canon, Inc. These back-end processors can provide various camera functions, such as noise cancellation, shading correction, face detection, fix-pattern noise correction, anti-shaking, high ISO, other desired functions, or combinations thereof. The back-end processors are powerful, however, the development cycle is long and cost is high, and bandwidth also limits functions performed by the digital back-end processors. Accordingly, some functions have been moved to the digital front-end processor to reduce the back-end processor workload. For example, a fixed circuit can be incorporated into the digital front-end processor, such as a fix pattern noise removal circuit and a reorder circuit. Such circuits, though powerful, require redesigning the digital front-end processor, which is time-consuming and not cost effective.
A programmable stream image processor provides a high efficiency and low latency solution for handling different camera applications. For example, various programming can be implemented to ensure the stream processor can deal with fix-pattern noise correction, reorder functions, and other desired functions. A stream controller is a key part of a programmable stream processor, as the stream controller controls data processing flows and kernel switching when processing an image. Although existing programmable stream processors and associated stream controllers have been generally adequate for their intended purposes, they have not been entirely satisfactory in all respects.

Descriptor-based stream processor for image processing and method associated therewith


The present application provides a method and a device for generating smoking signals in electronic cigarettes and an electronic cigarette using the method and the device. The method includes these steps: using airflow passing through a vocal cavity of an electronic cigarette to drive the vocal cavity to vibrate and generate an ultrasonic wave; using an acoustic-electric conversion unit mounted on the vocal cavity to convert the ultrasonic wave into a voltage signal; and using a microprocessor of the electronic cigarette to generate a control signal according to the voltage signal and start a heating and atomizing process of tobacco juice in the electronic cigarette.

An electronic cigarette is a product that is configured to heat and atomize tobacco juice and thereby provide a substitute for cigarettes to consumers.
In use of an electronic cigarette, once a user begins to smoke the electronic cigarette, the electronic cigarette generates a smoking signal. Upon receiving the smoking signal, a microprocessor of the electronic cigarette starts a process of heating and atomizing tobacco juice. Therefore, generating the smoking signal is an important step of using the electronic cigarette.
In the prior art, most electronic cigarettes generate the smoking signals by two methods. One of the two methods is to mount a smoking sensor (e.g., an inhalation sensor) in an electronic cigarette. When the electronic cigarette is smoked, the smoking sensor can sense airflow changes and generate smoking signals correspondingly. The other of the two methods is to mount a start button on an electronic cigarette. Pressing the start button can generate smoking signals.
Since the smoking sensor can automatically generate smoking signals while the start button needs manual operations, conventional electronic cigarettes usually use smoking sensors to generate smoking signals. At present, most smoking sensors used in electronic cigarettes are thin film capacitive pressure sensors. When a user smokes an electronic cigarette equipped with a thin film capacitive pressure sensor, pressures applied to two thin films of a capacitor of the thin film capacitive pressure sensor are different from each other, and the two films are deformed. Thus, a capacitance of the capacitor is changed, and the capacitance change generates a smoking signal.
However, the thin films of the thin film capacitive pressure sensors generally require very high surface cleanliness. In use, if the tobacco juice in the electronic cigarettes seeps and reaches the thin films, the thin films may malfunction because the surface cleanliness of the thin films is unable to meet the requirement of the thin films. Thus, the thin film capacitive pressure sensors may be unable to generate smoking signals normally, which may adversely affect the use of the electronic cigarettes and shorten the service life of the electronic cigarettes.

Method and device for generating smoking signals and electronic cigarette using the method and the device

HUIZHOU KIMREE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. SHENZHEN BRANCH


A location history is a collection of locations over time for an object. By applying a recurring time period to a location history, it can be converted into a stochastic model of the location history. For example, a location history can be reorganized based on intervals that subside a recurring cycle. In a described implementation, training a location history model involves traversing each interval of multiple cycles of a target location history. After each object location at each interval is entered into a training matrix, the intervals can be normalized to determine relative probabilities per location for each interval of a designated cycle. The training and resulting location history model can be Markovian or non-Markovian. Applications include probabilistic location estimation, fusion of location estimates, location-history simulation, optimal scheduling, transition analysis, clique analysis, and so forth.

