The invention relates to a laundry treatment machine, more especially a washing machine or a laundry dryer, comprising a drivable drum which accommodates laundry and is rotatably mounted in a container integral with the housing, wherein the container is provided with an elastic sleeve, covering the transition from the front opening of the container to the housing opening, around the filler opening of the drum, and wherein a laundry rejector is attached in this transitional region in the region of the top dead center of the drum. For improvement purposes, a specially configured laundry rejector is provided in the region of the top dead center of the drum in conjunction with a receiving means in the sleeve in order to avoid laundry items from becoming damaged.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a laundry treatment machine, more specifically a washing machine or a laundry dryer, comprising a drivable drum which accommodates laundry and is rotatably mounted in a container integral with the housing. The container is provided with an elastic sleeve, covering the transition from the front opening of the container to the housing opening and around the filler opening of the drum. A laundry rejector is attached in the transitional region at the top center of the drum.
2. Description of the Related Art
In laundry treatment machines, more and more demands are being made on the laundry holding capacity of the machine. These demands lead to the dimension between the bottom of the drum and the lower region of the filler door becoming smaller and smaller with larger filler doors. The lower region of the filler door and that of the sleeve often lie on the same plane. This means that the laundry does not always slide back fully into the drum during the rotary movement of the drum and more specifically during the run-up thereof. Rather some of the laundry passes to the fixed sleeve and can be entrained there. In such cases the laundry can be damaged by the edge which forms the filler opening of the drum.
Therefore it is important to keep laundry away from the sleeve until a safe speed of the drum is reached.


An imaging device provides efficient heat transfer by orienting components of the imaging device such that heat is transferred out of the imaging device instead of within the imaging device assembly. Heat is transferred out of the imaging device assembly through a printed circuit board to which the assembly housing is mounted thereon and/or through the housing itself.

This invention relates to imaging sensor modules, and specifically heat transfer systems and methods for image sensor modules having multiple high power devices.
Imaging systems are becoming increasingly advanced. These systems are utilized in a wider variety of applications than ever before. For example, imaging systems are being used within automobiles, smart phones, stand-alone cameras, and numerous other applications. The advance in imaging system technology is resulting in modules requiring vastly more power and generating vast amounts of image data.
FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art imaging module 100. Imaging module 100 includes a housing 102, at least one lens 104, and a stacked configuration of an image sensor 106, a memory device 108, and an application circuit 110. Each of memory device 108 and application circuit 110 is illustrated with a metal heat sink 112 located on top of the element. Each of image sensor 106, memory device 108, and application circuit 110 are coupled to a respective printed circuit board 114, wherein printed circuit boards 114 are coupled to each other via connectors 116.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, heat generated from any of image sensor 106, memory device 108, and/or application circuit 110 is dissipated directly within housing 102 (i.e. into the module 100 assembly). This heat concentrates within housing 102 and causes substantial reduction in performance of the imaging module 100.
There exists a need to reduce the amount of heat within the imaging module assembly, thereby substantially increasing the performance of the imaging module.

Image device having efficient heat transfer, and associated systems


Aspects of the invention provide a package for accommodating a piezoelectric resonator that can include more mounting electrodes than connecting electrodes of the piezoelectric resonator element. The mounting electrodes can be electrically connected with a wiring pattern. In the lower surface of a package body, there can be formed external terminals at the four corners thereof. The external terminals are bonded to a mounting board. The external terminals are electrically connected to the mounting electrodes, respectively. The external terminal is not connected electrically to either of the mounting electrodes. Therefore, positions of the external terminals for operating the piezoelectric resonator can be changed based on whether a pair of connecting electrodes of the piezoelectric vibration element is bonded to the mounting electrodes, or it is connected to the mounting electrodes. Accordingly, it can be possible to easily change positions of external terminals for connecting to a circuit on a board.

1. Filed of Invention
Aspects of the invention can relate to a package for an electronic component, and especially to a package for an electronic component having a plurality of mounting electrodes for connecting to connection electrodes of the component itself contained in the package and to a method of manufacturing a piezoelectric device.
2. Description of Related Art
Related art piezoelectric devices, such as quartz resonators or quartz oscillators, as electronic components are contained in surface-mount type packages having main bodies formed with ceramic to have box-shapes in order to meet requirements of smaller-sized or thinner electronic instruments. The piezoelectric devices having such box-shaped packages are often handled with wrong orientations in, for example, right and left direction. And it can be inconvenient that the piezoelectric devices do not normally function when they are mounted with wrong orientations in right and left direction. Therefore, as described in FIGS. 19(1) through 19(3), a related art piezoelectric device can be equipped with a pair of terminal for operating the piezoelectric resonator element, which is disposed on both edges of a diagonal of the bottom of its package body so as to be mounted without any considerations on its mounting orientation. See, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-214950. Note that, FIG. 19(1) shows a plan view with its cover omitted, FIG. 19(2) shows a cross-sectional view thereof with the cover along the A—A line, and FIG. 19(3) shows an arrow view along the B—B line of FIG. 19(2).
In FIGS. 19(1) through 19(3), the piezoelectric resonator 10, which is one of the piezoelectric devices, has a piezoelectric resonator element 14 (a component body) contained inside a package 12. The package 12 is composed of a package body 16 formed like a box with ceramic and a metallic cover 19 for sealing the inside of the package body 16 airtight.
The piezoelectric resonator element 14 can be composed of, for example, a piezoelectric plate element 15, such as an AT-cut quartz plate, excitation electrodes 18a, 18b (the excitation electrode 18b is not shown in the drawings) are provided in the center and on the both sides of the piezoelectric plate element 15. Further, the piezoelectric resonator element 14 can include a pair of connection electrodes 20 (20a, 20b) on one edge thereof in a longitudinal direction. Each of the connection electrodes 20 can be formed continuously on both surfaces of the piezoelectric resonator element 14 and electrically connected to respective one of the excitation electrodes 18a, 18b. And, the excitation electrodes 18 and the connection electrodes 20 are formed symmetrically on the both surfaces of the piezoelectric resonator element 14.
On the bottom of the package body 16, there can be formed a pair of mounting electrodes 22 (22a, 22b) correspondingly to the connection electrodes 20. As shown in FIG. 19(2), these mounting electrodes 22 are provided with the corresponding connection electrodes 20 fixed via electrically conductive adhesive 24 to electrically connect the mounting electrodes 22 with the excitation electrodes 18. Further, the package body 16 can include external terminals 26 (26a through 26d) for connecting to a mounting board not shown at respective corners of the outer surfaces of the bottom.
One mounting electrode 22a in the package 12 is electrically connected to the external terminal 26a via a through hole not shown or the like. Further, the other mounting electrodes 22b can be electrically connected to the external terminal 26c via a connection wiring section 28 shown in FIG. 19(1). Therefore, the pair of electrodes of the piezoelectric resonator element 14 is electrically connected to the external terminals 26a, 26c positioned on a diagonal of the package 12. And, the other pair of external terminals 26b, 26d is connected to the ground of the board and is electrically connected to the cover 19. Thus, the cover 19 can be held in the ground potential to electromagnetically shield the inside of the package 12.

Package for electronic component and method of manufacturing piezoelectric device


A system for three-dimensional (3-D) facial animation, including a base 3-D surface model representing a human face, and a set of displacement fields representing surface motion patterns associated with muscle movements. Each displacement field is a displacement vector varying over vertices of the base surface model and an intensity variable. Both the base surface model and displacement fields are acquired from a live subject by 3-D acquisition. The data are acquired using a surface acquisition system, capable of measuring the coordinates of a set of points on the subject's face and reconstructing the facial surface as a surface model. The base surface model is acquired by reconstructing the surface of the subject's face in the neutral pose. Each displacement field is acquired by reconstructing the surface of the subject's face in a series of poses of a muscle movement at increasing intensities. This results in a sequence of surface models exhibiting the changing shape of the face over the progress of the muscle movement. The displacement field is derived by calculating displacements at each selected intensity value and then interpolating over the known displacements.

