A circuit with current-controlled frequency implements a node (2) with an electrical charge which alternatively increases and decreases between two thresholds. The slew rate of the node can be adjusted using a tunable current source (1), thereby enabling tuning of a switching delay. The circuit may be used for controlling the switching frequency of a switch-mode power supply.

Implementing a phase-locked loop is common for controlling a frequency in an electronic circuit. Then, the frequency can be tuned by varying a parameter of the phase-locked loop which results in modifying a time-delay of one of the signals effective within the phase-locked loop.
Such electronic circuits may be frequency generators or switch-mode power supplies, for example.
Switch-mode power supplies such as DC-DC buck converters operate by pulse-width modulation for producing an output signal with desired voltage value. These switch-mode power supplies convert a continuous transfer function into a digital modulation scheme which results in a time-ratio suitable for producing the output voltage value desired.
A sliding-mode modulator converts the continuous transfer function by sign comparison. It provides asynchronous transient response, however the switching frequency itself is not primarily related with this voltage value, so that this frequency remains uncontrolled and may interfere with the operation of other systems. Because of this reason, it is often necessary to clamp or control the switching frequency of a switch-mode power supply, and a phase-locked loop is usually implemented to this purpose.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a known DC-DC buck converter used as an example. The reference number 10 generally indicates the converter, and the other reference numbers used in this Figure have the following meanings:                11 hysteresis comparator        12 switching logic and gate drivers unit of the converter, noted S.W.        13 power stage including a pMOS transistor 13a and a nMOS transistor 13b connected in series between terminals of a DC-power supply with supply voltage VIN         14 a low-pass filter including a power inductance 14a and a capacitor 14b         15 an external load charge        16 a feedback line which may use a combination of the current IL in the power inductor 14a and the output voltage VOUT across the load charge 15 as feedback parameter
In such sliding-mode operating circuit, the feedback line 16 is fed into the negative input terminal of the comparator 11, and a reference voltage VREF is applied to the positive input terminal of the comparator 11. Signal FB which is transmitted by the feedback line 16 becoming higher of less than a reference voltage VREF triggers the comparator 11 to switch, and the switch is propagated to the switching logic unit 12 and the power stage 13.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a known phase-locked loop design implemented for controlling the switching frequency of the converter 10 of FIG. 1. The converter 10 appears as a module in this loop, which also comprises a combiner 21 and a filter 22 noted L.P. The combiner 21 is fed with a frequency or phase reference FREF on one hand, and with a switching node VIX which is produced by the converter 10 and contains the switching frequency or phase. In a known manner, for example from document U.S. Pat. No. 6,348,780, the output of the low-pass filter 22 can be connected to a control terminal of the converter 10, suitable for modifying its switching frequency. Thus, tuning the frequency reference FREF allows adjusting the switching frequency of the controller 10. For example, the control terminal of the converter 10 acts by modifying features of the hysteresis cycle of the comparator 11 within the converter 10, such as the threshold values of the hysteresis cycle. But this first design of a tunable phase-locked loop leads to degraded transient behaviour for the converter 10, which is not acceptable for some applications.
Then, in particular for applications which require transient operation performances, it has been proposed to modify the phase-locked loop design by introducing a variable time-delay on the path of the switched signal, for example within the converter 10. Such design is described in particular by Pengfei Li et al. in "A 90-240 Mhz Hysteretic Controlled DC-DC Buck Converter with Digital PLL Frequency Locking", IEEE Custom Integrated Circuits Conference, pp. 21-24, San Jose, Calif., doi: 10.1109/CICC.2008.4672010. The principle is illustrated schematically in FIG. 3, where a chain of several tunable delay cells 25 is inserted in the path of the switched signal within the converter 10, for example within the switching logic unit 12 of FIG. 1. The total time-delay can be controlled digitally by a dedicated controller 26, noted CTRL. But such other design for a phase-locked loop requires more silicon chip area, and is energy consuming to a significantly higher extent.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to propose a new design for adjusting a switching frequency, which alleviates the drawbacks of the prior designs.

Circuit with current-controlled frequency


A lever system for actuating a clutch or a brake for a vehicle, such as a motor vehicle. The actuating force for the clutch or transmission brake is changeable by displacing a fulcrum with respect to a lever. An energy storage mechanism may act at one end portion of the lever and a pressure plate of a clutch or a transmission brake may act, directly or indirectly, on the other end portion.

According to the known methods, clutches are actuated, for example, in a form in which a lever having unchanging lever lengths is actuated using increasing force. The clutch may also be actuated by a central disengager, however. This central disengager is driven by an electric motor, and the actuation occurs directly through a spur gear system. A disadvantage is that the electric motor must deliver its maximum torque in order to engage the clutch. To do so, it must be fully powered. In order to prevent damage to the clutch or the central disengager, after the clutch is engaged the electric motor must be braked immediately by an additional brake.
In order to be able to disengage the clutch, however, the brake must first be released again. The system is then self-opening.
Because of the high current demand of the electric motor during the disengaging process, active regulation of the contact force, and thus of the torque to be transferred, is not possible.
To actuate brakes in a motor vehicle transmission—in particular in automatic transmissions—according to the known methods, a large number of lamella or plate packs are pressed together by hydraulic force.
These known systems have a disadvantage that the requisite lever systems require a relatively large space, or in the case of hydraulic engaging systems for brake plate packs there must be a hydraulic system, which must be actuated using an additional hydraulic pump.

Luk Lamellen und Kupplungsbau Beteiligungs KG


A method and apparatus for block averaging measurement data from dynamic, repeating input signals, for example, frequency modulated signals, take into account the time variability of the measurement sampling. Each block of measurement data is referenced to a synchronizing stimulus, and measurements are averaged both on the time axis and on the modulation axis. On the time axis, the time alignment for each individual measurement is placed at the center of the time interval during which the measurement was made. For each block of data acquired, the measurement blocks are averaged together in both dimensions, time (x-axis) and modulation (y-axis result being computed), using a stimulus synchronizing signal provided by the user as a time reference (time=0). The stimulus synchronizing signal should be a stable reference with respect to the modulation function being measured. For example, if frequency versus time is being measured, the reference should identify a repeating frequency reference. The times from the stimulus synchronizing reference to the input signal events are measured and accounted for in the block averaging method of the invention.

Averaging is a well-known approach to reduce the effect of noise on signal measurements. Averaging is a technique that can be used to reduce the impact of an unstable or random-like process that is present on an otherwise stable process. Averaging reveals the stable portion of the process by diminishing the contribution of the unstable process as the average progresses. For example, a frequency counter might average a number of measurements on a constant frequency signal to improve the resolution of the measurement.
Generally, to analyze the behavior of a signal over a period of time, a block of time-related measurements is taken. A display of amplitude measurements versus time will produce a waveform of the signal's behavior.
For repetitive signals, block averaging of the corresponding samples from successive measurement blocks will improve the resolution of the measurement. Amplitude block averaging methods are found on some digitizing sampling oscilloscopes (DSO).
The general approach to averaging signal amplitude versus time requires triggering each waveform block from a reference signal. If this reference provides an unambiguous voltage that identifies a time with respect to which the amplitude characteristics of the measured signal are repeating, then block averaging can be used to obtain improved amplitude resolution. This type of averaging is essentially one-dimensional: the y-axis values (voltage amplitude) of each update are averaged, but the x-axis values (time position) remain constant.
Additionally, continuous time interval measurements on a signal provide an approach to analyze characteristics of the signal in the modulation domain, i.e., the behavior of the frequency or phase of the signal versus time. This is different from classical ways of measuring and displaying data about signals. An oscilloscope shows amplitude versus time: the time domain. A spectrum analyzer shows amplitude versus frequency: the frequency domain. These continuous time interval measurements make it easier to study dynamic frequency behavior of a signal, for example, frequency drift over time of an oscillator, the frequency hopping performance of an agile transmitter, chirp linearity, and phase switching in radar systems.
An example of an instrument that makes continuous time interval measurements and generates data referred to as "time stamp" data is described in "Frequency and Time Interval Analyzer Measurement Hardware," Paul S. Stephenson, Hewlett-Packard Journal, Vol. 40, No. 1, February, 1989. Time stamp data comprises an event count and a time count for each measurement sample taken. The instrument disclosed by Stephenson includes measurement hardware that counts input signal cycle events and counts clock cycles from an internal clock, memory to store the measurement data, and a microprocessor for controlling the operation of the instrument and processing the measurement data.
The measurement data to be averaged comprises data taken by a measurement instrument, such as the frequency and time interval analyzer instrument described by Stephenson, above. Typically, the data is stored for processing after data acquisition has been completed. FIG. 1 shows a system block diagram of the instrument described by Stephenson. An input signal to be measured is applied to input amplifier 703 via input line 702. The input amplifier 703 preconditions the signal and converts it to binary form for input to the measurement hardware 701 via line 704. Measurement hardware 701 receives measurement setup and control instructions from the microprocessor 705 via line 706. Measurement hardware 701 acquires the measurement data from the input signal and stores the data in memory 707. The raw binary data acquired and stored by the measurement hardware 701 is provided to microprocessor 705 via line 706 for processing, either for display or for storage.
Now, block averaging is important for analyzing dynamic, repeating inputs, that are changing with time but eventually repeat in such a way that there is a stimulus to synchronize with repetition. VCO testing provides an example of this class of input. The applied voltage tuning step provides the synchronization that allows the measurement instrument to repetitively capture the frequency response.
However, the input may not be phase-coherent with respect to the synchronizing stimulus. Stated simply, phase coherence means that the measured input would be at the same phase every time the stimulus is applied. For the VCO example, if the VCO output were always at 90 degrees (maximum high voltage) when the tuning step was applied, it would be phase-coherent. Notice that phase coherence has nothing to do with the repeatability of the frequency at a given time. The VCO might have an arbitrary phase when the tuning step is applied, but it might also always be at 52.35 MHz at the time of the step. The lack of phase coherence introduces time variabilities in continuous time interval measurements that conventional block averaging methods have not been able to handle.

