A method and apparatus for concealing errors using lower resolution images for compressed images is described. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving a codestream data of an image and determining a location of an error region in coefficients using an icon.

Image compression makes digital cameras and image communication in general viable. Image compression also makes the effects of errors much greater. Instead of a one bit error changing only one pixel in the image, a one bit error in a compressed file can cause loss of synchronization and thus destroy the usefulness of all data past the location of the error.
Compression algorithms sometimes have special design provisions to deal with errors. The G3 fax standard "restarts" every few lines, so an error could effect at most a few lines. JPEG has "restart markers" which allow the bitstream to be resynchronized. JPEG 2000 has a variety of options to increase the ability to detect errors and thus limit the propagation effects.
Special features of the compression standard to deal with errors are often not used. Use of additional redundancy to allow error detection or correction tends to increase the bitrate, which many find undesirable. Further, most transport protocols effectively provide an error free channel by detecting errors and requesting retransmission. The error protection is thus wasted.
Unfortunately errors still do occur. JPEG images with large errors typically have an appearance as shown in FIG. 1, represented schematically in FIG. 2. The first region before any errors have occurred in the codestream appears correctly. Then the "Error Region" begins which may be a solid color band, or an area with high amounts of visible noise. Eventually a good decoder resynchronizes with the codestream and produces recognizable image data as in Region 2. Unfortunately, although the decoder resynchronized the beginning of blocks in the codestream, the position in the decoded image is wrong. This leads to a large horizontal line where the 2nd region has been shifted from the first region. It also leads to a vertical line artifact where the right edge of the picture is. Because Region 2 is shifted the left and right edges of the correct image are displayed next to each other in the visible portion of the image. In addition to the artifacts caused by the shifting of the image, the color of the image is typically wrong in Region 2. It is either brighter or darker than equivalent colors in Region 1, and there is usually some color shift as well. Images with more than one large error simply have an additional error region, and an additional visible horizontal and vertical line and intensity shift. This is shown in FIG. 3. In this case, the second error region wraps around the edge of the displayed image.
Today, most "JPEG" images contain more information than the JPEG codestreams. The original JPEG committee did not define a complete "file format," and thus a couple of variants have developed. "JFIF" and "Exif" are the two most common types of JPEG files. Both allow definition of a color space, storage of meta-data, and storage of an icon.
The Design Rule for Camera File System (DCF) is a standard that goes even further by requiring JPEG files to be in Exif format and by requiring a 160 by 120 icon. See Japan Electronic Industry Development Association (JEIDA), Design Rule for Camera File System (DCF), adopted December 1998. Also see Japan Electronic Industry Development Association (JEIDA), Digital Still Camera Image File Format Standard (Exchangeable image file format for Digital Still Cameras: Exif), Version 2.1, Jun. 12, 1998.
There has been a lot of work on error detection, correction, and or concealment with JPEG and MPEG. Some of the work with JPEG images includes the use of differences between lines (along the 8×8 block boundary) to detect errors. Prior art JPEG methods have been described that use differences between rows of blocks to determine the correct DC values, while the work with MPEG sequences includes filling in regions with errors using previous frames. Also MPEG and JPEG share the use of 8×8 block DCTs and Huffman coding. A summary of MPEG methods appears in Yao Wang and Qin-Fan Zhu, "Error Control and Concealment for Video Communications: A Review," Proceedings of the IEEE, May 1998 Vol. 86, No. 5, pp. 974-997.
All work with JPEG 2000 has involved using the error resilience tools designed in the standard. There has also been work using the error resilience tools designed into the JPEG 2000 Standard.

Error concealment using icons for JPEG and JPEG 2000 compressed images


A footwear drying rack and a method for its use within automatic dryers having a rotating drum, the framework of the rack having one outwardly spring-biased main actuator arm and one telescoping main actuator arm placed in opposition thereto; two rack holders secured to opposite sides of the inside surface of the dryer drum and between which the two main actuator arms are firmly fixed during use; and a plurality of outwardly spring-biased shoe bracket subassemblies upon which wet footwear may be placed to allow the footwear to dry within an automatic clothes dryer more rapidly than if it were placed loose within the dryer drum. Since the footwear remains attached to the rack during the entire time it is being dried, air circulates evenly about it thereby reducing damage to the footwear, and it is not allowed to contact the dryer drum and door which can cause an undue amount of noise, mar and dent the dryer's walls and door, cause the motor to burn up if the laces become sufficiently entangled in the drum to stop it, and periodically knock open the clothes dryer door to interrupt the drying cycle and cause drying delay. Applications may include, but are not limited to, the drying of shoes belonging to both children and adults, work boots, steel-tipped shoes, and athletic footwear including shoes having spikes and cleats that are commonly used in the sports of baseball, softball, football, golf, hiking, and mountain climbing.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to devices used for drying footwear, specifically to a footwear drying rack and a method for its use within automatic clothes dryers having a rotating dryer drum, the framework of the rack comprising one outwardly spring-biased main actuator arm and one telescoping main actuator arm positioned in opposition thereto, two rack holders which are secured to opposite sides of the inside surface of the dryer drum and between which the two main actuator arms are firmly fixed during use, the framework also comprising a plurality of outwardly spring-biased shoe bracket subassemblies upon which wet footwear may be placed to allow such footwear to dry within the automatic clothes dryer in a shorter amount of time than if it were placed loose within the dryer drum, and to also cause drying of the footwear without it repetitively striking the inside surfaces of the clothes dryer door and drum, whereby such repetitive contact might otherwise cause an undue amount of noise, damage to the shoes, marring and denting of the inside walls and door of the clothes dryer, burning up of the dryer motor if laces attached to the boots or shoes became sufficiently entangled in the drum to stop it, and interruption of the drying cycle if the loose footwear were to knock open the clothes dryer door. Applications may include, but are not limited to, drying of shoes belonging to both children and adults, work boots, steel-tipped shoes, and athletic footwear including shoes having spikes and cleats that are commonly used in the sports of baseball, softball, football, golf, hiking, and mountain climbing.
2. Description of Proir Art
Wet footwear is periodically encountered by almost everyone, and a wide variety of methods and devices have been tried to dry wet footwear without damaging it. Air drying of wet footwear is slow, and can lead to undesirable odors in the footwear, even if a quantity of newspaper or other absorbent material is initially placed in the toes of the footwear to draw out excess moisture. To accelerate drying time, people have been known to place wet footwear near to a heat source, such as a fire place or stove, whereby the footwear becomes subject to hot spots, burned and scorched heels and soles, and shrinking. Further, even though a wide variety of devices are known to dry footwear which attach to hair dryers or have various combinations of electric heaters, flexible air hoses, and electric blowers, as a matter of convenience many people choose to dry footwear in automatic clothes dryers, however, in doing so they can experience a variety of problems. For example, footwear placed loose within automatic clothes dryers tends to bang and knock against the inside walls and door of the dryer drum. When heavy shoes and boots are dried, the noise created by the repetitive banging and knocking can be bothersome. Further, particularly when steel-tipped shoes or boots, and shoes having spikes or cleats, are dried, the inside surfaces of the dryer drum and door become subject to marring and denting. Also, footwear placed loose within a clothes dryer does not dry evenly and will therefore take an excessive amount of time to become completely dry, unnecessarily consuming energy resources. Another problem is that if time is not taken to loosen or remove the laces found in many types of boots, shoes and sneakers, the laces can become sufficiently entangled with the drum to cause the drum to get stuck. This can lead to overheating and possible failure of the dryer's motor. In addition, wet and dry footwear tends to knock clothes dryer doors open mid-cycle, which can lead to drying delays. It also requires the periodic attention from someone to restart the dryer.
Use of the present invention to dry footwear secures it in a stationary position relative to the inside walls of an automatic clothes dryer drum, and eliminates all of the above mentioned problems. The wet footwear is positioned upon a rack which circles at the same speed and direction of rotation as the dryer drum which helps to promote even footwear drying and prevents one part of the footwear becoming excessively hot relative to the remainder of the footwear, which can otherwise lead to damage. Also, the wet footwear does not have the opportunity to contact the inside surface of the dryer drum, therefore the drum and door of the clothes dryer do not become dented or marred. Also, the opportunity is avoided for shoe and boot laces to become entangled with the dryer drum and possibly cause motor failure. In addition, the outwardly spring-biased shoe bracket applies pressure to a wet shoe or boot between the inside surface of its heel and its toe to help prevent shrinking of the footwear during the drying cycle. Also, when the present invention is used the secured shoes and boots cannot knock open the dryer door mid-cycle and the flow of forced hot air is evenly circulated around the wet footwear as the drum turns, to accomplish prompt drying of the footwear without an unnecessary expenditure of energy resources. It is not known to have a footwear drying rack comprising one outwardly spring-biased main actuator arm and one telescoping main actuator arm placed in opposition thereto, two rack holders which are secured to opposite sides of the inside surface of the dryer drum and between which the two main actuator arms are firmly fixed during use, the framework also comprising a plurality of outwardly spring-biased shoe bracket subassemblies upon which wet footwear may be placed to allow such footwear to dry within the automatic clothes dryer in a shorter amount of time than if it were placed loose within the dryer drum.