Three-dimensional computer animated actors may be useful in a variety of applications. For example, they may be employed for entertainment or educational purposes in film and television, where advanced techniques in 3-D modeling, kinematics and rendering allow the creation of realistic-looking action without the constraints of filming real actors. Computer animated actors may also play an integral role in 3-D video games and virtual reality, where they may help to achieve the goal of synthesizing realistic, interactive 3-D worlds.
Computer-animated actors may also be useful as a communication tool. In computer user interfaces, communication between the computer and the user may be carried out mainly through text. Instead, the computer may use an animated actor to communicate with the user. This may be accomplished by generating voice from the text using text-to-speech synthesis, while synchronizing the movements of the actor's face with the synthetic voice, by matching the pose of the face to the current sound. Substituting text with a humanoid talking actor may give the user a more personal, entertaining and engaging experience, and may reduce user fatigue caused by reading. Such a text-driven animated actor may be added to any application that relies on text, including web-based applications.
An important aspect of animating humans by computer is capturing the subtle and complex structure and movement of the human face. The face is commonly the focus of viewers' attention, especially during close-ups and when actors are speaking, and people are innately sensitive to even very small changes in expression. Therefore, accurately modeling and animating the human face may be viewed as a critical objective within the broader field of 3-D human animation.
Techniques for 3-D computer facial modeling and animation are reviewed in F. I. Parke and K. Waters, Computer Facial Animation, A. K. Peters, Wellesley, Mass., 1996, and in J. Noh, "A survey of facial modeling and animation techniques," University of Southern California Technical Report 99-705, 1998. A 3-D model of a face may be developed using a variety of surface representations, such as, for example, polygonal or parametric surfaces. A polygonal surface is composed of a set of polygonal facets, such as triangles, joined at the edges. Parametric surfaces are composed from bivariate spline functions, also known as spline "patches."
Realistic 3-D models of faces may be acquired readily from live subjects through various shape measurement techniques involving the use of active sensing, which casts special illumination onto an object in order to measure it. (For details on shape measurement by active sensing, see Y. F. Wang and J. K. Aggarwal "An overview of geometric modeling using active sensing", in IEEE Control Systems Magazine, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 5-13, 1988.) A variety of commercial shape capture systems using active sensing may be available, such as the 3030RGB/PS laser scanner of Cyberware Inc., Monterey, Calif.; the ShapeSnatcher light system of Eyetronics Inc., Belgium; or the 3DFlash! light system of 3DMetrics, Inc., Petaluma, Calif.
While accurate static models of faces may be readily and automatically acquired, animating the models realistically may be less straightforward. The task may involve determining appropriate deformations of the model. To limit the problem, a small set of reusable deformation procedures may be designed, which may be handled conveniently by a human animator or by an external program to generate deformations. An appropriate set of deformation procedures may simulate natural muscle movements of the human face. These muscle-like deformation procedures may be used in combination to simulate complex activities such as speech and emotional expression. The task of generating realistic facial animation thus may reduce to the task of designing a set of realistic muscle-like deformation procedures.
Procedures for muscle-like deformation of 3-D facial models may be classified into the following types: force propagation, displacement propagation, free-form deformation and direct surface displacement.
In a force propagation scheme, a facial model may include a representation of facial anatomy including elements corresponding to skin, muscle and bone. For the skin representation, multiple layers of skin tissue may be represented by an elastic spring lattice or a finite element model. For muscles, each muscle fiber may be represented as a vector between a skin node and an immobile bone attachment. Contraction of the muscle fiber results in pulling the skin attachment in the direction of the bone attachment. The force applied to one skin node is then propagated across the face through the skin tissue model.
This approach to facial deformation may require a great deal of data to reconstruct the complex underlying anatomy of the face and its physical properties, which may vary across features of the face. This may make such models painstaking to design. Furthermore, to compute the propagation of muscle contraction forces throughout the model may be computationally expensive.
To generate muscle-like deformation with less in-depth modeling and lighter computation loads, surface deformations may be computed more directly, without attempting to reconstruct the complex underlying anatomy and physical processes that lead to the deformations. Examples of these more result-oriented deformation control schemes may include the displacement propagation, free-form deformation and direct surface displacement methods.
A displacement propagation approach represents skin as an infinitesimally thin surface, with muscle fibers represented by vectors beneath the skin surface. Each vector has one moveable endpoint and one fixed endpoint. To simulate muscle contraction, the moveable endpoint of the vector moves in the direction of the fixed endpoint. As the moveable endpoint is displaced toward the fixed endpoint, control points on the skin surface within a zone of influence of the muscle vector are also displaced in the direction of the fixed endpoint. The magnitude of the displacement of each control point in the zone of influence may be a function of its angular distance from the muscle vector and its nearness to the immobile endpoint. The magnitude of displacement may also be affected by a skin elasticity factor.
In free-form deformation, a surface is deformed by manipulating an invisible, flexible bounding box in which the surface is embedded. As the bounding box is deformed by manipulating its control points, the embedded surface deforms accordingly. Free-form deformation may be used to simulate muscle-like actions by displacing control points of a bounding box along particular trajectories.
In both of the two preceding techniques—displacement propagation and free-form deformation—a facial model involves a simple surface controlled by the displacement of secondary structures, whether muscle vectors or a bounding box. On the other hand, in the direct surface displacement method, the displacement of the surface is described directly, not as a function of the displacement of some other structure. The displacement of a group of control points in the surface may be described by a parametric equation, for example.
While these three method—displacement propagation, free-form deformation and direct surface displacement—all may involve less complex models and less intensive computation than the force propagation method, such deformation schemes may nevertheless require significant painstaking effort to design. In each case, it may be necessary to specify the various data and functions that will engender the desired surface deformations. For example, in the displacement propagation approach, one may be required to specify the placement and zone of influence of each muscle vector, and possibly an elasticity parameter over the skin surface; in free-form deformation, the bounding box may need to be specified as well as the displacement trajectories of its control points; and for direct surface displacement, one may be required to design the equations to govern the trajectories of the control points. These data may need to be supplied by artistic interpretation of facial deformations. Furthermore, the greater the desired realism and accuracy of the deformations, the more labor and skill may be required to specify the deformation procedures.

Static and dynamic 3-D human face reconstruction


The present invention provides a process for more efficiently producing an α-hydroxycarboxylic acid ester wherein side reactions due to the α-hydroxycarboxylic acid ester are inhibited or prevented in comparison with prior art production processes.

Glycolic acid esters, lactic acid esters, and like α-hydroxycarboxylic acid esters have been used as raw materials (condensation polymerization monomers) for various synthetic resins such as polyglycolic acid and the like. Moreover, they are industrially useful compositions as cleaning agents, etchants, etc.
Processes known for producing glycolic acid esters, a type of α-hydroxycarboxylic acid ester, are, for example, those described in the following Items 1 to 4:    1. Synthesizing a polyglycolide from formaldehyde and carbon monoxide in the presence of a heteropolyacid, and then subjecting it to alcoholysis (for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 1994-228045, claims);    2. Producing glycolic acid from formaldehyde and carbon monoxide, and then esterifying it with an alcohol (e.g., Korean Patent Publication No. 9511114);    3. Conducting oxidative esterification between glyoxal and an alcohol in the presence of a catalyst (e.g., Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 1996-104665, claims); and    4. Hydrogenating an oxalic acid diester (e.g., Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 1994-135895, claims).
In view of the processes described above, the present inventors previously developed a production process employing oxidative esterification (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-204748, claims). In this process, an α-hydroxycarboxylic acid ester is produced by reacting a 1,2-diol with an alcohol in the presence of oxygen. This process enables an α-hydroxycarboxylic acid ester to be produced more efficiently.
However, α-hydroxycarboxylic acid esters (especially glycolic acid ester) are unstable to heat and relatively reactive. Therefore, even in the production process disclosed in the aforementioned Patent Application No. 2002-204748 (claims), the desired product may be obtained in reduced yield due to side reactions (such as oligomerization, hydrolysis, ester exchange reactions, etc.) of the α-hydroxycarboxylic acid esters undergoing heating during reaction, distillation and the like. Moreover, since those components having lower boiling points than the α-hydroxycarboxylic acid esters are removed from the system by distillation, it is possible that reaction equilibrium is lost and side reactions are enhanced. Furthermore, the prior art methods are inadequate for integrating the synthesis and purification of α-hydroxycarboxylic acid esters to efficiently produce the desired products. Therefore, demand exists for a more efficient production method for α-hydroxycarboxylic acid esters.
Examples of α-hydroxycarboxylic acid condensates (2-hydroxycarboxylic acid condensates) include polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid, and the like. These compounds are usually obtained by subjecting α-hydroxycarboxylic acids (2-hydroxycarboxylic acids) such as lactic acid, glycolic acid, and the like, to dehydrative condensation (for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 1995-102044, claims). In this case, one terminal of the condensate is a hydroxyl group and the other is a carboxyl group.
Production of α-hydroxycarboxylic acid condensates by dehydrative condensation of α-hydroxycarboxylic acids poses a problem in that it is difficult to produce α-hydroxycarboxylic acid condensates of sufficient molecular weight. Therefore, in practice, such α-hydroxycarboxylic acid condensates are produced by initially preparing condensates having a molecular weight of several thousands to tens of thousands, thermally decomposing them to produce cyclic esters such as lactides and glycolides, and ring-opening polymerizing these cyclic esters.
Also known is a method in which α-hydroxycarboxylic acid condensates are produced by a dealcoholizing condensation reaction using hydroxycarboxylic acid ester such as methyl lactate, butyl lactate, and the like as starting materials. The condensates produced by this method have a hydroxyl group at one terminal and an ester group such as a methyl ester, butyl ester, or like group at the other terminal (for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication 1995-173264, claims). As with the condensates derived from α-hydroxycarboxylic acids, it is difficult to produce such condensates with sufficient molecular weight, and the production process thereof is complex.
Therefore, demand exists for the development of α-hydroxycarboxylic acid condensates that have higher molecular weight than prior art condensates and a process for readily producing them.

Method for producing α-hydroxycarboxylate

Abstract: The invention provides a process for producing an α-hydroxycarboxylic acid ester comprising Steps 1 to 3:

Abstract: Step 1. reacting, in the presence of oxygen, (i) a 1,2-diol with a 1,2-diol or (ii) a 1,2-diol with an alcohol to obtain a reaction product containing an α-hydroxycarboxylic acid ester;

Abstract: Step 2. separating the α-hydroxycarboxylic acid ester from the reaction product obtained in Step 1 by distillation under reduced pressure; and

Abstract: Step 3. feeding Step 1 with a mixture obtained by partially or entirely removing water from the reaction product, wherein the mixture contains an unreacted 1,2-diol and/or alcohol.