Block averaging of time varying signal attribute measurements


A system for converting an image-enhanced digitized raster fingerprint image to vector lines in order to generate a unique identification value for the fingerprint. The raster image pixels are converted to vector lines along the fingerprint ridges and the vector lines are classified and converted according to type. The line types are then analyzed and a list of identification features corresponding to the vector line types is generated. The identification features between the vector line types are compared and the image is classified according to fingerprint class. A unique identification value is then generated by numerically encoding the classified identification features.

According to one conventional fingerprint verification method for a security system, an image including the protuberant lines of a fingerprint is binarized and thinned so as to calculate a protuberant line pattern. Then branch points, end points and curvature are extracted from the protuberant line pattern as the main characteristics of the fingerprint. Based on those characteristics, a comparison is performed between a master image (image of a reference fingerprint) and a sample image (image of a fingerprint to be examined). Since in this prior art approach characteristics of interest appear over a relatively large portion of the entire fingerprint, it has been preferable in this conventional fingerprint verification method to evaluate a fingerprint image covering a wide area. Therefore, such images of fingerprints have been taken by rotating the finger, this including in the image not only the front part of the finger but also the sides of the finger.
The protuberant lines at the lower portion of the fingerprint, i.e., a joint part of a finger, are usually arranged in a horizontal direction; therefore, there are few characteristics. Furthermore, the image at the lower portion of the fingerprint is usually input incorrectly; therefore, it is ineffective data for fingerprint verification. Accordingly, when using such an image for fingerprint verification, accurate verification will be difficult to perform due to the vast volume of noise in the data. Also, when using raterized data representing the fingerprint, the volume of input data becomes so large that it becomes necessary to expand memory capacity, and comparison operations are complex and typically take a large amount of time to perform. The present invention vastly simplies these problems by implementing a vector analysis technique compatible with a much smaller image area of the fingerprint.

Fingerprint analyzing and encoding system


A magnetic disk device is removable from an apparatus body includes a case, a driving unit, and a connector. The driving unit is installed in the case, and includes a magnetic disk and a rotary driver for rotationally driving the magnetic disk. The connector connects the driving unit and the apparatus body. The case includes an elastic supporting member and a locking member. The elastic supporting member elastically supports the driving unit. The locking member is movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, the driving unit being locked at the locked position and being unlocked at the unlocked position in the case. The locking member moves to the locked position and the unlocked position by operational force from the exterior of the case.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic disk device that incorporates a driving unit for driving a magnetic disk and can be mounted to and removed from the body of an apparatus, and an electronic apparatus including the magnetic disk device and a body for mounting the magnetic disk device thereto.
2. Description of the Related Art
A removable magnetic disk device that can be mounted to and removed from the body of various apparatuses is one type of magnetic disk device usable in, for example, a vehicle-installed electronic apparatus, an information appliance, or a video recorder. This type of magnetic disk device is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 6-176555 and PCT Japanese Translation Patent Publication No. 2001-502103.
In this type of magnetic disk device, a hard disk is mounted as a recording medium in a case formed of a hard metal or synthetic resin. In addition, a rotary driver for rotationally driving the hard disk, a magnetic head unit for recording digital signals onto the hard disk and reproducing the digital signals recorded on the hard disk, a control circuit for controlling driving operations of the rotary driver and the magnetic head unit, a digital signal processing circuit, an interface circuit, etc., are mounted in the case.
The case has a predetermined thickness and a rectangular shape. Connector means connected to the various circuits is disposed at the front portion of the case.
A connector for connecting with the connector means is disposed at the body of an apparatus. The various circuits in the case and circuits of the body of the apparatus are connected by mounting the magnetic disk device to the body of the apparatus and fitting the connector means at the case to the body connector.
Unlike a related magnetic disk device that has a hard disk mounted thereto and is fixed in a computer or various information apparatuses, the removable magnetic disk device can be removed from the body of the apparatus. Therefore, the removed magnetic disk device needs to be protected from shock that is produced, for example, when it is dropped.
As disclosed in the aforementioned Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 6-176555 and PCT Japanese Translation Patent Publication No. 2001-502103, a dampener is installed in the case of the magnetic disk device in order to protect the rotary driver and the magnetic head unit from shock produced, for example, when the magnetic disk device is dropped.
In the removable magnetic disk device, the use of a soft elastic member having a low elastic modulus is used as the dampener for protecting the rotary driver and the magnetic head unit in the case may increase the error rate of the recording operation and that of the reproducing operation.
In a magnetic disk device used for high recording density, the recording track density of the hard disk is high, the recording/reproduction track width of the magnetic head is small, and the linear recording density along the tracks is high. In this type of magnetic disk device, in order to prevent damage to a recording surface of the hard disk, sliding friction force between a magnet head chip and the recording surface of the hard disk is reduced by forming an air bearing between the magnetic head chip and the recording surface of the hard disk.
In recording information onto and reproducing the information from the hard disk, the magnetic head chip carries out a very precise operation. That is, it searches for a sector in a recording area of the hard disk at a high speed, and instantaneously performs tracking of tracks in the searched sector.
Therefore, when the rotary driver and the magnetic head unit are supported by a soft elastic member in the case, the hard disk and the magnetic head unit tend to move due to vibration generated when the magnetic head unit performs the aforementioned searching operation. When this occurs, the spacing between the magnetic head chip and the surface of the hard disk changes to a value equal to or greater than a standard value, and the tracking operation is affected. As a result, the error rates of data recorded on the hard disk and of data reproduced from the hard disk are increased.
Consequently, it is necessary to use a hard dampener having a high elastic modulus for the dampener disposed in the case of the magnetic disk device. However, such a hard dampener cannot sufficiently protect the components in the case. As a result, a large shock applied to the magnetic disk device when, for example, it is dropped by mistake tends to result in, for example, scratching of a surface of the hard disk or damage to the magnetic head chip.

Magnetic disk device and electronic apparatus for mounting the magnetic disk device thereto


When knitting a tubular knitted fabric having a difference in the number of wales between a front knitted fabric and a back knitted fabric, knitted fabrics are knitted alternately while turning the tubular knitted fabric and jointing the front section having a large number of wales at middle portions. In one example embodiment, turning is performed such that one boundary of boundaries coupling the fabrics is positioned between front and back needle beds. The numbers of wales of the fabrics caught on the needle beds on both sides are equalized and the fabric of the front section having a large number of wales is knitted from one boundary to the joints at a middle portion of the knitting width. Subsequently, the tubular fabric is turned such that the other boundary is positioned between the needle beds, and the fabric is knitted from the boundary of the front section to the joints and then coupled.