Footwear drying rack and method for its use


A wireless communication apparatus includes: a first amplifier configured to amplify an input signal; a second amplifier configured to amplify the input signal when an input level of the input signal is equal to or larger than a given level; an impedance converter configure to switch an load impedance of the first amplifier and output a composite output of an output from the first amplifier and an output from the second amplifier; an impedance controller section configured to control a switching of the load impedance of the first amplifier based on a bandwidth of the input signal; a distortion compensation section configured to perform distortion compensation of the input signal and supply a compensated input signal to the first amplifier and the second amplifier; and a filter section configured to limit a band of a signal output from the impedance converter.

A wireless base station apparatus includes, for example, a wireless controller apparatus and a wireless apparatus. The wireless apparatus includes a power amplifier section, a distortion compensation section, and a filter section. The power amplifier section amplifies a base band signal up to a high output power radio signal. The distortion compensation section compensates non-linear distortions. The filter section removes output noise.
Related art is disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2011-182313.

Wireless communication apparatus, Doherty amplifier, and method for controlling wireless communication


Disclosed herein is a novel technique that greatly improves the TCP-friendliness of CTCP over such under-buffered network links without degrading the protocol efficiency to utilize the link capacity. Instead of using a pre-defined threshold, the disclosed approach, which may be referred to herein as “CTCP-TUBE,” dynamically adjusts the threshold based on the network setting in which the flow is operating. The backlogged packets of a regular TCP may be estimated along the same path by emulating the behavior of a regular TCP flow in runtime. Based on this, a threshold is set so as to ensure good TCP-friendliness. CTCP-TUBE can automatically adapt to different network configurations and also concurrent competing flows.

Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) provides reliable data transmission with an embedded congestion control algorithm that effectively removes congestion collapses in the Internet by adjusting the sending rate according to the available bandwidth of the network. Although TCP achieves remarkable success in maximizing the utilization of the link and fairly sharing bandwidth between competing flows, in today's Internet environment, it has been reported that TCP substantially underutilizes network bandwidth over high-speed and long distance networks. In the last decade, researchers have been actively seeking new approaches to improve TCP performance over fast and long-distance networks.
It would be desirable for any new high-speed congestion control protocol to satisfy the following three requirements for successful deployment into the Internet: 1) improve the throughput of the connection to efficiently use the high-speed network link; 2) have good intra-protocol fairness, especially when the competing flows have different round trip times (RTTs); and 3) not reduce the performance of other regular TCP flows competing on the same path.
The third requirement may be referred to herein as "TCP friendliness," which means that any new protocol should only make better use of residual bandwidth, but not steal bandwidth from other TCP flows. In general, delay-based protocols estimate the packets backlogged in the bottleneck queue and compare it with a threshold y. If the backlog is larger than γ, the sending rate is reduced. Otherwise, the sending rate is increased (or remains the same). However, in order for delay-based protocols to be friendly to regular TCP, it requires correctly setting a threshold γ. If γ is set too large, the delay-based protocol may not timely detect the build-up of the queue.
Compound TCP (CTCP) has been previously proposed as a promising approach that satisfies all aforementioned requirements. CTCP is a synergy of both delay-based and loss-based congestion avoidance approaches, in which a scalable delay-based component is added to the standard TCP. This delay-based component can efficiently use the link capacity, and also can react early to congestion by sensing the changes in RTT. This way, CTCP achieves high link utilization, good RTT fairness and TCP friendliness.
To effectively detect early congestions, CTCP requires estimating the backlogged packets at a bottleneck queue and compares this estimate to a predefined threshold γ. However, setting this threshold is particularly difficult in CTCP (and in many other similar delay-based approaches), because it largely depends on the network configuration and the number of concurrent flows that compete for the same bottleneck link, which are, unfortunately, unknown to end-systems. As a consequence, the original proposed CTCP with a fixed γ may still demonstrate poor TCP-friendliness over under-buffered network links. In the worst case, TCP-unfairness of CTCP may even be comparable to that of HighSpeed TCP (HSTCP). One naïve solution to that problem is to configure γ to a very low value, but a very small γ may falsely detect congestion and adversely affect the throughput.

Systems and methods for improving TCP-friendliness of delay-based congestion control


A glass panel (P) comprising a pair of glass plates (1A, 1B) opposed to each other, spacers (2) disposed between the pair of glass plates for maintaining a gap therebetween, and a sealing member (3) having a lower melting point than the glass plates (1) for sealing the pair of glass plates (1A, 1B) at outer peripheries (9) thereof to form a decompression void (V) between the pair of glass plates (1A, 1B), wherein a compressive force Fc is allowed to remain at outer surfaces of the outer peripheries (9) of the glass plates (1), with the decompression void (V) being in atmospheric pressure condition.

The above glass panel is intended to enhance a thermal insulation. performance by maintaining the decompression void. defined between the glass plates in a decompressed condition. In sealing the pair of glass plates at the outer peripheries thereof, the entire glass panel is heated to a predetermined temperature to melt the sealing member provided between the outer peripheries of the glass plates. The melted sealing member is then cooled and solidified, thereby to fix the glass plates to each other at the outer peripheries thereof.
With the conventional glass panel, the entire glass panel is gradually cooled for cooling and solidifying the melted sealing member, in order to prevent internal stress from remaining in the glass plates as a result of the cooling operation and distorting the glass panel.
To this end, as schematically shown in FIG. 7, when the decompression void V in the glass panel P of FIG. 7(A) is decompressed, a strong tensile force acts on outer surfaces of the outer peripheries 9 adjacent where the glass plates 1A and 1B are sealed by the sealing member 3. As shown in FIG. 7(B), such a tensile force remains there with the decompression void V maintained in the decompressed. condition to disadvantageously generate cracks in the glass plates I due to flaws on the surfaces of the glass plates 1 or external forces applied to the glass plates 1. As a result, the decompression void V cannot be maintained in the decompressed condition for a. long period, and the glass plates 1 per se may easily be damaged.
More particularly, the above glass panel P has the glass plates 1 yielding toward the decompression void V under the pressure difference between the pressure within the decompression void V and atmospheric pressure as the decompression void V is decompressed. Since the decompression void V is decompressed with the pair of glass plates 1A and 1B fixed and bound by the sealing member 3 at the outer peripheries thereof, a strong tensile force ft remains in the outer surfaces of the outer peripheries 9 of the glass plates 1 adjacent where the glass plates are sealed by the sealing member 3 with the decompression void V maintained in the decompressed condition. Consequently, the tensile stress concentrates on flaws on the surfaces of the glass plates 1, and a resultant force of a tensile force due to an external force and the residual tensile force ft is increased, thereby tending to generate cracks in the glass plates 1.
The present invention has been made having regard to the state of the art noted above, and its object is to prevent cracks from generating in the glass plates due to flaws on the glass surfaces and external forces applied to the glass plates with the decompression void maintained in a decompressed condition.


A differential receiver circuit. In one embodiment, the circuit includes first and second input transistors, each having a first terminal coupled to a bias node (a first and second bias node, respectively), as well as first and second bias transistors, each having a first terminal coupled to the first and second bias nodes, respectively. The circuit further includes a first current source coupled to provide current to the first bias node and a second current source coupled to the second bias node. The differential receiver circuit is coupled to first and second, which receive first and second voltages, respectively. The first and second current sources provide current to the first and second bias nodes, respectively, such that the voltage present on the first and second bias nodes remains with approximately a threshold voltage of a midpoint between the voltages present on the first and second voltage nodes.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electronic systems, and more particularly, to receiver circuits in electronic systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
In computers and other electronic systems, the demand for speed is ever increasing. One method for increasing speed is to reduce the required voltage to operate devices within the circuits of the electronic systems. Lower voltages typically lead to shorter rise times. Thus, in many electronic systems, the trend is towards lower voltage transistors, which may have faster switching times than their higher voltage counterparts. However, transistors designed for lower voltages typically are not rated to tolerate higher voltage swings.
In some instances, the need of higher operating speeds may be in conflict with certain specifications. For example, voltage requirements for specifications such as the DDR2 (Double Data Rate 2) memory specification requires a voltage swing of 1.8 volts between logic high and logic low signals. Thus, typical transmitters and receivers used in subsystems conforming to the DDR2 may employ transistors rated at 1.8 volts that may be unable to operate with the switching speeds as fast as transistors having lower voltage ratings (e.g., 1.2 volts).

Differential input receiver having over-voltage protection


A non load-bearing metal wall stud has a sheet metal body with a web, a pair of flanges extending at right angles to the web, a pair of lips, each extending at a right angle from a straight edge of one of the flanges and a pair of skirts each extending at an angle from the straight edge of one of the lips. Knurled channels in the flanges and in the web stiffen the stud further.