Attaining positional information is becoming faster, easier, and cheaper. Furthermore, positional information may be repeatedly acquired and then collected and stored electronically. More specifically, geographic information systems (GIS) can produce what is called a location history. A location history is a record of an entity's location in geographical space over some interval of time.
Historically, location histories have been reconstructed by archaeologists and historians looking at migrating populations or census takers tracking demographics, at temporal resolutions of decades or centuries and spatial resolutions of tens or hundreds of kilometers. Recent advances in location-aware technology, however, allow the recording of location histories at a dramatically increased resolution. Examples of such location-aware technologies include the global positioning system (GPS), radio triangulation, localization via mobile phones and associated networks, interaction with IEEE 802.11 wireless systems, and monitoring of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. These technologies make it feasible to track individual objects at resolutions of meters in space and seconds in time—in some cases, even greater resolution is possible.
These location-aware technologies along with modern computer storage capabilities enable a huge amount of positional data to be collected into a location history. The resulting location data points that are recorded for the location history can number in the hundreds, the thousands, the hundreds of thousands, or even higher. Unfortunately, although there are a few specific algorithms designed for certain particular applications of location histories, there are no general algorithms or approaches for organizing or otherwise handling this great wealth of location information.
Accordingly, there is a need for general schemes and/or techniques that can manipulate location histories, such as analyzing the location information thereof, modeling the location information thereof, and/or providing applications for using the analyzed or modeled location information.


Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method, device and computer program product for storing data. The method comprises creating a first data file having a naming identification at a first node in a Redundant Array of Independent Nodes (RAIN), and creating a second data file having the naming identification at a second node in the RAIN. The method further comprises creating, at a third node in the RAIN, a parity file having the naming identification, wherein the parity file is a parity result of a plurality of data files. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, files in the same parity group are configured with the same or partially the same file name.

Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID), as a data backup technology, can combine a plurality of independent physical disks in different ways to form a disk array, i.e., logical disk, in order to provide higher storage performance and reliability performance than a single disk. To restore data in a failure of a disk in the RAID, the RAID is usually provided with one or more parity blocks, such as RAID 5, RAID 6.
Redundant Array of Independent Nodes (RAIN) is a storage system and provides distributed data storage and protection in a multi-node architecture by integrating hardware and management software. Similar to the RAID, in RAIN enabled systems, data files distributed on different nodes are combined into one parity group and each parity group is provided with a controller file called a parity file, and the content of this parity file is an XOR result of the contents of the respective data files in the parity group

Method, device and computer program product for storing data


To provide a superior capacitance detecting device, a capacitance detecting device includes M row lines and N column lines that are arranged in a matrix, capacitance detecting elements provided at intersections therebetween, and power lines. The capacitance detecting element includes a signal detecting element and a signal amplifying element. The signal detecting element includes a capacitance detecting electrode, a capacitance detecting dielectric film, and a reference capacitor. The signal amplifying element is composed of a thin film semiconductor device having a gate electrode, a gate insulating film, and a semiconductor film, and an electrode of the reference capacitor is connected to the row line.

1. Field of Invention
Exemplary aspects of the present invention relate to a capacitance detecting device that reads the surface contours of a target having minute unevenness, such as a fingerprint, by detecting capacitance which changes according to a distance from the surface of the target.
2. Description of Related Art
In related art capacitance detecting devices used for, for example, fingerprint sensors, a sensor electrode and a dielectric film provided on the sensor electrode are formed on a monocrystalline silicon substrate. See Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-118415 Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Nos. 2000-346608, 2001-56204 and 2001-133213. The operating principle of a related art capacitance detecting device is illustrated in FIG. 10. The sensor electrode and the dielectric film constitute an electrode and a dielectric film of a capacitor, respectively. The other electrode of the capacitor is a human body connected to the ground. The capacitance CF of this capacitor changes according to the unevenness of a fingerprint contacting the surface of the dielectric film. The semiconductor substrate is equipped with a capacitor that forms a capacitance CS. These two capacitors are connected to each other in series, and a predetermined voltage is applied thereto. By application of a voltage, electric charge Q is generated between the two capacitors corresponding to the unevenness of a fingerprint. This electric charge Q is detected by using ordinary semiconductor technology, whereby the surface contours of a target are read.


A continuous ink jet printer having improved ink drop placement and image quality insuring from importing enhanced lateral flow characteristics, by geometric obstruction within it""s ink delivery channel, which, in turn, enables enhanced ink drop deflection.