It is conventionally known that in a flat knitting machine provided with a pair of front and back needle beds, a tubular knitted fabric having front and back knitted fabrics that are continuously formed at both ends can be knitted by feeding a yarn alternately to knitting needles on the front and back needle beds so as to carrying out round-knitting. As a tubular knitted fabric, clothing and the like worn on the body can be seamlessly knitted. Herein, it is necessary to prevent mutually opposing knitting needles that catch the knitted fabrics on the respective needle beds from moving away from each other, at a knitting end portion at which knitted fabrics knitted on the front and back needle beds are continuously formed. When mutually opposing knitting needles that catch the knitting ends move away from each other, the continuous portion is stretched, and thus stitches become coarse, causing the problem that the external appearance as a product is marred or that the continuous portion is broken during knitting.
The body that wears the clothing has a shape in which the breast portion is larger than the back portion in the upper body, for example, and thus it is preferable to increase the number of wales on the side worn on the breast portion. In a case where clothing in which the number of wales is different between front and back knitted fabrics in this manner is knitted with a flat knitting machine as a seamless tubular knitted fabric, it is conceivable to knit the knitted fabrics at an equivalent knitting width on the front and back needle beds by shifting the knitted fabric having a larger number of wales to the needle bed allocated for the knitting of the knitted fabric having a smaller number of wales. Herein, a part of the knitted fabric having a larger number of wales is knitted, not on the needle bed originally allocated for the knitting of stitches thereof, but on the needle bed opposed to this needle bed. For example, in a case where the number of wales is larger in a knitted fabric that is knitted on the front needle bed, when a stitch knitted on the front needle bed is turned onto the back needle bed, the stitch is twisted. When a stitch is formed on that stitch, the stitch is fixed as a twisted stitch. When a stitch is a twisted stitch, there is the problem that the external appearance is marred. The present applicant has disclosed a technique for preventing a twisted stitch in this case, as a tubular knitted fabric having a three-dimensional silhouette and a method of knitting the same (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 5-9851 (1993), for example). According to this technique, a stitch that is to be turned onto the back needle bed is formed so as to be twisted in advance on the front needle bed. The twist of the stitch that has been formed to as to be twisted in advance is cancelled when the stitch is turned onto the back needle bed, thus there is no problem in forming a stitch on that stitch.
In a case where clothing worn on the body is knitted as a tubular knitted fabric and the tubular knitted fabric is constricted by forming a dart, conventionally, the same dart is formed in the front section and the back section, so that there is no difference in the number of wales between the knitted fabrics of the front section and the back section that are knitted on the front and back needle beds. Such a tubular knitted fabric does not completely fit an asymmetric body.
According to the method disclosed in JP-A 5-9851, while forming a three-dimensional silhouette by increasing or decreasing the number of wales in one of front and back knitted fabrics in a tubular knitted fabric, it is possible to obtain an equivalent knitting width for knitted fabrics caught on front and back needle beds, and to prevent formation of a twisted stitch. However, in order to prevent formation of a twisted stitch, it is necessary to form a reversely twisted stitch in advance on a needle bed on the opposite side, so that the twist is cancelled as the stitch is shifted between needle beds. Thus, this method takes extra effort.

Method of knitting tubular knitted fabric


A method and device for the processing of cytological specimens. The device comprises a preferably cone-shaped receptacle with a closed bottom part, sidewalls defining an upper aperture with a surface area larger than that of the bottom part, and a perforated membrane adapted to cover the aperture of the receptacle for retaining the cytological specimens. The membrane is preferably a mesh having a mesh size of up to 80 microns, the hydraulic conductance of the membrane being sufficient to allow the exchange of processing fluids when the receptacle is inserted into a tissue processing apparatus. The sidewalls form an obtuse angle with the bottom in order to promote such an exchange. In the method, the receptacle with specimens is inserted into a tissue processor with the membrane in a vertical position. After processing and paraffination, the receptacle is cooled allowing the specimens to sedimentate to form an enriched layer at the bottom of the receptacle. The solid paraffin block with enriched layer is thereafter removed from the receptacle and cut on a microtome.

The present invention relates to the combined enrichment, processing and embedding of cytological specimens according to histological principles.
Most neoplastic and many other diseases are diagnosed by microscopic examination of cytological cell or of histological tissue specimens. New methods for obtaining cytological specimens from tissues, e.g., by aspiration using fine needles and by brushing material off mucosal membranes, have increased the demand for cytological methods that permit diagnostic accuracy comparable to that of histological specimens. Cytological and histological preparations should be thin enough to let pass the incident light of the microscope after staining and they should permit the use of all histochemical and immunological staining methods that are essential for accurate diagnoses.
Cytological specimens can be smeared onto slides and this originally haematological technique is used also for secretions and fine needle aspiration biopsies. Cells in fluids can be enriched onto filters (e.g. Millipore filters, Millipore Corporation, Bedford, Mass.) that permit the fluid proper to pass; in this technique the number of applicable staining methods is limited because the filters absorb many dyes. Cells can be centrifuged onto glass slides. Disadvantages common to these techniques are that specimens may contain cell clusters so large that they cannot be analysed since enough light does not pass them after staining and, furthermore, clusters of cells cannot easily be divided for staining by special techniques.
The above draw-backs do not apply to histological techniques and some prefer to concentrate and collect valuable cytological specimens to bodies that can be processed and embedded histologically. Fluid gelatin, agar, gels and plasma have been used as "glues" that can be solidified to form bodies that can be processed histologically. Cell clusters have been collected into funnels prepared from filter paper or plastic (Nordgren Hans, not published) nets, or onto polycarbonate filters (Nordgren et al. APMIS 97:136-42, 1989) that can be processed histologically. Fixed, repeatedly centrifuged and acetone-dehydrated specimens have been paraffinized after evaporation of the acetone, concentration of the specimen being obtained by centrifugation in the melted paraffin, but the method is not suitable to mucinous specimens (Krogerus & Anderssson. Acta Cytol 32: 585-7, 1988) and seems laborious.
Histological tissue specimens, after fixation, are transferred through a series of processing fluids that dehydrate and clear the tissues before they are impregnated by melted paraffin that upon cooling hardens to a block that is cut by a microtome, the thin sections after staining being examined microscopically. The tissue pieces are generally transferred to small perforated and labelled tissue casettes, which during processing are kept in large perforated baskets. After paraffination, the tissue pieces are transferred manually to metal molds for embedding, the molds being covered by the inverted labelled casette bottoms that after hardening of the paraffin remain attached to the paraffin block, the casette being clamped to the microtome jaws for cutting.
The latter laborious step of embedding has been considerably simplified by Pickett et al (U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,862). These authors transfer the fixed tissue piece directly into an open base pan, serving both as part of a tissue "casette" during paraffination and, after completed paraffination, as an embedding mold. For processing, the base pan is closed by a perforated and labelled top member that, after processing in a manner similar to the casette bottoms above, remains attached to the paraffin block and fits the jaws of a microtome. Adequate paraffination is achieved when, during processing, the top member closing the base pan is positioned vertically. However, the method by Pickett et al. is as unsuitable for cytological specimens as are conventional histological techniques.
In conventional automatic tissue processor types the baskets holding the casettes are lifted into the air when transferred from one processing fluid to the next one. In some modern processor types the baskets are kept in one single closed compartment in which the fluids are exchanged, periods of low pressure being applied to speed up paraffination.
The technical disadvantages of cytological techniques were mentioned above. From a cytological point of view the main disadvantages of histological techniques are that nucleated cells (diameter range some 10-20 .mu.m) and small cell clusters easily escape through histological casette perforations (>1000 .mu.m) and that specimens are not adequately enriched unless they are "glued" into pieces corresponding in size to histological tissue ones.

Method and device for combined enrichment, processing and embedding of cytological specimens according to histological principles


The invention provides an integrated remote patient monitoring system that includes a garment, a monitoring device, and a medication dispensing unit. The garment is adapted for wearing by a patient, and is adapted to house at least one sensor that is in communication with the patient's body. The garment includes a connector communicating with the sensor. The monitoring device communicates with the sensor through the connector, and is configured to record signals from the sensor. The monitoring device is also configured to exchange signals representing patient status with a central station. The medication dispensing unit communicates with the monitoring device to receive commands from the monitoring device, and to transfer signals representing the status of medication doses to the monitoring device.