The present invention relates generally to the field of metal building components and, in particular, to a new and useful metal wall stud.
Buildings have long been constructed of structural framing systems. Wood has long been the material of choice for the components of these systems. In recent times, however, steel and other metal structural components have been created to replace the wood framing components in most commercial and some residential construction. Thus, the erecting of interior partitions within buildings to divide the interior space into smaller sections or areas is commonly completed by erecting a framework of metal studs.
The inventor of the subject application has invented or co-invented various improvements in the field including U.S. Pat. No. 7,478,505 for Metal Stud Arrangement; U.S. Pat. No. 7,383,665 for Header Arrangement; U.S. Pat. No. 7,356,970 for Metal Building Construction; U.S. Pat. No. 6,964,140 for Structural Metal Member for Use in a Roof Truss or a Floor Joist; U.S. Pat. No. 6,436,552 for Structural Metal Framing Member; U.S. Pat. No. 6,397,550 for Metal Structural Member; U.S. Pat. No. 6,213,679 for Deflection Slide Clip; U.S. Pat. No. 5,846,018 for Deflection Slide Clip; U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,131 for Joist Hanger; U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,571 for Deflection Slide Clip; U.S. Pat. No. 5,687,538 for Floor Joist with Built-in Truss-like Stiffner; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,561,955 for Adjustable Sill Plate Assembly.
Published Patent Application Serial No. U.S. 2006/0075715 discloses a structural framing system and components thereof that includes at least one first framing component having upper and lower flange elements separated by a web element having a depth measured between the upper and lower flange elements, the upper and lower flange elements having upper and lower positioning dimples spaced therealong. The dimples protrude in such manner that a distance between the upper and lower dimples is less than the depth of the web.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,349 discloses an elongate structural member that can be used as a wall stud, and that has a substantially uniform material gauge, at least one web element and at least one flange element. The flange element has a plurality of corrugations as stiffeners in the longitudinal direction of the member. The corrugations are equally spaced and are formed at least in the flange element, with no corrugations being located in a longitudinal direction at, adjacent to, a centerline of a web element.
Also known from The Steel Network, Inc., are heavy gage metal (e.g. 33 to 118 mils or thousandths of an inch) supporting wall members called the STIFFWALL and SIGMASTUD members, that each have a 90 degree skirt at the edge of a flange lip. See http://www.steelnetwork.com/SigmaStud.aspx and http://www.steelnetwork.com/StiffWall.aspx?link_id=2, for example.
Some of the structural members described above provide reasonable support but, at an increased thickness. Others have a reduced thickness, but do not provide adequate support.
A need remains, therefore, for a non load-bearing metal wall stud with increased strength but reduced metal weight. The increased strength referred to is deflection on the flange of the stud. By increasing the strength of the flange the invention will allow the stud to achieve a greater height without increasing the gauge of the steel. Some manufactures increase the Ksi (thousand pound per square inch of tensile strength) of the steel to increase the ability of the stud to achieve greater heights, but using a higher Ksi steel, for example 50 Ksi, makes the installation of self taping screws that are commonly used to attach wall board to the studs, more difficult. By stiffening the lip of the stud the invention achieves a greater stud height without the use of high Ksi grade steel.

Non load-bearing metal wall stud having increased strength


A gateway server 40, in the case that discontinuation of TCP Connection A between a portable phone 10 and gateway server 40 is detected when gateway server 40 is relaying HTTP communication between portable phone 10 and a content server 70, maintains TCP Connection B1 between a billing management server 50 and gateway server 40 until gateway server 40 receives from billing management server 50 billing information for HTTP communication relayed up to the time of the discontinuation of TCP Connection A.

In a connection-oriented communication method using a connection-type protocol typified by TCP (Transmission Control Protocol), end-to-end connection between a communication device and a correspondent communication device is first established, and then data is sequentially transmitted via the connection. The connection is released when the data transmission is completed. This type of communication method is characterized in that once a circuit (or a session) is established between communication devices; the same circuit is dedicated to the data transmission until the session is completed.
A communication carrier, which provides a packet communication service by way of connection-oriented communication, charges one of the parties on the basis of an amount of data transmitted and received during a connection period from when the connection is established until the connection is released. For example, in a case that a communication terminal requests a content server to deliver content to the terminal, a connection is first established between the communication terminal and the content server. The communication terminal transmits a content request message via the established connection to the content server, and, in response to the request message from the communication terminal, the content server delivers content to the communication terminal via the same connection. The connection is released after the communication terminal receives the content. The carrier operating the packet communication service performs a billing process, after obtaining information required for billing, on the basis of data transmitted or received via the connection, with the data including the request message sent from the communication terminal to the content server and the content delivered to the communication terminal.
In such connection-oriented communication, however, there exists a problem in that communication may be discontinued before data transmission is complete. This may occur as a result of an instruction issued by one of the communicating devices or as a result of a failure of a connection link. In the case that communication is discontinued following issuance of a request message, requested content can not be fully delivered from a content server to a requesting terminal; and consequently a carrier operating the packet communication service may not be able to obtain information required for billing, as a result of which it becomes impossible for a communication charge relative to the request message to be collected.

Communication control method in connection-oriented communication, related transfer device, and billing management device


A system and method enabling acoustic barge-in during a voice prompt in a communication system. An acoustic prompt model is trained to represent the system prompt using the specific speech signal of the prompt. The acoustic prompt model is utilized in a speech recognizer in parallel with the recognizer's active vocabulary words to suppress the echo of the prompt within the recognizer. The speech recognizer may also use a silence model and traditional garbage models such as noise models and out-of-vocabulary word models to reduce the likelihood that noises and out-of-vocabulary words in the user utterance will be mapped erroneously onto active vocabulary words.

In communication networks, system operators often find it convenient to implement automated system voice announcements, or "prompts", to inform subscribers, for example, of certain available features or certain actions that the subscriber must take to activate particular features. For many subscribers, this information is useful the first few times they hear it, but after hearing it several times, subscribers may wish to interrupt, or "barge-in", during the system voice prompt because they already know what the prompt says and what actions they need to take. In existing communication networks, a barge-in capability is normally realized by running a standard speech recognizer during the voice prompt. In order to avoid erroneous speech recognizer output due to the input of both the user's voice and the sound (echo) of the prompt originating from the device's loudspeaker, an acoustic echo cancellation technique is normally utilized to suppress feedback of the prompt echo to the recognizer.
As next generation communication devices are developed, it will be increasingly important to have user-friendly man-machine interfaces (MMIs) that enable the devices to be operated in a hands-free mode. Multi-modal MMIs and intelligent speech-driven dialog interfaces are needed that are well accepted by users and that provide flexible interaction with the system. An improved capability to barge-in will be required in order to enable a user to interrupt a system prompt by simply speaking while the prompt is being played.
There are three major shortcomings of the existing methods of providing a barge-in capability. First, conventional echo cancellation algorithms may provide a very weak attenuation of the prompt echo. For example, echo attenuation of 10 dB or less may occur. This may cause serious problems with misrecognitions by the speech recognizer because the speech recognizer is triggered by the prompt echo. Second, standard adaptive echo cancellation methods require a fixed timing correlation between the voice input channel and the voice output channel. In distributed systems, however, it is often too expensive, or not possible, to obtain this temporal correlation, especially when the recognition server and the server that plays the prompt are separated by some distance. Third, standard adaptive echo cancellation methods require a considerable amount of processing power. This is a significant challenge for embedded systems with restrictive hardware constraints or for multi-channel applications where as many channels as possible have to be processed in parallel.
Due to the above-described shortcomings of conventional echo cancellation methodologies, an alternative methodology for enabling the user of a hands-free communication device to barge-in during a system voice prompt is needed.

System and method enabling acoustic barge-in


A tape cassette including: a case consisting of an upper half and a lower half, and having a recess in its front side; two tape reels rotatably supported within the case; a recording tape having opposite ends fastened to the two tape reels, respectively, and wound on the two tape reels so that a portion thereof extends along the front side of the recess of the case; and a lid assembly covering the portion of the recording tape extending along the front side of the recess while the tape cassette is not in use; wherein the lower half is formed with locating contact protrusions; the locating contact protrusions being contacted with locating lugs formed in a recording/reproducing apparatus for locating a miniature tape cassette commonly used for the recording/reproducing apparatus; and the locating contact protrusions being engaged with gaps formed on the lower edge of a front surface portion of the lid assembly when the tape cassette is not in use and the lid assembly is at its closed position.