The present invention relates generally to the field of digitally controlled ink jet printing systems. It particularly relates to improving those systems that asymmetrically heat a continuous ink stream, in order to deflect the stream""s flow between a non-print mode and a print mode.
Ink jet printing is only one of many digitally controlled printing systems. Other digital printing systems include laser electrophotographic printers, LED electrophotographic printers, dot matrix impact printers, thermal paper printers, film recorders, thermal wax printers, and dye diffusion thermal transfer printers. Ink jet printers have become distinguished from the other digital printing systems because of the ink jet""s non-impact nature, its low noise, its use of plain paper, and its avoidance of toner transfers and filing.
The ink jet printers can be categorized as either drop-on-demand or continuous systems However, it is the continuous ink jet system which has gained increasingly more recognition over the years. Major developments in continuous ink jet printing are as follows:
Continuous ink jet printing itself dates back to at least 1929. See U.S. Pat. No. 1,941,001 which issued to Hansell that year.
U.S. Pat. No. No. 3,373,437, which issued to Sweet et al. in March 1968, discloses an array of continuous ink jet nozzles wherein ink drops to be printed are selectively charged and deflected towards the recording medium. This technique is known as binary deflection continuous ink jet printing, and is used by several manufacturers, including Elmjet and Scitex.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,416,153, issued to Hertz et al. in December 1968. It discloses a method of achieving variable optical density of printed spots, in continuous ink jet printing. Therein the electrostatic dispersion of a charged drop stream serves to modulate the number of droplets which pass through a small aperture. This technique is used in ink jet printers manufactured by Iris.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,346,387, also issued to Hertz, but it issued in 1982. It discloses a method and apparatus for controlling the electrostatic charge on droplets. The droplets are formed by the breaking up of a pressurized liquid stream, at a drop formation point located within an electrostatic charging tunnel, having an electrical field. Drop formation is effected at a point in the electric field, corresponding to whatever predetermined charge is desired. In addition to charging tunnels, deflection plates are used to actually deflect the drops.
Until recently, conventional continuous ink jet techniques all utilized, in one form or another, electrostatic charging tunnels that were placed close to the point where the drops are formed in a stream. In the tunnels, individual drops may be charged selectively. The selected drops are charged and deflected downstream by the presence of deflector plates that have a large potential difference between them. A gutter (sometimes referred to as a xe2x80x9ccatcherxe2x80x9d) is normally used to intercept the charged drops and establish a non-print mode, while the uncharged drops are free to strike the recording medium in a print mode as the ink stream is thereby deflected, between the xe2x80x9cnon-printxe2x80x9d mode and the xe2x80x9cprintxe2x80x9d mode.
Recently, a novel continuous ink jet printer system has been developed which renders the above-described electrostatic charging tunnels unnecessary. Additionally, it serves to better couple the functions of (1) droplet formation and (2) droplet deflection. That system is disclosed in our copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/954,317 entitled xe2x80x9cCONTINUOUS INK JET PRINTER WITH ASYMMETRIC HEATING DROP DEFLECTIONxe2x80x9d, herein incorporated by reference. Therein disclosed is an apparatus for controlling ink in a continuous ink jet printer. The apparatus comprises an ink delivery channel, a source of pressurized ink in communication with the ink delivery channel, and a nozzle having a bore which opens into the ink delivery channel, from which a continuous stream of ink flows. A droplet generator inside the nozzle causes the ink stream to break up into a plurality of droplets at a position spaced from the nozzle. The droplets are deflected by heat from a heater (in the nozzle bore) which heater has a selectively actuated section, i.e. a section associated with only a portion of the nozzle bore. Selective actuation of a particular heater section, at a particular portion of the nozzle bore produces what has been termed an asymmetrical application of heat to the stream. Alternating the sections can, in turn, alternate the direction in which this asymmetrical heat is applied and serves to thereby deflect the ink droplets, inter alia, between a xe2x80x9cprintxe2x80x9d direction (onto a recording medium) and a xe2x80x9cnon-printxe2x80x9d direction (back into a xe2x80x9ccatcherxe2x80x9d).
Asymmetrically applied heat results in steam deflection, the magnitude of which depends upon several factors, e.g. the geometric and thermal properties of the nozzles, the quantity of applied heat, the pressure applied to, and the physical, chemical and thermal properties of the ink. Although solvent-based (particularly alcohol-based) inks have quite good deflection patterns, and achieve high image quality in asymmetrically heated continuous ink jet printers, water-based inks until now, have not. Water-based inks require a greater degree of deflection for comparable image quality than the asymmetric treatment, jet velocity, spacing, and alignment tolerances have in the past allowed. Accordingly, a means for enhancing the degree of deflection for such continuous ink jet systems, within system tolerances would represent a surprising but significant advancement in the art and satisfy an important need in the industry for water-based, and thus more environmentally friendly inks.
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to improve the magnitude of ink droplet deflection within continuous ink jet asymmetrically heated printing systems, without negating otherwise acceptable system tolerances.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an asymmetrically heated printing system which better accommodates water-based inks.
It is an additional object of this invention to improve image quality by allowing the systems image receiver, e.g. paper or other print media to be placed closer to the print head.
These objects and others, which will become apparent from reading the Detailed Description, are fulfilled generally by increasing the lateral flow of ink, entering the nozzle bore section of continuous ink jet printer systems, of the type employing asymmetrical heating for drop deflection. Said lateral flow is increased by imposing particular geometric obstructions at a position upstream from the nozzle bore entrance.