An ongoing concern in the medical profession is the containment of labor costs, especially the cost of nursing and other patient monitoring personnel. One way to minimize costs is to find ways to allow fewer nurses to monitor larger numbers of patients without jeopardizing patient safety. In addition, hospitals are discharging patients earlier, allowing them to recuperate at home rather than in the hospital. In a typical hospital setting, nurses must periodically check the patients' vital signs, to administer doses of medicine, and to attend to requests or problems reported by patients. Where patients are recuperating at home or in far-flung branches of a large hospital, however, it is especially difficult for nursing personnel to monitor those remote patients in a cost-effective manner.
Another concern in the medical profession is the accurate administration of prescription medication to patients. Typically, prescription medicine is administered at periodic dosing intervals during a day. These dosing intervals are determined by a dosing schedule established by a treating physician. Medical support personnel administer doses of medication by retrieving the prescribed doses from bulk medicine supplies at the hospital pharmacy. This approach is inefficient and error-prone, because the support personnel often split time between administering medication and performing other duties. Further, to the extent that records of medication doses are kept, those records of medication doses are kept manually by the support personnel themselves. If the personnel are hurried, they may not keep accurate records of medication doses. In addition, the medication doses may not be correct because a harried support person failed to fill the prescription properly.
Yet another concern is the precise placement of the various sensors used to sense a patient's vital signs through physical contact with the patient's body. For example, an EKG sensor operates by sensing electrical activity within the body, and must be placed strategically on the body best to detect this electrical activity. Similarly, other types of sensors must be placed carefully and precisely for optimum sensing effectiveness. In the context of remote patient monitoring, it is desirable to avoid requiring medical support personnel to travel to the patient's location to place and check the various sensors located on a patient's body. Imposing the expense of such travel on medical support personnel could outweigh any benefits realized by having the patient recuperate at a site remote from the hospital.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Remote patient monitoring system with garment and automated medication dispenser


An evanescent-field sensor system and method of using the system to detect either liquid- or airborne biological pathogens, chemical agents, and other harmful or toxic species is provided. The sensor system involves 1) an evanescent-field sensor having a substrate surface with at least a partial bio- or chemo-responsive layer, which forms a part of a serially renewable sensing region; 2) an optical interrogation apparatus for monitoring the bio- or chemo-responsive layer; and 3) an air-fluid delivery system. The optical interrogation apparatus has a light source, an optical delivery system, and a detection instrument or device. The air-fluid delivery system includes either macro or micro-fluidic passages designed to convey biological or chemical analytes to a sensing region.

Evanescent field-based sensors are fast becoming a technology of choice for accurate label-free detection of biological reactions. In recent years, the biological, pharmaceutical, and other research communities have begun to recognize that evanescent field-based sensors can be useful, high-throughput research tools to measure a variety of biological or biochemical functions. This technology typically involves the use of an optical evanescent field to sense changes in the local environment (refractive index) where a biological or chemical reaction takes place. A grating or prism can be used to couple light in and out of an optical mode, thereby probing the effective index of the mode, which changes together with the surface index. Changes in the angle or wavelength of the probe light, for example, indicate changes of the waveguide effective index that result from activity at the sensor surface. Evanescent field sensors have demonstrated high sensitivity, and an ability to detect binding reactions of as little as about 250 Da molecular weight (e.g., biotin binding to streptavidin). Typical spore-based pathogens (e.g., anthrax) are fairly massive (≧20-50 kDa) entities compared to tiny pharmaceutical drug candidates that are the more traditional target of evanescent technology. As a result, such sensors and instruments should be sufficiently sensitive for airborne pathogen detection. Furthermore, because of their responsiveness to index of refraction, these kinds of sensors also respond to chemicals, and can therefore likewise detect chemical toxins.

Label-free evanescent-field detection of biological and chemical agents


An anti-allergenic composition comprising from about 0.01% to about 50% by weight of a polyphenol, from about 0.01% to about 50% by weight of a terpene compound, and from about 0.001% to about 10% by weight of a glycolipid. The polyphenol has a flavanol derivative. The terpene compound can be selected from the group consisting of a terpene, terpinene, a terpene derivative and combinations thereof. In an embodiment, the sphingolipid comprises about 0.2% phytosphingosine.

Ocular health refers to eyes as well as structures associated with the eyes, eyelids for example. The eyelids are important in over-all ocular health because they protect the eyes from dangers such as approaching objects or from airborne contaminants, such as pollen, dust particles or other foreign bodies. The eyelids contain essential glands; the lacrimal glands and meibomian glands that produce layers of tear film that are critical for healthy eyes. When an individual blinks, a new tear film is created and tears are distributed across the cornea to lubricate the surface of the eye. This blinking action also "flushes" foreign materials from the eye.
The eyelids, however, are subject to allergies and bacterial infection of the surface of the skin. Seasonal allergies can also cause red, itchy, irritated eyes and eyelids. Allergy eye drops relieve eye symptoms but do not calm the irritated eyelids. Therefore, there is a need for a product that can alleviate the symptoms associated with allergic conditions of the eyelids.

Anti-allergenic ocular compositions and eyelid cleansing wipes


A bicyclolactam compound of the formula (1) is disclosed, which has an excellent anxiolytic effect, is high in safety, and is useful as an effective component of medicinals which are greatly diminished in side effects such as hypnotic, muscle relaxant and sedative effects ##STR1## A bicyclolactam derivative represented by the following formula (1) is also disclosed, and is useful as an effective component of an anxiolytic agent ##STR2## .

With rapid diversification of the social environment in recent years, an increasing number of people are suffering from anxiety, and it has been expected to develop psychosomatic therapies and excellent therapeutic agents.
Benzodiazepine compounds such as diazepam have found wide use as anxiolytics. This group of agents, however, generally have side effects such as hypnotic effect, muscle relaxant effect and sedative effect. Serotonin anxiolytic agents such as buspirone are also recently developed as anxiolytics which are different from the benzodiazepine compounds in activity mechanism. Reportedly these serotonin agents are generally lesser than the benzodiazepines in side effects such as hypnotic, muscle relaxant and sedative effects, but they are lower in anxiolytic effect and have the problems of diminishing voluntary movements presumably owing to their activity as a dopamine antagonist, and causing serotonin syndrome which appears attributable to their properties as a full agonist for serotonin 1A receptor.
On the other hand, the bicyclolactam derivatives of the present invention fire known compounds disclosed in International Public Disclosure No. WO 91/11434, and are known to have a cerebral function improving effect, cerebral metabolism activating or anoxic brain damage protecting effect and effect against senile dementia. Nevertheless, nothing whatsoever is known about the anxiolytic effect of these compounds.
Anxiety is ain essential symptom of neuroses and is a neurotic disorder involving no organic disorder of the brain.
In contrast, the term dementia refers to an organic mental disorder which is the sustained deterioration of acquired intelligence due to an organic disorder of the brain. Many of dementias are caused by a wide variety of organic disorders of the brain and involve general deterioration of mental functions such as memory, calculation, orientation and discretion, leading to failure of correct recognition, judgment or behavior as to one's own situation.
"Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders," Revised 3rd Ed. (DSM-III-R), widely used as a diagnostic manual and published by American Psychiatric Association in 1987, clearly classifies these diseases in the chapters "Anxiety Disorders (or Anxiety and Phobic Neuroses)" and "Organic Mental Syndromes and Organic Mental Disorders" (see "DSM-III-R Classification of Mental Disorders and Diagnostic Manual," (2nd Ed.), translated by Saburo Takahasi et al., published by Igaku Shoin (1988), pp. 71.about.94 and 121.about.129)
An object of the present invention is to provide a novel anxiolytic agent comprising a bicyclolactam derivative as its effective component, and a therapy of anxiety.

Bicyclolactam compounds, use thereof and intermediates for preparing thereof


A power supply topology is used in which a transistor is provided on the side of an output node of a rectifying circuit. An inductor is provided on the side of a reference node, a resistor is inserted between the transistor and the inductor, and one end of the resistor is coupled to a ground power supply voltage of a PFC circuit. The PFC circuit includes a square circuit which squares a result of multiplication of an input voltage detection signal and feedback information (output voltage of an error amplifier circuit). The PFC circuit drives on the transistor when a detection voltage developed at the resistor reaches zero, and drives off the transistor when the detection signal reaches an output signal of the square circuit.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a power supply device using the same, and in particular to a technology effective when applied to a switching power supply device equipped with a power factor correction circuit.
A technology which controls a pulse width of a switch using a square circuit and an adder to reduce a distortion rate of an input current in a switching power supply device based on an input electrolytic capacitor-less one converter system, has been described in, for example, a patent document 1.
[Patent document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-300780.

Semiconductor device and power supply device


A method of designing a reactor 10. The present reactor design method includes steps of providing a first plasma etching apparatus 10 having a substrate 21 therein. The substrate includes a top surface and a film overlying the top surface, and the film having a top film surface. The present reactor design method also includes chemical etching the top film surface to define a profile 27 on the film, and defining etch rate data from the profile region. A step of extracting a reaction rate constant from the etch rate data, and a step of using the reaction rate constant in designing a second plasma etching apparatus is also included.