The present invention relates to a novel tape cassette and, more specifically, to a large tape cassette to be used on a recording/reproducing apparatus capable of using both a large tape cassette and a miniature tape cassette. The present invention is intended to enhance the dustproof performance and the strength of a large tape cassette having exclusive locating contact protrusions other than the locating contact protrusions common to a miniature tape cassette.
There is known a recording/reproducing apparatus capable of using both a large tape cassette and a miniature tape cassette, that is, the so-called compatible recording/reproducing apparatus.
Such a recording/reproducing apparatus are designed so as to use as many members and devices common to a large tape cassette and a miniature tape cassette as possible to simplify the construction thereof.
For example, recesses, i.e., mouths into which a tape driving member is inserted when the tape cassette is loaded into a recording/reproducing apparatus, of substantially the same size are formed respectively in the large tape cassette and the miniature tape cassette to use the same tape driving member in the same operating mode for driving the recording tapes of both the large tape cassette and the miniature tape cassette.
FIG. 15 shows, in a superposed view, a large tape cassette a and a miniature tape cassette b respectively having mouths c and d of substantially the same size to be used on such a recording/reproducing apparatus.
Some compatible recording/reproducing apparatuses are provided with common locating lugs to be used for both locating the large tape cassette a and locating the miniature tape cassette b.
When the miniature tape cassette is to be used on such a recording/reproducing apparatus, the miniature tape cassette must be provided with locating contact protrusions in ranges e.
Naturally, the large tape cassette a also must be provided with locating contact protrusions in the ranges e to use the common locating lugs.
However, as regards the large tape cassette a, it is preferable, in view of stable locating, that locating contact protrusions of the large tape cassette a to be brought into contact with locating lugs are separated from each other by a comparatively large distance and hence it is preferable to separate the locating contact protrusions of the large tape cassette a by a largest possible distance from each other when the large tape cassette a is used on a recording/reproducing apparatus designed for using only the large tape cassette a. Accordingly, the locating contact protrusions of the large tape cassette <a> are formed in ranges f.
The tape cassette is provided with a lid to protect an exposed portion of the recording tape contained therein.
If the locating contact protrusions are covered with the lid assembly, the tape cassette cannot be located with the lid assembly positioned at its closed position for covering the front side of the recording tape. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 16, a recess h is formed in a lid q so as to receive a locating contact protrusion i in the recess h so that the locating contact protrusion i is exposed to enable the tape cassette to be located with the lid q positioned at its closed position.
In such a structure, however, a gap is formed between the locating contact protrusion i and the upper edge of the recess h to deteriorate the dustproof capability of the tape cassette, if the lid q is moved even slightly toward the open position. If the locating contact protrusions are formed over the wide ranges f as in the conventional large tape cassette a, a gap is formed in a wide range when the lid q is slightly opened, which deteriorates the dustproof capability of the tape cassette significantly.
Since portions of the lid q other than those in which the recesses h are formed are not supported from behind by the case of the tape cassette, the lid q is flexed easily backward when a pressure is applied thereto. If such portions are formed in the wide ranges f, the strength of the lid q is reduced greatly.

Large tape cassette usable in a recording/reproducing apparatus capable of using both a large tape cassette and a miniature tape cassette


The invention relates to a bladed disk (1) of a fan, comprising: a hub (10) comprising an outer radial platform (13) designed so as to define an inner gas flow stream in the turbomachine, a plurality of blades (20) comprising a root (23) connected to the platform (13), a leading edge (21) and a trailing edge (22), a groove formed in the platform (13) around part of the root (23) of each blade (20) in an area adjacent to the leading edge (21) and/or the trailing edge (22), and a joint (30) placed in the groove (15) in such a way that it extends in the extension of the radially outer face (14) of the platform (13) in order to ensure a continuity of the inner flow stream.

A bypass turbomachine generally comprises, from upstream to downstream in the flow direction of the gases, a fan, an annular primary flow space and an annular secondary flow space. The mass of air sucked by the fan is therefore divided into a primary stream and a secondary stream which is concentric with the primary stream.
The primary stream passes through a primary body comprising one or several compressor stage(s), for example a low-pressure compressor and a high-pressure compressor, a combustion chamber, one or several turbine stage(s), for example a high-pressure turbine and a low-pressure turbine, and a gas exhaust nozzle.
In a manner known per se, the blades of the fan are fixed onto a disk, called fan disk, which is driven by the turbine stages via a drive shaft. The fan blades can be added and fixed onto the fan disk. Alternatively, the fan blades can be formed integrally and in one piece with a hub by forming therewith a single and non-detachable part called blisk. The hub of this blisk is connected to the fan blades at their root.
In the case of a blisk, the ingestion of a foreign body gives rise to a concentration of mechanical stresses which is maximum at the base of the impacted blades, that is to say at the junction of each of these blades with the hub. This situation is due to the fact that the one-piece structure gives rise to greater rigidity of the blades at their connection with the hub. In case of ingestion of a foreign body in the turbomachine, the impacted blades are highly stressed in bending, which tends to further increase the mechanical stress at the base of the blades and may remove them from the hub.
It has therefore been proposed, in document FR 3 028 574 in the name of the Applicant, a blisk of a fan in which the airfoil is arranged to protrude, on the upstream side, from its leading edge and/or, on the downstream side, from its trailing edge. Such a configuration allows obtaining a gain in suppleness and in flexibility of the blades and improving their impact strength significantly.

Bladed disk flexible in the lower part of the blades


A vehicle operation pedal apparatus includes an elongate hollow pedal arm provided with a pedal sheet, the vehicle operation pedal apparatus transmits a pedal operating force applied to the hollow pedal arm to an output member connected to the hollow pedal arm. The hollow pedal arm is formed of a pair of a front half and a rear half each having a U-shaped section and combined with each other; the vehicle operation pedal apparatus comprises a plate-shaped connection plate having a connecting portion connected to the output member so as to be pivotable relative to the output member and fixed integrally with the hollow pedal arm; in the front half and the rear half, slit-shaped through-holes are formed, respectively; and the connection plate is passed through the hollow pedal arm in a vehicle front-rear direction through the through-holes.

There has been known a vehicle operation pedal apparatus that includes an elongate hollow pedal arm disposed in an up-down direction of a vehicle and provided with a pedal sheet that is disposed at a lower end portion of the pedal arm and that is depressed toward a vehicle front side, the vehicle operation pedal apparatus transmitting a pedal operating force applied to the hollow pedal arm to an output member that is connected to the hollow pedal arm so as to be pivotable relative to the hollow pedal arm. An example of such an apparatus is described in Patent Document 1. A hollow pedal arm is formed of a pair of halves each having a U-shape (a shallow U-shape with angled corners or a dish shape) section that is obtained by splitting the hollow pedal arm into two in the vehicle-width direction. The halves are combined with each other so that opening sides thereof face each other, and side end portions of the halves, which are located on respective sides in the vehicle front-rear direction, are integrally joined together to form a hollow tubular shape. Further, a connection hole is formed in each of the paired halves, and a connection pin is disposed to pass through both of the connection holes, so that a connection link or a push rod, which is the output member, is connected so as to be relatively pivotable about an axis (connection axis) of the connection pin.


An apparatus for tightening a drumhead having a rim and a skin set on a drum body portion. The apparatus utilizes an annular member having a track. A fastener is also employed for holding the annular member relative to the drum body. A retainer is provided and includes a surface for engaging the rim of the drumhead with at least one projection which engages the track of the annular member. The retainer is capable of rotating to move the projection along the track to loosen or tighten the skin of the drumhead through contact with the drum body.

The present invention relates to a novel and useful apparatus for tightening a drumhead.
Drums are tuned or tightened to adjust the pitch of the drum prior to use in an entertainment environment. Generally, the drumhead includes a skin held in contact with a circular rim. The skin bearing on the drum body is normally tightened by adjusting a multiplicity of lug bolts, which are evenly spaced around the exterior of the body. For example, a 12 inch Tom drum generally has 12 adjustment bolts, six on the top and six on the bottom. Each of these bolts must be individually adjusted to provide the proper tuning of the drum, much as one adjusts the spokes on a bicycle wheel. It may be apparent, the tightening of the drum skin produces a higher pitch than a drum which has a loosened skin, the latter producing a lower pitch when struck. Moreover, tightening of one bolt on a conventional drum makes it necessary to loosen one or more of the other bolts in order to "clear" the drumhead to properly tune the drum. Needless to say, tuning a drumhead to produce a desired pitch is time consuming and frustrating.
In the past, systems for tuning drums have been proposed. For example, United States Patents Des. 339,818 and Des. 350,362 show tensioning lug bolts formed on the exterior of a drum which must be individually tightened to adjust the tension of the skin head of the drum.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,051,671 and 2,115,741 show tensioning mechanisms for a drum which employ a ratchet mechanism to tighten the skin of the drum and is actuated by an adjusting screw projecting from the drum body.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,218,952 and 5,739,448 show drum tensioning devices that employ gears which tighten a counter hoop which tightens the skin of the drum as the gears are rotated.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,586,665 teaches a drum membrane which is adjustable to different tensions which utilizes a tensioning ring that works in conjunction with a bolt or fastener. A follower linked to the adjusting bolt forces a pair of blocks toward and away from one another in order to adjust the tension of the skin head held by the ring.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,541,913 describes a drumhead holding mechanism in which a collar has an adapt flange with a lip that exerts thrust pressure on a hold down ring of the skin that is operated by pneumatic means.
An apparatus for tightening a drumhead of a drum which is reliable and simple to use would be a notable advance in the music field.

Drumhead tightening and tuning apparatus


A hydrogen tank liner material comprises a polyamide resin composition which comprises (A) a polyamide resin at 85-40 wt %, (B) a copolyamide at 5-30 wt % and (C) an impact-resistant material at 10-30 wt % with respect to the total weight of the polyamide resin composition. Preferably, the (B) copolyamide is PA6/66 and the (C) impact-resistant material is an acid-modified ethylene/α-olefin-based copolymer. A hydrogen tank liner material with excellent gas barrier properties and superior impact resistance even at low temperatures is obtained.