A method and system for preparing multimedia content, whereby the multimedia content comprises at least one file, comprising content data and associated security functions. The content data further comprises associated characteristics. The system comprises at least one server machine comprising storage for storing the file, at least one client machine comprising means for rendering the file and a network. Firstly, the client machine requests the file (e.g. a movie file). Next, the server machine determines whether it has the file stored in memory. If the file is present, the file's associated security functions (e.g. encryption etc.) are obtained and the file's content data is analyzed to obtain the associated characteristics (e.g. bit rate etc.). Finally, the associated security functions and the associated characteristics are combined into a data structure.

Multimedia, namely, the combination of text, animated graphics, video, and sound, presents information in a way that is more interesting and easier to grasp than text alone. It has been used for education at all levels, job training, and games by the entertainment industry. It is becoming more readily available as the price of personal computers and their accessories declines.
Digital technology's exponential decline in price and increase in capacity has enabled it to overtake analogue technology. The Internet is the breeding ground for multimedia ideas and the delivery vehicle of multimedia objects to a huge audience. The World Wide Web is the Internet's multimedia information retrieval system. In the Web environment, client machines communicate with Web servers using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). The web servers provide users with access to files such as text, graphics, images, sound, video, etc., using a standard page description language known as Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). HTML provides basic document formatting and allows the developer to specify connections known as hyperlinks to other servers and files. In the Internet paradigm, a network path to a server is identified by a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) having a special syntax for defining a network connection. So called web browsers, for example, Netscape Navigator (Netscape Navigator is a registered trademark of Netscape Communications Corporation) or Microsoft Internet Explorer (Internet Explorer is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation), which are applications running on a client machine, enable users to access information by specification of a link via the URL and to navigate between different HTML pages.
Multimedia systems need a delivery system to get the multimedia objects to the user. Magnetic and optical disks were the first media for distribution. The Internet, as well as the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) protocol suite or Net BIOS on isolated or campus LANs, became the next vehicles for distribution. The rich text and graphics capabilities of the World Wide Web browsers are being augmented with animations, video, and sound. Internet distribution will be augmented by distribution via satellite, wireless, and cable systems.
Nowadays, multimedia generally indicates a rich sensory interface between humans and computers or computer-like devices; an interface that in most cases gives the user control over the pace and sequence of the information. An example of a multimedia application, is movies on demand (also known as video on demand (VOD)), in which a viewer can make selections from a large library of videos and then play, stop, or reposition the tape or change the speed. In more detail movies on demand is a service that provides movies on an individual basis to television sets in people's homes. The movies are stored on a central server (termed a content server in this description) and transmitted through a communication network. A set-top box (STB) connected to the communication network converts the digital information to analogue and inputs it to the TV set. The viewer uses a remote control device to select a movie and manipulate play through start, stop, rewind, and visual fast forward buttons. The capabilities are very similar to renting a video at a store and playing it on a VCR. The service can provide indices to the movies by title, genre, actors, and director. VOD differs from pay per view by providing any of the movies at any time, instead of requiring that all purchasers of a movie watch its broadcast at the same time. However, watching the movie on a TV set attached to a videocassette recorder (VCR) with the same abilities to manipulate the play is not considered multimedia.
Initially, the type of information distributed was primarily in the form of text and graphics. Later, images and stored audio and video files emerged. Typically, these audio and video files are downloaded from a server and stored at the client machine. A "player" then renders the files before they are "played" on the client machine. Advantageously, downloading allows a user to view files of any format, however, downloading can take time if a user's network connection is "slow" and once downloaded, the files may take up space on the user's hard drive (on the client machine).
As an alternative, streamed audio and video (whereby a stream comprises a single type of data—e.g. audio) have become available from both stored and live sources on the Web. Audio and video streaming enables client machines to select and receive audio and video content from servers across the network and to begin hearing and seeing the content as soon as the first few bytes of the stream arrive at the client machine. Therefore, the actual content of the media files remains on the server and the client machine receives the content of the files as "streams" of data. Although streaming solves some of the problems associated with downloading, playback quality becomes dependent on the network connections.
Streaming media requires that data be transmitted from a content server to a client machine at a sustained bit rate that is high enough to maintain continuous and smooth playback at the receiving client machine. Typically, a client machine requests multimedia data and hypermedia (the combination of hypertext and multimedia) data from a content server. The content server is responsible for streaming the data to the client machine for rendering/playing.
In order to manage the streaming and rendering, it is important that the requesting client machine (specifically an "decoder" application, which converts the incoming stream for rendering on the client machine) understands the characteristics of the stream it will receive and play, such as the frame rate or the sample rate etc. This is often achieved during a client-server "handshake" communication, whereby client machines and server machines communicate over a communications network. For example, if a client machine does not have the capability to handle an incoming audio stream (e.g. because it cannot render the number of frames per second or cannot render an audio stream above a certain sample rate), then there is no need to progress the client machine's request.
Currently, the multimedia content that exists comprises different characteristics and in addition the characteristics are defined in different ways by different file formats. This results in a vast amount of varying multimedia content and no common method for indexing it. Furthermore, if characteristics are not readily available to a decoder, it may have to do some analysis to "guess" at them (for example, by analyzing file extensions e.g. ".avi", ".mov" etc.) or it may have to do some processing to find the characteristics, if they are situated in a different location to that it is expecting.
In one prior art solution from Microsoft Corporation, the source (which can be one of a number of a variety of formats) is compressed and encoded in the ASF (Advanced Streaming Format) file format, which is based on objects. More information can be found in the book "Inside Windows Media" by Microsoft Corporation, 1999, ISBN 0-7897-2225-9.
Three types of ASF objects exist, representing:                A Header object—defines the characteristics of the stream, or sub-streams        A Data object—comprises the digitized data packets of the media streams or sub-streams        An Index object—defines index entries which point to the data packets, in order to synchronize streams to a common timeline, so that video and audio streams are not out of synch for example.
The ASF header object comprises a "stream properties" object, defining the properties of each stream. The ASF header can be user by the client machine separately from the other two objects, so that the requesting client machine can prepare to process ASF files, for example, to "play" them.
Whilst the ASF format partially solves the problem, many media files exist only in other commonly used formats such as MP3, MPEG, MPEG4, MHEG etc. This means that content owners have little desire to perform media conversions, as this can be time consuming. Furthermore, content owners frequently need to define various characteristics of the stream delivery, for example, whether the streams are to be protected or flowed "in-the-clear" (that is, unprotected, not encrypted etc.).
Thus, there is a need for less time-consuming maintenance for an administrator, especially if the properties of a stream were to change frequently, and for analysis and preparation of pre-authored multimedia content of any kind.

System for preparing multimedia content for transmission

International Business Machines Corporation


An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a waste liquid container accommodation part, and a waste liquid drain passage member. The waste liquid container accommodation part replaceably accommodates a first waste liquid container to contain waste liquid. The waste liquid drain passage member guides waste liquid into the waste liquid container accommodation part. The apparatus body includes a mount portion to mount a second waste liquid container having a capacity greater than the waste liquid container accommodation part. The mount portion of the apparatus body is different from the waste liquid container accommodation part. The waste liquid container accommodation part accommodates a relay unit to relay a drain passage from the waste liquid drain passage member to the second waste liquid container, replaceably with the first waste liquid container.

Technical Field
Aspects of this disclosure relate to a relay unit for a waste liquid container and an image forming apparatus incorporating the relay unit.
Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus according to a liquid discharge recording system typically produces waste liquid with maintenance operation of a liquid discharge head. Hence, an image forming apparatus may have, for example, a stationary waste liquid container (also referred to as waste-liquid tank) or a replaceable waste-liquid tank.

Replay unit for waste liquid container and image forming apparatus incorporating the relay unit


The present invention relates to a mutant acetohydroxy-acid reductoisomerase gene (mutant ILV5 gene) and use thereof, in particular, a brewery yeast for producing alcoholic beverages with superior flavor, alcoholic beverages produced with said yeast, and a method for producing said beverages. According to the method for producing alcoholic beverages of the present invention, because of reduction of the production of VDKs, especially DA, which are responsible for off-flavors in products, alcoholic beverages with superior flavor can be produced.