The present invention relates to integrated circuits and their manufacture. The present invention is illustrated in an example with regard to plasma etching, and more particularly to plasma etching of resist strippers in semiconductor processing. But it will be recognized that the invention has a wider range of applicability in other technologies such as flat panel displays, large area substrate processing, and the like. Merely by way of example, the invention may be applied in plasma etching of materials such as silicon, silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, polysilicon, photoresist, polyimide, tungsten, among others.
Industry utilizes or has proposed several techniques for plasma etching. One such method is conventional chemical gas phase dry etching. Conventional chemical gas phase dry etching relies upon a reaction between a neutral gas phase species and a surface material layer, typically for removal. The reaction generally forms volatile products with the surface material layer for its removal. In such method, the neutral gas phase species may be formed by way of a plasma discharge.
A limitation with the conventional plasma etching technique is obtaining and maintaining etching uniformity within selected predetermined limits. In fact, the conventional technique for obtaining and maintaining uniform etching relies upon a "trial and error" process. The trial and error process often cannot anticipate the effects of parameter changes for actual wafer production. Accordingly, the conventional technique for obtaining and maintaining etching uniformity is often costly, laborious, and difficult to achieve.
Another limitation with the conventional plasma etching technique is reaction rates between the etching species and the etched material are often not available. Accordingly, it is often impossible to anticipate actual etch rates from reaction rate constants since no accurate reaction rate constants are available. In fact, conventional techniques require the actual construction and operation of an etching apparatus to obtain accurate etch rates. Full scale prototype equipment and the use of actual semiconductor wafers are often required, thereby being an expensive and time consuming process.
From the above it is seen that a method and apparatus of etching semiconductor wafers that is easy, reliable, faster, predictable, and cost effective is often desired.

Process optimization in gas phase dry etching


A drawing data generation apparatus includes an image acquiring unit, a magnification acquiring unit, and a generation unit. In this case, the generation unit generates the drawing data in a first layout and in a second layout, and, in the first layout, a partial area in the display image is displayed with the first magnification at a position where the partial area has been displayed and, in the second layout, a partial area in the display image is displayed with the second magnification at a position where the partial area has been displayed, the partial area and a surrounding area of the partial area are displayed with a lower magnification than the second magnification, and the partial area with the second magnification and the partial area with the low magnification do not overlap.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to drawing data generation apparatuses, drawing data generation methods, programs, and drawing data generation systems which generate drawing data for displaying a captured image on a display.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the past, there have been various methods which display an image by changing a display magnification of the display image. For example, when a zoom-in operation is performed on a focus area in an image, the display magnification of the entire image may be changed. Alternatively, a zoomed-in image may be displayed over an original image in an overlap area partially formed only in the vicinity of the focus area. Another method has also been proposed which displays a zoomed-in image to allow a comparison between focus areas before and after a zoom-in operation. (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-320085).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-320085 discloses a method which displays a zoomed-in image of a focus area in an overlap area formed in an area excluding the focus area.
According to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-320085, an overlap area is newly formed in an area excluding a focus area designated by a user for zoom-in display. This allows display within a screen of an image displayed with the original display magnification for observation and an image displayed with a display magnification for zoom-in display so that they may be compared and observed.
For an observation by scrolling a large image, the observation position is moved by the scroll operation, and the position of the viewpoint of a user who is watching a display screen may not be moved or may be moved only within a narrow limited range. This is because moving the viewpoint with scrolling may cause a user to miss a part where he or she was watching and confuse him or her. An example of a large image to be observed by scrolling may be a map or an image for a medical pathological diagnosis. When such an image is observed by scrolling and the display magnification is repeatedly changed, the image is desirably displayed by preventing the movement of a user's viewpoint against a screen as much as possible. However, the method according to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-320085 may display a zoomed-in image to be observed at a position on a screen excluding an area designated as a focus area when it is intended to zoom in an image in the focus area for observation. As a result, the viewpoint must be moved every time a zoomed-in image is displayed, which may make the observation work inefficient.

Drawing data generation apparatus, drawing data generation method, program, and drawing data generation system for changing magnification of displayed images


An electric working machine may include: a support rod constituted of metal; a tool disposed at a front end of the support rod; a motor configured to drive the tool; a control unit disposed at a rear end of the support rod and configured to control the motor; and a heat transfer structure configured to transfer heat from the control unit to the support rod.

International Publication No. WO2013/062457 describes an electric working machine that is provided with a support rod, a tool disposed at a front end of the support rod, a motor configured to drive the tool, and a control unit disposed at a rear end of the support rod and configured to control the motor.


A method and device for aligning orientation of laminated planer electrodes in laminated electronic parts when the parts are conveyed on a transport passage of a parts feeder. A magnetic field generation unit is disposed beside and outside of the parts feeder for applying magnetic field lines extending in horizontal or vertical direction. Orientation of the electrodes is in conformance with the direction of the magnetic field lines.

The present invention relates to a method for aligning orientation of planer internal electrodes in laminated electronic parts in a predetermined direction during transfer of the electronic parts by means of a parts feeder. The present invention also relates to an alignment device therefor.
Japanese Laid-Open patent application Publication No. H8-91548 discloses a parts feeder for aligning electric parts in a row in a predetermined direction. Each of the electric parts includes a body portion and lead wires made from a soft iron and extending from the body portion. The parts feeder provides a transport passage formed with a groove so that the lead wires can extend through the groove in order to align the electronic parts in one row. The parts feeder also includes a magnet disposed beside the groove for aligning and maintaining orientation of each electronic part by positively inserting the lead wires into the groove. Because the electronic part includes a body portion and the lead wires extending from the body portion, the electronic parts provides a clear nature of orientation or directionability.
Recently, a laminated ceramic chip capacitor as a laminated electronic part has become widely available in terms of miniaturization in size and increase in capacity. The laminated electronic capacitor includes a plurality of ferromagnet-based planer internal electrodes each being stacked on one after another.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. H10-284355 discloses a method for aligning the laminated ceramic chip capacitors in a row by applying a maginetic field line to the laminated ceramic chip capacitor in a direction parallel to the electrode surface. This method requires a transport passage having a circular cross-section for alignment of the electronic parts.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. H11-292254 discloses a vibration parts feeder including a bowl and a driving section. The bowl has a bottom section on which electronic parts or components are scattered or stacked. The bowl also has a side wall section whose inner peripheral surface is formed with a spiral track. Each electronic part is transferred from the bottom section to a linear vibration feeder along the spiral track. The driving section includes an electromagnet so as to impart distorting vibration on the bowl. Thus, centrifugal force is applied to the electronic parts so that the parts on the spiral track is urged toward the side wall and the parts can be moved toward the linear vibration feeder.
A desired orientation of each electronic part must be further improved in the parts feeder for placing each laminated electronic parts in the emboss tape with a correct orientation or posture from the linear vibration feeder in order to improve assembleability of the parts to a circuit board.

Method for aligning laminated electronic parts in desired orientation and alignment device therefor


Provided are a surface stress sensor that enables deterioration in measurement precision to be suppressed and a method for manufacturing the same. A surface stress sensor includes: a membrane configured to be bent by applied surface stress; a frame member configured to surround the membrane with gaps interposed therebetween when viewed from the thickness direction of the membrane; at least a pair of coupling portions configured to couple the membrane and the frame member; a flexible resistor configured to be disposed on at least one of the coupling portions and have a resistance value that changes according to bending induced in the coupling portion; and a support base member configured to be connected to the frame member and overlap the frame member when viewed from the thickness direction of the membrane, in which a cavity portion is disposed between the membrane and the support base member.

Examples of technology used for a sensor for collecting information equivalent to the five senses of a human, in particular, a sensor of taste or smell, which human senses by receiving a chemical substance, include a piezoresistive cantilever-type sensor disclosed in PTL 1.
The piezoresistive cantilever-type sensor disclosed in PTL 1 is a membrane-type surface stress sensor and has a configuration in which surface stress applied to a planar member is detected as uniaxial stress in four piezoresistive coupling portions arranged at the periphery of the planar member. In the technology described in PTL 1, since, when the membrane-type surface stress sensor is installed as various types of sensors, the planar member is fixed to a substrate, such as a package, via spacers, the sensor has a structure in which the planar member is supported in mid-air in order to receive applied surface stress.

Surface stress sensor, hollow structural element, and method for manufacturing same


A method for constructing a composite image comprises determining in an alignment between at least a first and a second image based on the content of the first and second image frames, and combining in a transform domain at least the first and second images with the determined alignment to form a composite image.