Fuel cell electric vehicles have become the object of increasing attention in recent years from the viewpoint of environmental concerns, such as reducing carbon dioxide emissions that are a cause of global warming. Fuel cell electric vehicles are furnished with fuel cells that generate electrical power by electrochemical reaction of hydrogen with oxygen in the air, and the electricity generated by the fuel cells is supplied to a motor to produce driving force. Such fuel cell electric vehicles are also provided with hydrogen tanks which are easier managed than liquid hydrogen. Hydrogen vehicles have been another focus of attention from an environmental viewpoint, as automobiles that have combustion engines but use hydrogen as fuel instead of gasoline, and such hydrogen vehicles are also provided with hydrogen tanks for the same reason.
The hydrogen tanks used in fuel cell electric vehicles and hydrogen vehicles are high-pressure hydrogen storage containers with barrel-shaped exteriors, which consist of a metal or resin inner layer (liner) that directly contacts with the hydrogen gas, and a fiber-reinforced resin layer laminated on the outer surface (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) Nos. 2002-188794 and 2004-176898)
However, when a metal such as aluminum is used as the hydrogen tank liner, it exhibits excellent gas barrier properties but also absorbs hydrogen, leading to brittle fracture at low temperatures. When high-density polyethylene is used, sealability is exhibited for relatively high molecular weight natural gas but the gas barrier property for low molecular weight hydrogen is poor.
The use of polyamide resins that have more excellent gas barrier properties than high-density polyethylene has been proposed for hydrogen tank liner materials.
Incidentally, hydrogen tank liner materials must have high impact resistance because strong impact during use of hydrogen tank liners can cause cracking and lead to gas leakage, and improved impact resistance has been achieved by adding impact-resistant materials to polyamide resins.
However, when the internal pressure of a hydrogen tank is set to a high pressure of 70 MPa with an aim toward lengthening travel distance, the hydrogen tank must be at quite a low temperature during high-speed travel, and hence excellent impact resistance must be exhibited even at cryogenic temperatures of −40° C. and below.
It is an object of the present invention to solve the aforementioned problems by providing a hydrogen tank liner material with excellent gas barrier properties and with excellent impact resistance even at cryogenic temperatures of −40° C. and below, as well as to a hydrogen tank liner produced using it.

Hydrogen tank liner material and hydrogen tank liner


A charging connector includes a connector housing to be fitted to a power receiving connector, a connector case housing the connector housing, a lock arm arranged to be swingable about a swing fulcrum between a lock position and a release position, and a coil spring located toward a power receiving connector away from the swing fulcrum to bias the lock arm toward the lock position. The lock arm is provided with a spring compartment housing the coil spring in a manner such that the periphery of the coil spring is enclosed. The spring compartment is provided, on a bottom portion thereof, with a penetration hole extending in the lock arm.

Conventionally, a charging connector is used for charging a battery mounted on a vehicle such as an electric vehicle (EV) and a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) (refer to JP H10-275653 A and JP 2011-244590 A). An example of such a charging connector is explained below with reference to FIG. 1.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, a conventional charging connector 100 has a configuration to be fitted into a power receiving connector (not illustrated) provided with a power receiving terminal. The charging connector 100 includes a power supplying terminal (not illustrated), a connector housing 110, a connector case 120, a lock arm 130, and a coil spring 140.
The connector housing 110 houses the power supplying terminal to be connected to the power receiving terminal of the power receiving connector and is thus fitted into the power receiving connector.
The connector case 120 houses the connector housing 110. The connector case 120 includes a housing receiving portion 121 for housing the connector housing 110, a wire receiving portion 122 for housing wires W connected to the power supplying terminal, and a handle 123 connected to the wire receiving portion 122 and held by an operator. The wires W connected to the power supplying terminal are pulled out of the housing receiving portion 121 through the wire receiving portion 122 and the handle 123.
The lock arm 130 prevents removal between the power receiving connector and the connector housing 110 while the fitted state therebetween is kept. The lock arm 130 is arranged between the connector housing 110 and the connector case 120, and extends in the fitted direction between the power receiving connector and the connector case 120.
The lock arm 130 includes a lock claw 131 formed at one end thereof and a lock operating portion 132 formed at the other end. The lock claw 131 and the lock operating portion 132 are exposed to the outside of the connector case 120. The lock operating portion 132 presses a microswitch M that electrically detects the fitted state between the power receiving connector and the connector housing 110.
Such a lock arm 130 is arranged to be swingable about a swing fulcrum 133 to shift between a lock position where the lock claw 131 engages with the power receiving connector and a release position where the engagement between the power receiving connector and the lock claw 131 is released.
The coil spring 140 is located toward the lock operating portion 132 on the side away from the swing fulcrum 133. The coil spring 140 biases the lock arm 130 toward the lock position. Namely, the coil spring 140 biases the lock operating portion 132 of the lock arm 130 upward. The coil spring 140 is supported by a projection 142 formed in a spring receiving portion 141.
When fitting the charging connector 100 into the power receiving connector, the operator holds the handle 123 and moves the charging connector 100 toward the power receiving connector. The lock claw 131 then comes into contact with the power receiving connector, the lock arm 130 swings from the lock position to the release position, and the microswitch M is turned OFF due to the pressure applied from the lock operating portion 312.
Once the charging connector 100 is completely fitted into the power receiving connector, the lock claw 131 engages with the power receiving connector, and the lock arm 130 swings from the release position to the lock position. The microswitch M is then turned ON so as to be ready to charge a battery. Since the lock claw 131 is in the state of engaging with the power receiving connector while the battery is being charged, unintentional disconnection between the power supplying terminal and the power receiving terminal can be prevented.