The lager beer fermentation consists of two fermentation steps: the primary fermentation for production of ethanol and flavor compounds, and the second fermentation (or lagering period) for maturation of the beer flavors. During the first fermentation, yeast cells produce α-aceto-α-hydroxybutyrate and α-acetolactate, which are intermediates for synthesis of isoleucine and valine, respectively. Some part of these acetohydroxy acids diffuses out of the cells, and turns into two vicinal diketones (VDK), 2,3-pentandione and diacetyl, respectively, by a non-enzymatic oxidative decarboxylation in the beer (see FIG. 1). VDK gives a butter-like unpleasant flavor, and the threshold for 2,3-pentandione and diacetyl are 0.9 and 0.15 mg/L, respectively (Meilgaard 1975; the details of the cited references will be described at the end of the specification).
Spontaneous decarboxylation of α-acetolactate is the rate-limiting step of diacetyl formation. The amount of VDK is reduced to acceptable levels during the lagering period. A reduction of the time needed for beer maturation may be achieved by use of a brewing yeast strain that produces less VDKs. Acetohydroxyacid synthase (Ilv2p/Ilv6p), acetohydroxyacid reductoisomerase (Ilv5p), dihydroxy-acid dehydratase (Ilv3p), and branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase (Bat1p)/transaminase (Bat2p) catalyze two homologous reactions for synthesis of isoleucine and valine.
There are two distinct approaches for the construction of yeast strains with lower VDK productions: an inactivation of acetohydroxyacid synthase and an enhancement of the acetohydroxyacid reductoisomerase activity. Down regulation with anti-sense RNA of ILV2 gene encoding the catalytic subunit of acetohydroxyacid synthase decreases the enzymatic activity by more than 80%, and consequently reduces the diacetyl level at the fermentation mid-point by 40% (Vakeria et al. 1991).
On the other hand, the number of ILV5 gene encoding acetohydroxyacid reductoisomerase largely influences the VDK production. Yeast cells transformed with multicopy vectors carrying ILV5 show a five to ten-fold increase in the reductoisomerase activity and a concomitant decrease of diacetyl production by 50-60% compared to the control strain (Dillemans et al. 1987; Gjermansen et al. 1988). It is known that the enzymes involved in the synthesis of isoleucine and valine are located in the mitochondrial matrix (Ryan and Kohlhaw 1974). The mitochondria consist of two aqueous chambers (intermembrane and matrix) and two membranes (outer and inner membranes) (Wiedemann et al. 2003; Koehler 2004).
Since the mitochondria synthesize only eight stable proteins encoded by the mitochondrial DNA, most of the up to 1,000 mitochondrial proteins are encoded by the nuclear genome, synthesized in the cytoplasm on free ribosomes as precursor proteins, and then transported into or across mitochondrial membranes with the aid of protein assembries known as TOM and TIM (translocases of outer and inner mitochondrial membranes, respectively (Endo et al. 2003; Truscot et al. 2003). The Ilv2p and Ilv5p are synthesized as precursor proteins in the cytoplasm, and then are imported into the mitochondrial matrix via TOM and TIM23 translocases.
The N-terminal presequence is cleaved off by a mitochondrial specific processing peptidase during translocation to the mitochondrial matrix (Gakh et al. 2002). The N-terminal 47 residues have been identified as Ilv5p cleavable presequence (Kassow 1992). Kassow describes that an ILV5 gene deleted in the region encoding the transit peptide was constructed, and the construct seems to have an effect on the diacetyl production level.
As commonly observed in typical mitochondrial targeting presequences, Ilv5p presequence is rich in positive charge, and its cleavage site is preceded by an arginine at the position −2 (von Heijne et al. 1989; Gakh et al. 2002). Ilv5p is known as a bifunctional protein that acts in mitochondrial DNA stability as well as in the biosynthesis of branched-chain amino acids (Zelenaya-Troitskaya et al. 1995). Mitochondrial DNA is inherited as a protein-DNA complex (the nucleoid). Together with other factors, Ilv5p maintains a stoichiometry between the mitochondrial DNA and the nucleoids by parsing the mitochondrial DNA into individual nucleoid in response to amino acid starvation (MacAlpine et al. 2000). The enzymatic function in branched-chain amino acid synthesis and the function for the mitochondrial DNA stability of Ilv5p can be separated by mutational approaches (Bateman et al. 2002). The enzymatic mutations map to conserved internal domains that are important for substrate and cofactor binding, whereas the mutations concerning the function for mitochondrial DNA stability map to the C-terminal region on the surface of Ilv5p. It is known that respiration-deficient (rho−) yeast produces elevated levels of VDK (Ernandes et al. 1993). This leads to a hypothesis that this is because acetohydroxyacid synthase (Ilv2p) does not properly localize in the mitochondria when it is "sick" (rho−), but rather tends to localize in the cytoplasm, where α-acetolactate is easily formed from cytoplasmic pyruvate.
Based on this idea, expression of a cytoplasmic Ilv5p has been explored in order to metabolize the cytoplasmically formed α-acetolactate (Kassow 1992). The cytoplasmic Ilv5p without N-terminal 47 residues complements auxotrophy of isoleucine but not of valine in an Ilv5Δ strain, indicating that a small portion of the truncated Ilv5p still localizes in the mitochondria supporting isoleucine synthesis.


A switched regulator circuit provides step-up and step-down operation in which the level of the input voltage can be greater, equal to, or less than a preset controlled output voltage. A four switch arrangement or two switch arrangement provides buck, boost, and buck-boost regulation under constant frequency valley-peak current mode control. A single sense resistor may be utilized for sensing inductor current during only a short period during each duty cycle. As an alternative to the sense resistor, the switches themselves can be used to sense current during operation.

Voltage regulators are known that can convert from input voltages above, below, or equal to the controlled output voltage, respectively performing buck mode regulation, boost mode regulation, or buck-boost mode regulation. Regulator architecture typically is provided for power supplies for automotive applications, lap-top computers, telecom equipment and distributed power systems. A known "four-switch" buck-boost converter is described in an October 2001 datasheet for the LTC3440 "Micro-power Synchronous Buck-Boost DC/DC Converter" integrated circuit manufactured by Linear Technology Corporation. Two of the four switches are connected to the input side of an inductor, the other switches connected to the output side. In accordance with the level of voltage output to be controlled and the level of voltage input, the regulator has the capability of assuming a plurality of operation states in which the switches variously are sequentially activated or deactivated, to connect the inductor to the input, the output, and/or a common ground connection. The voltage mode control technique used presents difficulty in compensating for boost and buck-boost mode closed loop operation.
Other known arrangements are simplifications of the "four-switch" configuration in which two of the switches are replaced by diodes. With such arrangements, control flexibility is lessened as fewer different switch operation states are available. A variable frequency control technique can be used to apply constant-on time control for buck mode and constant-off time control for boost mode. This technique utilizes a wide switching frequency range and a very low system bandwidth. Another known alternative uses current mode control, wherein a sense resistor is placed permanently in series with the circuit inductor or two sense resistors are used, one at the input and another at the output. Conduction loss is increased significantly by these provisions, as inductor current traverses a sense resistor at all times. A need thus exists for a buck-boost regulator that avoids the aforementioned disadvantages.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Current-mode control for switched step up-step down regulators


Tracking system for guiding an optical beam on tracks on an optical disc, said tracking system comprising a photodetector (A1, A2) for detecting optical beams derived from said optical beam, said photodetector generating a first output signal (A) and a second output signal (B), said tracking system comprising first processing means for generating a first differential signal (PP(DC)) corresponding to the low-frequency part of a difference between said first and second output signals. The tracking system comprises second processing means for generating a tracking error signal (PP(AC/DC)) defined by the addition of said first differential signal (PP(DC)) to a second differential signal (PP′(AC)), said second differential signal corresponding to a fraction of the difference in amplitude of the high-frequency components of said first and second output signals. Use: Optical disc player/writer.

A method of maintaining a spot on tracks of an optical disc is known as DC push-pull method. This method involves the generation of a tracking error signal referred to as push-pull signal. Said tracking error signal corresponds to the default error signal in the radial axis of the disc and is caused by the interaction of the spot with the groove or some other tracking structure placed on the disc surface. A tracking servo adjusts the radial position of the spot to keep the push-pull signal at a predetermined value. Generally, the spot is on the track for the zero-crossing points of the push-pull signal.
FIG. 1 depicts the implementation of the known DC push-pull method. It includes a photodetector comprising two areas A1 and A2 for detecting reflected or transmitted beams of the optical spot. This photodetector generates two output signals A and B that are filtered by low-pass filters LPF1 and LPF2, resulting in low-frequency signals A(DC) and B(DC). Subtracting means SUB1 determine the difference of the signals A(DC) and B(DC) for the purpose of generating the low-frequency push-pull signal PP(DC) that is used as a tracking error signal.
This prior art method is subject to limitations.
Due to the change in average reflectivity of the tracks, the amplitude of the push-pull signal on written tracks differs from the amplitude on unwritten tracks (i.e. empty tracks). As a consequence, the slope of the push-pull signal at the zero-crossing points varies. Moreover, offsets in the zero-crossings area may also occur at the transition between written and unwritten tracks. Thus, this method allows the generation of a distorted push-pull signal which introduces instabilities in the control loop of the radial tracking.
Since the zero-crossing points are not precisely identified in the DC push-pull signal, some zero-crossings may also not be taken into account in a displacement from a first radial position to a second radial position. In other words, this method leads to missing tracks in radial displacements.

Tracking system with dual differential signals with fraction of A/C signal added back to D/C signal


A transition element between a jacket having four legs and a tower where the lower portion of the tower is fixed to a torsion plate that is connected to an upper portion of the legs. A brace extends from each leg. Each brace includes a strut. The strut has a first end portion and a second end portion. The strut is fixed to the upper portion of each leg and a plate that is fixed to the tower at a contact portion above the torsion plate. The planar plate is fixed to the tower in the circumferential direction and has a common axis of symmetry with the strut. The plate is fixed to the first end portion of the strut.