With the technical convergence of different media forms, recent mobile devices, e.g. mobile telephones are equipped with various additional functions that offer graphics, audio and video. Mobile devices including cameras have become increasingly popular. Users may, for example capture and save one or more images in their mobile devices by a click of a button.
Due to size, power, and end cost constraints, cameras incorporated in mobile device may typically have limited resolution and/or field of view. One option for overcoming these limitations may include providing a panoramic image feature where a plurality of images may be combined to increase the field of view without compromising resolution. Such images can be created, for example, by digitally capturing, and later joining together, several sequential images. The user may, for instance, capture a first image, pan the camera to the right until a portion of the scene from the first image is viewable through the viewfinder or back panel display, capture the next image, and so on until the full scene is captured with a series of images. Captured images are typically joined using various stitching methods known in the art to form a panoramic image. Typically captured images are stored in memory in a compressed format, e.g. JPEG format.
Typically, JPEG formats employ the Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) domain to save image data. Typically, the image in the image domain is converted from an RGB color space to an YCbCr color space. The image is split into blocks of 8×8 pixels, 16×16 pixels, or 8 pixels in one direction by 16 pixels in another direction. Each block is converted to a frequency space, typically using the Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT). Subsequently quantization is performed on the high frequency components and Huffman coding is typically applied.
The following patents and applications are generally indicative of current panoramic technology in "stand alone" cameras. The list does not purport to be exhaustive.
US20050152608 to Niemi et al. describes a method for stitching digital images using an image representation format. The image representation format includes data units represented as a Huffman-coded stream of coefficients of basis functions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,907,626 to Toklu et al describes a method for motion tracking and constructing a mosaic of video objects as well as a method for synthetic object transfiguration from a mosaic. The disclosure of this patent is fully incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,999,662 and 6,393,163 to Burt et al. each describe a system for automatically generating a mosaic from a plurality of input images. The disclosure of this patent is fully incorporated herein by reference.
Korean patent 0286306 to Choi describes a method of panoramic photography which uses a digital still camera to connect pictures to construct a panoramic picture using an LCD monitor. The disclosure of this patent is fully incorporated herein by reference.
International application WO/2005/041564 by KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V. describes a digital camera with panorama or mosaic functionality. The invention relates to an electronic device with a digital camera, and to a method of enabling to create a composite picture using a digital camera. In some embodiments, the electronic device is a mobile phone. The disclosure of this application is fully incorporated herein by reference.
There are commercially available panoramic picture technologies available for mobile phones. These technologies include, but are not necessarily limited to:
Scalado Autorama™ (Scalado AB; Sweden);
Vivid Panorama (Acrodea; Tokyo; Japan); and
PanoMan™ (Bit Side Technologies; Berlin; Germany).
United States Patent Application 2004136603 to Vitsnudel et al. describes a method for enhancing wide dynamic range in images while the images are in JPEG format. The method comprises: acquiring at least two images of a scene to be imaged, constructing a combined image using image data of pixels of the first image and image data of pixels of the other images proportional to the weight values assigned to each pixel using a defined illumination mask. In some embodiments the acquired images are in JPEG format, the JPEG format including a DCT transform domain. The disclosure of this patent is fully incorporated herein by reference.

Method for constructing a composite image


A pocket former includes an outer barrel having a first rim, a second rim and a frustoconical body portion extending from the first rim to the second rim. A center barrel is connected to the outer barrel and has a proximal lip adjacent the first rim of the outer barrel, a distal lip adjacent the second rim of the outer barrel, and a tubular body portion extending from the proximal lip to the distal lip, and extends beyond both the first rim and the second rim. An annular flange curves out and away from the second rim of the outer barrel. A spiral surface is located on the frustoconical body portion of the outer barrel. A nut surface is located on the tubular body portion of the center barrel adjacent the distal lip.

The present invention relates to the field of post-tensioning concrete structures, and the methods and apparatus for forming the same. More particularly, the invention relates to a pocket former and methods of forming a pocket surface for assembling a post-tensioning concrete structure.
Post-tensioning is a process where high strength cables are embedded in concrete and tensioned after the concrete cures. The residual tension that is retained in the cable increases the tinsel strength of the finished concrete structure. Cable ends are secured within the concrete with specially designed steel anchors. Cable assemblies are pre-manufactured specifically for a given job. The cable assemblies include a complete assembled anchor on the "dead end" and a "free end" that is assembled on the job site.
The free end assembly is comprised of a standard anchor to transfer cable tension to the concrete, tapered retainer keys to secure the cable to the anchor, a pocket former to create a void in the concrete where tensioning jacks are attached to the cable, and finally grout to seal the finished assembly.
Removal of the pocket former after the concrete has cured is usually done by gripping the plastic ribs and pulling or prying the pocket former out of the pocket. This often causes serious damage to the pocket former making them non-reusable. Additionally, during concrete placement, concrete occasionally leaks between the second rim of the pocket former and the concrete form. This leaked concrete hardens and prevents the removal of the pocket former.
Therefore, a principal object of this invention is to provide a pocket former that reduces the incidence of concrete leakage between the second rim of the pocket former and the concrete form.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus for applying removal forces to the pocket former that minimizes damage to the pocket former.
A further object of the invention is to provide a pocket former that produces a concrete void or pocket with improved surface geometry to promote adhesion of grout.
These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.


A method and apparatus for effectively managing image files are provided. The apparatus acquires a second image if a link information input signal is input. If a person is recognized from the second image, text information corresponding to the recognized person may be added to link information of a first image. Also, an image of the second image may be added to the link information of the first image.

1. Field
The following description relates to a digital imaging system, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for managing image files.
2. Description of the Related Art
As terminals equipped with cameras become increasingly popular, the terminals are frequently used to take and store images. However, because the images are normally stored in order of time with file names randomly assigned by the terminal, a user needs to manually search through numerous image files for a desired image. Further, if many image files are stored in the terminal or it has been long since the image files were stored, it may be difficult to retrieve a desired image file and/or to find out information about a desired image.

Method and apparatus for managing image files


There is disclosed a method for controlling a fill speed of an injection unit, the method executable in a computing apparatus configured to control a plunger actuator of the injection unit. The method comprises receiving an indication of a mold-cavity-filling parameter, the mold-cavity-filling parameter being indicative of a number of molding cavities of a multi-cavity mold having been filled; responsive to the mold-cavity-filling parameter satisfying a pre-determined threshold, releasing a control signal to the plunger actuator to control speed associated with a plunger of the injection unit from a first filling speed to a second filling speed.

Molding is a process by virtue of which a molded article can be formed from molding material by using a molding system. Various molded articles can be formed by using the molding process, such as an injection molding process. One example of the molded article that can be formed, for example, from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) material is a preform that is capable of being subsequently blow-molded into a beverage container, such as, a bottle and the like. Other examples of the molded articles include thin-wall containers (i.e. yogurt containers, cups, etc), medical appliances and the like.
As an illustration, injection molding of PET material involves heating the PET material (ex. PET pellets, PEN powder, PLA, etc.) to a homogeneous molten state and injecting, under pressure, the so-melted PET material into a molding cavity defined, at least in part, by a female cavity piece and a male core piece mounted respectively on a cavity plate and a core plate of a mold. The cavity plate and the core plate are urged together and are held together by clamp force, the clamp force being sufficient to keep the cavity and the core pieces together against the pressure of the injected PET material. The molding cavity has a shape that substantially corresponds to a final cold-state shape of the molded article to be molded. The so-injected PET material is then cooled to a temperature sufficient to enable ejection of the so-formed molded article from the mold. When cooled, the molded article shrinks inside of the molding cavity and, as such, when the cavity and core plates are urged apart, the molded article tends to remain associated with the core piece. Thereafter, the molded article can be ejected off the core piece by use of one or more ejection structures. Ejection structures are known to assist in removing the molded articles from the core halves. Examples of the ejection structures include stripper plates, stripper rings and neck rings, ejector pins, etc.
As generally known in the art, known molding systems can cause a number of visible defects to the molded articles. One such problem is known in the art as "rolled threads" or, in other words, a significant deformation to a neck finish of the preforms.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,558,588 issued to Shioiri et al. on May 6, 2003 discloses a method for controlling an injection molding machine, where a screw is advanced from an injection start position by means of velocity control, and when the screw reaches a control changeover point, pressure control is effected in place of the velocity control to apply pressure to the screw. Preliminary molding is performed to obtain an acceptable product; a total charged amount of resin during the preliminary mold is obtained on the basis of a movement distance over which the screw has moved before reaching the control changeover point during the preliminary mold; and the total charged amount is stored as a changeover target value. During ordinary molding, a total charged amount of resin is obtained on the basis of a movement distance over which the screw advances from the injection start position; and pressure control is started when the total charged amount reaches the changeover target value. Thus, the total amount of resin charged into a mold cavity in each molding cycle becomes constant without being affected by the charging pressure and temperature of the resin.
U.S. patent application bearing a publication number 2005/0053684 published on Mar. 10, 2005 by Pitschebeder et al. discloses an injection molding machine with a mold that can be opened and closed, into the mold cavity of which a fluid molding compound, preferably plastic, can be injected, and with at least one reading device for at least one transponder arranged in the mold cavity.

Method for controlling fill speed in a molding system


The present invention provides a centrifugal fan including a hub adapted for rotation about a central axis and a plurality of blades arranged about the central axis and coupled for rotation with the hub. Each of the blades includes a curvature in a plane that extends through the blade and is tangent to a cylinder which extends through the blade and is centered along the central axis.