Deflection enhancement for continuous ink jet printers


The use of chitosan and a polysaccharide immobilized thereto selected from heparin, heparan sulphate and dextran sulphate for the manufacture of an agent capable of preventing or substantially reducing undesirable adhesion of damaged tissue with adjacent or surrounding tissues in connection with wound healing; and a process for the use of such agent.

The present invention relates to new anti-adhesion agents, i.e. products having the ability to prevent non-desired adhesion of tissues in connection with wound healing. The product has also the ability to improve healing quality by stimulating regeneration of tissue.
The invention also includes a process to prevent such undesired adhesion of tissues.
Our ability to move freely as desired and according to the current need is of utmost importance for our life quality. Suitable function of the musculoskeletal system in close cooperation with mainly the skin, mucosal membranes and nervous tissue is a prerequisite for our ability to move and requires per se that different structures such as bone, muscles and tendons are freely moveable relative to each other. Such activities require sliding zones, minimal friction and maximized freedom to move. Sliding systems between for example adjacent muscles and tendons as well as between skin and adjacent tissues are thus required for optimal function. The same is true for visceral structures, such as the gastrointestinal tract, heart, lung, brain and spinal cord. The sliding systems are formed by thin sheets of loose connective tissue, which in the abdomen, thoracic cavity, pericardial space and for the brain and spinal cord are delimited by mesothelial cells. The paratenons show a similar design.
These sliding systems are very sensitive to inflammation and injury. Scar tissues is easily formed resulting in impaired function and even loss of function. Adhesions may be formed in the abdominal cavity, i.e. formation of strings, and membrane-like fusions of adjacent or surrounding structures may eventually result in ileus, a life threatening condition. Surgical procedures carried out to treat injuries, remove tumors or treat other disorders or for performing reconstructions always result in scar formation and thereby more or less comprehensive loss of xe2x80x9cnatural and originalxe2x80x9d sliding systems.
The healing of injuries to the skin and mucosal linings are complicated, on the one hand by the restricted ability of connective tissue to regenerate and on the other hand by the formation of immature granulation tissue, which latter tissue has a limited capacity to gain a maturity similar to that of normal tissue. Thus, the dermis is neither re-formed in youths nor in adults after injury with few exceptions. Small and/or superficial injuries to the dermis are healed by replacement of the lost tissue by generation of adjacent type like structures and by the generation of reactive granulation tissue. More extensive tissue losses, such as after deep burns, third degree thermal injuries, and after loss of part of the dermis inevitably heal with scar formation, variable but persistent loss of tissue and with permanent deformations. The mechanically resistant component in the scar tissue is largely constituted by the type III collagen of short fibres and inferior organisation and has therefore inferior mechanical properties as compared to collagen of the normal optimal type I. The fraction of amorphous plastic ground substance has been reduced as well as the tissue cellularity. The number of blood vessels is with time reduced in relation to that in normal tissue and the distribution and type of vessels have changed. Wide, thin-walled vessels of inferior function as compared to the corresponding normal blood vessels are frequent, as are abnormal lymph vessel systems. The sliding systems are thus eventually replaced by rigid, fibrous collagen connective tissue.
An additionally complicating, very important factor is created by the appearance of myofibroblasts, i.e. xe2x80x9ccommonxe2x80x9d connective tissue cells (fibroblasts) which, as well as a part of the macrophages, have an increased number of cytoplasmic bundles of muscle proteins which enable the cells to slowly and powerfully contract and maintain the contraction for a long period of time. This may result in contractures which further deform and limit the function of the affected tissue. An increased presence of myofibroblasts is seen for example around breast implants (silicon prosthesis implanted for breast enlargement or breast reconstruction; a more detailed description by C. Lossing and H-A Hansson is found in an article in Plastic Reconstr. Surgery 1993, Vol. 91, page 1277-1286) and around sutures and other implants of foreign materials. Myofibroblasts are prevailing at an increased frequency around joints in certain rheumatoid diseases and may result in deviation of fingers and sometimes also in luxations. This cell is the pathogenic factor causing the deformities of the hand striking patients with Dupuytren""s contracture. The myofibroblasts as well as common fibroblasts are attached to collagen threads by means of specific heterodimeric receptors, one unit of which always is constituted by xcex21-integrin. Blocking of integrins results in elimination of contractures. Inflammation reducing drugs may influence the expression of integrins.