There is provided a transition element for connecting a tower to a jacket. More precisely there is provided a transition element between a jacket having four legs and a tower where the lower portion of the tower is fixed to a torsion plate that is connected to the upper portion of the legs, and a brace extending from each leg where each brace includes a strut that is fixed to the upper portion of the leg and a plate that is fixed to the tower at a contact portion above the torsion plate.
The device is below illustrated by means of a supporting tower structure of a windmill, a structure of this kind adequately showing the challenges addressed by the invention. The invention is not limited to a tower for windmills, but can be used in a number of structures, in which similar force patterns exist.
To avoid collision with blades of the windmill, the upper portion of a windmill tower must be formed as a slim structure. From land-based windmills it is known that this slim structure, which is often in the form of a pipe, is connected to a base in the ground.
When windmills are placed off shore and mare often in relatively deep water, it is not practical to use one pipe extending from the base of the windmill and up to the nacelle of the windmill.
Therefore, the supporting tower structure of known windmills that are placed off shore, often has a tubular upper tower portion and a lower portion, in which the lower portion may be in the form of a jacket.
The transition element between the upper slim tower portion and the lower jacket is often formed by a relatively heavy and complicated structure. The reason is, among other things, that construction principles that are known from sea-based oil recovery equipment are applied. Such equipment is dimensioned for considerable wave forces and for handling heavy equipment, and for allowing personnel to be present on the structure at all times.
In windmill installations off shore, the design of the structure is normally determined by the wind forces.
Known transition elements have to be adjusted in such a way that the natural period of the tower will be short enough for the windmill concerned. This contributes to a further increase in the weight of the tower.

Transition element for connecting a tower to a jacket


A range switching device for performing switching the range of a transmission includes first control valve, a second control valve having a characteristic opposite to the first control, and first, second, third and fourth switching valves for controlling the transmission of oil pressures. The first and second switching valves cooperatively control the transmission of the oil pressure from the first control valve to a forward or reverse driving element (R). The third and fourth switching valve cooperatively control the transmission of the oil pressure from the second control valve to the forward or reverse driving element (R). The third and fourth switching valves each perform a substantially same oil pressure transmission when the state of the second and third actuators is reversed with respect to the first switching and second switching valves, respectively.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to range switching devices that perform switching of drive, reverse, and neutral ranges in an automatic transmission of a vehicle such as an automobile, and more particularly to a range switching device that can switch the ranges even when one or some valves fail.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an automatic transmission such as a CVT or a planetary gear step AT provided in an automobile or the like, the drive, reverse, and neutral ranges are switched by controlling the oil pressure supplied to engagement elements such as a forward clutch and a reverse clutch.
Switching of such drive, reverse, and neutral ranges has conventionally been performed by a manual valve connected by a mechanical linkage to an operation lever operated by the driver.
Recently, there has been proposed a technology so-called shift-by-wire system in which switching of running ranges is performed only by eclectic signals, without providing a mechanical linkage between the operation lever and the transmission.
As an example of a conventional technique relating to shift-by-wire systems of automatic transmission, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. 2008-128475 describes a range switching device in which spool valves are actuated by three solenoid valves to switch the oil pressure supplied to drive and reverse hydraulic servos.
Further, JP-A No. 2008-128473 describes a range switching device in which running ranges are switched by two solenoid valves and the running range can be maintained even when either one of the solenoid valves fails in the running range.
However, when one or some of solenoid valves fail, the technique described in JP-A No. 2008-128475 cannot switch the ranges, and thus the vehicle cannot run.
The technique described in JP-A No. 2008-128473 ensures minimal failsafe capability, thereby maintaining the running range during running and switching to the neutral range even when either one of the solenoid valves has failed. However, the neutral range is selected in this state, the range pressure cannot be supplied again, and thus the vehicle cannot run.


The present invention shows a crane control of a crane which includes at least one cable for lifting a load, wherein at least one sensor unit is provided for determining a cable angle relative to the direction of gravitational force. Furthermore, there is shown a crane control for driving the positioners of a crane which includes at least one first and one second strand of cables for lifting the load, with a load oscillation damping for damping spherical pendular oscillations of the load, wherein first and second sensor units are provided, which are associated to the first and second strands of cables, in order to determine the respective cable angles and/or cable angular velocities, and the load oscillation damping includes a control in which the cable angles and/or cable angular velocities determined by the first and second sensor units are considered. Furthermore, a corresponding crane and a method are shown.

The present invention relates to a crane control of a crane which includes at least one cable for lifting a load. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a further configuration of the crane control of a crane which includes at least one first and one second strand of cables for lifting a load. The crane control drives the positioners of the crane. In particular, the crane is a boom crane which has a boom to be swivelled about a horizontal axis, which is hinged to a tower rotatable about a vertical axis. For this purpose, a luffing gear and a slewing gear are provided as positioners. The cable for lifting the load runs over the tip of the boom, in particular over one or more deflection pulleys arranged there, so that the load can be moved in tangential direction by slewing the tower and in radial direction by luffing up the boom. In the embodiment of the invention with at least one first and one second strand of cables, both strands of cables extend from the tip of the boom to a suspension element such as a hook. The length of the cable can be adjusted by a corresponding drive, in order to move the load in vertical direction. In particular, the crane control of the invention generally relates to rotary cranes as well as mobile harbour cranes, ship cranes, off-shore cranes, truck cranes and crawler cranes.
From DE 100 64 182 and DE 103 24 692, whose entire contents form part of the present application, crane controls are known, whose control and automation concepts prevent the pendular movement of the load on the cable during a movement of the crane.
From DE 100 29 579 and DE 10 2006 033 277, whose contents likewise form part of the present application, there are furthermore known crane controls which prevent a rotary oscillation of the load on the cable.
In the above-mentioned crane controls, gyroscope units are used for determining the load oscillation, which are arranged in the hook of the crane and determine the angular velocity of the cable. The cable angle is determined via an observer circuit which integrates the movement of the cable. To be able to compensate the resulting offset, a freely swinging pendulum is assumed, whose rest position corresponds to a perpendicular cable angle. Such procedure is quite useful for damping the cable oscillation, as for this purpose the movements of the cable must be monitored above all when the load is swinging freely on the cable. However, a determination of the absolute alignment of the cable, in particular before the load can swing freely, neither is provided nor possible in the known crane controls. Furthermore, known sensor arrangements and crane controls have had the disadvantage that disturbing influences such as the cable field twisting were not taken into consideration in the load oscillation damping for damping the spherical pendular oscillations of the load.
Known systems, however, as they are used e.g. in cranes with a trolley merely movable in horizontal direction, and which employ measurement camera systems for determining the absolute cable angle, cannot be used in particular in boom cranes. Measurement camera systems always must be arranged directly behind the cable checkpoint, in order to be able to determine the cable angle. In the case of boom cranes, however, in which the cable is movably guided over a deflection pulley arranged at the boom head, no cable checkpoint does exist, as the cable exit point likewise changes with the cable angle. Measurement pick-ups, which mechanically determine the cable angle relative to the boom, are just as useless for measuring the absolute cable angle, as they operate inaccurately, first of all, and in addition lead to wrong results in the case of a deformation of the crane. Moreover, all these systems always only determine the cable angle relative to the boom, and thus would only indirectly be useful for determining the absolute cable angle, so that such solutions so far have completely been omitted.
Before hoisting or at the beginning of hoisting, the crane operator therefore must still align the crane manually and at sight, such that the cable is aligned substantially perpendicular. Especially with the great distance from the load, however, this is often possible only with great difficulty, so that deviations of the cable angle from the plumb line are obtained, which lead to undesired oscillations when lifting the load. The same problems arise when due to an imbalance of the load the cable is aligned perpendicularly before hoisting, but when lifting the load the cable angle is changed by the movement of the center of gravity of the load below the load suspension point. The yielding of the crane structure under the load when lifting the load also can change the cable angle unintentionally. Off-shore cranes additionally involve the problem that the cable angle can be changed by a relative movement of a ship carrying the load with respect to the off-shore crane.


A plasma display panel is provided. The plasma display panel includes a front substrate, an X electrode and a Y electrode alternately formed on the front substrate, a dielectric layer formed to cover the X and Y electrodes, a rear substrate installed to face the front substrate, address electrodes formed on the rear substrate and intersecting the X and Y electrodes, barrier ribs formed between the front and rear substrates, and red, green, and blue fluorescent layers applied in discharge cells defined by the barrier ribs. The dielectric layer and the barrier ribs are colored with two complementary colors that essentially filter out nearly all light. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce outdoor daylight reflection and improve image contrast by an improved design over the use of black stripes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma display panel (PDP), and more particularly, to a PDP which reduces the brightness of outdoor daylight reflection using a complementary color relationship between a dielectric layer and barrier rib as opposed to using black stripes.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a plasma display panel (PDP) displays numbers, characters, or graphics by injecting discharge gas between two substrates with a plurality of electrodes, sealing the two substrates, applying a discharge voltage to the plurality of electrodes, and applying a pulse voltage to address a point where two electrodes intersect when gas is emitted due to the application of the discharge voltage.
A PDP is classified into a direct current (DC) type and an alternate current (AC) type, according to the type of driving voltage applied to a discharge cell, i.e., according to the type of discharge. Also, the plasma display panels maybe classified into an opposite discharge type and a surface discharge type according to a configuration of electrodes.
In order to improve image contrast and to reduce the amount of external light reflected off the display, a black matrix layer or a black stripe is added. However, the use of such a black stripe can only go so far in improving image contrast and reducing externally reflected light. What is needed is an improved design for improving image contrast and reducing externally reflected light.