Centrifugal blowers typically include impellers having a plurality of blades that redirect an incoming airflow toward a radial direction as the airflow moves from the impeller inlet to the impeller outlet. The blades are typically attached to a hub for rotation therewith. The hub typically defines an airflow surface on the base of the impeller to help redirect the incoming airflow.
In automotive climate control applications (i.e., heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), centrifugal impellers may be generally grouped into two categories: a) low cost, one-piece impellers; and b) higher cost, higher efficiency, two-piece impellers. One-piece impellers, because of their lower cost, are generally more prevalent in automotive climate control applications than two-piece impellers. Two-piece impellers are generally used in an automotive climate control application when the need for high efficiency or high pressure capability outweighs any cost disadvantage.
Further, in automotive climate control applications, centrifugal blowers should operate efficiently over a range of operating conditions. For example, duct passages open and close to direct air through different heat exchangers of different flow resistances. Flow resistance typically is greatest in heater and defrost conditions, and least in air conditioning mode. In some instances, the high flow resistance during heater and defrost modes can cause performance and/or noise problems for conventional one-piece impellers, which may be less efficient than the more expensive two-piece impellers, or only capable of producing relatively low pressures compared to the more expensive two-piece impellers.


In accordance with an embodiment, a switchable capacitance circuit includes a plurality of capacitance-switch cells that each have a capacitance circuit having a capacitance between a first terminal and a second terminal of the capacitance circuit, and a semiconductor switching circuit including a first terminal coupled to the first terminal of the capacitance circuit, a plurality of series connected radio-frequency (RF) switch cells having a load path and a common node. Each of the plurality of series connected RF switch cells has a switch transistor and a gate resistor having a first end coupled to a gate of the switch transistor and a second end coupled to the common node. The switchable capacitance circuit also includes a resistance circuit having a first end coupled to the common node and a second end coupled to a control node.

Tunable passive elements, such as capacitors and inductors, are used in a variety of radio frequency (RF) circuits to implement adjustable matching networks for antennas and power amplifiers, and to provide adjusting tuning for high frequency filters. Due to the high demand and production of portable devices, such tunable passive elements may be found in products such as cellular telephones, smart phones and portable computers. Providing tuning to RF circuits in such products allows these products to provide high performance RF transmission and reception in a variety of RF conditions. Programmable tuning is also helpful in RF devices that are configured to operate over different RF bands and/or configured to operate using different standards.
Tunable capacitors may be implemented in a number of ways. For example, a voltage-controlled capacitor may be used to provide a variable capacitance. Such a variable capacitance may be implemented using a reverse-biased diode junction having a capacitance that is inversely proportional to the applied reverse bias voltage. Another way in which a tunable capacitance may be implemented is by using an array of switchable capacitors whose various elements are either connected or disconnected via controllable switches. One challenge in the design of a switchable capacitor is dealing the effects of parasitic capacitance of transistors used to implement the switches. Such parasitic capacitances associated with the switching transistors may add additional capacitance to the switchable capacitance that may decrease the accuracy of the circuit and/or increase parasitic loading.

System and method for a switchable capacitance


A revolver type developing device for an image forming apparatus. A rotary body is mounted on a shaft and has a plurality of developing units mounted thereon. The developing units are arranged around the shaft, and each stores a powdery developer and accommodates a developer transport member for supplying the developer to an image carrier. A drive source rotates the rotary body to bring any one of the developing units to a developing position where the developing unit faces the image carrier. A one-way transmission mechanism is located on a drive transmission path extending from the drive source to the rotary body for preventing a drive force from being imparted from the rotary body to the drive source. When the rotary body tends to rotate or vibrate due to an external force or vibration, the rotation or vibration is prevented from reaching the drive source.

The present invention relates to a revolver type developing device for a copier, laser printer, facsimile transceiver or similar image forming apparatus.
Conventional image forming apparatuses include a full color copier which exposes a photoconductive element or similar image carrier to color-separated light images to electrostatically form corresponding latent images, develops each of the latent images by a toner of complementary color, and transfers the resulting toner images to a single recording medium one above the other. A multicolor image forming apparatus is also conventional which sequentially exposes an image carrier to images to be reproduced in different colors, develops each of the resulting images by a developer of particular color to produce a corresponding toner image, and transfers such toner images to a single recording medium. This kind of image forming apparatuses need a plurality of developing units. However, a plurality of developing units constructed independently of each other and arranged around the image carrier would increase the overall size of the apparatus. A revolver type or rotary type developing device which is a recent achievement can eliminate this problem. The revolver type developing device, or simply revolver as referred to hereinafter, has a rotatable cylindrical casing located to face an image carrier, and a plurality of developing units disposed in the casing and supported in predetermined positions. The developing units are sequentially brought to a developing position to develop latent images by respective toners.
A prerequisite with the revolver type developing device is that a developer transport member accommodated in each developing unit and implemented as a roller or a sleeve be accurately positioned and fixed in a predetermined position in a developing region where it faces an image carrier. To meet this requirement, a groove may be formed in the outer periphery of the casing or rotary body and receive a pin, roller or similar stop provided at the outside of the casing, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 3162/1986 and 78175/1988 by way of example. However, the problem with this kind of scheme is that the force restricting the position of the casing is not sufficient in the direction in which a spring for absorbing the inertial rotation of the casing expands or in the direction in which the casing rotates for the replacement of a color. Hence, when an external force or vibration acts on the casing, the casing is apt to rotate or vibrate away from the predetermined position. Further, a solenoid or similar extra mechanism, part and operation control are necessary for the stop to be released from the groove before the start of color replacement.
To position and fix the casing in the predetermined position, a pin movable perpendicularly to the end of the casing may be used and selectively inserted into a hole formed in the end of the casing, as taught in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 65276/1986. However, this approach is not practicable unless the positional accuracy of the pin and hole is extremely high and without resorting to a solenoid or similar extra part for moving the pin. Moreover, to insert the pin into the hole which rotates together with the casing, extremely complicated control is needed over the rotation of the casing.
In the light of the above, a stepping motor or pulse motor may be used as an exclusive drive source for the casing or rotary body. Then, the casing will be positioned and fixed by the position control and holding ability of the motor itself. Alternatively, braking means may be associated with an exclusive motor for holding the casing at the predetermined position. A problem with these schemes is that a current has to be continuously fed while the casing is held in the predetermined position. Another problem is that a large size motor is needed to exert a sufficient holding force on the casing. As a result, the device generates heat, consumes disproportionate power, and increases the cost.

Revolver type developing device for an image forming apparatus


A device for correlating trend data with respect to a patient's weight ankle displacement can identify conditions indicative of congestive heart failure. A weight scale or similar device coupled with imaging mechanism operable to measure ankle displacement collects a plurality of measurements over a period of time. Over time trend analysis of both the patient's weight and the ankle displacement measurements can be obtained and compared to identify whether over a particular sample period an increase in a patient's ankle displacement is or is not correlated with an increase in the patient's weight. When an increase in ankle displacement is identified as not correlating to a corresponding change in the patient's weight an alert can be issued of conditions indicative of congestive heart failure.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate, in general to home healthcare monitoring and more particularly to monitoring and correlating trend data with respect to ankle displacement measurements and patient weight and thereafter transmitting that data to a healthcare professional when a statistically significant event occurs.
2. Relevant Background
Congestive heart failure, or heart failure, is a condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to the body's other organs. This can result from a variety of causes including narrowed arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle, coronary artery disease, scar tissue build up from past heart attack or myocardial infarction that interferes with the heart muscle's normal work, high blood pressure, heart valve disease due to past rheumatic fever or other causes, heart defects present at birth, and infection of the heart valves and/or heart muscle itself.
Congestive heart failure is a condition in which the heart, while continuing to function, does not perform its work as efficiently as it should. People with heart failure cannot exert themselves because they become short of breath and fatigued. As blood flow out of the heart slows, blood returning to the heart through the veins backs up, causing congestion in the tissues. Often swelling (edema) results. Most often there is swelling in the legs and ankles, but swelling can occur in other parts of the body as well. Sometimes fluid collects in the lungs and interferes with breathing, causing shortness of breath, especially when a person is lying down. Another common symptom is swelling in lower extremities, especially the feet and ankles.
The degree of swelling people with heart failure experience depends on how well their body is compensating for the heart failure and how much sodium and water their body retains. In some cases the swelling is mild and merely bothersome, while in other cases it can be severe and painful as their skin becomes taut and sensitive.
The medical term for this swelling in the legs is pedal edema—"pedal" refers to the feet and "edema" refers to the buildup of excess fluid. Heart failure often causes what doctors call "pitting edema," meaning that applying pressure to the swollen skin leaves an indentation in the skin. Doctors often test for edema by pressing their thumb to the skin and seeing whether it leaves an impression. One common example of pitting edema is when, upon removal of one's footwear, he or she discovers that his or her socks have left an impression in the skin of the ankles and feet. However, tests such as this are used to confirm extreme cases of edema after a patient has sought assistance. The presence of edema is used to verify or support a diagnosis rather than proactively to identify a potential or growing condition.
While the association of pedal edema and heart failure is well known, the presence of pedal edema in a patient experiencing heart failure is typically one of many factors used to reach a diagnosis once a patient has sought out medical care. For example a chest X-ray indicating a build up of fluid in the cavity surrounding the lungs resulting in the patient experiencing difficulty in breathing may also be indicative of heart failure. But unlike blood tests, X-rays and other non-ambulatory tests, pedal edema can be readily observed and monitored by the patient.
However, even when patients having a high likelihood or susceptibility to heart failure are asked to monitor various physiological conditions including pedal edema, patient compliance is historically poor and unreliable. A need therefore exists for a system and apparatus to efficiently and effortlessly monitor changes in pedal edema of a patient showing susceptibility to heart failure. Furthermore there is a need to record such data and correlate it with the weight of a patient over a period of time so as to determine whether any changes in pedal edema are consistent or inconsistent with weight change. Finally a need remains to convey this information to a healthcare professional for analysis and, if necessary, to initiate proactive measures to minimize risk to the patient. These and other improvements to the prior art are hereafter described by way of example.