An image processing apparatus which includes a specific information extracting processor that extracts specific information that is represented by an image and included in image data, based on a specific information extracting program loaded into the specific information extracting processor, a variable factor recognizing mechanism that recognizes a variable factor of the image data from which the specific information is extracted by the specific information extracting processor, and a program loading mechanism that selects one of a plurality of specific information extracting programs stored in a storage area. The selected specific information extracting program corresponds to the recognized variable factor of the image data and is suitable for extracting specific information included in varied image data. The program loading mechanism further loads the selected specific information extracting program into the specific information extracting processor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method, program, and apparatus for copy protection, and more particularly to a method, program, and apparatus for detecting specific information representing prohibition of an output of image data included in image data of an original image. The present invention also relates to a computer-readable storage medium storing the above-mentioned program for detecting specific information representing prohibition of an output of image data included in image data of an original image.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
With recent improvements in image processing and image forming technologies, it has become possible that a high-tech digital color copying apparatus, for example, can reproduce a monetary document even with a high fidelity such that the reproduced image is hardly distinguishable from the original image. Such monetary document is a paper currency, a security, and the like, for example, and will not normally be placed as an object of copying since an authorized currency creation is illegal. Therefore, the high-tech digital color copying apparatus needs to be provided with a feature of prohibiting a reproduction of an anti-copy document such as a monetary document, a confidential document, etc. With this feature, a copy-prohibited document may be entirely prohibited from being reproduced or can be reproduced into a nonreadable image, for example.
In offices, there are many confidential documents which are not necessarily monetary documents but are prohibited from being copied from a viewpoint of trade secrets. These confidential documents also need to be prohibited from being copied with the high-tech digital color copying apparatuses.
Under these circumstances, various inventions associated with the above-mentioned high-tech digital color copying apparatus have been created to attempt to restrict the capability of an image reproduction with a high fidelity.
Japanese Laid-Open Unexamined Patent Application Publication, No. 6-125459 describes a technique for recognizing a special document such as currency, a security, and so on by comparing input image data with a prestored specific mark by pattern matching and judging that the input image data is a special document when the input image data is recognized as matching the prestored specific mark. Japanese Laid-Open Unexamined Patent Application Publication, No. 2001-086330 also describes a similar technique. If an input original is judged as a special document easily in this way, a reproduction of this document can readily be prohibited.
This technique accordingly requires a storage of reference pattern data to be applied to the copy protection for a specific document. However, it would be difficult to apply this reference pattern data, which is fixed data, to the copy protection for an indefinite number of general confidential documents.
As another example, Japanese Laid-Open Unexamined Patent Application Publication, No. 7-036317 describes a technique for recognizing a confidential document dealt with as a copy-prohibited document by detecting a specific mark such as "CONFIDENTIAL," for example, printed on this confidential document indicative of its confidentiality. A print of such a specific mark indicating the document confidentiality in a confidential document is a common practice and the above-mentioned publication uses it. When an input original is judged as a special document easily in this way, a reproduction of this document can readily be prohibited. Japanese Laid-Open Unexamined Patent Application Publication, No. 7-087309 also describes a similar method.
However, when a confidential document has a print of a specific confidential mark such as "CONFIDENTIAL," for example, a copy of this confidential document can easily be made by avoiding a print of the specific confidential mark by hiding it with a piece of paper, for example. Thus, the copy protection fails to protect the confidential document from copying.
Japanese Laid-Open Unexamined Patent Application Publication, No. 9-164739 also describes a similar technique for restricting a copying of document by embedding a watermark in an original image which is desired to be protected from copying. This technique uses a paper sheet having a specific background image to which an original image is attached. The specific background image includes a background dot pattern having a base area and a message area. From its nature, the background dot pattern is inconspicuous in comparison with the original image and therefore it does not cause a problem when reading the original image. This technique, however, causes the background dot pattern to appear when the original image having this background dot pattern is copied. The background dot pattern of this technique is provided with a word of warning such as a "NO COPYING", for example, so that a copy of this original document is recognized easily at a glance as a confidential document for which it is desired to be protected from copying. Therefore, this technique has a psychological effect of restricting against the copying of the document.
However, this technique produces the above-mentioned psychological effect only after the copy is made. Therefore, for the persons who do not care about the appearance of the background dot pattern, the copy protection does not work at all.
There is another technique for prohibiting a reproduction of a copy-prohibited document which addresses the above-described problems. In this technique, when preparing an original image, a predetermined background dot pattern is embedded in a background image which is included in the image data of the original image. When scanning such an original image by a scanner, the background dot pattern is detected from the image data of the original image. Then, the detected background dot pattern is compared with a background dot pattern representing an anti-copy document which is stored in a predetermined storage area by a pattern matching method. If the detected background dot pattern matches with the background dot pattern representing an anti-copy document, the output of the image data of the original image is prohibited.
A flatbed scanner is generally used when scanning an original image. The flatbed scanner scans and reads an original image of an original sheet placed on a contact glass by moving a moving carriage, and has an image scaling function in which an image is scaled (i.e., magnified or reduced) in a sub-scanning direction. When an image scaling mode is selected by an operator, a background dot pattern included in the image data of an original image scanned by the scanner is also scaled. In this condition, the scaled background dot pattern does not match with the background dot pattern stored in the predetermined storage area, so that the pattern matching cannot be properly performed.
To perform the pattern matching properly, the following two methods are considered: (1) the image data of a scaled original image is normalized to its original size, then, a background dot pattern is detected from the normalized image data; and (2) a plurality of background dot patterns representing an anti-copy document are prepared such that the background dot patterns correspond to scaling ratios set when scanning an original image, and are stored in the predetermined storage area. One of the plurality of background dot patterns stored in the storage area is selected according to the scaling ratio set when scanning an original image, and is used when matching with the scaled background dot pattern included in the image data of the original image scanned by the scanner at a predetermined scaling ratio.
In the first method in which the image data of a scaled original image is normalized to its original size, the pattern matching can be properly performed when magnified image data is normalized to its original size. When normalizing reduced image data, an image is magnified in the sub-scanning direction. In this normalizing processing, the number of lines to be processed and a processing amount per unit time increase. As a result, real-time processing cannot be achieved.
In the second method in which a plurality of background dot patterns representing an anti-copy document are prepared, a large number of background dot patterns need to be prepared according to the scaling ratios. Especially in the magnification, the size of the background dot pattern increases. This causes the increase of a processing amount in the software processing performed when comparing the detected background dot pattern with the background dot pattern representing an anti-copy document, and the increase of the scale of a circuit which performs the software processing. As a result, a real-time processing cannot be achieved.
Therefore, as discovered by the present inventors, it is desirable to provide an image processing apparatus, a program, and a computer-readable storage medium that can perform a real-time processing in the matching of background dot patterns.
Further, in an image processing apparatus, real-time processing is required for image recognition processing, pattern matching processing, and image processing. Therefore, such processing is performed at a high speed by using an ASIC (Application Specific IC) and a processor specially used for image processing, such as a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) and a SIMD (Single Instruction Stream/Multiple Data Stream) processor.
Many Japanese Laid-Open Unexamined Patent Application Publications describe a load of a program or data into a special processor included in the above-described image processing apparatus.
For example, Japanese Laid-Open Unexamined Patent Application Publication, No. 9-244901 describes an image processing apparatus in which a compressed control program is stored in a storage unit, and is selectively decompressed. Japanese Laid-Open Unexamined Patent Application Publication, No. 9-128605 describes a control program for a vending machine which can be rewritten for enhancing maintenance. Japanese Laid-Open Unexamined Patent Application Publication, No. 9-244985 describes a computer system in which a control program is input through a network. Japanese Laid-Open Unexamined Patent Application Publication, No. 2000-123156 describes an image processing apparatus in which an image processing program corresponding to plural areas in image data is loaded into a digital signal processor, and the digital signal processor performs a specified image processing based on the program loaded into the digital signal processor. Japanese Laid-Open Unexamined Patent Application Publication, Nos. 2001-076125 and 2002-207606 describe an image processing apparatus in which image processing programs can be changed and added.
A special processor, such as a DSP and a SIMD processor, includes a program area and a data area for high-speed processing. When performing image recognition processing (e.g., a pattern matching processing) based on image data (e.g., a background dot pattern), an amount of processing program and dictionary data typically becomes large because the processing content of a processing program needs to be changed according to conditions (e.g., a scaling ratio) for reading images and dictionary data (for example, including background dot patterns as pattern matching references) referred for image recognition processing which needs to be changed. Because the capacity of the program area and data area of the special processor is limited, it is difficult to load all the processing program and dictionary data adapted to each condition for reading images into the program area and data area of the special processor in advance.
Therefore, as discovered by the present inventors, it is desirable to provide an image processing apparatus and method that can perform optimum image recognition processing without using a large storage capacity for a program area and data area in a special processor, such as a DSP and a SIMD processor.
In the above-described high-tech digital color copying apparatus, a function of prohibiting a reproduction of an anti-copy document such as a monetary document, a confidential document, etc., is often provided as an optional function for a user who has much concern for security. An anti-copy document detecting unit, such as a monetary document detecting unit, and a confidential document detecting unit, is provided with the copying apparatus as an optional unit. To avoid the illegal copy of monetary document, various techniques have been proposed. For example, Japanese Patent Nos. 2647566, 3032722, and 3032723, and Japanese Laid-Open Unexamined Patent Application Publication, Nos. 6-54185, 7-30748, and 7-322062 describe a technique that a copying operation is performed after a copying apparatus detects the attachment of a monetary document detecting unit to the copying apparatus.
Generally, when an optional function such as a confidential document detecting function, is required to add to a copying apparatus, a confidential document detecting unit or a board equipped with the confidential document detecting unit is attached to the copying apparatus. At this time, a control software program needs to be replaced. If the version number of the control software program increases, a test process increases, and the management of the control software program becomes complicated.
Therefore, as discovered by the present inventors, it is desirable to provide an image processing apparatus, a program, and a computer-readable storage medium that can use an anti-copy document detecting unit as an optional unit without complicated management of a control software program.

Method, program, and apparatus for detecting specific information included in image data of original image, and computer-readable storing medium storing the program