Plasma display panel using color filters to improve contrast


The invention relates to an electrical clamp connector and connecting terminal that, per pole, has at least two conductor terminal connections oriented in the same direction and an additional connecting contact on the opposite-lying side, which serves for connecting a countercontact external to the terminal. It is proposed for such a terminal to use the especially small-construction design features of a terminal that is produced from a single piece of spring steel sheet and a busbar rod, and to combine these with the new features that the busbar rod has one or two cross projections, which project through the free opening in the spring steel sheet and form the additional connecting contact, which, for example, may be constructed in the form of a socket contact or in the form of a plug-in contact.

The invention relates to an electrical clamp connector and connecting terminal that, per pole, has at least two spring clamp connectors, which are opposite-lying and mirror-symmetric with respect to a central plane, for connecting electrical conductors, in which the electrical conductors can be plugged in from the same connection direction and by means of which the electrical conductors can be connected electrically to a common busbar in the interior of the terminal, the busbar having an additional connecting contact, which is arranged in the central plane between the two conductor clamp connections on the side of the terminal facing away from the conductor clamp connections and serves for connecting a countercontact external to the terminal.
Electrical clamp connectors and connecting terminals of this type are known (see DE 94 20 097 U1). They are produced with one pole or multiple poles; for example, in a multi-pole embodiment, several one-pole individual terminals, each of which has its own insulator housing, are arranged in series and are locked together mechanically (see FIG. 4 in DE 94 20 097 U1) or, for example, in a multi-pole embodiment, several one-pole individual terminals are arranged, in a known way, in the side-by-side receptacle chambers of a common insulator housing.
The aforementioned type of clamp connector and connecting terminal has the advantage that the electrical conductors are oriented in the same direction; that is, they can be plugged in from the same connection direction into the conductor clamp connections of the terminal and, for each pole, the terminal can produce an electrical connection to an external countercontact by means of an additionally present connecting contact on the other side of the terminal. Such a countercontact, for example, may be a terminal pin, which is soldered in a printed circuit board and can be plugged onto the terminal.
However, a drawback is that the known terminals of this type require a lot of space. In particular, the design width measured in the traverse direction to the central plane of the terminal is very large, because, for terminals of this type, the additional connecting contact for an external countercontact is arranged in the central plane between the opposite-lying conductor clamp connections.
Starting from this prior art, the problem of the invention consisted in creating a terminal of this type that makes possible a very small design construction.

Electrical clamp connector and connecting terminal


A method for molding optical waveguides (600) wherein one or more optical cores (230) are molded first with an attached support structure (206). A unitary cladding layer (601) is then molded around the cores (230) and the support structure (206) is removed to provide optical inlet/outlets to the cores (230). The ends of the cores (605) where the support structure (206) is removed may require subsequent polishing.

This invention relates, in general, to waveguides and, more particularly, to fabrication of molded waveguides.
At the present time, fabrication of optical waveguides is achieved by either a polymer spin-on technique or a diffusion technique, both of which require expensive lithography steps. In addition, both fabrication techniques are ineffective and inefficient for fabricating optical waveguides in high volumes for several reasons, such as complex processing steps, difficulties in controlling the processing steps, and the high cost of doing these processing steps.
Briefly, as practiced by one method in the prior art, a polymeric film is spun onto a substrate. Portions of the polymeric film are subsequently exposed to light by a photolithographic process, thereby changing the refractive index of the polymeric film and creating a waveguide in the polymeric film. However, subsequent multi-step processing, such as removal of the polymeric film from the substrate, lamination processing, curing processing, and other processes typically are required for the waveguide to be useful. Further, it should be noted that each additional processing step incurs an additional cost, as well as presenting an opportunity to induce defects into the waveguide.
Alternatively, in another method practiced in the prior art, a layer such as a glass is applied to a substrate. The layer is patterned by a complicated lithography process, thereby producing portions that are masked and portions that are open or clear. Typically, ions are subsequently diffused into the open portions of the layer, thus changing the refractive index of the layer and making a waveguide. However, by using the photolithography process, a high cost is incurred into manufacturing of the waveguide. Also, by using diffusion processes to change the refractive index of the layer, control of dimensionality of the waveguide is severely limited.
It can be readily seen that conventional methods for making waveguides have severe limitations. Also, it is evident that conventional processing uses a multitude of steps which are not only complex and expensive, but also not effective processing. Therefore, a method for making a waveguide that provides a reduction in the number of steps required, reduces cost, and simplifies the process necessary for making a waveguide would be highly desirable.

Molded waveguide with a unitary cladding region and method of making


A printer of the type in which a plurality of fonts, each having its own name and its own configuration, are incorporated. A font selection key is provided in a panel display unit for selection of a desired font. In one aspect of the invention, when the key is depressed, the configuration and the name of a font are displayed in two separate displays. In another aspect of the invention, a printer mode such as the number of sheets to be printed is displayed with the font selected by the font selection key. Accordingly, the font to be selected is visually recognizable and hence the selection of a font can be easily achieved.

The present invention relates to a printer incorporating therein at least two kinds of fonts.
There have been known printers which incorporate a plurality of fonts. In such printers, the fonts incorporated therein have been indicated by identifying their names. However, the user may want to recognize the shape or configuration of the font before printing. To this end, it has been a general practice to refer to a font list or to perform test printing with respect to the font selected. However, such procedures are troublesome and time consuming. Besides, a sheet of paper is wasted for the test printing.

Printer capable of displaying selected font


A method of producing a tape-shaped superconducting wire is provided. The wire maintains a high critical temperature and a high critical current density along the overall length thereof. In this method, raw material powder for the oxide superconductor is first charged in a silver sheath and the sheath charged with the powder is subjected to plastic working to prepare a first flat type wire. On the other hand, a second wire consisting of a tape wire formed by coating a surface of a flat type wire having at least an outer surface consisting essentially of silver or a silver alloy with a metal oxide or ceramics, or a tape wire containing ceramics fibers and a binder dissipated by heat treatment is prepared. The first and second wires are layered with each other, and tightly wound in a pancake coil shape. The wires wound in the pancake coil shape are heat treated for sintering the oxide superconductor. After the heat treatment, the first wire is separated from the second wire.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of preparing a high-temperature superconducting wire, and more particularly, it relates to a method of preparing an oxide superconducting wire, which is applied to a high-temperature superconducting coil or the like, having a high critical current density at the liquid nitrogen temperature.
2. Description of the Background Art
With discovery of yttrium, bismuth and thallium oxide superconducting materials respectively exhibiting critical temperatures (Tc) of 90 K, 108 K and 125 K, which are higher than the liquid nitrogen temperature (77.3 K), application of oxide superconducting materials to the fields of energy and electronics are now being expected. In particular, preparation of a wire from an oxide high-temperature superconductor has been positively developed since the discovery of such a material, for the purpose of application to the field of energy. Among various methods which have been studied in relation to such preparation of superconducting wires, there is a method of covering an oxide superconductor with a stabilizing metal for preparing a wire. According to this method, a silver sheath which is charged with an oxide superconductor is subjected to plastic working such as wire drawing and rolling, and thereafter sintered to provide a wire. In this process, high orientation is supplied to the superconductor which is covered with silver by the combination of plastic working and sintering, thereby implementing a high critical current. When a high-temperature superconducting wire is applied to a coil for a magnet, it is possible to take a process of heat treating a long wire which is obtained by charging a silver sheath with an oxide superconductor and performing plastic working, further performing plastic working, and coiling the same to heat treat the coil again. It has been desired that the superconducting coil obtained through such a process maintains a high critical current density along its overall length, in addition to a high critical temperature.
In the aforementioned process, a tape wire which is obtained after the first plastic working is generally coiled and heat treated. In such heat treatment of the wire, it is necessary to prevent adjacent turns of the coiled wire from adhesion to each other, and from diffusion of components therebetween. Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 4-274115 (1992) discloses a method of heat treating a superconducting wire of a high transition temperature (high Tc) having a silver protective clad layer, by bonding a layer consisting of ceramics onto the silver clad layer. FIG. 1 shows an apparatus which is disclosed in this gazette. Referring to FIG. 1, a superconducting wire 31 having the protective clad layer is supplied from a spool 35, coated with a paint containing ceramics and a cellulose binder in a container 34, and wound on another spool 60 as a wire 32. The wire 32 coated with the ceramics paint is wound on the spool 60 as a parallel coil (solenoid-shaped coil) 70. A metal mesh 62 is arranged between the wire 32 and a peripheral surface 64 of the spool 60, so that stress which is caused by difference in thermal expansion between the wire 32 and the spool 60 can be absorbed. The wire 32 wound on the spool 60 is transferred to a heating furnace, and heat treated for sintering.
During the heat treatment, the ceramics contained in the paint forms diffusion preventing layers between adjacent turns of the coiled wire 32. The spool 60 provided with the wire 32 is horizontally arranged in the furnace with respect to the gravitational direction. During the heat treatment, the respective turns of the solenoid-shaped coil 70 are loosened due to thermal expansion. Following such loosening, the wire 32 hangs down by its own weight. As the result, the wire 32 may be deformed by its own weight. Such deformation reduces superconductivity of the wire 32, particularly its critical current density. When the wire 32 coated with the paint is heat treated for sintering, further, the components of the paint strongly adhere to the wire 32. Thus, it is extremely difficult to separate the paint components from the wire 32 for exposing the silver clad layer on the wire 32 after the heat treatment.
When the tape-shaped wire which is obtained after the first plastic working is heat treated in a furnace in the aforementioned process of preparing a silver sheath oxide superconducting wire, on the other hand, gas may be partially generated from the charged powder to partially expand the silver sheath. Further, a spatial range which can uniformly set heating temperature distribution in the heating furnace is generally limited to some extent, and hence it is difficult to perform the heat treatment under uniform conditions as the wire is increased in length. Such partial expansion of the wire or ununiform heat treatment leads to ununiformalization of the subsequent plastic working, resulting in portions having low critical current densities in the finally obtained coil. In order to prevent such a disadvantage, therefore, improvement of the heat treatment is awaited.
Another method of heat treating a long wire is adapted to heat a wire which is wound in a multilayer manner. According to this method, it is possible to heat the wire in a relatively compact state. Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 4-329217 (1992) discloses a method of holding a tape wire, which is prepared by covering raw material powder for an oxide superconductor with a metal sheath, between tapes consisting only of ceramics having a smaller thermal expansion coefficient than the metal sheath, coiling the tape wire held between the ceramics tapes, and heat treating the coiled tape wire. This gazette proposes a technique of suppressing thermal expansion of the metal sheath by holding the tape wire with the tapes consisting only of ceramics. When the tape wire is constrained with the ceramics which is different in thermal expansion coefficient, however, stress may be caused in heating and cooling, to deform the tape wire. On the other hand, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 58-22335 (1983) discloses a process of winding a metal wire having a surface consisting of copper or a copper alloy on a reel in a multilayer manner while interposing glass cloth or paper between the layers and annealing the wound metal wire. However, no preferable result can be obtained when this technique is applied to preparation of a high-temperature superconducting wire. If a tape of glass cloth is lap-wound with a silver sheath tape wire and heat treated, stress is caused during the heat treatment step similarly to the case of the tape consisting of only ceramics, to bring partial deformation of the tape such as buckling, for example, although diffusion between the layered portions of the silver sheath can be prevented. Further, a relatively thick glass tape is unadvantageous for improving the winding density for heat treating the wire in a more compact state. When paper is employed in place of glass or ceramics, on the other hand, the paper is immediately burnt away under the sintering temperature. Thus, it is impossible to sufficiently suppress diffusion and adhesion between the lapped portions of the silver sheath with paper.