Sliding systems in loose connective tissue with or without a well defined sliding surface thus only restore in cases with minimal inflammation. The formation of granulation tissue occur, however, only in conjunction with an inflammatory process which per se does result in formation of immature cells and tissue components. This inability of the new tissue formed during the repair process to approach the normal differentiation levels is the reason that scar tissue is of inferior quality quantitatively and qualitatively as compared to the original, mature but lost tissue. Maturation of regenerated tissue requires access to growth factors which control and promote differentiation of cells, fibres and ground substance.
Extensive research has been directed to solve the problem of avoiding undesired adhesion of tissues in connection with the healing of wounds, for example wounds caused by surgical incisions, by accident, inflammations and tumors. PCT application No. US90/02406 describes technology associated with this specific problem and also includes a relatively extensive elucidation of the background art. The techniques described in said patent application are based on the use of sandwich constructions comprising a biodegradable bioactive membrane, the opposed surfaces of which have different composition and thereby different biological functions. However, the corresponding products do not seem to be available on the market.
Accordingly, the present invention has for an object to provide an anti-adherence agent with the use of which there is induced only a minimal inflammation of short duration, said agent being, moreover, bioacceptable and biodegradable without resulting in interfering degradation products.
Another object of the invention is to provide an anti-adherence agent having the ability to induce interface surfaces and resulting in simplified mechanical and technical handling in connection with for example surgical incisions.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a process to prevent or substantially reduce undesirable adhesion of adjacent or surrounding tissues and organs in connection with wound healing.
A further object of the invention is to stimulate regeneration of tissue in connection with wound healing.
For these and other objects which will be elucidated by the following disclosure there is provided through the present invention a new use of chitosan and a polysaccharide immobilized thereto, said polysaccharide being selected from heparin, heparan sulfate, and dextran sulphate. While using this composition of matter there can be produced an agent having the ability to eliminate or substantially reduce undesirable adhesion of damaged tissue to adjacent or surrounding tissues in connection with wound healing.
The polysaccharide used can be immobilized to the chitosan in mainly three different ways. Thus, immobilization can take place by ionic binding, by covalent binding or by mechanical inclusion in the chitosan in connection with precipitation from solution. A process for covalent binding of the relevant polysaccharide to a substrate carrying amino groups is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,613,665.
As a polysaccharide it is particularly preferred to use heparin or heparan sulphate said substances being commercially available on the market from several manufacturers. Also partly hydrolyzed forms of the polysaccharide can, of course, be used provided that the biological activity is maintained.
The anti-adherence agent used in accordance with the invention can be present in different physical forms, for example as films or membranes, gels, tubes or hoses, powders, aerosols or solutions. The relevant form is, of course, adapted to the damage involved. In most cases films are useful, whereas tubes or gels can be used in special cases, for example in connection with elongate confined tissues, such as muscles and tendons.
Chitosan is a linear 1,4-bound polysaccharide built up from xcex2-D-glucose amine units. The chitosan is manufactured by N-deacetylation of chitin, a polymer forming the shell of inter alia insects and shellfish. Commercially, chitin is recovered from crab and shrimp shells which constitute waste products from the fishing industry. By controlling the alkaline treatment of chitins chitosans of varying degree of N-acetylation can be made. When treating chitin with concentrated alkali, usually sodium hydroxide, N-deacetylation thus takes place, i.e. acetamido groups are converted into amino groups to form chitosan.
The physical properties of chitosan affecting its usefulness depend on the degree of N-acetylation, the molecular weight and the homogeneity. Chitosan is bio-degradable, both by chitinase in the digestive system and by lysozyme and other enzymes in the body liquids.
It is preferred in connection with the use of the present invention that the chitosan has a degree of N-acetylation of at most about 90% and preferably at most about 50%. It is particularly preferred that the degree of N-acetylation is less than about 25%.
The present invention also provides for a process to prevent or substantially reduce undesirable adhesion of tissues in connection with wound healing. This process involves applying at the site of the wound healing an agent comprising chitosan and a polysaccharide immobilized thereto selected from heparin, heparan sulphate and dextran sulphate.
Depending on the character of the wound involved the agent can be applied in the form of a film, in the form of a gel or in the form of a tube or a hose. The product to be selected for the application can easily be decided in connection with for example the relevant surgical procedure.