The present invention provides a screen plate cleaning station having nozzles for discharging a cleaning liquid to clean a screen plate which has been set in place, the station comprising a hood-like cleaning zone setting means which are provided on both sides of the screen plate in such a manner that their extremities are in contact with the both surfaces of the screen plate, thereby defining substantially equal cleaning zones on the both sides to prevent the cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzles from scattering.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a screen plate cleaning station for cleaning dirt adhered to a screen plate which is used for a stencil-type printing system to form printing patterns.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As well known, the stencil-type printing system using a meshed screen plate, which has hitherto been carried out in the printing industry, is contributing to a remarkable advancement in print wiring processing techniques through its application to mounting of electronic components in the field of electronic technology. Particularly, in the field of recent surface mount technology (SMT), a screen plate having a metal mask is used to form fine and close printed patterns composed of solder paste on a surface of a dielectric substrate made of e.g. epoxy resin. The thus formed printed patterns of solder paste are utilized to highly integrate the electronic components such as semiconductor devices or ICs to be mounted on the printed circuit board.
In addition, the field of application of the stencil-type printing system using the above screen plate is farther extended, including formation of resist ink on the dielectric substrate using a mask made of emulsion or resin, and application to printing means for indicating characters or symbols on electronic components with ink. In order to clean such a screen plate, various types of cleaning apparatuses have been proposed.
Referring to FIG. 12 there is depicted a construction of a conventional screen plate cleaning apparatus.
As shown in FIG. 12, the screen plate cleaning apparatus is generally designated at 101 and comprises a conveying mechanism 102, a cleaning vessel 103, cleaning nozzles 131, flashing nozzles 132, a rinsing vessel 104, rinsing nozzles 141, and dehydrating nozzles 142. Reference numeral 105 denotes a screen plate called a screen mask, 106 a cleaning liquid, 107 a rinsing liquid, and 108 a warm air.
The cleaning apparatus 101 shown in FIG. 12 cleans. the screen mask 105 through the following steps (1) to (6).
(1) The screen mask 105 is set in the cleaning apparatus 101. PA0 (2) Power supply is turned on and cleaning conditions are determined. PA0 (3) When the cleaning apparatus 101 is actuated, the screen mask 105 is conveyed to the cleaning vessel 103 by means of the conveying mechanism 102. PA0 (4) The cleaning nozzles 131 vertically move to spray the cleaning liquid 106 at 40.degree. C. An the form of a high-pressure shower onto the both surfaces of the screen mask 105. PA0 (5) After cleaning operation, the flashing nozzles vertically move to blow the both surfaces of the screen mask 105 with the warm air 108 for dig up. PA0 (6) The thus dried screen mask 105 is conveyed to the rinsing vessel 104 by means of the conveying mechanism 102. Through the rinsing step in the same manner, the screen mask 105 is returned to the initial setting position to complete the cleaning. PA0 (1) A screen plate is set in the cleaning apparatus. PA0 (2) A cleaning liquid is fed from a tank to rotational nozzles for spraying the cleaning liquid in the form of a rotational shower onto the screen plate, the cleaning liquid being reservoired inside the cleaning apparatus. PA0 (3) An ultrasonic wave is applied to the interior of the thus reservoired cleaning liquid to perform ultrasonic cleaning while rotating the screen plate. PA0 (4) The cleaning liquid is drawn into another tank and the screen plate is rotated to shake off the adhered cleaning liquid by the centrifugal force. PA0 (5) Warm air is supplied onto the screen plate for drying. PA0 (1) In the case of for example a screen plate fitted with a metal mask, as will be described later, a printing metal mask is attached by an adhesive and via gauze to the inside of a metal frame. Then, using the screen plate fitted with the metal mask, solder paste is printed on the dielectric substrate by means of the stencil-type printing system. PA0 (2) In the prior art, a manual cleaning method was carried out in which the screen plate is cleaned up by hand with a rag infiltrated with 1,1,1-trichloroethane, although the use of this agent was prohibited thereafter from the medical point of view. Another agent could be used in place of the above agent but are poor in cleanability by themselves without using with machine, and are too strong in chemical odor to use them without providing any ventilating device. PA0 (3) In the above two conventional apparatuses, the screen plate is entirely accommodated within the apparatuses so as to allow the cleaning liquid to be sprayed onto the entirety of the screen plate. The latter apparatus in particular is so configured that the screen plate is rotated for ultrasonic cleaning and that the cleaning liquid is shake-off dried by the centrifugal force. This will result in not only increase in size of the apparatus but also increase in the amount of consumption of the cleaning liquid as well as costs of production and maintenance. Above all, the screen plate cleaning apparatus 101 of FIG. 12 is of two-vessel type and is further provided with the conveying apparatus 102, with the result that its maintenance cost and the like is further raised.
Besides, another type of conventional apparatus not shown is also known which additionally employs ultrasonic cleaning in the following steps (1) to (5) using a glycol ether cleaning liquid.
However, the two conventional screen plate cleaning apparatus involve several problems that follows.
On the other hand, the cleaning liquid adhered to the screen plate during the cleaning step will mostly volatile by virtue of the warm air in the drying step. However, a part of the cleaning liquid may remain left as it is for the time being as a result of infiltration into gaps at adhesive joints between the gauze and the above-mentioned mask and metal frame. Therefore, the cleaning liquid remaining in the gaps at the adhesive joints may possibly cause a chemical change of the adhesive to loosen the fixation of the mask. Also, the remaining cleaning liquid may act on the ink with which management numbers or types of machine to be applied are printed on the mask or the metal frame, which will result in unclear indications. Masks molded with emulsion and the like other than the metal mask will also suffer from the same problems, that is, loosened fixation of the mask due to a chemical change caused by the remaining cleaning liquid, or unclear ink-printed indications.
The present invention was conceived to overcome the above problems which the conventional screen plate cleaning apparatus entails. It is therefore the object of the present invention t realize a compact and economical screen plate cleaning station with little or substantially no trouble, in which a zone to be necessarily cleaned on the screen plate is concentratedly cleaned to enhance the cleanability and the cleaning efficiency and in which the cleaning liquid is prevented from remaining in the gaps between the mask and the above-mentioned gauze and metal fame, with a simple structure.


A double-acting apparatus and method for manufacturing metal scrap compression materials, in which a variety of shapes of collected metal scrap are compressed into pieces having a standardized shape such that they can be directly loaded into a blast furnace, thereby enhancing productivity. Two compression chambers are disposed at both sides of a first compression cylinder such that metal scrap is loaded into the compression chambers. In particular, when one of first press plates moves forward inside a first compression space of one of the compression chambers, the other one of the first press plates moves backward and returns to an idle position.

The inventor of the present invention proposed an apparatus and method for manufacturing metal scrap compression materials as disclosed in Korean Patent No. 10-1134916 issued Apr. 17, 2012, entitled "Metal Scrap Compression Material and Manufacturing Apparatus and Manufacturing Method thereof" to Lee Tae Ho (hereinafter, referred to as "the cited reference"), in which the compression materials can be efficiently melted and the inner layer thereof can be observed.
The cited reference relates to metal scrap compression materials having at least one through-hole and an apparatus and method for manufacturing such metal scrap compression materials. The scrap compression materials are manufactured using a metal scrap compression apparatus, as shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3. The metal scrap compression apparatus includes a well-known metal scrap compression arrangement which includes a first compression cylinder 110 disposed at one side of a compression chamber, a first press plate 150 which is moved by a piston thereof inside a first compression space 300, second compression cylinders 110 disposed at both sides of the compression chamber, second press plates 160 which are moved by pistons thereof inside a second compression space 400, a discharge plate 502 positioned at the center of a second compression space 400, and means for opening and closing the discharge plate 502. In addition, in the metal scrap compression apparatus, at least one core 201 is erected at the center of the second compression space 140 such that it is orthogonal to first and second compression directions of the compression chamber 140. The core 201 is also caused to protrude and retract by a core cylinder 200 which is additionally disposed.
Since metal scrap compression materials which are manufactured by the cited reference as above have at least one through-hole, when these metal scrap compression materials are loaded into a melting furnace, molten metal not only contacts the circumference of the metal scrap compression materials but also permeates into the central portions of the metal scrap compression materials through the through-holes. Consequently, the metal scrap compression materials can be melted at a fast rate like small pieces of metal scrap compression materials, thereby greatly reducing the amount of energy that is consumed in the manufacture of metal products.
In addition, according to the manufacturing apparatus of the cited reference, when forming the through-hole in the metal scrap compression material, the metal scrap around the core 201 is first compressed in the first low-density compression process of compressing the metal scrap, and the compression of the metal scrap is completed in the second high-density compression process of compressing the metal scrap. It is therefore possible to minimize friction and stress that are applied to the core 201 from the metal scrap during the compression process.
In particular, in the cited reference, the length of the core 201 that is exposed inside the compression chamber in order to form the through-hole in the metal scrap compression material is set to the length of the actual through-hole of the metal scrap compression material. In the first and second compression processes, bending stress due to a variation in the density of the metal scrap is minimized. Furthermore, since the core itself is short, deformation is minimized, thereby significantly improving endurance. Accordingly, the apparatus can operate reliably and its longevity is increased.
Furthermore, in the cited reference, the first and second compression processes are carried out after the metal scrap has been loaded in the state in which the core is erected in the compression chamber. It is therefore possible to prevent the metal scrap from being caught between the core 201 and the cover 601 and between the core 201 and the bottom of the compression chamber 140, which would otherwise obstruct the operation, irrespective of the shape or type of the metal scrap. Accordingly, the apparatus can smoothly and reliably operate.
As mentioned above, the cited reference is configured such that the metal scrap is compressed twice in the first and second compression processes while surrounding the core 201, and the length of the core that corresponds to the length of the actual through-hole is exposed, unlike in a traditional metal scrap compressing apparatus. Therefore, the apparatus of the cited reference exhibits advanced properties, such as high strength and toughness, little bending or deformation, irrespective of high-pressure friction being applied to the metal scrap, increased longevity and a minimized possibility of breakdown. According to the cited reference, however, a minimum amount of time (e.g. 160 seconds) is required for the entire process of manufacturing one compression material from the metal scrap. The manufacturing process includes loading the metal scrap for first and second compression processes, starting the first compression using the first compression plate 150 by actuating the first compression cylinder 110, starting the second compression using the second compression plates 160 after the first compression is complete, and discharging the compression material after the second compression is complete. However, in this manufacturing process, it is difficult to further decrease the overall process time, thereby productivity cannot be increased, which is problematic.
Although a method for fabricating, constructing and using two or more apparatuses for manufacturing metal scrap compression materials can be considered, this requires an enormous manufacturing cost and the area required to accommodate the facilities is doubled. In addition, a labor cost is inevitably doubled in order to operate the two individual apparatuses. Therefore, the introduction of a more efficient apparatus for manufacturing metal scrap compression materials is required.

Double-acting apparatus and method for manufacturing metal scrap compression materials


A method, and apparatus for accomplishing same, of providing character prototypes for use by a handwriting character recognition system 10. A first method includes a first step of providing a first handwritten character; a second step of copying the first character to provide a second character; and a third step of modifying the second character to (a) emphasize dissimilarities between the second character and the first character and to (b) de-emphasize similarities between the second character and the first character. A second method includes a first .step of providing a first handwritten character and a second handwritten character, the first and the second handwritten characters each being comprised of a plurality of points. A second step of the method matches corresponding points between the first character and the second character. A third step of the method processes pairs of matching points to separate one from another each point of the matching pair by an amount proportional to an initial separation between each matched corresponding point, so as to emphasize dissimilarities between the first character and the second character.