Method for preparing high-temperature superconducting wire

Research Development Corporation of Japan


A thickness servo system using optical aberrations, wherein a photodetector detects an aberration amount corresponding to thickness irregularity, and a thickness irregularity correction section operates to minimize the detected aberration amount. The thickness irregularity of a transparent layer can also be calculated from the detected aberration amount.

The present invention relates to the following used in a system (apparatus/method) for playing back information recorded on an information medium (optical disk) by using a focused light beam (laser beam) and recording/playing back information on/from an information medium:
(01) aberration state detection of a focused light beam formed on the recording surface of an information medium;
(02) aberration correction control on a focused light beam formed on the recording surface of the information medium;
(03) improvements (rationalization/simplification) in an optical system and processing circuit system in an optical head or information playback apparatus/information recording/playback apparatus having the track deviation detection function of making a focused light beam on the recording surface of an information medium stably trace a recording track and an aberration correction function for the focused light beam;
(04) improvements (rationalization/simplification) in an optical system and processing circuit system in an optical head or information playback apparatus/information recording/playback apparatus having the function of improving the quality of a playback signal from an information medium (performing crosstalk cancellation between adjacent tracks on the information medium) and an aberration correction function for a focused light beam formed on the recording surface of the information medium;
(05) the physical properties (structure, size, characteristics, and the like) of an information medium suited to an increase in density; and
(06) a manufacturing management method associated with information media (e.g., single-sided single-/dual-layer optical disks), which is used to provide an information medium that can guarantee stable recording operation or stable playback operation.
From another viewpoint, the present invention relates to the following as well:
(11) a thickness servo system using optical aberrations;
(12) a system for detecting the thickness irregularity of the transparent protective layer of an information medium by using optical aberrations;
(13) an information medium having a single-sided single-layer information recording layer (read-only layer or read/write layer) protected by a transparent protective layer;
(14) an information medium having a single-sided dual-layer information recording layer (each layer formed as a read-only layer or read/write layer) protected by a transparent protective layer;
(15) an objective lens control method using optical aberrations, and an optical head using this method;
(16) an aberration state detection method and a tilt servo control using this method;
(17) an optical head having an aberration detection optical system and differential push-pull signal processing system, and a servo system using this optical head; and
(18) an optical head having an aberration detection optical system and crosstalk cancellation processing system, and a servo system using this optical head.
Recently, the NA value of the objective lens of an optical head used in an information playback apparatus or information recording/playback apparatus has been increased to reduce the spot size of a focused light beam so as to increase the recording density of an information medium. For example, the NA value of the objective lens of a CD optical head is set to 0.47; the NA value of an early MO drive, 0.55; and the NA value of a present-generation DVD apparatus, 0.6. An NA value of 0.65 or more is being studied in an information playback apparatus or information recording/playback apparatus used for a next-generation DVD.
If thickness irregularity occurs in the transparent layer, the amount of spherical aberration caused in a focused light beam on the recording surface increases approximately in proportion to the fourth power of an NA value. In an information playback apparatus or information recording/playback apparatus with an NA value of 0.65 or more, therefore, a new technique of "a correction function (thickness servo control) for the thickness irregularity of a transparent layer" has been required to correct spherical aberration caused by the thickness irregularity of the transparent layer.
In addition, since the technique of "the transparent layer thickness irregularity correction function (thickness servo)" has not been used in information playback apparatuses and information recording/playback apparatuses, "the residual deviation amount (the upper limit of an allowable residual deviation amount) required for stable operation in transparent layer thickness irregularity correction function (thickness servo)" is completely unknown information in the past servo techniques.
The technique of "the transparent layer thickness irregularity correction function (thickness servo)" has not been used in information playback apparatuses and information recording/playback apparatuses. For this reason, information about "an allowable range of the thickness irregularities of transparent layers which exist before correction" is completely unknown information at present.
In designing a servo circuit for a transparent layer thickness irregularity correction function (thickness servo control), both the "required residual deviation amount" and "the range of the thickness irregularities of transparent layers which exist before correction (the maximum width of transparent layer thickness irregularity in non-defective disks within specifications)" are essential information.
As described above, in the prior art, since the NA value is 0.6 or less, an aspheric single lens is often used as an objective lens used for an optical head in an information playback apparatus/information recording/playback apparatus (optical disk drive). If the NA value is increased to 0.65 or more to increase the recording density in a next-generation DVD, a single-lens structure cannot be used owing to a problem in terms of a manufacturing technique for objective lenses, and an objective lens structure constituted by two or more lenses is required.
With an NA of 0.65 or more, to ensure a positional shift margin between lenses and tilt margin, a transparent layer thinner than that in a conventional DVD, which is 0.6 mm thick, (for example, a 0.1-mm thick layer) is required. If the thickness of a transparent layer is greatly decreased from 0.6 mm in the prior art, the influence of the thickness irregularity of the transparent layer relatively increases. This makes it difficult to use the same manufacturing method (quality control method) as that for an information medium used for a conventional DVD.
For this reason, a next-generation DVD uses the following information medium structure. A substrate (which need not always be transparent) is placed in a direction (on the disk lower surface side) in which recording or playback light is shielded, a reflecting layer or recording layer is formed on the substrate, and a thin (for example, a nominal thickness of 0.1 mm) transparent protective layer is formed on the recording layer.
For an information medium (optical disk) for such a next-generation DVD, methods of forming a transparent layer that exists in a direction in which recording or playback light is transmitted may include, for example:
(A) a method of coating a reflecting or recording layer with a transparent layer by spin coating, blade coating, or the like; and
(B) a method of bonding a transparent layer (transparent sheet) formed in advance onto a reflecting layer or recording layer through a transparent adhesive layer.
It is impossible to measure the thickness of a transparent layer in the process of manufacturing an information medium by using either of methods (A) and (B) alone, and hence the thickness of the transparent layer must be measured upon completion of the information medium.
An information medium (optical disk) used for a conventional DVD has a structure in which a reflecting layer or recording layer is directly formed on a transparent substrate with a thickness of 0.6 mm, and the recording surface (reflecting layer or recording layer) is irradiated with a laser beam through the 0.6-mm thick transparent substrate. For this reason, the thickness irregularity of the transparent substrates of information media used for a conventional DVD can be easily managed by mechanically measuring the thickness of each transparent substrate by using a micrometer or the like before a reflecting layer or recording layer is formed in a manufacturing process. However, such a mechanical measurement method is not suited to measuring and managing the above thin (0.1 mm) transparent layer with high precision.
In information media whose compatibility among products must be guaranteed, the transparent layer thickness irregularity range allowed for information media (mass-produced optical disks) is defined in specifications. In defining a transparent layer thickness irregularity allowable range in specifications, however, any method of measuring the thickness of a transparent layer portion has not yet been established.
As a method of measuring the thickness of the transparent layer of a completed medium (optical disk), a method of peeling off part of a transparent layer and measuring a level difference in accordance with the presence/absence of a transparent layer by a turnery step. Since this method is a destructive measurement method for an information medium, the information medium cannot be used after the measurement (destruction of part of the transparent layer).
At present, no nondestructive measurement method is available, which can be used to measure the thickness of the thickness of a transparent layer in an information medium (optical disk) for a next-generation DVD, and hence a high-precision nondestructive measurement method is required.
In addition, there is no information as to what to do about the characteristics (e.g., the relationship between thickness and refractive index) of the transparent layer of an information medium (optical disk) whose transparent layer has thickness irregularity in an allowable range.
DVD-ROM disks that are currently on the market include single-sided dual-layer disks. According to the specifications for currently available DVD-ROM disks, the thickness of the portion between two reflecting layers is defined to 55±15 μm, and the distance from the surface (incident surface) of a DVD-ROM disk to each recording layer is defined within the range of +53 μm to −50 μm with respect to a reference value of 0.6 mm. The NA value of an optical head used in a currently available DVD is 0.60, and a thickness error range of +53 μm to −50 μm is included in an allowable aberration range in a playback optical system.
As described above, however, the amount of spherical aberration increases in proportion to the fourth power of the NA value of an objective lens. For this reason, if the NA value is increased to 0.65 or more to increase the recording density of an information medium, the amount of spherical aberration sharply increases, and the increased aberration amount falls out of the above allowable aberration range (+53 μm to −50 μm).
To solve this problem, the following two measures must be taken:                reducing the distance between the two layers to let the amount of spherical aberration fall within the allowable aberration range in the playback optical system; and        strictly managing the precision of the thickness from the disk surface (incident surface) to each layer, i.e., a reflecting surface or recording surface. In this case, however, the following problems arise:        If the distance between the two layers is reduced, light reflected by one reflecting layer or recording layer leaks into the photodetector while information is played back from the other reflecting layer or recording layer, resulting in interlayer crosstalk and a deterioration in playback signal.        If the precision of the thickness from the disk surface to each layer is strictly managed, the manufacturing yield of information media (optical disks) decreases, resulting in an increase in the sales price of information media.
Consider a case where information is optically read from a high-density recording layer under a thin transparent layer (e.g., 0.1 mm thick) having thickness irregularity by using a laser beam of a short wavelength (e.g., 405 nm) focused by an objective lens having a large NA (e.g., 0.85). In this case, two servo operations are required: focusing servo operation of bringing a laser beam to a focus on the recording layer (focusing the beam into a minimum laser spot on the recording layer); and thickness servo operation of correcting an optical aberration caused by the thickness irregularity of the transparent layer (so as to prevent the laser spot size from being increased by an aberration even if the focus is automatically adjusted to a best point by focusing servo operation).
As a method of simultaneously performing focusing servo operation and thickness servo operation, a method of making a focusing servo optical system and thickness servo optical system wobble at different frequencies may be used. In this method, by detecting the envelope of a playback RF signal obtained from an optical disk through wobbling, focusing servo control and thickness servo control are performed (since the wobble frequency of the playback RF signal envelope in focusing servo control differs from that in thickness servo control, frequency separation of servo detection signals in the two servo operations can be performed).
In this method, however, much crosstalk occurs between a detection signal in focusing servo control and a detection signal in thickness servo control, and hence it is impossible to completely separate a focusing servo loop from a thickness servo loop. It is therefore difficult to provide sufficient, stable servo control, resulting in stricter requirement for the thickness irregularity allowable range for transparent layers. In addition, since the upper limit of servo response frequencies is restricted by a wobbling frequency, high-speed servo control is difficult to realize.
As described above, when an optical disk (information medium) tilts with respect to the objective lens due to the influence of warpage and the like in the radial direction and/or circumferential direction of the optical disk, coma occurs in a focused light beam on the recording surface. When this coma occurs, the spot size of the focused light beam on the recording surface increases to cause a deterioration in playback signal from the optical disk (information medium) or instability in recording on the optical disk (information medium) as in the case of the occurrence of spherical aberration.
To solve this problem, an additional tilt servo mechanism for correcting the influence of coma caused by "the tilt of a transparent layer with respect to the objective lens" upon the warpage of a disk (information medium) or the like is introduced (as needed) as well as an additional thickness servo mechanism for correcting the influence of spherical aberration caused by "the thickness irregularity of the transparent layer of a disk (information medium)".
If, however, a thickness servo mechanism and/or tilt servo mechanism is additionally introduced, including their detection optical systems (in addition to the above DPP and/or CTC optical systems and circuit systems), the servo system (detection system and circuit system) is complicated accordingly, resulting in an increase in the cost of an optical head.