Patient weight and ankle displacement correlation device


A system that manages a file system for a file server. A file operation is received that signals a reservation operation for a file having a file size. Preferably, the file system uses a write anywhere file system layout, the file operation that signals the reservation operation is a zero length write request, and the file operation that signals the reservation operation includes a parameter that specifies the file size. A number of blocks needed to be reserved to accommodate the file is computed. Preferably, computing the number of blocks needed to be reserved to accommodate the file includes determining a total number of direct and indirect blocks needed to accommodate the file size, and subtracting a total number of blocks already allocated for the file and a total number of cached unallocated blocks for the file from the total number of direct and indirect blocks needed to accommodate the file size. A number of unallocated blocks is reserved in the file system, with the number of reserved blocks equal to the number of blocks needed to be reserved to accommodate the file. Reserving the number of blocks preferably includes setting a flag in an inode for the file that indicates blocks have been reserved for the file, and incrementing a reserved block count in a file system information block by the number of blocks needed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to management of a file system for a file server; in particular, the invention concerns reserving unallocated blocks of the file system based upon a file size for a file.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some conventional file servers (also called "filers") manage space in a file system by allocating blocks to a file as data for that file is written to the file system. Thus, if the file system runs out of space, a file could end up partially written.
Other conventional file servers, in particular those running CIFS, can allocate blocks for an entire file upon creation of the file. These file servers write zero data to the file system for these blocks. However, this approach is expensive in terms of time required to write the zero data. Furthermore, this approach is actually counterproductive for file servers that use a write anywhere file system layout, also known as WAFL file servers.
In WAFL file servers, when a file is overwritten, new data is written to new blocks, and then the previously allocated blocks are released. Thus, new data is written to different blocks than the previously allocated blocks, resulting in use of extra space for the new blocks until the previously allocated blocks are released. If the file server is close to full, this duplication of blocks could use up the remaining blocks, preventing complete writing of the data.


An optical semiconductor device of which the moisture resistance and the like are improved and the manufacturing method thereof are provided. An optical semiconductor device of the embodiment is configured to include an optical semiconductor element on a surface of which a circuit portion including a light-receiving or light-emitting element is formed; a terminal portion which is provided on a back of the optical semiconductor element and electrically connected with the circuit portion; a covering layer which covers the surface of the optical semiconductor element and is made of a transparent material; and sealing resin which covers side faces of the covering layer and of the optical semiconductor element. The circuit portion and the terminal portion may be connected by a rewiring pattern.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical semiconductor device in which an optical semiconductor element including a light-receiving or light-emitting portion is accommodated.
2. Description of the Related Art
Since circuit devices to be set in electronic equipment are used in a mobile phone, a portable computer, and the like, there has been a demand for reduction in size, thickness and weight of the circuit devices. Taking a semiconductor device as an example of the circuit devices, chip size packages (CSP) have been developed. The size of CSP is equal to chip size or, slightly larger than a chip size.
FIG. 7 shows a CSP 66 with a size slightly larger than a chip size, in which a glass epoxy substrate 65 is employed as a supporting substrate. A description will be given here assuming that a transistor chip T is mounted on the glass epoxy substrate 65.
First and second electrodes 67, 68 and a die pad 69 are formed on a surface of this glass epoxy substrate 65, and first and second back electrodes 70 and 71 are formed on a back of the glass epoxy substrate 65. The first electrode 67 and first back electrode 70, as well as the second electrode 68 and second back electrode 71, are electrically connected through a through-hole TH. The bare transistor chip T is fixed to the die pad 69. An emitter electrode of the transistor and the first electrode 67 are connected by a thin metal wire 72, and a base electrode of the transistor and the second electrode 68 are connected by another thin metal wire 72. Moreover, a resin layer 73 is provided on the glass epoxy substrate 65 so as to cover the transistor chip T.
Although the glass epoxy substrate 65 is used in the CSP 66, the CSP 66, unlike a wafer scale CSP, has a simple elongating structure from the transistor chip T up to the back electrodes 70 and 71 for external connection, and therefore has a merit of being able to be manufactured at low costs.
In the CSP 66 explained above, however, the resin layer 73 covering the transistor chip T is only in contact with a surface portion of the glass epoxy substrate 65. Accordingly, during the process of mounting the CSP 66 and/or in the state where the CSP 66 is being used, water enters from the outside into the interface between the glass epoxy substrate 65 and the resin layer 73. This fact has led to degradation in the moisture resistance of the CSP 66. Moreover, from the same reason as above, there has been a problem of weak adhesion between the glass epoxy substrate 65 and the resin layer 73.

Optical semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same


A gripper system having tentacles including a control system configured to receive operator data and sensor data. Compare stored object configurations associated with grips to identify a corresponding set of object configurations using a target object shape and a pose via sensor data and select an object configuration. Compare stored commands to identify sets of commands corresponding to the object configuration and select sets of commands. If a set of pickup actions are received, compare to the corresponding object configuration to identify a set of pickup actions using the received set of pickup actions, and select a set of pickup actions. Compare the sets of commands to identify a corresponding first set of commands corresponding to a set of pickup actions using the set of pickup actions and select the first set of commands. If the received set of pickup actions are absent, then select a second set of commands.

There are many challenges facing centralized control methods for conventional soft grippers which include speed, integration of sensing, and control. Improved control processing methods and sensing play an important role in developing new centralized control approaches in order to overcome many of today's conventional centralized control method problems.
Conventional soft robotic grippers and/or endpoint effectors can be categorized as pneumatic grippers, hydraulic grippers, electromagnetic motor grippers and suction and vacuum grippers. For example, some of the problems conventional soft robotic grippers include being too heavy in overall weight and design, weak in terms of durability and longtime operational wear and tear, slow gripping performance in terms of time the grippers clasp an object and are limited in controllability or in some cases uncontrollable for truly dexterous manipulation. Some other problems include slow grasping times and high maintenance requirements, which limit the field of applications. For example, for conventional pneumatic grippers, these devices include a pneumatic cylinder (usually double acting, sometimes spring-loaded) slides or pivots a pair of fingers together (for pinch and encircle grips) or apart (for interior or "spread") grips. However, there is no proportional control, the gripper is either CLOSED or OPEN, and require compressed air. Moreover, the conventional pneumatic grippers are noisy, very heavy in overall weight, have no feedback to the operate regarding any sort of true dexterous manipulation. Conventional hydraulic grippers include a hydraulic cylinder that slides or pivots the fingers together and apart. However, these grippers require a hydraulic power source, have slow take-in time to operate the retraction of the grippers, also they are very heavy in overall weight. Conventional electromagnetic motor grippers include an electromagnetic motor (servo, stepper, or similar motor) that actuates the fingers, arranged typically through a gear train. However, these grippers have very slow take-in times for geared units, weak grips when compared to the same weight of conventional air driven units.
There is a pressing need to develop a controllable soft robot gripper that is for truly dexterous manipulation that is lighter in weight than conventional grippers. There is also a need for controlling soft robot gripper technology to be capable of movement within the gripper (analogous to motions of a human finger when writing cursively), along with high quality position (biologically analogous to proprioception) and force (biologically analogous to muscle effort) feedback that conventional grippers fail to achieve.

Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.