Many on-line, handwriting recognition systems employ curve matching methods to match an unknown character against prototype, or template, characters. Examples of such systems are described in the following articles: W. Doster and R. Oed, "Word processing with on-line script recognition," IEEE Micro., vol. 4, pp. 36-43, October 1984; K. Ikeda, T. Yamamura, Y. Mitamura, S. Fujiwara, Y. Tominaga, and T. Kiyono, "On-line recognition of handwritten characters utilizing positional and stroke vector sequences," Proc. 4th Int. Jt. Conf. Pattern Recognition, pp. 813-815, November 1978; C.C. Tappert, "Adaptive on-line handwriting recognition," Proc. 7th Int. Conf. Pattern Recognition, pp. 1004-1007, 1984; C.C. Tappert, "Speed, accuracy, flexibility trade-offs in on-line character recognition," IBM Research Report RC13228, October 1987; and T. Wakahara and M. Umeda, "Stroke-number and stroke-order free on-line character recognition by selective stroke linkage method," Proc. 4th ICTP, pp. 157-162, 1983. In general, the recognition accuracy of such prototype-based handwriting recognition systems is a function of the quality of the prototypes.
One problem encountered in on-line handwriting recognition is the discrimination of similarly-shaped handwritten characters, such as A-H, h-k, g-y, etc. In that known curve matching methods weigh all portions of the curves of characters equally, non-essential portions may cause errors. In particular, with curve matching methods an unimportant feature or portion of the character, such as the shape of the descender or tail of "g" and "y", may cause recognition errors.
The following U.S. and Japanese Patents all teach various aspects of handwriting recognition systems.
U.S. Pat. No 4,561,105, issued Dec. 24, 1985, entitled "Complex Pattern Recognition Method and System" to Crane et al. describes an on-line character recognition system that uses template or model strokes (col. 3, lines 1-52).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,196, issued Feb. 25, 1986, entitled "Confusion Grouping of Strokes in Pattern Recognition Method and System" to Crane et al. also describes an on-line character recognition system that uses template or model strokes and which further provides a distance metric to categorize a stroke as a member of a "confusion group".
U.S. Pat. No. 4,718,102, issued Jan. 5, 1988, entitled "Process and Apparatus Involving Pattern Recognition" to Crane et al. describes a handwritten character recognition system having disambiguation routines to differentiate members of confusion sets of characters (col. 4).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,489, issued Jun. 28, 1988, entitled "Means for Resolving Ambiguities in Text Based Upon Character Context" to Bokser describes a context algorithm that assigns a probability value to each member of a set of character strings in order to determine which character string in a set has a highest probability.
Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,731,857, issued Mar. 15, 1988, entitled "Recognition System for Run-on Handwritten Characters" to C.C. Tappert describes a segmentation method for run-on handwritten characters that considers all stroke ends as possible character segmentation points.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,491,965, issued Jan. 1, 1985, entitled "Character Recognition Apparatus" to Yoshimura describes character recognition apparatus that provides normalized character patterns to a recognizing section which compares the normalized pattern with entries in a dictionary.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,873, issued Mar. 31, 1987, entitled "System and Method for Segmentation and Recognition of Patterns" to Fujisawa et al. describes a character recognition system for use in an optical character reader in which predetermined unit patterns are extracted from a two-dimensional image pattern. If an ambiguity exists in segmentation of the unit patterns, a number of hypothetical unit patterns are provided for the recognition unit for selecting one of the hypothetical unit patterns.
Japanese Patent No. 62-24382 entitled "Method for Recognizing Handwritten Character" describes, in the abstract, a method for recognizing handwritten characters in which input strokes are compared with reference strokes stored in a template memory.
Japanese Patent No. 61-68678 entitled "Optical Input Device of Drawing" describes an optical drawing input device where a symbol on a template is traced and compared to a registered symbol.
What is not taught by this prior art, and what is thus an object of the invention to provide, is method and apparatus for improving or optimizing a set of character prototypes, especially prototypes of character pairs that are known to be readily confusable one with the other.
A further object of the invention is to provide a method, and a means for accomplishing the method, that processes a pair of readily confusable character prototypes so as to emphasize the differences between the characters while also deemphasizing the similarities between the characters.

Method and apparatus for improving prototypes of similar characters in on-line handwriting recognition

International Business Machines Corporation


The present invention provides a human pyrophosphatase (HPYP) and polynucleotides which identify and encode HPYP. The invention also provides genetically engineered expression vectors and host cells comprising the nucleic acid sequences encoding HPYP and a method for producing HPYP. The invention also provides for use of HPYP and agonists, antibodies, or antagonists specifically binding HPYP, in the prevention and treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases. Additionally, the invention provides for the use of antisense molecules to polynucleotides encoding HPYP for the treatment of diseases associated with the expression of HPYP. The invention also provides diagnostic assays which utilize the polynucleotide, or fragments or the complement thereof, and antibodies specifically binding HPYP.

Inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi) is produced in living cells in numerous metabolic pathways. These include the synthesis of polymers such as DNA, RNA, protein, and polysaccharides as well as small molecules such as cyclic-GMP and cyclic-AMP. PPi is also produced by oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis. Most of these reactions are readily reversible in the presence of excess PPi, and PPi, itself, inhibits some of the cellular enzymes involved in these metabolic pathways. In order to promote the forward reactions and stabilize the reaction products, it is essential that PPi be removed. The enzyme pyrophosphatase (PPase) makes this energetically favorable hydrolysis of PPi possible.
PPase has been studied extensively in yeast and bacteria. Its activity has been shown to be essential for cell viability, and it may be essential for the fidelity of DNA replication as well. PPase is widely distributed in mammalian tissues where its activity varies widely. Little is known about how PPase activity is regulated in mammals or about the functions of PPase isolated from specific tissues. Multiple isoforms of PPase have, however, been found in humans and a number of other animals, perhaps indicating that there are functionally distinct isoforms of the enzyme in mammals. Bovine retina contains the highest level of PPase activity found in any mammalian tissue, and this enzyme has been sequenced and characterized (Yang, Z and Wensel, T G (1992) J Biol Chem 267: 24634-40, 24641-7). PPase activity was found to be essential for controlling PPi levels and the synthesis and degradation of cGMP which, in turn, controls the process of phototransduction in these cells.
The discovery of polynucleotides encoding pyrophosphatase, and the molecules themselves, presents the opportunity to investigate the role of pyrophosphatase in controlling the various metabolic pathways in cells involving PPi synthesis. The discovery of new pyrophosphatase molecules satisfies a need in the art by providing new diagnostic or therapeutic compositions useful in the treatment of diseases and conditions associated with uncontrolled cell signaling and cell proliferation such as inflammatory diseases and cancer.


A parent/child model for smart contracts enables the smart contracts to be updateable without compromising the immutability of the underlying data. As a first step, a parent smart contract (Client Contract) is deployed that stores any other contract that may be called using the contract address. Then, whenever a new child smart contract (Service Contract) is deployed, the parent smart contract is updated with the address of the new child smart contract so that the parent smart contract will be able to call the child smart contract. The structure of the child smart contract is known to the parent smart contract. For example, the number of inputs going into the child smart contract and the number of outputs coming out of the child smart contract are known to the parent smart contract before deployment of the parent smart contract, and the transaction data remains accessible without affecting the parent contract.

Blockchain technology has the potential of bringing the biggest information technology revolution of this century or at least the first half of this century After the Internet revolution, the blockchain revolution is probably the biggest disruption so far which is challenging the weakest nerve of the Internet—the lack of trust Blockchain is the only technology to date which can bring trust to the internet by making data practically immutable.
Ethereum currently is one of the most widely used blockchain systems. Ethereum makes data immutable in older to create trust among nodes. Ethereum makes not only the values which are stored but also makes the program or smart contracts immutable. This means that if one has deployed a smart contract on Ethereum, that smart contract cannot be updated or modified once deployed.
Thus, immutability of data comes at a cost in that any future updates to the smart contract will not be possible. The inability to update the smart contract is impractical for many use cases and may lead to obsolescence of the smart contracts. The systems and methods described herein are designed to make smart contracts updateable without compromising the immutability of the underling data.


A card sheet including a top material layer having pre-cut weakened lines extending partially but not completely through the top material layer, the top material layer having a front side and a back side; and a starch composition layer applied to the back side of the top material layer, wherein at least a portion of the starch composition diffuses into the top material layer to a depth and renders the top material layer breakable along the weakened lines. A method of making the card sheet, including providing the top material layer, cutting partially through the top material layer; and applying a starch composition to form the starch composition layer on the back side of the top material layer; and at least partially removing any diluent present in the starch composition. The top material layer may be printable, and the card sheet may include a second top material layer.

The design of calling or business cards by simply printing them with commercially available laser or inkjet printers is of interest. Small size printable media, such as calling or business cards, cannot be individually printed with conventional laser or inkjet printers due to their small format. For this reason, for printing calling cards by means of a laser printer or an inkjet printer, card sheets are usually initially used, from which the calling cards are separated after having been printed, leaving a residual "matrix" of the card sheet. In these card sheets a supporting structure is provided for the cards and a variety of embodiments are known for such card sheets and carriers. In these card sheets and carriers, a problem which has continued to occur is the residue left at the edge of the cards after they are separated from the card sheet and the other cards. If this problem is avoided by cutting completely through the card sheet prior to printing and separation, the problems of providing a support structure and retaining the nascent cards on the support structure remain.
Thus, a need remains for card stock which is pre-scored or pre-cut and is printable with a laser printer, and which breaks cleanly to yield a card having clean edges free of dangling fibers or other unsightly remnants, and which does not require additional supporting structures to hold the cards together.

Card sheet with starch compositions forming breakable layers in pre-cut substrates