Optical information processing system using optical aberrations and information medium having recording layer protected by transparent layer having thickness irregularity


An actuating device for a door or hatch of a vehicle includes a carrier for moving a slide between a locking position and a release position for locking a turret to be inserted into an opening of the carrier in a desired inserted position. The slide is provided on its front side in the pull-out direction with a lobe which includes a radially outer surface pointing away from the inserted turret. The turret has an opposing lobe facing the insertion direction, wherein the opposing lobe is arranged at a radial distance from the adjacent circumferential zone of the turret and includes a radially inner surface facing the turret. When the turret is moved into the locking position, the lobe travels into a radial distance from the slide and is moved behind the opposing lobe where the lobe rests with its radially outer surface on the radially inner surface of the opposing lobe.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an actuating device for doors or hatches of vehicles. Such a device also includes a so-called "turret", which can hold either a real lock cylinder or a dummy cylinder for the sake of styling. A turret of this type is usually inserted from the outside of the door into an opening in the carrier, where it is then locked in place by a slide, guided movably on the carrier, only after the carrier has been attached to the interior of the door. The slide has a shoulder, and the carrier has an opposing shoulder. When the slide is in a certain position, the two shoulders line up with each other, and this therefore defines the "locking position". When the slide is pushed into a "release position", the shoulder releases the opposing shoulder, and the turret can be inserted into the carrier or pulled back out of it again.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the known actuating device of this type (EP 1 026 351 A1), part of the plate-shaped slide is cut away, as a result of which the slide acquires the shape of a "U". The sidepieces of this U-shaped slide can slide along the lateral guide rails on the carrier. On the web which connects the two sidepieces of the U, a threaded hole is provided for an adjusting screw, the head of which points toward the interior of the yoke, whereas the actuating end which serves to actuate the screw projects laterally from the carrier. This actuating end of the adjusting screw can be actuated through a lateral opening in the rabbet area of the door. When the adjusting screw is actuated, the head of the screw meets a side wall of the turret, which has been inserted into an opening in the carrier, and as it is screwed in further, it moves the U-shaped slide toward the door rabbet. Projections seated on the end of the two sidepieces of the "U" travel into corresponding openings in the turret, the goal of which is to make it impossible to pull the turret out of the carrier. The pull-out resistance of the turret provided by clamping the turret between the projections of the U-shaped slide and the head of the adjusting screw is unsatisfactory.

Actuating device for doors or hatches of vehicles


Groups of amorphous steel strips, cut to appropriate length from a composite strip, are stacked in longitudinally-staggered relationship to form packets. The groups are made up by a process that comprises a pre-spooling operation that results in the strips and groups in each packet adhering together, even though dry. The individual packets are fed successively into a belt nester that includes a rotatable arbor and wrapping means that wraps the packets in superposed relationship about the arbor as the arbor rotates, thereby building up a hollow core form. The above-described adhesive effect precludes the strips and groups from shifting longitudinally while the packets are being wrapped about the arbor.

A type of core-making machine that has been used for many years for making transformer cores is the belt nester. Typically, a belt nester comprises a rotatable arbor about which sections of magnetic strip steel of controlled length are wrapped in superposed relationship as the arbor is rotated, thereby building up a core form that increases in diameter as additional strips are wrapped about those previously wrapped. Wrapping of the strips is effected by use of a flexible belt that encircles the arbor and is driven to cause rotation of the arbor and any strips previously wrapped about the arbor. Strips are fed into the belt nester in such a manner that they enter between the arbor and the encircling belt; and as the belt and arbor move together, each entering strip, or group of strips, is forced by the belt to tightly encircle the arbor or any core form already built up upon the arbor. An example of a belt nester of this type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,049,793--Cooper.
Belt nesters of the above type have heretofore been used for making cores that comprise strips of amorphous steel that are wrapped about the rotating arbor. Because the amorphous strips are very thin (e.g., typically only about 1 mil in thickness), it is customary and highly desirable to feed them into the belt nester in groups, each group being at least ten strips in thickness. But one problem that is present when a belt nester is used with groups of amorphous steel strips is that during the nesting process the strips tend to slide about within the group and on the rotatable arbor or on the rotating partially-built up core form, and this is a serious problem because these strips must be precisely and predictably located. To overcome this problem, the assignee of the present invention has covered the strips, just prior to belt nesting, with a volatile liquid such as perchloroethylene that is capable of holding the strips together in the manner required for effective belt nesting. The liquid later evaporates. This, however, is not an entirely satisfactory approach because the perchloroethylene is expensive, is environmentally undesirable, and can produce rust or corrosion problems.

Method of making a transformer core comprising strips of amorphous steel wrapped around the core window