Agents, and methods employing them, for the prevention or reduction of tissue adhesion at a wound site


The present invention relates to a system and method for verifying the compatibility among the software components used in the software solution using an auto-license compatibility verifier. Further, the present invention provides the method for enabling the auto-license compatibility verifier, a tool for automatically and dynamically mapping the licensing information of the software components which are used in the software solution with respect to the already stored licensing information which are stored in the database.

Developing or building software solutions, especially from scratch is a time consuming and a logical process which requires lots of manual based coding skills. A number of proprietary and non-proprietary software codes or source codes are available on interne or elsewhere which is used for software development. Over the past years, the software developers either individuals or those who are working for an organization are using open source software, one of the non-proprietary type software which are publically available on different sources for developing the software solutions. The source code available in the different open source software is actually used for developing the software solutions. This source code of the open source software comes under different licensing restrictions such as GNU General Public License (GPL), GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL), Berkeley Software Distribution License (BSD) etc.
Since, these open source software have licensing restrictions, the software developers come across with difficulties regarding the compatibility among the different available open source software due to their licensing restrictions which may be used for developing the software solution. Ensuring the compatibility of these open source software among them is a challenging task.
In the currently known techniques, the selection of the appropriate open source software and thereafter performing compatibility check among them are manually or semi-automatically conducted. These manual and semi-automatic processes require a lot of manual intervention as well as time.
Hence, there is a lack of dynamically verifying the compatibility of different software components such as open source software which are used in the software solution. Moreover, yet another issue related to the verification of the compatible open source software is to ensure the software developers that the verified open source software are free from any licensing implications retaining the intellectual property (IP) rights as well as proprietorship. So, there is a long felt need of a system and method which is capable for verifying the compatibility among the open source software used in the software solution and further ensuring the software developers for exploiting the software solution commercially retaining the IP rights.

System and method to select compatible open-source software and components for developed or conceptualized solution


A tap dance sound producing apparatus (20) utilizes an attachment member (22) and sound producing members (24, 26). The attachment member preferably comprises a sock having a ground engaging surface (36). The sound producing members (24, 26) are preferably grommets which reinforce openings (32, 34) in the ground engaging surface (36) of the sock. An attachment member (22) is pulled onto each of a dancers feet (30, 56) and the sound producing members (24, 26) strike the ground as the dancer dances to produce a tap sound.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is broadly concerned with improved footwear particularly designed for dancing. More particularly, the invention pertains to such footwear wherein noise making members are attached to dancers' feet. In preferred forms, resilient tubular members with attached tap sound producing members slide over dancers' shoes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a properly structured program, dance can be used as a vehicle through which fitness is taught and obtained for both children and adults, and recognizing that one of the most popular forms of dance is tap dancing, because of the tap sound, tap dancing is especially suited to spark a fitness interest in both children and adults. Therefore, there is a desire to utilize tap dancing in the physical education programs of schools and other organizations. However, because of the cost of tap shoes and because it is difficult, if not impossible, to create an interest in tap dancing without the tap sound, tap dancing is not a feasible option for most organizations.
Alternatives to tap shoes have been proposed, but the alternatives have fallen short of providing a viable solution to expensive tap shoes. In general, the alternatives have failed to sufficiently reduce cost, damage the footwear to which they are attached, fail to properly position tap sound producing pieces on the foot, and fail to satisfactorily secure tap sound producing pieces to the foot during dancing. Therefore, there remains a need for a low cost tap sound producing apparatus.


A first stage and a second stage are disposed to face each other. A first object is fixed on the first stage. A first displacement sensor attached on the first stage is used to measure a distance extending from the first displacement sensor to a plane disposed in front of the first displacement sensor. A second object is fixed on the second stage. A second displacement sensor attached on the second stage is used to measure a distance extending from the second displacement sensor to a plane disposed in front of the second displacement sensor. A moving mechanism is provided to move one of the first stage and the second stage, with the movement of one stage being relative to the other stage.

1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gap adjustment apparatus and a gap adjustment method, and more particularly, to a gap adjustment apparatus and a gap adjustment method suitable for adjusting a gap between a wafer and a mask (which are both used in X-ray lithography and electron beam exposure).
2) Description of the Related Art
In X-ray lithography and electron beam exposure, a mask is usually disposed in a position above a wafer (which will later be exposed) with a small gap formed between the wafer and the mask. In this manner, the surface of the wafer can be subjected to an exposure treatment by passing light through the mask. However, in order to improve the resolution and alignment precision, it is extremely important to precisely control the gap between the wafer and the mask. In particular, if such a gap is too large, a half-shadow problem will occur, resulting in reduced resolution as well as reduced alignment precision.
As a method for measuring the gap between the wafer and the mask, a method in which a high resolution camera is used to perform image processing, and another method in which a high resolution camera and electrostatic capacitance type sensors are used in combination are known.
However, since the electrostatic capacitance type sensors and the high-resolution camera are both quite expensive, if a gap measurement method employs both the electrostatic capacitance type sensors and the high-resolution camera, the overall apparatus for carrying out such a method will become expensive. In particular, an electrostatic capacitance type sensor capable of measuring a gap of 50 μm or smaller is extremely expensive. Moreover, it will be necessary to use expensive lens to photograph a gap of 20 μm or smaller.
In addition, a high-resolution camera usually requires a large space in order to be installed in an appropriate manner. For this reason, it will be difficult to manufacture a compact exposure apparatus.

Gap adjustment apparatus and gap adjustment method for adjusting gap between two objects


The invention relates to a method and a device for analyzing electric cables in a network, for the detection and location of defects in networks comprising at least one junction from which there depart N secondary cable stretches. The method includes interposing in the network, in series at the input of each the secondary stretches (T2, T3) starting from the junction (A), a respective bidirectional passive filter (FR2,FR3) able to cut off a frequency band associated with this stretch. The filters all allow through the useful frequencies for the normal operation of the network. A pulsed test is applied to the input of the network signal modulated by N different carrier frequencies each situated in one of the N frequency bands of the filters. The temporal position of test signal spikes reflected for each of the N frequencies is detected, and deducing therefrom the position of possible defects on a stretch of cable of the network.

It is understood that the problem of detecting defects is all the more important the longer and more complex the electric cable networks or the more difficult they are to access (buried cables for example). This is why remote detection and location systems have been contemplated, operating from one end of the cable. The procedures used are so-called reflectometry procedures, in which a signal injected at one end of a cable propagates in this cable and a part of the amplitude of the signal is reflected at the site of the defect, because of the impedance discontinuity that the signal encounters at this site. If the speed of propagation of the signals in the cable (related to its characteristic impedance) is known, the measurement of the duration which separates the emitted wave from the reflected wave gives an indication of the distance between the end of the cable and the defect.
In temporal reflectometry procedures (TDR for "Time-Domain Reflectometry"), an electromagnetic wave is injected into the cable in the form of a voltage pulse, a voltage step change, or other. The wave reflected at the site of the impedance discontinuity is detected at the site of the injection and the time gap between the emitted and received edges is measured. The position of the defect is determined on the basis of this gap, and the amplitude and the polarity of the reflected pulse give an indication of the type of defect (open circuit, short-circuit, resistive defect, or other).
There also exist frequency domain reflectometry procedures (FDR for "Frequency Domain Reflectometry"), which consist in injecting at the input of the cable a sinusoid which is frequency-wobulated continuously or by step changes and in measuring the frequency gap or phase gap between the emitted wave and the reflected wave. The published patent application WO 02/068968 describes a frequency domain reflectometry procedure. In a variant called SWR for "Standing Wave Reflectometry", the nodes and antinodes of a standing wave generated by the combining of an incident wave and its reflection are detected.
Frequency domain reflectometry procedures are effective for analyzing a simple cable. They are difficult to use when the cable comprises branch-offs. Time domain reflectometry procedures can be used even with branch-offs but the analysis of the reflected signals is difficult because of the presence of multiple reflections.
A procedure based on both time and frequency and consisting in injecting a linearly wobulated signal with a Gaussian amplitude envelope has also been proposed, in the published patent application WO 2004/005947.
Spread spectrum reflectometry procedures have also been proposed, in the article "Spread Spectrum Sensors for Critical Fault Location on Live Wire Networks" by Cynthia Furse et al., in Journal of Structural Control and Health Monitoring, Volume 12, Issue 3-4, 2005. A signal is transmitted in the form of a low-level pseudo-random code on a network, even when it is in service; this signal and its echo reflected by a possible defect are correlated with variable time offsets to establish a time-dependent correlation curve. This curve exhibits correlation spikes at time offsets related to the position of the defects and junctions and/or branch-offs of the network. This system is particularly suited to the detection of intermittent defects since it can operate even though the network is being used; however, intermittent defects may very well occur only when the network is in service and disappear when it no longer is (for example a defect which occurs while an airplane is flying but which disappears on the ground). This procedure can be used for cables comprising branch-offs, but it retains ambiguities: it is not possible to say on which branch a detected defect is situated.
Finally, a similar procedure but using quite simply the signals or the natural noise circulating in the cable, and not a pseudo-random code injected at the input of the cable, has been proposed in the article by Chet Lo and Cynthia Furse "Noise-Domain Reflectometry for Locating Wiring Faults" published in IEEE Transactions on Electromagnetic Compatibility, Vol 47 No 1 Febuary 2005. Spikes with strong correlation are detected in a process for correlating the signal with itself. This procedure suffers from the same defect as the previous one, that is to say it does not allow easy resolution of position ambiguities when there are several branches.
The aim of the invention is to resolve these ambiguities, notably in cables exhibiting a T-structure (also called a Y-structure), that is to say comprising at least one branch-off.

Method and device for analyzing electric cable networks


A reference voltage regulator for an embedded dynamic random access memory (eDRAM) employing VSS-sensing with a reference level includes an oscillator, a control block, a reference generator, a comparator, a pulse generator, a driver, and a reference voltage output, where the oscillator sends requests for sampling and correction to the control block between accesses of the eDRAM, the control block sends a pulse defining a time interval during which sampling and correction occurs to the pulse generator, the reference generator provides the reference level for comparison by the comparator with a sampling of the reference voltage output, the comparator decides if the reference voltage output requires correction and sends a correction request to the pulse generator if necessary, the pulse generator produces a correction pulse for the driver according to the correction request from the comparator, and the driver adjusts the reference voltage output during the correction pulse.

A reference voltage at half-VDD is not sufficient enough to provide fast sensing and does not allow operating with a shorter cycle time. Fast sensing can be performed only if there is a large drain source voltage (Vds) for transistors in sense amplifier. The solution is to use VSS- or VDD-sensing, dependent on the type of memory cell access transistor. For n-type access device VSS-sensing is used. To implement VSS-sensing, a stable reference level close to VSS is required. There are two conventional ways of generating the reference level: using an analog regulator or using reference cells. Each method has its own advantages and drawbacks.
Analog push-pull voltage regulator requires relatively small area for generator. However, large voltage regulation (dV/dI) requires a large reservoir capacitor to compensate for the ripple of the reference level. The ripple of reference level can be minimized by improving the response of the analog regulator, but it can be essentially done only by increasing standby current. Another problem for analog regulator is to generate stable levels close to VSS.
For conventional sensing schemes with reference cells, additional area in the array is needed and reference cells are usually different from regular memory cells and thus more complicated. To activate reference cells, special levels different from the power supply voltage (>VDD) and the ground voltage (<VSS) are required. Usually these levels are the same as the levels for regular word-lines. This increases load for internal generators that usually have low efficiency, and hence results in higher power consumption.
Accordingly, new schemes and methods are desired for the generation of a precise reference voltage level for eDRAM.

Reference voltage regulator for eDRAM with VSS-sensing

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


A non-glass-cutting and adjustable hinge has a doorframe mount, a securing base, a spindle, a door bracket assembly, at least one positioning device and an adjusting assembly. The securing base is securely attached to the doorframe mount. The door bracket assembly is pivotally connected to the securing base with the spindle to attach to a glass panel and has a door bracket, two resilient plates, a pushing plate and multiple pushing bolts. The door bracket is constructed of a single body and has an engaging recess and multiple pushing threaded holes. The resilient plates are mounted inside the engaging recess and located respectively at two sides of the engaging recess. The pushing plate is mounted inside the engaging recess and abuts against one of the resilient plates. The pushing bolts are screwed respectively into the pushing threaded holes and push against the pushing plate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic positioning hinge, and more particularly to a non-glass-cutting and adjustable automatic positioning hinge for a glass door and one that is easily and conveniently assembled with the glass door.
2. Description of Related Art
A glass door in a doorway system comprises a glass panel, a doorframe and two conventional hinges. The glass panel is pivotally mounted in the doorframe with the hinges. However, exact alignment of the glass panel with the doorframe is important because the glass door will not close completely when the glass panel is not aligned exactly with the doorframe. Therefore, an adjustable hinge is provided to accurately install the glass panel in the doorframe with the hinges.
However, to assemble a conventional adjustable hinge onto the glass panel of the glass door, a notch must firstly be defined in the glass panel to engage with the conventional adjustable hinge. Therefore, to install conventional adjustable hinge onto the glass panel is inconvenient and troublesome, specifically to that the glass panel is always made of tempered glass so that to define a notch in a tempered glass is very difficult and costly.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a non-glass-cutting and adjustable automatic positioning hinge for a glass door to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.

Non-glass-cutting and adjustable automatic positioning hinge for a glass door